Just Don't Call It "Spying"

The NY Times learns more about Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI effort to totally not spy on the Trump campaign:

F.B.I. Sent Investigator Posing as Assistant to Meet With Trump Aide in 2016

WASHINGTON — The conversation at a London bar in September 2016 took a strange turn when the woman sitting across from George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign adviser, asked a direct question: Was the Trump campaign working with Russia?

The woman had set up the meeting to discuss foreign policy issues. But she was actually a government investigator posing as a research assistant, according to people familiar with the operation. The F.B.I. sent her to London as part of the counterintelligence inquiry opened that summer to better understand the Trump campaign’s links to Russia.

The American government’s affiliation with the woman, who said her name was Azra Turk, is one previously unreported detail of an operation that has become a political flash point in the face of accusations by President Trump and his allies that American law enforcement and intelligence officials spied on his campaign to undermine his electoral chances. Last year, he called it “Spygate.”

She was working with Stefan Halper and may have gone along so that, in the event of a trial, she could be the FBI witness and somewhat preserve Halper's anonymity.

A nod to the obvious here, my emphasis:

The decision to use Ms. Turk in the operation aimed at a presidential campaign official shows the level of alarm inside the F.B.I. during a frantic period when the bureau was trying to determine the scope of Russia’s attempts to disrupt the 2016 election, but could also give ammunition to Mr. Trump and his allies for their spying claims.

AG Barr knew, or made a lucky guess recently:

Mr. Barr reignited the controversy last month when he told Congress, “I think spying on a political campaign is a big deal.” He backed off the charged declaration later in the same hearing, saying: “I think spying did occur. The question is whether it was adequately predicated. And I’m not suggesting that it wasn’t adequately predicated. But I need to explore that.”

Mr. Barr again defended his use of the term “spying” at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, saying he wanted to know more about the F.B.I.’s investigative efforts during 2016 and explained that the early inquiry likely went beyond the use of an informant and a court-authorized wiretap of a former Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page, who had interacted with a Russian intelligence officer.

“Many people seem to assume that the only intelligence collection that occurred was a single confidential informant” and the warrant to surveil Mr. Page, Mr. Barr said. “I would like to find out whether that is in fact true. It strikes me as a fairly anemic effort if that was the counterintelligence effort designed to stop the threat as it’s being represented.”

Apparently the effort was less anemic than we have been told so far.

Comments

[henry]

TK, gotta keep the carrot in front of the mule’s nose. ;)

[lurkersusie]

@jsolomonReports
Breaking: Ukrainian embassy confirms DNC contractor asked country for Trump dirt in 2016

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/441892-ukrainian-embassy-confirms-dnc-contractor-solicited-trump-dirt-in-2016

[lyle]

Sure hope Barr’s a badass. I want. some. effing. skulls. now.

RIP, Frau.

[MissMarple2]

Proclamation on Days of Remembrance of Victims of the Holocaust: https://t.co/l5nVFKI9fr pic.twitter.com/vGPOelEesM

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2019

Links go to the proclamation and a picture.

[henry]

RIP Chewbacca.

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/movies/peter-mayhew-chewbacca-star-wars-franchise-dies-74-n1001461

[Beasts of England]

I can't swipe through to the WaPo story, but on my phone's news feed headlines it says: 'Trump is already set to use the government to destroy the Democratic...' And 'If you thought Trump ran a rancid campaign when he was trying...'

Holy shit!! They know it's coming.

[lurkersusie]

Paul Sperry
@paulsperry_
Funny how Mueller cites numerous email exchanges Papadopoulos had in 2016 in the footnotes of his report, yet he cites not a single one of Papadopoulos' emails with one "Azra Turk." Hmm. Wonder why. Another example of how Mueller's probe was really designed to protect the FBI/DOJ

[anonamom]

It was quite clear during his testimony yesterday that Barr did not appreciate having to have his staff do the redaction that he expected Mueller to have done of Grand Jury testimony before submitting the report.

[henry]

@chiIIum

EXCLUSIVE: 'This stings!' How Obama saw Trump's victory as a 'personal insult,' watched the movie Dr. Strange to distract himself from election results and blamed Hillary for the loss because of her 'scripted, soulless campaign' dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6… via @MailOnline

https://twitter.com/thechiiium/status/1124108229666050054?s=21

[MissMarple2]

New York Post
‏Verified account @nypost
2m2 minutes ago

Mom who paid $6.5M in college scam thought she was making donation to Stanford: lawyer https://trib.al/e8btSER

[MJW]

Tom R:The revelation was Barr’s point for point refutation of Weissman’s legal theory on OoJ. There is no way he could do that without having full access to Weissman’s theory.

If that's what you were referring to as the "revelation," I don't really disagree. Though I wouldn't really call it a revelation, since Barr's letter and Mueller's obstruction argument were already publicly available for comparison. Nevertheless, the article was valuable for drawing attention to the surprising degree to which Barr was directly rebutting an at-the-time unrevealed theory.

I suspect Barr had inside information from someone, although it's possible he simply put two and two together. There was really no other section of the obstruction stature that could apply when there was no ongoing court process, and Weissman’s legal gymnastics are well-known from the Arthur Anderson case.

[Jane]

That’s hysterical Henry - and very sad.

[anonamom]

porch, please post updates if you get them of the bishop's responce to his Car-T treatment.

A friend who is one of my husband's partners got it two years ago for her B cell lymphoma after she failed a bone marrow transplant. She's thriving.

Hope the bishop has the same outcome.

The initial response of cell death can nearly overwhelm the body--don't be discouraged if you hear he's in the ICU in a day or two.

[henry]

Jane, shows Obama is more deluded than I believed possible.

[MissMarple2]

Calvin and Hobbes put up a 4D comic today!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5miFakW0AIp275.jpg

[Narciso79]

Well this just a statement of fact, which is a dangerous thing:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6986303/Reformed-white-supremacist-Katie-McHugh-says-shes-turned-alt-right.html

But she wants the adiration of a new heretic,

[Narciso79]

Cumberbatch was perhaps the only character more arrogant than Obama.

[Melinda]

Weissman's theory would have been on full display through all the arguments and decisions, right up to its scorching at SCOTUS.

It's not my Guild, but the language used probably lent itself to full display in the decisions and any transcripts that might've proved searchable. I'm sure Barr has no abilities, nor history of doing same, to ask a sharp clerk for the arguments and decisions going up the legal food chain.

Oh, since KFC abandoned the older style containers some time ago, either Cohen had that in his personal inventory or he bought it from a local "Prop Shop".

[MJW]

If I can find it, I may have to go through Barr's confirmation testimony to see what he was asked, and what he had to say, about his obstruction-analysis letter. It was at the forefront of the Democrats' objections to him, so I expect it was discussed at length. Did Barr deny having inside knowledge?

[henry]

Chalupa:

The most patriotic act Americans can take to protect the Office of the Presidency is to remove Donald Trump by the 25th Amendment or Impeachment.

We have a civic duty to protect our nation and Constitution, and enough reason and evidence to justify both means of removal now.

https://twitter.com/alexandrachalup/status/1124063882342014978?s=21

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--EXCLUSIVE: 'This stings!' How Obama saw Trump's victory as a 'personal insult,' watched the movie Dr. Strange to distract himself from election results...--

Not sure who this says more about nor exactly what it says, but I first read that as "erection results".

[Beasts of England]

Looks like I've been summoned for a nighttime cruise. Y'all don't go and get all unredacted on me or nothin'... 😜

Nytol

[MissMarple2]

Stephen Moore was on Tucker Carlson and said they unsealed his divorce records, so he withdrew.

Didn't they do that to an Illinois gubernatorial candidate about 10 years ago?

[Threadkiller]

.

[henry]

Truckload of Kools going up in smoke at this point.

[Melinda]

MM-

No way on that "donation" story. That's their defense strategy. Wanna bet the Morgan Stanley broker keeps the same story?

Hah!

There's a paper trail for every single one of these "donations" if they're over $3,000.00.

And they are, you can count on it. The supervisory chain for all of this falls right into what Henry and I have long been waiting for, The First Sarbanes-Oxley, Personal Liability Test Case for signing bank officers.

Dinner time, and isn't popcorn!

[Threadkiller]

Obama had Jerry Ryan's and her ex husband's divorce records unsealed, MM, when he ran for Senate.

[Narciso79]

Fifteen years ago to Jack Ryan and Blair hull, that's how we got obama.

[Threadkiller]

Jeri and Jack Ryan

[anonamom]

Obama got the nomination to the Senate by unsealing divorce records of the guy who was leading in the polling.
IIRC. Like 15 years ago.

[Narciso79]

Blair hull was the lead Democrat opponent, he didnt even have to campaign after that.

[Narciso79]

Yes that doesn't pass the smell test, singer was a counselor in florida.

[MissMarple2]

That's right, Jeri and Jack Ryan!

I knew it was an Obama tactic! That guy is a menace.

I want to see him locked up as much as Hillary.

[Narciso79]

It's a coincidence that fitz Comey mueller and goldsmith (with caproni, and wray in reserve) were conspiring 15 years ago to shut down stellar wind, and their folly was made clear only hours later in Madrid, but their scheme was reprised three years later without the conquest.

[Jane]

Henry,

At this point, I think he’s a traitor.

[MissMarple2]

Joe Bastardi
‏Verified account @BigJoeBastardi
5m5 minutes ago

Sierra Snowpack Is Measured at 188% of Average in Final Survey of the Year http://on.ktla.com/Xp03z via @ktla Yep snow would soon be a thing of the past.

[lyle]

Lurve me some Calvin & Hobbes. Always.

[lyle]

Traitors are Kool!

🤔

[MJW]

The more I think about it, the more likely I think it is that Barr just put two and two together. The first "two" being that the only section of the obstruction statute that could possibly apply to the widely-rumored obstruction investigation is the one that applies to pending investigations; the second "two" being that the only way that section could apply to the matters, such as Comey's firing, that were rumored to be under investigation, is by adopting an exceptionally broad definition of corrupt behavior. The other details could be deduced by reading DoJ briefs in obstruction cases.

[Narciso79]

It's rather striking how well some facts are hidden under a bushel basket just like witm the author of the inr memo and how he debunked valerie Plame assertions because he had been in Niger in 99.

[lyle]

Sidebar to Jane from last night:

Sorry if I sounded snarky when you asked if I cooked the meal. I cook pretty much every night and have for almost 40 years. Hope we’re good.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
3m3 minutes ago

Thank you, working hard! #MAGA

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5mqGslXkAAfYzS.jpg

[clarice]

exactly,Mjw

[Tom R]

MJW @ 9:03

You may be right. I’m going with something simpler. Mueller gave Barr the details one Sunday before or after church services,

[lyle]

Tonight’s dinner is grilled game hens (thanks, Ext.) with cabbage green onion carrot skillet slaw and an apple cider bbq reduction. In Violas Tuscan Merlot from Poliziano. A tiny bit of grilled sourdough bread so not Keto...

[JM Hanes]

MJW:

It's my impression that this was not the first time that Weissman and/or Mueller have made the relevant arguments on obstruction. I also wonder how hard it would be for capable defense attorneys (i.e. the president's lawyers) to anticipate where the president might be most vulnerable under the existing statutes..

[Jane]

Lyle,

No sweat. Never was offended.

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

It's a pity that PDJT can't pick strong helpers.
The media and Swamp are able to dig up dirt and make them withdraw.
Bad for all Americans.

[Jane]

MJW,

That, I agree with.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Sierra Snowpack Is Measured at 188% of Average in Final Survey of the Year--

Drove past a still coated Mammoth Mountain today and then over my home pass where there are still walls of snow eight or ten feet high along the shady parts of the highway.

[Jane]

I don’t think Trump was vulnerable, JMH. They had no place to go, and in true Weissman fashion, they decided to misrepresent the law.

[lyle]

Al Gore sez yer obviously hallucinating, Ig.

[Jane]

Thing are breaking all over the place, hard to keep up! I just love it.

[Threadkiller]

This is from Andrew McCarthy in December.

Barr, whom President Trump has nominated to be the next attorney general, was not prejudging the facts. He was addressing the law and Justice Department policy. With great persuasive force, the 19-page memo posits two contentions. First, based on what is publicly known, the special counsel’s theory of obstruction is legally flawed. Second, if a Justice Department investigation is going to be used to take down a democratically elected president, the social cohesion of our body politic demands that it be over a clear, very serious crime, not a novel and aggressive theory of prosecution.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/12/the-barr-memo-is-a-commendable-piece-of-lawyering/

He seems to believe that the memorandum could have been crafted off of publicly available sourcing.

I really don't plan to go back to June to reread whatever was public knowledge at the time to prove or disprove McCarthy. I assume he already did that research.

[Narciso79]

Also ronnie Earle and John chisholm, also Janet Reno and Martha Coakley, 'I can do this all day'

[MissMarple2]

https://thefederalist.com/2019/05/02/new-york-times-admits-multiple-spies-deployed-against-trump-campaign/#.XMtWwPeuRL8.twitter

[JM Hanes]

Jane,

"Thing are breaking all over the place, hard to keep up! I just love it."

Ditto here! I've also been watching a bunch of happy campers on Fox News tonight; they all seem to be enjoying themselves immensely.

[Tom R]

Jeff Carlson on Chalupa. Why would a DNC operative expect Manafort would be joining the Trump campaign in January 2016?

https://twitter.com/themarketswork/status/1124116890157244418?s=21

In late 2015, Chalupa expanded her research into Manafort to include the Trump campaign and possible ties to Russia.

In January 2016, Chalupa informed an unknown senior DNC official that she believed there was a Russian connection with the Trump campaign. Notably, this theme would be picked up by the Clinton campaign in the summer of 2016. Chalupa also told the official to expect Manafort’s involvement in the Trump campaign.

[MissMarple2]

Iggy,

Thanks for the confirmation!

I believe I have bored people enough with my worries about a coming Ice Age, but gee whiz, that's a LOT of snow!

[Narciso79]

Maybe she was in contact with Michelle fields, and was planning her slip and fall against Lewandowski then,

[Momto2]

You're not the only one, Jane. My head is spinning and I was beginning to think it was Keto brain fog or something!

You saw my post on FB - today is Darby's 2 year anniversary of being with us. She got some rotisserie chicken to celebrate - and a new toy!

I expect the President to follow through on releasing the goods on the plotters. The next few weeks should be exciting!

[clarice]

I thought Chalupa was a fried tortilla.

[MissMarple2]

Narciso,

I had completely forgotten about Michelle Fields! Thanks for the reminder!

[Momto2]

Can you imagine being traumatized by a wall mural?

https://www.dailywire.com/news/46683/high-school-mulls-removing-george-washington-joseph-curl?%3Futm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dwtwitter

[Narciso79]

Happy anniversary darby.

Heh clarice it's a transliteration of the word in ukrainian

[Narciso79]

Seems like a eon ago,
https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2019/01/15/matthew-whitaker-the-ethical-mire-of-trumps-top-law-officer/

Waas really learned nothing from the Plame atama

[sbwaters]

Lyle: and an apple cider bbq reduction

Ah, yes! And after time at the range I had a slice of pepperoni pizza and a Li'l Debbie cherry pie from the local Nice 'n Easy, washed down with a cold bottled Frappuccino.

[Narciso79]

Apparently there is another chalupa sister who fed the nutroots scraps.

[MissMarple2]

https://www.theepochtimes.com/69-percent-of-americans-want-origins-of-russia-probe-investigated-cnn-poll_2904069.html

[Narciso79]

John Schindler still Emilio lizards mad,

[Tom R]

Apparently posting links to Infowars on Facebook is now a bannable offense.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-02/digital-purge-facebook-unpersons-alex-jones-farrakhan-and-others-draconian-full

[Jane]

Momto2,

Is Darby doing okay?

It’s going to be amazing going forward, and it will take far too long. It’s absolutely amazing Trump has exposed none of it - so far. I am so impressed.

[Narciso79]

Since the little tail, didmt work Tom r, they decided to go full memory hole, re the piece the mail picked up, they went back to McHughs time at the ice and national review.

[Narciso79]

Inter collegiate studies, this is prelude to full purge.

[Threadkiller]

It’s absolutely amazing Trump has exposed none of it - so far. I am so impressed.

There is some serious political capital tied up in this mess. Just like all those pictures Trump saved of everyone coming to his office to beg for donations, this will gain Trump some mega powerful DC favors.

Not everyone will go to jail. Some, like Rosenstein, will flip.

[lurkersusie]

Behind the paywall

By Kimberley A. Strassel
May 2, 2019 6:53 p.m. ET
The only thing uglier than an angry Washington is a fearful Washington. And fear is what’s driving this week’s blitzkrieg of Attorney General William Barr

https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-fear-of-william-barr-11556837637

[Tom R]

Hopefully Ext gets his wish.

https://twitter.com/jackposobiec/status/1124116036272496640?s=21

[lurkersusie]

Ahead of the story

Chuck Ross on Twitter: "From a year ago w/ the great @batchelorshow on Stefan Halper, Azra Turk and George Papadopoulos. It's held up well. https://t.co/sciWf9Dosq" / Twitter

[clarice]

Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸
‏
Verified account

@JackPosobiec
Follow Follow @JackPosobiec
More
BREAKING: Special Counsel Mueller “deeply disturbed” by Pelosi accusations against AG Barr today and is urging Nadler to push up his hearing to testify and correct the record as soon as possible - @OANN

[lyle]

👊SBW, heading to range in the morning. Just cleaned all my handguns. On my Glock .45 i still can’t get the mechanism that releases the slide to work. I reread the manual. No luck. If you or anyone else can tip me I’d be appreciative.

[Threadkiller]

To my point at 10:06, Trump and Barr are already playing their blackmail cards.

"Say, Mueller, how about you go out and say something nice about the AG?"

[Comanche Voter]

Having just returned to the States from two weeks in London where my daughter and four year old grandson and almost six year old granddaughter live, I'm enjoying Grandma Steph's reports about her poo painting young grandchild. Fortunately our London based grandchildren have their other grandparents living close by--so that couple gets, or at least got, to deal with the antics of really young kids.

But you know, when it comes to poo painting, I doubt that Ariel has anything to teach Mazie Hirono, Sheldon Whitehouse, Spartacus Booker and Da Nang Dick Blumenthal. Those folks know from poo painting--I doubt that they will ever grow up. But granddaughter Ariel will grow out of that phase.

[MissMarple2]

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/441852-norwegians-weighing-options-for-whale-allegedly-used-as-russian-spy

The whale won't leave Norwegian waters. Obviously, it wants asylum.

[Threadkiller]

.

[clarice]

If the Norwegians want the whale to vamoose just feed it some lutefisk.

[MissMarple2]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/alabama-state-rep-under-fire-for-abortion-comments-donald-trump-jr-s-mother-shouldve-aborted-him

[MJW]

To R: You may be right. I’m going with something simpler. Mueller gave Barr the details one Sunday before or after church services

I'll take slightly more complex over completely illogical.

[MissMarple2]

Boy, there is a lot of stuff going on!

I am heading to bed so I am alert tomorrow.

Nytol!

[MJW]

JMH: It's my impression that this was not the first time that Weissman and/or Mueller have made the relevant arguments on obstruction.

Weissman made very similar arguments on obstruction in the Arthur Anderson case -- the one he lost 9-0 in the supreme court.

[Threadkiller]

MJW, McCarthy believes that Barr wrote it using publicly available information about the case.

[Narciso79]

Well that could be cruel and unusual punishment, clarice.

[matt - deplore me if you must]

I was in Sacramento a few weeks ago and thought of driving 120 through Yosemite on the way home (the very long way around)but figured that the pass on the back side might still be closed.

That Dem stunt today seems to be backfiring. It just confirms them a a bunch of arrested development idiots.

All of them screaming impeachment is laughable as well. The evidence trail is clear, and if Mueller is trying to throw shade on Barr he failed. I could read that letter as an indictment of the media, for that matter.

Lastly, I was moved to tears by Rabbi Goldstein and his description of Trump's extraordinary outreach. Some real decency on display. may we all treat each other so.

[Momto2]

Alabama Democratic state Rep. John Rogers stated:

This child is already or will become malformed. It won’t have a brain. It might have one eye or something like that.” Rogers said.

[Tom R]

MJW,

Please explain you’re logic to declare my point completely illogical?

They are close friends for the past 30 years, Their wives teach a Sunday school class together so they see each other at church every Sunday. Why wouldn’t they talk business?

BTW since Barr’s memo was addressed directly to Rosenstein I think another possible scenario is Mueller gave Weissman’s legal strategy to Rosenstein who he reported to and RR is the one who gave it to Barr.

[JM Hanes]

TomR:

Let's just hope they are at least close enough friends for Mueller to object to the treatment Barr received. He's already acknowledged that Barr's representation was accurate, so there's that. I expect he's really interested in pushing the SC narrative he felt got lost in the pre-publication shuffle.

[Narciso79]

Oh you betcha

https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/curtis-houck/2019/05/02/obama-donor-friend-gayle-king-takes-reins-cbs-morning-adds-dokoupil

[JM Hanes]

Via Daily Mail:

A snow leopard does Jazz Hands:

[clarice]

Heh, jmh--I think all those big cats are just beautiful

[lyle]

I DID that, TK. No luck.

[clarice]

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/read-white-house-counsel-emmett-floods-letter-to-attorney-general-barr-on-mueller-report?fbclid=IwAR1ZIEmRLeY4fhhBsMj-PAtSj-iVoBPjWU7sUuXy68ZIAglnSYony-AjMgw

Lyle , just smack it around--my husband thinks that's the way to fix any broken object.