I agree that is simple but it is not helpful.
Posted on 03/02/2017 1:13:31 AM PST by Brad from Tennessee
Democrats and the media are once again targeting Attorney General Jeff Sessions — this time, over allegations that he met twice with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The Washington Post reports that Sessions met Sergey Kislyak once at a Heritage Foundation event in July 2016, where other ambassadors were also present. It also reports that Sessions met with Kislyak in his Senate office in September, in his capacity on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The hook on which the Post attempts to hang Sessions is that he did not disclose the meetings to the Senate when he was asked about “possible contacts between members of President Trump’s campaign and representatives of Moscow.” Sessions’s spokesperson at the Department of Justice, Sarah Isgur Flores, says his answer in January was truthful because he was asked about “the Trump campaign — not about meetings he took as a senator and a member of the Armed Services Committee.”
The Post does not provide the full transcript of the question, from Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), and Sessions’s answer. Instead it summarizes the exchange in a way that makes it seem that Sessions was asked if there was any contact at all between the campaign and representatives of the Russian government.
In fact, what Sessions was asked about was sustained, ongoing communications — a core accusation in the dubious “dossier.”
Here, via C-SPAN, is the transcript:
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
You ask, “Was not the question regarding Sessions contact (if there was any) in the specific context of whether the 2016 election was a topic of discussion?”
************************************************************
Disagree. The entire line of questioning by Franken was in the context of Sessions communication regarding the election and that, I believe is how sessions answered the question.
A you may well know it is entirely possible to ask a question to which ANY answer can later be used against the individual who answered.
All Sessions need do is stick to what he said, that there was NO talk of the possible ramifications to US/Russia relations based on the winner of the election. If Sessions is being truthful (and I believe he is) then let the Libs produce actual evidence, something they have not been able to do throughout this ENTIRE Russia fiasco.
I think nathanbedford’s point is that Sessions might have elaborated in his answer and stated that he had met with Russians and many other representatives of foreign nations in his role as a senator, but that he did not have any discussions about the campaign. The slimy Democrats would probably still have tried to make something of it, but Sessions would have been on record as having denied any discussions about the campaign.
Marie Harp on Fox now calling for special prosecutor.
Fox dipping to CNN level by hiring her.
She is an Obama synchophat who has the art of “ weasel wording” and sounding reasonable while lying down to an art form...
DOJ Should Expand Probe of Clinton Fndn, Clinton-Foreign Govt Relations #MAGA #TrumpTrain @realDonaldTrump #AmericaFirst #Dobbs— Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) March 2, 2017
You’re making it far too complex.
Occam’s Razor.
“Did you meet with them as part of the campaign?”
“No”
done.
I agree that is simple but it is not helpful.
Off the deep end panic.
The problem is Sessions did not say what you describe. The problem is he made a blanket denial. The denial, as a blanket denial, was false and was made under oath.
The problem is the answer went beyond the scope of the question.
That is not necessarily conclusive, but to say the transcript proves he was telling the truth is simply not true to the record. It is possible to read the transcript so that the question is in fact limited to contacts and communications concerning the election or concerning damaging information against Trump. That reading is possible but certainly more strained than looking at the blanket denial, that he did not have any meetings, and saying it is untrue. However, it is not damning enough to make him resign although the pressure to recuse is unfortunately building by the hour.
Alleged, alleged, alleged, by sources,blah blah blah etc. etc. etc. and the Trump supporters who elected our new president are supposed to swallow hook, line, and sinker a PRE-PREPARED ATTACK TIMED EXACTLY when President Trump has SUCCESSFULLY COUNTERED the hopelessly anti-American left wing by a resounding ALL-AMERICAN speech to Congress?
I would suggest you deep-six your overly erudite comments which serve no purpose but to cast doubts in FAVOR of these unceasing attacks on the Trump Administration which has NOT YET even succeeded in getting the FULL CABINET in place thanks to the foot dragging of the DEMOCRATS!
IOW TANK IT!
Molly dear, I ain't the problem. It is a little bit like the necessity properly to identify the enemy as Islamic terrorists; first you define the problem then you solve it. Do not try to ignore it to death, that simply does not work.
I am not looking for “comforting” analysis. I am completely capable of thinking for myself and need no assurances from self important people dedicated to trying to think for others. My point is simple. Stop discussing what should never have been brought out in the first place. The sooner this is SQUASHED, the better. The CHARGE is by the Democrats and the RINOS and publicity hounds keep blowing the subject to outlandish proportions. It was all arranged for some time. Schumer’s VERY WELL PREPARED STATEMENT is not the result of an overnight reflection. It is a completely detailed charge prepared for days if not weeks. His speech alone is obvious evidence of a PLANNED ATTACK and the TIMING as well selected to attempt to destroy Trump’s Triumph in his address to Congress.
My counter to these attacks would be to bring charges immediately against the Clintons. Blow the opposition out of the water, then bring charges against Obama and his henchmen Holder, Lynch, Jarrett, etc, etc. etc. nd close down their operations to destroy America in favor of the Globalists!
It is a fight to the death for the salvation of America and giving any inch such as even suggesting there may be something to this story against Sessions is outright treason. Those who wish to side with the Dems on this are writing their own demise.
Good heavens, upon reading your reply one would think you plagiarized what I wrote when it comes to advocating an attack against the Democrats and declining to concede either recusal or special prosecutor.
“The context of the question does not prove that Sessions was telling the truth, but it does leave the matter open to alternative plausible explanation.”
Yeah.
But the immediately preceding remarks of Franken make it *clear* that this was about interference in the election
https://www.c-span.org/video/?420932-7/attorney-general-confirmation-hearing-day-1-part-4
Also Franken’s follow-up.
The pertinent remarka are at the very beginning of the video.
There is nothing pertinent in the video different from what appears in the transcript, therefore the video offers no reason to alter the analysis.
All I can do is laugh out loud at your comment.
Good day.
Anyone rational is encouraged to view the short vid.
I have to disagree regarding "grave damage". The Democrats are damaging themselves more than anything else, and if there ever is some real reason to have a special prosecutor, they will not be able to get one, due to their hysterically crying of "wolf!" every single day.
Despite all the attacks, the administration is not suffering grave damage, because the Establishment and Media (but I repeat myself) have absolutely no credibility at this point. They are a laughingstock, and the American people see right through their transparent faux outrage.
It is time to shake it off and ridicule the absurdity of the Democrats.
That is what's occurring, and it's becoming more and more of a consensus.
The Democrats are a joke, and, as annoying as these constant attacks might be, they are only destroying themselves...
In regards to McCain and Mr. Butt these two have been up to no good since the election if one goes back to track everything these two have said and did, it’s looking very suspicious. No coincidence that these two were on CNN last night when this fake attack on sessions comes out. This is on going attempt at sabotaging this administration and these two are in the thick of it. They have friends on both sides of the aisle and in the deep state. There is, I believe, been something afoot and it is not good.
Agreed.
And equally disturbing is just what gives domestic surveillance agencies the right not only to monitor who a sitting US Senator meets with, but also gives that information to the press?
And lost in all of this is the total acceptance that Russia had influence in our election substantially beyond what has been SOP for years. The DNC hack was a new wrinkle, but just what evidence is there really that it actually was the Russians? We’re just told that intel has come to that consensus. Where’s the beef?
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