'I can land the plane': How Rosenstein tried to mollify Trump, protect Mueller and save his job

[malaise]

Breaking

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/i-can-land-the-plane-how-rosenstein-tried-to-mollify-trump-protect-mueller-and-save-his-job/2019/04/26/f2fd3bf2-65e0-11e9-82ba-fcfeff232e8f_story.html?utm_term=.5a3ea6f08e62


Rod J. Rosenstein, again, was in danger of losing his job. The New York Times had just reported that — in the heated days after James B. Comey was fired as FBI director — the deputy attorney general had suggested wearing a wire to surreptitiously record President Trump. Now Trump, traveling in New York, was on the phone, eager for an explanation.

Rosenstein — who, by one account, had gotten teary-eyed just before the call in a meeting with Trump’s chief of staff — sought to defuse the volatile situation and assure the president he was on his team, according to people familiar with matter. He criticized the Times report, published in late September, and blamed it on former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe, whose recollections formed its basis. Then he talked about special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and told the president he would make sure Trump was treated fairly, people familiar with the conversation said.

“I give the investigation credibility,” Rosenstein said...

------------------
That letter to Comey has way more meaning now

[Bradshaw3]

1. Confirms it was another repub coverup of their crimes

Barr, McConnell, Rosenstein, Nunes and others should be remembered as big a traitors as 45*.

[malaise]

2. Lock them the fuck up!!

Seriously

[Bradshaw3]

9. I wish we could

Except for a few during Watergate, they never pay a price for their actions that have been - from Nixon and Reagan - treasonous and criminal.

[DUgosh]

3. Wow

[Corgigal]

4. Blamed it on McCabe.

He's just protecting his personal federal pension. Rule of law be damned.

[Cattledog]

5. Teary-eyed Rod!

Ass-kisser

[Glimmer of Hope]

6. My gawd.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. "Rosenstein's fundamental weakness is his weakness" - Matthew Miller.

John Heilemann talking about what Rosenstein was doing was kissing Trump's ass.

[malaise]

10. Didn't Barr also speak about landing the plane?

This cover-up is worse than many folks thought

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. He might have - sounds familiar.

This is kinda stinky.

[malaise]

17. Here it is

https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/ag-barr-on-the-mueller-report-i-m-landing-the-plane-right-now-1487066179775

AG Barr on the Mueller Report: 'I’m landing the plane right now'

[padah513]

16. Yes he did

During one of the hearings

[malaise]

19. Just found a link

posted above - the old memory is not too bad

[BigmanPigman]

14. I'm watching Nicole too.

Last edited Fri Apr 26, 2019, 08:37 PM - Edit history (1)

Her boyfriend Mike Schmidt is the one who wrote that NY Times article. I remember when it came out and I was pissed off at Schmidt for blowing Rosenstein's cover. Now it turns out Rosenstein has two faces and is involved in a cover up. We must have televised hearings ASAP!

[madaboutharry]

28. I was a bit taken by surprise by your "her boyfriend" comment

and so I had to look it up. It was right there on Page Six!

The things you learn on DU.

[BigmanPigman]

29. I learned about it on DU and was

somewhat surprised.

[Iliyah]

8. Blaming Pres O as well.

blame, blame, blame. Ex-FBI will remember this.

[Baitball Blogger]

11. This is what happens when we allow these agencies to become partisan.

What a disgrace.

[malaise]

15. Yep

I remember the hearings on DOJ held by the Dems when Alberto Gonzales was AG.
Bushco had made several permanent appointments of incompetents.
Disgrace is mild.

[uponit7771]

24. +1

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. Time to haul Rosenstein's butt before a House committee...

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

27. Yup.

[mcar]

18. Every damn one is corrupt

[malaise]

21. That's why they were told to keep it in the family

by Paul Ryan

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

20. Matt Miller is tearing Rosenstein a new one right now.

Sounds like he deserves it.

[Docreed2003]

22. So losing his sweet gig was more important to him than saving the Republic?

Fuck this dude

[malaise]

23. David Cicilline is on Ari now

Lock them up!!

[uponit7771]

26. +1, from the article it looks like Rosenstein thinks Comey should've have been fired too and it ...

... wasn't some think process letter Rosenstein wrote about Comey.

Some bullshit

[uponit7771]

25. THIS PART !!! "told the president more than once that he agreed Trump was being treated unfairly"

Some bullshit,

The article goes on to say that the ... THINK ... Rosenstein was talking about the media.

Some bullshit, I pray for Mueller's life.

[malaise]

30. I'd like Mueller to expose every one of them

although I'm not expecting him to deliver

[uponit7771]

34. +1,my expectations are low too ... why hasn't he spoken up ?! this is bad

[delisen]

31. Keep me in the game coach! I can win this one for the Gipper!

I can do it! I can do it! Aaargh!.......(.echo all the way down).

Coach (smug smile) waits the full minute for the splash,,,,,,and in the sudden silence turns and plops down in the gold easy chair in front of the tv screen and with greedy, beady eyes focused, his tiny fingers unwrap the Snickers bar.

[malaise]

33. ROFL

Heheheheh

[highplainsdem]

32. Contemptible.

[Hortensis]

35. "The episode illustrates the political tightrope Rosenstein has had to walk."

Last edited Sat Apr 27, 2019, 06:39 AM - Edit history (2)

Rosenstein has already proven himself an honorable man, or at least one who tries to be. I suspect that in the end the history books will reflect his difficulties in navigating this extremely unstable tightrope to stay in place. Which is what someone who believed in himself and what he was doing would have to do, a critical element of competence and responsibility.

Btw, anyone remember Rachel Brand from February 2018 when she resigned rather than risk succeeding Rosenstein onto this hot seat because he was believed on his way out then? She would have been required to perform critical service to her nation and, unlike Rosenstein, refused the call to duty.

Not such a strange thing on looking at her. She's a major RW anti- ("big" ) government corporatist, the real thing, and was previously top attorney for the international activities of the unfortunately named US Chamber of Commerce lobbyists during a period of especially evil and extremist activities. Like when they thought they could force nations around the planet to pay the tobacco industry for their losses from anti-smoking campaigns, and thus suppress them.

When appointed to the DoJ, Rod Rosenstein was confirmed by an overwhelming bipartisan Senate majority, something like 96-4. Rachel Brand was confirmed by Republicans only against Democratic opposition.

No one would actually want this dreadful, thankless job, but I also suspect she didn't want to risk unquestioned ruin of her reputation and possibly even prison because of what she would have done as someone "on the team," as Trump put it. In any case, proven not to be the right stuff.
She quit to work for Walmart, and that's the service she did for us.

[Mc Mike]

36. Then Barr liked that 'landing the plane' line so much, he stole it for himself.