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1. As often is the case, @maddow was way ahead of me. I don't follow the Roger Stone case and was unaware that he was trying to pitch a "Crowdstrike did it" defense so I was just puzzled when I read Trump's MemCon today. Rachael's logical analysis ended with a thought that
2. Trump was carrying Putin's water trying to have an ability to say he didn't attack us. I think there may be a missing piece though. We obviously don't believe that and Stone's insanity notwithstanding few American's will buy that. So who would Putin be trying convince?
3. Life is not as good as it used to be for Russian mob. They are now all viewed as enemy agents. They live in a world of FISA & FBI that they never had before. Moreover, Putin's control is grounded in unwavering loyalty from the oligarchs. One thing that I had been somewhat
4. surprised to know is how much power Deripaska has. He was able to get McConnell to conduct the affairs of the US Senate for him. It may impact Putin financially but it was clearly going to take pressure off of Deripaska. Why that happened has not received much attention.
5. I have reported Ad nauseam that I believed the Russians have co-opted the GOP by funding their campaigns. IMO Putin can make them dance to what ever tune he plays. But each time he makes them do a job for one of the oligarchs the GOP risks having their covers
6. blown. But Putin got it done for his oligarch associate Deripaska and McConnell will be forever known as #MoscowMitch. That spent a lot of Kremlin capital. Why? I think Trump and Putin are both worried about Putin's oligarchs. Putin needs to try to distance himself
7. from what he did with Trump. This excerpt from the Steele Dossier about Putin aid Peskov stayed with me since I first read it & it may support the view, with this odd request Trump is working on false cover story for Putin, because the oligarchs are getting tired of being 
8. sanctioned and Putin may be starting to say no thanks when he's offered a cup of Kremlin tea. It also makes what Trump did with Zelinsky an act done for Putin and not simply a scofflaw US president concerned only for his own re-election.
9. And finally, Trump is not bright enough to figure this out on his own and that likely evidences that Trump is receiving directions from the Kremlin. As I also have reported, I think he has a Kremlin bat phone in the residence.
