Colluding, Meddling, and Muddling

“Show me the man and I’ll find you the crime,” Lavrentiy Beria

IM:  Gentlemen, are you angry with President Trump, yet?

Old Gadfly:  Why do you ask?

AM:  Probably because of the constant negative reporting in the mainstream news.   In all my time in special operations and with an unnamed intelligence agency, I have never witnessed such a comprehensive influence operation by a once-free press against American institutions.  Take for instance an op-ed in today’s New York Times:  “Oh, Wait.  Maybe It Was Collusion.”  The authors are former CIA operatives with experience in Russia, and one is a consultant for CNN.  In this influence op hit piece, they lay out a theory to support their proposition that collusion probably took place.  Probably?  For those of us who have actual experience in deriving an assessment based on triangulation of actual evidence, here is one major flag in their piece:  “It is our view not only that the Russian government was running some sort of intelligence operation involving the Trump campaign, but also that it is impossible to rule out the possibility of collusion between the two.”  What are they implying?  Based on their own experience as intelligence operatives in Russia, this is how spy craft works.  But it’s alright for America to engage in these practices--such as influencing elections in Israel and other countries--but no other country can?  It’s highly likely that Russia was involved in attempting to influence our political dynamics because America has been involved in similar practices.  CIA Director Pompeo should initiate an investigation into both authors for potential violation of 18 U.S. Code Chapter 115 - Treason, Sedition, and Subversive Activities. 

Old Gadfly:  Alright, so even President Trump has acknowledged that other countries, to include Russia, attempt to influence elections—welcome to international politics.  Our senior intelligence officials are on record that no Russian efforts actually influenced the outcome—for example no votes were changed.  But, is there potential evidence to “prove” collusion?

IM:   Isn’t even an allegation of collusion based on reasonable cause?

Old Gadfly:   In this case, what might we conclude to be a reasonable cause?  In other words, what might have triggered suspicion of collusion?

AM:  The trigger was a Russian dossier that was released by CNN, starting this meme of Russian collusion in the public narrative.  Progressive politicians, such as John Podesta, Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) staff, knew that if they colluded with a progressive mainstream media, once the narrative achieved traction (it’s still thriving in daily broadcasts) the burden of proof would be on President Trump to prove he did not collude.  Recall the CNN-CIA authors statement above:  “. . . but also that it is impossible to rule out the possibility of collusion between the two.”?  So the meme has a long shelf-life, and progressive tactics are no less egregious than those employed by Stalin’s chief of internal security (note the quote above by Beria).

Old Gadfly:    So, if the left is concerned about corruption in the form of collusion, should they not be concerned about any collusion that may have taken place?

IM:   Yes, assuming the left has virtuous intentions.  Unfortunately, there is evidence of collusion in (a) the admitted unmasking of names by at least Susan Rice, ostensibly for political purposes, subsequently leaking “classified” information to the media, and then refusing to testify before Congress until actually subpoenaed (the deep state must have revealed some incriminating evidence on Lieutenant General McMaster to convince him to retain Rice’s security clearance); (b) the DNC working with GPS Fusion to fabricate the Russian dossier; and (c) the left’s acquiescence in a DNC-paid third party examination of DNC computers as opposed to insisting upon the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Old Gadfly:  The DNC computer issue is troubling on two counts.  First, the FBI would have had greater credibility in suggesting Russian hacking had they examined the physical evidence.  Second, given the damaging material in the Wikileaks release, there may have been even more incriminating information that had to be concealed from the FBI, such as a smoking gun on the DNC staffer, Seth Rich, assassination.

IM:  Apparently, Rod Wheeler, the original investigator, has shifted oars on the Rich story and has filed a lawsuit against Fox News for attempting to report on the nefarious circumstances surrounding Rich’s death.  The FBI denies any interest in the case.  The Metropolitan Police Department, which can be temporarily directed by the President under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, has been sued to release information of what has become a “cold case.”  July 2016 was a busy month:  Wikileaks released thousands of emails, emphasizing they did not come from Russia and implying a DNC insider was the source; Seth Rich was assassinated (there is some online testimony indicating Rich was alive when he was admitted to the emergency room and on the way to recovery, see also here, here, and here); and the FBI sought a surveillance warrant from a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court against an alleged member of the Trump campaign. 

AM:  I watched in utter amazement how Democrats in Congress laid the stage for appointing a special counsel.  First, it began with the Sessions confirmation hearings.  All the Democrats expressed their contempt for Sessions’ insistence on enforcing the law.  But it was Senator Al Franken who actually set in motion the notion for a special counsel (watch a segment of the hearing here) by using the infamous Russian dossier to trap Sessions.  This obviously led to Sessions' recusal regarding any investigation into Russian collusion.  I loved the part where professional comedian and failed radio talk-show host Franken admits he’s not a lawyer.  Franken even repeated  concerns that Trump lauded Wikileaks for releasing classified information, but seems to have no concern about The New York Times or The Washington Post colluding in similar practices.  I believe Democrats anticipated the integrity-bound Sessions actually would recuse himself because they pulled a full court press against Rod Rosenstein at his confirmation hearing.  Every single Democrat beat the drum for a special counsel.  By now the leftist media giants The New York Times and the Washington Post had released numerous stories about Watergate parallels and the Saturday Night Massacre, where both the attorney general and deputy attorney general resigned when asked to fire the special prosecutor.  Both the attorney general and deputy attorney general had been confirmed by a Democrat controlled Senate within months prior after pledging they would not fire the special prosecutor.  Despite a landslide reelection, Nixon ended up resigning because of the court of public opinion.  As we have discussed before, Nixon was defeated by the left because of collusion between the prosecutor, judges, congress, and the media.  Sound familiar?

Old Gadfly:  And just today, special counsel Mueller has formed a grand jury.

IM:  Remember how the last one played out?   Remember the allegation that a crime had been committed by leaking the name of an undercover agent?  It turns out the individual was no longer undercover; thus no crime.  But, the investigation lasted until Scooter Libby became the sacrificial lamb—not the one who released Valerie Plame’s name to Bob Novak, but because he made conflicting statements under oath—bingo, perjury.  Do you remember who appointed the special counsel?  Then Deputy Attorney General James Comey.  In May, Comey pulled the trigger by illegally releasing a memo to justify a special counsel.  Thus, Mueller has a mission.  Isn’t justice pathetic when it is so politically manipulated?

AM:  The real injustice here is former FBI Director Comey.  He admitted to illegally leaking a memo to trigger the appointment of a special prosecutor.  Remember, he’s the adult in the room that usurped the attorney general’s authority by closing the Clinton investigation.  While Sessions has the integrity to recuse himself to avoid a conflict of interest, Mueller has no qualms about being a special counsel associated with Comey’s machinations even though it is becoming widely known that Mueller worked for Comey when Comey was the Deputy Attorney General and Mueller the FBI Director.  So far, only Seth Rich has been executed.  Perhaps the left is hoping this Administration will want to avoid a Russian Great Purge, capitulating to let the left win this debacle with President Trump, or one of his aides or family members, taken down by Mueller and the Democrat Party.

Old Gadfly:    I think the left has studied Sun Tzu and is employing his concept of attack by stratagem (or “the sheathed sword”):  “supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.”[1]     But, the left does not have truth and justice on its side; thus, at best their stratagem is merely meddling and muddling.  Most people would have withered by now from the constant attacks.  Trump’s resolve should be encouraging.  If members of the left were not so ideological (Marxist, progressive), then they should be asking why Democrats are not concerned about criminal activity by members of its own political cohort.  Virtuous behavior insists upon accountability.  Trump believes in accountability and has already indicated that if satellites within his administration have colluded with Russia, he would want to know.  And, despite apparent political motivation by Obama-placed federal judges, Trump has not nullified any federal court rulings, unlike his predecessor.  Further, while Comey claims Trump asked for loyalty, their notions of loyalty are different.  Comey’s is tribal and politically motivated.  Trump’s is tied to merit, to the rule of law, and to the institutions of our Constitutional Republic.  This is why he is a threat to the left.  Now, let’s see if Mueller will “find a crime.”  While the left owns and controls the mainstream media, they do not own or control the truth.  Americans do; they yearn for it.  In terms of justice, criminal behavior has taken place.  There is plenty of evidence.  It’s time for accountability.

---

[1] Sun Tzu, The Art of War (edited by James Clavell; New York:  Delacorte Press, 1983), p. 15.