DJT: Team USA or Team KGB?

Start in NY. The crimes investigated were about Deutsche Bank and whether Trump broke the law in helping Russia move money in violation of sanctions due to their aggression in Ukraine. That case was dropped and replaced with whether covering up an affair is a campaign finance expenditure. Usually, I think of mailings and TV ads made in coordination with the campaign when they should have been independent of the candidate. Blame our broken campaign finance system for that mess.

Next stop, Iran and the Contras. The Boland Amendment made what North, Poindexter and probably Bush Sr. (only suspected by smart people) did in getting hostages back with weapons a crime. Since yesterday, that would have been considered an official act. Official acts probably should not be crimes. The parallel was Mulvaney and the OMB trying to stop Ukraine from getting Javelin missiles. The DoD Comptroller stopped that and the Perfect Phone Call was perfect because it turned the affair into election interference rather than criminalizing an official act - although there was likely a financial incentive for Trump and the operators of the Republican Protect the House PAC. If that connection had been made, the Senate would have convicted. They did not. Should the FBI look into this? They probably have. The DoJ likely concluded that the case was not obvious enough. Did the House managers not use the information because they thought beating Trump would involve coattails? You would have to ask them.

Is there evidence that Trump was involved in the Insurrection plan? So far, DOJ has not charged it - although what happened at 2:44 on Jan 6 is the kind of circumstantial evidence good enough to make the case, but so far Bannon, Stone and Oath Keepers have not provided the testimony needed, nor has anyone else. It is a harder case to make - as even the Jan 6 Committee did not connect the dots.

Donald Trump's crimes are hard to prove and, because their were related official acts, many now cannot be touched. None of them are not widely known. We know he is a sleeze who loves his KGB Colonel and wants a deal made in Ukraine. If he had convinced Putin to trade NATO membership for the provinces he took, the war may have been avoided. Again, official acts.

In the end, the question for GOP voters is whether getting rid of Roe was enough for them to get in bed with Putin. It is a matter of public policy at the end of the day, thanks to the Supreme Court. Maybe that is how is should be, considering that DOJ is only looking for easy wins rather than rooting out bribery and a harder to prove conspiracy (and at first, did not want to open the investigation at all against Trump).

The answer is now rather obvious: Team KGB or Team USA? I know how I am voting.