[U X2] As We Await... "Mueller-Mas", Tonight -- I'll Rerun An April 2018 One That Aged... Quite Gracefully...

This pretty much says it all -- we are, via Mr. Mueller's careful, exacting efforts -- and laudable penchant for secrecy -- nearing the worst of all possible outcomes, for 45.

Both of the more complete Mueller -- Manafort, and -- Cohen, narratives are highly likely to be filed late on this snowy evening, so I will point to my first takes. UPDATED -- here are the two Cohen related memos (this first SDNY forty pager) lays out felonious efforts, directed by Donald Trump, to buy off Stormy Daniels and another woman, in criminal violations of federal campaign finance laws; and this (more important) seven page Mueller one -- about crimes directly monitored by Donald Trump related to the Russia Project into late 2017).

Manafort's. . . when it arrives is now up; again heavily redacted (10 pages), but it makes plain that through early 2018, Manafort was coordinating with senior Administration officials, and lying about the nature and timing of the Russia Project. In any event, here's what I had, about it all, in mid April 2018, below:

Dateline | 04.15.2018 -- And oh. Yeah, this: It turns out Cohen said that Sean Hannity is “mystery client no. 3” — which Hannity just promptly denied; saying he never retained Cohen — because Hannity never disclosed (to/on Fox) that he has the same lawyer as Trump — one who is now under criminal investigation, all as Mr. Hannity decried the whole matter as a witch hunt. . . . (Conflicted, much?!). . . This just entered. . . The Orwellian Zone^TM!

UPDATED @ 9 PM EDT on 04.15.2018 & 10 AM EDT on 04.16: The Cohen version is available now as well. Still no client list. Shocking. Not. And from last night:

Here is 45's new lawyer letter (that's an eight page PDF file). I am still reading the cases cited. . . but I am decidedly underwhelmed. I expect the able Judge Kimba Wood will be, as well. Now we wait for Cohen's 10 AM filing, and the 2 PM EDT appearance tomorrow, as ordered -- and Stormy Daniels will be in gallery, inside the courtroom in Manhattan. Could be a Stormy Monday, indeed. [End, updated portion.]

At the outset, I think dealing directly with Assad promptly -- and forcefully -- is the right answer. We and Britain and France need to be sure we don't create a[nother] quagmire, in the Middle East -- in the process. And in this regard, we need to tread lightly around the Russians in Syria, now long-present there. But what Assad did to his own people is. . . monstrous. I'll remain hopeful that this will be one of only a few surgical strikes.

Next, I want to link to [former US Attorney] Patrick Fitzgerald's full retort, on Scooter Libby's abrupt pardon (elegant, and spare, in his take-down of 45's clueless non-rationale for the same) -- and Marcy Wheeler's NYT editorial -- on the preposterously obvious implications of it. Do read both, and do so -- rather than fall for the nonsense 45 is peddling on Faux News.

Finally, then -- 45 has moved (and has been allowed, by USDC Judge Kimba Wood, sitting in Manhattan) to intervene in the high-stakes fight over the propriety of the DoJ no-knock search warrants executed on Monday past -- against Mr. Trump's 20-plus year personal lawyer. [It turns out Michael Cohen, that lawyer, has been under (a largely separate FBI/DoJ) investigation -- for a host of felonies for many months now. Classy company 45 keeps, no? If we were able to say nothing else, that speaks volumes. . . about 45.]

More to the point, though: Mr. Cohen (based just on what has been unsealed, thus far) is very likely headed to prison for a host of felonies. Chief among them (at least as to the chances of 45 continuing in office), and aside from "garden variety" frauds -- is the documentary proof that Mr. Mueller has obtained, showing Mr. Cohen was in Prague in 2016. Which likely means Mr. Mueller can prove he was at least one of the bag-men, for the Russian drops, in the collusion/obstruction line of cases he will pursue.

Here is the order from last night, setting a due date, on Sunday night, for Trump's intervention -- in these sordid matters:

. . . .Minute Entry for proceedings held before Judge Kimba M. Wood:

Show Cause Hearing as to In the Matter of Search Warrants Executed on April 9, 2018 held on April 13, 2018. Movant Michael D. Cohen not present but attorneys Todd Harrison, Michael Huttenlocher, and Joseph B. Evans present. AUSAs Thomas A. McKay, Rachel Maimin, and Nicholas Roos present. Counsel for Intervenor President Donald J. Trump, Joanna C. Hendon present. Counsel for intervenor President Donald J. Trump shall file a letter on or before Sunday, April 15, 2018 by 9:00 pm.

Counsel for movant Michael D. Cohen shall file a letter substantiating factual claims in support of his position on unsealing by 10:00 am on Monday, April 16, 2018.

Today's hearing on the movant's motion for an order to show cause and a temporary restraining order shall be continued on Monday, April 16, 2018 in courtroom 21B at which Movant Michael D. Cohen is ordered to be present in person.

(Court Reporter Carol Ganley) Modified on 4/13/2018 (Mohan, Andrew). . . .

It seems the noose is getting. . . rather snug, around 45's neck. His crooked lawyer will be his undoing -- as now it is a race between Cohen and Manafort as to which first flips. But it is certain one or both of them. . . will.

These remain dangerous and somber times, to be sure -- in which it is still possible that the 242 uninterrupted years of this glowingly-American notion -- of ordered liberty -- under a careful constitutional framework -- fails. But increasingly, it is looking to be inevitable -- that Mr. Trump will leave office peaceably -- well before the end of his term. So I will be smiling, on a chilly mountain bike ride, shortly. Onward.

नमस्ते