House Intelligence Republicans Boycott Briefing From FBIs Russian Double Agent

[riversedge]

Source: the Daily Beast




The incident was the latest example of the dysfunction, partisanship, and paralysis that’s gripped the panel since Chairman Devin Nunes blew up its Russia investigation.
Tim Mak

04.05.17 9:40 PM ET

A House Intelligence Committee Democrat tried to reach across the aisle to reboot the committee’s stalled Russia investigation. Republicans met his gesture with total silence.

Republicans boycotted a Wednesday briefing on Russian intelligence methods organized by Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who had hoped the committee’s members could gather in a bipartisan manner to hear non-controversial testimony from an expert.

Weeks ago, House Intelligence Committee staff and Swalwell reached out to a national security specialist, Naveed Jamali. In the 2000s, Jamali was a double agent in the service of the FBI after the Russian government tried to recruit him as an asset.

Every single Republican lawmaker on the House Intelligence Committee was invited to the members-only briefing on Wednesday. Not one showed.

...........

.................... The committee will meet again for an all-hands briefing Thursday morning.

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/04/05/house-intelligence-republicans-boycott-briefing-from-fbi-s-russian-double-agent.html?via=twitter_page

---

Also says that the "committee will meet again for an all-hands briefing Thursday morning."

[nocalflea]

1. "Stalled" ? Seems more like "dead" .

May wanna check out Swalwell's work :

https://swalwell.house.gov/issues/russia-trump-his-administration-s-ties

[FakeNoose]

29. The Senate hearings are still moving ahead though

Ryan and Nunes may have found a way to "stall" the hearing in the HR, but they have no authority in the Senate.

Once they realize nobody's paying attention to them anymore, maybe something will start happening. I predict that will happen on the day *before* Sally Yates comes to testify for the Senate hearings.

[Cryptoad]

2. House Intelligence Republicans only interested in ,,,,

one thing,,,,, dragging Rice down to the Hill and Giving her a good flogging!

[PearliePoo2]

3. Nunes...it's Devin Nunes that's behind this sabotage and behind him is

Paul 'fucking' Ryan directing his each and every move.
Treacherous, traitorous bastards...Party before Country saboteurs.

[Cosmocat]

11. Here is the problem - our fellow citizens

This has been a pattern for republicans my entire adult life - starting in the early 90s, they crossed the line of seeing their work in congress as the great battle of good (conservatism) vs evil (liberalism), the ends justifies any means.

NOW, the did managed to get legislation done and keep the mechanics of the government running during the 90s, but they spent tens of millions of dollars, and most of their time, in an endless spree of investigations on the Clintons, including and this is no bullshit, the god damned pet cat.

After that shitshow, they spent Ws term lying the country into Iraq, generally using 9-11 for political advantage, passing disastrous tax cuts and prescription drug bills, and nothing else.

THEN, during BHO's time, they devolved to the point where they totally, literally, removed themselves from the actual functions of their job - passing legislation and keeping the mechanics of government working, while spending off of their time using congress as a tool to work against the country to try to make POTUS a failed president.

During this quarter century period of non-stop and increasingly deranged fuck wittery by the GOP, this country has only punished republicans once at the ballot - 06. This country did re-elect BHO twice and those elections brought some gains, but all in all, even as they have been gotten worse over time, this country simply never holds them accountable.

The point of this diatribe?

THIS is why these assholes are acting the way the are in the House, and senate. They know this country, for whatever reason, just will continue to indulge their behavior.

[JudyM]

13. This excellent post, while stating what we know, puts it in crystal clear perspective

better than any other. Deserves its own OP, Cosmocat.

[Cosmocat]

21. A quarter century

My entire adult life I have had heart burn over this crap.

The potential of this country just pissed away.

We should be the world leader in renewables and alternative energy. We should be the place where important things are built. We should have things buttoned up to make sure our current and future younger generations get the training and education to do this. We should have expanded retirement and health care programs to make sure everyone does well during the course of their entire lives.

But, instead, we have Bennie fucking Hill as POTUS.

[world wide wally]

19. That's pretty much it in a nutshell

Between the gerrymandering and the RW propaganda machine, they keep getting votes from delusional sheep who think they are such self sufficient patriots.

[chowder66]

22. K & R.

[PearliePoo2]

24. Cosmocat, all of your posts are outstanding.

So thoughtful and precise! Thanks for the great input...

[Cosmocat]

25. TY

[pangaia]

23. It's not even the party.

It is each and every one of them for him/herself. Any of them would turn on any other one in a NY minute if he/she could benefit.

[Amaryllis]

28. This:

[Sancho]

4. They can't handle the truth...

the real question is, "How many GOPers were aware of the Russians, were helped by the Russians, and coordinated with the Russians"? I'm betting a LOT more of them than has even been hinted at so far.

I suspect that down ticket rebubs, staff connections, and campaign money was woven all over the last elections.

The cockroaches are running for the dark corners now.

[Botany]

12. Russia's fingerprints are all over the last election. In Wisconsin they were into the ....

..... county level stuff.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2017/01/23/russians-suspected-hacking-local-dems/96965824/

I share you thoughts that republicans in many downticket races got Russian "help" and that they used
the data and micro targeting that Russia/Putin/FSB provided.

[Amaryllis]

27. Ditto. What Botany said. And Michigan too. And probably PA although I dont have links for that.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/24/russians-suspected-hacking-wisconsin-dems/97023222/

http://www.alternet.org/new-video-watch-wisconsin-election-officials-reject-hand-counts-after-electronic-scanners-make-big

http://time.com/4599886/detroit-voting-machine-failures-were-widespread-on-election-day/

[alanbudda]

5. R's boycott

Just what is their reasoning for not showing up and listening to this person? Afraid of the truth?

Perhaps the Dems on the committee should publish his comments.

[nikibatts]

6. The truth! They can't handle the truth. ALL GOP need to be voted out Period!

[Orrex]

7. NPR will find a way to maintain the "both sides do it" propaganda (nt)

[2naSalit]

9. Indeed...nt

[Orrex]

14. I can even picture how they'll do it

They'll run a brief, sanitized version of this story, painting Republicans as cautious and serious, and they'll introduce a story about Gorsuch by saying "And now to the Senate, where Democrats are blocking a vote on Trump's Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch."

Obviously, they won't come right out and say that Democrats are the same as Republicans, but they're heavily invested in the horse race, so they work to preserve it they way they juxtapose and transition between their stories.

[JudyM]

15. Yes. I wrote them a scathing email a few weeks back about an interview that was basically an

ad, with false info and damning characterizations, justifying the destruction of the consumer financial protection bureau.

They wrote back saying that they trust listeners to be able to make their own judgments. I responded how are listeners going to make their own judgment if only one side is presented?

[Orrex]

16. Good for you for making the effort!

I've emailed them a few times without result, and I often complain on their FB page when a story or interview is particularly egregious.

But I'm not the Koch brothers nor the Estate of Ray Kroc, so they ultimately don't care about my opinion.

[JudyM]

30. They seem to care when they run their fundraisers. I have to believe their credibility matters to

them. Whenever we feel impelled, they ought to be hearing about it.

[Augiedog]

8. Nunes may be one of the players caught by intelligence agencies interacting with Russia. That would

explain his actions in subverting the committees efforts.

[Cosmocat]

10. He's clearly compromised

could not possibly display it any clearer.

[barbtries]

17. nah nah nah nah nah

i can't hear you! fucking republicans.

[Deb]

18. Rule #5 Quorum

&quot a) Hearings. For purposes of taking testimony, or receiving evidence, a quorum shall consist of
two Committee members, at least one of whom is a member of the Majority."

http://intelligence.house.gov/about/committee-rules.html

It seems that much work could be done if a member changed party affiliation for a day.

[druidity33]

26. That's devious... nt.

[turbinetree]

20. Since these political traitors probably didn't read Naveed's book and since they have no

interest "AT ALL" to get to the bottom of the espionage of what is transpiring, it is now time to have protests and demand a special prosecutor in this criminal behavior by this corrupt nepotism laden administration, starting with Erik Prince, Betsy Devos, Rex Tillerson, Steve Bannon, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump, Mike Flynn, Wilbur Ross, Devin Nunes, Scott Pruitt, Ryan Zinke, Ezra Cohen-Watnick, Michael Ellis, Stve Mnuchin , and that's just for starters, and then go to these Congressional Washington Offices and in these right wing fascists districts and demand some answers.

Most of them are going to go back home and worship for the giant Easter Bunny and show there "christian" values of: Do as I say and not as I do, thesis of self righteous hypocrisy of being a patriot for party and not defend the Constitution, that they put there right wing fascists hands on some family bible to swear to defend and protect for a $714,000 a year.

It seems awfully quiet from the Trey Gowdy crowd that just two and half weeks ago, this hypocrite was trying to lay some blame on the media for leaking of information, when there illustrious head cheese from Fresno, was the one going over and playing "errand boy" with the orange hair treasonous sexual predator running a deflection scheme



Enough is Enough