February 25, 2018
How the dangerous game between Republicans, Democrats, and corporate media regarding the FBI will lay the groundwork for the destruction of the American Republic
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The ongoing battle between Republicans and Democrats and their allies in the media regarding the legitimacy of the Donald Trump presidency has reached dangerous levels for our democracy, government institutions and the future of our republic. Democrats have been pushing the alleged collusion between members of the Trump Administration and the Russian government through Vladimir Putin's associates. Democratic members of Congress have tried to paint Hillary Clinton's shock loss in November 2016 as a result of collusion between the Russians and Donald Trump's inner circle of friends and close associates.
The gist of their argument is that President Trump used his sons and others like Paul Manafort as background intermediaries to work to ensure Trump won. I have yet to see any evidence from any member of Congress to prove that there is anything factual or newsworthy. They are using a dossier compiled by British intelligence officer Christopher Steele to show that Trump has committed treason to win a democratic election in the United States. This dossier was promoted by a pro-Hillary organization called Fusion GPS. According to Ben Shapiro, in an article which appeared in the National Review, the FBI applied for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) warrant based on the language of the Steele dossier, which was filled with unverified information. Fusion GPS allegedly worked with Obama appointees in the upper echelon of the FBI to promote this idea and get the FISA warrant approved to investigate the Trump transition team staffers. The investigation did not begin with former Trump aide Carter Page, but instead with George Papadopoulos, who pled guilty to lying to the FBI recently. Mr. Shapiro stated that Carter Page was being monitored over a long period of time because of his close ties to elements with the Russian government. There may be suspicion of a crime, but that does not constitute an actual crime once thoroughly investigated. President Trump is not known to have people of integrity on his campaign and White House staff, but unless the proof is irrefutable that there was collusion, I think it best that the country is allowed to move on from this episode and focus on protecting future elections from outside interference.
At some point, Democrats either need to reveal what they allege or they must move on to more productive things, such as trying to win back one or both houses of Congress. If they don't, it will appear that they are sore losers and instead want to litigate the 2016 election they felt entitled to win. In fact, after watching Tucker Carlson on Fox News, he believes that if this investigation does not prove any malfeasance on the part of President Trump, the GOP will use the antagonist (and hoped career advancement as a result of this crusade) Congressman Adam Schiff as a campaign theme target so that the Republicans hold onto the House after the 2018 Midterms. If the Democrats take back the House and use their new majority to impeach President Trump on charges that will not hold up in court, or the Senate, it is bad news. It will trigger worse reactions from Trump supporters and begin a period of hostile confrontation between the two major parties. This will be exploited on the international stage of foreign policy by the Chinese and to some extent, the Russians themselves I believe.
The gist of their argument is that President Trump used his sons and others like Paul Manafort as background intermediaries to work to ensure Trump won. I have yet to see any evidence from any member of Congress to prove that there is anything factual or newsworthy. They are using a dossier compiled by British intelligence officer Christopher Steele to show that Trump has committed treason to win a democratic election in the United States. This dossier was promoted by a pro-Hillary organization called Fusion GPS. According to Ben Shapiro, in an article which appeared in the National Review, the FBI applied for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) warrant based on the language of the Steele dossier, which was filled with unverified information. Fusion GPS allegedly worked with Obama appointees in the upper echelon of the FBI to promote this idea and get the FISA warrant approved to investigate the Trump transition team staffers. The investigation did not begin with former Trump aide Carter Page, but instead with George Papadopoulos, who pled guilty to lying to the FBI recently. Mr. Shapiro stated that Carter Page was being monitored over a long period of time because of his close ties to elements with the Russian government. There may be suspicion of a crime, but that does not constitute an actual crime once thoroughly investigated. President Trump is not known to have people of integrity on his campaign and White House staff, but unless the proof is irrefutable that there was collusion, I think it best that the country is allowed to move on from this episode and focus on protecting future elections from outside interference.
At some point, Democrats either need to reveal what they allege or they must move on to more productive things, such as trying to win back one or both houses of Congress. If they don't, it will appear that they are sore losers and instead want to litigate the 2016 election they felt entitled to win. In fact, after watching Tucker Carlson on Fox News, he believes that if this investigation does not prove any malfeasance on the part of President Trump, the GOP will use the antagonist (and hoped career advancement as a result of this crusade) Congressman Adam Schiff as a campaign theme target so that the Republicans hold onto the House after the 2018 Midterms. If the Democrats take back the House and use their new majority to impeach President Trump on charges that will not hold up in court, or the Senate, it is bad news. It will trigger worse reactions from Trump supporters and begin a period of hostile confrontation between the two major parties. This will be exploited on the international stage of foreign policy by the Chinese and to some extent, the Russians themselves I believe.
The Republicans, on the other hand, are trying to paint the prior Obama Administration as culpable in trying to derail President Trump's victory by using government institutions to thwart his win. The GOP is attempting to show that Democrats wanted to stop at nothing to prove that President Trump is an illegitimate Leader of the Free World. They allege that President Obama used political friends in the FBI to attempt to paint Trump as working to collude with a foreign government to help him win. They may have something to cling to since there is recent evidence provided through emails from President Obama, that he did not notify the American public of alleged interference from the Russian intelligence community.
According to the Washington Post's Phillip Bump, in an article dated February 21st, members of President Obama's White House staff wrote to their Kremlin contacts in early 2016 to warn them about interference in the upcoming American election. It was hoped that Russia would get the hint, and avoid any perception that it had a hand in determining a winner in November of 2016. CIA Director John Brennan informed leaders of both parties and members of the intelligence community wanted President Obama to notify the American people. However, without a consensus within the intelligence community, Obama did not act on those recommendations. Once it appeared that Donald Trump was going to win the White House, the stories of "collusion" started to begin in effect from the Hillary campaign, and senior members of the Democratic Establishment and other lawmakers of influence joined in the chorus. It has now reached a crescendo.
The Mueller investigation may paint a few stupid and careless Trump associates as guilty of various things, but if collusion with a foreign government by President Trump himself is not one of them, this will have serious consequences for the United States to function as a constitutional republic. It has been discussed on various online sites that the FBI allegedly used flimsy evidence from the Steele Dossier, which was put together by Fusion GPS, to secure the FISA warrant. If this is proven true, and the Mueller investigation does not bear the fruit that the Democrats hopes for, then President Trump will use this "fake investigation" to solidify his base in time for the 2018 Midterms. Even FBI Deputy Director Rod Rosenstein stated that he believes any allegations into the conduct of the charges against Trump's associates did not affect the outcome of the 2016 election.
As mentioned earlier, if nothing comes out of this investigation by Mueller, then an already divided country and hyper-partisan Congress will change the dynamics of how our country operates as a vibrant democracy. One of the few government institutions that the American people hold in high regard (outside of the military) is the FBI, the world's premier law enforcement agency in the world. If partisanship infects this great agency, it will eventually be used by both Congress and future presidents as a secret police force that investigates political opponents and use it to paint members of the president's opposition as enemies of the state. This is the first step in getting admired and respected members of the FBI, Department of Defense and overall law enforcement as non-partisan, unbiased people who took an oath to defend the Constitution against enemies, both foreign and domestic. A strong democracy cannot effectively protect the American people and provide a service that makes our country one of the greatest democracies on earth.
What is the solution to this partisan mess? First, Republicans and Democrats must show temperance and patience, and let this investigation by Robert Mueller play out, and make determinations based on the rule of law, rather than a promoted outcome by either party. This will respect the process of proper legal investigations, and provide the American people with the way to conduct thorough investigations before anyone projects a biased outcome. It will also ensure that investigations are just that, to research any allegations against anyone, and make a determination if charges are warranted. Furthermore, members of Congress must leave the FBI rank and file agents out of the political sphere. Even though there are extreme partisan feelings regarding Trump and his administration's policies, it is best to alleviate the nation's law enforcement agencies out of defending their work to political witch hunts on both sides. The nation's institutions and democratic future are at stake.
According to the Washington Post's Phillip Bump, in an article dated February 21st, members of President Obama's White House staff wrote to their Kremlin contacts in early 2016 to warn them about interference in the upcoming American election. It was hoped that Russia would get the hint, and avoid any perception that it had a hand in determining a winner in November of 2016. CIA Director John Brennan informed leaders of both parties and members of the intelligence community wanted President Obama to notify the American people. However, without a consensus within the intelligence community, Obama did not act on those recommendations. Once it appeared that Donald Trump was going to win the White House, the stories of "collusion" started to begin in effect from the Hillary campaign, and senior members of the Democratic Establishment and other lawmakers of influence joined in the chorus. It has now reached a crescendo.
The Mueller investigation may paint a few stupid and careless Trump associates as guilty of various things, but if collusion with a foreign government by President Trump himself is not one of them, this will have serious consequences for the United States to function as a constitutional republic. It has been discussed on various online sites that the FBI allegedly used flimsy evidence from the Steele Dossier, which was put together by Fusion GPS, to secure the FISA warrant. If this is proven true, and the Mueller investigation does not bear the fruit that the Democrats hopes for, then President Trump will use this "fake investigation" to solidify his base in time for the 2018 Midterms. Even FBI Deputy Director Rod Rosenstein stated that he believes any allegations into the conduct of the charges against Trump's associates did not affect the outcome of the 2016 election.
As mentioned earlier, if nothing comes out of this investigation by Mueller, then an already divided country and hyper-partisan Congress will change the dynamics of how our country operates as a vibrant democracy. One of the few government institutions that the American people hold in high regard (outside of the military) is the FBI, the world's premier law enforcement agency in the world. If partisanship infects this great agency, it will eventually be used by both Congress and future presidents as a secret police force that investigates political opponents and use it to paint members of the president's opposition as enemies of the state. This is the first step in getting admired and respected members of the FBI, Department of Defense and overall law enforcement as non-partisan, unbiased people who took an oath to defend the Constitution against enemies, both foreign and domestic. A strong democracy cannot effectively protect the American people and provide a service that makes our country one of the greatest democracies on earth.
What is the solution to this partisan mess? First, Republicans and Democrats must show temperance and patience, and let this investigation by Robert Mueller play out, and make determinations based on the rule of law, rather than a promoted outcome by either party. This will respect the process of proper legal investigations, and provide the American people with the way to conduct thorough investigations before anyone projects a biased outcome. It will also ensure that investigations are just that, to research any allegations against anyone, and make a determination if charges are warranted. Furthermore, members of Congress must leave the FBI rank and file agents out of the political sphere. Even though there are extreme partisan feelings regarding Trump and his administration's policies, it is best to alleviate the nation's law enforcement agencies out of defending their work to political witch hunts on both sides. The nation's institutions and democratic future are at stake.
This is an insightful assessment of the current distrust, intolerant and divisive behavior of our elected officials who seem to have figuratively trampled on this country's revered institutions that was built over decades with vision and integrity. I hope we will not lose this to a collective few who for personal reasons will slowly destroy these principles. I hope that more will read your balanced view and perspective to commit themselves to restoring these and making a difference for this nation's future.
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