Flynn's gambit: Today's news for March 31st

CNN:

Flynn seeks immunity for testimony

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is willing to testify before federal and congressional investigators in their ongoing probe into Russian meddling in the US elections, but only if he is granted immunity, his lawyer said Thursday.

"Gen. Flynn certainly has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit. ... No reasonable person, who has the benefit of advice from counsel, would submit to questioning in such a highly politicized, witch-hunt environment without assurances against unfair prosecution," Robert Kelner, Flynn's lawyer, said in a statement late Thursday.

Could Flynn be playing the John Dean role in Russiagate? Perhaps, but it should be noted that in spite of Dean's many requests for immunity, he never got them, and ended up serving a short sentence of 4 months for one felony count of obstruction of justice.

However, there is another problem in this whole story: What is the crime here? Watergate had a burglary. Russiagate has, at most, hacking. And for hacking computers, you won't get much help from real estate mogul Donald Trump. So what kind of assistance could Flynn have given the Russians?

Flynn knew the ins and outs of the National Security Agency. He might have been selling secrets to the Russians. If that is the case, it doesn't necessarily involve Trump, but would still be a good reason for him to ask for immunity.

But if Flynn was a lone wolf spy, then what was the deal with the other "unusual" Russian communications? If most of Trump's organization was spying for Russia, somebody would have come forward sooner. This is where the old cliche about scandals applies strongly in Trump's world: Follow the money.

If there is a crime here, it will involve money. Considering Trump's wealth mostly comes in real estate, my speculation is Trump may have been involved in potentially illegal real estate sales/purchases by and for Russian oligarchs.

On the other hand, if there was anything intentional on Trump's part, it may have been getting the Russian oligarchs to encourage Putin to use hackers to get into the Democratic National Committee's email servers and the Clinton campaign's email servers. But then you have to connect the dots to Wikileaks, and that won't be nearly as easy. If Flynn knows how to connect those dots, then you have a scandal. If Flynn can only link it as far as Russia, all you have is a conspiracy to commit hacking, and not the big election fraud that the Leftist MSM has been selling.

The problem with the conspiracy to commit hacking charge is the political aspect of it. Trump openly encouraged the Russians, on Twitter no less, prior to the election. Even if the charge stands up in court, Trump can say the American people elected him knowing about it. That gives him a huge political martyr card to play. It's a political no-win for the Democrats, who will end up looking like the Republicans who tried to impeach Bill Clinton.

If Flynn cannot prove the conspiracy from beginning to end, this scandal-mongering doesn't get out of the gate.

In other news...

CNN:

Brexit: EU says it doesn't want to 'punish' Britain for leaving

The European Union has set out its draft negotiating position on Brexit -- and declared that it does not want to punish Britain for leaving.

"Brexit is punitive enough," said Donald Tusk, President of the European Council.

The EU nevertheless set out a tough set of principles for Brexit negotiations. They offer the possibility that trade talks could begin before the UK leaves -- but only after "sufficient progress" is made on the complex task of untangling Britain from the EU.

In her letter triggering the UK's formal exit from the EU, British Prime Minister Theresa May had asked for a parallel approach from the start.

In other words, the EU just wimped out.

The EU knows they are in no position to lose trade with Britain (or anyone else for that matter). Expect the EU and Britain to resolve their trade issues fairly soon, in spite of the Brexit.

In catastrophic news...

NBC News:

Bridge Collapses in Atlanta Freeway Fire During Rush Hour

A massive fire caused a bridge to collapse Thursday night on Interstate 85 in Atlanta, one of the busiest stretches of roadway in America, backing up rush hour traffic for several miles and creating what the mayor called a long-term "transportation crisis."

The huge fire was reported at 6:21 p.m. ET underneath the bridge on the northbound side — near where the interstate merges with another major artery, State Highway 400 — forcing authorities to close the interstate and turn drivers around during the evening rush.

As someone who has lived in the Atlanta area before and visits it frequently, I can honestly imagine the mess this created, for many miles away from the actual fire itself. This is why the following makes sense:

Authorities managed to turn back traffic before the bridge collapsed, and Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said no injuries were reported. But thousands of motorists were locked in place on the interstate as state troopers worked on a way to get vehicles off the roadway. 

Deal declared a state of emergency for Atlanta and Fulton County late Thursday night.

From a go-forward perspective, this is Atlanta's 9/11. The event itself does not compare, but the impact from it will be felt all over Atlanta for at least a year, probably longer.