Agents of Putin

Tucker Carlson Tonight
February 5, 2018

https://www.steynonline.com/8437/agents-of-putin

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45 Reader Comments

AB43 • Feb 16, 2018 at 22:04

Mark I am sitting on this comment/essay for about five days and I was pondering if I should post it. It is not as flashy as the events that shaped public discourse in the last number of days and sucked out all the oxygen of public attention. But after thinking about it I believe that the topic is very important to bring the infamous dossier, the Russia collusion, the FISA warrants and the corruption of the Intel community into the right context. I leave it to your judgment whether to publish it or not or pass it on to whoever you think may use it effectively.
In February 5 issue of Mark Stein club titled "Agents of Putin" On Feb. 6 I responded to Ivan Satori comment (see below) regarding the motivation of Putin to support one or the other candidate in the 2016 election for the Presidents of the United States after thinking on it more and reading thoroughly the Dossier, I realized that my initial response missed the main point and should be revised. Ivan correctly stated that Putin will not to bet on one or the others victory. However, I differ from Ivan's assessment that Putin goal was undermine the elected American President whoever he or she might be. The way I see it that Putin goal was that Russia will be the winner and USA be the loser whoever the next American President will be. To achieve that all what he needed is undermine the candidacy and presidency of Trump since Trumps declared MAGA policy is in direct conflict with the global interests of Russia. On other hand having HRC as Potus serves the global interests of Russia very well since her policies would be continuation of Obama policies of internationalism, open borders, underfunded US military, higher taxes that would weaken USA both politically, economically and strategically. On top of it, the Icing on the cake of HRC victory from the Russian point of view is their experience with HRC that she can be easily financially incentivized and if necessary blackmailed using the compromising information that Russia has collected about the Clintons misdeeds over the last 20 years.
To help HRC to secure her victory over Trump and as an insurance policy for the unlikely event of Trump victory Putin ordered the preparation of a dossier with salacious unsubstantiated allegation about Trump and handing it over to freelance smear campaign specialist Cristopher Steele for dissemination to US media and the corrupt US Intelligence community. Steele is a smart guy collecting fees for one smear job from the Russian, the Clintons and the FBI and Russia knows all the ins and outs of US intelligence better than anyone else in the world and it wouldn't be surprise if they are having moles at high places in the US intelligence community. The purpose of the Dossier was to be used as fodder to accuse Trump campaign of collusion with Russia during the campaign and a supporting document for obtaining FISA warrants to spy on Trump. On top of the above if against all odds Trump wins to use the dossier as a tool by the Democrats to delegitimize his victory. Putin and his henchmen correctly assessed that the Democrats will not accept the victory of Trump and no matter how flimsy and absurd the dossier is it will be sufficient for the Democrats to be used in their quest to overthrow President Trump by any means including undermining and crippling his administration no matter how much damage it causes to the US, triggers violence and possibly brings about a civil war. Russia was sure that the media will fully support the Democrats and will launch an all-out war against President Trump to inflame the population of USA against Trump and anyone that supports him. Let's not forget If HRC would have won there would not be a Mueller probe. The corruption of FBI and rest Intelligence community would have not come to light, AG Loretta Lynch would have ensured that none of the misdeeds HRC are prosecuted.

P. Gao • Feb 7, 2018 at 01:12

We've puttered through life rather naive in the great scheme of things... but the posted tips pointing to the strange atmosphere of certain places - hotels- restos - resonates - explains why normal people get the creeps in certain establishments. Well, well there really is something very corrupt behind the distracting glamour and glitz.

Patty Villanova • Feb 6, 2018 at 19:35

Dear Mark- Just when we thought things couldn't get more hilarious with the ongoing Russia Saga, the Daily Mail runs this story about how Adam "The Genius" Schiff got punked by two Russian comedians who told him they had nude pictures of President Trump they had received from Putin.

The pranksters, known in the trade as "Lexus" and "Vovan" convinced Schiff that Ukrainian intelligence sources confirmed that 3 Russian scouts had collected dirt on President Trump that they wanted to share with him (Schiff).

Apparently the Genius fell for the joke hook, line and sinker including the hilarious passwords that were taken from a 1992 Russian-American comedy movie about secret agents, "The Weather is good on Deribasovskay/ It Rains Again on Brighton Beach"

There's a ton of great material in the story for our local Krazy Komedy Klub or your next appearance on Tucker.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5355713/Adam-Schiff-spoofed-Russian-claim-nude-Trump-pic.html

Cheers.

David Bridge • Feb 6, 2018 at 15:25

Oh, well - what else can you expect from them? I mean, they have to defend themselves somehow, and as we all know, the best defense is a strong offense - and boy, do they have that one down pat. As the late, great W.C. Fields once put it, "Everyone has to believe in something. I believe I'll have another drink."

P. Gao • Feb 6, 2018 at 15:25

Indeed counting on that 'it'll go back to some state of nostalgic nice isn't a rational bet. Everything has been growing bigger and worse. It needs correction or it continues to eat everything. A thought - to not forget to include in the list the Bush family combined decades in the highest posts of government and agencies, suddenly acting in the most peculiar posing in history of 'noble' in uniting resources to Hillary. If that didn't make a very large number of voters full stop and stare and say, "Wait, what's going on? and then... WHO are you really?"

Holly Birtwistle • Feb 6, 2018 at 13:12

It's frustrating to watch, but the American people are sadly used to the corrupt political maneuverings in their Government, they've been putting up with it a long time. Many of them see through it. They elected Trump.
Thank you to Mark and Tucker for giving clarity to the motivations of the Dems and the tangled web they are weaving, that ultimately will trap them.

James Morphew • Feb 6, 2018 at 12:10

One lesson I keep realizing is that this descent into totalitarianism comes so naturally, not restricted to Nazis or Commies, but right with some very free Americans. The human pride and drive so easily overrun the humility and cognition required to listen, to think, and to allow a difference. Ayn Rand noted that "thinking is volitional", and she, too, ran afoul of self-righteousness. The more light we can bring to these episodes of excess, the more chance we have to avoid them.

Holly Birtwistle

James Morphew • Feb 6, 2018 at 13:00

+100 James.

George Pazin • Feb 6, 2018 at 11:44

Of all the ridiculous things that we are expected to believe with this fraud of an investigation, the single thing that is the most galling to me is that we are supposed to accept and believe that Putin was/is afraid of Hillary, and that's why he colluded with Trump. That is beyond laughable to me, and it completely insults my intelligence to be asked to believe it.

Don't get me wrong, the rest of it is both a joke and a national disgrace that blows away Watergate in its scandal level as well.

AB43

George Pazin • Feb 6, 2018 at 16:51

George Please have a look at my comment to the posting Ivan Satori. My comment elaborates on the issue that you wrote about

BallBounces in Phoenix • Feb 6, 2018 at 11:27

Now that Tucker and Steyn have been outed as agents of the Kremlin, I'd like to see them show their true colours in their next conversation. Tucker presses Steyn to admit his Russian connections while Steyn fiddles with his Russian stacking dolls; then, at the end when exiting the set, they put on their Russian beaver hats (Mark could lend Tucker one from his collection) -- "great show, Comrade". Alternatively, Steyn could bring some poutine to the set and explain how it was all a misunderstanding.

Laura Rosen Cohen • Feb 6, 2018 at 10:39

I love how the Democrats and the American political left have gone from a total, slobbering, fanboy love affair with communists/"reset" button, "I'll have more leeway after the elections" to "the Russians are our enemies and got Trump elected" in the blink of an eye. In a nano second! Actually a Nunes-second.

Trying to keep up.

Russians = bad.

Therefore, they are re-positioning themselves and now rooting for the currently most anti-Western forces on the planet. This will prove to be even more destructive than their formerly cheering for communists.

Holly Birtwistle

Laura Rosen Cohen • Feb 6, 2018 at 13:01

Well-said Laura.

Bob Belvedere

Laura Rosen Cohen • Feb 6, 2018 at 14:28

I would argue Laura that the Left In America is the greatest Anti-Western force.

AB43

Laura Rosen Cohen • Feb 17, 2018 at 09:36

Laura
I fully agree with you. The left cheered to the communist and to Stalin. But it took a mere 70 years for the nations that were under the rule of communism to cast their shackles regain their freedom and their culture. Right now the left embraces islamism which is as Churchill described it as the most retrograde ideology in the world. Those nations and their culture in Asia and Africa that were free and prosperous that have been taken over by Islam in the last 1300 years ceased to exist have been wiped off the face of the planet

Ivan Satori • Feb 6, 2018 at 09:00

In all the brouhaha about "collusion" - has anybody stepped back and given a thought to some basic realities?
Let's leave aside the question why would Poutin prefer the unpredictable Trump to the fairly predictable "Reset" Hillary. The salient point is that whatever his preferences, Poutin is not the kind of man who would bet on one or the other outcome.
No, Poutin would prepare for either possibility, and his real goal is to weaken and undermine the American President, whomever he or she happens to be.
With Hillary, the Russians would likely have plenty of blackmail material, from the uranium deal, over the email server issue to who knows what dirt they have on Bill's 16 years since the end of his term.
But with Trump, it's the Dems who do for weakening, obstructing, sabotaging and undermining the American Presidency things that Poutin couldn't dream accomplishing by his own means.
This is not to say that the Dems are Kremlin's agents. But if they were, what would they do differently?

Holly Birtwistle

Ivan Satori • Feb 6, 2018 at 13:03

+1000 Ivan.

AB43

Ivan Satori • Feb 6, 2018 at 16:47

Ivan
I basically agree with most of your post. I wrote last night until well after midnight something along the lines that you wrote. The way I see it, Putin is working hard to make a Russia great again and Trump's make America great again slogan and promised policies clearly conflicts with the objectives of Putin. As to Hillary in addition to whatever you wrote regarding ease of blackmail the policies that she espouses which are essentially continuation of the policies of Obama such as open borders, uncontrolled immigration, letting the military to wither on one hand on other hand saddle it with social policies, foreign policies based on internationalism, saddle the economy with the regulation and man-made global warming nonsense all those are playing into the hand of US adversaries by making USA weaker thus making US foes relatively stronger. My thesis is that Putin tried to help Hillary to defeat Trump. Since the brain trust of Kremlin was misled by the same polls that misled most of the media that Hillary is a sure winner she was provided just with token help. The dossier with dirt about Trump that was given to Christopher Steele the X-MI5 Russia specialist that became freelance Russian smear campaign agent was light. I am sure if the Kremlin would have an inkling that Trump may defeat Hillary they would have prepared a tape in which Trump look-alike is getting golden shower in Moscow and that would have been aired after Access Hollywood tape about 10 days before the elections. I have the feeling that Trump even today is not fully aware of Putin's help to Hillary in her efforts to win the election and Putin's interests to sabotage Trump presidency after the election. Otherwise he would have not made those friendship gestures to Putin at various public meetings stuff that was fully taken advantage of by the hostile media. I think that Trump would have been better served if he would have appointed Mitt Romney as secretary of state instead of Rex Tillerson since Mitt Romney's strategic global vision is far broader than that of Tillerson and not affected by oil interests. As to your question what would the Dems do differently if they were Kremlin agents? They would not accuse Trump to be the Kremlin agent and would not launch the Trump Russia collusion investigation. Now they are doing Putin's bidding but too dumb to see it as such.
I would add to what you wrote in regard to the actions of the Dem disloyal opposition against Trump Presidency . It is serving the objectives of foes of USA such as Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and worldwide political Islam. It is beyond my understanding of why they don't see, that what they are doing is poisoning the well from which they are drinking but as I wrote before they are too dumb to see it.
I have more to say in regard to the FISA warrants, Mueller witch hunt, Carter Page espionage allegation and intelligence community subversion of the rule of law. But that is enough for today

George Pazin

AB43 • Feb 6, 2018 at 19:36

Thank you for those thoughts, I'm looking forward to reading more from you about this.

Wayne Lanham • Feb 6, 2018 at 08:16

So how do you win this when the judges are in bed with the bad guys and the public is generally too uninformed or too misinformed or too distracted by their iPhones to realize what the hell is going on? We seem to be in the same strategic position today that we were in for 2016 when a Hillary victory would have meant an end to the Republic as we know it. Should the Democrats gain control of the House, impeachment is a foregone conclusion. So then what? At what point does the gravitational influence of the Constitutional Crisis become sufficient to pull people away from Facebook and realize we're being taken over by a self-appointed bureaucracy?

Bob Belvedere

Wayne Lanham • Feb 6, 2018 at 14:26

The insight of History shows that it is a minority that will rise-up against Tyranny,

Cottesloe dreaming • Feb 6, 2018 at 01:41

I'm a Kremlin agent !

Tom Osterman • Feb 6, 2018 at 00:31

General Ripper called and he wants his reputation back.

BallBounces in Phoenix

Tom Osterman • Feb 6, 2018 at 11:28

David Kelley-Wood • Feb 5, 2018 at 23:53

I've never spied for the Russians, but if Maria Sharapova were to make a serious attempt to persuade me (what are the odds?), I believe I'd consider doing so.

Skeeter

David Kelley-Wood • Feb 6, 2018 at 00:12

I may meet the qualifications. I rendezvoused with a Russian embassy employee in Georgetown every month for over a year while I was in college. He always splurged for the best French restaurant on Wisconsin Blvd... including as many delicious Manhattan cocktails as I could manage, plus succulent escargot before the main course. Usually flan afterward.. A day or two later the unmarked car would pull up, I'd get in, and the FBI would debrief me.

Tom Korte

Skeeter • Feb 6, 2018 at 07:43

Can you give me that Russian's number? Someone plying me with free high quality food and drink while hanging on my every word sounds like a great deal! Societal norms being what they were, I was usually the one buying the food and drinks in my youth and hoping for another outing in much less than a month. Not knowing your gender or your Russian's, maybe you were just on a date and didn't realise it.

Fran Lavery

Skeeter • Feb 6, 2018 at 18:15

The Fleur de Lis?

Skeeter

Fran Lavery • Feb 6, 2018 at 19:51

This was '72-73, and memory fails, but the name of the establishment was almost certainly in that genre. Also I misspoke, it's Wisconsin Ave, not blvd. Very near the intersections with P and O streets? If I could just taste the Fleur de Lis' version of the Manhattan, I'd be able to nail it down for you.

Skeeter

Tom Korte • Feb 6, 2018 at 20:09

If he had any human interest in me it was in educating my palate, and he was a welcome mentor for that. Both of us male, but it was still a regular date in terms of dinner. He insisted I try the onion soup, in addition to the Manhattans. He was right about everything except politics and, you know, Good vs. Evil.

Sol Cranfill • Feb 5, 2018 at 23:14

Brilliant points I hope the groupthink news media picks up on: secret police; the Obama administration and the Clinton campaign tied up with this; the Five Eyes agreement breach and Christopher Steele retiring at 44 - something is very wrong with this.

Holly Birtwistle

Sol Cranfill • Feb 6, 2018 at 13:17

Sol, I think/hope the tide is slowly turning in Trumps favour, he's winning people over, although they are loath to admit it. When the media thinks it is safe to do so, they will begin to turn on the Dems, in order to be on the winning side. Here's hoping anyway.

Steven Payne • Feb 5, 2018 at 23:04

Mark, I'll have more flexibility to comment after my Social Security check clears.

David Watson • Feb 5, 2018 at 23:02

Is it coincidental that all the seditious dems Tucker mentioned are from California?

Sol Cranfill

David Watson • Feb 5, 2018 at 23:26

Good point. The other day, a California state legislator suggested the federal government come to California and arrest state officials for defying federal laws. The Calif. AG, in fact, just threatened huge penalties on Calif. businesses who cooperate with federal officials to enforce immigration law.

Holly Birtwistle

Sol Cranfill • Feb 6, 2018 at 13:21

That's not the American way, it's literally Totalitarian State Control. California businesses will fight back. Californistan in America? Not for long.

Jesse Cole • Feb 5, 2018 at 22:44

The democrats have the IRS and the DOJ if Schiff has his way. What else do they need? Always wondered how societies fall. We're living it.

Ken

Jesse Cole • Feb 5, 2018 at 23:01

Used to be, he who compared the modern world to Rome's fall was laughed out of the room faster than a climate change denier. Maybe they still are, but as you say, this is how societies fall. It's not so nice to live in interesting times, as it turns out.

Reid Trummel

Ken • Feb 5, 2018 at 23:37

Mark has spoken of societies that are too stupid to survive. I increasingly feel like the time when ours reached that point is a date in the past.

Ken • Feb 5, 2018 at 22:41

The only redeeming aspects of this conspiracy are revelations that the Clintons' penetration of the FBI and DOJ also implicated Obama minions and Obama himself.

BallBounces in Phoenix • Feb 5, 2018 at 22:34

"I'm a Kremlin agent, too" -- great come-back. The FBI probably got wind of a report that you had said you were a poutine agent, so you better watch out; have you checked for bugs lately at the Steyn Compound?

Mark replies:

As it happens, I do work for poutine.

James Morphew

BallBounces in Phoenix • Feb 6, 2018 at 12:01

Well, Mark, many of us prefer and would work for Poutine, many more would if they were aware of how they had been disadvantaged. Why settle for Trudeautional Baked Potato?

BallBounces in Phoenix

James Morphew • Feb 6, 2018 at 16:56

I work for poutine and Nanaimo bars. It adds to the risk of me being outed as one of Putin's Canadian foreign agents.

Nicola Timmerman • Feb 5, 2018 at 22:32

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Actually we should call Mark Beggarman like Alex Guiness in the t.v. series based on John LeCarre's novel since you are beggared by your global warming court case.

Ken

Nicola Timmerman • Feb 5, 2018 at 23:50

I'd make Mark's cover name "Rumpole". Yes, Rumpole of the Bailey sometimes lost in court. But he knew how things worked, and he fought for what was right, and he never gave up. I don't care if he blew his nose in his pocket square now and then.