I have written about Rick Snyder, Crimefuhrer of the Republican Totalitarian Managed Plutocracy of Snyderstan on at least forty two occasions from 2009 through today, so I’ve had more that ample opportunity to whet my appetite for surrounding him,  criminal charges, indictments, trials and a nice prison cell.  At long last, it looks like we’re surrounding the rat.

A criminal investigation into this city’s water crisis reached into the top ranks of supervision over Flint on Tuesday as Michigan officials announced felony charges against two former state-appointed emergency managers, accusing them of fixating on saving money rather than on the safety of residents.

The managers, who were appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to lead Flint out of fiscal distress, were charged over their roles in the public health crisis prompted by the city’s switch to a new water source, as well as the delays in responding to residents’ complaints as they suffered the devastating effects.

Announcing the charges at a banquet center not far from the Flint River, Bill Schuette, the state’s attorney general, described “a fixation on finances and balance sheets” as at the root of what happened in Flint, where the water has been tied to the lead poisoning of children and the deaths of 12 people from Legionnaires’ disease.

“All too prevalent in this Flint water investigation was a priority on balance sheets and finances rather than health and safety of the citizens of Flint,” said Mr. Schuette, a Republican who is seen as a possible candidate for governor in 2018…

From <NY Times>

Rachel Maddow covered the story in two segments.  In the first she provides background and talks about the charges.

In the second,Rachel discusses the likelihood that they will charge Snyder.

Unlike King Midas, whatever Snyder touches turns to shit. Indict the SOB.

Pressure grows on McConnell for special Russia hacking probe
Sen. Cory Gardner plans to introduce legislation to create a select committee to investigate an array of cybersecurity threats.

Those are the headline and the sub-head of an article in Politico today, Dec. 20, 2016.  The first two paragraphs are:

John McCain and Lindsey Graham's bipartisan push to create a special committee to investigate Russia's election season hacking and other cybersecurity threats received a potential boost Monday as a third GOP senator announced legislation to make their idea a reality.

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) told POLITICO he would introduce a bill that, iff passed, would mandate a new select Senate committee on cybersecurity.  The move could intensify pressure on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who so far has resisted appointing a select committee on cybersecurity.  He insists the chamber's traditional committees, led by the intelligence panel, should handle the issue.

When Progressive Democrat Mark Udall lost his bid for re-election to Republican Cory Gardner (sob), Not in my wildest dreams, not in a million years, did I ever think that I might have to be grateful to him, or that he had the least smidgen of integrity or the tiniest suggestion of a spine.

I shared the article with the other administrators and editors, and I'm sure that no one is surprised that Lona, who is sharp as the proverbial tack, pointed out that A) he's still a Republican, B) the committee he's proposing is the same one McCain and Graham already proposed, bipartisanly with Democrats Schumer (NY) and Reed (RI) so it's not an original idea, and C) that the events he speaks about having the committee investigate cover such a broad spectrum that they might never get around to Russia.  And, of course, she is absolutely right.  The bill is kind of a nothingburger, it may never go anywhere, and even if it's passed, the Committee may never go anywhere. 

But why I brought up the suggestion of a spine is that McConnell is against it.  Outspokenly against it.  Even going on record with the appearance of challenging McConnell is noteworthy.  McCain and Graham have done so before and didn't surprise anyone, but Gardner is supposed to be "close with McConnell."  The casting of his proposal as far broader than Russian hacking was almost certainly addressed to McConnell, but he is still proposing, and writing a bill to propose, something McConnell has emphatically said he does not want.

There are a number of Senators kicking this football around – such as Chuck Grassley (whose attempt to suggest a select committee might be inefficient might be more convincing had it not been for the Benghazi circus), Susan Collins, Angus King, Bob Casey, Debbie Stabenow, and, in fact, the DNC.  James Lankford and Bob McCorker (Foreign Relations Committee head) have had their names mentioned, as has Richard Burr, who, as the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, is on the spot. Jeff Flake and Marco Rubio have been quoted.

But for Gardner's name to show up here, and what's more, associated with something McConnell doesn't like – I just have to say that things are getting weirder.