Heh.
FBI Warns Republican Memo Could Undermine Faith In Massive, Unaccountable Government Secret Agencies.
“Making this memo public will almost certainly impede our ability to conduct clandestine activities operating outside any legal or judicial system on an international scale,” said Wray, noting that it was essential that mutual trust exist between the American people and the vast, mysterious cabal given free rein to use any tactics necessary to conduct surveillance on U.S. citizens or subvert religious and political groups. “If we take away the people’s faith in this shadowy monolith exempt from any consequences, all that’s left is an extensive network of rogue, unelected intelligence officers carrying out extrajudicial missions for a variety of subjective, and occasionally personal, reasons.”
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“lol” so good.
You’d barely smile at the pulled stunt if it were performed in a silly banana republic comedy.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 2, 2018 @ 2:07 pm - February 2, 2018
Why bother going to standup comedians when you’ve had so many oversight committees to choose from in the last 2 or 3 decades?
Comment by Cyril J. — February 2, 2018 @ 2:13 pm - February 2, 2018
@2 genuine question!
Comment by Cyril J. — February 2, 2018 @ 2:25 pm - February 2, 2018
The thing about Onion articles is they’re supposed to be satire. And this is too close to truth to be satire.
Comment by Gospace — February 2, 2018 @ 2:34 pm - February 2, 2018
@4 I agree — the fall into irrelevance is looming on the poor Onion horizon by now.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 2, 2018 @ 2:42 pm - February 2, 2018
Not sure if this matters or was meant that way, but this is an ONION article, sooooo…….
Comment by Nash Montana — February 2, 2018 @ 2:45 pm - February 2, 2018
The Onion used to be — too much.
The Onion now is almost — not enough.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 2, 2018 @ 2:49 pm - February 2, 2018
YMMV, but these days I happen to procrastinate more with the People’s Cube — eg,
How to beat the cis-culture by making prog-words
http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/how-to-beat-the-cis-culture-by-making-up-prog-words-t19905.html
Comment by Cyril J. — February 2, 2018 @ 2:58 pm - February 2, 2018
If threatening to fire someone is “obstruction of justice”, how is threatening to resign not also “obstruction of justice”, or some other criminal act? Blackmail? Both are the application of relational pressure via an “…or else”. [/obvious rhetorical question]
Comment by Ted B. (Charging Rhino) — February 2, 2018 @ 3:55 pm - February 2, 2018
Oh yes, I understand your confusion, my friend.
It took me a while to wrap my head around that, too.
Finally, by sheer luck I suppose, I recognized the same Ideological playground —
that is, just remember also when so many other of our indispensable woke fellows threatened to emigrate to Canada.
Here, at the mere thought of that eventuality, the chills are still running down my spine!
Comment by Cyril J. — February 2, 2018 @ 4:04 pm - February 2, 2018
For reference: While everyone thought the British Secret Service (MI-6) was run by M, Q and 007; actually was run by a cell of KGB agents.
Comment by Ted B. (Charging Rhino) — February 2, 2018 @ 4:46 pm - February 2, 2018
@11 yeah, and decades later they’re still stuck with a Jeremy Corbyn and media lobotomized deeply enough to seriously think anything he has to say is of any importance —
If it were not for guys like Farage, I’d be surprised there isn’t a greater number of other brits (who kept two working neurons) taking their own lives after a last cigar and cup of tea if only to escape the new Monty Pythonesque farce that their reality is turning into.
Think I am exaggerating?
In France our anti riot cops — that’s right, “not even” war veterans — have started to bail out in this most definitive fashion — like one of those
http://www.bfmtv.com/societe/rennes-un-crs-se-suicide-avec-son-arme-de-service-927638.html
Comment by Cyril J. — February 2, 2018 @ 5:04 pm - February 2, 2018
Thank God — from this vantage point here, and I’m serious —
despite your Berkeley, Amherst, Yale, and other Harvard, I’d gauge, roughly speaking, that America is still anywhere from 20 to 30 years behind the European race to the bottom.
I beg you, can we please never close that gap?
Thank you so much in advance — most sincerely!
Comment by Cyril J. — February 2, 2018 @ 5:11 pm - February 2, 2018
You don’t have people killed!
I am the bad guy!
UFOs and crossdressers! Not to mention the directors and producers.
Retire with honor, gravely.
Comment by neal — February 2, 2018 @ 5:21 pm - February 2, 2018
To put it otherwise, if I we had a grasp over the whole interplay of the Creator-made atoms and molecules, there is no doubts in my mind we’d find dynamics of a self-preserving common sense in Buffalo, Wyoming that is 10 times fold the remains of that of Berlin, London, and Paris combined — if there are any left.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 2, 2018 @ 5:43 pm - February 2, 2018
Cyril, you have my sympathy, it must suck watching your home country disintegrate. At least Japan hasn’t gone that far. Welcome to the United States and let’s save the Republic.
Comment by Matthew the Oilman — February 2, 2018 @ 7:59 pm - February 2, 2018
Thank you much, appreciated.
Indeed, you have a heck of a great country under attack from inside, here — one I would absolutely hate to see thrown into the garbage bin with the rest.
Not much I can do, besides giving my own clues, say, one Uber driver at a time.
Good news, though, except for a few at the very top, your radical leftists on average aren’t half as poisonous as those they’ve bred in Europe.
My tactic. Keep making fun of them harder than ever.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 2, 2018 @ 8:09 pm - February 2, 2018
OT — other than, due diligence in paperwork…
Did you know? The IRS has been efficient and kind enough to update their 1040 form, to the attention of half of our fellow tax “contributors”:
https://imgur.com/a/kh1L1
I’ve heard Bernie Hippie-Commune-Kickedout Sanders (among many others) found themselves facing a cruel dilemma.
Color me shocked.
Comment by Cyril — February 2, 2018 @ 10:46 pm - February 2, 2018
Did I already mention I love James Woods?
No, really, did I?
https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/959492630332637185
Alright, probably.
Comment by Cyril — February 2, 2018 @ 11:36 pm - February 2, 2018
Ah, but guess where this lovely tradition of top 2 Primary started? My beautiful Evergreen State, the home of the People’s Republic of Freattle! CA is a bunch of pikers! We legalized pot before them, and we led the way to Sh*thole Nation! #progressives! #onward! #andoverthecliff!
“Washington is the first state in the country to establish a Top 2 Primary election system, rather than a party nominating system. A Top 2 Primary narrows the number of candidates to two. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the Primary advance to the General Election, regardless of their party preference.”
Comment by runningrn — February 3, 2018 @ 12:21 am - February 3, 2018
Oops posted that on the wrong thread, sorry! Needed to be downstream….
Comment by runningrn — February 3, 2018 @ 1:33 am - February 3, 2018
Fast forward to 06:55
Brutal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbyFCYsrkxw
#Ouch
Comment by Cyril — February 3, 2018 @ 3:57 am - February 3, 2018
As I read the excerpt with ever-growing terror, I kept telling myself that it had to be an Onion article, otherwise it would be too awful. Much to my relief, it was.
Comment by Sean L — February 3, 2018 @ 6:18 am - February 3, 2018
You do realize that the onion is mocking conservatives here right?
“Heh” indeed
Comment by mike — February 3, 2018 @ 7:02 am - February 3, 2018
And mike, with his Commie groupthink, misses the point once again.
Comment by Juan — February 3, 2018 @ 8:59 am - February 3, 2018
little-letter mike is part of the puzzled and mystified crowd of Authorized Media Experts who just can’t figure out why those icky, evil conservatives would like a beautiful, inclusive show like Firefly.
Comment by damaged justice — February 3, 2018 @ 9:17 am - February 3, 2018
I hate it when the Onion is right.
Comment by TheQuietMan — February 3, 2018 @ 12:30 pm - February 3, 2018
We are living in a weird world where progressives lavish praise on the F.B.I. and scorn and loathing on the Russians.
Comment by Matthew the Oilman — February 3, 2018 @ 2:42 pm - February 3, 2018
I have been deep in the weeds of this thing for nearly a year. “The Memo” is a nuclear bomb, but it is very easy no to understand why.
Mark Steyn has a brilliant piece that will definitely help those who are trying to get a start on what is going on. It is a “must read.”
https://www.steynonline.com/8431/un-candid-in-camera
Also, Victor Davis Hanson’s “The Ticking Memo” is an important read.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/456084/nunes-memo-fbi-doj-corruption-ticking-memo
We who are deep in the weeds on this abuse of power can learn much from Steyn and Hanson who excel in translating the arcane stuff of shadowy doings in ways that all can readily understand.
Go to each link and catch up with how brilliant minds have beautifully summarized the plot line.
Comment by Heliotrope — February 3, 2018 @ 2:54 pm - February 3, 2018
@29
Pretty good homework, by Steyn, to put it with an euphemism.
Now I wonder what this administration is going to do about it considering one half of itself is implicated and the other half has been bamboozled for over year or longer.
The DemonizingRats never cease to amaze with how much of scandals they can get away with.
Is there any judge left not voting for the pseudo-democrats / true fascists in this country or what?
Comment by Cyril J. — February 3, 2018 @ 5:00 pm - February 3, 2018
@29
Both Hanson and Steyn gives the diagnosis, but Hanson also gives the prescription.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 3, 2018 @ 5:58 pm - February 3, 2018
“We who are deep in the weeds on this abuse of power can learn much from Steyn and Hanson who excel in translating the arcane stuff of shadowy doings in ways that all can readily understand.”
Here’s a tip for you. Instead of reading political hacks why not read the source material itself? “The Memo” (lol) clearly says that Trump campaign advisor Papadopoulos’ brags kicked off the investigation.
Also we now have learned that the FISA court did know the source of the FBI info and granted warrants anyway due to the preponderance of evidence highlighting Trump’s campaign illicit Russian ties.
Comment by mike — February 3, 2018 @ 9:12 pm - February 3, 2018
Beautiful.
There’s no problem then, those concerned with proper rendering of justice will just have to re-open the dossier and start to drive charges according to it.
Oh wait, no they can’t since it was just a pile of partisan smearing bs.
Hmm. Why insist on having the FBI and DOJ push it so hard towards the FISA court, then?
Ah. Back to square one?
Try harder.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 3, 2018 @ 10:49 pm - February 3, 2018
Besides, good luck with trying to convince Trey Gowdy that it just so happens he is seeing smoke without any real fire,
https://youtu.be/e5gWl8suYuY
Clearly, he still thinks that it isn’t exactly evident that “one can just move on, as there is nothing to see beyond reasonable doubt”.
But then again, maybe his credentials just qualify him, too, as a political hack in the eyes of some people. Conveniently enough.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 4, 2018 @ 12:50 am - February 4, 2018
Mike, did you or did you not read in the memo that those in the DOJ who were investigating Trump desperately did not want him to win and purposely used misinformation that had been shared by paid people with media about that investigation while it was happening in an attempt to keep him from getting elected? The dossier also included misinformation from them, known to have been made public, and was still used to obtain warrants. On top of that, these people were paid by the DNC and Clinton campaigns to do this. How does all of this negatively affect Trump? Did I misread the memo? Warrants, whether sought FISA or not have to be issued because of credible evidence, which this dossier was cited in the warrant application as being, and which clearly is shown in this memo not to have been. Why is this hard for people to see? It seems very clear to me, and I am not 100% on board with the POTUS either…but good grief…get a grip mike
Comment by TADFORD — February 4, 2018 @ 2:40 am - February 4, 2018
“On top of that, these people were paid by the DNC and Clinton campaigns to do this. How does all of this negatively affect Trump?
Amoung other evidence. The Memo also admidts that Trumps campaign advisor bragging about Russian supporting Trump kicked off the investigation.
“that those in the DOJ who were investigating Trump desperately did not want him to win”
Annnnnnnd there it’s is. The heart of the matter. The crutch of the crying conservative. Bu-bu-bu-but ba-ba-ba bias!!!!
Despite all evidence that says indeed Russian used propaganda to support Trump.
Despite all evidence that shows that conservatives got duped by the Russians.
Despite the fact that one of Trumps first acts was to lift sanctions on Russian intelligence agencies.
Despite all of that, Conservatives claim FBI agents committed perjury because of their political leaning
Classic
Comment by mike — February 4, 2018 @ 8:32 am - February 4, 2018
OK, littlelettermikey, the fascist, how about what the Democrat “memo” says? Read this:
This is leaked by none other than the Red Cube Politburo.
Trump campaign advisor Papadopoulos is already on a secret mission to “interview” beautiful young Ukranian women who will service the mission in exchange for “winning” a lottery Visa.
Mexico is busy scheduling “freedom trains” from border to border to carry the children fleeing violence in Guatemala and transporting them to the DACA gate in El Paso.
More US uranium is being sold to Russia and Putin has invited Barron Trump to sit with him at the South Korean Olympics and to meet Dung Un and go waterskiing in Murmansk.
This thing is a block-bluster and it makes me feel like the biggest fool with the tiniest brain ever known to exist.
Gotta hand it to you, littlelettermikey, the facist you have got us all pinned to the wall.
When Tsarina Hillary ascends the DemonizingRat Throne of Justice and the Communist Way, I will be groveling at her bunions asking to be spared.
Wow! Just Wow! Every woman in the USofA wearing a pink pussy hat!!!! The new world that is opening is glorious and could only happen because of the Dear Glorious Leader of the Dear Glorious Revolution and Official Distributor of The Pink Pussy Hat and Tums.
When will you reveal your Glorious Self? We are all ready to be stunned to meet the genius behind the moniker that is “mike” – the famed littlelettermikey, the fascist.
Comment by Heliotrope — February 4, 2018 @ 9:11 am - February 4, 2018
#37
So you dislike the political leanings of some.on the left. This is not new news,
But how does that justify a political hit job on FBI agents? All they were doing is following the evidence.
Comment by mike — February 4, 2018 @ 9:46 am - February 4, 2018
Because mike, they were using a political hit job as evidence.
Comment by Juan — February 4, 2018 @ 10:00 am - February 4, 2018
South Carolina Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy said the recently released, controversial GOP memo alleging FBI abuses of its surveillance authority does not have “any impact on the Russia probe,” and even without the Steele dossier, there would be a Russia investigation.
“There is a Russia investigation without a dossier,” Gowdy said in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” days after he announced his decision not to seek re-election.
“To the extent the memo deals with the dossier and the FISA process, the dossier has nothing to do with the meeting at Trump Tower,” Gowdy said. “The dossier has nothing to do with an email sent by Cambridge Analytica. The dossier really has nothing to do with George Papadopoulos’ meeting in Great Britain. It also doesn’t have anything to do with obstruction of justice.”
Comment by rusty — February 4, 2018 @ 10:17 am - February 4, 2018
Can someone please explain to me how Trump meeting with Russians or any other world leader was any different than any other presidential candidate who has met with world leaders before becoming president? Is it just because it’s Trump that it’s wrong? When other candidates have met with world leaders before being elected it was okay, because they weren’t Trump? And why is him meeting with someone worse and prosecutable but Hillary selling uranium on behalf of the US to the Russians and receiving financial gains for her foundation NOT wrong? Why is her destroying evidence of misuse of information not wrong? Oh yeah…because she is Hillary and Trump is not. And that fact is what this is really all about.
Even if the Russians planted evidence or stories against Hillary so that Trump looked more favorable to some, how is that different from Hillary supporters who released information about Trump’s alleged affairs and locker room talk? Either way, this is what campaigns do…try to win votes. Why is it any different for one over another?
There is no evidence that Russia was able to add any votes to Trumps tally and make him win. However, there is plenty of evidence, and through support of many globalist policies that they tout, that Democrats have supported the registering of voters and gained votes, from those who are illegally in our country. So, how is that different and more acceptable?
As always, with the democratic socialist communist party it’s different because they are who they are and we are not them. And that is the crux of the matter.
Comment by TADFORD — February 4, 2018 @ 10:43 am - February 4, 2018
According to Jay Sekulow, there isn’t a standard legally as ” collusion. Donald Trump could have hired Vladimir Putin as his campaign manager and it wouldn’t be illegal. Just so long as he wasn’t accepting checks or cash from him.
As far as the F.B.I. we (both sides) have allowed this agency to become a monster. Any agency that has that much power must be reigned in.I would start by retiring everyone who graduated from Harvard and Yale.
About Russia, anybody who is sane wants better relationships with them. Just because Trump suggested trying a new raproachment with them doesn’t make him a member of Putin’s All Russia party.
Let’s stay sane. The consequences of a war with Russia are to be avoided.
Comment by Matthew the Oilman — February 4, 2018 @ 10:48 am - February 4, 2018
Awww!!!!
Don’t you love it? The Left has switched from loving the Commies to being anti-Russia and they have switched from their ANTIFA hate of the FBI to being the best friends the FBI ever had.
Here is litllelettermikey, the fascist, @ #38:
mikey, mikey, mikey — you are s-o-o-o confused that some people might think you are just stupid.
The FBI has a huge number of field agents who do incredible work. In DC, the FBI has specialists and labs which do incredible work. Also, in the DC swamp are the FBI suits who do planning and coordination and often call the shots.
A few bad apples at the top have played fast and loose with the rules and as a result, they have used the resources, the integrity, the power of the FBI for purely partisan purposes and in doing so, those few bad apple threaten to ruin the reputation of the entire FBI.
Police at all levels must have the trust of the community in order to operate in a democracy. State police in a police state, on the other hand, police the people and herd the people in order to protect the state from the people.
mikey, your Obamessiah and your Attorney General Holder and your Attorney General Lynch and FBI Director Comey and his associates conspired to protect Hillary Clinton as a candidate for president and to harm Donald Trump as a candidate for president.
They paid for a wholly concocted narrative and used that narrative (the Steele Dossier) to lie to FISA court Judge Rudolph Contreras in order to get a warrant to spy on American individuals. They were then able to spy on Trump and others through the permission to spy on people such as Carter Page —- and all of it based on lies they concocted in order to fool the Judge.
The law against that is quite clear. You must tell the judge the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You may not omit things that might hurt your request — such as: “we made this whole pile of crap up in order to fool you in order get a warrant.”
You, mikey, are calling their pile of crap evidence. So, you are being suckered just like the judge was suckered.
And, you have Rachel Madcow, CNN, the New Yorker, the WaPo, the NYT and many other partisan media playing the same lying game the FBI suits and you are trying to foist off as substantive.
That dog won’t hunt, mikey. Even if it takes the incredible twist that the SCOTUS has to determine fact, the SCOTUS will be confronted with the CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS of whether it is OK for a number of officials to deliberately mislead a federal judge, or violatie statutes prohibiting the surveillance of American citizens, or lie while under oath, or retract indictments and confessions based on deliberate misrepresentations to a federal judge. or not.
If you, mikey, and your DemonizingRats win, then the Constitution is shredded and it becomes OK for the party in power to use the FBI and the Intelligence Community for no other purpose than to tear you political opponents apart instead of having honest elections.
mikey, if you cared even a little bit about your country, you would be asking, begging, demanding that this matter be honestly handled and addressed and handled.
Instead, you and your DemonizingRat friends are doing everything you can to cover up – divert- STOP the truth from coming out.
Comment by Heliotrope — February 4, 2018 @ 10:50 am - February 4, 2018
Matthew the Oilman @ #42 is dead right about the “collusion” business and the law.
“Collusion” to obstruct justice is called “conspiracy to obstruct justice.” Conspiracy we understand, collusion is an extremely broad concept.
TADFORD @ #41 has the question exactly right. Every incoming president establishes contact with foreign powers in order to help effect the transition.
Rusty @ #40 does his usual meaningless cut and paste slop.
Donald Trump, Jr. allowed a meeting at Trump Tower to hear what a Russian lawyer who asked for the meeting had to say. If Trump Jr’s motivation was to try to get some dirt that would help his dad’s election chances, so what? How is that any different from reading the Russian Press looking for dirt?
But, Rusty Cut-n-Paste undoubtedly has no background whatsoever on that Trump Jr meeting. For instance, he likely is totally unaware of the visa history and status of that lawyer and that the lawyer was being tracked and therefore materially led to the bugging of Trump Tower.
Nope. Ignorance is Bliss and no-one is more blissful than Rusty and mike.
Comment by Heliotrope — February 4, 2018 @ 11:15 am - February 4, 2018
“Can someone please explain to me how Trump meeting with Russians or any other world leader was any different than any other presidential candidate who has met with world leaders before becoming president?”
Because the Russians were actively helping Trump beat Clinton the election. They offered Trump help to beat Clinton. Gullible conservatives fell for the lies and voted for Trump (pizza gate for example)
Then in one of Trumps first official acts he lifted sanctions on those very same intelligence agencies.
Quid Pro Quo.
Yet conservatives slander law enforcement for merely following the evidence.
Comment by mike — February 4, 2018 @ 12:27 pm - February 4, 2018
For mikey and Cut-n-Paste:
Aaron Klein is an investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.”
Klein asks some pertinent investigative questions. Certainly, mikey and Cut-n-Paste can deal with these question with half their brains soaked in prostitute urine.
1 – Why did Comey utilize the largely discredited anti-Trump dossier as purported evidence to sign FISA documents to conduct surveillance on Carter Page, who briefly served as a volunteer campaign foreign policy adviser?
2 – Why didn’t Comey tell the FISA court that Steele’s dossier was reportedly funded by Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC)?
3 – Why didn’t Comey tell the FISA court the dossier he allegedly relied upon to request a warrant to monitor Page was a product of the controversial Fusion GPS firm?
4 – Why didn’t Comey tell the FISA court that Steele reportedly met with Yahoo News at the direction of Fusion GPS?
5 – How did Comey justify relying upon the dossier to monitor Page when he personally called the information contained in Steele’s dossier “salacious and unverified” months later?
6 – How did Comey justify relying upon the dossier to monitor Page when his own FBI determined the document was “only minimally corroborated”?
7 –Why did Comey push back against a request from President Donald Trump to possibly investigate the origins of claims made inside the dossier?
8 – Why didn’t Comey immediately inform Trump that the dossier was financed by Clinton and the DNC, and was compiled by the controversial Fusion GPS?
9 – Why did Comey brief Trump and then-President Barack Obama on the contents of the dossier if he knew the document’s political origins, his own FBI determined it to be “only minimally corroborated” and Comey himself later referred to the dossier as “unverified”?
Comment by Heliotrope — February 4, 2018 @ 1:12 pm - February 4, 2018
Helio
These are questions that Nunes can ask the FBI as part of his committee oversight responsibility. So why hasn’t Nunes called back them to answer?
Why don’t you care about the Russia using propaganda to get Trump elected and the subsequent quid pro quo?
Comment by mike — February 4, 2018 @ 2:03 pm - February 4, 2018
Show me how the Russians used propaganda to get Trump elected.
Show me the subsequent quid pro quo.
I finished kindergarten and I believe that I will be able to understand your explanations.
Comment by Heliotrope — February 4, 2018 @ 2:58 pm - February 4, 2018
Interesting questions from Klein
So put him in a Google search
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/breitbart-jerusalem-chief-bought-thousands-of-fake-twitter-followers-1.5770923
Comment by rusty — February 4, 2018 @ 3:31 pm - February 4, 2018
None of the original source material was released with the memorandum, making verification of the memorandum’s claims impossible. Additionally, the FBI claims that Nunes, who authored the memo, has never personally seen many or most of the original documents the memorandum was based upon because they were housed in a secure facility that was only accessed by fellow committee member Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.). With all that having been said, here are the some of the claims found in the memo:
Special: Feb 22 announcement could launch Bitcoin to stratosphere
The memo claims that on October 21, 2016, the FBI and the Department of Justice sought and obtained a FISA “probable cause order” on Carter Page.
Although the Nunes memo omits this information, Carter Page stepped down from his role on the Trump campaign in late September of 2016, which means that at the time of the initial FISA warrant application mentioned in the memo, Page had no connection to Trump or his campaign. Thus, the memo does not purport to demonstrate that the DOJ or the FBI spied on the Trump campaign or any member thereof.
Note: although the Nunes memo also omits this information, Carter Page had been a subject of surveillance by federal authorities at least as far back as 2013, far before his involvement in the Trump campaign. Page, who was an oil industry consultant at that time, has admitted that he was interviewed by the FBI in 2013 because the FBI believed that he had been targeted by Russian spies. From that time on, the Department of Justice continued to surveil Page in various ways, as Page has repeatedly acknowledged in television interviews. Page’s repeated contention is that this surveillance was reprisal for Page’s public criticism of the Obama administration’s policy towards Russia, which he considered to be too hostile. It has also been widely reported that Page was subject to FISA surveillance in 2014.
The memo claims that the highly controversial Steele dossier formed an “essential part” of the FISA warrant application. It further claims that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe testified before the committee that “no surveillance warrant would have been sought from the FISC without the Steele dossier information.” Without the release of the underlying FISA warrant application, these claims are impossible to verify.
The central complaint of the memorandum is that the DOJ and FBI did not disclose to the FISA court that the Steele dossier was paid for by Fusion GPS at the behest of the DNC, or that Steele himself allegedly had both personal animus against Trump, as well as financial incentive to lie about Trump. Without release of the underlying FISA warrant application, this claim also cannot be verified.
The memorandum notes that the FISA warrant application also included reference to a Michael Isikoff article about Carter Page’s trip to Russian in July of 2016, but claims that Steele himself was Isikoff’s source for the article. One of the Steele dossier’s most explosive claims is that Page secretly met with Kremlin officials during this trip, an allegation that Page vehemently denies.
The memorandum also sets forth information purporting to show personal bias on Steele’s part against Trump, including an allegation that Steele once told Ohr that he was “desperate that Trump not get elected.”
The memorandum also notes that the FISA warrant application contained “information regarding fellow Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos,” who pled guilty earlier this year to a charge of lying to federal investigators. However, the memorandum dismisses that information as irrelevant since “there is no evidence of any cooperation or conspiracy between Page and Papadopoulos.”
https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/02/02/controversial-nunes-memo-says-that-fisa-surveillance-of-page-began-after-he-left-the-trump-campaign
Comment by rusty — February 4, 2018 @ 3:53 pm - February 4, 2018
“Show me how the Russians used propaganda to get Trump elected.
Show me the subsequent quid pro quo.”
Sure here you go:
https://www.lawfareblog.com/odni-releases-report-assessing-russian-activities-and-intentions-recent-us-elections
https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html
https://warontherocks.com/2016/11/trolling-for-trump-how-russia-is-trying-to-destroy-our-democracy/
Comment by mike — February 4, 2018 @ 4:18 pm - February 4, 2018
If you need to explain it in pictures you can use this
https://gab.ai/BGKB/posts/19257659
Comment by Steve — February 4, 2018 @ 4:27 pm - February 4, 2018
@51
The DNC is now bankrupt, despite their BFF Saudis, Mr. Brock-en, Mr. Sore-ass, and the rest of the clique.
Next time, come up with an actual candidate, with an actual programme for America, instead of paying shills, intermediaries, and editorial hitmen to try disparage and beat your political opponent — and as the poor delusional fools you are — to hope beating him solely on the basis of what you believe the proportion of your disgruntled, anti-american feelings is shared by the American people.
Good luck with the next ballots.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 4, 2018 @ 4:51 pm - February 4, 2018
@51
Besides, quoting from your second link,
And that counts as evidence, for you, as an external observer?
Have you ever looked up the phrase “circular logic”?
Comment by Cyril J. — February 4, 2018 @ 5:12 pm - February 4, 2018
Poor “democrats”. I almost feel sorry for them.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 4, 2018 @ 5:13 pm - February 4, 2018
Pop Quizz — Obama America
Q: What’s the difference between a legal and illegal immigrant?
A: The former waits to become a citizen to be called to the voting booths, the latter was invited to vote for a loser.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 4, 2018 @ 5:20 pm - February 4, 2018
Mike: That still doesn’t answer the question: where is the evidence that Trump asked Russia to do something to help him?
Anyone: How is finding dirt or skeletons in a closet any different and using that to thwart your opponent any different than what you are accusing Trump of doing?
Do you honestly hear what you are saying? You are saying that only one side has to play nice and follow the rules. The other side can do whatever it wants because that side is worthy and deserves to be elected. That’s really what it’s all about. You filthy elitist snobs believe you are the only people who should have power because you are right and everyone else is wrong and if that means dealing in an underhanded way, so be it, because in your minds you will still be the morally superior, socially aware, deserving people you believe you are.
Comment by TADFORD — February 4, 2018 @ 6:17 pm - February 4, 2018
1. If Vladimir Putin really wanted to help Trump get elected, having Russian Intelligence supply the Hillary campaign with a dossier alleging damaging information about Trump doesn’t make any sense at all.
2. If Vladimir Putin… for the cost of a few Facebook ads and a sketchy dossier… brings down the United States, he is the most brilliant military strategist in human history.
Comment by V the K — February 4, 2018 @ 8:19 pm - February 4, 2018
OT — Corbynista leftists storm cafe to protest… Winston Churchill’s racism
https://youtu.be/10VArKUpx34
God save their
queenbrains.Comment by Cyril J. — February 4, 2018 @ 8:41 pm - February 4, 2018
I saw that one on this week in stupid.
If Putin thought he could get a better hearing with Trump in the White House, what of it? He was not the only foreign leader trying to influence our election. The governments of Taiwan, Japan,Hungary and Poland all did the same. Does this make Trump a agent for these countries? No it makes him a nationalist, like the current leadership of those countries. Nationalism is a belief innocent of a left or right wing bias. It is merely the belief that governments of countries owe their highest allegiance to their own citizens or subjects.
The polar opposite is globalism , this in the belief that governments owe their highest allegiance to a new world order, not to their own population.
It would not been unreasonable for the Trump campaign to think that Putin might favor his campaign. They both expressed similar nationalist view points. It furthermore would not be unreasonable to think that they had Hillary’s emails , since its widely believed the Russians hacked her private server. So contacts between various people associated will Trump ( however loosely) and Russian citizens would not be unexpected, in order to expose the corruption of the Clinton Foundation. (And make Trump look like a hero) They really expected Vlad to hand over a C.D. Rom of emails.If you could accuse them of anything it would be naivety.
While better relations with Russia is a desirable goal it is not going to happen for a while.
My fingers are worn out. Good News and God bless you all.
Comment by Matthew the Oilman — February 4, 2018 @ 10:00 pm - February 4, 2018
E. A. G. L. E. S , …Eagles!
Comment by Ted Bunker (Charging Rhino) — February 5, 2018 @ 12:51 am - February 5, 2018
OT — President Trump Meets with (6) North Korean Defectors
2/2/2018
https://youtu.be/MWL_9XmNRv4
Comment by Cyril — February 5, 2018 @ 1:16 am - February 5, 2018
As much as we’re discussing this, the dossier and all the related stuff had minimal effect on the election, if any. I think for people in most of the country, the issue was either more of the same (which had been awful) with possibly the worst candidate ever run for President in the history of our Republic vs a newcomer who often said, the right things and had not lied to the public as all politicians seems to do, and he obviously loves the United States.
In point of fact, while there might be other reasons to have surveilled various campaign people, the main thrust was this fake dossier that had already been known to be almost completely fiction made up by someone with a very clear bias. That is horrible practice in law enforcement, and considering the circumstances should produce rolled heads of those who did this.
Under the “fruit of the poisoned tree” theory of jurisprudence, it seems to me most of this case can be thrown out in a normal court of law. (Yes, I still believe in the rule of law in our Country, but that belief is being shaken with all these machinations.)
Comment by TheQuietMan — February 5, 2018 @ 9:21 am - February 5, 2018
“where is the evidence that Trump asked Russia to do something to help him”
It’s indisputable that the Russians interfered with the elections in favor of Trump.
Its indisputable that the Russians tricked gullible conservatives through their propaganda.
It’s indisputable that the Trump campaign had multiple contacts with Russian intelligence agencies.
It’s indisputable that Trumps campaign officials have lied to investigators about those contacts.
It’s indisputable that Trumps lifted sanctions on those very same Russian intelligence agencies once he got in office.
So let’s see where the investigation takes us.
Comment by mike — February 5, 2018 @ 9:25 am - February 5, 2018
It is so disputable, mike. Especially because you produce no direct, actual evidence and just announce your Big Lie fallacy. That only works for dupes and morons. You know, Democratic “Progressives”.
Comment by Juan — February 5, 2018 @ 10:28 am - February 5, 2018
Juan
I have provided source material for each of those indisputable points
Be specific and tell me what you think is up for debate
Comment by mike — February 5, 2018 @ 12:36 pm - February 5, 2018
Here was the Russian influence on the election:
https://imgur.com/a/attfQ
An appalling one at that.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 5, 2018 @ 1:07 pm - February 5, 2018
mikey, your links @ #51 were so off topic and weak that they put me to sleep.
You might have at least had the courtesy to highlight what led your alleged mind to believe you had discovered a fact to substantiate your beliefs.
But then, you show up with this:
It’s indisputable that the Russians interfered with the elections in favor of Trump.
Its indisputable that the Russians tricked gullible conservatives through their propaganda.
It’s indisputable that the Trump campaign had multiple contacts with Russian intelligence agencies.
It’s indisputable that Trumps campaign officials have lied to investigators about those contacts.
It’s indisputable that Trumps lifted sanctions on those very same Russian intelligence agencies once he got in office.
Poor mikey. Saying “indisputable five times does not make anything a fact.
A fact stands on its own. You may dispute it, but it will either remain a fact or your dispute will have toppled it.
Show me the fact ….. that the Russians interfered with the elections in favor of Trump.
Show me the fact ….. that the Russians tricked gullible conservatives through their propaganda.
Show me the fact ….. that the Trump campaign had multiple contacts with Russian intelligence agencies.
Show me the fact ….. that Trumps campaign officials have lied to investigators about those contacts.
Show me the fact …… that Trumps lifted sanctions on those very same Russian intelligence agencies once he got in office.
mikey, you have been snookered and trapped.
The Nunes report states fact after fact. It was reviewed by the FBI for veracity. Now, you some of your DemonizingRats are demanding proof.
Bingo! Touchdown! Home Run! The more you demand the proof, the more the deep state has to reveal of what they hid behind “classified.” The more “classified” stuff that is shown to be just a way to cover up a lie and illegal procedure, the deeper the hole you dig for yourselves.
The bad news is that Nunes is A-OK with releasing the phone-boloney Schiff Memo. Now Schiff is actually going to have to write one. Sticks to be him.
mikey, all the DemonizingRat Kings and all the DemonizingRat men can’t prove even one of their charges of collusion is factual and that all their cover-up conspiracy is just a coinkydink and that they are, in fact, the champions of truth, justice and the constitutional way.
Stinks to be you.
Comment by Heliotrope — February 5, 2018 @ 2:22 pm - February 5, 2018
@68
Hey. Easy. Now you’re being very rude:
from the left’s vantage point, it’s tantamount to hearing a day-long worth of F U’s shouted out of loud speakers more deafening than an Avro Vulcan attempting to take off in an echo chamber.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 5, 2018 @ 7:45 pm - February 5, 2018
Helio-
Please show where the Nunes memo challengse these indisputable facts:
It’s indisputable that the Russians interfered with the elections in favor of Trump.
Its indisputable that the Russians tricked gullible conservatives through their propaganda.
It’s indisputable that the Trump campaign had multiple contacts with Russian intelligence agencies.
It’s indisputable that Trumps campaign officials have lied to investigators about those contacts.
It’s indisputable that Trumps lifted sanctions on those very same Russian intelligence agencies once he got in office.
(It doesn’t)
Comment by mike — February 5, 2018 @ 8:11 pm - February 5, 2018
How Hillary Lost — Or Didn’t Help Herself to Turn the Tide… At All.
The last debate.
Explication de texte, if I may:
(1) America wasn’t born with your clique of 1968 anti-american haters, dumb*ss
(2) you took it very seriously for the last 8 years that your clique more than doubled it from 9 to 20 trillion $$$ didn’t you, dumb*ss?
(3) your clique of thieves has been sounding like a broken record for decades, dumb*ss
(4) who destroyed / fisted it all thru the last 8 years, dumb*ss?
(5) he started as a millionaire in business and ended as a billionaire in business; you started as a bourgeoise in law and ended as a millionaire in politics, dumb*ss
You’re welcome.
Comment by Cyril J. — February 5, 2018 @ 9:04 pm - February 5, 2018
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/02/nunes-fine-the-fbi-didnt-lie-but-its-font-was-too-small.html
Comment by rusty — February 5, 2018 @ 9:41 pm - February 5, 2018
@71
Next time, the Democrats should aim at getting a better deal with Russia than that of the uranium one, if you ask me.
Next time, they should ask the Russians to prepare their candidate’s speech and debate answers.
Who knows?
Maybe they’d have a better luck than with the Soros’ protesters-for-hire buses and the CNN / MSNBC ointments?!
Comment by Cyril J. — February 5, 2018 @ 9:48 pm - February 5, 2018
That would be one “an indisputable fact” in mikey’s littleletterworld.
Also, in mikey’s littleletterworld, it means:
Its indisputable that Obama interfered with the Israeli elections in favor of defeating Netanyahu.
Its indisputable that the Obama tricked gullible Israelis through his propaganda.
It’s indisputable that Obam had multiple contacts with Israeli intelligence agencies.
It’s indisputable that Obama officials have lied to investigators about those contacts.
It’s indisputable that if the DemonizingRats can take an axe to Trump using these phony baloney allegations of “collusion” between Trump and the Russians …. then the well known “collusion” between Obama with those opposing Benjamin Netanhahu is equal to and worse than Trump because Obama hi-jacked $349,276 US taxpayer dollars in his scheme.
mikey, the littleletterman, uses “indisputable” as “holy writ.” No matter how you parse it, the fact can not be disproved.
Yet mikey, the littleletterman, can not state the proof which stands behind his indisputable facts.
We all know why. mikey, the littleletterman, is blowing smoke out of his anal pore.
Because I have taken the effort to cast Obama in the same role in which the DemonizingRats have cast Trump —- I AM NOT taking the crapola being spread by mikey, the littleletterman, as legitimate in any way.
mikey, the littleletterman, will have to actually put up some facts out in order for the “indisputable” battle to be settled.
mikey, the littleletterman, prefers to throw “indisputable” and run because he can’t begin to figure out what an fool he is making of himself. mikey, the littleletterman, is the little brother of Cas.
Comment by Heliotrope — February 6, 2018 @ 11:11 am - February 6, 2018
Lol
So the short answer is no. Heliotrope cannot dispute the facts. Instead he/she tries to obfuscate by saying bu-bu-bu but Obama!!! ( and then he/she lies about what the source material actually says. The source material clearly says that One Israel compiled with the terms of the grant & only after the grant period ended did One Israel pivot to election activities)
Whereas I have shown clear source material with 0 spin that shows exactly:
Russia did Interfere with the elections in favor of Trump
Russia did use propaganda to trick gullible conservatives
Trumps campaign officials did have contacts with Russian intelligence agencies.
Trump did lift sanctions on those same Russian intelligence agencies
All of this above are factual events that have 0 nuance & 0 spin and nobody is able to dispute.
So why don’t conservatives care?
Comment by mike — February 6, 2018 @ 12:28 pm - February 6, 2018
mikey, the littleletterman, is slip-sliding away. He now substitutes “indisputable” with “clear evidence shows.” That is at least a little progress on his part.
mikey, the littleletterman, says he can prove that 1) Russia interfered with the elections and 2) that said interference was to enable Trump’s campaign.
Good. Show us the clear evidence showing this.
mikey, the littleletterman, says Russia did use propaganda to trick gullible conservatives and that he has the clear evidence showing this.
Good. Show us the clear evidence. Easy-peasy.
mikey, the littleletterman, says
Trump’s campaign officials did have contacts with Russian intelligence agencies.No foul there. So we may scratch this one off.mikey, the littleletterman, says Trump did lift sanctions on same Russian intelligence agencies which implies a quid pro quo that remains unaddressed.
So, mikey, the littleletterman, has nothing. Especially in the “indisputable” column.
mikey, the littleletterman, is all hat and no horse.
Comment by Heliotrope — February 6, 2018 @ 1:31 pm - February 6, 2018
Meanwhile, what is indisputable?
It is indisputable that Hillary Clinton paid the Kremlin and deliberately colluded with Russian intelligence agencies for dirt on a Trump.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/clinton-campaign-dnc-paid-for-research-that-led-to-russia-dossier/2017/10/24/226fabf0-b8e4-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html
In short, the facts prove decisively that Hillary’s clintondirectly and openly appealed to the Russians to interfere with the US elections, and in doing so, made contact with Russian intelligence, paid Russian intelligence, and openly collided with Russians to plant propaganda to trick gullible liberals into voting for her.
Now watch mikey’s head explode as he is forced to explain why Hillary doing everything he projected onto Trump as wrong is suddenly right.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — February 6, 2018 @ 9:03 pm - February 6, 2018
NDT,
Your WaPo link features Devlin Barrett who is one of the go-to guys the deep swamp used to leak stuff. A regular watery for the DNC and their deep swamp stuff.
Furthermore, Cody Shearer’s complicity is popping up in regard to the formation of the Steele dossier. Shearer is a dirty tricks pal of the Clintons going back to the early ’90’s. When that piece of scum is implicated, anything is possible. Ask Kathleen Willey.
By the time the DOJ IG report comes out, this cesspool of Clintoon corruption may be of Augean stables scope and size.
Comment by Heliotrope — February 6, 2018 @ 10:09 pm - February 6, 2018