To media critics of President Donald Trump, suggestions that independent counsel Robert Mueller may “meddle’ in this year’s midterm elections were beyond the pale. But a trip through the history pages reveals just how impactful a special counsel can be on voting.
In 1992, special prosecutor Lawrence Walsh got a grand jury to return a high-profile indictment in the Iran-Contra affair days before the election. Many outside observers believe the timing was no coincidence.
“It may have cost George Bush the election, because he was making up a point a day (in the polls) … Those indictments just ruined Bush’s momentum,” presidential history Craig Shirley said.
Trump touched off a fury of commentary with a tweet on Tuesday alleging that “the 13 angry Democrats” — a reference to lawyers os Mueller’s staff who have contributed to Democratic candidates — “will be MEDDLING with the mid-term elections, especially now that Republicans (stay tough!) are taking the lead in Polls. There was no Collusion, except by the Democrats!”
Much of the media interpreted Trump’s use of the word “meddling” to mean the same type of conduct that U.S. intelligence services contend Russia engaged in during the 2016 campaign, improper and illegal attempts to influence the outcome.
Trump’s lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, explained to reporters Wednesday, however, that the president was referring to the way in which Mueller’s team might handle the investigation — particularly when it comes to timing. He said that if Mueller does not wrap up his investigation and file a report by early to mid-September, “he’s clearing doing a Comey.”
That was a reference to former FBI Director James Comey, who came under intense fire — ironically, from Democrats — for reopening 11 days before the presidential election a closed investigation of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified information. Many Democrats, including Clinton, herself, blame Comey for her defeat.
Mueller’s defenders insisted that it is inconceivable that he ever would take actions designed to impact voting in November.
“Anyone who knows the way Robert Mueller operates knows that he would not have done what Comey did during the election, that he would have handled it very different,” CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger said on air Wednesday.
Shirley said that is something Borger cannot possibly know.
“Does Gloria Borger have a crystal ball?” he said. “Can she tune the future?”
As for Walsh (pictured above), he had been appointed to investigate the arms-for-hostages deal that occurred during President Ronald Reagan’s administration. White House staffers orchestrated a deal in which the United States shipped arms by way of Israel to Iran in exchange for the release of five hostages and then used proceeds from the sale to fund the Contra rebels then fighting the Marxist government in Nicaragua.
Reagan always maintained he had no knowledge of the deal, as did Bush, his vice president.
Reagan’s defense secretary, Caspar Weinberger — who already had been under indictment — got hit on Oct. 30, 1992, with a new charge of making a false statement. That was just four days before the election. That new charge related to Weinberger’s failure to comply with congressional demands for records related to Iran-Contra.
The indictment contained Weinberg’s handwritten notes from a 1986 meeting in which officials — including Bush — discussed the arms proposal.
Since there is no evidence of collusion, or even any evidence to SUSPECT collusion, the purpose of this “investigation” has only one possibility.
People are so tired of the antics its just putting the Republicans ahead in the polls. Raising Taxes might not be a great platform.
@Kitt: Sky-screamers don’t make very good candidates for leadership. The liberal media has been exposed as a propaganda arm for the left and a LOT of voters now distrust them, which make it more difficult for them to affect elections as they have in the past. While a reaction of believing the opposite of what the media trots out COULD be dangerous, in the short term is is perfectly healthy. Now, voter fraud and interference by leftists within our government is their only hope.
@Deplorable Me: Like Mooch said without Barry pulling the strings and ignoring all ethics and statutes there is no hope.
@kitt: Gotta love Mooch–one of DT’S many hire em then fire em. guys—-Cuomo vs Mooch was a great match. Italian street fight
I’ll bet DT would love to fire Paul Ryan if he could.
Really looking forward to his meet with Chairman Rocket Man.
Good riddance Roseanne.
Samantha Bee should go as well.
@rich wheeler: Ryan retiring lets hope it stays that way, Roseanne unfortunate for her hope she can also live a nice quiet life getting the mental health care she requires, Didnt know who Bee was, that show not live feed it was approved of by her bosses. What exactly triggered her filthy rant, an innocent photo of mother and child, the caption my Sunday Morning.
We can hope Trump gets somewhere with Kim at least.
@kitt:
Trump won. That’s all it takes. They’re infantile.
@Deplorable Bill: The management of Bee aired that on purpose, they all need to be fired.
@kitt: It must be understood that these liberal programs target liberals. They know their audience and that audience LOVES this stuff. Roseanne wasn’t fired because she might have offended someone; she was fired because she provided ABC an excuse to remove a program that was not all liberal, all anti-Trump, all anti-Christian, all anti-conservative that proved to be resoundingly popular. No liberal media cares about offending anyone and the more vicious, obscene, vulgar and hateful the program, the more the crybaby sore losers like it. What else have they got? No one has any better policies or programs to offer, no help for those in poverty or solutions for violence, so they just call Republicans names and that makes them feel good. All it proves is that NONE of those people or anyone they might approve of as a leader should EVER have power within our government ever again.
@Deplorable Me: She was fired because she offended MANY people across the political spectrum–in fact anyone who has a modicum of civility and common sense. A very poor role model for anyone. As Kitt suggests in #6, she needs mental health care.
Midterm elections will be a referendum on DT’S overall performance.–we’ll see.
@Richard Wheeler: Roseanne has openly talked about her struggle with mental health what is Bees excuse for attacking in a much more vile way and will her show be cancelled?
Roseanne deleted her unfortunate tweet and applogized but that is never enough, Bee wants to know why people are focusing on her filthy comments and not on Trumps immigration policies, hey ignorant Sammy… Congress makes immigration law, not Ivanka. She shouldnt be a political commentator until she understands the basics.
@kitt:
Bee’s excuse? She’s a liberal, one of millions that can’t come to grips with the FACT that their degenerate ideology is dying. No one that loves America wants liberal filth and their last resort is vile, vicious attempts at intimidation.
It doesn’t surprise me and while discussing the hypocrisy of how the left processes their own incivility and immaturity is interesting, that’s not going to change, either. Rejection, boycotts and loss of revenue won’t change their behavior as long as there are wealthy liberals to keep them in the propaganda business. It won’t end until they go totally bankrupt and disappear. There will always be those liberals around who, as long as their liberal savior is a lock for election, regardless of how despicably corrupt they are, will feign disgust and pretend to support some impossibility, all while cheering the fascist tactics along. You can easily spot them by how upset they are that their Goddess of Corruption lost.
Roseanne says her meds made her say it–sounds like what Mel Gibson used.
I call BS on that.
Bee has no excuse.
Bee’s comment “more vile” You kidding? Do you condone either?
Today’s laugh–ABC considering picking up show——wait—–without Barr!! Maybe Fox will pick it up as is.
As far as corrupt Pols and preachers –right wing has more than their share—power, sex and money corrupt without regard to political affiliation. I’m truly amused by the holier than thou far right evangelical’s support of poster boy for infidelity and vulgarity-DT Strange bedfellows indeed.
@Richard Wheeler: Yes Bee was much more vile, Do some research on Ambien, people cook and consume entire dinners and have no memory of it just find a mess in the morning, so yes it could be her prescription. She wakes up sees what has been done deletes it and apologizes asks her fans not to defend what happened but explains the root. Personally not a fan didnt watch the first run of her show, but seeing the evil glee on the left of her losing her job was disgusting.
You are a believer in evolution, why does an ape reference bother you so? It was used plenty with Bush and Trump no one cared.
Your opinion on preachers is bigoted and a little ignorant, like farmers and anyone else who doesnt live in your “oh so sophisticated world traveled” bubble.
How does one turn into a limo Archie Bunker?
@kitt: Damn Kitt—you’ve certainly weaved a wild excuse for Roseanne-lol. You think it OK to compare a Black woman to an ape–really?
You don’t believe in evolution? nuf said and good luck .
I got no problem with preachers—-don’t understand why they’d support a guy like Trump–do you?
@Richard Wheeler: Not so wild If you look up Ambien. You can believe in an 18th century theory if you want, never proven ever. Your comment on preachers exposed your bigotry. How do you expect women to back a woman who was close friends with Weinstein and her husband a rapist? Not all women are in favor of dicing up children in the womb as Hillary is.
Ian Cameron also cancelled Last Man Standing, its ratings pretty good, and is married to Susan Rice, alternative to liberal views not allowed on TV you know.
ABC / Disney hires convicted child molester Brian Peck to work on children’s TV show ‘The Suite Life of Zack and Cody’ but Roseanne doesnt align with their “values”?
Do you think Obamas admin spied on Trumps campaign and this investigation is a sham?
@Richard Wheeler:
recall tiger woods, ambian and “tiger sex” or did you forget
She said she was on ambian and drunk on Memorial Day. Said she needs to adjust her meds. Ambian denies it causes user to turn racist
Kitt—You sure threw a lot against the wall in #18. lol–maybe Barr can use some of it in her next round of tweets.
@Richard Wheeler: Like I said not a True fan but at least her bad comment wasn’t written for her by show writers then put on a teleprompter, taped then presented to a television audience. Wheres the FCC?(psst your comment is # 18)
So do you think the FBI/Mueller scam has any merit? You havent been commenting on topic at all lately.
@kitt: Think Marine combat hero Mueller above reproach and will fare well if confronted by “can’t remember which foot it was” POTUS
Re Barr her ex Tom Arnold says “she’s obviously a racist.”
Maher says her racist tweets are “almost Presidential.” lol
“not a TRUE fan” ?? half ass fan??
@kitt:
I think that since Bumbling Bee is on cable, the FCC does not have jurisdiction. Her program’s survival depends upon her viewership and as long as liberals love vulgarity, hatred and bigotry, her job is safe. As we see every day, the left won’t be losing that support for uncivil hatred anytime soon.
Notice how they all forget the fact that Roseanne is a liberal?
That is turning out to be such a joke and display of blatant America-hate that perhaps some would rather just ignore it, as they did Hillary’s lies, crimes, incompetence and scandals when they ran out and voted for her.
@Richard Wheeler:
No not 1/2 democrat. Still unable to comment on the topic huh, oh well, not that you could form a opinion of your very own Ill just tune into CNN to learn it.
Roseanne a liberal—is that a joke? She’s been a darling of the Trumpeteers and has regularly tweeted her devotion to DT—hates the Clintons.
“Comment on the topic.” Can you read? I.ve denounced Barr and Bee—praised Mueller Semper Fi what else? KISS
@Richard Wheeler: What else? That Time the Independent Counsel Meddled in an Election, can you read? Praising a man that drove an innocent guy to suicide, covered for bribes flowing into the Clinton slush fund to give away rights to a strategic asset of our country, hardly on topic. How long are you going to let that guy hide behind his tattered uniform?
Kitt I stand behind him 100% on his current Repub. assigned duties.
How long you gonna stand behind our current liar in chief who was too cowardly to ever wear any uniform after Prep School?
@Richard Wheeler: Just waiting to see if 17 million produces anything so far we have nada, except him tucking tail( in military talk thats RETREAT!) when the lawyers for the Russians actually showed up for their court date.
Im behind the president as long as I see things in this country improve, People getting raises, good job numbers, possible peace treaty in Korea, ISIS decimated ect…
@kitt:
As long as he is attacking He Who Defeated Hillary, She Who Must Not Be Denied.
@Deplorable Me: I found a song, Hillary singing to DWS
Poor Seth…
@kitt: You reckon big, brave Mueller learned anything from how Comey was treated when he didn’t give the correct answer to the left?
@Deplorable Me: The left has no capacity for learning. Let me take you in my way back machine through the memory hole, When The administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush authorized the sale to Iraq of numerous items…including poisonous chemicals and deadly biological viruses, such as anthrax and bubonic plague…”
Between 1985 and 1989, a US 501C3 firm, American Type Culture Collection, sent Iraq up to 70 shipments of various biowar agents, including 21 strains of anthrax.
Then fast forward where they claim as late as 2016 there were no weapons of mass destruction. (the Kurds may disagree)
Bush once the head of the CIA knew damn well Reagan did not have the security clearance to see what was happening…but he did.
When looking at the lesser of 2 evils for the Bush/Clinton Campaign I think Bumbling Bubba was a better choice.
Kitt–We agree that Barr should get mental help and shouldn’t get drunk while taking ambian—see how easy that was.
Suggestion Watch today’s WH press briefing coming up soon—I’m sure she’ll be asked to explain DT/Rudy assertions on self pardon and maybe Rudy;s “shoot the FBI Director” comment==he’s better than Mooch for comic relief.
@Richard Wheeler: Common ground I like it.
@Richard Wheeler: #15
Been lots of ‘life’ happening around here – haven’t had much time to follow or weigh in, but this one really shouldn’t take all that much thought.
Remember all the times the left has gone full out re: displays of the Ten Commandments and other recognition of religion?
Including the more recent lawsuits against businesses who tried to follow their religious principles under the First Amendment and got sued for it?
Support someone who agrees with and supports their beliefs rather than those who are openly antagonistic towards them? I have no idea why someone would do that… (sarc off)
As far as Trump being far from perfect…you might re-read the Biblical concepts of grace, mercy and forgiveness. I don’t think he’s perfect…but he has been far better for the country than Hillary would have been.
@rich wheeler:
Support your trannies.
@Richard Wheeler: Technically, what Roseanne said was correct, so it couldn’t ‘by definition’ be racist. Valarie Jarrett is certainly a Muslim and she’s clearly a descendant from apes, as all humans are, so where was the racism? I’ve got a surprise for affirmative action people, such as RW, that when you make a factual statement, such as ‘the child of a black person is a black person’ , that is not racism. So anyone that doesn’t understand the difference, attempt to make your lame argument.
@Redteam: Indeed, she was accurate. Jarrett looks almost exactly like the made-up character on the original Planet of the Apes. However, one must have a racist penchant to believe there was racist intent in the observation. An actual black man played one of the main characters in the Planet of the Apes remake, yet no one made a big issue out of that. Why not, I wonder?
Unless one believes blacks equals monkeys, then they wouldn’t naturally assume that anyone that makes such an accurate observation about Jarrett meant the same thing. This reveals far more racism inherent in liberals than it does in Roseanne.
Perhaps you remember Howard Cosell getting in trouble for saying, “That little monkey gets loose, doesn’t he?”. Cosell was probably the most NON-racist guy in broadcasting, but he was eviscerated, since the player was black. I call my granddaughters “Queen of the Monkeys” not for any racial implication (one is white, the other half Hispanic) but because the act like monkeys.
Liberals invent racism to use as a tool, which makes them the most racist of all.
@Deplorable Me: I believe in evolution, I believe all humans came from the same ancestors. Some are more advanced on the chain than others, and I suspect that is due to the environment that chain was exposed to. Those that had natural curiosity and wandered away from their native areas were prone to exposures to different atmospheres and climates, therefore their skin colors varied. Those that were not disposed to be curious or wander or make improvements tended to remain in the jungles and not advance themselves. Does that make them members of different ‘races’ or just members of different tribes of humans? Why do those that were lazy and not willing to take chances now want those that did to contribute their earnings to those that wouldn’t do it for themselves? And if they won’t, it’s ‘racism’. There are no ‘races’ in humanity, just some further along the evolutionary path than others.
@Richard Wheeler:
Unlike the last two Democratic Presidents who were veterans…and neither of them a certified draft dodger.
..idiot.
Last 2 Dem Presidents who were Vets–Carter and Kennedy–what’s your point?
Trump can’t remember which foot kept him out of V.N–then bashes Mac–HOW CAN THAT BE CONDONED NB?
BAD FEET never slowed DT’S golfing. Kennedy lived in pain from war injuries.
Semper Fi
@Richard Wheeler: Richard Wheeler
Last 2 Dem Presidents who were Vets–Carter and Kennedy–what’s your point? Not true. Johnson and Carter
Not true. It was both feet that had problems, no one would have problems remembering that. He bashed Mac for being the Hanoi Songbird and for selling out all the other POWs that were left behind after he got in congress. Why wouldn’t anyone bash him for that?
Kennedy also did not fulfill an active duty role after he got his injuries.
While Kennedy, Johnson or Carter were not draft dodgers, Clinton was a certified pardoned felony draft dodger.
@Redteam: DT has never said Mac was “songbird” or “sold out POW’S” That’s RADICAL RIGHT BS He bashed MAC for being captured.
Trump ever have any problems with his feet? He could have served if he’d wanted to. Trump was then, and remains now–cowardly.
Note how Kitt and I agree on Barr #32 she calls it progress-I concur
@Redteam:
Two sets of standards- one for the elitist left and the wannabe elitist left and another for everyone else. In their world, waking up every morning looking down at the rest of us lowlife scum who deserve to be their newfound subjects or dead, is very gratifying to them.
@another vet: That’s crazy—I don’t look down on anyone–exception racists.
I certainly don’t look down on Vets like you,no matter your politics.
Have you heard DT call Mac “songbird” as suggested by RT?