Article snippet: The TAKE with Rick Klein A week with so many game-changers didn’t actually appear to change the game very much at all. It did clarify the stakes – with President Donald Trump capable of raising them dramatically at any moment. Republicans have mostly ducked questions, but haven’t abandoned or denounced the president in the days since his former longtime lawyer implicated him in a crime for which he pleaded guilty. Democrats haven’t strayed from their reticence surrounding impeachment talk, either. Instead, the most dangerous of weeks for the president ends with the potential for more tabloid turns, owing to the long relationship between Trump and the National Enquirer’s David Pecker that’s now under potential prosecutorial scrutiny. It also ends with Trump insulting Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who finds himself defending himself with fewer defenders among his old Senate colleagues. All the while Trump is considering – according to his own lawyer – the possibility of pardoning Paul Manafort, just days after his conviction. At this point, it’s probably a mistake to look for political tipping points. This is a long march toward unknowable destinations. The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks The president appears to be openly encouraging a now-convicted felon to not cooperate with authorities. This week, not only has he flirted with the possibility of pardoning his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, whom he describes as "brave," but he added... Link to the full article to read more