The Deep State Lives!
And guess what? It's still all about Russia. And Trump. And probably Barr.
Wouldn't you like to know who Catherine Herridge talks to in government? Or is she just tweeting out summaries of other CBS 'reporting'? She does a lot of good reporting, but then there's stuff like this--re another story that I've been ignoring:
Catherine Herridge
@CBS_Herridge
#Election2020 Dig deeper into this DHS Bulletin + you’ll see the Russian effort to undermine confidence in the democratic process began BEFORE pandemic shutdown, citing 2018 + 2016 effort “encouraging voters to stay at home or vote for 3rd-party candidates” to impact outcome.
BIG PICTURE: DHS found Russia is “likely amplifying criticisms of vote-by-mail” to “undermine public trust” + “sow distrust in democratic institutions + election outcomes” FINE PRINT: Assessment is made with “ high confidence” which is intel speak for near certainty.
BOTTOM LINE: “Foreign Influence” operations - designed to damage US institutions, undermine confidence in the democratic process - are a constant for the Russians. They predate this election cycle + will go beyond 2020.
It doesn't take much imagination to realize that the target of all this is Trump--and Barr. Who would benefit by lower turnout and 3rd Party candidates (think: Kanye West?)? Trump. Who is criticizing vote-by-mail? Trump and Barr. And DHS has a near certainty about this because, well, the Russians always do this . That's it, folks.
And there's more from DHS via CBS :
CBS News confirmed that DHS withheld publication of a July intelligence bulletin to law enforcement agencies warning that Russia might try to undermine Joe Biden's candidacy by denigrating his mental and physical health, citing "quality concerns" about the report's sourcing. The bulletin raised the possibility that "Russian malign influence actors" would promote allegations about candidates' health "to influence the outcome of the 2020 election."
So, in other words, who are you gonna believe about Joe Biden's mental condition: Your eyes or DHS' Russian conspiracy theories? Well, if you're hesitating over that, Adam Schiff has another whistleblower to tell you that this is super intel that Trump is suppressing. Because he's in bed with the Russians. Again. Always. But don't hold your breath for any credible details, anymore than we got credible details of Russian collusion with Trump from Crossfire Hurricane, Team Mueller, or the Ukraine Hoax impeachment.
All of which goes to show that the Deep State lives on and that it's out to get Trump.
It also suggests that Bob Woodward may be onto something with his claim that SecDef Jim "Moderate Dog" Mattis and DNI Dan Coats actually spoke of taking "collective action" against Trump
[…] “Mattis quietly went to Washington National Cathedral to pray about his concern for the nation’s fate under Trump’s command and, according to Woodward, told Coats, “There may come a time when we have to take collective action” since Trump is “dangerous. He’s unfit.”
Trump's unfit! He makes fun of me! But riddle me this: Who thinks Moderate Dog is hanging around churches of any sort praying for the fate of the nation under the Party of Antifa? Me neither.
What this should tell you is just how isolated Trump has been and largely still is in DC. Who was it who foisted Deep State running dog Coats on Trump? If my guess that it was fellow Hoosier Mike Pence, then that shows you how few people Trump can trust. Thank God his White House counsel office has pretty much consistently had his back. As does Barr.
But Barr, for all the good he's done, has his hands full with the career staff at DoJ. Barr wants to file an antitrust lawsuit against Google. So what does the head of DoJ antitrust--Makan Delrahim --do? He takes a poll of his lawyers and leaks it to the press, to show that no one but Barr wants to do that. You didn't think DoJ makes decisions by polling its employees? Well, it doesn't, but this stuff happens when most of the government's professional employees are Obama holdovers. Oh, and here's a detail you might like to know (and lots more here ):
Who is Makan Delrahim, you ask?:
“Delrahim joined the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, in Los Angeles, California, where he focused his work on antitrust, intellectual property and appellate matters. His clients included Google, Apple….”
Emphasis ours – because duh.
And that tells you, in case you needed to ask, that the Deep State extends far beyond the halls of government in DC. Big Tech is very much a part of it.
So this is the type of stuff Bill Barr is having to deal with, at the same time that he's got other initiatives going all around the country, and is trying to get to the bottom of the Plot Against The President. The biggest political crime in our history. And these stories--very much including Woodward's story about Mattis and Coats and Mollie Hemingway's review of Byron York's book on impeachment, Vindman, Not Whistleblower, Was Driving Force Behind Impeachment --should give an idea of the extent of things John Durham could be looking at. And yet you have self promoting knuckleheads like Tom Fitton nipping at Barr's ankles, claiming that it's all a sham.
We close by turning again to Catherine Herridge :
NEW #Durham According to NBC News transcript, asked by @PeteWilliamsNBC if “it's unlikely there'll be further criminal charges?” Attorney General Barr said, “No, I wouldn't say that at all, no.” READ FULL EXCHANGE:
PETE WILLIAMS: Let me ask you finally about the Durham report. Is John Durham nearing the end of his investigation?
WILLIAM BARR:I-- I'm not gonna characterize exactly where he is. I'll just leave it at that--
WILLIAMS: Okay, would you say-- it's unlikely that there'll be further criminal charges?
BARR: No, I wouldn't say that at all, no.
WILLIAMS: So there could be.
BARR: Yeah, there could be.
WILLIAMS: Will we hear anything about the Durham report before the election?
BARR: Yeah, I'm not gonna get into that either.
Andrea Widburg, who is upset by Fitton's fundraising ploy on Lou Dobbs' show--speculates on what this all might mean--What’s going on with the Durham investigation, if anything? She's not convinced by Fitton's usual fulminations about how he's the only guy doing anything to expose the Deep State, so:
I’d like to propose two other theories:
1. Trump is a master showman. He knows people who are not politically obsessed don’t start paying attention until the election draws near. He may have asked Barr and Durham to hold off until September and October when any announcements will have maximum impact.
2. Barr wanted to have indictments, if any, take place early in the year so that criminal actions would be in play by the time the election rolled around. If the cases were solid, even if Trump lost the election, it would be hard to dismiss the cases without some uproar.
What changed that plan was the lockdown, which stopped everything in its tracks. At this point, perhaps Barr is waiting to see how the election turns out. First, since the Democrats are showing every sign of planning a coup, every bit of Justice Department energy has to be turned to ensuring fair elections.
Second, if Trump wins, it will be clear sailing to arrest and prosecute the people who used the Constitution like toilet paper.
Here's my third theory. Barr and Durham are proceeding with all speed possible, but this thing we call the Russia Hoax is sprawling almost beyond comprehension. It may well be bigger than even Barr--a long time DC insider--even imagined. If that weren't the case we wouldn't have leaks from the UK's intel establishment, asking (after a Barr/Durham visit): What's going on with Barr and Durham? They seem to be trying to take down the entire USIC! Tidbits like that show Barr is serious.
Further, I don't buy that Barr is allowing Trump to dictate the timing of indictments. Barr, from all we've seen, defers to no one in legal matters. My suspicion is that the reason he has repeatedly suggested both that there could be further indictments as well as that he will absolutely not have a timing dictated by him by the election, is that he realizes fully what he's up against in the Deep State that is trying to take both Trump and Barr himself out. He's not about to play patty cake with the Deep State, but by the same token he won't allow them to force him into premature indictments that would allow the Deep State to cut its losses and live to fight again.
I believe this is all deadly serious for Barr.