Comments on economics, mystery fiction, drama, and art.

Friday, February 02, 2018

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I don't have a title for this, because I can't figure out what to call it.


I just spent 5 minutes of my life reading Devin Nunes's memo (it's here) alleging...something...What's interesting is that even the Wall Street Journal has reported that the FBI became interested in Page's contacts with/ties to the Russian government and businesses long before the 2016 presidential campaign began.  At least one report indicates he was under surveillance under a FISA order as early as 2014. Apparently whatever first lead the FBI to be concerned about Page's Russian contacts and dealings long predates the Steele dossier (which Nunes implies was the only reason the FBI asked for a surveillance warrant in October 2016).  The memo’s focus is on the final FISA warrant received by the FBI for surveillance of Page, despite evidence that his activities had attracted their interest much earlier..

I will admit to very mixed feelings about the FBI.  For most of its existence, it seems to me to have been a proto-fascist organization with an obsession with communism (and, as a result, with Russia).  In a geo-political context, the communism obsession strikes me as weird; the Russia obsession, not so much.  These days. of course, we have a proto-fascist as president--which would, I suggest, generally lead the FBI to look warmly upon him--with ties to and apparently (covert) political support from Russia--which would cause the FBI to be leery of him.  I suspect the FBI, institutionally, is confused by all this.

What seems clear is that the Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence are using the Russian connection to obscure proto-fascist inclinations of this president (and, I think, these Republicans).  (I would note, as well, that the memo was originally intended for the Republicans on the Committee--the "Majority Members" and is described as being sent by the Committee's "Majority Staff."  That is we have, not a Committee document, but a plainly and clearly partisan document.)

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