Color Me Shocked

So … the FBI Inspector General, a person who is supposed to be impartial, non-partisan, and just about the facts ma’am, finally released his long awaited report of the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Apparently, the primary finding of the report is that some FBI agents may have played a bit fast and loose with the procedures and paperwork associated with the warrants they received approval for.

Wait a sec … law enforcement playing fast and loose with warrants and judges rubber stamping them anyway.

I am shocked!!! Just absolutely shocked that this could happen.

What’s that?

Oh. It happens all of the time?,

Well then.

Hmmm … I’m still shocked!

Okay. Never mind.

I just think it’s hilarious, to be honest. Now, wait. It’s not hilarious. It’s all so incredibly sad and yet more evidence that the end times are upon us.

After spouting that the FBI had committed treason for the last two years and that it was entirely a hoax and made up, Donald Trump now claims that the IG report is worse than he could ever imagined. Well, no. The IG concluded there was no political bias against Trump in the investigation (apparently, there were plenty of texts from agents who supported Trump and opposed Clinton), the Steele Dossier did not launch the investigation, the investigation was justified, Obama never wiretrapped Trump, etc.

But it was “all worse than [Trump] could have ever imagined”? Yeah, sure.

And now, we have the Attorney General and his handpicked investigator coming out with statements that they disagree with the IG Report. Because they claim to have more information than the IG had. This is the AG and his investigator speaking publicly about an investigation they are still conducting. Promising “facts” that they won’t reveal.

I remember when the IG investigation was launched, right-wing blogs and commenters were aflame with the possibilities. They were just sure that the IG would find evidence of the treason and rot endemic in the FBI. They could not wait for it. They were so sure of it all.

And now the IG report is out and it basically says what most rational people would expect. The FBI is like most law enforcement agents — made up of people with different political views, but who for the most part put those views to the side when doing their job. Because they are professionals. Unfortunately, that professionalism also comes with a bit of laziness that came out in how they handled the warrants in this case.

That’s it.

But those on the right and the President will continue to paint this with lie after lie after lie. Multiple coats of lies. It’s the only way they can keep fighting this.

Because, you know, “read the transcript.” It’s kind of funny, watching Trump and others keep spouting the line. To me, the transcript reads like a classic mafioso saying what needs to be said without actually uttering truly incriminating words. Remember, Republicans are the ones who criticized Obama for being caught on a mic telling the Russians that after the 2012 election he could be more flexible. That was it. Now, we have Trump asking for a favor in exchange for releasing the aid to Ukraine. A favor that involved investigating corruption. (I wonder why he doesn’t think Giuliani’s corruption needs to be investigated — I mean, here’s a guy with contracts with multiple people in the Ukraine, while he is also is serving as the President’s p of ersonal lawyer working primarily on matters involving … the Ukraine. I mean, seriously, you can’t make this shit up.)

No, Trump didn’t say “quid pro quo.” But that’s because he’s been doing this kind of thing for decades. You dance up to the line, maybe even dip your toe in the water, but you make sure you don’t take the polar bear plunge. The hard words and real language was used by others in conversations that were not recorded or for which notes were not taken.

Imagine if Obama had done any of these things, and you can imagine the heads of Republicans exploding in outrage.

But here they are, all in on this President and his lies and his lack of respect for American institutions and American democracy. Those who support Trump can no longer call themselves conservatives. He is the furthest thing from a conservative. Conservatives respect tradition and norms and institutions. They don’t tear those things down. Yet, they are supporting a man who is a gold-plated revolutionary, intent on destroying anything that stands in the way of his personal objectives.

This post could go on and on and on and on. I’m just so frustrated with the state of affairs in this country today. The level of corruption and hypocrisy at the highest levels of our nation are astounding and depressing.

How do we get out of this mess?

 

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