"relatively innocent and eminently plausible..." interesting word choice there.

Smacks a little of "plausible deniability" does it not?

aggiehawg said:

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I went down a rabbit hole this morning regarding Josef Mifsud. It's HERE if you want to read it.

Bottomline, that is (was?) one connected dude in intelligence work.

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I read that article about 2 weeks ago; it is referenced in one of Carlson's write-ups:
https://www.themarketswork.com/2018/05/10/ties-that-bind-stefan-halper-joseph-mifsud-alexander-downer-papadopoulos/

The coincidence between Assange tweeting about Mifsud and his Internet exile speaks volumes IMO.

aggiehawg said:

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Just read this USA Today editorial. Moonbattery on full display, if you want a laugh but it made me wonder what libs realistically believe Mueller can do to combat Russian cyber activities in the upcoming midterm elections? Isn't that the issue of import here? Apparently not.

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More important, Trump's "I hereby demand" tweet that this tactic be investigated is an abuse of his office. A president should never order his Justice Department whom or what to investigate. If a president can politicize law enforcement as a defensive move by demeaning law enforcement officials, he could do so on the offense by using it to go after rivals.

In fact, Trump is already doing a little of both, attacking those who are trying to uncover the truth and insisting that his senior law enforcement appointees become part of the attack. Because of White House pressure, Republican lawmakers (with no Democrats) will sit down with Justice officials Thursday to review sensitive documents related to the investigation.

The great irony, of course, is that if the FBI showed any institutional bias in 2016, it was to Trump's benefit.

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My eye balls may fall out from the sheer number of eye rolls there.

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So the chief law enforcer in the country isn't allowed to direct the law enforcement agencies? Did I miss a chance in the constitution at some point? WOW

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The coincidence between Assange tweeting about Mifsud and his Internet exile speaks volumes IMO.

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Indeed it does. I guess it never occurred to me that there were spy schools like he ran. I just assumed intelligence agencies had their own academies like we do.

aggiehawg said:

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"relatively innocent and eminently plausible..." interesting word choice there.

Smacks a little of "plausible deniability" does it not?

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Quote:

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There has always been a relatively innocent and eminently plausible interpretation for why Donald Trump's presidential campaign had so many suspicious ties to Russia. Let's review:

First, the candidate himself took an indulgent view of Vladimir Putin. This was nave, but it was no crime: Barack Obama also sought rapprochement with Moscow in 2008, despite Russia's invasion of Georgia that year and the Kremlin's notorious human-rights abuses.

Second, Trump had extensive business ties to Russians, both as customers and partners. This, too, isn't criminal, even if some of those customers and partners were.

Third, Trump ran a chaos campaign. It lacked the kind of vetting procedures that might have excluded political grifters like Paul Manafort or Carter Page. Trump hired Manafort in part because he owned an apartment in Trump Tower and promised to work for free. Page came aboard on the casual recommendation of Ed Cox, chairman of the New York Republican Party.

Fourth, Trump talks (or tweets) a lot of trash. When, at a rally in October 2016, he said "I love WikiLeaks!" because of its publication of Clinton campaign manager John Podesta's hacked emails, did the candidate even understand that the U.S. government saw WikiLeaks as a vehicle for Russian political interference? Perhaps not.

Finally, Trump was ill-served by his inept son, Don Jr., whose bungled efforts to solicit damaging information on Hillary Clinton from a Russian lawyer would have constituted collusion, if anything had come of it. But Trump himself claims to have been unaware of the infamous Trump Tower meeting at the time.

All of this might make for a compelling case that there's not much to L'Affaire Russe, as the president never tires of averring. Or it might not. That's what we have Robert Mueller for: To lay the question to rest, if only the president and his congressional muppets will let him.

But that's not what we're debating today. Instead, the president's apologists insist the real story is the genesis of the investigation, supposedly a Deep State smear job by the F.B.I. against an anti-establishment candidate they feared and loathed. Or, as Trump tweeted Wednesday morning, "SPYGATE could be one of the biggest political scandals in history!"

So let's review again:

Beginning in 2014, the Obama administration began receiving urgent warnings that Russia planned to interfere in U.S. politics. "You have no idea how extensive these networks are in Europe and in the U.S.," a Russian source told a U.S. official that year, according to an investigation by Politico's Ali Watkins. "Russia has penetrated media organizations, lobbying firms, political parties, governments and militaries in all of these places."

As early as 2013, the F.B.I. had concerns about Paul Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates, regarding their "offshore consulting activities," and interviewed the pair repeatedly. At the time, Manafort was working for Ukrainian President (and Putin puppet) Viktor Yanukovych, from whom he allegedly received more than $12 million in secret payments.

The bureau also had long been interested in Carter Page, an obscure energy consultant whom it had first interviewed in 2013 in connection to his contacts with Victor Podobnyy, a Russian spy based in New York. Page's chief distinction was his willingness to recite Kremlin talking points on foreign policy.

Manafort joined the Trump campaign in March 2016. Page was named to Trump's foreign policy team that same month. So was George Papadopoulos, another nonentity with pro-Russian views. Within two months, Papadopoulos was getting word of Russia's hacking ops via a Kremlin-connected source, which he passed along to former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer that May. The Australians later related this to the F.B.I.

Retired Gen. Mike Flynn, the future national security adviser, had his own financial ties to Russian companies and organizations that would stand to benefit from the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Russia. Flynn's sudden advocacy for lifting sanctions was especially odd given that he was previously on record as an anti-Russia hawk.

All of this is independent of Christopher Steele's notorious Russia dossier. Some pundits on the right are now breathlessly trying to claim that the bureau was spying on Page, and thus the campaign, via an informant before the formal investigation began, as if this is an outrage of the first order.

But the significant question is whether any competent counterintelligence officer would not have seen, in this constellation of facts, serious reason to believe that the Trump campaign was profoundly vulnerable to Russian manipulation, even (or especially) if the candidate himself didn't know about it. Just imagine if Manafort or Flynn hadn't had their Russia ties exposed and now occupied positions of trust in the White House. The Kremlin would surely know how to leverage their secrets.

Trump is now taking his usual unbridled umbrage at comments by former National Intelligence Director James Clapper, which the president then misquoted, that he should be glad the F.B.I. was looking into potential Russian infiltration of his campaign. Of course he should be glad: The Bureau has now twice rescued him, first by reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails on the eve of the election, and then by clearing out the Russian stooges in his employ.

That Trump won't acknowledge this means he's either profoundly foolish or, in ways we don't yet understand, dangerously complicit. I still lean toward the former interpretation just.

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aggiehawg said:

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So the chief law enforcer in the country isn't allowed to direct the law enforcement agencies?

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Not only that but it was an "abuse of power" meaning some type of impeachable event, to them. These people have lost their everlovin' minds.

It is getting scary how utterly unhinged they are becoming with no rational thought at all, ever.

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This is why I fear for Trump's life. I'm surprised there hasn't been an attempt so far. The left is unhinged.

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Beginning in 2014, the Obama administration began receiving urgent warnings that Russia planned to interfere in U.S. politics. "You have no idea how extensive these networks are in Europe and in the U.S.," a Russian source told a U.S. official that year, according to an investigation by Politico's Ali Watkins. "Russia has penetrated media organizations, lobbying firms, political parties, governments and militaries in all of these places."

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Ahem! Clinton Foundation!

But the point is that Obama did squat about it.

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...The joint Judiciary-Oversight review -- led by chairs Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Trey Gowdy (R-S.C. -- is centered on the bureau's decisionmaking in both the investigation of Clinton's private email server and the investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

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Priestap the first week in June. The others later in the month.

And the question is why didn't Obama do anything?

The answer is he did do something. He weaponized our domestic Intelligence operations and politicized our FBI/DOJ and the intelligence agencies.

He was collecting information through private contractors on everyone that could be used to control and blackmail friends and enemies. Think John Roberts. Think Paul Ryan's retirement. Think Mitch McConnel. Maybe Jeff Sessions. Maybe Trey Gowdy. Obama's private contractors could find every website visited, every email, every text , every phone call that an individual made.

Hillary bumbled it all with 2 things. The private email server and her absolute ineptitude in running a political campaign. Hillary has no people skills or ability to think strategically. Basically, she shipwrecked the opportunity for the leftist socialists to take over our country.

Once Trump won, Obama had to use the weaponized resources to take out Trump by any means necessary. Now we have a war going on behind the scenes. It appears that Mueller and Rosenstein were going to take out Trump. Mueller cannot find a way to navigate around the OIG report and whatever Huber and Sessions are doing.

Obama could have cared less if the Russians interfered. He is one of them.

That is my take from the ranch today.

They are catching on finally

RoscoePColtrane said:

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The irony of this "standing up for evidence and reason and respecting the rule of law" LMFAO

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Sadly, she's being honest. If those who believe in the rule of law vote Republican, she'll never get away with her crap.

RoscoePColtrane said:

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The bureau also had long been interested in Carter Page, an obscure energy consultant whom it had first interviewed in 2013 in connection to his contacts with Victor Podobnyy, a Russian spy based in New York. Page's chief distinction was his willingness to recite Kremlin talking points on foreign policy.

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Yep, that's the whole story. Page cooperating with the FBI through some time in 2016 to convict doesn't affect this statement at all.

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That Trump won't acknowledge this means he's either profoundly foolish or, in ways we don't yet understand, dangerously complicit. I still lean toward the former interpretation just.

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Have to give him some credit, he does see it in the mirror every morning.

drcrinum said:

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So Clapper's leak to CNN about Comey briefing Trump on the salacious contents of the dossier on January 6, 2017, at Trump Tower was pre-planned and coordinated with the FBI, CNN and the WH. Definitely a conspiracy.

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Man... this is just depressing all around.

I think what is most depressing is how the narrative for those that support this has continued to change. Six months ago it was there no spying. Now it's there was spying but for their own good. The left is accepting that bs and it's sad.

Amen brother.

Sedition. 20 years

People who throw around words they have no idea what they really mean....

Its the delusion they have to force feed to themselves and eachother like a Huxleyan Soma in order to keep from becoming overly distressed and disturbed st how much their world view has been upended by the actions of their own leadership. They can't accept that fundamental moral flaws exist in their ends justifies the means dogma so they indulge in more and more strained self delusions.

Tailgate88 said:

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Ag87H2O said:

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drcrinum said:

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So Clapper's leak to CNN about Comey briefing Trump on the salacious contents of the dossier on January 6, 2017, at Trump Tower was pre-planned and coordinated with the FBI & CNN. Definitely a conspiracy.

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There's some high level individuals in the Obama administration that have to do time. If Trump really is serious about draining the swamp, he really doesn't have any choice but to unleash the hounds and let the chips fall where they may.

It's going to be jolting for many Americans but it's got to happen in order to restore faith in our government. Extremely sobering.

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What would be FAR MORE jolting is if they are allowed to get away with it.

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I completely agree. As I said, let the chips fall where they may. I was just commenting that for those Americans that may not follow this stuff as close as us here on TexAgs and this thread, it will be shocking for them to finally understand the level of corruption and illegality that was present in the Obama administration.

Ag87H2O said:

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Tailgate88 said:

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Ag87H2O said:

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drcrinum said:

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So Clapper's leak to CNN about Comey briefing Trump on the salacious contents of the dossier on January 6, 2017, at Trump Tower was pre-planned and coordinated with the FBI & CNN. Definitely a conspiracy.

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There's some high level individuals in the Obama administration that have to do time. If Trump really is serious about draining the swamp, he really doesn't have any choice but to unleash the hounds and let the chips fall where they may.

It's going to be jolting for many Americans but it's got to happen in order to restore faith in our government. Extremely sobering.

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What would be FAR MORE jolting is if they are allowed to get away with it.

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I completely agree. As I said, let the chips fall where they may. I was just commenting that for those Americans that may not follow this stuff as close as us here on TexAgs and this thread, it will be shocking for them to finally understand the level of corruption and illegality that was present in the Obama administration.

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30% of Americans will refuse to believe any of it and will cling to the belief that Trump is a tyrannical despot.

THAT is the sad part.

coyote68 said:

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Sedition. 20 years

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Exactly, this is a Seditious conspiracy by the letter of the law all the coup and treason talk is ridiculous