Byron York: Is tone of Trump-Russia probe changing?

The Washington Examiner ^ | 23 Oct 2017 | Byron York

[mandaladon]

Have you noticed? In recent public comments, the lawmakers investigating the Trump-Russia affair, along with some of the commentators who dissect its every development, seem to be focusing more on the facts of Russia's attempts to interfere with the 2016 election and less on allegations that Donald Trump or his associates colluded with those efforts.

Some of that could be just an impression. But the fact is, the subjects that have dominated discussion of the Trump-Russia matter lately -- Facebook and other social media ads and the most recent update from Senate Intelligence Committee leaders Richard Burr and Mark Warner -- do not necessarily point toward collusion. Rather, more often than not, the latest talk points toward Russian "active measures," that is, the effort to disrupt the 2016 campaign.

Why the change?

"Because that's where the evidence is going," one lawmaker who follows the matter closely told me in a text exchange. "I mean, things could always change, but that observation is just the reality of the situation right now, as I see it."

"Because they've been spinning their wheels on something for which evidence has yet to emerge," said another lawmaker.

"I think it's 1) the Mueller probe means that stuff [allegations of collusion] is sort of in his wheelhouse now," said yet another lawmaker, "and 2) I think there's recognition that Trump himself is unlikely to be implicated in this."

In a recent speech to the San Mateo County, California Republican Party, House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes said that at this moment investigators have more evidence of Democrats colluding with Russians than of President Trump doing so.

[Chaguito]

Investigating Tony Podesta on a technicality. Oh well, I guess it’s something.

[ganeemead]

Russiagate, the claim of evil Russians ****ing the poor Hildabeast out of the white house, has been totally debunked, it being shown to be physically impossible for anybody to have taken the amount of data in the amount of time in question over the internet.

Nonetheless, the story we now see about HDK and Obozo taking bribes to allow Russian control of a major share of US uranium production certainly seems to be real enough. Also seemingly real are the claims of Russian spetznaz groups rounding up democrats in democrat-controlled US cities for some sort of a scientific study of primitive people at the University of Moscow. As one of those spetznaz officers explained to me, the thing is similar to the "Naked and Afraid" show which has been seen on television. They're putting the democrats in some sort of a rock quarry with bananas to eat and water to drink and just their hands to see if they're capable of fashioning stone tools on their own.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

Trump + Russia = Dead End.

Russia + 2016 = The Obvious Fallback to avoid the nightmare of ...

Russia + Uranium + Hillary + Bill = Game, Set, Match for Trump

 

It's obvious that they're working to avoid the obvious - mention of the C-word (Clinton).

 

 

[GOPJ]

Also seemingly real are the claims of Russian spetznaz groups rounding up democrats in democrat-controlled US cities for some sort of a scientific study of primitive people at the University of Moscow. As one of those spetznaz officers explained to me, the thing is similar to the "Naked and Afraid" show which has been seen on television.

Interesting... do you have a link?

Maybe allowing people of the world to 'have their say' about who we elect President would work in our favor... it would teach them the fun of being able to say anything they want about those in power (good training for when they might be free) and it would give us insights into how we're seen.

People of the world are effected by our choices after all. Open the discussion - more speech is always better.