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The Mueller investigation is over. His long-awaited report is out and everyone has had a chance to read it. Despite Mueller saying there was no evidence of collusion or cooperation between the Trump Campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, most on the left still insist there was. Still more insist that President Trump tried to cover up a “crime” that Mueller says never occurred. The only visible change is that fewer Democrats are calling for Trump’s impeachment. Among presidential candidates, only Senator Elizabeth Warren is.
There’s been a similar reaction in Mainstream Media which had pushed the Trump/Russia collusion narrative hard for more than two years. They seem genuinely disappointed that Mueller found nothing. MSNBC’s Chuck Todd, for example, said on Meet the Press last Sunday: “It [the Mueller Report] described a campaign eager to accept the help of a hostile foreign power: Russia.” Really Chuck? The report itself stated, and I quote: “The investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russia Government in its election interference activities.”
Ever since it was called the “Soviet Union,” Russia has tried to interfere with US elections going back nearly a hundred years. The United States interfered with internal politics in the Soviet Union for just as long. Both countries interfered with elections in southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean throughout the Cold War, yet Democrats and media act as if recent Russian interference were something new. In 2016 the Obama State Department spent $350,000 in an unsuccessful attempt to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu but Mainstream Media ignored it.
Conservative media outlets claim Mueller should not have accepted appointment as special counsel because there was never evidence of a crime involving the Trump campaign. President Trump and Attorney General Barr now want to investigate how the Mueller investigation started, alleging nefarious activities by the Clinton Campaign, the Clinton Foundation, as well as the Obama FBI, CIA, NSA, and DOJ during and after the 2016 campaign. Evidence for this exists going back three years and includes lying under oath to Congress and FBI officials but got no mention in Mueller Report.
DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz has been investigating how James Comey’s FBI conducted the Hillary Clinton email scandal, how it investigated the Clinton Foundation, how it filed the FBI/DOJ’s FISA application on Carter Page, and the possible interference by the Obama Administration in the 2016 election, as well as other subjects. US Attorney John Huber of Utah was appointed special prosecutor for the case and he met with Attorney General William Barr shortly after the latter was confirmed. Horowitz and Huber have played their cards very close to the vest and have been waiting for the Mueller Investigation to conclude before interviewing key witnesses who were also involved with Mueller’s probe.
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| Courtesy of Conservative Tree House |
The Senate Intelligence Committee chaired by North Carolina Senator Richard Burr has also been investigating the 2016 election in a relatively quiet way compared to its House counterpart. So, right now there are two ongoing investigations — DOJ IG Horowitz (with US Attorney Huber) and US Senate — as well as a possible new one by Attorney General Barr as indicated by his recent congressional testimony. The relatively small conservative media has been reporting for two years on evidence of criminal behavior by former CIA Director James Brennan, former FBI Director Comey, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Former Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, and several other former Obama Administration officials. Mainstream Media has largely ignored it.
Possible crimes involve lying under oath, misusing the FISA Court, and leaking to the press — but also abuse of power that includes spying on Trump and his associates and unmasking subjects of surveillance during and after the 2016 campaign. Trump’s base is crying for more such investigations while Democrats are indignant. The whole Russia/Trump brouhaha cannot be understood strictly as a Democrat vs Republican issue, nor strictly a right vs left issue either. The divide is more Trump supporters vs Trump haters across the political spectrum and from both parties.
The haters are blinded by emotion. I debate some of them regularly and see their counterparts in politics and media. They know journalistic standards have been dropped in pursuit of Trump but choose to overlook it believing ends — getting rid of him — justify means. Trump supporters recognize his faults but see opposition tactics as far more harmful for our democracy so they rally behind him.
We’ll get a feel over the next few months for how the body politic reacts to these post-Mueller developments. Are people sick of political investigations and just want them all to go away? How will primary voters react to ongoing impeachment preparations by Democrats? As the presidential campaign heats up, will candidates debate these issues?
10 comments:
I've suspected Russia has been involved in our elections for decades. The objective is not so much that a particular candidate wins, but to cause confusion and distrust in our system. Once distrust and confusion build to a catastrophic level, then the "strong man" can move in and "solve" the problem. The Russian Revolution and the National Socialist (Nazi) takeover of Germany are good examples of how confusion and distrust can destroy a country while putting strong men, such as Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Castro, and other dictators in power.
As a former attorney, I see the FISA warrants as defective from the outset. In addition the affidavits submitted were defective because they were not based on fact. Thus, the affidavits perpetrated many fabrications. This constitutes a crime. Now we shall see how this situation is resolved.
Put a fork in Russia-gate!
From the beginning it was an effort to deflect criticism of Hillary's failed campaign, delegitimize Trump, and sabotage any efforts at rapprochement with Russia.
But waddabout.....waddabout....uh....whaddabout.....
Agh....I got NOTHIN'.
It was obvious from the beginning that everyone is scared sh*tless of this guy...the mainstream media, “ole boy” politicians, DC political hacks...everyone. They tried to sabotage his campaign from the start and everything they do to hurt him just ends up blowing up in their face. Moonbats everywhere were praying that this would be the smoking gun they could use to get rid of him but this attempt failed miserably just like the others. Now they’re in full blown panic mode because they’re beginning to realize that they have nobody that can come close to beating him in 2020 and he’s on the fast track to re-election. Watching the Democratic Party self implode is going to be more fun than Bozo and a barrel of monkeys.
Everyone is welcome to post here but please do not post anonymously. Use your name or make one up and use it consistently, or I'll be forced to delete your comments.
I think someone who became wealthy before entering politics is preferable to those who became wealthy because of their political career.
So obvious obstruction of justice is ok if no crime is proven? What if the successful obstruction of justice is the reason that the crime could not be proved? Besides, the report clearly pointed out that “collusion” has no legal definition and is not a federal crime. So while the report did not establish conspiracy, it does not make a determination on “collusion” — and in fact, it strongly suggests that there was at least an attempt to collude by Trump’s campaign and agents of the Russian government. And the obstruction evidence is plentiful. Yet you let your anti-liberal emotions get the best of you, and you excuse the obvious buffoon ("aw, meddling has been going on for years, why should the US President not use the help of an enemy nation?")
You are clearly projecting your belief that that the means - a lying pampered scumbag baby-clown representing our nation - are justified by whatever is your far right fantasy of the "ends".
Anti-trumpers recognize that his faults are lowering the standards of our country and democracy into depths that would have seemed unfathomable a couple generations ago. Does anyone have a grandparent that would have put up with a president acting and carrying on like a bratty little child? So yes, the "haters" think he is a crappy representative of our country. Others keep a blind eye and just fantasize about their "ends" and rally behind a radical half-wit clown.
The vile and absurd crap that the radical right is eating up is amazing. Even more amazing is their inability to dispute or argue any fact you place before them, yet still hold on to their blind faith.
Brain still beating a dead horse
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