A person who commented to this blog said: “Even [Mueller’s] partisan team could not find Russian Collusion after a three year witch hunt. There never was a crime or a basis for the investigation.”
It is sad to think that so many Americans believe like this especially the media. Order No. 3915-2017 signed by then-Acting Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein on May 17, 2017, read: “By virtue of the authority vested in me as Acting Attorney General, including 28 U.S.C. §§ 509, 510, and 515, in order to discharge my responsibility to provide supervision and management of the Department of Justice, and to ensure a full and thorough investigation of the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, I hereby order as follows:” (my emphasis)
The order appointed Mueller. It asked him to conduct the investigation that James Comey testified about which included links between the Russian government and individuals associated with Trump’s campaign; any matters arising from his investigation or other matters within the jurisdiction of special counsel.
We have only seen the Barr summary of Mueller’s almost two-year effort. It states with respect to the “investigation of the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election” the following: “The report outlines the Russian effort to influence the election and documents crimes committed by persons associated with the Russian government in connection with those efforts. . . . there were two main Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election. The first involved attempts by a Russian organization, the Internet Research Agency (IRA), to conduct disinformation and social media operations in the United States designed to sow social discord, eventually with the aim of interfering with the election. . . . the Special Counsel brought criminal charges against a number of Russian nationals and entities in connection with these activities.” (my emphasis)
It went on to note: “The second element involved the Russian government’s efforts to conduct computer hacking operations designed to gather and disseminate information to influence the election. The Special Counsel found that Russian government actors successfully hacked into computers and obtained emails from persons affiliated with the Clinton campaign and Democratic Party organizations, and publicly disseminated those materials through various intermediaries, including WikiLeaks. Based on these activities, the Special Counsel brought criminal charges against a number of Russian military officers for conspiring to hack into computers in the United States for purposes of influencing the election.” (my emphasis)
Let’s get one thing straight in the beginning. There is no doubt that Russia conducted attacks on America through two separate avenues attempting to influence the American people to elect Donald Trump. Anyone who believes Mueller’s report found no collusion or conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia must also accept that Russia did attempt to aid Trump in getting elected.
Now keeping that in mind let’s go back to the late days of the Obama administration. Here are the first two sentences from the Chicago Tribune December 29, 2016, article on this. “The United States struck back Thursday at Russia for hacking the U.S. presidential campaign with a sweeping set of punishments targeting Russia’s spy agencies and diplomats. The U.S. said Russia must bear costs for its actions, but Moscow called the Obama administration “losers” and threatened retaliation.”
Later the article quoted President Obama as stating: “All Americans should be alarmed by Russia’s actions. Such activities have consequences.”
Keep in mind that prior to the election the FBI was investigating these Russian activities. No word about that investigation was disclosed publicly. That was unlike Comey eleven days before the election tilting it severely in favor of Trump by parading before the American people on October 28, 2016, in a letter to Congress that the FBI “learned of the existence of [Hillary Clinton] emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation.” This was while early election votes were being cast for the election that was held on November 8, 2016.
What was the result of President Obama’s statement that: “All Americans should be alarmed. . . .” Stay tuned.
Matt, I have had contacts with Russians, I know some personally;I STOOD NEXT TO ONE AND HEARD HIM PLAY THE PIANO IN GASSON HALL AT BC LAST FRIDAY
My nephew his wife and their children have all visited Russia recently.
Don’t you understand the issue is not whether Americans had ‘contact’ with Russians, the issue is whether some Americans colluded, conspired with Russians to interfere in the election. Muellar’s biased team said, NO COLLUSION. YOU MENTION POINTS AS IF THE MUELLAR TEAM SOMEHOW MISSED THEM ….they looked at those talking point, irrelevancies for 2 years and found nothing; Obama’s FBI, Comey et al, looked at it, went to FISA with phony dossier for another six months to a year pre-election and found NOTHING regarding collusion with Russia . . .the game’s over, your side lost, accept.
END OF STORY . . . ACCEPT THE FACTS . . .STOP KICKING A DEAD HORSE . . .LEARN TO LOVE THE RUSSIANS . . . .
p.s. I always liked Herbert Humphrey and wish we had more DEMS today of his caliber and character whom I, as a conservative Independent, could support. I LIKE IKE. I LIKE HST . . .I LIKE TRUMP . . .I LIKE REAGAN . . .I LIKE SMALL GOVERNMENT, STRONG NON-INTERVENTIONISTIC MILITARY, . . .I AM AGAINST CORRUPT POWER ABUSING FEDS IN BLACK ROBES AND SUITS (PROSECUTORS ADN CLERKS) . . .I’VE NAMED THEM ALL BEFORE HERE AND IN MY BOOKS . . . .I WILL CONTINUE MY RESEARCH AND CONTINUE NAMING THEM THE POWER ABUSERS IN THE FEDS
ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH IS FOR GOOD PEOPLE TO DO AND SAY NOTHING, TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES, AND LET FUTURE GENERATIONS, YOUR GRANDCHILDREN, BE PUT UNDER THE BOOT OF THE FED BULLY BOYS . . .PROSECUTE THE FEDERAL PROSECUTORIAL PERSECUTORS AND THEIR AIDERS IN ABETTORS IN BLACK ROBES AND SUITS IN CLERKS OFFICES . . .GET THE LEAKERS . . . .WHO CONSPIRE WITH THE MEDIA TO PROTECT CORRUPT FED PROSECUTORS AND TARGET INNOCENT AMERICAN CITIZENS
HOW GOES THAT SEARCH FOR THE FED LEAKERS OF BILL BULGERS GRAND JURY TESTIMONY?
Bill:
You do understand that putting your writing in capitals while discussing things on the internet is considered yelling. Why are you yelling in most of your posts? We are supposed to have discussions not shouting matches.
As to your points. The Russians interfered in our election as Mueller found and as our intelligence agencies found. Trump will not admit that. Why. You seem not to want to admit that. Why.
As for loving the Russians or for people going to Russia or that I am reading a book by a Russian author that is irrelevant other to note that it is the only country in Europe that has invaded an independent country and seized its territory; and the only one that has poisoned its citizens in other independent countries, aside from attacking the U.S. during our elections. Your Russian friends are now sending troops to Venezuela.
Your safety as an American depends upon those people you call “fed bully boys.” You like small government but are quite happy you have medical coverage. A small government would not be providing that. You like small government but want a strong military. A small government would not be providing that. Everyone is against corruption but you spread a net too far. If a person does not agree with you that person is not corrupt.
NC’s points were all excellent.
I am on the side of the PEACEMAKERS, not the perpetual WARMONGERS, who want to exacerbate relations with Russia and China.
Russia helped us defeat the NAZIs. Russia gave us the best classical music, the best ballet, the best literature: Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Nutckracker, Swan Lake, Doctor Zhivago, Crime and Punishment, War and Peace.
Last Friday I heard a young man, a Russian pianist, at Boston College, play for 75 minutes music of the great Russian composers: Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Bordin . .. . I hope I’ve spelled the names correctly, I’ve played all their works . . . .his preludes, and Dance of the Flowers, and Vocalise, were superbly executed, a joy to hear and see him play, as its a joy to watch young nieces dance in the Nutcracker with the Boston Ballet and other local ballets at Christmas
MAKE PEACE WITH THE RUSSIANS . . .build a better world . . .
2. I HAVE READ that some Russians spent $160,000 on commercials (neutral in character, neither pro-Dem, nor pro-Repub, but pointing out problems with drugs, poverty, etc in AMerica) during our election. $160,000 was the total amount paid on neutral commercials that our vaunted FBI/CIA/Muellar-type investigators could find. HILLARY SPENT $2 BILLION on her campaign . . . .THE RUSSIAN ‘INTERFERENCE’ WAS MINISCULE . . . .there was not one vote affected, as NC correctly wrote
MAKE PEACE WITH RUSSIA, THEY ARE A GREAT PEOPLE, A BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, LOOK AT THE RUSSIAN DANCERS, MODELS, FASHIONISTAS, ACTRESSES ON THE INTERNET
STOP THE HATE MONGERING . . . .STOP THE HILLARIAN WAR MONGERING
I didn’t think that these legal dealings were in the “exonerating” business. I understand that obstruction is still on the table.
If you cannot wait for the full report and you want to see the grand jury–call the Globe. They are very good at obtaining illegal stuff.
when the Trumpies sing “Ya got nothin, all that for nuthin’.” How many indictments, convictions ete.etc.?
Hutch:
Good suggestion. I’ll call the Globe in the morning and tell them you told me I should call.
You gotta give the Repubs one thing – they really don’t want to see the full report and would like to pretend that the Barr summary – (you know the summary by the guy who got his job by writing an unsolicited memo saying the president could not obstruct justice summarizing the Mueller report so that it agreed with what he believed even before he read the report) – is all we need to look at.
I’ll wait although I find it hard to believe Mueller could not find any contact between Trump and company and the Russians.
PLease spell my name correctly when you make the request of the Globe.
Hutch:
Is it “enson” or “inson? Russ always spelled it both ways.
“inson”” Russell does everything differently–God love him.
After the Mueller report Trump and Russia should never be mentioned in the same sentence. Trump had nothing to do with Russia. Hillary conspired with MI6 and Russia to prevent Trump from winning. No one can point to one vote that was changed by anything Russia did. Russia Collusion has been debunked by a three year investigation run by never Trumpers. Only the extremely gullible or brain dead fell for the total fabrication of the Russian dossier. The congenitally dishonest media ran with the Russian Hoax for three years. Trump is totally vindicated in calling the Post and NYT. FAKE NEWS. 2. If there is a valid criticism of Trump it is his spending. His budget spends too much. Obama added $9 trillion to the national debt in his eight years. Reagan added only $1.3 trillion. Trump should copy Reagan. 3. Hunter Thompson hated Humphrey because he was Johnson’s VP while supporting the war and because he condoned Mayor Daley in his use of force at the 1968 convention. But he hated Nixon even more. He said Nixon had no core principles, the integrity of a hyena and the style of a poisonous toad. Wouldn’t the integrity and style points be applicable to Hillary? Lock her up!
NC:
Trump was telling all the rubes that he had no dealings with Russia when he was trying to build a Trump Hotel in Moscow. How is that nothing to do with Russia. Trump’s kids met with Russians to get dirt on Hillary. How is that having nothing to do with Russia.
Why do you keep bringing up Hillary. She wasn’t elected. If she did something wrong does that justify Trump doing something wrong. I don’t get your obsession with Hillary. Her actions have nothing at all to do with Trump.
No one can point to one specific vote that was changed because of Russia interference but you have to assume Russia did not waste the time and effort in interfering without a vote changing. Why do you think people advertise on television. I don’t think when beer is advertised that you can point to one person who brought the beer because of an ad but you know they have that effect. How do you expand Mueller’s less than two year investigation into a three year investigation. No one in the media mentioned Trump’s involvement with Russia until after he was elected two years ago. Again I ask you, why won’t Trump admit Russia helped him get elected. You don’t want to answer that. Why?
2. There are many valid criticism of Trump. The main one is he lies. The second one is he lies. Etc. He’s now pushing to take away the Affordable Care Act. His budget wants to reduce Medicare and Social Security. He gave tons of money to the rich exploding the deficit. His wall is a joke.
3. It’s sad that you would even suggest locking up Hillary. Don’t you recognize that is what countries in the Third World do? Don’t you know never in our history has a candidate who won an election called upon the country and his supporters to lock up the person who ran against him. Where does this change come from? How does this help America if we start locking up political opponents especially when it has never been established that the person even committed a crime despite partisan investigations. You surely are buying into a different type of America than the one I have known.
All excellent points, NC. Folks should actually read History, as you obviously do, in depth. Thanks for the information and insights.
A great day in American History: The Propagandists (Media) and Jihadi Javerts( FEDs, Muellar, his biased 57 lawyers/investigators, et al) all lost Big Time . . .they finally admitted what we the people knew all along NO COLLUSION and NO CONCLUSION.
NO CONLUSION on obstruction is = No conclusion on whether I sold drugs or beat my dog . . . .it means the PROSECUTORS/INVESTIGATORS/JIHADISTS/PERSECUTORS in the FEDS had insufficient evidence to bring charges
NO CONCLUSION after 2 year investigation, thousands of subpoenas by 57 biased pro-Dem, pro-Hillary lawyers-investigators assembled by Muellar, the Benedict Arnold like Comey et al, is A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH
DID YOU NOTICE, no EXONERATION on Trump’s use of massage parlors?
All nations spy. All nations hack. It was reported that Victoria Nuland of the State Department bragged that We spent $5 billion to re orient the Ukrainians to oust their duly elected pro Russian president. Did Russia spend $5 billion in the 2016 election in America? Not really. Were there more than 200 members of the British Labor party campaigning for Hillary in North Carolina? Yes and that was a more significant effort than anything the Russians did. British spies were also working for Hillary. The entire Russian Collusion story was a hoax. It was a pretext to spy on the Trump campaign by the Deep State for the benefit of the crooked Obama Administration and Hillary. They would do anything to stop Trump including this bogus criminal plot they hatched. Fortunately they failed. 2. Were the Russians concerned about Hillary and her absurd REGIME CHANGE program? Were they going to be the next victim? Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and Serbia suffered under their cruel efforts so they didn’t want to be next. Naturally they didn’t want Hillary. They paid her $140 million in the Uranium One deal and then she double crossed them. 3. One has to remember history. Russia never invaded our country but in 1918 we invaded Russia both at Archangel in the North and from the Pacific. We sent thousands of troops to Russia to fight the Bolsheviks. Should Russia trust us? Should Iran trust us. We deposed their duly elected president and replaced him with the tyrant , the Shah. 4. Why did Harry Truman call Hubert Humphrey a crackpot? Wasn’t it Obama who said he would have more flexibility with Russia after the next election? Were the Russians helping Obama in 2012?
Matt wrote: “…must also accept that Russia did attempt to aid Trump in getting elected.”
I think that it was very much a matter of keeping HRC out of the White House, regardless of who her opponent might be.
NC:
Simple question:Why won’t Trump admit Russia aided him in his election? What’s your answer.
As for your deep state nonsense, why didn’t the deep state disclose Russian interference before the election if such thing existed. The rest of your first comment is just noise avoiding answering question.
2. Now you justify Russia’s attack on the U.S. election by suggesting Hillary was going to seek regime change in Russia. That is surely going far over the edge. And you suggest Ukraine suffered under someone’s cruel efforts, who are you talking about? What are you talking about that the Ukrainians suffered in getting freedom? You make no sense.
3. And what has the end of WWI got to do with today – do you argue that because we fought the Bolsheviks in Russia at the end that that justifies Russia now attacking America? Whose side are you on? As for Iran, of course after Trump walked away from a deal it should not trust us.
4. It seems you are in favor of not having any Civil Rights legislation. Humphrey sought to include in the Democratic Party platform in 1948 language that included a strong civil rights plank in favor of the weaker one supported by the White House. President Truman referred to him as one of those “crackpots” who couldn’t possibly understand what would happen if the south left the party. If he took the fight to the floor and won, the southern delegates might walk out and cost Harry Truman the presidency.