TWGB: This Never Was A Hoax

The long-awaited 5th volume of the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding Russian active intelligence measures is public, and goddamn. So, Russia was definitely trying to interfere, right? And the Trump campaign was definitely okay with that. And it really looks like there was probably kompromat, and like Trump lied about whether he ever spoke with Roger Stone (you know--this Roger Stone) about Wikileaks, and it looks like Wikileaks was laundering the DNC emails for Russia, and Paul Manafort is understood to have definitely been sharing campaign information with a "Russian intelligence officer", Konstantin Kilimnik. It also shows that criminal referrals were made to DOJ regarding untruthful statements being made by folks like Steve Bannon and Don Jr. in 2019--although somehow the DOJ must have eaten them, because whatever could have happened? (Why, AG Barr happened, just like he happened to the end of the Mueller report. I reckon he means to be the wall-to-wall rug of Trump cover-ups.)

What we find is, in short, there was plenty of reason for a counter-intelligence investigation into the potential manipulation of a US presidential election by a hostile foreign power (not that Donald "Love Letters to Dictators" Trump understood it as such) and real concern about the many contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia. along with the obvious business connections Trump had in Russia, despite his vehement denials about both (which only made things more suspicious). It would have been derelict not to have investigated.

And now, here we are--the Senate Intelligence Select Committee produces this (with intriguing redactions) report covering what I've been trying to cover with TrumpWorld Grab-Bags. The conclusion appears to be that, well, it looked bad because it was bad. This information was available to to certain senators since before the impeachment hearings, and even if it wasn't source material, news reports made these same conclusions likely--the Russians were trying it and the Trumpers were onboard.



And the Republicans in the Senate, seeing that Trump was trying to get foreign assistance in his election again with respects to getting dirt on the Bidens from Ukraine, shrugged like mini-Atlases. (Ron Johnson of Wisconsin still seems be trying to do the work Trump awkwardly failed to contract from Ukraine's president.) Having any or every reason to believe he solicited help from Russia the first time around, and seeing he was doing the thing again, they waived the opportunity to get rid of the SOB and maybe even run an uncorrupted candidate. They stick by him, not just to the extent of defending what he did --but denying it means what it literally does.

When he undermines our institutions. When he sides with Russian foreign policy goals. When he accepts the word of Putin over our intelligence experts. When he does nothing to protect out elections but undermines them.

This was never a hoax. The word "hoax" would mean the facts weren't real--but Trump backers pretend you can just use that word as you like, to invalidate the real facts and findings. What Trump has been about this whole time isn't America First--it's pulling himself up to power with borrowed Russian bootstraps. The coordination (dare I call it "collusion"?) was real. And the damage he's done, whether on purpose, or because he's inept and so are the people he surrounds himself with, gratifies our enemies and alienates our allies.

He has to go. But even in the face of the facts, some terrible, needful will is lacking in the very people who would call themselves patriots. And I will never not throw that in their faces. Trump wears the flag like a costume while he challenges the Constitution and the rule of law.

Who wants to defend the Constitution against enemies foreign and domestic? As if it was their job?