Kevin Morris, a wealthy friend of Hunter Biden, was recently forced to testify behind closed doors before the House Oversight Committee, led by serial liar and attack dog James Comer. As usual, after Morris finished his testimony Comer immediately released an absurdly deceitful "readout" of his testimony.
Both Philip Bump and Steve Benen have reported on this. Both write at length about Comer's track record with this kind of thing, but because they work for serious media organizations they feel obligated to say that maybe, just maybe, Comer isn't lying this time.
That's absolutely the responsible thing to do. But I don't work for anyone, so I have no obligation to join in this nonsense. Comer is lying, period. He's been lying for months about Hunter Biden and he's still lying. Literally everyone knows this. Republicans adopted a strategy of immediately releasing deceptive summaries of interviews back in the Benghazi days, knowing that by the time a transcript was available—if ever—no one would care anymore. The Fox hits would have long since shaped the discourse. Bill Barr put this tactic to famous use in his insta-summary of the Mueller investigation.
We all know that Hunter Biden traded on his name, but he otherwise did nothing worth more than a misdemeanor charge. He's now under federal indictment for felonies solely because the special prosecutor caved into intense pressure from Republicans. As for Joe Biden, he's literally done nothing wrong and everyone knows this too. But that doesn't stop scum like Comer and never will.
Not only is Comer a liar, but Morris' lawyers also sent an angry letter to Comer outlining all of the lies he told and demanding an immediate release of the transcript. Of course, it took several weeks before the transcript of the Devon Archer deposition was released, and by that time the damage, as you point out, was done.
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"As for Joe Biden, he's literally done nothing wrong and everyone knows this too."
Millions of people on the right truly believe that Joe Biden is a criminal who secretly worked with Hunter to get millions from sleezy actors in foreign countries. It's the "Biden Crime Family". This is an article of faith in the MAGA world, and arguments about evidence are irrelevant.
Recent years have taught us that a pervasive right wing media ecosphere/echo chamber, and a class of politicians who will feed it lies to sustain it, can cause people to believe all sorts of garbage. Really, it's similar to the situation in Russia. Putin figured out if he can get control of the media people mostly watch or read, he can get them to believe anything. Putin had to invade Ukraine to denazify it. Sure, why not.
Orban in Hungary has learned this game too. He and his party cronies now have control of 80% of the media, and the remaining independent media outlets are under constant pressure. Orban's propaganda media tells citizens how great Orban and his government are, and in turn they vote for him.
In the NYTs yesterday, the article on Kevin D. Roberts, the head of the Heritage Foundation, was quoted as saying, “Modern Hungary is not just a model for conservative statecraft but the model.” Oh man.
Maybe Bump should have said: "That is an interesting question that I will give the answer to to the media when this hearing is over."
Maybe somebody should take a page from the EJ Carroll playbook.
my thoughts exactly
I have to wonder though if Comer doesn’t have more “cover” in the form of “performing official duties.”
"Speech and debate" clause, which for the alleged "originalists" on the Court covers a whole lot more than speeches and debate (at least as it applies to Republicans).
Everyone who reports what Comer & Republicans say knows they are lying, but publishes and broadcasts the lies anyway. They are being bamboozled, they are not failing, they are complicit. And they are proud of the work they do promoting & protecting Republicans.
"But that doesn't stop scum like Comer and never will."
Allow me to challenge that conclusion.
In Scenario 1, Tom, Dick, and Mary are having a conversation, Tom expresses an opinion, and Mary says, "Tom, I'm going to say three things. First, you're wrong. Second, there's a reason why you're wrong, there's a number of issues that your opinion does not address. Third, I'm curious to know how you propose to address those issues."
Now, press the Ground Hog Day button for Scenario 2.
In Scenario 2, Tom, Dick, and Mary are having a conversation, Tom expresses an opinion, and Dick says, "Tom, I'm going to say three things. First, you're wrong. Second, there's a reason why you're wrong, there's a number of issues that your opinion does not address. Third, this conversation is over."
The moral of the story? Be Mary, don't be a Dick, and dicks like Comer won't be able to say, "We're all playing the same game, so don't criticize people for being better at it than you."
Uhh, why ask? They just lie, repeatedly. They don't actually answer questions.
"Comer is lying, period." agreed
"We all know that Hunter Biden traded on his name, but he otherwise did nothing worth more than a misdemeanor charge." disagree
1. Hunter is clearly guilty of a Federal gun violation. While its true that this crime is not often charged. Its also true, almost no one writes a biography and allows videos that show clear violation of the law. Basically, this is a near slam dunk case.
2. Hunter is possibly guilty of being an unregistered foreign agent. Once again, not often charged but still a Federal crime.
Re: 1. Your point about a 'near slam dunk' is irrelevant. Most cases of this offense aren't charged unless there is an additional gun-involved felony. Lack of evidence is not usually the deciding factor.
And perhaps the other prominent wealthy individuals currently or formerly involved in political positions or ownership of mass media - specifically, trump Jr & Musk - - should be investigated in conjunction with their use of illicit products & applications for ownership of firearms.
Not to mention all of the gun-toting MAGA crowd.
And the complete turnaround with respect to the original deal agreed to in the Biden case can only be regarded as resulting from some outside pressure - an obviously strange, unorthodox move.
With respect to charges of being unregistered foreign agents, the trump- kushner family members have benefited far more from not only defying the emollients clause, but their financial contacts in China, touting closeness to the then-president - & to Kushner's immediate dealings after the trump administration to the Saudi regime- were blatant misuse, demonstrating precisely why trump should not have been allowed to override the original decision to refuse clearance to the unqualified Jared Kushner, as ethically lacking as both his father & fsther-in-law.
There is no evidence that Hunter Biden was engaging in political activities in America on behalf of foreign interests. Comer's fatuous argument is that "of course" he must have been "peddling influence" because he had nothing else of value to sell. He ignores Hunter's history as a Yale-educated lawyer, hedge fund manager, Amtrak director (appointed by W) and chair of the US chapter of the World Food Program.
Indeed Republicans have got to the stage of peddling internally contradictory narratives. A couple of weeks ago, after spending years claiming Hunter had zero to offer the Burisma board beyond access to his father, the 'New York Post' ran an excited story about him working to develop a geothermal energy project in Germany for that very company.
Possibly Republicans regard Hunter Biden with such contempt because he used his connections for so little profit, compared to the wealth amassed by the Kushners.
+1
For the MAGAts, of course, the Biden Crime Family is part of the catechism, and that will never change. But for our "moderate Republican" friends, it's yet another thing to say "well, I'm not sure about ..." and to use as an excuse to vote for the Trump Crime Family, whose guilt, like Comer's lying, is known to everybody.
If only there were a way to surrepetitiously broadcast the audio, at the very least, from the hearing room. Livecast it. Or possibly directly to that ACLU site for videos of police atrocities in progress, so that if they take your phone and destroy it, it's still been recorded.
Of course, that would presume nobody would notice and run in to make it stop. So technology may not save us.
How was Barr deceptive in his insta-summary of the Mueller Report?
He strongly implied that Mueller had found no evidence of a crime, though Mueller made it clear that he only refrained from recommending charges of obstruction because of department policy, not lack of evidence. Barr also ignored the charges brought against Russians for attempting to influence the election, and the many contacts between Russians and figures in the Trump campaign, because Trump insisted that he won without help.
So there is no actual lie in Barr's 4 page letter. However, it's deceptive due to one subjective implication?
(The other points you mentioned do not represent the 'principal conclusions' of the report, which was memo's purpose.)
Not trying to bust your chops but the accusation of his memo being deceptive is more or less false.
Mueller doesn't share your opinion.
'Special counsel Robert Mueller wrote a letter in late March objecting to Attorney General William Barr's four-page summary of the conclusions of the investigation into possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, a Justice Department official confirmed Tuesday night.
The letter written to Barr expressed the special counsel's frustration that the attorney general's memo to Congress "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of the investigation.'
https://www.npr.org/2019/04/30/718883130/mueller-complained-that-barr-summary-of-trump-russia-probe-lacked-context
Trump seized on Barr's deceptive letter to bray 'TOTAL VINDICATION' when of course the report was anything but.
He does agree with me actually. What was the lie? What was the deception? Name one lie.
From your article: "In a cordial and professional conversation, the Special Counsel emphasized that nothing in the Attorney General's March 24 letter was inaccurate or misleading,"
Do you disagree when Barr said in the letter: "The Special Counsel's investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election"?
The accusation the Barr 4 page letter was deceptive is simply false.
Your cute shift from "How was Barr deceptive?" to "What was the lie?" demonstrates the bad faith of youor trolling.
I'm not trolling. I'm making an important point for all of us to understand. Accusations that the Barr 4 page letter was deceptive are false as I have shown. Mueller said explicitly. according to your own source, nothing in the letter was misleading or inaccurate I'm not happy about that. It just happens to be the truth. if we go around making claims that are false, we diminish our authority massively. so pick any word you want, lie, deceptive, misleading, inaccurate. the four page memo was none of those things. And here we are claiming that they are in a world where we are accused by the other side of misinformation and fake news, it plays right into their hands and gives them ammunition to accurately criticize us!
Dude, you used several, mutally inconsistent, arguments.
That's trolling.
Barr lied.
Crissa, what was the lie?
Mueller, according to a source Ken provided, said "nothing in the Attorney General's March 24 letter was inaccurate or misleading".
But you found a lie that he didn't? What is it?
How it works,
ChatGPT creates twenty images on the theme of 'an average day for an American',
https://old.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/195i9lk/an_average_day_for_an_american/
I don't see why Hunter can't have a press conference on the steps of the Capital right after his closed door session with the GOP /MAGA/ LIERS, and simply state that there was nothing in his testimony that infers that his father profited from his enterprises or used his office (as Senator, VP, or POTUS) to aid in such endeavors.
I also don't see why any legitimate journalist can't prefix any statement made by James Comer that previous similar statements were in substance mostly bull shit.
Why can't witnesses record the conversation themselves and release their only transcript/recording? I'm guessing the committee would object, but would they have a legal basis for doing so? If you refused to sit for a deposition without having being able to record it, would the courts hold you in contempt? If you secretly recorded a conversation that was being recorded would you break any D.C. or federal laws?
Alternatively, use a secret copy to counter their snippets with additional context from "memory". It's not like they hold these in a SCIF.
I don’t know if Kevin Morris faced a subpoena but literally nobody should ever appear voluntarily, because Republicans will twist whatever you say against you.
And if you do get subpoenaed to appear before congress, you should have lawyers and answer *every* single question with “I cannot recall” or “I take the fifth” if criminally relevant.
Under no circumstances should anyone actually openly speak to congress about anything.
Hunter Biden is a chew toy.
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