NEFARIOUS GEORGE

Be honest, until yesterday had you ever heard of George Papadopoulos?

No, no, NOT the Greek leader of the 1967 military coup d’etat…

Like most Americans, few had heard of this “unpaid” so-called foreign affairs adviser to our current president, Boy George Papadopoulos, before yesterday, but, as of today, his may be the name to remember.

That’s because his guilty plea agreement under the watchful eyes of Ranger Bob Mueller is far more immediately ominous to one Donald John Trump and his inner circle than the current charges against Paul Manafort and Rick Gates.

Boy George pleaded guilty to lying !!! to the F.B.I. about his contacts with Russians.

NOT a smart decision by little Georgie!

The White House, at this point, would be best served if they ALL start wearing Depends to and from work from now on…the super-absorbent type.

The administration’s spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders [can you spell pathetic?], insisted that Papadopoulos was merely a volunteer – however, the plea agreement says plainly that Russia reached out to Papadopoulos because of his status as a named key foreign policy adviser to the campaign, by NONE other than Carrot Top himself.

For ALL of the talk [mostly vacant, in my opinion, thus far] about collusion with Russia since The Weave‘s election, this is by far – potentially – the most damning evidence of it.

The plea describes Papadopoulos’s efforts to gather negative information on Grandma Clinton from officials in the Russian Foreign Ministry, and a ‘mysterious’ Russian professor [someone out of an Alan Furst novel] who told Papadopoulos that Moscow had “thousands of emails” of “dirt” on Grandma C.

This paints perhaps the clearest picture so far ? of Russia’s attempt to provide assistance to the Trump campaign – and, the willingness of at least some campaign staff members to accept that assistance.

While Manafort and Gates are much bigger fish than Boy George, his case may the more portentous one. He clearly has a wealth of information on the campaign and  Trump’s inner circle.

And, much more important, it would appear he’s already providing it.

You just know that Donnie is upstairs in the Lincoln Bedroom with the remote glued to his hand…

 

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO FLIP, Paul?

Paul Manafort and his former business associate, Rick Gates, were indicted less than two hours ago on money laundering, tax and foreign lobbying charges, a massive escalation ! in the Special Counsel Investigation that has cast a shadow over our current president’s first year in office [oh heavenly days, join me in counting the hours!!!!!!!].

Here are the indictments:

https://www.justice.gov/file/1007271/download

NOTHING directly on “Russian Meddling.”

Manafort laundered ! more than $18 million to buy properties and services.

Gates is accused of transferring more than $3 million from offshore accounts.

The two are also charged with making false statements.

The charges against Manafort and Gates are NOT the end of the investigation, but the end of the beginning.

There are more coming!

If the indictments say anything, they tell us that Donald John Trump should be afraid, very, very afraid, since it’s now Mueller time.

PAUL, HAVE YOU GOT a MOMENT?

Hello Moto!

Paul John Manafort, Jr. just walked into the F.B.I.’s field office in Washington at about 8:15 a.m. ET, with his lawyer.

The curtain, it would appear, has gone up of Ranger Bob Mueller‘s production of America’s latest Greek Tragedy.

Manafort surrendered to federal authorities moments ago, after the first charges were filed in Special Counsel Mueller’s Russian meddling investigation.

The charges against Manafort, the 45th president’s former 2017 campaign chairman, were NOT immediately clear, but represent a significant escalation !!! in Ranger Bob’s investigation that has cast a shadow over our current president’s first year in office.

Also charged was Manafort’s former business associate Rick Gates, who was also told to surrender this morning.

NBC and the Wall Street Journal are reporting that the charges against BOTH men may be “tax related” – lots more to come, aunts and uncles.

FALL’S CLASSIC DRAMA

In an insane, epic, instant classic of a 2017 World Series Game 5, the Houston Astros outslugged and outlasted the Los Angeles Dodgers, prevailing by 13-12 when Alex Bregman’s two-out single in the bottom of the 10th inning scored pinch-runner Derek Fisher.

As Fisher raced around third and slid home well ahead of the throw from left fielder Andre Ethier, the capacity crowd roared [went totally ballistic!], and the Astros sprinted out of the dugout – one final charge in a Game 5 that began last night and lasted into early this morning, delivering 5 hours 17 minutes of riveting theater.

The ‘optics’ were fabulous!

The teams took turns delivering haymakers – 7 home runs in ALL – before the Astros emerged with a  3 games-to-2 series lead that they will take back to Los Angeles for Game 6 tomorrow night. The Astros will start Justin Verlander, whom they acquired in late August for a moment EXACTLY like this, against the Dodgers’ Rich Hill as Astros try to claim the first championship in their 56-year history.

In a World Series that has come to be defined by the unpredictable and unexpected, it was only fitting that one night, after a lights-out pitchers’ duel between the heretofore unremarkable Alex Wood and Charlie Morton, a slugfest would unfold that sent the Cy Young Award winners Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel to early exits.

Do you think Carrot Top enjoyed the game?

 

ARE ALL CHINSTRAPS BUCKLED?

Who really knows what might happen today?

NOBODY…but, one person.

Ranger Bob Mueller.

Listen, after last night’s Game 5 of the World Series , I’m ready for ALL the action, and intrigue, D.C. can/will throw at us today, tomorrow…this week, as regards the work of the Special Counsel Ranger Bob.

The Old Lobsterman lives for these adrenaline rushes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember what I’ve ALWAYS told you: The greatest show on earth is NO longer the circus [they have permanently left town!], it’s US – you, me and the rest of humankind – we ALL have become/are “the” circus!

As I post, with the dawn coming over the Prairie,  a spokesperson for Ranger Bob declined to comment.

The first defendants in a criminal investigation of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign could be taken into custody as soon as this morning, though the nature and target of the charges, and whom it may be, could NOT be determined over the weekend.

Manafort; Flynn; Carter Page; Don, Jr.; Jared; who knows…….

My $$$ is on Paul Manafort – 150-110 as a line.

 

MIRACLE MAX

If, and mind you, I said if, you can’t ‘close your eyes’ some nights due to:

• TOO MUCH FOOTBALL;
• A GAME 4 OF THE WORLD SERIES;
• COMMERCIAL BREAKS TO HEAR THE LATEST DRIBBLE FROM D.C.;
• TOO MUCH DIET COKE…POPCORN…PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES;
• YOUR CAT WANTING TO BE LET OUT, FED AGAIN or NECK-STROKED;
• YOUR WIFE of 51 YEARS ASKING, “Is that all you’re going to watch?”

Well, I’ve got a suggestion: Watch Princess Bride!

Miracle Max [the great Billy Crystal] will be just part of my remedy…

Some things in LIFE are just classic…like a wife of 51 years!

 

LATEST ROUND of WINDOW-DRESSING

The “Warrior Monk” – Jim Mattis – said he did NOT see a scenario in which the U.S. would accept North Korea as a nuclear power, even after a year of dramatic advances for North Korea’s weapons program.

Our Secretary of Defense speaking at a press briefing yesterday in Seoul, with his South Korean counterpart, at the end of a three-country swing through Asia, reiterated the longtime U.S. goal of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

But, Mattis played down chatter about a reintroduction of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons into South Korea, after the head of South Korea’s conservative opposition party urged the Trump administration to do so.

The remarks came even as Pyongyang reasserted its status as a nuclear power.

“The DPRK has already attained its final goal in its great cause of building the state nuclear force,” Pyongyang’s main party newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, wrote yesterday, using the acronym for North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“The U.S. and its followers’ crazy escalation of sanctions, pressure and military threats to the DPRK will only get them nowhere,” the Rodong Sinmun said in a separate article.

The question of North Korea’s status as a nuclear power has been a central sticking point between the two sides. In theory, BOTH the U.S. and North Korea [with one exception: its obese man-child!] say they want a diplomatic solution.

 But, Washington and Pyongyang see a diplomatic deal in starkly different terms: The U.S. seeks talks to rid North Korea of its nuclear arsenal, while North Korea says it will only accept ! talks to cement its status as a nuclear state.

The Pentagon chief, who returned to Washington after yesterday’s press briefing in Seoul, had been meeting defense ministers in the region to coordinate ! ways to counter North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

South Korea has day-to-day control of its own military, but in the event of a major conflict on the peninsula, the top U.S. general in South Korea would assume operational control of BOTH militaries, under an agreement in place since the Korean War in the 1950s.

The U.S. maintains a force of approximately 28,500 in South Korea.

A HALLOWEEN SCARE?

Something wicked this way comes…

In between innings of Game 3 of the World Series, last night, I flipped over to CNN.

BREAKING NEWS…you know the drill.

Anderson Cooper and the gang were reporting that, at least one person was charged  in connection with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s criminal investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to reporting by CNN.

That person could be taken into custody as soon as this coming Monday, the 30th, CNN said. The number and identity of the defendants, and the charges, could NOT be determined.

My first couple of thoughts were:

• PRETTY QUICK WORK BY MUELLER [he was appointed just this past May];
• THIS IS THE FIRST LEAK SURROUNDING MUELLER’S INVESTIGATION.

Mueller and his team of prosecutors and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents have been examining alleged Russian efforts to influence last year’s election and whether Trump’s campaign or Carrot Top’s associates colluded ? with the Kremlin.

Moscow has denied seeking to influence the election, and The Weave has vigorously disputed allegations of collusion, calling Mueller’s inquiry a “witch hunt.”

Which considering it’s that time of year – Halloween – was probably the most analogous comment out of his mouth this week!

Giddy-up, Ranger Bob!

 

LONG-TERM INSANITY

This bill is NOT yet public, and has yet passed both houses in draft…

However, based on what little we know, ONLY the deficit and the assets of the super wealthy will increase. 

The House, this morning, sounded the starting gun on legislative efforts to cut taxes by as much as $1.5 trillion over the coming decade, narrowly clearing a budget blueprint that will allow a tax bill to pass Congress without any Democratic votes.

But, the narrow 216-212 vote hinted at how difficult actually legislating a tax overhaul could be. The budget measure cleared Congress over the loud protests of House members from high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California, who worry that the blueprint will doom the current deduction for state and local taxes – a deduction of great importance to taxpayers in their states.

Twenty Republicans voted against it, 11 of them from New York and New Jersey.

Final approval of the budget measure clears the way for House leaders to unveil their tax plan next Wednesday, November 1st, with a formal bill drafting during the week of November 6th.

The high-stakes legislative sprint could affect households in every state and businesses in every industry, with enormous political consequences for Trump and Republicans in Congress.

The budget measure would allow for a tax bill that adds as much as $1.5 trillion ! to federal deficits over a decade, at a time when the federal government is already piling up more and more debt, which has now topped $20 trillion!!!

UNSUSTAINABLE and INSANITY.

Dear Republicans:

Except for the 20 voting against it, thank you so much for passing a bill that will provide more money for billionaires and multi-nationals on our bent-over backs.

Sincerely,

The Old Lobsterman

THE MAN from BLUEBERRY HILL

The best things in life are colorblind…

Even Carrot Top‘s pal, Vlad, loved him [check out the familiar faces in the audience]…

NO matter where I was, whenever I heard one of his songs, it ALWAYS brought back early memories of the infancy of Rock ‘n’ Roll for me.

On Tuesday, Antoine Dominique Domino, Jr. passed away at the age of 89.

The entire world knew him as “Fats.”

Fats Domino, the New Orleans rhythm-and-blues singer whose two-fisted boogie-woogie piano and nonchalant vocals, heard on dozens of hits, made him one of the biggest stars of the early rock ’n’ roll era.

Fats had more than three dozen Top 40 pop hits through the 1950s and early ’60s, among them “Blueberry Hill” – “Ain’t It a Shame” (also known as “Ain’t That a Shame,” which is the actual lyric) – “I’m Walkin” – “Blue Monday” – and “Walkin’ to New Orleans.”

Throughout he displayed both the buoyant spirit of New Orleans, his hometown, and a droll resilience that reached listeners worldwide.

He sold 65 million singles in those years, with 23 gold records, making him second only to Elvis Presley as a commercial force. Presley acknowledged Domino as a predecessor.

At a news conference in Las Vegas in 1969, after resuming his performing career, Elvis interrupted a reporter who had called him “the king.” He pointed to Domino, who was in the room, and said, “There’s the real king of Rock ’n’ Roll.”

Elvis was right about black music and respected its origins, and NEVER stole the work of black artists the way numerous white artists, payola DJs and groups did, from the late 50s through the early 70s.

Truly the end of and era…

I can’t begin to imagine the party that Chuck Berry and Saint Peter are now working out for the “few” educated souls in Heaven that were devotees of the Fat Man’s music.

Good golly, Miss Molly…