Durham Schadenfreude

How could anyone believe a thing from a lunatic who looks like this, anyway?

I think it is appropriate, at what is likely the inglorious end of the great John Durham investigation, to remind people what a colossal failure it was, and how it has joined such miserable Republican misuses of their investigative power as Benghazi and Her E-Mails in succeeding at nothing except stirring up endless wingnut rage, and raising a hell of a lot of money for Donald Trump et. al.  So here are some of my recollections of this nonsense as well as a small selection of right wing responses to Durham's latest humiliation in court.

It is unlikely that many Democrats are aware of just how much the Republicans were counting on Durham to produce results damning to the left.  As a specimen of their expectations, here is an excerpt from a Daily Kos report from last February, discussing the matter:

"Late on Friday, special counsel John Durham filed a shocking document with the court in which he indicted no one for anything. It adds no charges or suspects, and concerns only the technical possibility of a conflict of interest for a law firm which, Durham admits in the opening section, could be addressed with a simple voluntary statement.

Naturally, the right has gone wild over this breakthrough proof of an extensive conspiracy.  Following this procedural request for a motion to “inquire into potential conflicts of interest,” Donald Trump made the only possible response, calling for Hillary Clinton and her whole campaign team to face the death penalty. “In a stronger period of time in our country,” wrote Trump in a statement, “this crime would have been punishable by death.”

This utterly deranged demand is in keeping with three years of Republican claims that Durham, a.k.a. "The Punisher," was about to bring the entire Democratic party crashing down in ruins, when he revealed that they were treasonous enemies of America, intent on using every sort of illegal and unforgivable action to destroy our country.  I will not at this point reflect on how this is a direct projection of what the Republican party is actually up to, but keep it in mind in light of the results of this three year, $40 million dollar propaganda blitz (because, of course, as we knew all along, that is all it was, given that there was never a shred of substance to Republican claims.)

Well, Durham produced three indictments for that $40 million dollar expenditure.  One resulted in a guilty plea to a misdemeanor by an attorney only peripherally connected to the Clinton campaign.  The other two?  Quick acquittals.  I can't say for sure, but I suspect this is the most expensive misdemeanor conviction in the history of our country.  Daily Kos had this to say after the second acquittal, in likely the last legal act of the Durham witch hunt (because at last, we have found a real witch hunt in Washington, and of course it was run by Republicans, who have a long history of such things, going back at least to Joe McCarthy.)

"The verdict was another stinging defeat for the special counsel, John H. Durham, who was appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr three years ago to investigate the F.B.I.’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.

Mr. Trump and his supporters have long insisted the inquiry would prove a “deep state” conspiracy against him, but after pursuing various baseless theories, Mr. Durham never found and charged one. Instead he developed two narrow cases accusing people involved in outside efforts to scrutinize purported links between Mr. Trump and Russia of making false statements...the truth is that, after all this time, Durham hasn’t managed to “lock up” anyone. Not one person has gone to jail on charges from his investigation. Over the course of his investigation, Durham has taken exactly two cases to trial, and he lost both times."

And please remember that opposition research is an essential part of political campaigning, because it is both legal and necessary for the true nature of candidates to be revealed.  The real intent of Republican persecutions like this is to make it impossible for Democrats to say anything negative about Republicans, without ensnaring themselves in years of utterly fraudulent lawsuits and public campaigns of defamation. If Republicans really cared about people spreading lies about political candidates, they might start with denouncing their fellow right wingers who accuse Hillary and all other Democrats of raping and eating babies, or who still claim the Democrats stole the 2020 Presidential election.  But that will never happen, because lies are all Republicans have.

Okay, that sets the stage.  On to a little of the right wing response to this humiliation, and please note that there isn't that much of it, because as usual, Republicans just ignore their disasters, and move on to the next bunch of lies.

Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit:  "BREAKING: IGOR DANCHENKO ACQUITTED ON ALL FOUR COUNTS BY DC JURY – Lied to FBI on Trump-Russia Collusion – Then Later Hired by FBI...Igor Danchenko was found not guilty on four counts for lying to FBI.

He made up the entire Trump-Russia hoax."

Of course, that is a lie.  Danchenko did not make it up, and it is not a hoax because it happens to be true that Trump is a traitor serving Vladimir Putin.  But anyway...

"Gotta love our corrupt justice system!"

And a few comments on Jim's post:

"Given that the FBI is controlled by the same Cabal that led Bolshevism to destroy Christian Russia, I'd say it's working exactly as planned.

See Merrick Horowitz Garland 🔯 for details."

Couldn't get more than a couple of comments in there before Jim lets his readers blame it all on the Jews.  Remember when this kind of open anti-Semitism was not accepted in this country?  I mean before Donald Trump came along, and anything was okay for Republicans, no matter how disgusting?

"DURHAM MASTERFULLY PROVED THE FBI, DOJ AND OTHERS THAT ARE PROTECTED ARE THE REAL CRIMINALS."

Except in court, where he "masterfully" proved the exact opposite.

"The one thing I hope comes from this injustice is that Durham recognizes the corruption in BOTH the FBI and the DC courts, and gets mad… go after high ups, keep hounding.

Unfortunately, what is more likely to happen is that the corrupt Merrick Garbagland will say, “since he isn’t getting convictions, we are closing his investigation down.”

Whereas, I guess, the Republican thing to do would be to throw Democrats in jail, even when they are acquitted.

"MAGA Republicans should tell Durham to shove it & leak EVERY LAST REDACTED WORD, of every last Spygate document, this January. Especially where the names Obama, Clinton & Biden appears."

Yeah, and how about the unredacted Mueller report too?  Let's start with that.

"I suspect that Durham was a plant by Barr to protect the deep state"

He was clearly hired because he was a corrupt hack, and they expected him to produce a pack of lies accusing Democrats of all sorts of criminality.  Even Durham couldn't make that look real, so now he is a left wing plant by that left wing Barr, who (let me remind you) is also a corrupt, criminal right wing hack.  

"So J6 is an insurrection but this isn't?"

Well, as of five days ago, 928 people have been charged with crimes for the January 6th attack on Congress, and 417 have pled guilty.  Durham?  After three years, three charged, two acquitted, one misdemeanor plea.  Oh, and by the way, Trump is a traitor.  Saying so is not an "insurrection," but telling the truth.  

"No conservative wins in a DC court when all the judges and jurors are demons."

Well, there is that.  They are all demons.  Right.  Not that Conservatives are lying about their claims or anything.

"I keep hoping Russia or China turn DC into glass "

A true American patriot speaks out.  This is their attitude to not  getting what they want.

__________________________

Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit:  "General Flynn on John Durham: “Whatever His Reputation as a Thorough Prosecutor was, is Now Gone”

Gee, another attorney whose reputation was gutted by doing the bidding of Donald Trump.  How amazing.

Katie Pavlich, Town Hall:  "Despite the verdict...Danchenko worked with Steele, the Clinton campaign and the FBI to frame President Donald Trump."

"Frame" apparently being the Republican term for "told the truth about."

"It remains to be seen whether Durham can prove these charges"

He couldn't.  But even so,

Margot Cleveland, The Federalist:  "Media Shame Durham After Danchenko Verdict, But It’s Russia Hoaxers Who Should Be Embarrassed...Jury verdicts are not an indictment of John Durham, and he is not the one who should be embarrassed."

And who should be embarassed?  You guessed it:  

"Hillary Clinton should be embarrassed for laundering money through her campaign’s law firm to pay Russian nationals, such as Danchenko, for the salacious and false “intel” contained in the Steele dossier that was then peddled on her behalf to the Department of Justice, FBI, and CIA, resulting in the illegal surveillance of an American citizen."

"Laundering" money, i.e. paying for opposition research.  When you are a Democrat, it is treason to try to tell the truth about your opponent.  When you are a Republican, no need for opposition research, really- just saying that your opponent is a Communist who eats dead babies is good enough.  And wait, there's more blame to go around:

"Former FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok should be embarrassed about his extramarital affair"

A massive monstrosity.  No word about Donald Trump's endless "extramarital affairs," including screwing hookers while his wife was home with a new baby.  And no word what that has to do with Hillary and Biden.

This idiot goes on and on repeating every lie in the Trump "Russia, Russia" playbook.  I won't bother you with the rest.

"What is not in doubt, though, is that the trial is highlighting the FBI’s shocking malfeasance in the Trump-Russia “collusion” probe"

Translation into English:  The guy couldn't prove one damned thing in court, but we are going to spend the next hundred years still claiming it was all true.

Greg Price:  "Igor Danchenko: Acquitted after lying to FBI about Trump/Russia."

Acquitted but he is still lying, because waah waah, I want it to be true!!!

"Michael Sussmann: Acquitted by jury of Clinton donors after lying to FBI about Trump/Alpha bank."

Same thing.  Acquitted but still guilty.

"Kevin Clinesmith: Walking free and law license restored after pleading guilty to lying in warrants to spy on Trump"

 

 Danchenko:  Acquitted of lying to FBI.  Sussman:  Acquitted of lying to FBI.  Clinesmith: admitted to changing a date on one document.  No excuse for that, but a single misdemeanor conviction on a charge almost unrelated to Republican claims, seems like a pretty small return for a three year, $40 million dollar investigation.

And of course, we are going to get this sort of thing:

Victoria Taft, PJ Media:  "The Danchenko Acquittal Does Not End the Probe Into the Trump-Russia Scam..."

It doesn't end the lies, anyway, because nothing ever does. 

"This case likely ends the active special counsel investigation into the origins of the fake Russia collusion narrative seized upon by its authors and disseminators: anti-Trump apparatchiks in the FBI, the CIA, the Democrat Party, and their willing handmaidens in the Fourth Estate. Special counsel John Durham is widely expected to put all of his findings — and they are damning — into a report whose ending likely was punctuated by Tuesday’s verdict."

Findings, not one single one of which could be proven in court, despite the massive resources he squandered in this "investigation."

"Durham used what he believed were the best legal arguments available to him"

The best legal arguments available.  Unfortunately for Durham, they weren't worth, to use the correct legal term, a bucket of crap, since they were not supported in any way by the facts.

Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit:  "On Tuesday Igor Danchenko was acquitted on all four charges against him for lying to the FBI.  Not one of the criminals at the FBI-DOJ who participated in the coup against President Trump will be punished."

They were all acquitted after Durham's $40 million dollar witch hunt, but of course, Republicans feel free to still call them criminals.  Too bad there are not meaningful remedies for libel in this country, or Jim Hoft would be joining Alex Jones in the Billion Dollar Judgment club.

"Investigative reporter" Paul Sperry, quoted by Hoft:  "BREAKING: Gen. Michael Flynn, who was Trump’s national security adviser, told me in the wake of the Danchenko trial, which ended in the acquittal of the anti-Trump dossier fabricator, that Durham should be ashamed of himself for losing another case in the Russiagate scandal. “The whole episode makes the DOJ and FBI look wholly corrupt or wholly incompetent or a combination of the above,"

It certainly makes Durham look wholly corrupt.  And incapable of delivering on his promises.  Sort of like a certain traitorous ex-President I can think of.

“It’s disgraceful, and clear evidence exists that treason or certainly fraud occurred by the Clinton campaign and by the leadership inside both organizations. Durham should be ashamed. Whatever his reputation as a thorough prosecutor was is now gone”

"Clear evidence," just nothing that could hold up in court; i.e. no evidence at all.  Durham should be ashamed of spending three years trying to assist a would-be dictator, using his official position to spread a blizzard of lies around the world.  

Before It's News:  "Breaking! John Durham Targets Clinton, Obama & Biden! High Treason! Crimes Against Humanity!  John Durham is Moving up the Ladder From Prosecuting Danchenko and Our Corrupt and Weaponized DOJ & FBI, all the way up to the top! Will Russia Ukraine and NATO lead to WW3? The Military Industrial Complex is being Exposed! The Covid and Vax Fake News Narratives are Crumbling! Something really big is about to drop! Buckle up! We’re Witnessing The Greatest Worldwide Military Intelligence Sting Operation of All-Time! Every Scenario Was Planned For. Every Detail Was Accounted For. The Storm Has Finally Arrived! We’re in The Final Stage of The Plan!  The [Coup Attempt] Against President Trump Will Not Go Unpunished! And Treason Is Only The Beginning! The John Durham Investigation is Heating Up!"

 

"Moving up the ladder,"  i.e. losing at every step of his case.  As for the rest of this nonsense,  "Every Detail Was Accounted For," just really badly.   

"It Had To Be This Way To Safeguard Future Elections And Save Our Great Nation! Sometimes You Must Walk Through The Darkness Before You See The Light!"

Elections can only be "safeguarded" by making sure that Democrats are never allowed to tell the truth about Republicans.

"It’s Time for Indictments [Arrests] & Pain! Justice is Coming! Are You Ready to be Part of History? We’re Witnessing The Greatest Worldwide Military Intelligence Sting Operation of All-Time! Every Scenario Was Planned For. Every Detail Was Accounted For. The Storm Has Finally Arrived! We’re in The Final Stage of The Plan!"

"It’s Time for Indictments [Arrests] & Pain!"...Actually, the last three years were the time for indictments, arrests and pain.  There just weren't any crimes to punish, other than telling the truth about Republicans, which is now, apparently, a supreme act of treachery.

"The [Coup Attempt] Against President Trump Will Not Go Unpunished! And Treason Is Only The Beginning!"

Blah, blah, blah, it just goes on and on.

X22 Report: "Trump Caught Them All! Durham Exposed It All!...The [DS] believes they have the upper hand they don’t. The verdict came in with Danchenko he was acquitted. Remember who was on trial, was it Danchenko or was it the FBI? The plan is working the path is set and the players have been identified. It must be done right according to the rule of law. The [DS] is preparing to blackout when the truth is revealed, the patriots already have countermeasures in place."

No matter what happened in court, the Republicans won, and the Democrats are about to be crushed for...something.  Enough of this bullshit.  Next step: seeing how Durham can twist this utterly wasted three years into some sort of attack on Democrats.  And however preposterous and loathsome his final "report" is, Republicans will eat it up.