[Steven W.]

RR was interesting when he said that the public portrayal in discussion of the 4th FISA is not consistent with his understanding of what it was for. They can’t keep taking the dossier back ... there had to be something else / more re Carter Page *OR* it’s a different tact. It remains a perplexing conundrum!

[Cboldt]

-- RR was interesting when he said that the public portrayal in discussion of the 4th FISA is not consistent with his understanding of what it was for. --

To me, in a nutshell, he came off as defensive, misdirecting, and obtuse. I see real institutional issues, and they don;t stop at the DOJ. The entire system, including the FISA judges, is a big expensive farce.

FBI is driving the FISA bus. DOJ is checking the odometer, and the judges assume that DOJ is critically reviewing the applications, so the judges do ZERO in the way of substantive review.

And to cap it off, the entire process is shrouded in secrecy, never to see the light of day.

Typical government function, and I am not in the least surprised to find the full "legal" power of the government used to subvert the political process.

[philman_36]

RR was interesting when he said that the public portrayal in discussion of the 4th FISA is not consistent with his understanding of what it was for.

If he didn't read the 4th FISA then how does he know that?