Posted on 08/16/2022 3:09:11 PM PDT by ScaniaBoy
Reading all the professional political chatter from both wings of the uniparty bird about the DOJ position on the Trump raid in Mar-a-Lago, something sticks out to me that readers here will relate to, but others, likely not so much. Consider this written to all the reasonable and intellectually honest people.
You see, there is an actual mechanism that is being ignored by members within the professional DC silos and the DC ‘outrage’ stenographers. I was reminded of it when reading the professional obfuscation in the Wall Street Journal as they outlined how Merrick Garland “weighed the raid on Mar-a-Lago for several weeks” prior to August 8.
Technically there is a mechanism for executive branch conflict resolution that involves actual transparency, not the political talking points of the illusion of transparency. However, when the Fourth Branch of Government was created, the conflict resolution measure that provides oversight and escape from accusations of unequal application of law was dispatched. It was dispatched because, well, the unequal application of the law was the intent.
What I am talking about is the legislative branch oversight mechanism known as the Gang-of-Eight. Whenever the executive branch runs into a conflict that involves sensitivity within an issue they define as “national security,” the executive branch is supposed to use the tool of the legislative branch to extricate themselves from the conflict.
Quite simply the DOJ/FBI could have briefed the Go8 on the nature of the sensitive ‘national security’ issue, and this bipartisan briefing to both democrats and republicans removes Main Justice from the appearance of political impropriety. If, later on, the nature of their investigation is ever questioned, Main Justice (the representatives of the executive branch) have the shield of telling the American public that congress was notified.
That is essentially the intent of the Gang of Eight construct. Leaders and key officials within both parties are informed of ongoing investigative activity that involves the national security of the United States. That’s the mechanism for the DOJ and FBI to avoid the appearance of political targeting.
On March 20, 2017, we saw for the first time how the newly weaponized DOJ and FBI had intentionally and purposefully begun to stop that notification process as part of their intentional effort to politically weaponize the justice dept. {link}
In that March 2017 hearing, former FBI Director James Comey was asked why the FBI was investigating President Trump for the past eleven months (April ’16 origination), revolving around a Trump-Russia collusion investigation, and not informing congress about the potential national security compromise.
James Comey justified the targeting operation by saying, “because of the sensitivity of the matter(?)” while looking uncomfortable and surprised about the smart question from representative Elise Stephanik.
That outlook of unilateral authority without oversight lies at the heart of the Trump-Russia collusion and targeting problem. That lack of transparency and failure to follow the required briefing schedule to congress was as subtle as a brick through a window in showcasing the political intents of the FBI and DOJ under the Obama administration.
The FBI and DOJ (executive branch) cannot operate unilateral political targeting operations and simultaneously permit oversight (legislative branch). That was the core issue outlined within the answer by James Comey. Unfortunately, it was a core issue the entire DC system, including republicans, needed to avoid admitting… and so they pretended the admission by James Comey didn’t exist, brushed it away under the cloud of media assisted outrage on other matters, and just moved on.
In the current dynamic of the DOJ/FBI -vs- Donald Trump Mar-a-Lago raid, we see an almost identical issue. Not surprisingly we also see identical action from the DOJ/FBI in not briefing the Gang of Eight about the post-election Trump investigation. It becomes clear the DOJ National Security Division is intent to avoid any transparency that might exist if they were held accountable to following the system checks-and-balances.
Obviously, the DC stenographers (MSM) will avoid pointing out this issue; and obviously the right wing of the DC UniParty (republican leadership) will avoid mentioning this conflict resolution mechanism exists; however, their willful blindness doesn’t negate the fact the mechanism does exist.
If AG Merrick Garland and FBI Director Chris Wray wanted to avoid what Wray has previously called, “even the impression of impropriety,” the DOJ could simply have briefed congress on the issues and challenges related to President Trump and their perceived problem with classified documents.
The reality of Main Justice not seeking to avoid their conflict, stands as a stark reminder that they consider the mechanism of oversight as a risk to their intent.
The absence of congressional notification is evidence that the targeting by Main Justice is political.
“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” is from ancient Latin (Juvenal: Satire VI) and translates to “Who will guard the guards themselves?” We establish our police and intelligence services to guard our civil society and safety. Yet we are seeing these ‘guardians’ corrupted like the Praetorian Guards of the Caesars by the access to power.
As Lord Acton postulated; “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely!”
Shame on Congress for allowing the FBI and the DOJ to assume the position of “governmental oversight”. It’s quite clear the FBI has had that attitude for a quite some time but now under Garland, the DOJ has joined. It makes me wonder what kind of investigations the DOJ and FBI have going against SCOTUS members (of the Constitutional mind).
Because the gang of 8 are almost all compromised, i.e. “bought”.
There are exceptions, but few of them.
think it’s wishful thinking to believe the FBI searched the Winter White House just out of spite (although no doubt spite was involved). The stakes are too high.
If we were discussing honest reasonable men whose only beef was a political disagreement, your comment would be a reasonable observation.
But my belief is that we are dealing with people who have been very corrupt, who have been enriched by graft and man other criminal actions Not only politicians, but many large corporations, banks and financiers have been to the trough.
Desperate men do desperate things. Not only their finances, but their way of life, standing in government, their community, their family their clubs.....all are in danger of disruption or loss.
And I repeat, desperate men will do desperate things.
And with those desperate men in control of our country, our judicial sytem and our ability to make war, we should realize that we are also in a desperate situation.
As a response to such a briefing, one might expect the following from the Gang of Eight:
"Attorney General Garland, in the interest of preventing even the appearance of impropriety, can we offer a suggestion?"
"In light of the fact that President Obama nominated YOU to the Supreme Court and a Republican Senate refused to approve that nomination for about a year, and, further, in light of the fact that it was President Trump that appointed someone else to that position, do you think propriety might best be served if you recused yourself from this matter?"
Such a comment might have been quite helpful in avoiding any appearance of impropriety.
And with those desperate men in control of our country, our judicial sytem and our ability to make war, we should realize that we are also in a desperate situation.
Good catch: “How does the author know the “Gang of Eight” WASN’T notified?
When Sundance can’t quite get his theories to meet in the middle he fills in the dots himself and hopes for the best.
Sundance is a mixed bag...
remember what can happen when we become desperate also.
I think often of what it might be like and I hope that it never comes to that.
Because any attempt at an organized battle with opposing armies will never happen. Warthogs and drones with hellfire missiles make that suicidal.
I think it would take the form of the Irish “troubles”, as they called it. Your house burned while you were at the grocery store, a sniper shot though your window wile you are looking at TV in the evening, a couple of guys walking into the restaurant while you are eating diner with friends and killing you and all of the people at your table. Both sides, no one safe.
And from that sort of war the country will never recover.
Antifa and Black Lives Matter all over again on a national scale....same tactics with different actors and different goals.
No fun for either side. In fact there would probably be three or four sides all with different goals.
There has to be a better way and we should try hard to find it.
I thought Sundance was a woman.
Nope. He’s a guy. Named Mark Bradman.
Thanks. I never knew that. I had read Sundance was a woman.
You’re welcome. There’s a lot about him on the internet. I don’t remember how the female thing started, or when.
I hear ya, but the problem is - WE don’t even get to pose the questions to our politicians anymore. THEY only allow THEIR invited media to do that.
It would be nice if our politicians still actually had to answer to their constituents.
Hm.
This goes right back to the same thing that took place when Crossfire Hurricane (investigation on Trump) was officially opened by the FBI on July 31, 2016 (Devin Nunes, with some justification, opines that the investigation started in reality as early as 2015) but the notification of the Gang of Eight (at that time composed of Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senator Richard Burr (Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman), Representative Devin Nunes (HSPCI Chairman), Senator Chuck Schumer, Representative Nancy Pelosi, Senator Dianne Feinstein (Vice Chair Senate Intelligence Committee and resigning following the 2016 election and giving way to Senator Mark Warner) and Representative Adam Schiff was notified only by telling Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff.
The Intelligence Community did not deliver full briefings to all Gang of Eight members when Operation Crossfire Hurricane began; briefings were held days apart and not simultaneously. Some members received different briefings from others. Some briefings were given to staffers and not the sitting member holding office. No full briefings on the FBI’s activities were ever given to all members.
Only Schiff and Pelosi were initially told. Instead of briefing them all together, they were told piecemeal. Nobody knew what the others were told by CIA Director Brennan, since only Schiff and Pelosi were the only two who heard the same thing.
Being the liar and scumbag Brennan is, the problem here is obvious.
“...There has to be a better way and we should try hard to find it ...”
Well said, sir. I think the comparison to The Troubles in Ireland were apt.
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