It was a dark and stormy daniels night. In the daylight you know when they are going to use the bayonet. It is in the darkest hours of night that you least expect someone will use cold Steele to drive a dagger into the heart of American democracy - our system of free and fair elections.
He doesn't look dangerous, does he? He looks like the very image of a noble ally, not like some ignoble troll. What possible deed could he have done to draw the ire eye of the American government? We know what Russian trolls did. Check the 13 Troll indictment:
"U.S. law bans foreign nationals from making certain expenditures or financial disbursements for the purpose of influencing federal elections. U.S. law also bars agents of any foreign entity from engaging in political activities within the United States without first registering with the Attorney General."
" strategic goal to sow discord in the U.S. political system, including the 2016 U.S. presidential election. ..... derogatory information....."
Hmmmm. I'm sure this gentlemen, still under the obligations of the Official Secrets Act, is a registered foregn agent in the US, right? I'm sure Her Britannic Majesty's government is quite happy with what this "former" intellegence officer has done with his knowledge, skills, abilities and of course, contacts, to affect the special relationship between our nations.
I've forgotten, is it "Fake news never lies", or that "people never lie to fake news"?
"After Mr Trump won the election, an ally of John McCain, the Republican senator, visited Britain to meet Mr Steele and read the dossier for himself. ..... He was reportedly told to "look for a man wearing a blue raincoat and carrying a Financial Times under his arm” at Heathrow Airport. A copy of the dossier was eventually passed to Mr McCain. "
That sounds like a scene from an episode of Rumpole of the Bailey. Only that episode featured biscuits....... Somehow I think Victoria Nuland will eventually come into the picture here too.
Undoubtably what Mr. Steele found, compiled or created was presented to somebody somewhere - besides "allies" of one of Mr. Trump's political opponents - Senator McCain:
I wonder who got that into Bruce's hands? Hopefully the FBI didn't just sit on in like it was a tip about a teenager who threatened to shoot up a school or something. I'm sure a warrant to investigate could be obtained at any Federal Courthouse. It's not like we have a secret Star Chamber court where the facts never see the light of day.
What? I'm sure somebody wrote a memo. Nunes memo. Or two. Grassley-Graham memo. Wow. Something seems rather Schiffty. Sigh. "classified" It seems politicians don't trust Americans with the truth. Letting the Truth out wouldn't be good for re-election, would it?
Confused yet? Keeping track of this scandal is hard work; it could drive a man to drink.
I wonder what drink the big dogs would have about now? I'll just ask.
Snoop! Why you look like you've been inhale'n more than the leader of the Choom Gang ever did. Give us a word:
"You bitches drinkin' lemonaide, but I'm the Coolaid Man" Well. Okay then.
What flavor?
Aaack! Pftwtewy. Yuk. That'll leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Like bad tea in a disreputable shop in the shady side of London. I wonder if he sent anyone to London? Maybe we could check the travel records. I'm sure they asked for reimbursement.
Now if that's the flavor I know I don't want to be Drinking the Koolaid.
Just what does that mean, Drinking the Koolaid, anyway? Let me quote:
"It signifies that the person in question has given up personal integrity and has succumbed to the prevailing group-think that typifies policymaking today. This person has become "part of the problem, not part of the solution."
What was the "problem"? The sincerely held beliefs of a small group of people who think they are the "bearers" of a uniquely correct view of the world, sought to dominate the...."
Yeah, we've all had a bit too much of that flavor. There is one thing sure to wash that particular taste away.
Ah, fresh covfefe. There's nothing quite like the smell of covfefe in the morning. Just the thing to brighten your day.
Still feeling glum? Just chill. This is the internet, and drafting this stuff is hard, expecially when you have to wear a tie:
Now where was I? Ah, yes, Our Noble allies. I wonder why American presidents love them so much? Like we see here.
Like a virgin, touched for the very first time. Sorry, wrong song. "Moon River,..." Just like "Breakfast at Tiffany's". I wonder who the weather report was shared with, or ...... Or...Ohr...
Exercise in rhetoric:
ore - material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be extracted (like the metal used to make steel)
oar - useful if up a creek without a paddle.
or - introducing a synonym or explanation of a preceding word or phrase; such as "the espionage novel, or, as it is known in the trade, the thriller"
Ohr.
Whoa Nellie! Where have I heard that one?
Ohr. Nellie. ....... Methinks that deserves a little closer scrutiny. Let's take a look.
Do I have this thing pointed at the alt-right, right wing, always at the right in the correct direction? Let's see. If only I were an agent of the FBI or a real reporter like Farheed Zakaria of GPS. I'm sure he'd get to the heart of the matter. GPS? Why oh why is that familiar? Ah.
Let me quote one of our favorite Middle Easterners:
Holy Crap!
Now why would anyone send a Breakfast at Tiffany's style weather report to an employee of Fusion GPS? To get the word out to who was to do what to whom? I wonder. Now what the heck does that have to do with Ohr and Steel? Ohr... right, an employee of Fusion GPS. Which just happens to employ our noble ally Mr. Steele. Ohr, who's husband just happens to be....
https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/12/politics/bruce-ohr-special-counsel/index.html
Just happens to be married to a DOJ official. Well nobody believes fake news anymore, how about we verify before we trust:
"Bruce Ohr, the Department of Justice official who brought opposition research on President Donald Trump to the FBI, did not disclose that Fusion GPS, which performed that research at the Democratic National Committee’s behest, was paying his wife, and did not obtain a conflict of interest waiver from his superiors at the Justice Department,....."
Why there can't be any conflict with that. Let's check the official DOJ code of conduct. I know it's around here somewhere.
Crimethink - Nope, not happening here. Bellyfeel. Well a lot of that goin' on, but nope, nothing to do with integrity. Thoughtcrime- Nope. All the correct bellyfeel was happ'n. Integrity. That word is not in that dictionary, so that conduct must be OK if you are with her. Congratulations, you get to keep a job and your pension Bruce almighty. For now.
What else is in that book? Doubletalk? Naw, that's in the fake news handbook. The DOJ would never stoop that low.
Now if only somebody at the Counter Intellegence section of the FBI could get to the heart of the fbi lawyer he's banging on the side. matter about what criminal conduct was occuring. Did that FBI agent responsible for counter-intellegence talk to DOJ attorney Bruce Ohr's boss, the attorney who just happened to be.... the pièces de résistance Sally "I don't have to obey the head of the Executive Branch of Government" Yates? I wonder what's in the record of the meetings those two had? They did keep records? Maybe something simple like that email from Susan Rice - to Susan Rice. For the record.
Well, at least after more than a year we finally have some indictments. So what kind of conduct that influenced the election is criminal, according to the indictment handed down by the Mueller team?
Count 1: ".... U.S. law also bars agents of any foreign entity from engaging in political activities within the United States without first registering with the Attorney General. And U.S. law requires certain foreign nationals seeking entry to the United States to obtain a visa by providing truthful and accurate information to the government." If you have someone fly to london and get that info is that OK or is that criminal?
Count 2: "... defraud the United States by impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful functions of the government through fraud and deceit for the purpose of interfering with the U.S. political and electoral processes, including the presidential election of 2016." If you delete all your emails - 384 pages does that count as "imparing, obstructing and defeating the lawful functions of government"? Has the Mueller team interviewed Strzok and Page? How about not telling anyone your wife works for Fusion GPS, creator of the dossier that was essential to obtaining the FISA court indictment?
Count 3: "....... ORGANIZATION began operations to interfere with the U.S. political system, including the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Defendant ORGANIZATION received funding for its operations from .... and companies he controlled .... Defendants .... spent significant funds to further the ORGANIZATION’s operations and to pay .... other uncharged ORGANIZATION employees, salaries and bonuses for their work at the ORGANIZATION."
Who paid Fusion GPS at each stage of their work? Is that criminal?
Count 4: "..... operated social media pages and groups designed to attract U.S. audiences....."
If a firm knowingly changes the ranking of social media pages others have created does that affect the "attraction of US audiences" and thus count as interference in the electoral process? How about just making sure users of social media never see the content? ex1 ex2
What a tangled tale they weave. Worthy of Hollywood, pre-Harvey. If nothing else the fallout has permanently affected some political families. What was it the Dowager Empress said in "55 days at Peking"? "The Dynasty has fallen". Just like the Hilary's. If only she had had an insurance policy.
Now that is a fine piece of art. Some people look younger when all the life has been taken out of their political careers. I wonder who did the final deed: Yates, Power, Rice? Perhaps the artist just merged a successful triumverate of legal beauties. Who gave the go-ahead? Somebody with a legal mind should dig into the weeds and figure that out.
If only we had a group of lawyers adept at trimming the verge. Sadly, I think we have too many that drank the koolaid. "What we have now is a highly corrupted system of intelligence and policymaking, one twisted to serve specific group goals, ends and beliefs held to the point of religious faith."
In that last picture, Obama should be holding the Hillary's severed head.
Posted by: FND | 19 February 2018 at 09:41 AM
The Steele Dossier is looking more and more solid. Trump's trip to Moscow in November 2013, during which he told us that he had a personal relationship with Putin, and that he greatly admires Putin, precedes the establishment of the DoJ-indicted Russian propaganda operation by just a few months.
In April 2011 Trump was the front-runner for the GOP nomination
http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2011/04/trump-takes-lead.html
yet this past weekend he lied that he did not start running for President till 2014. Trump is a useful idiot.
Posted by: Leaky Ranger | 19 February 2018 at 09:48 AM
Leaky,
Trump didn't announce his candidacy until 2012.
Posted by: Fred | 19 February 2018 at 09:59 AM
Fred, he ran for the Reform Party nomination for POTUS in 2000. He appeared on Larry King Live in October 1999 to announce his candidacy.
Posted by: Leaky Ranger | 19 February 2018 at 10:06 AM
How much influence the British have on US intelligence?
Posted by: Chiron | 19 February 2018 at 10:13 AM
chiron
US and British intelligence are two branches on the same tree. This is much more true than with any of the other Anglo services (Canada, Australia, New Zealand) and also closer than with Israel. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 19 February 2018 at 10:29 AM
What a witty way to regurgitate what has already been said.
Gosh, it almost seems...artful.
Posted by: Pacifca Advocate | 19 February 2018 at 11:44 AM
Contrary to Mr. Muller’ investigations, and what Borg and the MSM wants us to think it’s actually US’ closest allies, the politicly corrupting three, aka UK, Israel, and KSA who have and are meddling in US elections/internal affairs without anybody questioning their involvement in our internal politics. All these three countries are more, and most, venerable than any other allies to US’ change in Trajectory of her foreign policy, with regard to their own region. They continue to meddle and insert their interests Many times against and above US’ own interest under the cover of US’ most dependable allies. These three country’ security depends on US foreign policy. Other countries may wish to meddle and empower their choices of US statesmen, but they don’t possess an unquestioned blank free security pass to freely insert themselves in US internal affairs as these three countries posses with consent of the US Borg.
Posted by: Kooshy | 19 February 2018 at 12:25 PM
Leaky,
You mean Trump arranged for Putin to replace Yeltsin in 1999 so that decades later trolls at an organic troll farm would help him beat President Clinton's wife in an election? Now that is really a conspiracy worth digging into.
Posted by: Fred | 19 February 2018 at 01:03 PM
Leaky, have you noticed that the latest Mueller indictment indicts, by extension, Mr. Steele, the hapless "agent" who is currently under investigation in his native land of UK? The paper explains why Steele is a criminal according to Mueller-Rosenstein’ opus about trolling and very-very bad trolls. This opus has been compared favorably to The Onion production (sample: https://www.theonion.com/tag/politics)
Posted by: Anna | 19 February 2018 at 01:10 PM
Fred
If DT was able to plan and execute such a complicated plan a decade ago with this precision, IMO, he deserve to be not only the president of US, but ruler of all the Terrestrial planets.
Posted by: Kooshy | 19 February 2018 at 01:20 PM
Leaky, here is an informed opinion of Mike Whitney: http://www.unz.com/mwhitney/goofy-indictments-divert-attention-from-criminal-abuses-at-the-fbi-and-doj/
"Robert Mueller’s Friday night indictment-spree, is a flagrant and infuriating attempt to divert attention from the damning revelations in the Nunes memo (and the Graham-Grassley “criminal referral”) which prove that senior-level officials at the FBI and DOJ were engaged in an expansive conspiracy to subvert the presidential elections..."
1. "the senior-level officials in the FBI and DOJ were engaged in an expansive conspiracy to subvert the presidential elections."
-- This is the most damning conclusion that speaks about violation of the US Constitution, i.e., about the treason within the national security apparatus
2. from Mueller' indictment: “U.S. law bans foreign nationals from making certain expenditures or financial disbursements for the purpose of influencing federal elections. U.S. law also bars agents of any foreign entity from engaging in political activities within the United States without first registering with the Attorney General.”
-- Right. Bring on Mr. Steele and the UK' brass from the British intelligence agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) plus the Lobby cabal.
Posted by: Anna | 19 February 2018 at 01:32 PM
I guess if you don't laugh at the state of our Swamp, you really have to cry instead.
Thank you for this.
Maybe if the Borg make it to my little home out here in the outer part of Galaxy U.S., I won't even try to resist, since that--as we all know--is futile.
Posted by: DianaLC | 19 February 2018 at 01:39 PM
Fred, are you being purposely obtuse? We are in agreement that Trump lied over the weekend. All I was doing was pointing out that he had been running for President before your 2012 date (and certainly before the 2014 date that he tweeted). Compared to Trump, Steele is a paragon of truth.
Posted by: Leaky Ranger | 19 February 2018 at 01:41 PM
It is all looking very solid. Mueller is a masterful legal prosecutor and he is carefully tying up the lose ends in a very methodical way. The Constitution is well-served by this counselor and his team.
Posted by: Laura | 19 February 2018 at 01:41 PM
Anna, that's a parody site. Why would you inject that into the discussion?
Posted by: Leaky Ranger | 19 February 2018 at 01:43 PM
Fred and all,
Much enjoyed this post.
One observation. It seems to me it is time that we abandoned the pathetic pretence that the contemporary United States, and Britain, are secular, rational, societies.
It has become increasingly clear that beneath a thin veneer of rationality, we believe in witchcraft, every bit as much as our seventeenth century forbears.
However, I am not sure that Robert Mueller is really up to the roll of ‘Witchfinder General’.
We need better candidates.
Paul Krugman, perhaps?
(See https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/opinion/trump-appointees-incompetent.html .)
Posted by: David Habakkuk | 19 February 2018 at 01:44 PM
Leaky,
A public statement by Public Policy Polling is not a legal announcement of candidacy for office. They were trolling for work for their North Carolina based company and put out that puff piece in 2011. Maybe you should re-read the indictment where Meuller's team specificlly calls out the defendants for violating Federal Elections Commission regulations. "We are in agreement that Trump lied over the weekend." No we are not. I've said no such thing but am hardly surprised that a politician would lie. Did he do it in court under oath - "this weekend"? No. Did the anyone at the FBI lie in statements and submissions to the FISA court, to the House or Senate Committees or to the President - either of them - regarding this case?
Posted by: Fred | 19 February 2018 at 01:52 PM
Fred, thanks for the belly laugh. Your essay reminds me of Alan Farrell's hilarious stream-of-consciousness movie reviews posted here years ago. Keep up the good work.
Posted by: Quartered Safe Out Here | 19 February 2018 at 02:07 PM
Fred
As long as Garrison Keillor has been
Cashiered by #MeToo I see a new
Employment opportunity for you.
You might warm to the
Fitzgerald Theater!! St. Paul not
So much.
Posted by: Steve G | 19 February 2018 at 02:29 PM
Although a few things may be said about the indictment of some Russians by the special counsel Robert Mueller -- one of which is that the main criminal charge was immediately repudiated in a hilarious public statement by the person in the Justice Department who announced the indictment, Number Two Man Rod Rosenstein -- nothing can top the Time Magazine cover of 15 July 1996, which told the world: "Exclusive, Yanks to the Rescue, The Secret Story of How American Advisers Helped Yeltsin Win" [I kid you not]--
https://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19960715,00.html
Posted by: robt willmann | 19 February 2018 at 02:49 PM
Excellent Fred! Had a good laugh this morning.
Apparently much of Mueller's indictment was written up in a Radio Free Europe report from 2015. In any case this indictment opens up the question of which other foreign entities violated federal statutes? Is Mueller gonna investigate any of them? Or is it just Russia that he cares about?
It would seem Steele violated the same statutes. When is he going to be indicted by Mueller?
Posted by: Jack | 19 February 2018 at 03:01 PM
Then there is John Podesta...
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-02-19/watch-flustered-john-podesta-respond-why-russians-operatives-were-smarter-hillary
Posted by: Jack | 19 February 2018 at 03:16 PM
Not everyone agrees with you: https://consortiumnews.com/2018/02/19/nunes-fbi-and-doj-perps-could-be-put-on-trial/
“House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) stated that there could be legal consequences for officials who may have misled the FISA court. “If they need to be put on trial, we will put them on trial. The reason Congress exists is to oversee these agencies that we created.”
-- Here is explanation to the deprivation of the US citizenry of factual information: "One glaring sign of the media’s unwillingness to displease corporate masters and Official Washington is the harsh reality that Hersh’s most recent explosive investigations, using his large array of government sources to explore front-burner issues, have not been able to find a home in any English-speaking newspaper or journal. In a sense, this provides what might be called a “confidence-building” factor, giving some assurance to deep-state perps that they will be able to ride this out, and that congressional committee chairs will once again learn to know their (subservient) place."
-- This is why The Onion could be on a par with The NYT, WaPo, The New Yorker, and such. The New Yorker used to be a great journal, but under the watchful eye of the Russophobic Remnick, the journal's {sub}standards have become indistinguishable from the MSM's standards
Posted by: Anna | 19 February 2018 at 03:18 PM
Everyone knows Trump threatened to run for President many times.
However, his tweet about 2014 evidently refers to THIS run for President. Which is therefore not a lie.
Which anyone with a grade school knowledge of English would know.
The notion that any earlier threat to run for President would immediately cause the Russian government to put him on the payroll is too stupid to spend time on. Especially given that the Russians gave Hillary God knows how many millions of dollars when her run was assured.
Posted by: Richardstevenhack | 19 February 2018 at 05:27 PM