The dissembling and alternate explanations of Mr. Conaway are pure fiction . This is more like "liar liar pants on fire . It sure is a matter of interpretation , although facts are discounted and discarded to suit the House's version of coverup . The soil that covers Trump's campaign has been flung often enough and also used to try to bury the truth.
Lamb wins. On to the next. Must change the composition of the Congress in order to protect the Republic and see justice done. Don't complain, organize, vote, and turn red to blue.
1
It's a hoary observation by now: This is the natural development of decades of Republican ideology painting liberals, Democrats, as un-American and morally evil, out to destroy the country. Republicans actually believe this. So anything they do becomes justified in a holy, existential war against the other side. Contrary to what Pres. Obama once said, the fever shows no sign of breaking and seems to be getting worse. I don't know what happens to the United States in the future, but it's more worrying than now.
1
I'm not in the least bit surprised that the Republicans running the House Intelligence Committee came up with these results especially with Devin Nunes on the Committee. This was a sham and political investigation.
The only way to remedy this situation is to vote these Congress members out of office at the midterms.
1
These republicans would have no problem if Putin's political director was given an office in the White House.
1
This event and the article about it are very hard to understand. It starts by introducing Conaway as the Republican leading the investigation. I guess formally that is true, since Nunez was forced to step aside he is the nominal leader. However, he has not really played any role in the investigation, only Adam Schiff has been keeping the public informed. Nunez has been running things and clearly was the one shutting down the investigation. Given all that why is Conaway now trying to soften what the Republicans concluded? Their report was very clear on no Russian help for Trump. Was Conaway involved in writing the report? Is he feeling guilty about the botched job on investigating that he was empowered to lead? I cannot see what, in the confusing world of Trump politics, he is trying to achieve with this belated correction.
1
With Watergate, Congressional Republicsns put Country before Party. They were patriots. These are opting to be accessories after the fact.
Deplorable, n'est-ce pas?
2
"Everyone gets to make up his own mind" sounds oddly like Trump's explanation," It may be some kid on his bed with a computer" or KellyAnn's "alternative facts"
2
Nice way of putting it but he said "some guy who weighs 400 lbs sitting on his bed" As if Trump is model thin , maybe in his dreams .
Please read the minority report! https://democrats-intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/final_-_minority_...
Don't tell us we don't need to know that Trump is beholden to Putin and willing to start World War III to hide the fact that he has no soul or substance. I doubt he'll be impeached, but it is time to take off the bully mask and unveil the cowardly evil that has led to his rise. Everybody needs to see him as his bully dictator friends do: a patsy for making America smaller and meaner.
They see through him and exploit his weaknesses; people who support and enable him are complicit in bringing my country down. They are not followers of Christ but whited sepulchers, merchants at the temple, hypocrites and thieves of the common good. (Try the Gospels, not your profiteering preachers and anti-truth crusaders.)
These are not patriots. They are bought and paid for advocates for hollow wealth and power, willing to loot and exploit civilization and all that we hold in common for short-term profit.
They are not honest: cheating comes naturally to those who wish to rule the majority with an iron hand, putting "those people" away, criminalizing poverty, arming their militias so we can return to might makes right and devil take the hindmost, depriving their victims of a voice and a vote.
6
Let's see... patriotism or blackmail, bribes and maybe nerve gas.
Make that treason please.
3
This is heartbreaking. The republicans are locked tight even if they know it is wrong. While we all know the DNC was hacked, there has to be information out there on our Republican men and women don’t want out there. I just don’t understand why they can’t humble themselves and put country over party instead of sticking to a script that is inaccurate. Also, as an independent, I disagree that they have downplayed this due to midterm elections. It is evident most of the country is displeased with the direction of our Nation, but my hunch is they are appeasing our President now only to flip the script closer to midterms to cover their backsides. Whatever the rationale, it’s dissapointing. I thought we lived in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Where are our brave republican politicians who are willing to depart from the false narratives? Please....stand up now!
8
The Republicans are counting on the Russians helping them in the midterms and don’t want to rock the boat. They are traitors
11
Maybe its just a good old glass of GOP delivered Kool aid?
6
Russo Publicans. What has happened to these people?
4
Mr Schiff... time to put up or shut up. If indeed you have the goods on Trump then issue some sort of Minority Report. Let's not let this thing drag on into some sort of dreary replay of the Benghazi investigation.
2
I’m sure he would love to do so. I’m also sure the Democrats response to this will be as heavily redacted by the Trump administration as their response to the Nunes report was.
1
"New York Times headline softens characterization of Republicans' key finding."
2
Some committee members have lost their sense of reasoning and, perhaps, their sanity. Representative Conaway relies on a hackneyed line of reasoning by looking at the matter as "a glass half full, glass half empty." How does that remark explain anything? He could have tried another trite old saying: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." How could hurting Clinton (Trumps's enemy) not help Trump in the election. Mr. Conaway's denigration of intelligence agencies' "analytic tradecraft" challenges any sense of credibility. Are we to believe that Conaway and the committee, with their political motives, achieve better investigative outcomes than professional investigators? Are we to believe that Conaway and the committee achieved any reasonable investigative materials or insights when the committee allowed witnesses to forego testifying be claiming "executive privilege" or by just being passive-aggressive and not answering the committee's questions. If the committee behaved properly and issued subpoenas to uncooperative witnesses maybe Conaway and the committee could have viewed the glass as full.
9
“Everybody gets to make up their own mind whether they were trying to hurt Hillary or help Trump,” he said. “It’s kind of a glass half full, glass half empty.”
Well, the glass is full of Russian poison. Poison allowed to remain and not be eradicated. It doesn’t matter your perspective, what matters is the water is tainted, not safe to drink, and nothing is being done about.
This quote is like watching flat-Earthers or lunar landing hoaxers picking and choosing facts to form their beliefs instead of focusing on the incontrovertible evidence before them.
11
Of course House Republicans are closing the investigation early and issuing their report. They need the report/propaganda declassified in time to support their midterm campaign narrative. Namely that it's patriotic to support Trump and undercut America's intelligence agencies (and elections.) It seems that Mr. Conway and his Republican cohorts in the House are employing a bit of their own tradecraft. The question is, did they learn it from the Russians?
9
Yes Virginia, Santa Claus exists...for republicans anyway!?
5
Well, every intelligence agency says Russia did,so your in bed with Trump the Putin lover. If this were a dem the GOP would be going ballistic..... Hypocrite treason bar none
15
The Republicans are stupid to downplay Russian movements against our country and our elections. What happened in Britain with the nerve gas can easily happen in the USA and the long term effects of this Russian treachery to the populace is medically not fully known.
Russia has never been a true friend of America and only Trump could ever be naive enough to believe Putin’s drivel. He should know better and if he doesn’t he should resign the office of the presidency. We wish he would!
10
Conaway is a Trump stooge. He has chosen PARTY OVER COUNTRY in a blatant attempt to discredit Mueller and to protect the Colluder-in-Chief. Conaway and Nunes and the GOP leadership would rather support the Trump/Putin alliance than preserve the integrity of the electoral process. This goes far beyond shameless and borders on treason.
12
Conaway is to Nunes what Tige was to Buster Brown. (Younger than springtime? Or even just younger than boomers? Do your Google.)
Nunes is to 'fidelity' to his office as trump's 'fidelity' is now, and ever was, to his wives (one-by-one).
Nunes is to intelligence as a score of 200 is to and 'on' the SAT's. (In his farming days, with his ag degree, he must have studied and cultivated sheep
-- whereas and clearly, he has modeled his character on their 'supplicance.' [Sic...???])
2
Hillary was their agent-in-place after the big Uranium One deal, which resulted in North American uranium actually being shipped to Russia. Trump has their annexation of Ukraine in question, hundreds of dead Russians in Syria, and Russian aircraft being relocated back in Russia.
Where Obama and Hillary always did what the Russians wanted, Trump is actually standing up for America finally.
2
As I always say, "it doesn't matter if the glass is half-empty, or half-time, when you're thirsty."
I for one, am thirsty for the truth, and a resolution to this travesty, known as "Donald Trump's presidency." Anyone who feels this is all a bad joke, the joke, one way or another, is on all of us.
5
“Only Putin knows for sure what he wanted to do,” Mr. Conaway added of the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, before playing down the issue.
Um, BUT they agree that he was trying to do SOMETHING!
Well, DUH.
5
The republicans are Russian agents. A bit of an exaggeration but not by much. They use Russian double think or double speak on every occasion where one of their own does wrong or looks bad or wait, was put in that position by democrats. They are trying to spin the facts. They know that they will have an impeachment on their hands soon enough. Ever notice how politicians suddenly grow backbones when they are no longer seeking office. Throw da bums out!
8
“Only Putin knows for sure what he wanted to do,” Mr. Conaway added.....
We'll see how those words taste when Mueller is done!
7
VOTE 2018, Trump has got to go.
13
Adam Schiff for President!
10
If these House Republicans are unable to distinguish whether Russia was trying to help Trump or hurt Clinton, they needed to continue their investigation and at a minimum force witnesses to answer their questions or face the consequences. If it was to help Trump and the Trump campaign colluded, or conspired, that means treason at the highest levels. The nation needs to know.
These Republicans failed the nation and patriots from around the country should help finance their opponents in both the forthcoming Republican primaries and the general election if they are running again.
Our democracy is at stake and these Republicans have failed the nation and must be removed from power.
6
Lying Republicans. Who woulda’ thought?
3
Well, if Republicans think all our intelligence agencies got this wrong, why aren't they majorly concerned about this alleged intelligence failure? What do they propose to do to fix the problem?
2
"Who knows what Putin really thought, what was really going on in his mind with the election interference;" "sexual harassment? Oh, he may not really be that kind of person. Perhaps it was locker room talk, or a mistake of the moment;" "AR 15 mass military assault rifle murder in high school classrooms? Oh, the guns just got into the hands a of crazy misfit. Our prayers are with them;" "climate change, well, you know, we need to be open-minded; facts are not proof or evidence in themselves, since it is all just a matter of the gatherer's and interpreters perspective."
Gee, Mr. Conway. We didn't realize that you and your colleagues were so liberal, so open-minded and non-judgmental, so postmodern!
2
To be continued after the demos take over the congress. The voters, as well as Bob Mueller are coming for you, little donnie.
4
Their report is complete rubbish. They should've announced their finding at the beginning and dispensed with their sham investigation.
4
Rewrite
“Everybody gets to make up their own mind whether they were trying to hurt Hillary or help Trump.”
“Only Putin knows for sure what he wanted to do,” Mr. Conaway added of the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, before playing down the issue.
BUT you admit he was trying to do something.
Why I isn't that enough for Republicans?
If we are to talk about collusion, most of the scandal is right here in the US.
It is the collusion between Republicans and Trump to reverse the facts, hide the truth, and condemn honesty.
It is Nunes and those complicit in this performance who should be impeached. Their wannabe godkingemperor is a danger to our country, and their scheming to prevent the truth about his dependence on Putin is unpatriotic to an extreme.
Putin's stated intention and actions are all about creating chaos abroad, and we should not be helping him or Trump to take our country down.
Trump's direct actions make it clearer by the day that he is in thrall to Russia. What is patriotic about that?
5
Agreed. In addition, what about the ‘collusion’ between republicans and that pack of unfiltered cigarettes, the NRA?
1
Let's use a little critical thinking. What administration would the Russians rather deal with. Trump had been making deals with Rusiia, Clinton had been making deals with Russia. With Clinton the Russians had a known entity. They had a good idea what her policies would be. Trump was an unknown entity. running a pro America campaign.
Maybe the Kremlin rolled the dice and decided he would be more flexible. Maybe he is indeed a Manchurian candidate but I leave that hypothesis to the conspiracy minded. It seems unlikely though they would want Trump as President, too much uncertainty.
I would come to the conclusion Russia didn't really care, they wanted to sow discord in America and by all accounts succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Russie knows it is no match for America, except for blowing up the world, so they try to destroy from the inside. Judging by the polarization things are going well.
3
Great to see such a thoughtful and informative analysis. Was this an attempt to convince someone or just to show that you are on the right side? "Trump was an unknown entity", and "Clinton had been making deals with Russia". There is some interest, lately, in identifying comments posted by bots; occasional grammatical errors, repeating talking points with no evidence of independent thinking, but I dont think this is from a bot. I think its from a voter.
We are now officially over the line into third world style autocracy, when elected national representatives publish propaganda defense pieces of a corrupt party leader with a stranglehold on extremists. They are currying favor. After a year of scandals and incompetence the Trumpists and Trump are still in place. Did anyone think they’d last a year? Emboldened trolls are getting more vicious and threatening every day. Now congress getting into the act. A second year of this will be the end of this country as we know it. At this point it’s doubtful that Trump would defend Britain against Russian attack with illegal chemical weapons, even stepping up from what they’ve already done. Allies all know Trump is in Putin’s pocket. They’re both testing the waters.
12
Why were all the interviews (the ones that were at least completed) done behind closed doors and not made public? The public has a right to make up its own mind!
4
Republican's first responsibility is to protect el supremo at all costs. Nothing else, including truth and the constitution, matters. VOTE!
7
Mr. Conway has an urge to be partisan, yet doesn't want to show up as a fool in history books 50 years from now. He needs to do better.
5
History will not be kind to Conway and Nunes.
10
Mr. Conaway is obviously mistaking his position as a Representative in the House for that of nanny to a wealthy family. When the "American intelligence agencies concluded in January 2017 that Mr. Putin had personally “ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election” that shifted from trying to “denigrate” Mrs. Clinton to developing “a clear preference for President-elect Trump.” there really isn't any justification to trying to claim it's all just a matter of opinion.
4
Representative Conaway is reading the tea leaves. The Pennsylvania special election shows that voters are increasingly dismayed at Republican dishonesty, and credulity-straining defense of the Trump White House. Devin Nunes may be in a safe seat in Fresno, but other Republicans are in danger, and those who lie and prevaricate are going to have a very hard time in November.
Then there is the danger of Mueller's investigation proving the House Committee dead wrong. There will be egg on the faces of all the Republicans on the Committee--as should be the case. They were all toady sycophants. Conner's qualified retreat from that position is the first glimpse of "honesty" we have seen, but it is also self-protection.
13
Correction: "Conaway's qualified retreat from that position . . . "
1
The most damning piece of evidence so far is that DT refuses to denounce Putin. the unanswered question is why?
22
Waiting for Mueller's report.
10
“Everybody gets to make up their own mind whether they were trying to hurt Hillary or help Trump,” he said. “It’s kind of a glass half full, glass half empty.
Sure . . .
As in the glass is BOTH half full AND half empty.
Because we don't have to reduce everything to one irrationally simple, isolated, unreflective view point, which basically sums up the current Failing Trumpublican Party.
12
However you interpret Russia's goals, we still have a president who has done absolutely nothing to prevent such interference from happening in future elections and who has not yet denounced it publicly.
19
Because it is still in Trump's interest to receive help from Putin's internet army the further his Fake News propaganda campaign.
Trump's lies and distortions latch onto and are aided by Russia's cyberattacks.
The media focus is on campaign collusion, but Trump continues to openly collude with Russia on a daily basis!
1
The Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee have demeaned the reputation of the U.S. Congress by submitting a blatantly politicized report and by not pursuing aspects of the investigation that might have proved embarrassing to the President. Shame on them.
19
These are the facts:
1. Russia, Putin were against Hillary Clinton.
2. Russia, Putin favored Trump.
3. House Republicans favor and provide cover for Trump.
4. Trump and Republicans are helping Russia and Putin. In so doing, they are putting the security needs of our country and the strength or democracy at risk.
5. Trump and Republicans are blatantly violating their oath to secure and protect our country.
I pray there will be a reckoning for these disturbing facts in the midterms and at the 2020 election. Come on Americans, get out there and vote! We must save our country.
40
It's clear to me that Putin was and is trying to destabilize the U.S. His motivation is not pro-Trump or anti-Clinton. It's whatever causes the most damage to our institutions, and he's succeeding. Both major parties help him by focusing on the partisan win-lose and shouting at each other.
6
With the blood of over 700,000 people as flux Abraham Lincoln attempted to repair a breach in American society such that, in Biblical terms, the words in the phrase E Pluribus Unum would be made flesh. In the name of trump Congressional Republicans are taking a torch to this repair in an effort of cleavage that is at once an example of political sedition and civic sacrilege!
4
I'm sorry, they don't get to lie for the President, in the face of facts, one day, one news cycle, and then try to claw back some of their credibility the next. The craven maneuver is even more shameful than the original lie, if that were at all possible.
22
So, basically, Conaway and the Republican majority on the Committee are saying that they can interpret the findings of multiple intelligence agencies more accurately than the agencies can do themselves. And the keen analysis of that intelligence by Conaway and his committee members leads them to come to a different conclusion. Well, not actually a different conclusion, but just some sophomoric wordplay that says Russia was not trying to help Trump—no, they were trying to prevent Hillary from being elected.
How long must this country endure this particular charade? How long will the GOP Congress enable this President’s actions and lies? No one is fooled anymore, and our political spinelessness is put in the spotlight when we see the direct, immediate, and proportionate response that the British Prime Minister announced today to publicly punish Russia for actions against her country.
17
Couldn’t they have been trying to hurt Clinton and help Trump at the same time? What Conaway’s conclusion doesn’t explain is Trump’s admiration of Putin, the changing of the GOP platform during the convention, the refusal to enact the sanctions against Russia, Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, so many coincidental meetings, Trump’s own questionable financial dealings...I mean, when you step back and look at the big picture, it’s kind of mind-boggling he could reach this conclusion. These guys will be the laughing-stock of history. Unfortunately, it’s not a laughing matter.
8
We can't changed what to how happened! We can take actions to effect it next time, which it well.
1
Deciding for ourselves is a no brainer. Given the choice of a president who holds a great deal of animosity and distrust against Russia, and one who is sympathetic to and desirable of working with Russia, and who is manipulable because of past indiscretions, it follows that the Russians would back and seek to install Trump as their puppet in the White House. Now that was easy. What are you going to do about it Congress? Apparently nothing!
10
Whether the Russians wanted to "hurt Clinton" or "help tRump" the "glass" is full to the brim with a meddling Russia that cyber-attacked the US and tried, and apparently succeeded, in tilting the election.
13
We have the most immoral cowardly GOP representatives in the house. Truly following Trump to a disaster for our country.
12
More concerned about the appearance of Trump as being the Russian candidate than about the integrity of our electoral system being assured. Sad but power to control the government is worth more than democracy to these clowns. The Republicans have become the Party that prefers license over liberty. They will regret it after they realize that liberty under law’s alternative is power determines who can control what happens to them.
10
The Republicans on the House intelligence committee are traitors for the Russians! It is as simple as that!
66
Riiight... the Russians were "trying to hurt Clinton" but somehow not to "help Trump." What kind of twisted logic is this? Oh, I see, another example of flip the truth on it's back and watch it paw the air. Now "House committee says "No collusion, no collusion, no collusion..."ad infinitum in the classic Big Lie drumbeat to punch through credulous skulls. Sigh.
http://seniorjunior.blogspot.com/2018/03/whats-super-lie.html
40
Oh my goodness do they lie! Still! I am beside myself at their brazenness.
The most central witnesses were allowed not to answer anything at all. They did not call all witnesses they needed to.
Have they no shame at all?
Nunes should be looked at for obstruction of justice.
94
Ah yes, the Republican fake news spin.
The Russians weren't trying to help Trump, they were only trying to defeat Hillary.
Got it.
60
It is a distinction without a difference, practically speaking. The Russians had almost zero impact on the election as anyone who has examined the evidence can plainly see. This is all political and guided by partisan bias. It really doesn't matter as the key point is that the ridiculous charge of "collusion" has been shown to be unfounded.
As there is ZERO evidence that Trump or his campaign actively cooperated with Russia and their effect upon the election was functionally zero it is irrelevant other than for attempting to score political points.
2
Muller.
3
Isn’t it strange how many people high in the Trump campaign had secret meetings with Russians? I think it is. I guess you think they were discussing ‘adoptions’.
5
First, you have reached a conclusion that no expert involved has been able to arrive at: that there were zero impact of the very significant efforts of the Russian government to influence the US presidential election. affinity on insight above all others. Second, the charge of collusion is far from ridiculous. While it may not be proven and maybe even didn't occur, the smoke surrounding Trump's well-documented affinity for Putin, less well-documented financial dealings with Russians (due to Trump withholding) and many ties and communications between Trumpites and Russians, collecitvely raise a reasonable spectre of collusion and the investigation continues. Trump could literally do nothing that would result in his supporters abandoning him....sort of mindless.
4
Hmm... So it must also be open to interpretation whether Conaway's brain is half empty or half full. In either case, he certainly is not all there.
61
in a zero sum game with two players, to hurt one candidate is tantamount to helping the other. Duh. There's no room for "interpretation".
Vlad knows this, of course. Trump fans? Probably not so much.
48
No, Mr. Conway, people do not get to choose their own facts. The digital evidence speaks for itself. Putin didn't want HRC, ergo, he helped DJT.
48
I believe most people would come to that conclusion- if Putin was actively working to hurt the Clinton campaign he was helping Trump. The question is whether Trump was involved? I’d say that the FACT that so many high level Trump campaign people met,secretly, with Russians, would allow one to cons to the conclusion that there was COLLUSION!
4
Given eight years of blindly partisan GOP obstruction during the Obama years, followed by what can only be described as the complete abrogation by the GOP of their congressional duties since Trump assumed office, I had little hope for a truthful report from the House Intelligence Committee, regardless of its conclusions. My hopes were further undermined when Nunes made his first nighttime rendezvous to the White House. Nunes’ fealty to Trump was proven through his many subsequent actions. The fact that Nunes nonetheless remains in a position of power on the Intelligence Committee makes it impossible to accept any of its findings as anything other than hopelessly partisan.
107