“BuzzFeed’s description of specific statements
to the special counsel’s office, and characterization
of documents and testimony obtained by this office,
regarding Michael Cohen’s congressional testimony
are not accurate.”
-- Peter Carr, Robert Mueller´s Office --
In case you are from Mars, here´s the background on that rare -- the first in 20 months -- public pronunciamiento by Mueller´s office:
BuzzFeed published a report that could turn out to be one of the biggest scoops of all times. It claimed Donald Trump had ordered his attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress, and that Cohen had reported that fact to the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
If Trump ordered Cohen to lie, he committed obstruction of justice, an impeachable offense.
There it is -- the smoking gun.
Ballgame over; lights out. Case closed. Elvis has left the stadium.
In response to the BuzzFeed article, Mueller’s office issued the public statement cited above. For its part, BuzzFeed is sticking to its report: "This story is going to be borne out."
Why would Mueller make a public utterance on a media story when he has not done so in the past? He was doing the right thing until now in maintaining silence. Why the sudden change?
Two possibilities:
1. His pronunciamiento is the product of tensions in Mueller´s staff. Some wanted to maintain silence; others wanted to say something big -- to "take control of the situation; it´s getting out of hand." The result was a compromise -- pure fudge, neither fish nor fowl.
2. Unlike the Russians, North Koreans, Chinese and Iranians, Mueller and his team are psychologically tone-deaf.
We have noted previously (see our September 25 post, "How America´s Rivals are Manipulating Donald Trump: A Freudian Analysis") that Trump is so full of holes, a typical teenager can play him like a flute.
Our argument: Trump is anally expulsive, i.e., as a two-year-old boy he found pleasure in smearing his feces on everything and everybody. Today, when he is put under pressure, he regresses to that two year old. The result is, like any toddler, he is incapable of making good decisions; he sabotages himself. The federal government shutdown is only the latest example.
The correct strategy for Mueller, then, would be to not only keep the pressure up but add to it.
Instead, Mueller´s statement weakened it.
Trump saw the error immediately and pounced on it. Watch him here: Trump said he "greatly appreciated" the Mueller statement.
If you google search the BuzzFeed incident you will find numerous stories with this type of headline (CNN): "Mueller´s Office disputes BuzzFeed report that Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to congress."
Sorry, CNN talking heads, but you need to put on your plastic beanies again; this time, try to spin the propellers in the right direction. Read the Mueller report at the top of this post. It clearly limits itself in stating: regarding Michael Cohen’s CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY.
The comma before the word "regarding" is highly significant because it makes Cohen´s congressional testimony be the entire context of the Mueller statement. If you bother to read the BuzzFeed report, CNN, you will see that testimony is only one among many items.
Get it straight, CNN: to deny one part of a report is not to deny the entire report.
Did Trump or didn´t he order Cohen to lie? If the answer turns out to be yes, Mueller and staffers, you missed a magnificent opportunity to shut up.
Your Great Compromise could turn out to be the compromise of greatness.