March 2, 2023

"A simple but obvious fact has been lost over the past few years, amid Trump’s direct attacks on the FBI, and liberal defenses of the FBI against those attacks..."

"... FBI agents are cops. Law-enforcement officers, including the FBI, have long been disproportionately conservative, but in the past few decades, like the rest of the nation, they have also become far more polarized by party, a reality reflected in the rhetoric and positioning of advocacy groups such as the Fraternal Order of Police. There are liberal and moderate cops, but they are not close to comprising a majority. Simply put, the FBI is full of people who would prefer not to investigate Donald Trump. He remains under federal investigation only because of his own inability to stop criming...."

"Steven D’Antuono, one of the former top FBI officials described in the Post story as reluctant to carry out the search, also said a few days after January 6 that there had been 'no indication' of potential violence that day. A moderately active news consumer would have understood that the risk of violence was real; perhaps the only people unaware of that potential worked at the FBI or as regular columnists for elite publications. I am not alleging any malignant intent here. But the partisan lean of law-enforcement officers has consequences, producing ideological blind spots and an institutional bias in favor of conservative individuals."

111 comments:

tommyesq said...

FBI agents are not "cops." The FBI is primarily a domestic intelligence agency, not a bunch of guys in blue walking a beat. The individual FBI agents also are not the ones determining who and what to investigate, people like Peter Strzok make those determinations. Much like throwing an election, you don't need all of the FBI to be corrupt, just a select few in key positions.

Iman said...

Yeah… ah, no.

Lurker21 said...

Maybe the agents' hesitancy had something to do with understanding that the raid was driven by politics, rather than by law? Could that be it?

I was reading some of the Atlantic's coverage of the Ukraine War the other day. It's a constant hawkish drumbeat with no doubts about America's power or righteousness or entitlement. The magazine has certainly changed. It's like they don't live in the real world anymore.

Enigma said...

Absolute whiff. This is not the FBI. This not how DC works. The FBI HQ became a dumping ground for incompetent field agents way back in the J. Edgar Hoover era. They were staffed by ineffective bumbling fools who'd been promoted out of the way. Witness the field office rebellion about giving Hillary's private email server a pass -- an action what would get any regular federal employee fired in one day.

The current DC workforce has a lot of eager-to-please Yes Men and Yes Women and Yes Theys who do anything required to advance their personal careers. All would have become more loyal to Trump in his second term because they couldn't avoid him, and would have supported Trump all along if the political class didn't line up against him. They are...career prostitutes...who keep the trains running and are not deeply ideological. They are opportunistic, clever, and focused on grabbing glory and avoiding blame.

The James Comey class knows all too well how to craft "contemporaneous notes" about things that may blow back so they can defend themselves in the future. The FBI and deer-in-the-headlights Merrick Garland are puppets to bully partisans pulling their strings. The partisan psychopaths are dressing up a simple fist fight against Trump and anti-establishment types as official rules and policies. Hence the DOJ's pushing for the Mar-A-Lago raid...and the later realization that Biden, Pence, and many others had classified documents too.

These kinds of stories reveal horrible naivete or wishful thinking from inside a bubble.

Bob B said...

He remains under federal investigation only because of his own inability to stop criming...

LOL. Eight years into the non-stop investigations by highly partisan federal and state agencies (including the unprecedented review of tax returns) and not a single indictment of Trump. But We Have Trump This Time! (trademark of Democrats and their media since 2016.)

ccscientist said...

Whatever the truth about fbi agents being conservative on average, the leadership is firmly in the pocket of the democrats. Very politicized. 20 yrs ago the Justice dept and FBI went after conservative political action groups/the tea party and silenced them. FBI has been tracking down and arresting people who were at the J6 rally and did not even go in the capitol. FBI is arresting abortion clinic protesters but not those fire-bombing churches/clinics or Antifa.

It is just like city police departments where the police chief has been told to stand his men down and not protect trump rally participants from being attacked (which the media also would not cover) or not to arrest Antifa.

gilbar said...

Trump's attacks of the FBI!
the FBI is full of conservatives, that want to let Trump off!

Two Movies.. And one is a fantasy

Dave Begley said...

I met Andy Serwer at the BRK meeting in Omaha. He worked for Yahoo Finance.

"Inability to stop criming." Good one.

And what would those crimes be?

narciso said...

Serwer was always white knighting for al queda so little surprise

Wa St Blogger said...

Show me some data. Let's see an analysis of real world political bias by detailing the FBI approach to left and right politicians. Also, show how the top dogs in the FBI who choose how and who are biased right. Don't just hand-wave "cops are conservative" and think that covers your analysis.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Poorly reasoned and unconvincing. It doesn’t explain the campaign of leaks against Trump for the past six years and absolute radio silence on the multiple Biden raids and alleged investigations. Wray had no answers for the softball questions Fox asked him yesterday. His insistence that the FBI is evenhanded was so ridiculous he couldn’t keep a straight face while saying it. Defund the national police and devolve the powers to the states. Fuck the FBI.

who-knew said...

"His inability to stop criming" That's a new one but apparently up and coming usage. Still no crimes actually documented. Two year investigation of Russian collusion and, in the end, bupkis. Let's release his tax returns, that will prove what a crook he is! And once again bupkis. And while it's possible that the majority of rank and file FBI agents are conservatives, the upper levels that are in control certainly aren't. I rate Adam Serwer delusional.

Amadeus 48 said...

Did Server get that interview with Speaker Pelosi in which she explained why Capitol Police reinforcements were not necessary and Trump's offer to provide National Guard support was declined?

I am just curious, unlike Adam Server.

Also, no one can review the FBI's double tap of Gen. Flynn and conclude that those FBI agents at HQ wanted to do anything but carry out Obama's vengeance.

Articles like this are propaganda cover for the bad actors at HQ.

Kevin said...

Simply put, the FBI is full of people who would prefer not to investigate Donald Trump. He remains under federal investigation only because of his own inability to stop criming....

Economics Teacher : Mueller? Mueller? Mueller? Mueller?

Simone : Um, he's not here. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Mueller sending FBI agents to entrap General Flynn into committing a crime based on bogus information from the Clinton campaign. I guess it's pretty serious.

Economics Teacher : Thank you, Simone.

Simone : No problem whatsoever.

Economics Teacher : Wray? Wray? Wray?

Chuck said...

Must-read Twitter thread by Pete Strzok on this very topic, referencing the WaPo reporting on the same story.

Owen said...

“…criming.” Is that a word now? I feel so out of date when I read trendy authorities like The Atlantic.

Sebastian said...

"Simply put, the FBI is full of people who would prefer not to investigate Donald Trump."

Oh? Anyway, the FBI is led by people who love to investigate Donald Trump. They did for years, even when they knew the premise for their "investigations" was BS. It proves their relevance. It's a way to suck up to the prog elite. The agency that lied repeatedly during the Trump administration is not going to give up now that Trump has lost whatever power he had. Dems help Dems is the motto of the deep state.

gahrie said...

We can tell the truth of this bullshit by examining recent history. Can anyone say with a straight face that the FBI has been treating the Left worse than the Right? Would Hillary have gotten off with an "R" behind her name rather than a "D"? Would Donald Trump Jr's laptop have been buried? Would the FBI have supported a Russian collusion story against Biden?

Persecuting parents who are protesting at schoolboard meetings?
Supporting the Jan 6 persecutions?
Harassing Catholics?

Are these really the actions of a Rightwing organization?

Kate said...

I haven't been paying attention to Adam Sewer, so I clicked on your tag. He's been a weasel for a few years now, I see. I may have misspelled his name.

Wince said...

I'm sure that Atlantic writer thinks he's playing it down the middle, too.

narciso said...

Now do the whole corrupt usher clan from scranton

TreeJoe said...

This is such the wrong lens to look at the FBI through - treating them like the same thing as local or state level law enforcement.

The FBI is a federal arm of the executive. It's presence exists beyond party and is directly benefitted by CONTROLLING the executive and ensuring the executive branch supports and funds them.

It's not about R vs. D. - it's about how powerful federal bureaucracies operate.

And on that note, the FBI holding threat over Trump IS IN THEIR INTERESTS. It empowers them with current and future admins.

TrespassersW said...

"He remains under federal investigation only because of his own inability to stop criming...."

Verbing weirds language. https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1993/01/25

MadTownGuy said...

"Simply put, the FBI is full of people who would prefer not to investigate Donald Trump. He remains under federal investigation only because of his own inability to stop criming..."

Facts not in evidence. The only fact I discern is the FBI leadership playing the role of Lavrenty Beria.

Mr. T. said...

The Atlantic staff is eating Tide pods again zi see.

Leland said...

The Atlantic looks wistfully at the former Twitter Trust and Safety team and asks "Can someone hold my latte?"

Gusty Winds said...

What a bunch of bullshit. Maybe the low level "cops" are Duddly Do-Rights, but the leadership was out to get Trump from the moment he won the 2016 Election. Even prior. The Deep State is real. Merrick Garland's Senate testimony yesterday was a great example of liberal Deep State evil and corruption even in our "Justice" Department.

What we have learned in the last seven years, is there is good reason the United States resisted founding a Federal Police Force until 1908.

wendybar said...

BULLSHIT. The FBI, the DOJ, the media and the rest of the coup planners were after Trump BEFORE he even announced. Why anybody STILL believes their lies is beyond me.

traditionalguy said...

Boy does DJT have the DC looters scared that he will be re-elected. Every day there is a new wishful thinking report that the most investigated man in history will finally be indicted for some fictional charge that sticks. The courageous man takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

Quaestor said...

It's The Atlantic, you didn't expect probity, did you?

RNB said...

And all big-business CEO's are conservatives if not reactionaries. And they wear top hats and spats.

Dave Begley said...

On January 6, Trump made a speech. In typical Trump fashion, it was ambiguous. Trump nearly always hedges himself. Trump never said, "Go to the Capitol. Break in. Beat up the cops. Force Congress to install me as President."

But Trump will be indicted and a DC jury will convict. DC voted 95% for Biden.

Ampersand said...

Not all propaganda is government propaganda. This is an instance of the nongovernmental kind. Serwer's vision of T's crime wave is based on process crimes associated with insufficient cooperation with the government. The government can create these crimes by behaving like partisan pests. You can not only indict a ham sandwich. In front of the right jury, you can get a conviction.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Any private sector entity with even a smidgeon of the unethical record the FBI has, from Hoover’s files to Whitey Bulger to election meddling, would have been rightfully cancelled by now. The only organization with a more heinous history is the Democratic Party.

Martin said...

@ Dave Begley 3/2/23 9:37AM

--"Inability to stop criming." Good one.
--
--And what would those crimes be?

Being Donald Trump. That is the crime.

Mr Wibble said...


And what would those crimes be?


Embarrassing the establishment and winning an election.

Old and slow said...

"criming" Very cute. Very annoying.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

The Top brass at the DOJ (Communist merrick Garland) is at war with pro-life people and groups, Trump, Catholics, Christians, and anyone not properly leftwing.

Big Mike said...

Guy writes good fiction.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

What utter nonsense.

The people in charge of harassing Trump at the FBI (the top) are not going to let him off the hook.

All while Crook Biden family crimes go UN-punished.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Look and watch at what a disgrace Merrick Garland is.


more..

Marrick Garland is a lying weasel

Old and slow said...

Chuck, it's funny that you should mention Peter Strzok. I always picture his smirking visage when I read what you write. Not surprising that he's a hero of yours!

Joe Smith said...

So the mainline agents who all took a knee in front of BLM protesters are conservative Trump voters.

Pull the other one.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Mr. Garland - does your department have a problem with Anti-Catholic bias?

30 agents with long guns arrested a pro-life catholic for merely standing his ground against a leftwing pro-death protestor.

Luckily the jury came back in less than an hour and acquitted the man. Also - the judge dropped all the other charges.

Merrrick Garland is a Biden puppet and a radical lying communist lying liar who lies and a total disgrace.

Note what he says in the link above. Garland says the FBI cannot fight crime when it's dark outside. yes really.

Rusty said...

The Atlantic is desperately hoping that you're as stupid as the average democrat. Do not believe what you've witnessed in the last six years.
Noe to Donald Trump from the FBI; Please quit being Donald Trump or we'll manufacture a case against you.
Fuck off, Chuck.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Peter Stroke?

Holy F ***. That man has zero credibility.

Chuck is not merely a democrat- he's a lying progressive communist now.

BarrySanders20 said...

Serwer is magazining again. Clevering about by ignoring the couping via his wording whilst also tribaling.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

The collective liar left know that most of the thinking part of the nation understand that the FBI is now an arm to the Democrat party - & the arm is all corrupt lying crooks at the top.

Yes - many many agents in the field are good people who ABIDE BY THE LAW - regardless of ideology.

This BS in the Atlantic (LOL - The Atlantic) is just a smokescreen for true-believers like CHUCKIE.

Achilles said...

Mr Wibble said...

And what would those crimes be?

Embarrassing the establishment and winning an election.

There was a 4 year pause in profitable wars.

The US was also exporting Oil/Nat gas. Prices for energy were low.

Also restricted cheap labor because Trump controlled the borders transferred wealth from wealthy elites to working/middle class.

The resulting explosion of real wealth and prosperity for the middle/working class was unacceptable.

n.n said...

By criminy, I think he's got it.

criminy (interj.)

also crimine, crimini, 1680s; it looks like Italian crimine "crime," but perhaps it is a deformation of Gemini (which is recorded as as an oath from 1660s) or simply another euphemism for Christ as a swear-word.

- etymonline.com

Throw another baby on the barbie, augment a girl, hack a boy, it's over.

Deevs said...

Andrew McCarthy's "Ball of Collusion" is a pretty good account of how the FBI was going out of its way to put Trump on the hook for crimes he wasn't committing, and that was written before we learned about Kevin Clinesmith.

Seamus said...

FBI agents are not "cops."

J. Edgar Hoover was always insistent that the FBI was not and should be turned into a national police force. We might argue, however, over whether his advice has been followed.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lewis Wetzel said...

This must be the worst timed article in the world.
Just yesterday, when the GOP congress questioned Garland on apparently anti-GOP partisan actions by the FBI, Garland claimed that these decisions were made by rank and file agents, non-political people, not him.
The most fervent #nevertrumper should wake up every morning and give thanks that Trump saved us from Supreme Court Justice Merrick Garland.

Yancey Ward said...

Serwer is a clown of the highest order.

Michael K said...

That might be why all those FBI "whistleblowers" keep talking to GOP Congressmen. The FBI was once conservative. It even required agents to be accountants or lawyers. It was even known for being mostly Irish or Mormons. Those days are long gone. My oldest daughter is an FBI agent nearing retirement. She is a lefty and hates Trump. Why ? She can't explain it.

Bruce Hayden said...

“FBI agents are not "cops." The FBI is primarily a domestic intelligence agency, not a bunch of guys in blue walking a beat. The individual FBI agents also are not the ones determining who and what to investigate, people like Peter Strzok make those determinations. Much like throwing an election, you don't need all of the FBI to be corrupt, just a select few in key positions.”

The FBI were supposed to be cops - until 9/11. Remember the infamous Jamie Gorlich and her “wall”, that supposedly prevented the FBI from connecting the dots about the hijackers? The result was that the PATRIOT Act institutionalized an internal surveillance organization inside the FBI, with its National Security Branch, with its Counterterrorism, and esp it’s notorious Counterintelligence Division. That’s where Peter Strzok worked, as well as the people involved in FISAgate, etc. Also, they are the ones driving the classified document attack and raid on Trump. Indeed, it is probable the target of their raid was the binder of documents formally ordered declassified by Trump his last full day in office, that show the perfidy of the Counterintelligence Division They are tied closely to the CIA, by necessity. Indeed, the rumor has long been that Strzok’s father was CIA, and even that he was dual hatted there. Strzok always suggested that he was a Republican, but a GHW Bush/Cheney type Republican (who both had close ties to the CIA).

What this means is there are likely still a number of Republicans, and even conservatives, and the like in the FBI. But we are talking here the Counterintelligence Division, with its close ties to the CIA, and it’s long running shenanigans. They believe themselves true patriots, but sometimes they have to break some eggs to save the country. The line FBI Special Agents, as well as much of the support staff, may indeed be somewhat conservative. But they aren’t the ones making the calls when it comes to Trump, Clinton, Biden, etc.

hombre said...

That is the dumbest headline ever! "He just won't allow it."

When will the leftmediaswine stop covering for government corruption?

I spent 28 years in law enforcement. If we decided to "let [somebody] off the hook", we just stopped the action. If the crooks at the FBI are hesitating because of their public image, they needn't worry. It is tarnished beyond recognition.

rhhardin said...

It explains how Trump has never been convicted of his crimes.

Wince said...

Criminy!

The Oxford Dictionary says it's "a vulgar exclamation of astonishment: now somehwat archaic" and that it might be related to Italian crimine "crime".

Whatever its origin, criminy is one of those mild, old-fashioned euphemisms for "Christ," like crikey, cracky, cripes, Christmas, Christopher Columbus, and G. Rover Cripes. Criminy goes back at least to the 17th century: "O crimine! Who's yonder?" (Otway, 1681).


https://heyarnold.fandom.com/wiki/Criminy#:~:text=Helga's%20catchword%20Criminy%20(also,to%20Italian%20crimine%20%22crime%22.

TreeJoe said...

Also, can we just take a hot minute and compare and contrast:

Hillary Clinton - Former first lady and former SoS, admittedly set up an external and poorly secured e-mail system in violation of rules and law to conduct official business, is investigated. She obfuscates and destroys evidence. The FBI publicly says yes she violated the law but we believer her intent was ok, so no charges. No raids. No Special Investigators.

Trump - A special raid is initiated by the attorney general for urgent national security reasons. 6 months later, no further actions have been taken and all appears hunky dory. Except the "investigation" is ongoing. It's never closed out. The FBI does not say Trump is all good.

hombre said...

Chuck: "Must read thread by Peter Strzok ...."

Seriously, Chuck? Peter Strzok reflecting on The Washington Post?

There's a colorful descriptor for that. I'm just too gobsmacked to think of it. Can one even read it without bathing immediately?

Narayanan said...

Whatever the truth about fbi agents being conservative on average,
=======
conservative ===>>> draw guns after showing badge?
not conservative ===>>> shoot first ??

alanc709 said...

Hey Chuck, when did you and Strozek start dating? I always knew you were trans, your logic just couldn't be male in nature.

n.n said...

JournoLism is the Fourth leg of fascism.

samanthasmom said...

Now, that's funny! And who said the left can't write jokes anymore?

Chuck said...

Old and slow said...
Chuck, it's funny that you should mention Peter Strzok. I always picture his smirking visage when I read what you write.
...


I wanted to assure you that you are quite right to do that.

Harun said...

Mark Lenzi. That is the Havana Syndrome sufferer who keeps insisting it was Russia behind it, while he also keeps insisted Trump is a russian agent.

guitar joe said...

One of the things I find confusing--and not a little amusing--is the idea that the FBI is an arm of the Deep State but the beat cop cares about you and me. If you think either serves at the pleasure of anyone but the folks who write their checks, you're being naĂŻve. One thing about the old lefties: They made no distinction between cops, the FBI, the CIA. Things are so confusing now that lefties tell me the CIA and FBI are noble organizations and right wingers think they're evil.

"You know the score, pal. You're not cop, you're little people!"

Chuck said...

Hunter Biden's tax payer funded Hooker said...
Look and watch at what a disgrace Merrick Garland is.



LMFAO!

1:15 of your video; Ted Cruz asks AG Garland about the “leak” of photos of classified documents on the carpet of Trump’s Mar A Lago office. Cruz is on an extended jag about how the DoJ is engaged in politically-angled leaks.

Garland’s stated answer was that that photo wasn’t a leak at all. The photo was an exhibit in a DoJ court filing, filed in answer to a motion filed by Trump’s lawyers.

LMFAO. Cruz’s next words don’t even acknowledge that fact. Instead, he completely twists his own questioning and the previous answer from Garland by asking, “So now you deny that there have been any leaks from the Department?”

Anyway, that was Garland’s statedanswer to Cruz. The answer that Garland should have given was this: “Look, Senator Dickhead, you asked about leaks; and what you just described, no doubt fed to you by some poor dumb Texas intern, was flat wrong. Sorry to ruin your morning tv appearance but what you are talking about was a public court filing that we in the Justice Department did because of the insanely stupid, and ultimately fruitless and pointless motion filed by Trump’s own lawyers. You got anything else you want to ask me about, on leaks?”

narciso said...

The beat cop has a local understanding he may be constrained by lefty mayors and or prosecutors

boatbuilder said...

We have always been at war with Eastasia.

Jaq said...

Remember when Hunter Biden lied on his gun permit app and didn't end up in Leavenworth prison, like you and I would have? That was cool.

Jaq said...

Remember when Hunter Biden lied on his gun permit app and didn't end up in Leavenworth prison, like you and I would have? That was cool.

boatbuilder said...

I regularly go on ski trips with my very liberal friends. Spent a week at a rented cabin in Utah with, among others, one of those friends and her brother and her brother's boyfriend. Brother is Army Intelligence and the boyfriend is FBI.

Very good people.

Not conservative. Not Trump supporters. At all. But certainly rank and file.

Aggie said...

Ha Ha! How cheap can the tricks get? "..his inability to stop criming" Now, why didn't he just say, "His inability to stop committing criminal offenses," or "His inability to stop his rampant, repeated felonies..."? Oh that's right - that whole 'libel' and 'defamation' thing. So best thing to do is, make up a new word that sounds bad and stick it at the end of a strategically-charged phrase.

Sure, the FBI is conservative. That's why, for the past 2 years, they've been staging SWAT raids at early hours on people that are being charged with misdemeanor trespassing. Most of them are over 60 and living quietly, so you can understand the need for dozens of heavily-armed, masked, helicopter-supported Blitzkrieg Sturm und Drang troopers to make those arrests. Just being Conservative.

JK Brown said...

Maybe FBI agents who are DC denizens, or finagling to get a DC assignment, are more conservative, but once in DC, they go native. And Washington, DC, official and civil are hostile to non-establishment conservatives, and especially Trump. I did 13 years in the federal government, all in the field, west coast and beyond, but when I got transferred to our HQ, the climate was very different. It just so happened to be just before GW Bush came into office and when Republicans took the titled positions, many of the career staff went into full hostile mode. You were very careful about who you were alone with as they would lie and make complaints whenever possible, though mostly about the political appointees.

Similarly, I assumed violence on Jan 6, but not the kind that happened. I had a friend who got spun up by someone in media who wanted to go. It was never serious. But I told him point blank that there was no way I'd go because there was going to be violence. We'd seen a few month before some non-Democrat event in DC, where afterwards, the idiot attendees had staying in the city and were harassed and assaulted on the street as they went out that evening. For some reason, these attendees couldn't fathom they were in a city hostile to them and where law enforcement took no actions against the Democratic party's roving gangs of BLM/Antifa "protestors" who would attack those they thought had different opinions. If you aren't a Democrat and you want to protest in DC, you go, you protest in mass, in daylight then get out of the city immediately. Don't go to dinner, or a play, or anything, you are in a place where they let violent people attack non-Democrats with impunity. Basically, its the same as Scott Adams said about race relation, get away from masses of people where many do not feel you even have a right to be who you are.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Citing Strozk has to be the worst appeal to authority ever attempted on this blog. I bet you shimmy just like him.

Yancey Ward said...

Peter Strzok wouldn't let Chuck such his cock, no matter how much money Chuck offered.

Wince said...

The photo was an exhibit in a DoJ court filing, filed in answer to a motion filed by Trump’s lawyers.

Exactly how was a staged photo necessary to a public court filing on the motion?

Can’t the judge read, or trust the DOJ?

At the time I remember people noting that was an inventive way to leak for maximum exposure.

Michael K said...

The resulting explosion of real wealth and prosperity for the middle/working class was unacceptable.

Boy, was that true. Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos would never allow that in their perfect world.

Chuck said...

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...
Citing Strozk has to be the worst appeal to authority ever attempted on this blog. I bet you shimmy just like him.


Oh come on. You think I didn’t know exactly what I was doing?

Let me explain. My original post here was exactly, precisely the sort of comment that Althouse wants. Or to be more exacting, the sort of comment she says she wants. Only Althouse can say if there is a difference.

My comment was short, and squarely addressing the topic of her blog post. It was substantive, and I embedded a noteworthy link. A link, to Pete Strzok’s important Twitter thread on this topic where he is not merely a subject matter expert but also a figure of immediate newsworthiness, and a published author. Strzok’s Twitter thread, in turn, linked to the original WaPo story that broke all of this news in the first place.

So my comment was EXACTLY in keeping with Althouse’s stated instructions: ”I encourage brevity and substance and discourage personal attacks and repetition.”
Brevity; check.
Substance; check.
No personal attacks; check.
No repetition; check.
(Add to all of that Althouse’ soft-repeated form suggestions; if you cite something link it, and if you link something, take the trouble to create a hyperlink instead of a copied .url line.

My post was “perfect,” as PDJT might say (even when he’s behaving criminally).

But beyond that; did I know that mentioning Strzok would drive all of the TrumpWing maniacs crazy with rage? Of course I did. That’s your own pathology, but naturally I am going to enjoy it. I’ll go just a bit further and suggest that for guys like you, I know (from personal and online experience) that there are few things that trigger you like “Peter Strzok.” I knew it very well, and intended the effect. I might say, “Like sticking my thumb in your eye,” but that’s just metaphorical. Describing my actual intent in connection with the undeniable validity and form-correctness of my comment was much more satisfying than the metaphor.

Have a nice day.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Chuck you really are a progressive communist a-hole.

Drago said...

Again, I think it is very healthy that LLR Chuck has thrown caution to the wind and no longer even bothers pushing his now fully-"exploded-y" fake narrative of having been a lifelong "principled" "true conservative" "republican" and is openly embracing what he obviously always has been: a far left democratical who reflexively hates every single thing about actual conservatives, religiously affiliated conservatives, minorities that happen to be republicans, attractive conservative women, etc.

Once you remove that faux conservative framework and analyze Chuck's posts assuming "leftist" every single thing LLR Chuck has written over the last 8 years makes perfect sense. Without exception.

Naturally, there is a downside to such new found (or forced) honesty wherein LLR Chuck is exposed as just another Inga or readering or Dumb Lefty Mark: it completely obliterates the obvious early intention to pose as "conservative" on line (in the form of a Reid Hoffman-funded type faker) in order to appear to attack republicans from the Pretend "Conserving Conservatism" Omidyar-funded Bulwarkian "right".

Still, overall, it has to be easier on LLR Chuck's fragile sense of self (did you ever read his hilarious self-promoting tale of supposedly watching professional golfers on TV and having a direct line to register golf violations to a desperately waiting PGA team of judges? No? Well, you missed a real Chuck classic there) to have given up the ploy.

Congratulations Chuck, though I must say I don't think Rachel Maddow is going to appreciate you removing her front and center photo position in your in-home shrine only to be replaced by a pic of a squirming, sorority-girl like smirking Strzok.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

"
Politics:
FBI agent Peter Strzok's texts with Lisa Page disparage Trump throughout campaign

Updated on: December 13, 2017 / 5:05 AM / CBS News

CBS News has obtained the text messages that former Special Counsel investigator Peter Strzok sent to his colleague Lisa Page, a senior FBI lawyer who was also working on the Mueller team at the time, Paula Reid reports. Here are some of the texts they exchanged over the course of the 2016 presidential campaign, while Strzok was a top official in the counterintelligence division:

In August 2015, Page wrote to Strzok, "I just saw my first Bernie Sander [SIC] bumper sticker. Made me want to key the car." Strzok replied, "He's an idiot like Trump. Figure they cancel each other out." [Key the car?... Sounds Chuck-approved]

Strzok wonders in March 2016 whether Mr. Trump would "be a worse president than (Ted) Cruz?" Page responds, "Trump? Yes, I think so." Strzok then says Mr. Trump is "awful" and "an idiot." In early March, on Super Tuesday, Donald Trump had won seven states, compared to Ted Cruz's three, and it was clear by this point that he was the frontrunner for the Republican nomination.

Also in March, Page seems to be concerned about whether the things they say about Mr. Trump can be found out. "So look, you say we can text on that phone when we talk about Hillary because it cant be traced," she wrote.

In July 2016, the two mock the Trump campaign and Republicans over their convention guests and speakers, including a Duck Dynasty star and Scott Baio. Strzok writes to Page, "Its PATHETIC!"

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

"on June 14, 2018 that the Inspector General’s report reveals Strzok allegedly told Page that Trump’s election would be stopped."

Stopped? wow. Strzok sure does have a lot of power.

more...
[Trump’s] not ever going to become president, right? Right?!” the lawyer, Lisa Page, wrote to Strzok, according to The Post.

“No. No he won’t. We’ll stop it,” Strzok responded.

Wow - is this how our inelegance agencies should work? chuck says - yes.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

reminder:

"Page and Strzok also wrote disparaging messages about Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, “with Page expressing the hope that he ‘fails and crashes in a blaze of glory,'” reported CBS."

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Here's Chuckie

Drago said...

LLR Chuck: "Oh come on. You think I didn’t know exactly what I was doing?"

Of course you did. As you've explicitly stated over and over again, you are here to:
- Smear and lie about republicans and conservatives
- Drive a wedge between Althouse and her readers

There is no mystery here.

I suspect this activity will increase as we move into full campaign season as that is what leftists do online as the court case in Alabama with lefty billionaire Reid Hoffman pleading guilty to setting up fake conservative posters online proved conclusively.

Along with lefties buying up Drudge in the summer of 2019, disappearing Matt Drudge as a condition of the sale, and then putting in democraticals to take the site left, which they did incrementally at first and then full bore in early 2020.

Charlie Sykes being installed on the Board of Democracy Fund, created and funded by far left Pierre Omidyar, google being one of the biggest funders of the slipping National Review, etc etc etc.

Yep. No mysteries. All the masks are off. But only all of them.

Drago said...

Banned Commenter LLR Chuck: "So my comment was EXACTLY in keeping with Althouse’s stated instructions: ”I encourage brevity and substance and discourage personal attacks and repetition.”
Brevity; check.
Substance; check.
No personal attacks; check.
No repetition; check."

You forgot one.

Banned Commenters Remaining Banned: Fail

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

chuck is a 'works backward' progressive.

A Hate Trump obsessive (a mental illness) Where Trump is guilty of all things.
Guilty guilty guilty. (like those guilty Jews in Nazi Germany) The Strzok (Is that Russian?) radical corrupt liar left will make Trump guilty. A photo of Time magazine COVER on the Mar-a-lago carpet? GUILTY! The very same words and DEEDS could pop out of Biden's mouth and it would all be cool.
The FBI's 30 long guns aimed at the pro-life catholic? Guilty!

Chuck stands shoulder to shoulder with the same radical left Nazi's who burn pregnancy centers.
Well- they did at night - there's nothing Merrick can do.

Dude1394 said...

Donald J. Trump is the most lawful POTUS in my lifetime. Bar none.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Trump is always askin for it , just like them raped girls and their white socks!

Jim at said...

I read the excerpt and stopped.

What world do these people inhabit?

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Shared arrogance. The STroke-Chuck connection. Check.

Lem Vibe Bandit said...

“Trump’s inability to stop criming…”

Some hoaxes are harder to give up than others.

WMD in Iraq. Trump colluding with Putin. Moon landing was staged.

People will believe anything.

Kirk Parker said...

Jim,

"What world do these people inhabit?"

Ours. To our great detriment.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

TIME magazine covers on Mar-A lago carpet!


Secret Chinese and Ukraine Biden family grift.


The left know which one is the real crime.

Drago said...

Jim at: "I read the excerpt and stopped.

What world do these people inhabit?"

The far left world...with their LLR allies. Obviously.

FullMoon said...

Chuck said...

Must-read Twitter thread by Pete Strzok on this very topic, referencing the WaPo reporting on the same story.


Wow! Chuck, Strrzok, and WaPo all in one sentence. That is top-of-the-class trolling. Credit where credit is due.

n.n said...

WMD in Iraq.

Precursors and development. One of several reasons given to end the first Iraq war.

Rocco said...

Kate said...
"I haven't been paying attention to Adam Sewer, so I clicked on your tag. He's been a weasel for a few years now, I see. I may have misspelled his name."

Understandable. The "r" is silent.

Rocco said...

Dave Begley asked:
"And what would [Trump's] crimes be?"

Presidenting While Orange

chuck said...

The Atlantic works hard to maintain it's reputation. I'll leave it at that, wrestling with pigs is a waste of time.

Iman said...

Adam Serwer is one skell of a writer!

RigelDog said...

This churnolist completely misrepresents the political nature of the FBI. It doesn't HAVE to be right or left, but it has to, at a minimum, navigate politics 24/7.

For instance, who does the FBI work with to actually bring cases? Answer: They work with the Justice Department, AKA the local Federal prosecutors who are led by the U.S Attorney for that district. The U.S. Attorney is a POLITICAL appointee of the President. Every time the Presidency changes from a Republican to a Democrat (or visa versa), the current U.S. Attorney is almost always out of a job as the newly-appointed U.S. Attorney sweeps in. It's up to the serving U.S. Attorney whether or not to bring a case that the FBI brings them.

Drago said...

chuck: "The Atlantic works hard to maintain it's reputation. I'll leave it at that, wrestling with pigs is a waste of time."

Quite correct of course, though I have personal reasons for feeling regret for that.

Lurker21 said...

Pete Strzok
@petestrzok
An astonishing article. In 20 years of working cases involving classified information, I never - not once - encountered prosecutors who wanted to get a search warrant and reluctant - even refusing! - agents. The other way around, sure.


Could it possibly be that this time there was no justification for the search warrant?

Wouldn't that be a reasonable hypothesis?

walter said...

Chuck said...
"I am afraid you are mistaking me for someone who has an interest in fair treatment of Donald Trump. I'm not your guy. I am interested in smearing him, hurting him and prejudicing people against him."
3/4/16, 4:46 PM

For your resume sub to Leftlantic.

walter said...

(And the FBI. Seems contemporary to do both)

walter said...

(The public wager of holding back against Trump for gin should clinch it.)