Always glad to see more proof for my initial horror that a B-movie actor became president. Especially since I often get pushback on that along the lines of: oh but he was a successful governor, and had great political leadership sills getting there. What some people call political leadership skills in this case, I tended to think: nah, just ability to schmooze with the guys. So the used car salesman thing fits. Alas, lots of people buy used cars from used car salesman....

Depends on how complicit he was with GOP using Russian-stolen data or abnegating duty to defend Constitution and follow up on threats in his "hee hee hee, DCCC got hacked and Trump's on the take" recording. I admit this #3 is a longer stretch at the moment, though there's quite a chance that that first recording was just a shot across the bow, and there are more embarrassing/compromising ones waiting.

MotherJones following up on WaPo:

Kevin McCarthy embraces Donald Trump—323 after reportedly saying he thought Trump was on Vladimir Putin's payroll. Evan Vucci/AP

Another night, another bombshell report about President Donald Trump and Russia.

The Washington Post revealed Wednesday evening that in June 2016, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was secretly recorded telling other top Republicans that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin "pays" Trump. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), who was in the room at the time, apparently ended the exchange moments later by telling those present not to leak what was said.

"There's two people I think Putin pays: [Rep. Dana] Rohrabacher [R-Calif.] and Trump," McCarthy said, according to the Post, which reports that it obtained and verified a recording. (A spokeman for Rohrabacher denied the allegation; Trump has also denied any coordination with Russia.)

Spokesmen for Ryan and McCarthy told the Post that the exchange was meant as a joke, and there's no evidence in the story that McCarthy was aware of any evidence to support the claim that Trump or Rohrabacher was on the Russian payroll. Regardless, the conversation provides some insight into what GOP congressional leaders apparently thought about candidate Trump, who by then had essentially secured the Republican presidential nomination.

The Post published this story just as news was breaking that the Department of Justice had appointed a special counsel to investigate ties between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia.

Prior to the discussion of Trump, according to the Post, Ryan and McCarthy had met separately with the Ukrainian prime minister, with whom they had discussed Russian interference in Eastern Europe. Here's how the Post recounted the recorded conversation, which apparently took place the day after news broke that the Democratic National Committee had been hacked:

"I'll guarantee you that's what it is…The Russians hacked the DNC and got the opp [opposition] research that they had on Trump," McCarthy said with a laugh.

Ryan asked who the Russians "delivered" the opposition research to.

"There's…there's two people, I think, Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump," McCarthy said, drawing some laughter.

"Swear to God," McCarthy added.

"This is an off the record," Ryan said.

Some lawmakers laughed at that.

"No leaks, alright?," Ryan said, adding: "This is how we know we're a real family here."

"That's how you know that we're tight," [Rep. Steve] Scalise said.

"What's said in the family stays in the family," Ryan added.

The Post notes that it's difficult to tell whether the remarks were "meant to be taken literally." When initially asked about the exchange, spokesmen for Ryan and McCarthy denied that the statements had been made. After being told by the Postthat there was a recording of the conversation, the spokesmen said that it was an "attempt at humor."

Brilliant - first denied (covered up), then lame excuses given, all while the election is being hacked. These fuckers are too stupid for words - they're going down. And I'd hazard there's a lot worse to come. And no, this has little to nothing to do with Mensch. This is more like All the King's Men - enough stench to wake the dead.

"Yes, I knew the Russians had hacked the Democratic DCCC and gave it to us, but we only used the data a little bit, like in Florida and other swing states...." How will that play in Poughkeepsie (& DC)???

[and looks like the Sun-Sentinel can't differentiate between the DNC & DCCC... your media at work]

This would be the Congressional committees. But I don't think Bob Mueller will be "doing nothing very well." So those GOP in Congress who want to do "nothing very well" as regards Trump misdeeds, in preference to proceeding with their own agenda(s)-- like repeal and replace Obamacare or whatever--they are going to have to deal with Mueller and media drumbeat on the investigation instead. Just like Dems had to deal with Ken Starr stuff during Clinton's second term instead of getting on with their agenda(s). They are torn between tending to the circus and the constituents yelling that they are not getting done what the promised to do. In the end, if it's bad, and there continues to be heavy interest from "the media" and "the people", the only smart choice is "okay, let's get it over with." All depends upon how much air it pulls out of the room.

Was the same argument that got Nixon to resign: standing firm and defending and dragging out process is just going to drag on a "long national nightmare".

Edit to add: I for one never thought Watergate crimes were that big of a deal, didn't give me the "outrage" factor, rather was like "just politicians doing dirty tricks that they always do." So the coverup was making a mountain out of a molehill. Even the mysteries didn't intrigue me for that reason. But happy to see Nixon dogged and then gone. Took too long though.