(08-04-2018 06:26 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-04-2018 05:36 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(08-04-2018 05:13 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-04-2018 04:09 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  I'll let the lawyers discuss the use or misuse of the dossier.

I am more interested right now in the differences of the provenance of the dossier vis-a-vis the Trump Tower meeting.

There has been much hysteria over the meeting in Trump Tower (TT). It has been called treasonous, and indicative of collusion between Trump and Russia.

The Steele dossier, OTOH, is a wonderful piece of investigative work that should be the foundation for the entire investigation.

Checking some of the similarities/differences:

Both campaigns want dirt on the other candidate.

One campaign did not buy any dirt. The other one did.

One campaign dismissed a Russian who want to inform. The other sought Russians out and probably paid them.

One was in New York. The other sent a paid employee to Russia.

So why is the one that bought nothing, published nothing the bad guy? Or more importantly, why is the one that paid a small fortune to sen an employee to Russia and then bought some dirt the good guy?

I don't blame either campaign for wanting to find dirt on the other, although that activity properly belongs to the free press. I don't care if they pay for it or not, if it is true. But why is one organization evil for that and the other wonderful?

The only difference I can see it the target. Evil to look for dirt on Clinton, great to look for dirt on Trump.

But remember that *all* important distinction between: responding to foreigners who say they have dirt, and asking foreigners for dirt.

Makes all the difference.

Only differences I see are:

1. Clinton paid for her dirt. Handsomely.
2. Trump got no dirt, paid or unpaid.
3. Trump, bad, Clinton, good
4. Clinton hired people to do her dirty work.

Another big difference:

5. The #4 person in the FBI, and the head of counter-intelligence, along with his lover/counsel for the section had/has a severe hard-on for Trump; not so much for Hills.

6. Rice, Clapper, and Power had no qualms using their position to unmask names with the speed of a bottle of whiskey being drained at a frat house rush party when it came to Trump's group.

7. Trump was approached by a Russian; Clinton approached the Russians, soliciting dirt.