Send Better Apologists! NY Times Loses Plot On FBI Surveillance-Not-Spying On Trump

The NY Times covers the special assignment by AG Barr of the US Attorney for CT John Durham to explore the origins of Crossfire Hurricane, the controversial FISA wiretap warrants on Carter Page, the use of the Steele dossier, and so much more. [Spoiler: The sought-for correction runs a week later.]

They correctly note that the wiretaps on Carter Page were sought only after he left the Trump campaign. However, they immediately lose the plot (my emphasis):

Law enforcement officials have also drawn intense criticism for using an informant — a typical investigative step — to secretly report on Mr. Page and Mr. Papadopoulos after they left the campaign and for relying on Democrat-funded opposition research compiled into a dossier by Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer who was also an F.B.I. informant.

"After they left the campaign"? C'mon. Page and Papadopoulos were appointed to Trump's foreign policy commission in March of 2016. In light of his previous brushes with the Russians Page was of immediate interest to the FBI; their informant, Cambridge don Stefan Halper, took his first pass at Page at a Cambridge symposium in July 11-12 2016, before Crossfire Hurricane was officially opened on July 31. Page left the campaign in September 2016 and the FISA application went in thereafter.

Halper met Papadopoluos in September 2016, while he was still doing whatever he wasn't doing on the fringes of the Trump campaign. He was described by the Times as a "Trump aide" in their 'don't call it spying' story of May 2, 2019.

The Times ought to fix this. Do let me volunteer my assistance in the blame-storming: their April 9 2019 piece describes Page and Papadopoulos, with Page, as another "former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser".

Well, sure - they are former aides now, in 2019. Back in July-September of 2016 when Halper was surveilling-not-spying, they were future former aides.

Wasn't this sort of timeline confusion covered in Endgame?

Comments

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Mr Nadler, could you please define "existential challenge"?--

How bout "limited government" while he's at it.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

That buzzcut video was hilarious but the mom is headed for PC jail.
When her little girl asks if she looks like a boy now, mom shuts her down, exclaiming no you look like a beautiful little girl.
I'm sure the nutjobs will woke her up.

Full disclosure, as a lad I found the dog clippers and took a big chunk right out of the middle of my forelock.

[clarice]

Picky, picky, Iggy.

[Neo]

Huawei is willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments, including Britain, the Chinese telco company's chairman said on Tuesday, amid U.S. pressure on European countries to shun the firm over espionage concerns.

I bet they are using the Democrats' definition of 'spying'

[Neo]

CNBC:
Rep. Jerry Nadler: We're 'probably' not headed for impeachment

[Neo]

5G has a NIMBY problem

Communities are fighting the installation of 5G wireless internet technology because of its bulky infrastructure. The courts may have just bolstered their case.

[PDinDetroit]

Barr teases Pelosi, asks if she brought her handcuffs on sidelines of DC event

HAH!

[Marlene]

Good afternoon! Howie Carr just played the audio of the woman from NH who told Biden Trump is an "illegitimate" president (and Biden agreed). Howie asked "what the hell happened to NH,the Live Free or Die state?"
Someone texted (not me,ha) that half of Massachusetts now lives in NH.
As far as Bill Cohen,you wonder how we got Snowe and Collins in Maine? He is their hero.
*eyeroll*

[Captain Hate]

Is Bill Cohen the GOPe turncoat who served in Slick's cabinet? Fuck that RINO in particular.

[Marlene]

Yes,CH.

[Marlene]

Who is running Biden's campaign? The other day when he was in NH,he stopped at an invitation only event in Somersworth and wandered around the historical museum looking at antique fire trucks. He's supposed to be the Democrat front runner,why is he wasting his time? Why doesn't he rent the big arena in Manchester and let's see if he can get a Trump-like crowd. :)

[Jack is Back (Again)!]

Where to start:)

Porchlight, did you ride the Portland Light Rail? You can answer truthfully since Janet isn't here.

Don't think for one moment that Disney is not playing that swinging window washing car and thinking how they can incorporate into a new ride at Disneyland.

The Dems are messing with the wrong guy in Barr. This is not his first rodeo but probably his first burlesque starring the Nadlerstone Cops.

The beauty of deception from Trump is turning loose the odd-man of war and peace (i.e. John Bolton) to scare the living daylights out of the media, the Dems, the Eurowinnies, then call it fake news because if he was to send troops it would be more than 125K. No one in the universe if mankind has ever trolled the media and his adversary like Donald John Trump.

[Marlene]

Ha,Howie said he had lunch with Paul LePage in Florida. Jack and Narciso,you guys should have lunch with LePage,he lives in Ormond Beach. LePage received an honorary degree from one of the smaller University of Maine colleges last week-end. He said he is so bored that he takes half an hour to brush his teeth in the morning. :)

[Captain Hate]

Rats starting to turn:

http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=381326

[MissMarple2]

The courage & sacrifice of our heroes is the reason our flag stands tall, our hearts beat with pride, and our Country remains one people, one family, and one NATION UNDER GOD. Today, we thank you, we honor you, & we forever cherish the memory of our Fallen Men and Women in Blue! pic.twitter.com/ARHYgDVi3M

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 15, 2019

Pictures at the link.

[MissMarple2]

We stand firmly, strongly, and proudly with the incredible men and women of law enforcement. You do not hear it nearly enough, but Americans across this Country love you, support you, and respect you more than you could possibly know! #PeaceOfficersMemorialDay pic.twitter.com/T0qB5zN7WG

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 15, 2019

Video at link, about 1 minute.

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

re: the evolution discussion.
Agree that Gerlertner didn't do much more than recommend a book to read. The math for life being hard is there, but sometimes a pathway is found that explains why the math looks, but is actually not, daunting.

Just got done with "Dawkins vs Gould: survival of the fittest" by Sterelny. Interesting if you've read Selfish Gene and some of Gould's stuff.

Currently on Ridley's The Cooperative Gene. It's published 2001 so probably a lot of water under the bridge since then. Also, he has that annoying writer's trick of adding a "humorous" aside to popularize the writing ... this is made up but "Science finds it difficult, like I do my wife's moods". That sort of thing.

However, there's definitely some interesting stuff even though I'm only on chapter 2. He writes in reasonable detail already that
1) Life appeared pretty much as soon as the Earth's geology settled down
2) Mutations occur much more frequently than previously thought
3) Moving from simple life to complex life is a VERY difficult issue

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
55m55 minutes ago

The Fake News Washington Post, and even more Fake News New York Times, are writing stories that there is infighting with respect to my strong policy in the Middle East. There is no infighting whatsoever....

....Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision - it is a very simple process. All sides, views, and policies are covered. I’m sure that Iran will want to talk soon.

[Momto2]

Sorry, henry - someone on Twitter posted the sentence as if it had been handed down. "Up to" is even worse in my opinion. If it were my 5-year-old, he would want the safety of prison for many, many years!!!

[Jack is Back (Again)!]

Now I remember, my Buzzcut story:)

When I was about 13, we were living in the Plattsburgh, NY area while Dad was stationed at the new SAC base there. He decided to be a gentleman farmer on the side and bought a 116-acre farm with pig pens, barns (on which I set up a basketball court on the upper hay level), a horse area, etc. Rented most of the land to the farmer next door, Mr. Arthur. The road is in his name.

Down the farm lane toward Ausable Chasm was a kid my age with a sulky (harness horse rig) and he would bring his horse down once in a while. One day my Mom gave me $5 to go into Keesville for a haircut. It was only a 5 mile bike ride. But my sulky friend said, "hey, I can cut your hair with these horse shears, and we can use that money for cokes and twinkies or something else".

I don't have to finish the story.

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

Bringing over from BJG blog

Feel good story – Jeep owners honor Colorado high school shooting victim (who loved Jeeps) with a 600 Jeep procession:
https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/05/15/kendrick-castillo-jeep-procession/

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

We're up to 700-ish comments, probably a new thread with a day or so.

I wonder: politics? sports? or "other"?
I'm guessing there is still enough political stuff going on that TM will post on SpyGate or tariffs or some other political topic.

[anonamom]

so ch, how reliable a prediction is all this extreme happiness and joy from the commenters at AoS?

Because I would LOVE to think "there's going to be a scalp from one of these coupsters," but in light of the fact that nobody has paid a thing for all the criminality we've known has gone down for years--Lerner, her creepy boss, Holder--- keeps me from getting too excited now.

[Beasts of England]

Great link, Captain! There's little doubt that we're getting close to the first public revelations. Maybe, just maybe, we'll get a top level flipper - if we haven't already.

[Captain Hate]

Comey and Brennan sniping at each other has happened and it's a good thing.

[Marlene]

Jim,thanks for that link! Hubby and I watched and got tears in our eyes. 600 Jeeps! Our Jeep Jamboree in Maine is usually about 100 Jeeps. What a wonderful tribute!

[Jack is Back (Again)!]

Patterico is the new LGF jackass but with a better education, which isn't saying much since both are lunatics. I always thought it was weird and funny that Cahs. Jhonson would be the guy to expose Rather and Memogate and then turn out to be the biggest left-wing asshole the world has ever seen.

Obviously a packaging malfunction on the Soros delivery line.

[Old Lurker]

Neo "I bet they are using the Democrats' definition of 'spying'"

I'll bet they are using the Democrats definition of "promise" too. Not to mention "not".

[Narciso79]

This might be the context of that tweet earlier:
https://www.caracaschronicles.com/2019/05/15/more-persecution/

[Narciso79]

This is feeling like Hungary 56, and not the positive part.

[Captain Hate]

I always thought it was weird and funny that Cahs. Jhonson would be the guy to expose Rather and Memogate and then turn out to be the biggest left-wing asshole the world has ever seen.

He never claimed to be a conservative. Something happened to make him lose his shit: either Sarah Palin gave him a guilty boner or the libs in his terrible band started freezing him out of those paltry smooth jazz gigs.

Or both. He went full retard though.

[Jack is Back (Again)!]

narc,

Agreed about Venezuela. A big miscalculation on our part there. Maduro is safe from hiding at the air force base. Since we have opted for nothing sort of some CIA guys using bullhorns, nothing will change. In fact, Trump needs to back away for a while until status quo (whatever the hell that means there).

They have a subway, that is how rich that country was, and still is, under certain circumstances. We built that damn thing and now it is useless tot he general population.

[lyle]

I see Mitt Romney showed up in the comments in your 3:56 link, CH...😉

Don’t know who I’d like to see pull a Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson role from A Few Good Men more, Comey or Brennan. That’s a tough call.

[Captain Hate]

Because I would LOVE to think "there's going to be a scalp from one of these coupsters," but in light of the fact that nobody has paid a thing for all the criminality we've known has gone down for years--Lerner, her creepy boss, Holder--- keeps me from getting too excited now.

Trump isn't GOPe. He's on record as saying he wants no future President to go through what he endured. You don't get that by wrist slaps. He shouldn't be judged by RINO standards.

[henry]

This book has an interesting take on genomes and metabolic systems... it is a 2014 publication.

https://www.google.com/search?q=arrival+of+the+fittest+review&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

[MissMarple2]

https://twitter.com/KimStrassel/status/1128701946502582272

Short thread from Kim Strassel with a couple of pertinent questions.

[Jack is Back (Again)!]

CH,

Hear, hear! I am prepared to be the first to take a swan dive off the Ledge if you are correct. OL may do so but with one of those power gliders in case he needs to retreat:)

[lyle]

Barr went up to Pelosi during the National Peace Officer Memorial today and asked her if she brought her handcuffs. 🤣

[MissMarple2]

News Breaking LIVE
‏ @NewsBreaking
11m11 minutes ago

BREAKING: President Trump signs executive order banning the purchase or use of communications technology that poses a risk to national security - POLITICO

[anonamom]

I'm hoping that you are right ch, coupled with the very real need he has to protect his kids and grands from the Deep State functionaries.

[Extraneus]

Democrat Presidential Candidates Drop ‘Abolish ICE’ from Campaign Speeches

As the slogan became more popular with Democrat politicians, Republican candidates and committees began to use the phrase to paint Democrats as holding radical positions on immigration and border security during the 2018 midterm elections. A poll from that fall found the position was not even supported by a majority of Democrats as only a quarter of Democratic voters approved of the "Abolish ICE" message.

Buzzfeed contacted the four Democrats who embraced the slogan to see if they still supported the movement.

The Sanders and Harris campaign did not return requests from Buzzfeed while Warren's campaign, which has received headlines for their robust policy proposals, did not respond directly to the question about whether Warren had a plan to "replace" ICE.

The Gillibrand campaign told Buzzfeed Gillibrand never explicitly said she wanted to "abolish ICE" but Buzzfeed reported the Senator's own Twitter account included that language in a tweet in June of 2018.

Gee, Gillibrand lied?

[Narciso79]

What is wrong with Europeans they are so insistent on buying valentines data card (kingsman reference)

[Threadkiller]

Barr went up to Pelosi during the National Peace Officer Memorial today and asked her if she brought her handcuffs. 🤣

:-(

These fuckers need to quit acting cutesy at their elbow rubbing functions. I'll have to look at a video to really get the flavor of his comment.

If he and she are all giggles, it is a sign of the how high the future prosecutions will reach; low level button pushers.

[Extraneus]

From Kim Strassel:

Who decided not to give Trump a FULL briefing about dossier? To deliberately hide this from new commander in chief?

Ask Susan Rice.

"The President stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective. He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book," Rice wrote, according to an excerpt included in the senators' letter. "From a national security perspective, however, President Obama said he wants to be sure that, as we engage with the incoming [Trump] team, we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reason that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia."

[Captain Hate]

Things are moving quickly:

http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=381316

[Marlene]

I have five younger siblings,so there were lots of haircut incidents. One summer my brothers had black fly bites all over their scalps,so my mother gave them buzz cuts and doused them with peroxide. They were blonde all summer. :)

[Dave (in MA)]

David Burge@iowahawkblog
Beto livestream tour update

✔️Dentist
✔️Barber
Ear wax removal
Pedicure
Anal bleaching

[MissMarple2]

https://twitter.com/_StephanieMyers/status/1128768832317796352

Thread includes EO from President. National emergency over threats against U.S. technology amid 5G concerns with Chinese telecom giant #Huawei

[anonamom]

Interesting comment on the AoS post on Comey-Brennan accusing each other of planting the dossier:

25 Comey and McCabe also gave conflicting testimony. The common denominator is Comey.

Another commenter noted Trey Gowdy said on Fox the other day:
"They both may be right."

Loved that!!!

[anonamom]

marlene, I have four younger sibs, and grew up on a street where every house had at least four kids in it.
There was ALWAYS some kiddo with a chunk of hair missing!

Interestingly, my kids never did that. The girls across the street did though.

[lyle]

From I’ve read, Barr was all smiles and the botoxed granny was a little nervous, TK.

[Extraneus]

POTUS Amused by Louisiana Lt. Gov. Nungesser’s Trump Socks

(Click to open.)

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

My daughter shaved the front 2 inches off her hair in first grade. She said she didn't like the whispies that were growing in (new hair).

Kids!

[Extraneus]

Jim Jordan Urges Democrats to Release Coordination Agreement to Attack Trump

House Oversight and Reform ranking member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) sent a letter to chairman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on Wednesday requesting he release the non-public memo he and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) wrote regarding their efforts to attack President Donald Trump’s administration.

Jordan urged Cummings to release the secret Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Financial Services chairwoman Waters as part of what Jordan contended amounts to a coordinated campaign to use congressional oversight to attack the president for political gain.

Jordan wrote in his letter to Cummings:

You have sought to avoid public scrutiny of your quest to obtain the President’s financial information. First, you wrote to Mazars in secret to request the President’s financial information; second, you executed a nonpublic MOU to coordinate with Chairwoman Waters; and finally, you broke your promise to hold a public business meeting to debate a subpoena to Mazars. Your nonpublic MOU has now become a matter of significant public interest due to your unprecedented actions. In the interest of promoting the utmost transparency about the Committee’s business, I encourage you to release publicly your MOU with Chairwoman Waters and any other signed or unsigned MOUs that you have entered into so that the American people can understand the extent to which you and other Democrat chairpersons are engaged in an orchestrated effort to attack the President for political gain.

Rep. Jordan revealed that Cummings did not respond to his letter in April, nor did he consult with Republican members of the committee regarding the terms of the secret MOU. Further, the Ohio conservative emphasized that Cummings did not even disclose the existence of the MOU until Jordan raised the issue to the Maryland Democrat, and Cummings has not released the MOU to the public.

[Extraneus]

HARRIS FLOATS BIDEN AS POTENTIAL RUNNING MATE

[Extraneus]

Joe Biden Keeps Tripping Over His Words

Video montage at the link.

[clarice]

https://lidblog.com/intelligence-u-s-leave-iraq/
What's up with Iraq/Iran?

[Robin, eff 'em all]

Because most 14 year-olds aren’t equipped to understand what they’re talking about. (Hell, most 28 year-olds aren’t either given how the twenty- somethings have been so infantilized.

Posted by: Another Bob | May 15, 2019 at 08:05 AM

I think this is where we make an enormous mistake, underestimating these kids. Between school, social media, and peers, the kids are exposed to all the leftist tropes ALL THE TIME. It's incessant. They are fully capable of processing the arguments and sorting through the issues, and we should do them the courtesy of believing they can do the intellectual lifting.

To relinquish the field to the leftists, who have no qualms about preaching to GenZ and using their youthful is idealism, has been crippling to the movement. We have a lot of work to do to right the ship, and part of that is acknowledging that 14 year olds have something to say that might be worth listening to.

[Beasts of England]

And I thought my martini socks were the cat's pajamas...

[MissMarple2]

I would have to read more on this, but it's an interesting theory.

https://www.studyfinds.org/earth-natural-thermostat-climate/

[Robin, eff 'em all]

And I would add that 14 year olds have something to say to OTHER 14 YEAR OLDS which they would like to hear articulated.

[Robin, eff 'em all]

Sorry, I seem to be dabbling in Gus's habit of capitalizing to make a point.

[jimmyk]

Robin @5:51 you have a point, but ideally 14-year-olds should be discouraged from political publicity stunts regardless of ideology. It is exploitation. I think the right response when leftists do this is to shame them, not to respond in kind. Not shame the kid, but shame the adults who encourage or publicize the kid.

[MissMarple2]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/ron-desantis-should-give-todd-buchanan-a-second-chance

[Captain Hate]

I'm with jimmyk but also with Robin compared to all the Eeyores here who automatically write the yutes off; like they aren't laughing with contempt at their tool teachers.

[clarice]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7032973/Obamas-intel-chiefs-claim-told-Comey-NOT-use-golden-showers-dossier-warrant.html
circular firing squad.
If they told him NOT to use it, why did they continue to act as if it were solid information? Assholes all.

[Porchlight]

circular firing squad

That's exactly what it is.

Very encouraging to see.

[Jane]

The problem with 14 year olds are the schools, and the teachers who preach as truth that Trump is evil. And that goes on everywhere.

I'd love to learn I am wrong.

[MissMarple2]

https://humanevents.com/2019/05/15/white-house-creates-online-portal-for-reporting-social-media-censorship/

[Beasts of England]

Yes it is, Porch - the shift is pronounced.

[hoyden]

New thread!

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

henry, 4:48, thanks!
On the lookout for books like that.
Also, my chem and biochem background is pretty woeful so anything that creates a helpful base is appreciated.

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

Dang, I think I had a decent prediction re: the timing and content of the new thread.

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

That would be at 4:24 LOL

[Old Lurker]

Cap'n " compared to all the Eeyores here who automatically write the yutes off;"

Rising to defend...since "eeyore" usually means me...that line is bullshit, Cap'n.

Nobody writes off (all) yutes. Per my observation, everything in life is a bell curve. Some yutes are on top of the game and will survive to occupy the top of the rock pile, whatever that rock pile is as they age. Frankly, most of the yutes under my wing and their friends are in that group.

But it is beyond laughable to think that the fat part of the bell curve has not shifted to the dumb, unproductive, irresponsible (as in not responsible for myself) direction. Given the families that raise them and the teachers who teach them, and the media they absorb, how could that not be so?

Given another Pearl Harbor, the numbers lining up at the recruiting offices to defend the homeland would probably see the percentage flipped from the Day of Infamy.