John Durham’s report should kill the Trump-Russia conspiracy theory ten times over, but we know better than that. This story never dies. Every time you shoot at it, it splits into six new deep state fantasies.
Matt Taibbi
Reading John Durham’s Russiagate report, don’t forget the original sin; Candidate Obama’s equivocation after Russia invaded Georgia: “Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint to avoid a full-scale war.” Once elected, he sent Hillary Clinton to Moscow with the Reset Button; suggesting a US about-face that Sarah Palin said “would only encourage Russia’s Putin to invade Ukraine next.” She was spot on: Obama was dangerous. Sadly, he was bad at everything but campaigning and spying on political rivals (like supposed ally Angela Merkel).
He bungled the economy: 1.5% GDP growth on his watch was the worst of any president since WWII. He had no national-security vision, mocking Romney in 2012 for mentioning Russia: “the 1980s are calling to ask for their foreign policy back, because the cold war’s been over for 20 years.” Oh, but could he ever talk and pass the buck- – to the applause of an adoring press. Meanwhile, America grew weaker.
His administration lobbied against the Magnitsky Act, nixed Bush’s missile-defense plans, and initiated the New START Treaty with Putin. China asserted claims over the South China Seas, and he ignored the Pentagon’s call for a strong response because he wanted “Chinese support on global issues such as climate change” (source: Financial Times). And, don’t forget PSD-11, Obama’s directive that invited overthrows of Gaddafi’s Libya and Mubarak’s Egypt.
I’d argue Obama’s directive precipitated the rise of ISIS. Just as his equivocation invited Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and his culture invited the weaponized administrative state – detailed in the findings of the DOJ’s inspector general Horowitz, special counsel Mueller, and special counsel Durham. Institutional culture starts at the top, where Obama was nonchalant toward foreign enemies, but sicced the CIA, DOJ, FBI, IRS, and NSA on conservatives. His mean spirit was divisive then and destructive today.
Start with VP Joe Biden, who’s just as incompetent and unaccountable as his old boss. He’s lied (“never spoken to my son about his overseas business”), misled (“50 former national intelligence folks said [laptop story] is a Russian plant”), blamed others for his flops (Afghanistan withdrawal), and demonized US citizens (“semi-fascist GOP”). After promising “competence” and to “unite all Americans.”
Just like Obama’s “change we can believe in” and “greater together” from 2008 (which never happened). Both embraced the politics of personal destruction (i.e. the Trump-Russia hoax). Obama said, “the Russians hack our systems, the motives of the leaks – I can’t say directly – what I do know is that Trump has repeatedly expressed admiration for Putin.” Biden called for a select committee to investigate collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia. More than any other Democrats, these two gave legs to the Russiagate conspiracy.
Yes, Secretary of State Clinton originated the (false) Steel Dossier, FBI Director Comey unleashed Crossfire Hurricane onto the Trump campaign, the CIA’s John Brennan and NSA’s James Clapper spread it to Democrats in Congress and allies in the media, and Susan Rice re-tweeted every newsflash to fire up the party faithful – because Obama taught them “elections have consequences” (like ramming Obamacare through Congress). Just win, baby.
These are the Obamanauts that left Iran on the road to nuclear arms and Trump under an investigation. How warped is it to believe radical Islamists won’t develop nuclear weapons but claim Trump’s too “unhinged” to trust with launch codes? One reader shared this view: if not falsely accused, Trump doesn’t act so bizarre and Democrats don’t act at their worst. Maybe, but 65% of Americans, including 79% of suburban dwellers, say the US is more divided today than ever (source: YouGov poll). And, Democrats are as much to blame as Trump.
Fast forward to 2020, when Obama’s director of policy, Jake Sullivan, roamed swing states to change local election laws in districts that leaned Democrat, and his deputy national security advisor, Antony Blinken, schemed to bury the Hunter Biden laptop story with the “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation” letter. Several of those “former intelligence officials” have now admitted to knowing the laptop was real but wanting to help Joe Biden get elected (anyway).
What happened to truth, justice and the American way? Trampled by the very people charged with serving US citizens and upholding the US constitution. Obama could not deliver “change we can believe in” (Bernie Sanders blamed him for a 53% drop in median net worth of black households). But, he had a knack for identity politics (“they cling to their bibles”) and weaponizing federal agencies.
To wit, Lynch (DOJ) met secretly with Bill Clinton during his wife’s investigation, Comey (FBI) let Hillary Clinton walk, Brennan (CIA) spied on the Senate, Ed Snowden stole NSA secrets on Clapper’s watch, Holder (DOJ) allowed illegal Fast and Furious gun sales from Mexico, and Lerner (IRS) harassed the Tea Party.
For all the hoopla, the swamp survived Trump: Comey (FBI) entrapped Flynn, and, as soon as Pelosi got the House, Vindman (NSC) triggered Trump’s first impeachment.
Biden is Obama’s disciple, telling black graduates at Howard University that “white supremacy is the single most dangerous terrorist threat in our homeland – and I’m not just saying this because I’m at a Black HBCU.” That’s 100% true, because Garland (DOJ) targeted white mothers as “domestic terrorists” for confronting woke school boards, and Wray (FBI) placed informants inside (southern) Catholic Churches. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, right?
Back to Matt Taibbi (see top), who was cancelled at Rolling Stone. The left flank won’t go down without a fight; like a sci-fi movie where the monster keeps re-generating, despite being hacked and hewed. Except we’re in the movie – – and you’re next…