“…Bob Mueller could not find evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians…”. -Willie Geist
As of today, the forces of Attorney General William Barr and Donald Trump are winning the most important semantic battle in a generation over those of us who believe in the rule of law and not the rule of one man.
In this instance, for example, Geist couldn’t be bothered to use the phrase “SUFFICIENT evidence”.
IT IS NOT TRUE THAT MUELLER COULDN’T FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF CONSPIRACY.
IT MATTERS.
Anyone saying ‘The special counsel investigation could not find evidence of conspiracy’, or anything like it, is lazy or inadequately informed. The phrase is very damaging to truth.
We actually do not yet know why Mueller did not recommend prosecution on conspiracy. One possibility is that there is, in fact, evidence sufficient to establish probable cause of a conspiracy or even clear and convincing evidence of a conspiracy, as I have previously posted, but just not enough to establish a conspiracy to the high level of a beyond a reasonable doubt standard. Mueller may have decided that even though ordinary people would be prosecuted under the low probable cause standard, because this is a president, he would refuse to make that call.
And on obstruction it is as bad: Mueller is specifically QUOTED- notably, one of the few QUOTES in the Barr whitewash letter- as saying that on obstruction Trump is “not exonerated”. Yet reporters like Ken Dilanian at NBC continue to say that Trump was “cleared” of even obstruction.
I am getting weary of fighting this. This extremely important distinction is lost on most of the press, including too often this week, even the New York Times.
As of today, the intellectual forces of Trump, who undoubtedly care about this point, are succeeding. The other night at dinner at a restaurant an extremely intelligent progressive woman stated out loud, “It’s too bad they found no evidence of conspiracy.” I’m worn out.
“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” -Orwell, “1984”
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and swims like a duck, it probably IS a duck.
Mr. Trump walks, quacks and swims like a Russian puppet.
Sadly, our media — even our allegedly left-leaning media — desperately strive to avoid talking about this. Our elected officials are even more averse to admitting the truth that is plain to see.
I see no end in sight. Any glimmer in the darkness strikes me as more likely to be the headlight of an oncoming train than the light at the end of the tunnel.