As I said yesterday, there is another reason that Obama wanted Flynn’s head on a platter.
When Obama placed sanctions on Russia just before Christmas the FBI and the Intelligence Agencies were looking everywhere for any indications of Russian retaliations to the sanctions.
They wanted there to be retaliation so that Obama could ratchet up his sanctions even more. That move would leave incoming President Trump with a major diplomatic crisis at the outset of his presidency, and one that the IC could manipulate to destroy PDJT.
When there was no retaliation the IC and FBI started searching for a reason for the lack of response. During that search they found the phone call of Flynn and Kislyak. Flynn had poured cold water on the attempt to cause a major diplomatic issue with Russia and that made the IC, FBI and especially Obama pissed.
All of this is in the transcript of the HSCI, (intelligence committee), interview of Comey. That transcript, (the pertinent portions), were attached as Exhibit 5 of the DOJ motion to dismiss. See DOJ motion to dismiss https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.191592/gov.uscourts.dcd.191592.198.0_6.pdf
Flynn screwed up a good plan to sabotage PDJT and that could not be allowed to stand. That also explains the panic on 4 January to make sure Crosswind Razor was not closed because, if it was closed, they would have to open another investigation, which is problematic.
Think about the timeline:
late Dec-early Jan; they find the Flynn phone call and unmask Flynn. Comey knows but Lynch kept out of the loop.
Jan 4; frantically trying to make sure the Crossfire Razor case had not been closed and ensure that it does not get closed. 7th floor highly involved, (per Strzok).
Jan 5; meeting with Obama, Biden, IC, FBI and DOJ about Russia election interference. Private meeting with Comey and Lynch at which time Obama tells Lynch about the Flynn call. Only Comey and Lynch will be part of the incoming administration.
Jan 6; Comey briefs PDJT, (elect), about Steele dossier salacious parts only.
Jan 13; Flynn phone call leaks and within days VP Pence and Sen Spicer deny anything about sanctions discussed.
Jan. 17?; another leak, this time with details of the sanctions being discussed.
Lynch starts playing her part with concerns that White house need to be informed of the “lie” by Flynn to VP Pence.
24 Jan; Lynch wants to go to White house and discuss the phone call transcripts with McGahn, but Comey gets wind of it and sends FBI agents to interview Flynn.
On and on the merry go round went.
You might be right and you make a compelling argument for an angle I had not considered.
My WAG on this is a bit different - I think Obama and Rice were unmasking people in an unprecedented fashion and that was the scandal they feared would be revealed.
There is evidence they unmasked journalists, the Trump campaign, and likely many others as a regular practice. When I said “they”, this included DNC contractors for FBI/CIA and others. It was unprecedented in our history and it was clearly done in violation of civil rights.
This would be the scandal that would truly taint the Obama administration. They assumed Clinton would win so they had nothing to worry about until she laid an egg. They panicked. Flynn had an idea I think of what was happening, but likely did not know the full scope of it and he had no reason to know (DIA). When Trump said they wiretapped him it created more panic because he was right. Rogers told him.
Stop and think about this..... they scrambled to create the FISA warrants when it appeared Clinton might lose to retroactively cover what they had already done - wiretaps. They had to do this to create a “legal” cover for what they already did. Because the DNC contractors had access to the NSA database this illegal surveillance was done against Trump, his associates, and his campaign!
All of us have been focused on the dossier and the Russian collusion allegations, but this was only done to provide an excuse or cover for the real sin. The dossier and FISA’s were so amateurish and sloppy because they rushed them. It was all done in a rush based on the timeline we know while normal investigations are deliberate and often well established with the usual steps prior to going to the FISA court.
I don’t know if I am correct it is an educated guess reading between the lines. Nunes is on with Maria this morning and he is still very focused on the dossier, but what if that is NOT the worst scandal? What if the dossier was not initially intended to sabotage Trump, but it was to cover other sins? The fact that it all morphed into the collusion delusion and a Special Counsel was a bonus, but now everyone is looking at this scratching their head about how amateurish it all looks.
Grenell is fearless. He is now in a position to ask for all of this and it will be given to him right away. He is not Coates. The White House is not dumb. What if this is what Grenell took to Barr?
This unmasking was illegal. Period. The only thing that might provide some modicum of legal cover would be the FISA’s, but we know those were fraudulent and frankly in hindsight amateurish. However, they had to get a FISA to try and cover what they did. 2 jumps. Papadopoulos talks to an aide to Flynn and they can now listen to whoever he talks to (Flynn and others).
Curious to see what you think and FRegards.