emptywheel

Clinton hired *good* Russians to help us stop Trump. Trump hired bad Russians who were trying to hurt HRC. Completely different situations!

Actually for all we know Clinton hired bad Russians who lied to her.

Nope. There is no indication at all of that. What we know is everything the Russians did in our election was to hurt Hillary & help Trump.

You have to be pretty naive to claim the Russians got no hint of dossier after it was made public in October.

What the hell are you talking? When the Russians knew about the dossier is entirely irrelevant.

You are familiar with the fact that a likely dossier source was killed in December? You think it's irrelevant to him and his family?

You apparently don't understand this but when hostile intel agencies learn what questions someone wants answered they plant disinfo.

We have meetings, emails, witnesses. We have an active investigation. You’re pushing Trump’s spin. I can’t imagine why.

Also you are REPEATING the problem: of making accusations for which there is not (yet) proof, and naming it a crime.

No. That’s what Mueller is investigating but we have emails, meetings, etc.. What your suggesting lacks any evidence of a crime. Further

I guess all comes down to what Kremlin wanted/did itself directly. Veselnitskaya affair might open door but not some smoking gun on its own.

Yes. Going WAY back to cited post, my comment was in first reports on TT meeting Dems were calling something LESS than dossier collusion

That quickly changed. But the reason I raised it was precisely bc of paying $$ to RU spies for info.

Yeah it's just the stupidity of Trump Jr/Manafort/Kushner not insulating themselves that suggests it cd have gone further. But proof needed.

That said, there's abs no problem imho w commissioning cos using foreign sources, even gov ones. Just nature of contracted intel work .

Agree. Problem is in too loosely accusing others of chasing foreign sourced intel of collusion when you chased it too.

Yep, foreign sourcing in itself shdn't be prob. Also I'm sure Kremlin has no problem w rumors of Trump influence either.

Well, I'm not crazy about it in any case, but see why it happens. And the Dems REALLY should have built in more plausible deniability.