Carter Page. Carter. Page. Carter freakin Page. Of all the cast of potential defendants in Mueller’s investigation most likely to do serious time, Carter Page is the one that leaps off the page at you.

Page was known to have been a recruitment target of the Russians in 2015. His contacts with them were dodgy enough that the FBI convinced a FISA judge to eavesdrop on a ham sandwich Page during the summer of 2016. Note: after the warrant was issued the FBI made no effort to notify the Trump campaign about Page even though they have done that for other campaigns.

After Page knew he was in the middle of the burgeoning Russia mess, he gave an interview to Jake Tapper and then the agreed to a lengthy interview by the FBI.

Yesterday, on the day the first indictments were unsealed, Page gave an interview to Chris Hayes. In that interview, he admitted to possibly talking about “Russia” with George Papadopoulos, they guy who had pleaded guilty to lying to the feds and is alleged to have been wearing a wire. (Andy McCarthy at National Review is doubtful that this indictment amounts to much.)

I have to admit if his strategy is "look, I am obviously too stupid to be behind a covert criminal conspiracy" it might be working on me. https://t.co/orMjd0GNiP

— Tim Miller (@Timodc) October 31, 2017

This is my take. Carter page is just like Papadopoulos in three ways. First, he fancied himself having a line of communications into the Kremlin and tried to parlay that fantasy into a significant campaign spot. Second, Page has, like Papadopoulos, been offered a plea and has taken it. Third, Page is cooperating with the feds. When he talked to Papadopoulos, he was probably wearing a wire, too.

Either that or he’s really trying to convince the feds he is too dumb to be in a conspiracy.