Byron York presents a history of the Trump/Russian collusion charge. Byhis telling it rose during the summer of 2016 from the fog of the Clinton campaign, aided by briefings about the Steele dossier given to Clinton campaign officials.
In the days leading up to the Democratic convention, the Clinton campaign and its allies in the press saw Russia as a potentially valuable weapon for attacking Trump. On July 20, the New York Times' Andrew Rosenthal wrote a column headlined "Is Trump Obsessed With Putin and Russia?" Two days later, Rosenthal's Times colleague Paul Krugman wrote a piece entitled "Donald Trump, the Siberian Candidate" in which he asked, "If elected, would Donald Trump be Vladimir Putin's man in the White House?"
That same day, July 22, Wikileaks released emails from the Democratic National Committee. Two days later, on the 24th, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook went on television to claim that not only was Russia behind the hack — that was later proven true — but also that the Trump campaign was in league with Russia.
"Donald Trump changed the Republican platform to become what some experts would regard as pro-Russian," Mook told ABC News, referring to a just-published Washington Post story that reported, incorrectly, that Trump aides had weakened the portion of the GOP platform regarding Russia and Ukraine.
"He has praised Vladimir Putin," Mook continued. "It's troubling."
What did Mook know and when did he know it? Steele's info was being passed to him or his team:
According to Russian Roulette, the book by reporters Michael Isikoff and David Corn, Steele sent the first installment to Fusion GPS in June 2016. Fusion, in turn, "gave Steele's reports and other research documents to Elias," according to a Washington Post account. And Elias briefed the Clinton campaign.
"We were getting briefings that were put together by the law firm with information," Mook recalled in an interview with CNN in late 2017. "So our internal team was presenting information, our lawyer was presenting information, you know, and we — and we sort of learned things in pieces."
So as Clinton and her aides pushed the collusion narrative, with the help of an enthusiastic press, campaign officials were also being briefed on the newest, freshest allegations from Steele.
The problem, of course, was that the allegations were not true. Steele also gave his reports to the FBI, which tried to verify them "line by line," according to former FBI general counsel James Baker. It did not succeed. Nearly three years later, the Mueller report failed to corroborate any of the dossier's serious allegations. It was wrong at best, a fraud at worst.
Hmm, so Team Clinton was peddling false anti-Trump info they had, through cutouts, bought from Russian government sources. Troubling? Troubling!
And what about Steele's information? John Solomon of The Hill has more bombshells:
Multiple witnesses have told Congress that, a week before Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, Britain’s top national security official sent a private communique to the incoming administration, addressing his country’s participation in the counterintelligence probe into the now-debunked Trump-Russia election collusion.
Most significantly, then-British national security adviser Sir Mark Lyall Grant claimed in the memo, hand-delivered to incoming U.S. national security adviser Mike Flynn’s team, that the British government lacked confidence in the credibility of former MI6 spy Christopher Steele’s Russia collusion evidence, according to congressional investigators who interviewed witnesses familiar with the memo.
We should wait patiently for the Inspector General report on this but it certainly seems that Team Clinton and the DoJ were colluding with Russia (based on their use of the term vis a vis Trump) or were duped by the Russians. Certainly, the Russian scheme to spread chaos and confusion exceeded expectations.
OK. Traditional mousetraps it is. At least it's quick for the mouse.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | May 31, 2019 at 09:19 AM
Donald J. Trump
Verified account @realDonaldTrump
5m5 minutes ago
Hard to believe that with the Crisis on the Border, the Dems won’t do the quick and easy fix. Would solve the problem but they want Open Borders, which equals crime!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | May 31, 2019 at 09:20 AM
I still want to know how much money the democrats get from the drug cartels.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | May 31, 2019 at 09:21 AM
Obsess much?
Between 350 and 400 protesters greeted former Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, who was in town for a Vermont GOP fundraiser Thursday evening at the Hilton.
https://vtdigger.org/2019/05/30/hundreds-turn-burlington-protest-former-wisconsin-governor-walker/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialWarfare
Posted by: henry | May 31, 2019 at 09:22 AM
narciso, About that Brookings link, a small thread:
https://twitter.com/Joestradamus91/status/1134124221150441472
And here: https://twitter.com/maria_giavanna/status/1134185938505084929
Posted by: Melinda | May 31, 2019 at 09:23 AM
just some food for thought.
Posted by: Melinda | May 31, 2019 at 09:23 AM
I'm partial to these mouse traps. A little smear of peanut butter, set the trap near a wall, open the jaws. Instant death nine out of ten times. The tenth did struggle but died. Without touching the mouse, easy to drop the remains in a bag to throw out. Repeat.
Posted by: sbwaters | May 31, 2019 at 09:25 AM
https://www.thedailybeast.com/team-obama-tells-iran-dont-escalate-dont-take-trumps-bait
Why is everyone on Obama's foreign policy team not in federal prison ?
Posted by: James D. | May 31, 2019 at 09:25 AM
Kerry's daughter is married to a hooked up Iranian.
What would Kerry's motivation be to EVER help Iran get BILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLIONS of dollars???
Jarretts????? Obama's?????????
I see a pattern developing.
Posted by: GUS | May 31, 2019 at 09:34 AM
https://thefederalist.com/2019/05/31/keep-republic-american-students-must-study-french-revolution/
Posted by: MissMarple2 | May 31, 2019 at 09:40 AM
--Go ahead hit me, I will call 911. She's like like that. Very pugnacious in defense of friends. I'd never think of beating her. She'd beat the crap out of me. --
jim nj,
Nancy is thinking "go ahead and hit me". Boyfriend is likely thinking "where could I hide the body?"
EVERY domestic abuser can become a murderer, pushed far enough and nothing pushes them further than threatening the "possession" that gives their life purpose. That doesn't mean do nothing. It means act accordingly.
My first employer was a brilliant man who had escaped East Germany and built an excellent construction company from nothing.
His girlfriend had an exhusband who had repeatedly abused her.
Rudy attempted to intervene. A year or sd after I moved on he was reported as missing.
They discovered Rudy's remains in several different spots in the mountain forest twenty miles east of here.
And this can't be emphasized enough, as Anonamom has said and as I know you know, there is NOTHING you or your gal can do until this woman changes and nobody else can change her.
Moth. Flame.
Posted by: Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki | May 31, 2019 at 09:41 AM
Donald J. Trump
Verified account @realDonaldTrump
11m11 minutes ago
Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades. Because of the Dems, our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | May 31, 2019 at 09:43 AM
Great news about Desmond!
Sounds like he is going to bounce back quickly:)
Posted by: Buckeye | May 31, 2019 at 09:48 AM
Hah, sbw--Pikes are always the peoples' friend.
So happy to hear about Desmond, Marlene.
Posted by: clarice | May 31, 2019 at 09:49 AM
Great news about desmond.
Well vlad tapes (who prince William is related to) used pikes to great effect.
Posted by: Narciso79 | May 31, 2019 at 09:54 AM
Noted at BJG blog. I skim (at most) the 4D stuff but it is even more apparent that AG Barr releasing his own summary was a key stroke.
No wonder Dems are cursing!
==> Prior to the report’s submission, Barr ordered Mueller to highlight the 6e (grand jury material) that by law could not be publicly released. Mueller disobeyed that order, thinking it would force a delay in releasing the report because redaction would take time. This would impel Barr to release Mueller’s summaries if he didn’t want to be accused of a cover-up, thus allowing Mueller to set the narrative for the Democrats’ push (putsch?) to impeach.
Instead, Barr created his own summary. Hence, Mueller’s subsequent letter (which Barr called “snitty”), written to be leaked and promptly leaked, was a means of regaining control of the narrative. In the letter, the special counsel complained about Barr’s four-page memo, which incidentally, he refused an offer to review.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/05/mueller_tried_to_entrap_trump.html#ixzz5pVYUTQnn
Posted by: JimNorCal | May 31, 2019 at 10:05 AM
TomR
--No doubt I share in some of the blame but I never start anything.--
Anonamom
--Ig is extremely kind, but addressing your role in this most obnoxious situation obliquely is not of service to you or regular readers, as it allows you to continue to wallow in your perceived victimhood, and you chose to justify the behavior as stated above.
(I am not saying there has not been some mind blowingly foul mouthed attacks on you, so much so that I no longer read others' posts either.)--
I hope this is a little less oblique;
Others can figure out who is who. As for me I'm withdrawing from it. Got enough of it, admittedly a lot more intensely, from my own family.From experience I am more skeptical than most regarding psychology's and psychiatry's ability to cure or even change much of anything.
However, also from experience, I have come to realize they are very, very good at identifying and describing human behavior and pathologies.
One of these accurate descriptions is the Karpman Drama Triangle. They are always unhealthy. It's what's going on with jim nj's Nancy, Debra, crazy boyfriend triangle and it's what's going on here at JOM.
Have at it.
Posted by: Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki | May 31, 2019 at 10:07 AM
Does anyone think American education today would teach The French Revolution as anything other than a how-to-manual, contrasted ever so positively with the racist, capitalist-roader, Amurikkkan one?
Posted by: Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki | May 31, 2019 at 10:11 AM
Dear MM:
Field mice have a field day in our house when winter comes. We used Mouse Magic scent pads (safe for humans and pets); distributed them liberally and THEY WORKED. They "naturally drive mice from homes." No piteous squeaks.
Posted by: Tonto | May 31, 2019 at 10:13 AM
Tonto!
Thank you!!!! You are a lifesaver!!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | May 31, 2019 at 10:16 AM
I am off to renew my license plates. I completely forgot about this until I got stopped by a very nice policewoman last week and told they had expired.
I have been sneaking around on back streets all week to go to buy cigarettes. LOL! Time to get legal!
Back soon, I hope!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | May 31, 2019 at 10:18 AM
Ye olde "Huber has indictments ready" goes up in flames: (interview of Barr, thread)
Jeff Carlson @themarketswork
10m
BARR: Huber had originally been asked to take a look at the FISA applications and the electronic surveillance but then he stood back and put that on hold while the Office of Inspector General was conducting its review.
https://twitter.com/themarketswork/status/1134461483138445312
Posted by: henry | May 31, 2019 at 10:19 AM
Maybe Barr is using deception, henry.
Posted by: Threadkiller | May 31, 2019 at 10:25 AM
new
Posted by: henry | May 31, 2019 at 10:26 AM
Henry, I remember someone touting how Huber was part of 7-D. If memory serves, it was just before the CLINTON CRIME FOUNDATION was taken down...?...
Posted by: GUS | May 31, 2019 at 10:26 AM
How do you spell "Sun Tzu" in Chinese?
孫子
Posted by: Extraneus | May 31, 2019 at 10:27 AM
You need the whole transcript. Huber's wrapping up the Hillary! investigation:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/william-barr-interview-full-transcript-cbs-this-morning-jan-crawford-exclusive-2019-05-31/
Posted by: Melinda | May 31, 2019 at 10:39 AM
Iggy @ 10:07
Your diagnosis may be correct. Who knows. I do know this. Politics is all about influencing people to agree with your political point of view so on a political blog where the major issues can have multiple viewpoints IMO it's to be expected to see people trying to enlist other people to agree with them.
I want to make something clear though. I don't seek pity or need help from anyone. I definitely don't consider myself a victim. I tried your #2 approach for a long time here and it didn't work. When people misbehave and they aren't held accountable it just emboldens them to continue.
I just decided the other day if the community at large is not going to do anything about the misbehavior of a few I would take matter into my own hands. Hopefully your post will cause them to change their behavior. If so then that's good for everyone. If they aren't capable of controlling themselves then the next time I will consider all options available to me to determine how I will respond. I hope it doesn't come to that.
Posted by: Tom R | May 31, 2019 at 10:42 AM
The first Twitter Sleuth Melinda linked at 9:23 is IMO one of the better ones out there. I highly recommend following him.
Posted by: Tom R | May 31, 2019 at 10:45 AM
The Desmond update update reminds me how much I LOVED my peds surg rotation! (other than the fact little kids had to have surgery).
They recover SO quickly! Often RUNNING down the hall POD 2!
Go Desmond! Heal on!
Posted by: anonamom | May 31, 2019 at 10:47 AM
The Huber investigation into HILLARY CLINTON is winding down.
Ahhhhh, I feel much better now. It's WINDING DOWN.
No mention of the FOUNDATION??
Posted by: GUS | May 31, 2019 at 11:53 AM
New
Posted by: JimNorCal | May 31, 2019 at 12:25 PM
These are the best mouse traps we have used.
https://www.amazon.com/Intruder-30442-Better-Mousetrap-6-Pack/dp/B00APWMD3A/ref=sr_1_28?keywords=mouse+traps&qid=1559327529&s=gateway&sr=8-28
Locate the trails (usually along wall) and put the trap perpendicular. Don't need any bait as they run across the trap. Unfortunately sometimes it does not kill, those we flush - still better than the glue traps.
Posted by: asw | May 31, 2019 at 02:38 PM