Adam Schiff’s m.o.
Here’s a good example [emphasis mine]:
…Adam Schiff and company released several pages of cherry-picked text conversations late last night which revolved around Ukraine and whether Trump had offered a quid pro quo in exchange for an investigation into Biden…
The only supposedly “damning” parts of the text messages involved a man named Bill Taylor insinuating there was a quid pro quo, after which the U.S. Ambassador to the EU corrected his notion. But the line from the media and blue checkmark Twitter was that Taylor was saying what he said because he had actual information of an offered quid pro quo.
Now, it appears that’s not true. Instead, Taylor had read a Politico article well after everything had transpired. Who happened to have contributed to that article? If you guessed Fusion GPS mouthpiece Natasha Bertrand, congrats (if you guessed Ken Dilanian, you were close at least)…
Adam Schiff is as slimy as they come. He put these text messages out there late last night, knowing no one would be available to rebut them right away, all the while knowing Volker had already disproven the narrative he wanted to push. And like good lackeys, the media ran with it and are still running with it.
That’s the way it keeps going. The lie is put out there, often using the person’s own words but leaving out the exculpatory part. The implication is always of Trump’s guilt. The lies pile up, over and over and over. The liar (Schiff in this case, as is often the case) counts on the cooperation of the MSM. He also counts on the idea that most people only read the initial story and never read any corrections if in fact any are ever issued (often they are not). Schiff also knows that alternate sources of information are usually not read by Democrats or even by a great many independents.
So he issues those lies, both Big and Small, to do their work. Schiff is not stupid. His lies are not told in error. They are a tactic in a long-term strategy, and he believes that strategy will be successful in creating enough smoke to convince a great many people that there’s a big fire.
“Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth;”
Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda
“The bigger the lie, the more it will be believed;”
Adolph Hitler
“Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime;”
Lavrentyi Beria, Head of Stalin’s Secret Police – the NKVD
This is beginning to look a lot like the Mueller investigation, where on a daily basis we are treated to a new gotcha moment, that never amounts to anything. It’s the same cast of characters, the same media outlets, the same breathless claims.
“… the great story here for anybody willing to find it and write about it and explain it is this vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced for president.”
Hillary to Media: You’ve got your marching orders!
Interestingly, Wikipedia claims that the “vast right-wing conspiracy” phrase popped up 7 years earlier in the UK as an anti-Thatcher effort. Though they don’t quote any effort to publicly direct the media.
The USA, and actual civility, needs S. Palin to win her defamation suit against the NYT, where an editor claims she was responsible for the shooting of Giffords — in the same issue where another article said she was not.
If being a “public figure” means the opposition can defame, lie, and smear you, without recourse, that’s too much Free Speech. Those who make money by publishing, selling ads to get attention, should be liable to be sued for defaming others, even public figures. Yes, other court cases would have to determine how close to a smear is acceptable. But there are already too many clear lies being published.
Does Schiff have absolute free speech immunity to tell lies? Mostly YES, but that’s not totally clear: http://congressionalresearch.com/RL30843/document.php
“The clause does not protect criminal conduct, political activity, direct communications with the public, or even the distribution of official committee reports outside the legislative sphere. “
Since he’s now being treated as if he DOES have the immunity, even if he lies, it would be good if Barr & the DOJ indicted him for lying. To see how the case goes, and whether there are any real limits to Schiff’s immunity.
“Schiff is not stupid. His lies are not told in error. They are a tactic in a long-term strategy, and he believes that strategy will be successful in creating enough smoke to convince a great many people that there’s a big fire.” neo
I agree that Schiff is not stupid and that his lies are intentional. That is indeed his strategy as well and he almost certainly will convince a great many people that there’s truth to his and the left’s lies.
But that strategy is fatally flawed because at least half of America knows full well that they are lying and criminally deceitful. When they hit the trigger wire and try to impose through law and armed force their abominable agenda upon the half of America that knows they’re being lied to… that when its going to be settled and they will learn what ‘lying in the bed you’ve created’ is all about.
John Tyler @ 2:23,
The truth has set us free and not only are we armed but enough of us are willing to die resisting tyranny and the end of liberty. They have no idea of the firestorm they’re playing at.
“If being a “public figure” means the opposition can defame, lie, and smear you, without recourse, that’s too much Free Speech.” Tom Grey
Semi-agree. It’s not too much free speech but far too little accountability. There MUST be consequences and the lack of them in so many areas is why we are where we are today.