Pages

Monday, December 9, 2019

What's Up Today

Yesterday I had guests, so had difficulty doing my usual reading and other things. I have a lot to catch up on.

Today, in the next few minutes, I'll be heading out to have recall work done on my car, which will occupy much of the morning.

We all know there will be lots going on today--probably later in the day--but I'll be hors de combat for a fair amount of time (I don't own a laptop!).

This may be a good time to point out that I've jiggered a bit with the configuration of the blog to make it more user friendly. There are very strict limits to what I can do with Blogger without utilizing third party code. I'm loathe to do that because, after all, who can you trust?

Anyway, I've added "share buttons" that appear at the end of each post, and a primitive "like" button. Also made the "Read more" thingy more obvious.

For what it's all worth.


13 comments:

  1. I also do not have a laptop and probably never will have one.

    Most people, as they become older, settle on the technology they know and have.

    When I die, they will have to pry my desktop computer from my cold, dead hands.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love my MacBook Pro laptop. The iMac upstairs sits cold and lonely. Used to have a PC with all that goes with that. A MacBook for Christmas changed my world. Now I have a newer one. Have never looked back...

      Diffr’nt strokes...

      Delete
  2. It's out!

    http://https//www.justice.gov/storage/120919-examination.pdf

    ReplyDelete
  3. Headlines from Fox News and my local paper are

    IG report finds mistakes but no political bias in FBI’s bid to spy on Trump campaign staffer

    Watchdog report: FBI's Russia probe justified, no bias found

    This is all that some voters will read. Then they will serve as parrots to defend the Deep State.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, yes, I agree with you. But perception is reality for the low information voter.

    ReplyDelete
  5. From John H Durham

    Statement of U.S. Attorney John H. Durham

    “I have the utmost respect for the mission of the Office of Inspector General and the comprehensive work that went into the report prepared by Mr. Horowitz and his staff. However, our investigation is not limited to developing information from within component parts of the Justice Department. Our investigation has included developing information from other persons and entities, both in the U.S. and outside of the U.S. Based on the evidence collected to date, and while our investigation is ongoing, last month we advised the Inspector General that we do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened.”

    The link is here. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/statement-us-attorney-john-h-durham

    I got it from Jeff Carlson's Twitter account.

    ReplyDelete
  6. And from Bill Barr

    Statement by Attorney General William P. Barr on the Inspector General's Report of the Review of Four FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation

    Attorney General William P. Barr issued the following statement:

    "Nothing is more important than the credibility and integrity of the FBI and the Department of Justice. That is why we must hold our investigators and prosecutors to the highest ethical and professional standards. The Inspector General’s investigation has provided critical transparency and accountability, and his work is a credit to the Department of Justice. I would like to thank the Inspector General and his team.

    The Inspector General’s report now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a U.S. presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken. It is also clear that, from its inception, the evidence produced by the investigation was consistently exculpatory. Nevertheless, the investigation and surveillance was pushed forward for the duration of the campaign and deep into President Trump’s administration. In the rush to obtain and maintain FISA surveillance of Trump campaign associates, FBI officials misled the FISA court, omitted critical exculpatory facts from their filings, and suppressed or ignored information negating the reliability of their principal source. The Inspector General found the explanations given for these actions unsatisfactory. While most of the misconduct identified by the Inspector General was committed in 2016 and 2017 by a small group of now-former FBI officials, the malfeasance and misfeasance detailed in the Inspector General’s report reflects a clear abuse of the FISA process.

    FISA is an essential tool for the protection of the safety of the American people. The Department of Justice and the FBI are committed to taking whatever steps are necessary to rectify the abuses that occurred and to ensure the integrity of the FISA process going forward.

    No one is more dismayed about the handling of these FISA applications than Director Wray. I have full confidence in Director Wray and his team at the FBI, as well as the thousands of dedicated line agents who work tirelessly to protect our country. I thank the Director for the comprehensive set of proposed reforms he is announcing today, and I look forward to working with him to implement these and any other appropriate measures.

    With respect to DOJ personnel discussed in the report, the Department will follow all appropriate processes and procedures, including as to any potential disciplinary action."

    Link is here https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/statement-attorney-general-william-p-barr-inspector-generals-report-review-four-fisa

    This is also from Jeff Carlson's Twitter page.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Referring to Barr's statement taht he has " I have full confidence in Director Wray and his team at the FBI...", one Twitter commenter wrote that "That takes the number of people who have faith in Wray to a grand total of 1."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The WSJ had an article on Wray's supposed efforts to keep the FBI on the straight and narrow going forward. I found it pathetic.

      Thanks for the above info. That was my first instinct, to look for those reactions. To many directions to go in all at once. I'll add to my new post, then go back to reading.

      Delete
    2. In nearly every walk of life, the proffered "I have full confidence in..." precedes a firing or resignation. It simply preempts the media inquiry that would garner the same response so as to end that line of inquiry.

      To call it pro forma boilerplate is as a hammer striking a nail...

      Delete