The Progressive Swamp of Washington D.C.

[This article was submitted by Norm Sauer, member of The Union Editorial Board, who shares his writings with RR from time to time.  This piece also appears as an op-ed column in the 11mar17 edition of the newspaper (here).  It is printed below as received.  gjr]

Norm Sauer

“The competent leader of men cares little for the interior niceties of other people’s characters. . . He supplies the power; others supply only the materials upon which that power operates. . .  Resistance is left to the minority, and such as will not be convinced are crushed.” (Woodrow Wilson, 1890, ‘Leaders of Men’)

Swamps stink from rot, and much is rotten in Washington D.C. 

President Trump during his campaign promised to clear the swamp, and the odor of fear evidenced by the left’s delay, delegitimize, and intelligence trip wires leaked anonymously from the progressive Obama administration are adding to the stink.  The Wilson progressive Democrats’ goal is to crush Trump.

Fighting back, President Trump this weekend called out President Obama’s reported police state tactics of wiretapping the Trump Tower and campaign personnel during his campaign for the presidency.

The Obama White House and mainstream media outlets immediately denied Trump’s wiretapping accusation.  President Trump has asked the Senate Intelligence Committee to investigate Obama’s wiretapping.

What was reported to date?

1. Obama wire tapped various individuals in the U. S. media, such as Fox News reporter James Rosen and members of the Associated Press in 2013, and in 2014 reporter Sharyl Attkisson, whose computer was hacked by spyware proprietary to a government agency.
2. In June 2016 an FBI request was filed with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) to monitor communications involving Donald Trump and several advisors. The request was denied. (The Guardian)
3. In October 2016 two unnamed counter-intelligence sources confirmed the FBI sought and was granted a FISA warrant for permission to examine the activities of U. S. persons in Donald Trump’s campaign with ties to Russia. (Heatstreet)
4. January 2017, two sources advise the FBI and five other law enforcement and intelligence agencies have collaborated for months in an investigation into Russian attempts to influence the November election, including whether money from the Kremlin covertly aided President-elect Trump. (McClatchy)
5. The FBI and other agencies accelerated their efforts in recent weeks but found no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing based on wiretapped communications provided to the White House. (NY Times)
6. “In its final days, the Obama administration has expanded the power of the National Security Agency to share globally intercepted personal communications with the government’s 16 other intelligence agencies before applying privacy protections. (NY Times)
7. In the Obama administration’s last days, some White House officials scrambled to spread information about Russian efforts to undermine the presidential election—and about possible contacts with associates of President-elect Donald J. Trump—across the government. (NY Times)
8. Flynn is said to have talked to Russians about sanctions before Trump took office? (NY Times, source?)
9. On January 20, 2017, Inauguration Day, the NY Times in an article co-authored by Michael S. Schmidt, reported that wiretaps of people on the Trump team were passed to the Obama White House. The same Michael S. Schmidt reported in the NY Times on March 4, 2017, that “Trump, offering no evidence, says Obama tapped his phones.” (What?)
10. On Sunday, March 5, 2017, Obama’s national intelligence chief, James Clapper, denied the existence of any FISA warrants and said Trump’s claims were false.

Sound confusing?  Consider the following:

President Trump should not be underestimated.  He has called Obama’s bluff with his tweet this weekend forcing Obama to put up or shut up about FISA warrants and wire taps.  No matter what the evidence shows Obama loses. 

If there is a Russian connection with Trump, then Obama engaged in illegal wiretapping for partisan political purposes against an American citizen, and Obama has some serious explaining to do.  Can he say he didn’t know what was going on concerning six intelligence agencies wiretapping candidate Trump and his campaign personnel?

On the other hand, what if there were no FISA warrants or wire taps.  If so, Obama-connected minions released false information to a complicit media which abandoned all journalistic principles and are nothing but propaganda whores.

So, it is either a conspiracy by the Obama administration to abuse executive power and illegally target an American citizen, or it is a conspiracy by the media and the radical progressive Democratic Party to tear down the lawfully elected President of the United States and crush him and his administration.

Either way, this promises to be one of the biggest political stories since Watergate, and probably bigger. Stay tuned, but hold your nose because the stink is going to get worse.

Comments

[Todd Juvinall]

Today's SacBee had a propaganda piece on "climate change". The latest "study" and computer models say the oceans contain 90% of the increased heat on the planet. Reading it made me laugh outloud as they use all those wiggle words. May, could. perhaps, experts say, amd mmany more. Of course at the end it is all about TRUMP cutting the budget and the lack of money for these hoaxsters.

[Todd Juvinall]

What happened? Did the Russian story bite the dust? Looks to me like the fantasy of the democrats and their lackey's in the lamestream media has run its course. As soon as Trump tweeted that Obama and his henchmen were wiretapping his Trump Tower phones, the left went silent pretty fast. So using the lamestream's logic, where there is smoke there must be fire. My guess is Trump called their bluff and they blinked. They have to protect their own and maybe that was in jeopardy. So now the lamestreams have moved on to TrumpCare and the firing of left-wingers in the Justice Department. I hope Trump keeps tossing the liberals out of government and gets America back on track for fairness and patriotism.Let's hope so.

[Russ]

Todd,

The intercepted phone conversations are known as signal intelligence and are stored in an SCIF, with controlled access, everyone entering is logged in and out. All the investigators have to do is get the access logs and start interviewing who had access to the information, and they will discover the leaker. It has finally dawned on the left that they are about to be discovered and are trying to change the conversation. This is a Trump administration, not the weakling Obama's administration. Stay tuned!

[Walt]

Some great news on this beautiful day.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/11/delingpole-pruitt-says-no-co2-social-justice-epa/

The carbon fairy got it's wings clipped.

[Bill Tozer]

In a sorta related to the topic kind of way, is it just me or has anyone else noticed the eerie quiet on this front as well?

(link removed per request)

[Bill Tozer]

Darn, mea cupa to all. This is the pic I meant to post above. Kinda on topic. Perhaps Dr. Rebane can remove my 1:42pm link.

Silence is golden.
https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/1043064989160871/?type=3&theater

[ScenesFromTheApocalypse]

Just because I like this picture.

http://i.imgur.com/DVt0hKt.jpg

[Russ]

I think the phrase that Norm was looking for was that Rosen was spied on not wire tapped.

http://3jrjps1t0ztwsakr03fp3bhy.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1l6rin-1080x675.jpg

[ScenesFromTheApocalypse]

The thing that's crazy about this pathological need to look through keyholes is that the truly large risk comes from vulnerabilities in computers and networks. No doubt it's fun and sometimes valuable to catch the odd terrorist or crime boss, but just wait until the financial system or power grid is brought down by someone.

That's all in addition to the risk you gain from giving the intelligence agencies the goods on absolutely everybody...of course that will get used in a nefarious way at some point.

One answer might be to pull a big chunk of funding from the NSA/NRO/CIA/etc. and hand it to an agency that is set up to ensure a lack of vulnerabilities. At the same time, you can argue that the Microsofts, Googles, Oracles, Apples of the world meet minimum standards for quality.

Of course, compare to PE's polls and pussy hats, this is all small potatoes.

Cartoon o' the day.

https://i.redd.it/1jii6g4193ky.jpg

[Bill Tozer]

Ok, how about different perspectives for the open minded among us...myself excluded. One from Charles Krauthammer and another from a #NeverTrumper and "leading critic of Putin." Both say the same thing.....what a waste of needless energy connecting the dots to tickle the flesh....without hard cold evidence. it's a bloody conspiracy I tell ya!

Opiate of the masses:

https://patriotpost.us/opinion/47899

If you get past the Trump bashing, she makes a good point. Hope PE doesn't read this....it might spoil all the fun.

https://theintercept.com/2017/03/07/leading-putin-critic-warns-of-xenophobic-conspiracy-theories-drowning-u-s-discourse-and-helping-trump/

[Walt]

OH what a day! No better than to stink up the air down wind with the smell of BBQ pork ribs, and applewood.
CO2 is my friend. You won't get the same savory goodness out of the kitchen oven.

[George Rebane]

Walt 114pm - Now Walt, that's cruel and unusual punishment (I think it's even called out in the Geneva Convention). You could just invite us all over. We'd even bring the bourbon ;-)

[Don Bessee]

The q's are getting going in my neck of the woods too. Yum. Ellen and me will just have to settle for a couple of NY's over mesquite wood and some fresh French bread later. ;-)

[Walt]

OK! OKaaaa..... I get it. I will stop the torture. I will give notice next time.
I will take orders and stuff the poor, overworked, soon to be burned out flavor maker.

I have let the place go to hell over the Winter, and is unfit for visitors.(yes, MY bad)
Will get on that little problem.(uggg.. NOT so little)

So I guess I will have to deliver.(Or my circle driveway can act as a drive through.)

I'm envious Don.. Red meat and I don't get along. It tries to kill me. How I long to dig in to a nice, medium rare 2LB NY steak. I would wind up in the closest ER.

[Don Bessee]

Well that sucks Walt. At least ya had them in the day but I know personally that you have very nice alternatives these days. ;-)

[Walt]

There IS no alt. for beef. Just second best. (oh well....)
I'm glad you liked my cooking. More than happy to slave over a grill for those that enjoy it.
Now to get personalized on the sauces. Anyone can use off the shelf goods, but it will taste like it.

OH Ya.. I hear some Eskimos are looking to export Reindeer(no, not Cariboo re-named) meat to us down here in the 48.
I can't wait to get my hands of a few pounds of that. Had it once when we went to visit kin Sweden. Yes, that's bucket list chow if there ever was.
Let's hope that capitalism brings good fortune to those Eskimos.

[Don Bessee]

I hear ya Walt. Capitalism is already delivering oil checks to those tough eskimo folks. ;-)

[Paul Emery]

We should know aomething tomorrow about Trumps allegations that Obama wiretapped his phone.

"The U.S. House Intelligence Committee is calling on President Donald Trump to produce evidence by Monday that the phones at Trump Tower were wiretapped during the presidential campaign.

The president went on a Twitter rant a week ago saying former president Barack Obama had the Trump Tower phones tapped, but Trump did not offer any evidence. The president tweeted, “Terrible. Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism.”

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/monday-deadline-looms-for-trump-to-provide-proof-of-accusations-obama-tapped-his-phone/

Committee chairman Devin Nunes, a Republican from California, and Adam Schiff, also from California who is the committee’s ranking Democrat, sent a letter to Trump requesting the evidence to support his wiretap claim.

[Bill Tozer]

That Trump is something else, by golly. Everything the Enlightened Ones do blows up in the faces, lol. Russia? I don't see not stinkin' Russia. Impeach him! Yep, that Trump knows the art of the deal. Funny guy.

https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/1043347409132629/?type=3&theater

[Russ]

From Politico this morning, an admission of guilt:

NICK DENTON'S TAKE - "The fact is, most of the liberal media is working to halt trump," the former Gawker Media boss said yesterday during his own SXSW interview. "They're getting leaks from sympathetic bureaucrats in the federal bureaucracy, and they are acting as the opposition to Trump, and I don't think there are many people in the middle who are looking to bridge those divides. ... I think they believe they're acting in defense of liberal democracy, but Trump does not believe in liberal democracy and his voters do not believe in liberal democracy, and that makes the liberal press part of the opposition. You can't deny that any more."

When did we become a liberal democracy? I thought we were a republic with an elected leader, who put the "sympathetic bureaucrats in the federal bureaucracy" in charge?

[Todd Juvinall]

Boardman took a sideswipe at Rebane today in his column on LaMalfa.

"Conservatives and Republicans are the ones with the big hearts. After all it is they who pay the bills and the taxes that are then used by liberals to give away. And as far as I can tell the brainwashing of the liberals starts with the freebies at the early ages. This giveaway of others stuff (money) with little accountability is how they inculcate people to accept the gratis. Then when they are adults it is OK to accept the handouts rather than pursue work. 1996 Clinton signed the bill that Republicans sought and it changed the handout culture overnight. Millions of couch potato's got jobs. But the system whittled away at the rules and we are back to the old ways.

I think Mr. Boardman wants some "purity" in people's views which we know is not possible. So I find no problems with "choice" of breakfast and "restrictions" of welfare recipients buying lobster and steak. Recently FOX interviewed a surfer dude in San Diego who buys steak and lobster o with his food stamps. It was quite revealing about the system. But he only bought the steak and lobster he said when it was on sale."

[Todd Juvinall]

The lower parar's were my response.

[BradC]

Wow, linking Mr. Sauer's letter in two recent blog posts! There must be some damning evidence in this letter to the editor. Wait, no - it is just a collection of unsubstantiated claims made on various echo chambers stemming from anonymous sources.

I looked briefly at the Rosen claim - nothing there; I looked at the FISA approved surveillance claims - who/what is Heat Street and who are their anonymous sources? Sounds sketchy to me.

Regarding FISA,

"First, the president has no role in the FBI’s decision to seek a warrant or the FISA court’s approval for one, as explained in a 2006 story by the New York Times on how the FISA application process works. The warrant application would be initiated by the FBI and presented to the FISA court by Justice Department attorneys.
Second, the FBI must prove to the court that there is “probable cause” that the target of the warrant is “an agent of a foreign power” and engaged in criminal activity, as explained in a joint statement last year to Congress by the intelligence community officials.
Neither Heat Street nor the BBC alleged any wrongdoing by Obama or the FBI in allegedly obtaining a FISA court warrant in October."

Looks like nothing to see here.

Our glorious leader is telling America's children that is ok to stay up all night and Tweet lies - and it is all good! And you never have to apologize or admit when you are wrong. Thanks Mr. President, for this teachable moment!

[fish]

Posted by: BradC | 13 March 2017 at 08:52 AM

Morning Jughaid.......!

[ScenesFromTheApocalypse]

re: Russ@7:26AM.

I do like people who wrap themselves in the flag of 'liberal democracy'. The opposing side is always 'far right' or 'hard right' at the very least. No biggie, it's just a matter of branding.

The surprising thing is that the schism, which might result in some real uproar, is basically over the question of whether the First World should allow unlimited mass movement of people from the Third. It isn't like Le Pen would be considered as anything like a 'conservative' from the traditional US standpoint, plus I'm seeing more interest in things like single payer medicine from people who vote Republican.

The fact that it's all happening in a rather simultaneous fashion is really interesting. How are these clips different, really?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL4Eme2nkm4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJGVIi31Ntw

[fish]

Posted by: ScenesFromTheApocalypse | 13 March 2017 at 09:02 AM

.....plus I'm seeing more interest in things like single payer medicine from people who vote Republican.

I am too.

The schadenfreude will be delicious when, after being subjected to endless complaints about a large, expensive, slow moving and uncaring insurance industry we start to hear complaints about a large, expensive, slow moving and uncaring government bureaucracy.

[Russ]

British bugged Trump for Obama?

Interesting comment on Fox News Outnumbered by Judge Napolitano, who suggested that it was the Brits that bugged the Trump campaign at Obama's request, therefore providing coverage for US intelligent agencies. "We know nothing, it wasn't us" It is clear there was some kind of tap, as there were private conversations leaked to the press. Someone did it, and it was damaging to Trump. So, who benefits? Answer that question and you know who did it, as the stakes were quite high, jail if caught.

[fish]

Posted by: Russ | 13 March 2017 at 10:19 AM

Isn't that the entire "FIVE EYES" Modus Operandi?

Documents leaked by Snowden in 2013 revealed that the FVEY have been spying on one another's citizens and sharing the collected information with each other in order to circumvent restrictive domestic regulations on surveillance of citizens.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes

[ScenesFromTheApocalypse]

re: Fish @ 10:30AM

I seem to remember that being laid out in Bamford's book in the mid 1980s.

The pearl clutching about Trump claiming to have been bugged is laughable. The surveillance is pretty much a given. The new (so far as I can tell) angle has been to use the information to exert political influence via leaks to captive newspapers.

[BradC]

Do we have a new record regarding taxpayer monies being spent to maintain the lavish lifestyle habits of a sitting president.. in just the first few weeks?

The silence of the Tea Party types is deafening.

http://www.politicususa.com/2017/03/11/trump-golf-today-9th-time-7-weeks.html

crickets....

[fish]

Posted by: BradC | 13 March 2017 at 12:49 PM

You might want to compare it to that of his immediate predecessor Brad....he seemed to vacation an awful lot. Of course many felt that this was when the government was in its least bad state....when Barry was out shanking tee shots as opposed to....ummm....governing.

[ScenesFromTheApocalypse]

re: BC @ 12:49PM

....aaaand, it's Whack-A-Mole.

Here's a cheat sheet for the rest of the afternoon.

https://advocacyveganism.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/13308745_10153622579066787_8076604020493843092_o.jpg

Well, this would be interesting.

https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/841336608506970113

[BradC]

The Jingo Unchained Report for Monday,

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/man-sets-florida-store-fire-arabs-170312203008410.html

[fish]

Posted by: ScenesFromTheApocalypse | 13 March 2017 at 04:30 PM

Here's a cheat sheet for the rest of the afternoon.

1) TAKE UP MINIMAL SPACE DURING ANTI-RACISM DIALOGUES AND PROTESTS

How about none....as in I won't be there......after all......there's #10

10) RECOGNIZE THAT YOU'RE STILL RACIST. NO MATTER WHAT.

Seems kinda pointless.....

[fish]

Posted by: BradC | 13 March 2017 at 04:44 PM

That's a good one Jughaid......and from Florida too!

Never go full Florida!

[ScenesFromTheApocalypse]

https://www.reddit.com/r/FloridaMan/

[Bill Tozer]

Now to undo one more liberal lie: the Wage Gap. Much unlearning to be done.

https://patriotpost.us/posts/47931

[fish]

This can't be good for the Gay Old Party.....

Drudge: "Republicans Lied About Tax Cuts", Wants His Vote Back

Never a good idea to piss off the guy with the biggest megaphone in the world!

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-14/drudge-republicans-lied-about-tax-cuts-wants-his-vote-back

[Norm Sauer]

Judicial Watch has just filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Justice Department, FBI, etc. to all information regarding the Flynn-Siklyak (?) conversation that was leaked and resulted in part in Flynn's release.

http://www.newsmax.com/TomFitton/cia-wiretaps/2017/03/13/id/778401/

[Norm Sauer]

Breaking news: Obama used the British to spy on Trump. See:

http://www.dailywire.com/news/14394/bombshell-fox-news-sources-say-obama-used-brits-john-nolte

[Bill Tozer]

Very interesting read. No FISA needed, but Obama White House scrambled to release names. This is posted as a preemptive strike against the one with BDS and TDS come Monday

"This would mean that the Obama administration had effectively short-circuited the FISA process by checking to see if Trump associates were picked up incidentally on existing surveillance, and then disseminating the take widely within the intelligence bureaucracy. That's not the same as ordering -- without court oversight -- a targeted wiretap on Trump Tower. But it's pretty serious, nonetheless."

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-03-15/trump-s-wiretap-claims-are-bogus-but-he-s-still-onto-something