Aggressive Attempts To Discredit Durham Investigation May Reflect Something Big Is Coming Down
Someone is trying to discredit whatever it is that’s coming down the pike, through shoddy and speculative Hartford Courant story about prosecutor resignation, which suggests that something is about to happen.
I haven’t had much hope for the investigation being conducted by prosecutor John Durham. Not because of anything particular to the Durham investigation, but we’ve been disappointed too many times before.
The guilty plea of an ex-FBI lawyer for falsifying a FISA document created the possibility that he was cooperating, and that there would be more to come. But still, after that plea:
The usual suspects are declaring the Durham investigation illegitimate and a nothingburger.
I’ve been so dissapointed with Republican-led investigations that I’m not hoping for much more.
But let me be very clear what I want to see: James Comey frog-marched in an orange jumpsuit, legs shackled and hands bound at his waste, leading a chain gang of Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, Samantha Powers, and John Does Nos. 1-13, into the federal courthouse, with the unsealing of an indictment naming mysterious persons “Renegade” and “Celtic” as unindicted co-conspirators.
You can’t take away my dreams.
There have been no announcements of more criminal charges. But there is a glimmer of hope. Someone is trying to discredit whatever it is that’s coming down the pike, which suggests that something is about to happen.
The Hartford Courant ran a shoddy piece of gossiping about a lawyer on the Durham team leaving supposedly because she didn’t like the political pressure on the probe. Or at least, that’s what the headline suggests, Nora Dannehy, Connecticut prosecutor who was top aide to John Durham’s Trump-Russia investigation, resigns amid concern about pressure from Attorney General William Barr.
But the actual article doesn’t prove the headline, at best it’s based on anonymous people speculating as to her motives for resigning (emphasis added, with my annotations in brackets):
Federal prosecutor Nora Dannehy, a top aide to U.S. Attorney John H. Durham in his Russia investigation, has quietly resigned — at least partly [so maybe not actually the reason, but a tiny part of the reason?] out of concern that the investigative team is being pressed for political reasons to produce a report before its work is done, colleagues said. [Which colleagues? How are they in a position to know?]
Dannehy, a highly regarded prosecutor who has worked with or for Durham for decades, informed colleagues in the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Haven of her resignation from the Department of Justice by email Thursday evening. The short email was a brief farewell message and said nothing about political pressure, her work for Durham or what the Durham team has produced, according to people who received it….
Colleagues [them, again] said Dannehy is not a supporter of President Trump and has been concerned in recent weeks by what she believed was pressure from Barr, who appointed Durham, to produce results before the election. They said she has been considering resigning for weeks, conflicted by loyalty to Durham and concern about politics.
Durham is notoriously circumspect and neither he nor members of his team have revealed anything about the direction of their work. But Durham associates, none of whom have specific knowledge of the investigation [so people who don’t have actual knowledge], have said recently that it is their belief [so people who don’t have actual knowledge believe something, that’s not evidence of anything] he is under pressure to produce something — perhaps [in other words, pure speculation by people who don’t have actual knowledge] some sort of report — before the presidential election in November.
The thinking of the associates [who cares what they think?], all Durham allies, is that the Russia investigation group will be disbanded and its work lost if Trump loses….
Critics of the administration have accused it of trying to manipulate the Durham investigation to shore up the President’s poll numbers. [Just a nice wrap up political spin, in case you didn’t get the point of the article.]
Notice the wording I’ve highlighted. There is nothing to this report. Maybe Dannehy was concerned about political pressure, but the reporting doesn’t come anywhere close to proving that.
But it doesn’t matter, the headline was all Democrats and their media helpers needed to claim that anything that comes down from Durham is the result of political pressure.
It is exceedingly rare for DOJ prosecutors to resign in protest, and this is the 2nd one this year to do so bc of improper political influence.
This tells you all that you need to know about the bastardization of the Durham investigation by Bill Barr. https://t.co/ajJDnVXdim
— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) September 11, 2020
??
Canary in coal mine dead.Looks like profound corruption in Barr-Durham probe—attempted October surprise.
Top Durham aide, Nora Dannehy resigns partly because “team is being pressed for political reasons to produce a report before its work is done”!https://t.co/JvXtU8k4bY
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) September 11, 2020
The sudden resignation of John Durham’s top deputy Nora Dannehy is a strong sign that Bill Barr has turned Durham into a tool of the corrupt Trump project of smearing Biden and clearing Trump in October. These crooks aren’t even subtle.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) September 11, 2020
House Intelligence Cmte. Chairman Schiff calls for an IG investigation of AG Barr, following the resignation of Nora Dannehy, a top aide to the prosecutor tasked with investigating the origins of the Russia probe.https://t.co/onZyXR1Bmd
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 11, 2020
Some career prosecutors value their integrity more than producing results dictated by politics. No one should trust a Durham report published anytime between now and the election. https://t.co/marZKfApI4
— Michael R. Bromwich (@mrbromwich) September 11, 2020
Again, this is all based on rank speculation by people who don’t have direct knowledge of anything.
So what’s going on? Who is whispering in the Hartford Courant’s ear?
Someone or people who know something big is coming down, and want to discredit it in advance.
You can’t take away my dreams.
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Nora Donnehy is a career swamp inhabitant. Her leaving citing a politicized process is not a bad sign, it’s cautiously good news. The entire DC bureaucracy was politicized by the outgoing Obama administration against Trump. She didn’t resign over that so maybe there is something to what Barr and Durham are doing.
Remember, both she and Durham live in Connecticut and their professional and personal lives would be over if they actually indicted some of the higher up Democratic criminals or the FBI and other governmental officials who committed endless crimes.
This investigation has taken forever so the claim they are being rushed is cover for why nothing of importance will be done.
There is speculation that her resignation has more to do with her creating a bit of distance from the investigation for her future consideration in the legal profession, which would mean the fall out could be harmful for her in her leftist world.
What concerns me about recent reports are Howdy Goudy and his multitude of hairstyles claiming no more indictments, even though there hasn’t been any so far. Judicial Watch commenting on this Durham investigation being a hoax with a lot of kicking the can down the road.
Judicial Watch has not found there to be any Grand Jury work being done. Brennan claiming he is not a target, the multitude of books coming out from these coup masters, and the sheer length of time this has taken when so much information is out there in the public square – yet it seems key characters haven’t been interviewed yet, and might not be.
Barr has been claimed to have killed any work coming from the political silos, which is troubling, as this whole thing was political from the start of Obama’s spying on Trump’s campaign, and setting up a coup effort through Herr Mueller and then the impeachment, and Schiff for brains calling for yet more “investigations” in the never ending cycle of his Brussel Sprouts. Barr also saying Obama and Biden are off the table, like Boehner did with Obama, giving Obama the freedom to do as he pleased with weaponizing the FBI, CIA, IRS, DOJ.
I’m not counting on indictments, even though there should be plenty of them. I don’t have faith in our justice system, as crooks who are Democrats keep getting off with doing criminal actions, up to and including sedition, and low hanging fruit of clear criminal actions like with Comey and McCabe being passed over, allowing these cretins to crow for months.
If these people get away with this sedition, why should any of us follow the law? Why should we have restrictions on us when the biggest criminal actions are being performed by politicians and political figures on a grand stage and they only suffer from getting wealthy from “book deals” money laundering schemes?
We are moving far too close to Civil War with these actions and others that are being allowed to continue without check. We are closer to it turning hot than most admit. And a large part of the blame goes to the DOJ not bringing to justice people who have done criminal actions against the President and against this country.
My hopes died fast upon learning that John Brennan was questioned without being placed under oath. This is the same thing they did when investigating the Hillary server fiasco. When I watched Tom Fitton and Devin Nunes interviewed on Fox a couple of nights ago, they both sounded like they were at their wits end.
If this coup attempt ends with a complete coverup, it’s over. I fear it’s really up to Trump right now. Release the Durham Report. Get the truth out before it’s too late. Even if it means all hell breaks loose.
If we are going to have a civil war, let’s at least know the truth. Failure to do that would signal to me that Trump was part of the cover up. The last man capable of stopping what is heading our way. What would be the point of being re-elected as a captive president?
Flynn was not put “under oath” and charged. The “under oath” part is way over rated. You are subject to prosecution for lying regardless of any oath.
As much as I respect Judicial Watch (and donate!) they did not call the indictment of Clinesmith IIRC, so the belief there are no grand jury’s is suspect. They (Durham) may be effective at keeping the secrets.
Which is still no guarantee of any further prosecution. But if not Barr is a fool for hinting at bigger things to come.
I’m way too old to believe any story that has the taint of “people familiar with the matter.”
Donnehy’s own statement said nothing about political pressure.
Isn’t it possible that she’s been meaning to leave for unrelated personal reasons and has only been waiting until the team’s work (or at least her part in it) is finished?
Until we hear more from herself, rather than anonymous “colleagues”, we can only guess.
My guess is that someone will be charged that she wants to get distanced from. To preserve her lefty credentials.
When Donnehy took the job in March 2019 she said she expected her assignment to last only six months to one year. She was a prosecutor for the DoJ from 1991 to 2010 then resigned to become the Deputy AG for the state of Connecticut. So she only had 19 years on the job, one year shy of qualifying for the pension. The six months to one year timeframe means she accepted the job and intended to stay only long enough to qualify for her pension. So the only thing unusual about her resignation is she stayed longer than she originally intended.
Shipwreckedcrew is a former federal prosecutor who blogs under that pseudonym at RedState. His analysis is far more informed than anything you’ll get from lefty sources who are speculating based on what they hope happened.
https://www.redstate.com/shipwreckedcrew/2020/09/12/speculation-on-why-durhams-chief-deputy-resigned-today-requires-inside-knowledge/
Read the whole thing. But the cliff notes version is that while at DoJ she worked for Durham on high profile public corruption cases. Durham trusts her and she respects Durham. In other words she fits the profile of someone he would tap to lead his “filter” team.
In the Garrity case the SCOTUS ruled that if an internal investigator such as IG Horowitz compelled a self-incriminating statement such as threatening adverse job action if they invoked the 5th Amendment then that compelled statement can’t later be used in a criminal proceeding. Durham’s investigation didn’t start as a criminal proceeding but became one later. So he’d have to form a “filter” team to go through all the interviews the IG conducted with targets to ensure Durham, his prosecutors, and investigators are not “polluted” with information they never should have known about if that information was in any way compelled. They would have to interview the IG’s investigators on occasion to clarify matters. They’d also have to investigate to see if the information that otherwise be inadmissible as “fruit of the poison tree” was discovered by an alternate, constitutionally sound means.
If there was no alternate means then Durham, his prosecutors, and investigators can never see that information. If there was an alternate source then the information the IG’s investigation turned up can be turned over to Durham and his team because it’s superfluous.
But the prosecutor(s) and investigators on Durham’s filter team have to depart the prosecution team because they’ve been “polluted” by seeing information that violated the Garrity ruling. And if indictments are imminent, as multiple sources indicate, now is exactly the time you’d expect Donnehy to depart. And if she truly respects Durham, and Durham’s trust was well placed, that would explain why she stayed longer than she had to fully vest her pension. To finish the job.
The bottom line is that far from rushing the job for political reasons in order to manufacture an October surprise for Trump, it appears Barr is making sure every case he brings is as iron clad as possible. Barr isn’t an idiot. He knows that if Biden wins his AG will move to dismiss them and the leftists will accuse Barr and Trump of using the DoJ to bring flimsy cases to target his political enemies. Which would put Barr and Trump in legal jeopardy. The only way he can avoid that, if he doesn’t wait until after the election to bring indictments, is to make sure his cases are so strong they’d be impossible to dismiss. That sounds like what he’s doing.
A terrific synopsis and analysis.
Here’s a further update by the same-cited author:
https://www.redstate.com/shipwreckedcrew/2020/09/13/using-compelled-testimony-from-ig-investigation-causes-criminal-convictions-to-be-overturned-why-weissman-knows-this/
The intrigue continues as Andrew Weissman — the stellar, long-time DOJ prosecutor believed to have actually piloted the Mueller Investigation in relegating the former FBI Director to look out the window and watch the birds from the co-pilot’s seat — is brought into focus here.
In this episode, Shipwreckedcrew spends time at his keyboard diligently explaining the painstaking time and care necessary for Durham & Co to eventually announce only ripe, untainted indictments, so that a critical procedural error made in US v Allen, found on appeal, isn’t repeated in the present, special criminal investigation.
It all sounds very plausible. Being true in the end would be far, far better as our cities are still set ablaze, and more and more LEOs lose their lives daily by protecting our rights under the rule of law from the savagery of the barbarians in our midst.
It’s almost crunch time — for real. Durham & Co’s work better be good — and stick.
Something as big as the Globalists’ New World Order, Communist China, Muslim terrorism, and their Leftist DEM colluders?
YOU BETCHA!
Related:
Tucker Carlson Questions DOJ Aggression Toward
Julian Assange….
https://youtu.be/hrYN3e4sq8I
If only Durham’s investigations were as effective as his scowl.
“That’s some nice scowling there, Mr. Burns”
Chief Wiggum
I shall remain optimistic that Barr/Durham will produce. I see nothing in this resignation and the reaction from the progs that would make me think otherwise.
I would like to know what they found in jim comey’s office, in his safe. That’s just one aspect of spygate that should have been a huge red flag to everyone, but the msm has been working overtime suppressing news of this investigation.
I highly doubt President Trump would say “We caught them all.” As often and confidently as he does if it weren’t true. Yeah, that’s speculation on my part, but he has been very transparent with what’s going on behind the scenes.
If she resigned on principle because the DOJ was being used as a tool of the WH, she must be a republican. No democrat has any principles that would demand such an action.
One can hope that she sees a long trial approaching and doesn’t want to make the time commitment. Or, she may have planned this departure long ago and only agreed to stay through the investigation. Any speculation is possible.
I am so used to the swamp that I no longer make predictions and if forced to, never predict outcomes that are morally sound; that way, all my surprises are happy ones.
It’s a sad commentary on America that organized crime has higher standards that the gov’t.
Organized Crime IS the government.
Good point.
Is the Hartford Courant a normal, regular sewer outlet for the swamp as the WA PO and NYT are?
Yes. They pretty much all are.
Vigilantism is justified when the government fails to uphold the law.
You mean some wild Western Civ……..
As my U.S. history instructor pointed out, the West was not that wild with most men having fought in the Civil War or having grown up on farms where the use of firearms were routine.
Let post a pic of what normal, plain folk used to do to the Evil Ones.
You mean some wild Western Civ……..
As my U.S. history instructor pointed out, the West was not that wild with most men having fought in the Civil War or having grown up on farms where the use of firearms were routine.
Let me post a pic of what normal, plain folk used to do to the Evil Ones.
Dead Daltons on Display After the Disastrous Coffeyville, Kansas, Raid
https://miro.medium.com/max/1750/1*Tg5JW-rSsW069Pj7ocLhtA.jpeg
Hiccup.
Perhaps the “colleagues” are the same anonymous sources that were used for the blockbuster Atlantic story on Trump’s “losers” and “suckers” quote?
You ask “which colleagues?”. In a sense all lawyers can be said to be colleagues (don’t litigators trying to score points often refer to their opponents as “my honorable colleague”?), so all it really means is “some lawyers”.
Re your dream, in general I think perp walks are extremely unethical, and if they’re not illegal they should be, but I could make an exception in this case…
Good, for if not they, who? and if not now, when?
But I agree. Being in a line of inter- and intra-chained frogs, marching along in shame and being howled at, is no way to treat the presumed innocent.
Except for these frogs; for now, in our shared dream. We’ll proscribe that later if all turns out well for us normals in this episode of American Sedition/Treason.
Speaking of which hopefully alleged crimes, take a look at this article —
https://www.redstate.com/stu-in-sd/2020/09/12/digging-into-the-corpulent-alexander-vindman/ —
on “the corpulent LTC Alexander Vindman”. Heavy describes the matter too lightly.
Couch the indictments in solemn concern…leave their supporters with less to use as a complaint so that when the hammer falls in the end appropriate visuals are made.
I wonder if all this plays out with a backdrop of mutually assured destruction with both sides having catalogued enough skeletons that no one pushes the button?
Maybe this was to prevent a leak or stop them…giving her room to leave rather than fired?
There are people here who think perp walks are ethical?! Who could possibly think that?
You apparently, since you are willing to make an exception in this case.
An article at Red State speculates concerning how Durham’s investigative team/s are structured – something to do with forming a “filter team” to insulate investigators and prosecutors from evidence they shouldn’t see which has to do with an earlier case known as “Garrity v New Jersey”.
Ms. Dannehy may have been part of the filter team, who if the Durham report is wrapping up and preparing to drop, would be done with her work.
Apologies if I’ve butchered the explanation – I’m not a lawyer.
If interested, see https://www.redstate.com/shipwreckedcrew/2020/09/12/speculation-on-why-durhams-chief-deputy-resigned-today-requires-inside-knowledge/
You scooped me, bro! (Our entries overlapped, well done.)
Well, you both caught me. I saw the article by Shipwrecked earlier and considered how sensible and reasonable it sounded, which made it almost impossible for it to ever make it to the ordinary media market.
MrE and Gatorguy both reference former AUSA, twitters @shipwreckedcrew, to explain the role of the “filter”. When you understand the purpose of the role you will realize it perfectly fits several descriptions mentioned of Dannehy.
Sundance at conservative tree house says Dannehy’s role was “siloed”. The Hartford Courant says she was originally brought on with an expected term of 6-12 months. These both point to a role as the “filter” whose job is to separate out information that does not compromise the 5th amendment rights of govt employees (Garrity).
So someone must function in this role and that someone must leave the team once their job is done because they are privy to evidence that can’t be used by the prosecution
All these jokers who understand the process aren’t bothering to explain what is the most likely scenario. Instead they use it to fling accusations against Barr and Durham. Which goes to show you simply can’t trust the so called experts who are desperately protecting their matrix.
It’s posted above a couple of times but for easy reference here is the article:
https://www.redstate.com/shipwreckedcrew/2020/09/12/speculation-on-why-durhams-chief-deputy-resigned-today-requires-inside-knowledge/
Great summary — concisely, yet amply informative of the theory’s legal significance.
The theory’s additionally provided rationale has a lot of interesting appeal, too. Having accrued 19 years of FT DOJ employment in various capacities since 1991, she needed only 1 more year of such paid employment to qualify for (be vested in) her federally guaranteed pension.
In sum, this theory runs, her filter-team leadership was coterminous with the time needed to satisfy her pension requirement. For Nora Dennehy, then, it’s a perfect wrap, and time to retire (to a nice, comfy, also highly respectable, deputy AG job back home, working for CT). Why not?
@shipwrecked crew points us to the article by Sara Carter in 2019 detailing the hazards Barr faced because they IG report was full of compelled testimony.
The important role of the “filter” cannot be overemphasized.
From Sara Carter’s piece:
(Barr) should immediately stop making public comments about his discussions and coordination with the IG; he should establish a taint team in a government office far away from Main Justice and demand that his criminal investigative team sever all contact with any IG employee or any member of the taint team; the taint team should review exactly who was interviewed by the IG, which witnesses provided compelled statements (probably the vast majority), and make sure to take serious steps to preserve the possibility of prosecuting FBI and DOJ officials if they committed wrongdoing,” said one former FBI official, who spoke on condition that they not be named. “After what the president and the country have been through, it would be a travesty for the guilty to get away with it because of governmental blundering.”
https://saraacarter.com/mine-field-if-barr-has-any-intention-of-prosecuting-fisa-abuses-he-should-stay-clear-of-ig-report/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Read here
https://www.redstate.com/shipwreckedcrew/2020/09/12/speculation-on-why-durhams-chief-deputy-resigned-today-requires-inside-knowledge/
a wholly different, breath-restoring, even angst-soothing way of viewing the recent departure of USA Durham’s deputy. In it, you’ll find the compound postings, FILTER TEAM and VESTED PENSION — new thought-signs leading us in a rather everyday, it’s-only-sausage, nuts-and-bolts kind of direction. I also got the sense, there’s a possible prosecutorial feint in this well-argued play as well. I just like it, and really want it — or any theory preventing a hot civil war from starting — to be true.
Meanwhile, keep in mind the professor’s key assessment. The MSM’s reactive lurch-in-unison by smelling rot in the political forms of panic felt and pressure applied from the highest echelon of DOJ “is all based on rank speculation by people who don’t have direct knowledge of anything.”
The above-cited, mighty refreshing theory in regard to USAA Nora Dannehy’s sudden resignation from Durham’s team just might not diminish WAJ’S right and ability to dream. Big.
We all share in that wishful escape. May the Mother of All Frog Marches live on. In our minds, at least for now. No reason yet, I’m saying, to quit the thrill.
I pray for our country and its people, there never is one, but rather, one day, a firm reason to rejoice in the justifiably restored belief that God, the Maker of Justice, still favors America.
Amen to that. 😉
“USAA . . .”: correctly, AUSA Nora Dannehy
Obama has skated in every way due to his skin color.
Ironically, his ancestors never endured slavery.
But they did love them some communism.
American blacks are remarkably indiscriminate in evaluating their “leaders.”
As for Durham, wake me up if anything happens that might save the Republic.
I am well-past any belief in glimmers. I have seen too much overt and obvious crimes of the worst sort committed over the past 12 years with not a single person held accountable in any measurable way. Not even a little, tiny bit. I have lost all faith in the Barr and Durham, and Congressional investigators and any and every one else. And then, watching the cities be burnt down and absolutely nothing done, at all … that pretty much sealed it for me.
This society doesn’t seem to have the will to continue. Crimes of this sort – and the treason and insurrection, which are far worse – cannot be allowed to go on without end and for the society to eventually emerge from it. That just isn’t how it goes.
I wouldn’t place any bets on any serious arrests of coup plotters or insurrectionists or any other enemies of the state, even if you gave me 1000:1 odds.
Definitely a sensible and reasonable view; I’m sometimes there as well. Hopefully, though, future events will relieve your justified despair.
In the meantime — and at the risk of appearing facetious, insensitive, or in any way unkind and inappropriate — go watch some Marx Brothers films. The analogy to government is remarkable!
Doing so helps me, a lot; it might help you feel better, too — which is certainly better for your and possibly others’ health, now and in the long run.
Anyway, we might need you later, hopefully, that is, for the ongoing cold civil war’s intellectual rallies and disputes, right here at LI.
BTW, does your penname refer to either a Primordial Pair, or to an Ordered Pair? If not of either mythology or math, and if you don’t mind sharing, please explain yours.
It refers to both. I am of the mathematical opinion that the ordered pair is the fundamental element of Nature – that order is an inherent quality of the (mathematical) universe, not a secondary trait (as it is derived in set theory). We really know of nothing that is actually unordered, as that would be a true random variable, at the very least – though the claim in quantum computing is that they can have perfect random number generators. I have my doubts, but I have this thing about order being foundational and that is where my nic comes from.
But there is asymmetry in D- and L- isomers in nature.
I never had much to do with chemistry so I can’t really address your point, but I can say that symmetry and asymmetry are characteristics of order.
Maybe I’m missing your point …
I’m with you on order’s necessary presence for our universe to exist. A balanced way — or a balancing act, either static, or in a process slower than the human eye can appreciate, all presupposing the pervasiveness and nowhere-absent influence of order* — is best in all things, and is essential for order (–which maxim Homer found true enough to remind those listening to him sing his renown epic poem, recorded for all in Odyssey**).
Plato’s Republic comes to mind in relation to these thoughts on balance and order. The famous dialogue is any typical undergrad’s introduction to order, found, always analogously, in justice’s dynamics, the good citizen’s soul, and the state’s organization. If none of the first and the second, then no chance for the third, its Socratic back-and-forth runs. It’s the way of the cosmos on the earth among the oceans, the Greeks of the classical period believed, I’m told.
If you loved the Republic, then you’d be disgusted by the state of today’s United States. So many in its history who served it died in arms, dedicating their courage, or lives, to an aven better, republican future for us all. We’re continuously rejecting their incalculable love of country and fellow citizen with our too spotty, pernicious abandonment of law, order’s instrument.
As Plato foretold, via Socrates, if no love of state, then no true, working, citizen-serving state. Self-serving tyrants and their always wicked tyranny know a weak link when they see one. This, our Marxist/Maoist/Globalist adversaries know well, and use to undermine our great republic.
(I wonder how Groucho might put it, more lightly, with vitally needed humor.)
________________
* To help out with alaskabob’s need for exclusive sterochemical immediacy. Apparent, sporadic unbalance satisfies him, but he’s forgetting: if there’s a (+)-, a d-, and a D- asymmetrically centered molecule, there’s somewhere else, very close by, a (-)-, an l-, and an L- oppositely asymmetrically centered molecule to balance the shape, form, and design of the universe’s matter precisely. Nature thereby keeps a close tab on balance to sustain order, I’ve been taught generally.
** Which maxim Homer found true enough in nature to remind those listening to him sing his renown epic poem, recorded for all to remember and honor some of Hella’s even further-adventurous heroes, after the War against Troy, in Odyssey, at XV:71.
Let DEM twist.
Joe Houston
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DMf9yFuIsRQ4&ved=2ahUKEwjQx8qAueXrAhWBLc0KHZomCGAQ3ywwAnoECAgQAg&usg=AOvVaw1NHTbWWAWODuncf9F8HoTE
“No one should trust a Durham report published anytime between now and the election.”
Implicit in this statement: we can trust Durham after the election?
He doesn’t issue a report, he issues indictments. Nothing else. The report is a media-driven theme.
Exactly.
Maybe Judicial Watch asked the wrong FOIA question or, for sound security and prosecutorial reasons, a true answer was legally disallowed and federal grand juries were in fact convened, handing down indictments that Durham & Co can announce AFTER the election, to avoid inevitable Dem-Lefty accusations of political interference in the upcoming election, but BEFORE the Inauguration — in case, God forbid the Dem-Lefties win big, or worse, biggest possible.
In a more optimistic vein and in the best of justice-based, law-and-order scenarios, no indictments are handed down prior to November 3rd; Trump wins by an overwhelming and thoroughly convincing landslide — say at least 60 percent of the popular vote, so by ten million or more, and over 400 (out of 538, with 270 or a minimum majority needed to be reelected) of the electoral college votes — to enable the president and his most practically wise attorney general, in a long-needed-and-welcome change, to enforce genuine, no more ersatz US rule of law and its tactical instruments on the ground against the violent insurrectionists and their unwelcome, unneeded, anarchic revolution.
Let that triumph, of a reestablished republican form of government and its companion institution, the rule of law be known to one and all through a rededicated Thanksgiving and Christmas and, no less, a celebration of the earliest of the three holidays we have come to know and love, which brought our use of “rededication” into modern usage, Hanukkah. (Hanukkah celebrates a won freedom over a hegemonic tyranny and dates back to Hellenistic, 2nd century, BCE, Israel.)
And sometime between Election and Inauguration Days, most preferably before the above Holidays, let Durham & Co announce to all the list to-date of the federally indicted: seditionists against and traitors to our republic the likes of which has never before materialized in America’s storied political history.
On Inauguration Day, let the 45th, reelected president of the United States stand before us, once again honored and humbled, but this time to “proclaim [anew] liberty throughout the land, and to all the inhabitants thereof,” while he speaks to all Americans, even if they’re not listening, that this nation “of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
After the Inauguration, let the indicted, those already having been arraigned, prepare well for their respective trials.
If, as we loyal, many beyond reasonably patient citizens fully expect, USA Durham & Co dotted all their “i’s” and crossed all their “t’s,” in order to obtain, across the board, numerous criminal convictions for those accused beyond a reasonable doubt, and full but fair, by no means lenient sentences are judicially ordered, we can then, and only then, once again believe fully in America’s greatness, with good and ample reason.
Reasonable, rational belief is the best of all possible beliefs.
Ah, the cold, metallic taste of fear. We have seen pre-spin, before.
In a coordinated effort to lessen the impact of indictments, the Leftists and the dinosaur media, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democrat party, are using a new standard: preponderance of innuendo. They have much experience.
Sundance over at the conservativetreehouse, who has been all over Obamagate tighter than a glove since its inception, speculates that Dannehy jumped ship at this point out of fear of becoming unemployable in any future Democrat Administrations in light of what is coming.
In addition the local FOX affiliate reported her departure as leaving the “Durham Investigation which was investigating The Trump Administration’s Russian Collusion”, failing to mention that Mueller Special Counsel found no evidence of Candidate, President Elect or President Donald J Trump’s colluding with Russia, Susan Rice, under oath, said they saw no evidence of Russian collusion, John Brennan and James Clapper, both under oath, said they also saw no evidence of Russian Collusion. Additionally, after completing that segment the FOX Affiliate spent 3 air time minutes trying to downplay rumors and reports that Antifa was setting the western wildfires.
Whose side is the FOX affiliate on?
FWIW SD went to DC and had interviews with some of these players, even presented them with information he had collected. I don’t know if it did any good, but, it was quite an accomplishment for a citizen journalist.
Conservative Treehouse has the most sensible reason for her departure, and something big coming down fits his narrative. If there are indictments, they will be on Dems or Dem operatives. If you’re part of the prosecutorial team, you’ll never get another DC job. She’s protecting her career. Sensible, but cowardly.
We used to say: if you’re getting flak, you must be over the target.
That doesn’t work anymore. The left is in non-stop attack-everything mode. They’d be attacking Durham if he was over the target, and they’d be attacking Durham if he wasn’t. So there’s no information to be gleaned from their attack, except that his name was mentioned in a story that they saw.
I suppose it’s a smart tactic if you don’t want to confirm your opponent’s estimate of your most vulnerable spots by defending them more strenuously than others.
Or maybe, in the Dem’s case, it’s merely an effect of their entire network of corruption coming apart at the seams.
To mix in yet another metaphor, no matter where they’re poked, they spring a leak.
I’m a cynic when it comes to anybody who gets rich off of being in government. Whether a well paid bureaucrat or most of the elected class that become millionaires while in DC. So, my money is on the fact that nobody wants investigations to go too deep and affect too many people lest it happen to them. GOP is just as guilty as the Dems. It’s generally kabuki theater. Do just enough to look like you are going after the swamp. But above all, the swamp MUST survive.
Are there people in the Government, career people, that do not get rich?
What are you asking? I included bureaucrats in my statement. They earn salaries that are at a minimum on par with the private sector and often higher.
I’m cynical too.
Don’t tell me they got that wealthy on a Congressman’s salary, or a Senator’s, or a government bureaucrat’s. Or a general’s. I know, I know, they’re probably overpaid, but they’re not that overpaid.
There’s obviously some insider trading, bribery, and other skullduggery going on. Just one of the reasons we call it the Swamp.
I’ve been trying to locate where I read that John Brennan was not under oath when questioned and maybe I was wrong on that part. But he it was made clear to him that he is NOT a target of the investigation.
That could have been a good thing. Being THE link in all of this, a key player who perjured himself to Congress, he was the prime candidate to rat everyone out and could have cut a deal from immunity. But then he goes out and continues his personal campaign of attacking Trump. It is very disturbing that all of these dirty players are still out there confidently slamming Trump with their lies.
I just don’t trust Barr. He is a close friend of Mueller. I’m afraid that all of this “circumspection” has more to do with making the cover up stick than with bringing criminals to justice.
An Infamous Assurance (paraphrased)
FBI Director Comey: You’re not a target of any FBI investigation,
Mr President.
PDT: Well, that’s very good to hear, Jim. I can
take you on your word, then?
DC: Oh, yes, Sir, you certainly can. If you can’t
trust my word to you, whose can you trust in
this town — right, Sir?
PDT: Well, you got me there, Jim, you certainly got
me there.
Charlie Brown will never kick the football, and the swamp will always protect its own.
Nothing substantive will come out of the Durham probe. A report will be written which will be critical of the practices involved in the Trump investigations. Lone gunmen and rogue agents [all small fry] will likely be identified as committing questionable acts. But, few, if any, will be charged with any criminal act. It will all be swept under the rug.
Dannehy my have left for any number of reasons. But, there is still a civil war going on within the Establishment concerning how to handle Trump and the direction this nation is going. One of Barr’s jobs was to keep the country from going over the cliff into socialism. Releasing a report sympathetic to Trump, just before the election, would be a clever move. So, the anti-Trump forces are taking a prophylactic step of suggesting that any report favorable to Trump has to be false and a political ploy.
I foresee (ie, wishfully hope): NO Durham report will be issued BEFORE the election. Either untouchable, self-propelled and -steered indictments AFTER the election BUT BEFORE Inauguration Day, regardless of which party wins the WH, or nothing substantive — only a final, non-interim announcement AFTER the election as to the negative prosecutorial development.
And certainly NO Comey on July 5th, 2016-like, full-throated discussion of clear, documented, federal wrongdoing (by HRC), but an insufficient basis to prosecute, either. That’s not even a close call, or even neatly comparable to present DOJ officials’ capacity.
The exceptional nature and potential consequences of these purported cases require such exceptional handling procedure by the DOJ. No federal case has ever concerned the public, and the republic’s fate, more.
Another reason to distrust Barr’s DOJ:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrYN3e4sq8I
Why the continuing obsession with persecuting Jullian Assange? He and his Wikileaks are the ones who first brought to light how utterly corrupt our government is by uncovering the Clinton/Obama corruption.
Assange is the perfect example demonstrating how blind “conservatives” can be while hiding behind phony “patriotism”. The truth that he LEGALLY presented to citizens is the very truth we now find ourselves incapable of using to bring justice to the most corrupt government in the history of mankind.
OT…
Can the replies be sorted to “Newest” first?
TIA!
No, I don’t think so. Scrolling is a pain, but I often find comments that I missed the first time, so that’s a plus! 🙂
Thanks, Fuzzy!
btw, you had a great golf career. 🙂
You’re welcome! (I confess I don’t get the golf career reference, though)
Zoeller, I presume.
Fuzzy Zoeller had a very productive career on both the regular PGA tour and the Senior PGA.
A good guy, too with a sense of humor.
Simply put, no one of any importance will be indicted the crimes committed during the on going coup attempt by leftists/ Democrats.
Isn’t there some “unwritten rule” in DOJ that bars politically sensitive prosecutions In the 60 days before a general election? If so, Trump blundered away his opportunity and the swampocrats have gotten away with it.
It’s not a rule, written or unwritten. It’s best described as a soft guideline or a tradition. By tradition and practice the DoJ avoids initiating politically sensitive prosecutions within 60 days of an election. But if it’s the public interest to do so then that soft guideline is no barrier to do so. And since the Obama/Biden administration clearly politicized and weaponized the FBI/DoJ/CIA in an attempt to rig an election and, failing that, to undermine a duly elected President and prevent him from executing the responsibilities of his office (such as destroying Obama’s traitorous domestic and foreign policy legacies) then it’s in the public interest to get that out. Sunlight being the best disinfectant, as the truism goes.
Don’t listen to these partisans attempting to destroy the country. There is no “moratorium” on any such prosecution as one vile hack put it.
Sorry I didn’t scroll down far enough to see that commenters had already linked to the RedState post by shippedwreckedcrew r.e. a perfectly plausible, innocent explanation why Donnehy resigned. I’ll try to make up for it by linking to amplifying information.
https://www.redstate.com/shipwreckedcrew/2020/09/13/using-compelled-testimony-from-ig-investigation-causes-criminal-convictions-to-be-overturned-why-weissman-knows-this/
“Using Compelled Testimony from IG Investigation Causes Criminal Convictions To Be Overturned — Why Weissman Knows This”
Two UK bankers were indicted for fraud by UK authorities. In the end they only indicted one, a Mr. Robson, based on his compelled testimony. There is no 5th A in the UK and refusing to answer questions in and of itself will land you in prison. Eventually the UK authorities dropped the case and the DoJ Fraud division took it up. And who was the head of the DoJ fraud division at the time? Of course it was Andrew Weissman. Robson pled guilty (under coercion no doubt as that’s Weissman’s M.O.) and implicated two other defendants. Who were convicted using Robson’s compelled statements to UK banking authorities.
“There are four attorneys from the DOJ Criminal Division Fraud Section listed on the decision as having been counsel for the government, which strongly suggests it was the Fraud Section that tried the case.
One of the attorneys listed was the Chief of the Fraud Section at the time — Andrew Weissmann.
The Second Circuit reversed the convictions of the two bankers and ordered the charges dismissed.”
When a prosecutor can’t prove that compelled statements weren’t used a court has to assume all the statements used against defendants were compelled and thus fruit of the poison tree.
Weissman should have been disbarred long ago but since he’s a democrat party favorite he’s protected and get away with violating people’s constitutional rights as well as black letter law. But the bottom line is he knew what the state of the law was at the time. As shipwreckedcrew notes Oliver North’s and John Poindexter’s convictions were thrown out on appeal since they were compelled to testify before congress. And the DoJ used those compelled statements to prosecute them.
I honestly believe that Donnehy’s resignation indicates Barr has no such intention of going down the same road as Weissman. Only a protected democrat can get away with that. When Barr does indict Obama’s anti-American scum the case will be ironclad with no grounds for appeal. Hence the crawling pace. It’s frustrating but as we’ve seen in Portland and Kenosha Soros’s-bought-and-paid-for democrat prosecutors protect their own and will literally let their hired guns get away with murder.
Also at Redstate, how I know Obama authorized illegal domestic spying against Trump.
https://www.redstate.com/michael_thau/2020/09/12/before-crossfire-hurricane-began-brennan-led-his-own-top-secret-probe-into-russian-collusion/
Brennan set up a TS spy cell to spy on the Trump campaign under the bogus excuse of Russian collusion. It had its own secret budget so it wouldn’t be detected by anyone else at the CIA except co-conspirators.
I was a Naval intel officer for twenty years. I know the law like the back of my hand. It is illegal for the CIA to conduct domestic spying operations under any circumstance. Even if the individual or entity is not a U.S. person (citizen, legal resident, or even a corporation or entity composed in part of U.S. persons). Yet that’s exactly what Brennan was doing.
Did you notice that Durham’s investigators insisted on going to CIA HQ in Langley VA to conduct interviews with Brennan and others and gather documents? They could have done all that Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington D.C. where the DoJ is headquartered and they’d normally conduct such business. But then as I said in my earlier comment Barr isn’t an idiot. Neither clearly is Durham. They know exactly how a D.C. jury comprised of rabid life-long TDS addled Democrat party hacks would decide the case. Who if they’re not federal workers are married to federal workers.
In VA they have a fighting chance of getting normals on the jury.
Another tidbit that indicates to me Barr and Durham are serious about getting unassailable convictions when they indict.
“Another tidbit that indicates to me Barr and Durham are serious about getting unassailable convictions when they indict.”
Nicely written Arminius. I agree for what it’s worth. This is a very complex case and all the i’s and t’s must be dotted and crossed perfectly. And that takes time. This is the biggest corruption case in world history, not an overnighter.
I don’t know what Barr/Durham have planned or if they are honest brokers, but the length of time this is taking is not surprising. So, I’ll give them their time and pray it’s for good reason.
Apologies, Arminius, for I unknowingly duplicated above your present entry re Weismann.
Anyway, you dih man: a really informative complement to the thread.
BTW, IYO, and trusting you’ll know where not to go, given your background, does a serious skirmish of some length in the South China Sea — involving, say, at least the PRC and the US, if not also the ROC, or, alternatively, maybe another contestant against the PRC, such as the ROP or SRV — seem imminent to you, before Election Day?
(Given the special relationship of sorts between PRC President Xi and Biden, I can imagine some naval-political mischief being instigated by the former as a helpful gift, or boost, to the current presidential candidate. So, a unique and gigantic October surprise coming 45’s way, I’m supposing, say, in the attempt to knock the wind out of his campaign’s sails a bit? Read: an added attempt at extortion, a la BLM/Antifa-produced violence in our cities, as in, only a President Biden can prevent a calamitous war involving the PRC.)
I’m not Arminius but that doesn’t stop me from opining 🙂
I think the Chinese know they have to be very careful. The entire world effected by the chinaVirus is watching. They cannot publicly help Hiden Biden for fear of causing damage. They cannot be seen starting a skirmish.
They can work the margins, send money, etc. They are doing that.
Opine away any day.
I tend to align my feelings with yours about the matter. Then again, there are some recent CCP maneuvers our DoD is publicly very concerned about, all the givens/presuppositions of that perfunctory PR activity notwithstanding.
The force-escalating continues unabated. The PRC’s (PLAN’s?) recent test-launching of their long-range, “so-called carrier-striking ballistic missle,” including “the vaunted DF-21,” toward the Paracel Islands, is clearly a ratcheting up of its ongoing, nerve-racking belligerence in the SCS.
https://breakingdefense.com/2020/08/us-condemns-prc-for-paracel-missile-shots/
That said, the political angle you point out, especially the CCP’s situation w/r/t the Wuhan virus and the world’s understandable bad mood about it for a long while now, tempers a lot of the heat generated by its party-micromanaging-on-scene military, to the extent the policy succeeds, of course. (See on this in Arminius’ recent entry, a la “A Terrible Accident” scene in The Hunt for Red October.)
Anyway, our nation’s debt to them is certainly nothing to our advantage, to say the least, and I worry about the leverage they may choose one day to assert, if push there comes to shove.
Like anyone else, I must prepare to assume the worst, while hoping for the best, and, again, feeling/hoping/betting the latter will likely prevail.
This is, then, the new normal w/r/t to the PRC: counterassumption after counterassumption. . . . What a way to stay balanced!
Sorry, GatorGuy, I meant my earlier comment below to be a direct reply to you.
I don’t necessarily disagree with Barry. In my earlier comment I said I wouldn’t be surprised if PRC armed forces became more aggressive when reacting to US armed forces, including PLAAF forces reacting to perhaps B-52 flights or maritime patrol aircraft near Chinese air space but I focused more on the PLAN reacting to USN vessels or USNS auxiliary vessels in PRC’s illegally claimed waters. Whatever the CCP decides to do will obviously be whatever they calculate to be in their own best interests.
If they reckon that despite their best efforts Trump is going to win they may not wish to antagonize him. They may figure Biden is going to win without further help. But whatever they decide to do one factor that will figure prominently in their calculations is their ongoing propaganda campaign to paint the the U.S. as the guilty party. The CHICOMs have been convinced the U.S. has hostile intent toward them since Obama announced his “pivot” to Asia. They ham handedly emphasized the armed forces aspect of the pivot in their typically awful public bleating which they thought passed for diplomacy (I’ll ignore Obama for a moment to point out that Hillary Clinton was just as much a disastrous, unlikable, grating Secretary of State as she later turned out to be a candidate).
So the ChICOMs concluded the U.S. intended to encircle them militarily, while our allies noticed that despite the the hot gas emissions from the WH and Foggy Bottom no actual assets were heading their way. Things got so bad that Philippine President announced that the US was worthless as an ally. Then to drive the point home in October 2016 (Hint: Obama was still President) he flew to Beijing to announce the divorce and to the whole world he was making a separate deal with the PRC.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-philippines-idUSKCN12K0AS
“‘In this venue, your honors, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States,’ Duterte told Chinese and Philippine business people, to applause, at a forum in the Great Hall of the People attended by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.
‘Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also. America has lost.’”
As per usual Obama, Biden, and Hillary Clinton (she was no longer SecState at the time of Dutarte’s trip to Beijing but this was part of hangover of her legacy) achieved the worst of all possible results. They antagonized the CHICOMs, dismayed our regional allies ringing the South China Sea, AND made things worse in Europe and the Middle East by taking their eye off the ball (although since it was amateur hour all the time in the Obama administration, I used to call it the freshman dorm administration, perhaps they might have made things even worse if they paid attention to Europe and the M.E.).
Does anyone think the CHICOMs haven’t noticed that all the lefties are working for them. The MSM dutifully reports obviously false CCP propaganda numbers, politicians and MSM talking heads dutifully stop calling this the Wuhan or Chinese virus and do an about face and say it’s racist to call this those names while still talking about the West Nile virus (named after a province in norther Uganda), Zika virus (named after a forested region in Uganda), or Ebola virus (named after a river in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Why the 180? They get their marching orders from their masters in communist China.
Based on the recent traitorous performance of the American left I have no doubt if they decided to be more confrontational with the US and call Trump a warmonger and an imperialist that really did plant the virus from a (now defunct, but since when has the truth mattered to the anti-American left) the Biden campaign, the Democrats, and the MSM would dance to that tune to. The CHICOMs really don’t care about the rest of the world. This is a confrontation they may decide they can win given the fact the American left hates Trump so much they’ll turn a blind eye to the actions of foreign murderous dictators and side with them to beat Trump.
I still don’t think most Americans appreciate the extent to which 44, further, but more substantially than any of his predecessors, ruined our nation — overseas and on shore.
Your reference to the Duterte incident is dismaying, to say the least, not to mention disgusting and embarrassing. Never have so many bought the crap of so few (BHO & Co, ie, the George Soros/Derrick Bell/Valerie Jarrett-Iran consortium, inter alia unknown).
Sixteen, President Lincoln, was right in his day about how no one could possibly fool all the American people all the time, but he’d turn over in his sacred grave learning what’s become of the legacy of those for whose freedom others “gave their last full measure of devotion,” say, at Gettysburg. It’s now past that bad. I reckon, we’re now in uncharted, historical and sociopolitical, national territory.
The signs abound. Our relationship with the PRC, in all of that nation’s emotional and political insecurity — evidenced by its military adventurism — is striking and, again, fascinating.
I take all you say wholeheartedly. I sum up my understanding of your view, that “[t]he CHICOMs really don’t care about the rest of the world,” by recalling the stone-like face of the PRC’s ambassador at the WH ceremony, way back in January of this year, at which pretty much all of red DC was convened to celebrate the signing, with the PRC, of the first stage of what 45 knew and still knows to be, at last, a vitally necessary, historic trade agreement between the two countries.
Looking (via TV) at the PRC’s trade ambassador in attendance, not smiling, fixated and ultra-serious, ministerial and unemotional in his assigned performance there, I got the immediate sense that he knows something critical we don’t. This won’t be America’s joy for long, he seemed to be thinking.
Later that month, PDT instituted the air travel ban from the PRC, and our nation embarked on an experiential journey unparalleled in all its history. The new disease, first encountered in Washington state, was spelled COVID-19.
I believe to this day, the PRC trade ambassador knew beforehand of SARS-CoV-2’s inevitable arrival at our shores. The first battle, an economic one, and consummated in the celebration at the White House, was ended. The upcoming, military-based, all-consuming Battle for the Pacific was about to get underway.
From what you write, Ar, that battle, though still cold, is now joined.
In a far different and quite hopeful vein, I’ll be watching the ceremony, scheduled for some time today on The South White House Lawn, at which the UAE, Israel, and Bahrain — all parties and signatories to the new Middle East peace agreement, the so-called Abraham Accords — will officially inaugurate an already formalized framework for a real chance at achieving one of God’s magnificent gifts to men and women the world over: the ability and opportunity to do mutual justice and, thereupon, to make a lasting peace between nations.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/287284
MSDNC et. al. speculate that things are coming apart in the Durham probe — so Jacobson, with just as much direct evidence, speculates the opposite.
Why can’t Hillary be prosecuted for selling the favors of her office and for mishandling classified information? And add Comey in for obstruction of justice by clearing her with a lie?
Hillary should be easy to prosecute as the case against her is well known.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Chinese armed forces became more aggressive. The People’s Liberation Army Navy or PLAN (every armed force in the PRC has the word army in their name even though they are independent) may take a page out of the Soviet Navy’s playbook. Back in the ’70s and ’80s Soviet Navy intel collection ships (AGIs or Auxiliary, General, Intelligence) often deliberately collided with our ships. Not seriously, basically just swapping paint playing a game of chicken. I was very familiar with the CINCPACFLT INCSEA (Incidents at Sea) manual as it was intel’s job to take pictures of everything and file the report.
The PLAN has two types of AGI; purpose built and with full PLAN markings and modified ocean going fishing trawlers and seiners painted PLAN grey but with hull designations that claim they are fishing vessels (marked with the province where they are homeported with the suffix “Yu” for fishery). The latter are extremely aggressive and have no hesitation to put their own vessels in peril as they demonstrated harassing the Soviet Navy’s aircraft carrier Minsk in 1979. It certainly seemed they intended to cause a collision as he attempted to come to an emergency stop and sounded the collision alarm.
Aircraft carriers are really bad at stopping. But the trawlers got out of the way just in time.
These AGIs are still at it harassing auxiliary hydrographic research vessels in the South China Sea and even Arleigh Burke destroyers conducting FONOPS (Freedom Of Navigation OPERATIONS) through waters we consider international and as far as we and other surrounding nations and even the UN consider the PRC illegally claims.
For those to harass USN ships would be just another day.
But I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chinese Communist Party steps it up a notch and directs PLAN combatants to engage in similar harassment. And we would know it’s coming directly because all PLAN vessels over 2000 tons have a dual command structure. The PLAN commanding officer is not really the commander of the ship. He sees to the ship is in good order, the crew are qualified for their duty stations, and takes charge in “technical” situations such as personally taking command of the bridge in foul weather, in case of fire or explosion aboard ship. Then there is a political officer originally similar to the old Soviet Navy zampolit. But the political officer’s role in the PLAN has grown far greater than the zampolit’s role. The political officer is equal in rank to the PLAN’s nominal commander. As a matter of routine he allows the PLAN commander to perform the routine functions of a commander, and routine day the political officer, officially the political officer functions as a morale and special events officer. His real job is monitor the crew from the commander on down and make sure nothing happens that would embarrass the CCP such as the commander making rash decisions, the crew organizing a mutiny, or anyone seeking asylum in a foreign port. The political commissar can overrule works directly for the CCP can overrule the commander at any time, even having the authority to relieve the commander, and I believe has a separate comms suite allowing direct communications with the CCP although I don’t know at what level.
The political commissar is expected to take command during “dangerous” evolutions such as harassing a foreign vessel, firing on or putting a shot across the bow of a foreign vessel, and at times personally leading boarding teams. Foreign navies such as the Japanese and western navies have observed that PLAN vessels respond slowly and deliberately to situations. That’s entirely due to this cumbersome dual command structure. The certainly don’t engage in the kind of dangerous stunts the fishing trawler/seiners engage in.
Bottom line: I don’t expect the CCP to be so reckless as to risk starting WWIII. But I wouldn’t be surprised if PLAN stops acting prudently and professionally and starts maneuvering to harass and impede USN vessels. In which case we know the political commissar has taken command, he’s operating under the direct orders of the CCP, and those orders come from the very top. President-for-Life XI.
Thanks for such a robustly informative, expert comment in reply to my concern. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your piece, and relearned a great deal about the matter via your refreshing take. The commissar/captain aspect aboard ship was fascinating and would appear to govern so much of what we civs learn about the goings on in the CCP’s military operations in the SCS.
The USSR-Russian model obviously appeals to the CCP’S need for complete, absolute control not only over, but IN in its military ops. (And I thought the cinematic depictions of how DoD Secretary McNamara micromanged, in a USN Operations Center, a commanding admiral’s interpretation of developing combat facts/events relative to standardized rules of engagement during the Naval Quarantine of the 1962 Cuban Missle Crisis was bad.)
In connection to the PRC’s current activities in the SCS, and to PFL Xi’s special interest in Hidin’ Joe Biden’s victory in November, I and probably any other (maybe, say, hyper-synapsed, but) concerned citizen might think, oh, maybe a bit too much now about the twist of events that occurred in an early scene one might title “A Terrible Accident,” in the Tom Clancy theme-based film, The Hunt for The Red October. The political officer, and we know why, simply failed to carry out his mission. That is why your detailed characterization of this relationship on PLAN vessels is nothing short of fascinating.
Anyway, and more to the point of my inquiry, as I mentioned to Barry, above, “The force-escalating continues unabated. The PRC’s (PLAN’s?) recent test-launching of their long-range, ‘so-called carrier-striking ballistic missle,’ including ‘the vaunted DF-21,’ toward the Paracel Islands, is clearly a ratcheting up of its ongoing, nerve-racking belligerence in the SCS.”
And, as you may have noted, all I and probably any of us relatively normals here on shore can do is, w/r/t all the current events, live with the constant need to counterassume, in order to stay balanced — which appears to be the new normal during these very trying, multiple-issue days.
Once again, Arminius, thanks for the valued gift of your time and expertise.
(And BTW, once again, too, and if I may ask, is your penname also associated with the name of the ancient warrior, late-republic Rome’s military nemesis, Hermann? or the un-Latinized, actual name of the early 17th-century theologian J Hermanszoon? or whom? My best guess is the former.)
After posting this, I noticed your intervening comment, above; am reading it now, Ar.