We all know how up in arms the country is over #RussiaGate – whatever it’s supposed to be. Nefarious dealings with the Kremlin and ‘Moscow Centre’. Next came the Trump card: Donald Junior meeting with Russians in June 2016 at Trump Tower during the campaign. Paul Manafort was there, along with Jared Kushner (where isn’t he?), and a whole host of Russians.
Media experts – who know how to read between the lines – stipulate this is a classic Russian tactic for recruiting spies. Straight out of John le Carre’s latest it goes like this; Russians meet with you seemingly for innocuous reasons, a lunch or coffee say. They ask simple loaded questions designed to gauge your interest to see if you are receptive to spying on your country or father’s campaign for them. It was reported that Donald Junior and Jared got up and left, leaving behind a comfortable Paul Manafort with a table full of Russians, one of whom was a “lawyer for the Kremlin,” Natalia Veselnitskaya. You can’t get more spooky.
Alas there’s more. Don Junior released all the emails (never a good idea) betwixt him and music publicist Rob Goldstein leading up to the summit meeting. The purpose of this was to show nothing untoward was planned ahead of time; The press had a field day, an extended field trip that is still going on today.
The emails implied that The Don was looking for dirt on the Hillary Clinton campaign, and this Russian lawyer, et al, had just what he was looking for. Still, Jared and Trump Junior got up and left the meeting empty handed (so they say) – Maybe there was no dirt to be had (hard to believe); Maybe – this is the good part – they were asked to participate and spy! But they left and didn’t. (Or did they?)
Of course this was playing out while President Donald Trump Sr was at the G20 meetings in Europe where he met with (none other than) Vladimir Putin. Oh great, is there any Russian this family can say, “Can’t make it,” to?
Better, the heads of states where supposed to have a side-meet during the G20, however apparently they were not allowed to speak to each other during the dinner. A dinner party! Where people talk to each other and eat small portions!
CNN labeled this “a secret meeting,” or better yet, “another secret meeting,” referring to either the first side-meet between the two or Don Junior’s meeting with the gaggle of Russians in New York.
Another secret meeting – at a gala dinner; Imagine if he just asked to pass the salt?
The US is speculating back and forth, there has to be a story here somewhere to spin. CNN handed us this one: Who gave Jared Kushner a Security Clearance and why does he still have one? He did not disclose this meeting he had with the Russian Espionage Olympic Team, what gives? Or rather, give your security clearance back!
Now the media cycle is in full swing, Jared, Jared, Jared! How many times does it take Jared Kushner to fill out and submit a proper security clearance request form? (Answer: More than three four.)<1>
This is going nowhere – well boring Democrats have something to talk about besides Health Care – so we need to add something to the pot. Ivanka, meet pot and kettle. Watch your step, please.
Who gave Ivanka Trump her security clearance and shouldn’t it be revoked, too? Along with Jared’s, who she is married to! Who’s running this clown show! (Democrats.)
This story could not be any more senseless and confusing, next they’ll tell us there were more people at the meeting than originally thought.
Oh no.
There were more people at Junior’s meeting than we thought. Now there is a mysterious “8th man. Not a centerfielder, a mystery guest. Was he/she on the guest list, in the original lineup card, on the original email chain perhaps? More people than we thought… just as we feared.
The saga continues. What could this person possibly bring to the table, borsch? A Smorgasbord of Hillary scandals? (We have WikiLeaks for that.)
So what gives? Where is this going, besides nowhere and driving us all crazy. The main point to all this is the media gets charts and graphs and emails – the American people get DC gridlock, a nothing story to distract us from everything else that is not getting done.
You gotta love how Vladimir Putin is inserted noticeably on this chart; you have to make the connection somehow – Just throw his name on there in the corner that’ll work.
Graphics, Business Insider
<1> On Sunday July 23 Jared Kushner released an updated financial disclosure form listing 77 items previously omitted. On Monday July 24 he released an 11-page statement ahea of his Congressional testimony detailing his dealings with Russian government and non-government actors; presumably previously omitted.
