This is classic: Duncan Hunter previously blamed his wife for $250,000 worth of campaign conversion of funds. Now he's claiming that it's all political, and says the media should leave his wife and family out of it! Can't have it both ways, Duncan...

Misspending campaign money on personal stuff is a minor offense that normally just requires paying back the money and paying a fine. But what gets people in real trouble is if they tried to conceal it. Which Hunter and his wife did by labeling certain personal expenses as legitimate campaign expenses, even though there was no justification for that. Fancy dinners, family trips to Disney, etc.

It's not the crime that gets you. It's the cover-up.

I think that is good advice but I know what these folks are thinking. They believe they can dig their way to China and thus avoid at the minimum embarrassing questions and at the worst, they are well hidden from prosecution.

In Mr Trump's case, he believes he is above the law and thus he can talk all he wants.

Anderson Cooper: Trump’s tweet is an admission.
Toobin: Trump Tweet May Be Impeachabe Offense

Again, not the original crime, but the cover-up: These two Congressmen committed financial crimes. Trump suggesting they should not be indicted because of their Party is so much worse, it is yet another impeachable offense. This is why we really should elect lawyers for public office, since they usually have some idea about what is criminal and what is not. Trump is clueless.

Trump is in for it. I think that's becoming a fact. There have been several books, etc. recounting how much of a disaster he is. Now we have somebody, claiming to be from the White House staff (and I believe it as its from the NYT who wouldn't claim the writer was "high up in the administration" unless it was true) writing a piece for the NYT that, basically claims, that Trump is simply neither fit (mentally or psychologically), nor competent and is also woefully ignorant, and dangerous to the nation. All this does is simply back up all the rest of the same kinds of claims.

I have thought, for a very long time, that the Republicans would wake up and do something rather than sitting on their hands whilst they get their wet dreams realized. Instead, so far, they decided to kiss the Jackass nether region, hope for the best, and take care of #1.

However, that all being said, we are going to have an election in 2 months. If the Dems actually are able to pull of a real win that will also mean that Jackass is not the miracle worker and his belief of victory is a myth, as well as his base being a danger. When that happens those same craven politicians are going to race to see who is first in denouncing Jackass and he will be done.

They are also saying that article 25, of the constitution, is a way to remove Jackass. Now they are also saying that the Vice President, and congress, can also do that. They will need a 2/3 of congress vote to pull it off but the Dems will flood aboard and the remaining Republicans won't be too far behind once they discover that the bully can't hurt them (they will keep their jobs).

Basically, they (the talking heads of tv) are starting to a join in with a belief that we are kinda entering into a kindofa end of days for Jackass (they, of course, qualify it all with if, maybe, possibly, perhaps, etc) We will know if its really time when they start with 'is' and 'will'.

The the Jackass will be gone and all we will have to deal with is, quite possibly the greatest moralist of the political realm - Vice President Mike Pence. I seriously believe he will turn on Jackass in a New York minute and claim its the Lord's will.

Anyway................

**LOL** Ultimately they will all disavow Trump, swear they were never in thrall to him and cast him beneath the bus...

In lieu of Trump I would gladly take the moralist. He's at least bound to Biblical Law. It's not much comfort, but Trump is bound to nothing but his own vainglorious greed.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves in our imaginings of some cataclismically wonderful bombshell that blows Republicanism back to the stone age. You think Justice is coming? Justice Kavanaugh is coming. And Trump will have two hand picked sycophants on the court.

Does anybody else see Rudy being charged with Obstruction Of Justice when they all turn on Trump? He's done and said an awful lot of un-lawyerly things since going to work for Trump. Don't some of these things cross the line into indictment or at least disbarment?

Sessions had the good sense to recuse himself, once he figured out he had crossed the line. He still violated some laws, but so much less than so many other Trump people, he might just escape prosecution.

Another shoe drops... Paul Manafort enters cooperation agreement with Justice Department - CNN.

Why would Manafort flip if he knows Mr Trump will give him a pardon? Does it mean Manafort has nothing on Mr Trump? Manafort may have a lot on family?? Certainly Russians and apparently the Israelis.

My tea leaves don't align themselves until they see evidence and are able to derive reasonable conclusions.

On Manafort: I think there are three factors at play. First, he's facing the rest of his life in jail. Second, he's under threat by Russians, and they are not shy about eliminating loose ends. Third, he may be weighing the merits of witness protection against a possible pardon from an unreliable "friend". His lawyers were probably urging cooperation with a guarantee of less jail time rather than betting on Trump. Plus, if pardoned, the 5th Amendment doesn't apply, and he can be forced to testify without immunity.