I can't believe the most serious governmental crime of the all time in the US, will get much attention for a while; in fact, I rather expect it to be blacklisted, along with any other story that reflects well on Donald Trump and poorly on our institutions.
From Jerry Dunleavy at WaEx, 'Russia on the brain': Biden pick for top Pentagon post was a vocal Steele dossier promoter.
A statement issued on Wednesday said Colin Kahl, a former deputy assistant to President Barack Obama and national security adviser to then-vice president Biden from 2014 to 2017, was announced as Biden's nominee for undersecretary of defense for policy, along with Kathleen Hicks picked as deputy defense secretary. Biden said Kahl would “help lead the Department of Defense with integrity and resolve” and “safeguard the lives and interests of the American people.” He currently works as co-director of Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation and as a strategic adviser at the Penn Biden Center.
. . .
The 2018 book Russian Roulette by journalists Michael Isikoff and David Corn said Kahl was part of the small Obama national security team inner circle working on Russian interference issues in 2016. “Kahl had to insist to [national security adviser Susan] Rice that he be allowed to attend so Biden could be kept up to speed," they wrote.
Kahl began his defenses of Steele's dossier and public flirtation with claims of President Trump colluding with Russia in early 2017. He attacked the House Intelligence Committee Republicans' memo on alleged Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuses in early 2018, which had its conclusions largely vindicated by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s scathing December 2019 report that criticized the Justice Department and FBI for 17 "significant errors or omissions" in the FISA process related to the wiretapping of 2016 Trump campaign associate Carter Page.
And Chuck Ross at Da Caller reports Victoria Nuland, Who Biden Will Reportedly Nominate For Top Government Post, Boosted Steele Dossier At The State Department. I certainly hope some Republican Senator will have the stones to ask these people about this, if they are allowed to speak. No longer a sure thing.
Mollie Hemingway at Da Fed writes Obama, Biden Oval Office Meeting On January 5 Was Key To Entire Anti-Trump Operation. Remember what the Obama/Biden team perpetrated in their "smooth transition of power." Hidden time bombs for the incoming Trump administration. From WaEx, Byron York's Daily Memo: Now they tell us! Trump was tough on Russia!
On CNN's "New Day" on New Year's morning, the network's Fareed Zakaria was asked how U.S. Russia policy under the new President Joe Biden might differ from policy under President Trump. "I think in general, there isn't going to be as much difference as people imagine," Zakaria said. "The Biden folks are pretty tough on Russia, Iran, North Korea. You know, the dirty little secret about the Trump administration was that while Donald Trump clearly had a kind of soft spot for Putin, the Trump administration was pretty tough on the Russians. They armed Ukraine. They armed the Poles. They extended NATO operations and exercises in ways that even the Obama administration had not done. They maintained the sanctions. So I don't think it will be that different.”
It wouldn't be a "dirty little secret" if you reported it, now would it?
Mark Judge (remember who he is?) at Stream.org, James Comey’s Lower Loyalty Maimed the FBI, It will be a long time before anyone should trust the FBI, and there's no sign of anything more than a desire to cover up their fuck ups by Director Wray. And the intelligence services are still at it. Sundance at CTH, Transparent Timing, Intelligence Community Assessment on Foreign Interference in 2020 Election Submitted to Congress Hours After Electoral Certification
literally hours after congress votes to certify the election results, that very same DNI report is now delivered to congress.
Buried inside an article noting that politically motivated intelligence officers intentionally withheld information about China’s active involvement in the 2020 election, we find this sentence:
“The intelligence community’s classified assessment on foreign influence in the 2020 election … was also submitted to Congress on Thursday.” (link)WASHINGTON DC – Politicization problems exist in U.S. spy agency assessments on foreign influence in the 2020 U.S. election, including analysts who appeared to hold back information on Chinese meddling efforts because they disagreed with the Trump administration’s policies, according to an intelligence community inspector.
Barry Zulauf, an analytic ombudsman and longtime intelligence official, issued a 14-page report obtained by the Washington Examiner to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, revealing his investigation was “conducted in response to IC complaints regarding the election threat issue.” In addition, he lamented the “polarized atmosphere has threatened to undermine the foundations of our Republic, penetrating even into the Intelligence Community.”
The intelligence community’s classified assessment on foreign influence in the 2020 election, which will not focus on claims of mail-in fraud or unfounded allegations of voting machines flipping millions of votes, was also submitted to Congress on Thursday.
Expected in December, the assessment was delayed as senior intelligence officials clashed over the role played by China, and as director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe sought to include more viewpoints in the final analysis.
“Given analytic differences in the way Russia and China analysts examined their targets, China analysts appeared hesitant to assess Chinese actions as undue influence or interference.
The analysts appeared reluctant to have their analysis on China brought forward because they tend to disagree with the administration’s policies, saying in effect, I don’t want our intelligence used to support those policies,” Zulauf concluded, saying this behavior violated analytic standards requiring independence from political considerations. (more)
And via Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.08.21 (Evening Edition), Geller, Intelligence Analysts downplayed Chinese Election Influence to Avoid Supporting Trump Policies, Inspector Finds.
Also from Mollie Hemingway, Devin Nunes Tells The Truth Until It Hurts
He had no idea at the time, but Nunes’s early skepticism of the “Russia collusion” plan to undermine the Trump administration put him in the crosshairs of all of the most powerful forces in Washington, including the media, the Democrat Party, left-wing special interest groups, intelligence agency officials, and even many Republicans.
Nunes’s dogged pursuit of the truth paid off, eventually, but it wasn’t easy. The “Russia collusion” narrative caused untold damage to the Trump administration and its policy goals. It sparked a years-long special counsel probe that pursued scores of Trump associates but found none who had colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election. Journalists won Pulitzers and other prizes for perpetuating the false narrative. Even now, many Democrats still cling to claims of Trump being controlled by Vladimir Putin. . . .
Henry Rodgers, Da Caller, Trump To Give Reps. Jim Jordan, Devin Nunes Presidential Medal Of Freedom. John Solomon at JTN, In accepting medal, Nunes assails an 'unscrupulous media' for 'information warfare'. That and 2 bucks will get you a cup of bad Starbucks coffee.
And some people write just to make noise, Bonnie Kristian at Da Week, Is Roger Stone the unlikely herald of a new religious right?. What an idiot! She must get paid by the letter.
Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.
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