How Kash Patel rose from obscure Hill staffer to key operative in Trump’s battle with the intelligence community

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/16/kash-patel-trump-intelligence-community/

19 hours ago, James DiEugenio said:

And this guy is a Republican.

Ron Johnson is a MAGA traitor who supports the on-going 2021 coup, and is more than happy to recruit useful idiots wherever he can find them.

5 hours ago, James DiEugenio said:

This was a perfectly fine thread about people in high office advocating for a conspiracy in the JFK case.

No, it was one MAGA Senator ultimately advocating a takeover of CIA by Trump toadies.  Sop for the gullible.

5 hours ago, James DiEugenio said:

And doing so in public. And praising Douglass and Talbot.

Under Trump Jim DiEugenio might get a regular gig on Fox.

5 hours ago, James DiEugenio said:

Then the Gallagher Brothers had to start in with their political agenda about the political parties.

I seriously doubt Jim knows who the Gallagher Brothers are.

Conservatives aim to restructure U.S. government and replace it with Trump’s vision

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/conservatives-aim-to-restructure-u-s-government-and-replace-it-with-trumps-vision

WASHINGTON (AP) — With more than a year to go before the 2024 election, a constellation of conservative organizations is preparing for a possible second White House term for Donald Trump, recruiting thousands of Americans to come to Washington on a mission to dismantle the federal government and replace it with a vision closer to his own.

Led by the long-established Heritage Foundation think tank and fueled by former Trump administration officials, the far-reaching effort is essentially a government-in-waiting for the former president’s second term — or any candidate who aligns with their ideals and can defeat President Joe Biden in 2024.

With a nearly 1,000-page “Project 2025” handbook and an “army” of Americans, the idea is to have the civic infrastructure in place on Day One to commandeer, reshape and do away with what Republicans deride as the “deep state” bureaucracy, in part by firing as many as 50,000 federal workers. </q>

Trump demands loyalty oaths.  Career civil servants will refuse and be replaced by sycophants.  The intel agencies, the military, and the DOJ will follow Trump’s orders to the letter.

Ron Johnson and Tucker Carlson use the JFKA to rally public support for a dictatorial overthrow of American institutions.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

"Netanyahu is a butcher just like Hamas."--CV

This is the Democratic Party today. 

As an old Hollywoodian once said, "Include me out." 

I am stepping out of this conversation also. 

You support blackface and the mass slaughter of Palestinians.  Congratulations.

1 hour ago, James DiEugenio said:

This was a perfectly fine thread about people in high office advocating for a conspiracy in the JFK case.

And it’s been pointed out that this one person in high office has an agenda unrelated to finding the truth about the JFKA.

How did Tucker Carlson work out?  Hasn’t said a word about the JFKA since Fox fired him, has he?

1 hour ago, James DiEugenio said:

And doing so in public. And praising Douglass and Talbot.

To lay the groundwork for a wholesale revamping of the government to fit Trump’s fascist designs.

1 hour ago, James DiEugenio said:

Then the Gallagher Brothers had to start in with their political agenda about the political parties.

To draw attention to the fact Trump has declared his intention to install a dictatorship on Day One, and a couple of his sycophants are using the JFKA to further that agenda.

1 hour ago, James DiEugenio said:

I mean geez give us all a break.  

IMO, they should not have been allowed to do this.  

Cory hasn’t complained.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

I posted the segment from Babylon Bee as a satirical take on what goes on Ivy League campuses today. I noted it was from the Babylon Bee. It used humor to make a point.

I have asked Cliff, and if you wish, I will ask you, this:

"Do you, without the slightest reservation, explicitly and unconditionally condemn Hamas for the atrocities on Oct. 7."

I have not the slightest reservation in explicitly and unconditionally condemning Hamas for the atrocities on Oct. 7.

Cliff V. can only say he "hates" Hamas, apparently equally to the government of Israel. 

So you support the indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Gaza.  Figures.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Sadly, that seems to be where the left-wing of the Democratic Party is today.

There are even "queers for Palestine" marches in San Francisco (some have called these "Poultry for KFC" rallies. 

I guess it’s too much nuance for you to condemn both Hamas and Netanyahu for the atrocities they commit.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

I may have disagreements with the elected governments of most of the Western nations, including Israel. Maybe even strong disagreements. That is how democracy, and inevitable corruption, work. 

But Hamas? Hamas is just like Western governments? 

Sorry, I am not on board with that. 

Netanyahu is a butcher just like Hamas.

By what alchemy of logic do you equate the Israeli regime with all Western governments?

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

"But without the slightest reservation, I explicitly and unconditionally condemn Hamas for the atrocities on Oct. 7."---BC

The above sentence is an example of my anti-Democrat bias? 

No.  “Which is something I find a large swath of Democrats cannot do.“  Anti-Democrat bias.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Fine, then I have an anti-Democrat bias. 

A man should be blessed have such biases in abundance. 

 

You could profit from better English comprehension.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

I am a RFK2 supporter, or apologist.

You are a reliable repeater of Trump talking points.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

I would not attend a party dressed as Charlie Chan, or as any negative stereotype of any racial or ethnic, religious etc. group. 

But you stand up for whites going to frat parties in black face.  So which is it?

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

But without the slightest reservation, I explicitly and unconditionally condemn Hamas for the atrocities on Oct. 7.

Which is something I find a large swath of Democrats cannot do. 

That’s because you filter everything thru an anti-Democrat bias.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

As an independent voter, without the slightest reservation, I explicitly and unconditionally condemn Hamas for the atrocities on Oct. 7. 

As a Trump apologist you won’t condemn your Dear Leader for his stated intent to rule as a dictator.

You didn’t answer my question:  would it be okay to go to a party at your nearest university there in Thailand dressed like a buck tooth Charlie Chan bowing and mincing around?

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

As a Democrat, you will not explicitly and unconditionally condemn Hamas for the atrocities on Oct. 7? 

You couldn’t possibly more narrow minded, could you?

I hate Hamas for what they’ve done to the Israeli and Palestinian people — and I hate Netanyahu for the same reason.

It’s YOU who cannot condemn Netanyahu’s atrocities in Gaza.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

As a Democrat, you will not explicitly and unconditionally condemn Hamas for the atrocities on Oct. 7? 

It is impossible for you to process anything that doesn’t conform to your pre-existing notions.  I hate Netanyahu and Hamas, and have said so for the third time now.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

CAMBRIDGE, MA — A Harvard University student later identified as Luke Dillon left a lecture on microaggressions a little early so he could make it to the "Kill the Jews" rally on time.

There you go, find some extreme position and claim that goes for tens of millions.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

The University happily hosted the rally for mass murder and rape after being assured that no one would be misgendered.

Citation please.  I find your characterizations unreliable.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

 

"Hate speech has no place here at Harvard," assured President Claudine Gay. "We affirm everyone's right, regardless of gender, to feel safe to express their deep hatred and longing to kill Jewish people. That's why Harvard is more than a school - it's a family."

---30---

More Babylon Bee than Trump.

Actually, I am RFK2 supporter. 

After WW2 they called people who refused to oppose Hitler “Good Germans.”

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

I see you refuse to condemn Hamas. Express your personal freedom! 

What part of “I hate the people who govern them” eludes you?

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

The left wing of the D-Party is aligning itself with keffiyeh crowd, and they want the destruction of Israel. And its citizens. 

So all the Jews protesting IDF atrocities want the extinction of Israel?

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Sheesh, you have lefties referring to Hamas as the "the resistance."

You have people of all political stripe saying stupid things.  How lazy to paint everyone with the same brush!

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Hamas is fighting the occupation, fighting the colonialists and is justified in its Oct. 7 atrocities--that is what the left-wing is saying.  

No, you’re making things up.  How Trump of you to take a tiny minority view and attribute it to all.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Is that your view? 

I expressed my view.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

You see the Congressional hearings on the three Ivy league presidents?

Calling for the genocide of Jews on campus is okay, "depending on context." 

You confuse criticism of Netanyahu with a call for genocide.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

These are the same people who will have you run off campus if you appeared in blackface at a frat party.

How about a buck tooth Charlie Chan routine at your local university?

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Or believe there are two sexes (now called genders). 

I believe in personal freedom.  I guess you don’t.

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

There was a time people wore head-gear and masks and advocated genocide of a minority group. The KKK. 

Now there is another group that wears masks and headdress, and advocates genocide of a minority group.  

Are you wearing a keffiyeh to show solidarity? 

Excuse me?  WTF are you talking about?

I support the people of Israel and the people of Palestine.  I hate the people who govern them.

5 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Egads. 

Is everything force-fed through the blue-red pissing wars?

You are perhaps unaware that Trump is running openly to be dictatorial.  Insurrection act Day One — using the military against protests.

5 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

A sitting Senator recommends two intelligently written books popular with the JFKA research community (two books I somewhat disagree with) and the response is, "Well, hmmpf, he is a Republican."

No, my response is that he’s MAGA and seeks to make everyone at CIA et al sign personal loyalty oaths to Dear Leader Trump.  

MAGA wants to make the JFKA advantageous to their agenda.

5 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Yes, a large part of the right-wing, which used to be instinctively authoritarian, has now become skeptical of government. 

Irrelevant.  Trump promises “dictatorship on Day One”.

5 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Remarkably, a large part of the left-wing, which used to be skeptical of government, has become authoritarian and censorious. 

There have always been authoritarians among the left.  That’s a matter of character and personality.  The policies espoused on the left are usually anti-authoritarian.

5 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Well? Sing along with Claudine Gay: "It depends on context." 

“We will root out the vermin who live among us.” Donald Trump

2 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Do you have link to that memo? 

I think Larry Hancock may have it.

2 hours ago, Paul Brancato said:

Cliff - what is your interpretation of ‘magic button’? 

Same as Cicci.

1 hour ago, Cory Santos said:

Want to go to the Vegas Bowl?

Northwestern vs Utah?

That’d be great but I won’t be in town.

1 hour ago, Cory Santos said:

Vivek 

Patel and Bannon promise “the biggest infrastructure project in American history.”

Concentration camps for undocumented immigrants, the homeless, and left wing “vermin.”

1 hour ago, Cory Santos said:

press:   U.S Senator says assassination a conspiracy.  
Cliff-yeah!   Truth.  
Press:   He is Republican.  

Ron Johnson is MAGA.  I don’t put all Republicans under that umbrella.

1 hour ago, Cory Santos said:

Cliff- goes Grinch like and destroys “season trees” and other non offensive “season” decorations around downtown San Francisco screaming bag hum bug.

Merry Christmas, Cory.

1 hour ago, Cory Santos said:

But none of that addresses the key point which is you have a U.S. Senator making this claim.  Keep your politics out of it and recognize things are changing on the assassination.   People want the truth.   Can they handle it?

How do we keep politics out of it?

MAGA seeks to place Trump loyalists in every civil service position, and they’re using JFK Conspiracy as a rationale.

Kash Patel as head of the CIA?

Reminds me of the old line — “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.”  

The Trojan horse in this case is the embrace of JFKA Conspiracy by MAGA types like Ron Johnson and Tucker Carlson who hope to see every American institution brought to heel by Dictator Don.

Hoover memo to senior staff, 12/12/63:

<quote>

I said I personally believe Oswald was the assassin; that the second aspect as to whether he was the only man gives me great concern; that we have several letters, not in the report because we were not able to prove it, written to him from Cuba referring to the job he was going to do, his good marksmanship, and stating when it was all over he would be brought back to Cuba and presented to the chief; but we do not know if the chief was Castro and cannot make an investigation because we have no intelligence operation in Cuba; that I did not put this into the report because we did not have proof of it and didn't want to put speculation in the report; that this was the reason I urged strongly that we not reach conclusion Oswald was the only man. 

<quote off>

On 12/15/2023 at 1:20 PM, Cliff Varnell said:

Weberman:

A CIA document revealed: "Siragusa was of liaison interest to various components of this Agency from 1961 to 1967, including the Behavioral Activities Branch of the Technical Services Division."

From Hank Albarelli’s A Secret Order: 

<quote on, emphasis added>

[D]uring WWII George Hunter White and a number of other [Federal Bureau of Narcotics] agents assigned to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), precursor to the CIA, worked very closely in New York City with Port Security and the Office of Naval Intelligence on what is now commonly called Operation Underworld. This was the top-secret project that involved freeing infamous gangster Charles "Lucky" Luciano from prison in return for his, and the Mafia's, assistance with security at America's ports and the Allied invasion of Italy. All the FBN agents assigned to work on Operation Underworld went on to become covert operatives of the CIA, and would become involved with Projects MK/ULTRA and MK/NAOMI.

<quote off>

From Douglas Valentine's The Strength of the Wolf:

<quote on>

[William] Harvey was so dependent on the FBN and its underworld contacts that he scribbled the words “the Magic Button” beside a reference to the Bureau in his notes.

<quote off>