Russiagate in the Rain

Looks like we're getting some well needed rain, as the remains of Tropical Storm Nestor sweeps by.

Hillary's accusations that some woman running for president, presumably Tulsi Gabbard, is effectively a Russian puppet, continues to resonate. Jim Geraghty at NR tells her to Put Up or Shut Up on These Accusations, Hillary. I'm sure she has Sid "the shiv" Blumenthal working on the dossier as we speak. From Newsweek (it still exists?) Michigan Congressman Justin Amash Calls Hillary Clinton a 'Trump Asset" after Gabbard Comments. He's not completely wrong. From Tristan Justice at Da Fed, Hillary Clinton Engages In Insane Conspiracy Theory Attacking Tulsi Gabbard. He's not wrong either. From Power Line, John Hinderacker asks Is Hillary Drunk Blogging again? John Sexton at Hot Air has More Hillary: Trump’s Game Plan Is To Never Leave Office. Again, the best guide to what Democrats are doing is what they're accusing you of. Last word goes to the Babylon Bee with Hillary Clinton Asked To Leave Costco After Repeatedly Accusing Sample Lady Of Being A Russian Asset. Reminder to Snopes; it's a parody site.

In the "Spygate" matter, Hot Air cites the NYT in Review Of Russia Inquiry Grows As FBI Witnesses Are Questioned. Sundance at CTH dissects the news in Reminder: John Durham Questioning CIA Officials About Intelligence Community Assessment…,  New York Times Narrative Engineers Start Positioning DOJ/FBI “Small Group” Coup-Plotters as Victims of CIA and Intelligence Community Manipulation… and DOJ-FBI “Small Group” Promote Defense of Spygate Operations – Former FBI/DOJ Officials Nervous, Hiring Lawyers…

The activity of the “small group” of coup plotters consists of three generalized subsidiary agencies: (1) DOJ/FBI, (2) CIA/ODNI, and (3) The State Department.

Within each “small group faction” a years-long review of their narrative constructs shows the groups have specific and unique media outlets for their offensive (’16, ’17) and defensive (’18, ’19) propaganda efforts.

•The DOJ/FBI faction of the “small group” leaks to narrative engineers at the New York Times and NBC. •The CIA/ODNI faction utilize the Washington Post and ABC; and •the State Dept. faction use CNN and CBS. Each faction uses the same reporters & pundits for their distribution. This pattern, albeit generalized, has been consistent for several years.
. . .
It is important to remember this concerted process whenever we are reviewing media articles concerning the matters of interest to each of the “small group” factions.

In essence, the propagandists within the media are the same; and the sources for the positions reflected in the articles are the same. Wash, rinse and repeat depending on the identified risk.

So today we see NBC and the New York Times going “out front” on behalf of their interests. Referencing the faction each outlet represents we see the *reporting* is to defend the interests of the DOJ and FBI. . . . 

Reminds me a bit of the way a fish starts wriggling once it realizes it's hooked. He also comments on the recent finding that a Four Year State Dept. Investigation Concludes Noting State Dept. Violations From 38 Corrupt Administrators…

Perhaps the only institution more corrupt than the Obama intelligence apparatus, writ large, was/is the Clinton constructed U.S. State Department. Foggy Bottom is appropriately named as the septic tank for the Administrative State.

Former President Barack Obama carved out a segment of the financial indulgence, and thereafter purchased the acquiescence of Team Clinton, when he handed Dame Hillary the keys to the State Dept as an outcome of the 2008 election. Barry from Chicago and his fellow travelers would weaponize the domestic apparatus, and Hillary could graft the international effort; thus, the compact was sealed…

The institutional bile, filth and corruption embedded within the the U.S. State Dept. is an outcome of an organization whose sole purpose is to generate credentials for leftists on their curriculum vitae; curry income for pontificating academics who have done absolutely nothing of inherent value in life; and advance ruling class ideologies through control of foreign policy. The Birkenstock peaceniks, promote the global elitist ruse, demand accolades from the subservient proles, and use Hollywood as their PR division.

Therefore it comes as no surprise a four-year internal self-investigation of their own complicity results in little more than a carefully worded 9-page letter admitting, essentially, mistakes were made by allowing Secretary Clinton to construct a parallel communication network to avoid public scrutiny of her graft and scheme operations.

Mollie Hemingway at Da Fed on how Adam Schiff Flip-Flopped On Whistleblower Testimony After Reports Of Coordination

House Democrats’ top impeachment inquisitor abruptly changed from repeatedly insisting on the testimony of a whistleblower against President Donald Trump to working to prevent it. The change occurred as soon as it was revealed the complainant had secretly worked with Rep. Adam Schiff’s Democratic staff prior to filing his formal complaint on Aug. 12.

At first, Schiff insisted an anti-Trump bureaucrat sharing allegations against the president must share his story with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. But after news broke that Schiff’s staff had secretly worked with the whistleblower prior to the complaint being lodged, discussions that the whistleblower failed to mention when specifically asked about them as part of the official whistleblower process, Schiff moved to prevent the testimony. The move appears designed to prevent Republican lawmakers from asking the individual under oath about his discussions with House Democrats, media, and others involved in the impeachment effort.

From the S. Noble at the Independent Sentinel, Schiff staffer Tom Eager & Impeachment witness Bill Taylor colluded?. Of course they did.

Adam Schiff’s staffer Thomas Eager flew to Ukraine on a mission to gain information which may very well have been to dig up impeachment dirt. The trip was paid for by Burisma, Hunter Biden’s recently former company. During the trip, Eager met with a witness in the impeachment inquiry Ambassador Bill Taylor. It was Eager’s first meeting upon arrival.

That’s not suspicious at all. Move on.

Gary Gindler at AmThink, Dr. Strangesсhiff, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Impeachment

Bravo, comrade Strangesсhiff! Please, continue the Orange Man trial behind closed doors. After all, the American people are ecstatic about closed hearings without access by journalists or lawyers. They are also especially fond of the removal of the president based on an anonymous gossip-monger, or two, or three. The number of blabbers is not important, since the transcripts of their testimonies will never be published (not because they are not there, but because that is exactly what the intent was).

How familiar...

A sweet gig, Hunter Biden Never Worked In Ukraine In Five Years On Burisma’s Board (Capt. Ed at Hot Air). Not bad for $50k a month, or whatever it was. Actually, it was $83 k per month at some point.

“He was a ceremonial figure,” one of their sources at Burisma tells their reporting team, one who never bothered to come to Ukraine at all in the five years he worked as a director for the Ukrainian energy company. . .

I'm sure Slow Joe was properly appreciative. A reminder from Da Blaze, Diplomat: I tried to warn the Obama administration about Hunter Biden and Ukraine in 2015, but no one would listen. Giuliani pressed State Department, White House to grant visa to former Ukrainian official. WaPoo doesn't want to hear his side.

But somebody named Biden traveled to Ukraine. WaPoo tries to cover Joe in glory, Inside Joe Biden’s brawling efforts to reform Ukraine — which won him successes and enemies

At Doug Ross, MARK LEVIN: Surprise, the Media Are Lying About Mick Mulvaney




And sundance has Energy Secretary Rick Perry Discusses His Departure… and denies it has anything to do with the Ukraine matter.

Secretary Perry shoots down the talking points about Ukraine outlining how the administration was working throughout 2017, 2018 and 2019 to ensure corruption was addressed in order to advance the U.S. and Ukraine relationship.

Politico, Pompeo lashes out at impeachment inquiry. How dare you resist our harassment! The Atlantic worries about The Closed-Door Impeachment "The Democrats’ current strategy could undermine their bid to get public opinion firmly on their side" but if you believe to polls it's working. Andy McCarthy at NR decries The Trivialization of Impeachment

To build their political case, Democrats frame every dispute with President Trump in dire terms: proof of his unfitness and the imperative of removing him. No misstep is too trivial. The president’s supporters, to the contrary, are incentivized to defend the president, even when they should be trying to convince him to change course. They do not want to be seen as implicitly supporting the impeachment effort, so every misstep, even ones that are serious though not egregious enough to warrant impeachment, must be defended rather than corrected. And the president — especially one with Trump’s persona, which is always to attack and never to confess error — is encouraged to double down on his mistakes, lest his changing course be seen as an implied admission of misconduct that strengthens the impeachment case.

The Democratic base demands impeachment. Recently, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has come around to the conclusion that it can be done quickly and with minimal political damage to Democrats who hold seats in pro-Trump districts. It thus appears highly likely that the president will be impeached in the coming weeks.
The Democrats’ euphoria will be short-lived. There will be deep, bitter public protest because impeachment, on the facts before us, is objectively foolhardy. Trump’s missteps do not rise to the level of impeachable offenses. If they did, Democrats would not fear voting to conduct the impeachment inquiry, and they would proudly hold their hearings in public with due process, rather than behind closed doors with selective leaking.

Also from NR, Rich Lowry has The Impeachment Defense That Doesn’t Work

If this is all correct (and I’m admittedly speculating), a truthful and sound defense would give ground on the impropriety of the focus on the Bidens, but emphasize that nothing came from any pressure campaign, which was quickly abandoned. Since Trump only very rarely admits any error, he is loath to do this.