Good Wednesday morning.
Here is what’s on the president’s agenda for the day:
- The president receives his intelligence briefing
- President Trump holds a conference call with the National Hispanic Community
- The president participates in a meeting with the Governor of Arkansas and the Governor of Kansas
- 3:00PM Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany holds a briefing
Grenell declassifies Susan Rice’s email to herself
This email is very curious. Very curious. Let’s say you are at your job, doing your work on a regular day. Do you write a memo to yourself saying that you are not breaking any laws or any workplace rules? Who would think to do such a thing unless you are trying to create a written record. People tend to write thing down to certify or to create a contemporaneous record of events for perhaps, a legal proceeding or formal process. I wonder how many other memos to file Rice wrote over the course of her time in the Obama Administration. By the way, last night I made some lovely ribeye steaks and then I went into my home office and sent myself an email memorializing that I did not put arsenic poison on the steaks. Because that’s a totally normal thing to do, right?
No.
Susan Rice waited more than two weeks, on inauguration day, to summarize a very odd meeting with Obama, Biden, Holy James Comey and resistance doyenne Sally Yates. Rice wrote that the meeting was about how the Obama Administration was handling what we have come to know as the pretend RUSSIA collusion investigation, “by the book.” Some of the memo was made available already but parts were redacted. Here’s what was redacted:
“Director Comey affirmed that he is proceeding ‘by the book’ as it relates to law enforcement,” Rice wrote. “From a national security perspective, Comey said he does have some concerns that incoming NSA Flynn is speaking frequently with Russian Ambassador Kislyak. Comey said that could be an issue as it relates to sharing sensitive information. President Obama asked if Comey was saying that the NSC should not pass sensitive information related to Russia to Flynn. Comey replied ‘potentially.’ He added that he has no indication thus far that Flynn has passed classified information to Kislyak, but he noted that ‘the level of communication is unusual.’ The President asked Comey to inform him if anything changes in the next few weeks that should affect how we share classified information with the incoming team. Comey said that he would.”
Here’s what is really going on: the Obama administration was plotting to secretly investigate the incoming Trump Administration and they are trying to say that this effort was “by the book,” you know, totally normal and legal. Rice is laying down the line that Obama and Rice don’t know what’s going on, they don’t know about the investigation but whatever is happening, it’s “by the book” but they don’t know what that is. The duo are throwing Comey under the bus here, presenting him as the dude who knows what is going on. Rice and Obama (and Biden, but he probably thought he was at a bingo tournament or something) just want whatever is happening, to be done “by the book.”
The declassified section of the memo comically asserts that Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, the incoming National Security Advisor and 33-year military veteran, might pass on classified information to the RUSSIANS. Despite a months (years?) long investigation into Flynn that was supposed to be closed for lack of evidence, fired FBI Director James Comey thought that Flynn might potentially pass on classified information. On what basis? NONE. We also don’t know how many times Flynn actually spoke to Kislyak, which Comey said was an “unusual” amount and remember, the Feds had been snooping on Flynn so they had transcripts of his communications. We know they had a transcript of his famous call with Kislyak. Why the conditional and halting language Comey purportedly used to describe his concern? If they had all the opportunity to get the goods on Flynn for espionage, why didn’t they? And even worse, they knew Flynn had asked Kislyak not to retaliate, not to punish the U.S. in return for Obama’s sanctions. How does that work against U.S. interests?
Politico offers a predictable “Republicans seized” piece of journalism to report on the declassification. “Republicans have seized on the document as potential evidence that the outgoing president had ordered the FBI to spy on the new administration, as Trump has alleged.” Hey Politico, we know this is a fact not an allegation. Only the first FISA authorization was done under the campaign, the other three were gotten when Trump was president. The FISA may have been for Carter Page but it gave the authority to snoop on Page’s contacts retroactively and going forward. So yes, spying on the new administration. The only issue as Politico points out, is whether Obama knew. And the purpose of Rice’s bizarre CYA memo was to put down the marker that they did not know but whatever measures were taking place should be by the book.
In a statement Tuesday evening about the email’s release, a representative for Rice stressed that “no discussion of law enforcement matters or investigations took place, despite accusations to the contrary.” Fox News writes, “The spokeswoman also insisted the Obama administration did not change the way it briefed Flynn, saying Rice briefed Flynn for more than 12 hours on four separate occasions during the transition.”
“Ambassador Rice did not alter the way she briefed Michael Flynn on Russia as a result of Director Comey’s response,” Rice representative Erin Pelton said.
Of course.
Coronavirus news:
A good start. Here are the 4 inspectors general ousted by the Trump administration
The goal isn’t to stop people from getting the virus! As Florida begins to reopen state businesses, data shows no significant drop in COVID-19 case numbers
Got to delegitimize these states! Two states that opened early questioned over public access to Covid-19 data
Planned Parenthood affiliates improperly applied for and received $80 million in coronavirus stimulus funds, feds say
CVS Health is returning $43 million in coronavirus relief funds
Justice Department tells California to reopen churches
They just won’t let it go. CNN’s Cuomo Mocks Trump Over Hydroxychloroquine — A Version Of It Was Included In His Own COVID-19 Treatment
Hydroxychloroquine trials set to begin at hospitals in Australia
Oh, good grief! Biden says it’s ‘totally irresponsible’ for Trump to take hydroxychloroquine
Preliminary Study Finds That Patients Reinfected With COVID-19 Aren’t Contagious
GOP lawmakers call for new sanctions on senior Chinese officials
CDC director says US ready to reopen, predicts thousands more contact tracers
Report warns against coronavirus fever-screening devices
Michigan sheriff claims stay-at-home order is like placing residents under arrest
Trump administration finalizes indefinite extension of coronavirus border restrictions
Group fitness class led to 112 coronavirus cases in South Korea, study warns as societies reopen
Oh, what’s this? Illinois governor’s family firm owns stake in companies involved in coronavirus testing
Las Vegas Crossfit gym holds workout protest to fight for reopening of small businesses benched by coronavirus
Judge ramps up Texas mail-in voting amid coronavirus outbreak; AG vows to appeal
Cotton calls for withholding stimulus funds from states, cities where illegal immigrants get payments
Ben Roethlisberger got a haircut, and the Pennsylvania governor is not happy: report
Oh no! Livestream shows a Christian high school in Oklahoma held an in-person graduation with hundreds in attendance
Other morsels:
Michael Flynn Asks D.C. Circuit to Dismiss Case, Replace Judge
Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt Gives $4.7 Million to Boost NPR
I do the dishes in my house because I have the higher standard of cleanliness. Trump’s comment about a wife doing dishes puts spotlight on domestic burden women still face
Plaintiff in Roe v. Wade U.S. abortion case says she was paid to switch sides
Trump signs order directing agencies to cut federal regulations
Senate Democrats call for Trump administration to unveil details of TSMC plant deal
Pelosi is a fat-shamer. Trump calls Pelosi a ‘sick woman’ after her remarks on his weight
Pro-Trump outside groups raise $16.8 million in April
Oh boy. New Black Panthers Reportedly Gather For Coronavirus Protest In Front Of Two Chinese Food Restaurants In DC
Senate Intelligence panel approves Ratcliffe as spy chief
Who cares? Almost three quarters of Germans have lower opinion of US over pandemic: poll
This never happens to me! Virginia family finds bags stuffed with $1M in cash lying on road
Minnesota TV anchor assaulted by suspect over his ‘perceived’ sexuality
Harvey Weinstein extradition to L.A. to face sex-crime charges delayed due to COVID-19
Matt Lauer attacks Ronan Farrow’s reporting, claims Pulitzer winner violated ‘journalistic standards’
Hobby Lobby’s Gilgamesh tablet for Museum of the Bible ‘stolen,’ feds say
Judge allows fraud suit against Trump, family and company to proceed
Better late than never. McConnell endorses Senate Republican investigation of Mueller probe
And that’s all I’ve got, now go beat back the angry mob!