Remember back in the President Cheney days when it came out that Rcons were planting stories and then using those same stories as proof for whatever Big Lie they were pushing?
BILL MOYERS: Critics point to September eight, 2002 and to your [he is speaking to Tim Russert] show in particular, as the classic case of how the press and the government became inseparable. Someone in the Administration plants a dramatic story in the NEW YORK TIMES And then the Vice President comes on your show and points to the NEW YORK TIMES. It's a circular, self-confirming leak.
Why does it smell like President Bannon is doing the exact same thing with current efforts to deflect attention away from DJT administration connections with Russia’s interference in our election?
Listen up, everyone. This is the art of the trade, how the sausage gets made.
First the White House asks the chairmen of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to push back against the Russia coverage and claim there is “nothing there.”
Then House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes says right on cue “As of right now, I don’t have any evidence of any phone calls” and “What I’ve been told by many folks is that there’s nothing there.”
Of course as I said yesterday, he’s seen no evidence because he hasn’t looked for any evidence, and the “folks” who told him there was “nothing there” are members of the DJT administration who are trying to cover this whole thing up.
Then in response to Darrell Issa taking an unexpected step into the reality-based world and calling for a special prosecutor, Scary Spice completed the circle of the self-confirming link:
Let’s slow down his spin for a moment and realize what Spicey said and what he didn’t say:
We have now for six months heard story after story come out about unnamed sources say the same thing over and over again. And nothing’s come of it. Right?
Nothing has come of it because there has been no investigation.
As Chairman Nunes made it very clear today, he’s seen nothing that corroborates that.
He’s seen nothing because he’s looked for nothing.
Both the House and Senate have looked at it,
have they? for how long? for how many days? for how many hearings?
you know as well as I do that the intelligence committee has looked at it as well
yes, and they came to the conclusion that propaganda, disinformation, and fake news were involved!
I think that Russia’s involvement and activity has been investigated up and down
many of us disagree with what you think. we want a more thorough and public investigation.
Chairman Nunes spoke very clearly today when asked over and over and over again about all of this and said that he has seen nothing that leads him to believe that there’s [?] there
yes but that’s because your administration TOLD him to say that.
The president has spoken forcefully time and time again that he has no interest in Russia and he hasn’t talked to people in Russia in years.
look at that statement carefully. no interest in Russia? hasn’t talked to people in Russia? that is a “non-denial denial” as to whether members of the CAMPAIGN have talked to people in Russia.
There’s nothing new that’s being reported. It’s the same stuff over and over again that we’ve heard for literally six months.
yes because we still want the answers!
What do you need to further investigate if there is nothing that has come out?
but the intelligence community did have something come out...
Reporter’s Question: Do you now categorically deny there were no contacts between the Russians and anybody on the campaign? Spicey: OH I CAN’T DENY… (sputter sputter)
oh SNAP! You can’t deny it? Why can’t you? What do you know? When can we get you under oath?
Reporter: … that’s what an investigation would look at
DUH! but of course Spicey pretends he didn’t hear that—the answer to the very “special prosecutor for what” question he claims to be asking.
You had the intelligence community look at Russia’s involvement in the election,
yes, and they came to some very troubling conclusions about which we want to know more
you had the House and the Senate both do the same.
have they? for how long? for how many days? for how many hearings?
At what point... how many people have to say that there’s nothing there before you realize there’s nothing there.
One person would do, if it were a Special Prosecutor completely independent of the DJT administration! So far EVERYONE claiming there is “nothing there” has a self-serving reason for saying so
The people who have done the investigating about Russia overall and its activities in the United States specifically now with respect to our election haven’t provided anything that lead me to believe, or should lead you to believe… [snip] there’s nothing more than has been previously reported over and over again.
“should lead you to believe”? there they go again, imagining they can tell us what to think and believe!
How many times do you have to come to the same conclusion before you take the answer?
I haven’t come to the conclusion at all, and am not obligation to come to your conclusion just because you say so!
This toy is slightly less whiny than Whiny Spice. And does not spin as fast or as long.
First and foremost, how many millions of dollars and hundreds of hours of staff time did Rcons waste on Benghazi investigations, when there actually WAS no “there” there!
WE WANT THE SAME LEVEL OF ATTENTION PAID TO THESE ALLEGATIONS ABOUT RUSSIA.
We want a prosecutor to get this chew toy between his or her teeth and wrestle with it no matter who tries to pull it out.
We want public televised hearings. All the relevant players called to testify. For hours at a time. Under oath. Starting with Flynn. And Manafort. And Bannon. And KAC. And AG Jeff Sessions himself.
Repeated rounds of questioning, not this farcical 5 minutes and out they did during the confirmation hearings.
We want someone who has no reason to do the bidding of the DJT administration to take this situation apart bit by bit because gawddammit this is a case of a foreign country that is NOT our friend interfering with what should have been a free and fair election and the only reason Republicons are not foaming at the mouth about this is because it benefited the Red Team!
I can’t even begin to IMAGINE the head exploding freakout that would be happening on that side of the aisle of DJT had gotten three million more votes, lost in the electoral college because Hillary won three Red states where polls showed DJT had a lead until the final days…
And it came out that Russia had interfered in the election by hacking the RNC for the purpose of helping Hillary…
And members of the HRC campaign had questionable contacts with Russia during the campaign!
Seriously. Does anyone doubt that Fakes News and the RWNJ hateradio machine would EVER stop holding hearings?
Hearings? I bet they’d be asking for a redo of the entire election. you know they would!
Special Prosecutor for what? That question is painfully easy to answer:
We are asking for a Special Prosecutor to investigate:
- to what extent any members of the DJT leadership circle knew about Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.
- to what extent any members of the DJT leadership circle cooperated with Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.
- to find out whether Russia connections and/or blackmail had anything to do with Paul Manafort being chosen as DJT campaign manager.
We are asking for an independent Special Prosecutor whose independence:
- will persuade your President* that all this actually happened so he will stop calling it fake news.
- will persuade deplorables that all this actually happened so they will stop calling it fake news.
- will persuade the rest of the American people to take the necessary political steps to make sure this never happens again, meaning voting out Rs anywhere and everywhere, because we outnumber them.
Denouement for those who missed it: Darrell Issa was forced to walk back his call for a special prosecutor. They smacked him on the nose with a rolled up newspaper because he was not being an obedient lap dog.
Get this: Issa said “one of the challenges we have is a special prosecutor exists when you have an individual under suspicion. Currently we don’t have that.” Really? I can think of some individuals who are under suspicion!!!
the problem with their lifestyle, they’re in denial..
Previous TRUE BLUE REPORT diaries
Feb 27: Spinspotting 101: I’ve seen no evidence because I haven’t looked for any evidence!
Feb 26: If Neil Gorsuch were a man of integrity, he would decline the S.Ct. appointment
Feb 25: True Blue Ribbons: Russia Flag trolling, Dixie Swastika grabbing, District Days demonstrating
Feb 24: There is no such thing as a compassionate conservative
Feb 23: Chief of Staff, Nat’l Security Advisor, GOP Head, President Bannon—too many hats!
Feb 22: DJT has a few questions for you—SMURF THIS POLL!
Feb 21: The end of “access journalism” means it’s time to #sendtheinterns
Feb 20: KAC lying low for now… can we banish her (and all her ilk) from the airwaves completely?
Feb 19: DeVos cartoon, Ruby Bridges, unearned unhappiness and childlike faith
Feb 18: Blue Ribbon Winners—Vice Adm. Harward, Melissa McCarthy, and intel whistleblowers
Feb 17: And Ain’t I an American?
Feb 16: Please tell your family and friends—If you regret your DJT vote, speak up NOW
Feb 15: R-supported forced childbirth laws deny the autonomy of women
Feb 14: What did the president know? Everything. When did he know it? From the beginning.
Feb 13: Coping with The Madness of King Donald by hoping political comedy will save us
Feb 12: The Poverty and Justice Bible
Feb 11: Blue Ribbon Winners: Swastika removers, Ninth Circuit Panel, and the Persisterhood!
Feb 10: The first three words of the Constitution are “We, the People” not “I, the President”
Feb 9: Who first inspired your political activism? Who inspires you now?
Feb 8: We cannot and will not be silenced—Here’s what to do if they try to silence you
Feb 7: Plain Talk Tuesday: Tell people the Affordable Care Act is the same as OBAMACARE
Feb 6: Interview Skills 101—Internalized oppression and what Ryan Lizza did right. BRAVO!
Feb 5: These protest signs with Bible cites will confuse and befuddle RWNJs
Feb 4: Blue Ribbon Winners: Temple B’Nai Israel, Judge Robart, CNN, Senate Phone Callers
Feb 3: Not rich, not smart, not a good businessman, not a winner—DJT is NOTHING he claims to be
Feb 2: Thursday action—Encouragement, thanks, and apologies (pick one or more)
Feb 1: July 7, 2009 to August 25, 2009 and September 25, 2009 to February 4, 2010
JANUARY
Jan 31: If you’re on overload that’s part of their plan—there’s more than one way to #resist
Jan 30: Interview Skills 101 for reporters attempting to interview KAC and other Rcons
Jan 29: Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness
Jan 28: Blue Ribbon Winners: Women's March participants and #NoMuslimBan demonstrators and...
Jan 27: I wish Steve Bannon would tell me to keep my mouth shut
Jan 26: Thursday Action—Have you ever written a letter to the editor? Here’s how to start
Jan 25: The Asch Conformity Study, inauguration crowds, and the importance of speaking out
Jan 24: #ResistTrumpTuesday—good news day or another paying dues day?
Jan 23: Spy the Lie 101: How to enjoy watching Rcon spokesbot interviews, even KAC!
Jan 22: Why I prayed for the President* today
Jan 21: The only silver lining in the midst of these clouds
Inaugural (!) diary: Stop expecting Republicons to make sense