imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
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Post by imsirius on Jul 12, 2018 19:36:45 GMT
Again...eye roll...hurt me.
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Deleted
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Sept 20, 2024 1:27:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2018 19:49:26 GMT
From Paul Waldman about today’s hearing with Peter Strzok and why he believes the Republicans failed at their task.
“There are times when you watch what’s happening in American politics and come to believe you’ve fallen through the rabbit hole, to a place where everything is upside down. Today was one of those times, as FBI agent Peter Strzok testified in a public hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, the latest chapter in the saga of Republican attempts to prove that any and all investigation into Russia’s attempt to manipulate the 2016 election and the Trump campaign’s eager cooperation with that effort is a “witch hunt.”
As you know, Strzok was one of the key agents involved in investigating Russian interference and, in 2017, he was assigned to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s inquiry into the Russia scandal. However, when Justice Department officials saw texts he exchanged with Lisa Page — an FBI lawyer with whom he was having an affair — in which they disparaged Donald Trump, Mueller removed him from the investigation. To Republicans, those text messages are the smoking gun that proves Trump is utterly blameless and the entire investigation into him was tainted from the start and must be shut down.
But there’s one very important fact that we have to keep in mind, one that Strzok made in his prepared statement today:
In the summer of 2016, I was one of a handful of people who knew the details of Russian election interference and its possible connections with members of the Trump campaign. This information had the potential to derail, and quite possibly, defeat Mr. Trump. But the thought of exposing that information never crossed my mind.
This is the core of what makes the Republican effort to discredit the Russia investigation so utterly insane. They want us to believe there was an FBI conspiracy to prevent Trump from being elected president, and what did that conspiracy do? First, it mounted a cautious investigation of what nearly everyone now acknowledges was a comprehensive effort by Russia to help Trump get elected, an effort that people on the Trump campaign and even in Trump’s own family tried to cooperate with. But then it kept that investigation completely secret from the public, lest news of it affect the outcome of the investigation in any way.
You will notice that Republicans have not been able to produce any evidence that Strzok or anyone else took any official action that was biased, unfair or inappropriate in their investigation of Russian interference and the Trump campaign.
Even if you were to set aside the fact that the director of the FBI quite possibly threw the election to Trump when he violated FBI protocols and announced 11 days before the election that the bureau was reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails, the idea that the bureau attempted to hinder Trump’s election isn’t just unsupported by any evidence, it is contradicted by everything they did.
And that’s what you have to keep in mind as you watch these ludicrous hearings, and everything else the Republicans do with regard to this issue. They’ve proven that Strzok didn’t think highly of Trump. Fair enough. We should note, however, that while we have seen Strzok’s private text messages — because they were released by the Justice Department — we have no idea what other FBI agents were texting each other, say, about Hillary Clinton. We do know, on the other hand, that as one report said just before the election, “Deep antipathy to Hillary Clinton exists within the FBI, multiple bureau sources have told the Guardian, spurring a rapid series of leaks damaging to her campaign just days before the election.” As one agent put it at the time, “The FBI is Trumpland.”
So that’s an example in which FBI agents actually did things to help Trump during the election. But that’s not what Republicans are investigating, which might suggest — and hold on while I blow your mind — that the GOP isn’t aren’t actually concerned broadly with the integrity of FBI investigations.
So today we saw, for instance, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) badgering Strzok about the meaning of individual words in his late-night text messages to his girlfriend, using Gowdy’s patented prosecutorial technique of shouting a question at a witness, and then when the witness begins to answer, interrupting and shouting a different question at a louder volume. Unsurprisingly, the hearing quickly devolved into a circus, with members yelling at each other, overlapping points of order, and a general sense of chaos.
At one point, when he was finally allowed to give a complete answer to a question, Strzok somewhat angrily explained why not only didn’t he do anything to unfairly twist the investigation into Russian meddling, he couldn’t have even if he wanted to. He began by referencing a text he sent after Trump had started a fight with a Gold Star family, one of the low points of the campaign predicting that Trump would lose:
You need to understand that was written late at night, off the cuff, and it was in response to a series of events that included then-candidate Trump insulting the immigrant family of a fallen war hero, and my presumption based on that horrible, disgusting behavior that the American population would not elect someone demonstrating that behavior to be president of the United States. It was in no way, unequivocally, any suggestion that me, the FBI, would take any action whatsoever to improperly impact the electoral process for any candidate. . . .
I can assure you, Mr. Chairman, at no time in any of those texts, did those personal beliefs ever enter into the realm of any action I took. Furthermore, this isn’t just me sitting here telling you. You don’t have to take my word for it. At every step, every investigative decision, there are multiple layers of people above me — the assistant director, executive assistant director, deputy director and director of the FBI — and multiple layers of people below me — section chiefs, supervisors, unit chiefs, case agents and analysts — all of whom were involved in all of these decisions. They would not tolerate any improper behavior in me any more than I would tolerate it in them. That is who we are as the FBI. And the suggestion that I, in some dark chamber somewhere in the FBI, would somehow cast aside all of these procedures, all of these safeguards and somehow be able to do this is astounding to me. It simply couldn’t happen. And the proposition that that is going on, that it might occur anywhere in the FBI deeply corrodes what the FBI is in American society, the effectiveness of their mission, and it is deeply destructive.
You don’t have to like Peter Strzok, or James B. Comey, or Robert Mueller, or anyone else involved in these various investigations. But you have to ask, and you have to keep asking: What do Republicans think the FBI actually did to effectuate this anti-Trump conspiracy they say existed to deny him the presidency? Because the facts, here on Planet Earth, show that they did what they were supposed to do: They began an investigation into this profound threat to American democracy, but kept quiet about it so it wouldn’t affect the election.
Especially in contrast to how Clinton was treated, that was either an extraordinary gift to Trump, or it was them doing their jobs precisely how they should have. But it can’t be anything else.”
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Post by navymomk9 on Jul 12, 2018 19:55:49 GMT
This hearing has done nothing but show absolute proof that the Republicans are in Putin's pocket along with Trump. They are more concerned with their jobs than the future of the country,or for that matter,the world. It's sickening and frightening. And woohoo to the guy from Virginia throwing their own texts bashing Trump right back at them.😆
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Deleted
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Sept 20, 2024 1:27:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2018 20:19:19 GMT
MSNBC....
“Peter Strzok:
"The suggestion that I, in some dark chamber somewhere in the FBI, would somehow cast aside all of these procedures, all of these safe guards, and somehow be able to do this is astounding me. It simply couldn’t happen. ”
I don’t understand why this is hard for some to understand. People can do their job inspite of their personal believes. Maybe this a foreign idea to the right since many like to throw out religious beliefs as an excuse to discriminate.
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DEX
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,394
Aug 9, 2014 23:13:22 GMT
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Post by DEX on Jul 12, 2018 20:25:25 GMT
Anyone speak or read Korean? I think HelenaJole does.
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Deleted
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Sept 20, 2024 1:27:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2018 20:32:23 GMT
Kurt Eichenwald.,..
“Louis Gohmert slams Strzok for having an affair - as if that has anything to do with this case.
Meanwhile, a man who had innumerable affairs sit in the White House with his third wife, cheered by these very same lunatics.”
Kurt has a point.
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Post by navymomk9 on Jul 12, 2018 20:47:11 GMT
I'm glad of one thing. Maybe,finally people are hearing from DEMS. I'm loving their statements.
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Deleted
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Sept 20, 2024 1:27:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2018 20:54:09 GMT
Kyle Griffin....
“Rep. Watson Coleman just went after Gowdy: "You're not the testifying person ... if you can't control yourself, how do you expect this Committee to control itself? You've been out of control since you've been on this Committee. Why don't you leave it alone? This is not Benghazi."
😀
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Deleted
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Sept 20, 2024 1:27:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2018 21:05:33 GMT
So Rep Jordan is now questioning Strzok and the whole time I’m thinking why didn’t you do something when those boys told you what the doctor was really doing.
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Deleted
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Sept 20, 2024 1:27:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2018 21:09:48 GMT
Marshall Cohen...
“FBI agent Peter Strzok just testified that the Steele dossier was not the reason why the FBI opened its Trump-Russia investigation in July 2016.”
That’s old news.
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Deleted
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Sept 20, 2024 1:27:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2018 23:11:34 GMT
Devlin Barrett...
"I'm a dentist, so I read body language very well," Rep. Gosar said in telling Strzok he seemed angry. Strzok replied: "what you see is the passion of a patriot."
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Jul 13, 2018 0:28:55 GMT
"I'm a dentist, so I read body language very well," Rep. Gosar said ?? WTF?? how is a DENTIST an expert in body language, exactly?
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Deleted
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Sept 20, 2024 1:27:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2018 0:35:08 GMT
Steve Schmidt - former Republican..
“Peter Strzok conducted himself with integrity and honor at this disgraceful kangaroo court star chamber. The conduct of the GOP majority is despicable, dishonest and dishonorable. Strzok has served America much more honorably than his mendacious harassers.”
Peter Strzok led investigations in trapping Russian spies in our country. But because he, in private texts, voiced his political opinion he was kicked off the Mueller investigation and dumped in the HR department.
While I can understand him being removed from the Mueller team I don’t get why he was dumped in the HR because what this country lost was his expertise in finding Russian spies in our country.
To me that loss is more important then privately expressing his dislike for trump, Hillary, & Bernie.
Overlooked in this mess is the little nugget that FBI Agents in NY, who didn’t like Hillary, were leaking information to old Rudy which forced Comey to release that letter about nothing to protect the FBI. But of course Republicans don’t care about that since it hurt Hillary.
That is how screwed up the Republicans have become in their need to protect trump.
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Deleted
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Sept 20, 2024 1:27:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2018 0:35:45 GMT
"I'm a dentist, so I read body language very well," Rep. Gosar said ?? WTF?? how is a DENTIST an expert in body language, exactly? I wondered that myself.
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imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
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Post by imsirius on Jul 13, 2018 0:48:54 GMT
So does this mean Trump just ADMITTED HE DID IT ONCE?
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Jul 13, 2018 0:59:32 GMT
“Peter Strzok conducted himself with integrity and honor at this disgraceful kangaroo court star chamber. He was impressive and passionate. I am glad I saw parts of his testimony.
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imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
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Post by imsirius on Jul 13, 2018 1:10:45 GMT
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imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
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Post by imsirius on Jul 13, 2018 1:16:40 GMT
Can I please try some of the drugs he is on? I mean..he must be high!
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imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
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Post by imsirius on Jul 13, 2018 1:18:50 GMT
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Post by mollycoddle on Jul 13, 2018 1:38:53 GMT
I just saw the highlights, and thought that the Republicans were way out of their league. I can’t figure out which one sounded the most absurd. Usually Gohmert walks away with that award, but he had some stiff competition today.
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Deleted
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Sept 20, 2024 1:27:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2018 1:44:07 GMT
Richard Stengel..
“To Brits, Trump is the quintessential Ugly American: rude, ignorant, racist.”
To a lot of Americans he is to.
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Post by Merge on Jul 13, 2018 2:02:38 GMT
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Post by Merge on Jul 13, 2018 2:07:32 GMT
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Jul 13, 2018 2:13:26 GMT
Why can't he feel 'unwelcome' here in the US and go away? I'm sure Russia would take him with open arms. Not soon enough for me!!
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Jul 13, 2018 2:16:00 GMT
I know this is going to sounds stupid, but can someone give me a cliffs notes version of why Strozk is important, what he did (or what someone thinks he did), etc? I know bits and pieces but I’m not sure if I’m missing something.
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Post by bc2ca on Jul 13, 2018 2:27:58 GMT
I doubt it, he's only of value to them while he's sitting in the Oval Office. ETA or laundering their money
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Post by ntsf on Jul 13, 2018 3:07:51 GMT
strozk was the top fbi guy in charge of counter spying by foreign govts in our country.. he was one of the first working on the mueller probe.. of russian interference in our election. (in 2016) he was having an affair with a fellow fbi person. before the election he sent some late night texts saying trump won't be elected and dissing trump. he also dissed hillary, bernie and others. this was on his work phone. the republicans are trying to say that these texts show he is biased against trump and the whole mueller investigation is corrupt and should be thrown out.
not one leak about the investigation came out before the election though strozk had knowledge of russian interference. sttrozk says he never worked alone on the iinvestigation , is allowed to have personal opinions, and never let his personal feelings bias him at work.
he stated that the texts were sent at times that trump railed against nato, against the immigrant war hero , etc. strozk said that the republicans were helping the russians destroy confidence in our fbi and other institutions. he gave as good as he got.. the republicans want to blame him for everything. strozk was pulled off the investigation by mueller.. because of how it looked... and he is still working at the fbi.
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Deleted
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Sept 20, 2024 1:27:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2018 3:08:28 GMT
Ari Fletcher....
“Strzok makes an eloquent case about the FBI’s non-political culture. But his bias and animus to Trump run counter to that. If a culture is that strong, it should have extended into his personal emails. It’s hard to believe someone who feels so strongly can be fair professionally.”
Which means you let your bias toward the left dictate your professional work. That you can’t look at any situation objectively as a journalist which makes you a right wing hack.
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Post by Merge on Jul 13, 2018 3:15:04 GMT
I feel like we could have a whole thread just about stuff that goes on in Texas. For example, our AG apparently spent half a million taxpayer dollars to buy unqualified “expert witnesses” (who were really just anti abortion activists) in the state’s case to defend some of its abortion laws. www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Fake-anti-abortion-experts-got-rich-off-the-13067989.phpYou really can’t make this shit up. And then millions of Texans will vote for this guy, who has also been indicted on felony fraud charges, in November just because he has an R after his name.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Jul 13, 2018 3:16:55 GMT
strozk was the top fbi guy in charge of counter spying by foreign govts in our country.. he was one of the first working on the mueller probe.. of russian interference in our election. (in 2016) he was having an affair with a fellow fbi person. before the election he sent some late night texts saying trump won't be elected and dissing trump. he also dissed hillary, bernie and others. this was on his work phone. the republicans are trying to say that these texts show he is biased against trump and the whole mueller investigation is corrupt and should be thrown out. not one leak about the investigation came out before the election though strozk had knowledge of russian interference. sttrozk says he never worked alone on the iinvestigation , is allowed to have personal opinions, and never let his personal feelings bias him at work. he stated that the texts were sent at times that trump railed against nato, against the immigrant war hero , etc. strozk said that the republicans were helping the russians destroy confidence in our fbi and other institutions. he gave as good as he got.. the republicans want to blame him for everything. strozk was pulled off the investigation by mueller.. because of how it looked... and he is still working at the fbi. Thanks! I saw part of his interview/testimony today and wasn’t sure where all of the talk about infidelity was coming from. Makes sense now.
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