UPDATED 12.17.18 @ 8 PM EST: We now have (courtesy the very able Judge Sullivan’s latest US DC, DC orders) the FBI’s 302 — regarding Flynn’s lies — the 302 that John (and his frothy right companions) were so tin-foil hatted over. They posited it would anger Sullivan, and likely (by dint of some dark “orange is the new red” magic!)… clear 45. Hah!
It does quite the opposite: it proves the adage “be careful what you wish for“. Just exactly the opposite of disclosing a plot to “frame” or mistreat Flynn, it outlines Flynn’s very close coordination with Mar-a-Lago, whilst setting up Russian “quid pro quos” — all prior to Mr. Trump having any actual authority to do so. That is, a coordinated, collusive Logan Act violation campaign, spear-headed by Flynn, but driven by the boss at Mar-a-Lago, to undermine the waning days of the Obama Administration (and at least begin to pay off favors Trump undoubtedly owed to the Kremlin)… This, folks, is a “smocking” gun, right here.
End, update: Smock that John.
…I ask, only because his transformation — from US patriot (though far right, at that), to apologist — for admitted convicted felons and indicted criminals (conspiring with Russians, against US interests) began during that time. [He was also a very new gun owner, and convert to the NRA, by late 2016.]
I lack any other evidence — but to be fair, I am simply treating John’s (questionable) integrity… with the same level of skepticism as he treats Mr. Mueller’s (a fine US patriot).
I surmise that John Hinderaker must have had entirely too much spiked eggnog (as he separately wrote to complain about the first trans Miss Universe contestant this morning — but I’ll not dignify that excrement, with a link), at whatever right wing (cough! — Russian funded) Christmas party he attended, last night — as he writes this morning (in true lunatic fashion!) that the able Judge Sullivan (in DC) might — might! — toss Ret. Gen. Flynn’s guilty plea, due to what John wrong-headedly sees as (Mueller’s) prosecutorial misconduct.
That is simply… ludicrous.
I guess, to reach that view, he must think it “okay” that Flynn clearly lied, and knew he lied, to the then sitting VP, and to Congressional leaders of his own party, all of whom then repeated that lie on national television — about Russian influence. John simply ignores the actual on the record three flat brick house of evidence, to reach for a single straw — in the mud. [And he must completely ignore the coming Butina guilty plea cooperation-induced…. revelations. “Gosh — it would be a real shame if John’s 501(c)(3) turned up in Butina’s cash payments lists.”]
Good luck smocking that, John — or should I say “Удачи с этим Джоном!“. Onward.
[Pigeon version: “GФФD LЦҪԞ ШЇҬӉ ҐҤДҐ JФҤЙ!”]
Powerline Lies... 
Since it’s almost Christmas-time — let’s read of the true gifts, of the sublime Emptywheel.net, on the tactical reasons why (given Monday’s new indictments!) all I say about Flynn is true: he’s being helpful — simply by providing documents.
Unlike John’s idiotic (or more darkly, dishonest) take about the case against Flynn being weak — no, he’s getting a sweet (likely low to no jail time) deal, because his help has been so exceptional, in all areas. His documents — not his testimony, per se…
Who needs his credibility, when we have documentary proof, of each influence peddling foreign agency he represented (without disclosures)?
This is likely how Trump himself ultimately goes down: done in, by documents he or his closest circle authored; not anyone’s “testimony“:
“…Critically, for a national security investigation like this one (and, I assume, for the Russian one as well), I’m sure Flynn described at more length everything else that went on. But the government doesn’t need that information to prosecute these crimes (except insofar as his cooperation would have made it very easy to get warrants for the information Flynn didn’t hand over himself — and his own sentencing memo makes it clear he did hand over much of it). It needs that information for counterintelligence purposes….
And that’s why they were able to move towards sentencing without his testimony in court: because he may not need to give testimony in court. The government has secured other, more reliable witnesses for that testimony….
As I said, I’ve long suspected this was true of Flynn’s cooperation on the Mueller investigation, as well. When the government, in describing his cooperation, said his decision to flip “likely affected the decisions of related firsthand witnesses to be forthcoming with the SCO and cooperate” (which is followed by the last, entirely redacted, sentence in the memo), they are probably describing how by pleading guilty to lying himself, he led to their ability to get better, more reliable witnesses for much of the relevant testimony….”
Credit — Marcy Wheeler, over at emptywheel.net
Smoke that, Johnny boy. Your boy is the RICO-nator-in-Chief. He may yet eat MANY more free (but very low-quality) meals, courtesy of the federal government, while wearing… orange, for several years.
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