The Patriot Post® · Nunes Memo Released

By Gary Bauer ·
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/53901-nunes-memo-released-2018-02-03

The Nunes memo has been released.
 
We are examining it now. Byron York and several conservative outlets are reporting these key points:


  • The Steele dossier was essential to the FBI getting a FISA warrant (and to all subsequent renewals) against Carter Page.

  • Andrew McCabe conceded that no FISA warrants would have been sought without the dossier.

  • Top FBI and Justice officials knew about the political origins of the Steele dossier but failed to include that information on the FISA applications.

  • Justice official Bruce Ohr met with Christopher Steele beginning in the summer of 2016. Steele told Ohr that he was desperate to keep Donald Trump out of the White House. Ohr told Justice Department officials about Steele’s bias.


It is worth noting that two weeks ago, a Rasmussen poll found that by an 18-point margin (49% to 31%) voters supported the appointment of a second special counsel to investigate the FBI’s actions in 2016. Even Democrats were split on the issue — 38% in favor, 40% opposed and 22% undecided.



After Friday’s bombshell revelations, those numbers will likely skyrocket.



The Drama Continues



When powerful people in Washington, with their hair on fire, are demanding that you not be allowed to see information about potential malfeasance within the government, it is reasonable to assume that the folks screaming the loudest — Pelosi, Schiff, Schumer, Comey — are afraid of what you might learn.


The idea that the information in the memo prepared by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes will help the Russians and compromise our secrets is absurd. And even more so given that this concern is coming from the Left.


For the past 50 years, the Left did its best to appease the Russians. Heck, it even colluded with the Russians to defeat Ronald Reagan. And the Left did its best to expose our secrets.


The Left loved the Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam War. Hollywood just made a new movie about that.

It loved Wikileaks when it was embarrassing the Bush administration. It was strangely quiet when Obama commuted the sentence of traitor Bradley Manning.


Here’s the most important point, which I alluded to yesterday:


Based on initial reports, this memo appears to confirm that unverified opposition research prepared and paid for by Hillary Clinton’s campaign was used to obtain warrants from the super-secret FISA court in order to spy on Hillary Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s political opponents.



In other words, the Obama administration weaponized the FBI against Donald Trump.


It seems that elements of our government conducted themselves as if we are Russia.


Keep in mind, friends, that there is still one more shoe yet to drop. I have high hopes that the report coming out soon from the inspector general of the Justice Department will be even more revealing.



One final thought: Donald Trump was mercilessly mocked when he said Trump Towers had been wiretapped. Multiple Obama officials rushed to a microphone to condemn Trump. But I think it is increasingly obvious that Trump was right all along.



Comey Tries Comedy


Based on his tweets, it seems fired FBI Director James Comey is trying his hand at comedy. Thursday he tweeted this:


"All should appreciate the FBI speaking up. I wish more of our leaders would. But take heart: American history shows that, in the long run, weasels and liars never hold the field, so long as good people stand up. Not a lot of schools or streets named for Joe McCarthy.“


Wow! Where to begin?



As for "weasels and liars,” this is the guy who let Hillary Clinton off the hook. This is the guy who leaked classified memos of personal conversations with the president, which means that no future president can have candid conversations with the FBI director if Comey’s behavior is the standard.


And for Comey to invoke Joe McCarthy is hilarious! This whole Russia collusion delusion is McCarthyism at its worst.



The hatred Comey has demonstrated toward Trump likely explains why no Obama-era scandals were ever adequately addressed. Comey and some of the other bad actors at the FBI and Justice (Eric Holder comes to mind) make J. Edgar Hoover look like a civil libertarian by comparison.


When all is said and done, I think we can safely say that we won’t be seeing James Comey Boulevard any time soon.


Good News


The economy added 200,000 jobs last month. But the big takeaway from the latest economic data is that wages increased at the fastest rate in eight years.


That’s interesting. What happened about eight years ago that slammed the brakes on wages? That would be the beginning of the Obama-era of higher taxes, socialized medicine and regulation run amok.


In other news, more companies announced that they are giving bonuses and boosting pay and benefits as a result of the Trump tax cuts. UPS and Lowes join a growing list of more than 300 companies offering bonuses, pay raises and better benefits to their workers. Hostess is giving bonuses and free Twinkies too!


In a related note, President Trump’s approval rating is up to 49% in the latest Rasmussen poll — matching his highest rating in nearly a year. And Democrats’ big polling advantage in the November midterm elections is quickly disappearing.