How Unusual Is It for An Incoming Administration to Talk to Russian Leaders?

Washington's Blog
December 8, 2017


Those who want to impeach Trump say his contacts (through Flynn and others) with high-level Russians, such as Russian Ambassador Kislyak, was treason … or at the very least an impeachable offense.
Others – without any proof – say that the president-elect’s team contacting foreign leaders is normal.
Who’s right?
The New York Times reports:
It is common and not improper for transition officials to meet with foreign officials.
Jack Matlock, the 4-year U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1987-1991, at the time that the USSR fell, writes:
Our press seems to be in a feeding frenzy regarding contacts that President Trump’s supporters had with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak and with other Russian diplomats. The assumption seems to be that there was something sinister about these contacts, just because they were with Russian diplomats. As one who spent a 35-year diplomatic career working to open up the Soviet Union and to make communication between our diplomats and ordinary citizens a normal practice, I find the attitude of much of our political establishment and of some of our once respected media outlets quite incomprehensible. What in the world is wrong with consulting a foreign embassy about ways to improve relations? Anyone who aspires to advise an American president should do just that.
***
Anyone interested in improving relations with Russia and avoiding another nuclear arms race—which is a vital interest of the United States—should discuss current issues with him and members of his staff. To consider him “toxic” is ridiculous. I understand that Michael Flynn resigned because he failed to inform the vice president of the full content of his conversation. I have no idea why that happened, but see nothing wrong with [Michael Flynn’s] contact with Ambassador Kislyak so long as it was authorized by the president-elect. Certainly, Ambassador Kislyak did nothing wrong.
***
If you want to understand the policy of another country, you need to consult that country’s representatives. It is quite common for foreign diplomats to cultivate candidates and their staffs. That is part of their job. If Americans plan to advise the president on policy issues, they would be wise to maintain contact with the foreign embassy in question to understand that country’s attitude toward the issues involved. Certainly, both Democrats and Republicans would contact Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin during the Cold War and discuss the issues with him. As the person in charge of our embassy in Moscow during several political campaigns, I would often set up meetings of candidates and their staffs with Soviet officials. Such contacts are certainly ethical so long as they do not involve disclosure of classified information or attempts to negotiate specific issues. In fact, I would say that any person who presumes to advise an incoming president on vital policy issues needs to understand the approach of the country in question and therefore is remiss if he or she does not consult with the embassy in question.
***
The whole brou-ha-ha over contacts with Russian diplomats has taken on all the earmarks of a witch hunt. President Trump is right to make that charge …. We have leaks that imply that any conversation with a Russian embassy official is suspect. That is the attitude of a police state, and leaking such allegations violates every normal rule regarding FBI investigations. President Trump is right to be upset, though it is not helpful for him to lash out at the media in general.
Finding a way to improve relations with Russia is in the vital interest of the United States. Nuclear weapons constitute an existential threat to our nation, and indeed to humanity. We are on the brink of another nuclear arms race which would be not only dangerous in itself, but would make cooperation with Russia on many other important issues virtually impossible. Those who are trying to find a way to improve relations with Russia should be praised, not scapegoated.
Michael McFaul, the U.S. Ambassador to Russia under President Obama, also confirms  that the Russian Ambassador’s contacts with U.S. officials under an incoming administration are not unusual, and that accusing the Russian Ambassador of being a “spymaster” flies in the face of reality.

Barack Obama Actually Compared Trump to Hitler, But the Truth Is Very Different

Western Journalism
December 8, 2017


In comparing President Donald Trump to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, former President Barack Obama revealed for all time his complete ignorance, lack of class, subversive nature and treasonous heart.
Every World War II veteran alive today stands insulted by Obama’s ridiculous accusation. Their friends died saving this country from National Socialism, aka Nazism, aka Hitler’s regime. And most of our World War II vets living today voted for Donald Trump.
Mr. Obama, it is no wonder you find President Trump alien. He is a patriot.
If anyone is a dictator Mr. Obama, it is YOU.
YOU attacked Christianity pretending to be a Christian, very much like Adolf.
YOU attempted to blend government and corporate power to the destruction of our Constitution, a hallmark of Nazism.
YOU corrupted the Justice Department, making it a weaponized arm of your political machine, another hallmark of Nazism.
YOU instituted wealth redistribution like a good socialist.
YOU attempted to concentrate power in D.C. and in the U.N. to the delight of fascist elites everywhere.
YOU attempted disarming American citizens to make them subject to your power lust, another hallmark of Nazism.
YOU used fear and intimidation working through the IRS and the intelligence community to suppress dissent and destroy opposition, another hallmark of Nazism.
YOU nationalized health care as much as possible and worked to nationalize other industries as well, all in the tradition of Nazism.
YOU seized control of power by corrupt means.
YOU lied to The People over and over again, manipulating them to support your devious agenda.
YOU waged illegal wars.
YOU damaged the rule of law by your dictatorial ways.
YOU employed soaring rhetoric and propaganda, appealing to base instinct and animal impulse.
YOU made anti-Semitism seem like a virtuous quest.
YOU promoted Jihad, the very essence of totalitarianism.
YOU, more than anyone in America, resemble Adolf Hitler, and for this, history condemns you as a fraud and a fascist.
Allan Erickson enjoyed an 11-year career in radio, television and print journalism as a reporter, talk show host and operations manager. He then turned to sales and marketing for 20 years. He is the author of “The Cross & the Constitution in the Age of Incoherence.” To contact him, email allanlerickson@gmail.com

Mueller's Deputy in Russia Probe Cheered Sally Yates for Bucking Trump Travel Ban

ijr.com
December 8, 2017

Alex Wong/Getty Images
Since the very beginning of the Mueller investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign and transition teams, some have raised concerns that Robert Mueller may not be entirely unbiased.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told Fox News host Chris Wallace the entire process had been tainted by Comey's actions — and Mueller, a close friend of Comey's, was therefore suspect:
"Look at what Comey said. Comey said ‘I deliberately leaked through an intermediary to create this counsel. And it happens to be one of his closest friends.
Then look at who Mueller’s starting to hire. These are people who frankly look to me like they are setting up to go after Trump. They’ve ... by the way, these are people who’ve been reprimanded for hiding from the defense information in two major cases."
And while the dismissal of an investigator — FBI agent Peter Strzok — over alleged anti-Trump texts raised a few eyebrows, there is one other member of Mueller's team who might be worthy of some attention.
A top prosecutor who is now a deputy for Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe praised outgoing acting Attorney General Sally Yates after she was fired in January by President Trump for refusing to defend his controversial travel ban.
The email, obtained by Judicial Watch through a federal lawsuit, shows that on the night of Jan. 30, Andrew Weissmann wrote to Yates under the subject line, “I am so proud.”
He continued, “And in awe. Thank you so much. All my deepest respects.”
Weissmann was by no means the only person within the DOJ to voice approval of Yates's defiance of the president's order. DOJ Civil Division Appellate Attorney Jeffrey Clair also emailed her:
Thank you AG Yates. I’ve been in civil/appellate for 30 years and have never seen an administration with such contempt for democratic values and the rule of law.
The President’s order is an unconstitutional embarrassment and I applaud you for taking a principled stand against defending it.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said that Weissmann's comments, coming from someone who is acting as Mueller's “righthand man” in the ongoing probe, were nothing short of “disturbing”:
“Andrew Weismann, a key prosecutor on Robert Mueller’s team, praised Obama DOJ holdover Sally Yates after she lawlessly thwarted President Trump.
How much more evidence do we need that the Mueller operation has been irredeemably compromised by anti-Trump partisans?”
Fitton's overall assessment was simple: “Shut it down.”

Longtime Trump associate Roger Stone says the President's lawyers 'are giving him bad advice'

Daily News
December 8, 2017


Roger Stone, a political operative and longtime confidant of President Trump, said Monday night that the President's lawyers "are not serving him well."
"I don't think the President is getting good legal advice," Stone told the Daily News in reference to special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.
The flamboyant Beltway insider pointed to a tweet from Trump's account Saturday about disgraced national security adviser Michael Flynn — who on Friday copped to lying about his talks with Russia's ambassador to the U.S.
"I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!" the @realDonaldTrump tweet said.
That tweet appeared to suggest Trump was aware when the White House dismissed Flynn on Feb. 13 that the national security adviser had lied to the FBI. FBI Director James Comey was fired in May, and testified to Congress that Trump asked him to go easy on Flynn.
On Sunday, Trump lawyer John Dowd told ABC News that he was actually responsible for the "sloppy" post.

Trump Jobs Numbers Out: Unemployment at 17 year Low, 2.2 Million New Jobs Since Election, More Americans Working than Ever!

cnbc
December 8, 2017


President Trump’s Economy is Simply “On Fire”.

Job numbers released today through the end of November show an increase of 2.2 million jobs since last years election and an unemployment rate of 4.1 percent. After the same period under Obama, (4.8) million jobs were lost and unemployment skyrocketed to 9.9 percent!

President Trump’s economic results could arguably be the best all time. The stock market is the highest ever and jobs are being created by the thousands.
Jobs
According to data released today by the Bureau of Labor StatisticsPresident Trump added a projected 1.9 million jobs in the first eleven months of the year (January through November 2017) and 2.2 million jobs since last year’s election. 
The same cannot be said for President Obama’s first eleven months as he lost 4.8 million jobs. Obama was so bad at creating jobs that by the end of his second term he said that jobs were not coming back. This showed in his first eleven months in office because in every month the US lost jobs.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, under President Trump more Americans are in the work force than ever before. Over 160 million Americans are working for the first time in US history. President Trump is working hard to bring good paying jobs back to the US and his efforts are showing historic results.  ADP reported 40,000 new manufacturing jobs in November.  This was the highest reported monthly amount of new manufacturing jobs in the history of their report!

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