This is too much to take on in the time I have between medical appointments today, so this will just be a drive-by.

If anybody wants to argue about the veracity of the Steele “dossier,” they should read it and take the factual allegations one by one. There is one major one that has not been touched. It’s true that the Steele materials would not support a warrant. Unlike most people, I have signed hundreds of warrants but, like most people, I had never seen a FISA warrant. There is little resemblance to what we peons do out in the provinces and most of it, to my untutored eye, looked un-necessary.

I can’t believe what I just wrote, because I opposed the creation of the FISA court and I remain opposed to its existence…but we can’t pretend it’s not there. And, to the point of my article, what difference does it make unless there is an exclusionary rule in an impeachment? (Even if there is, it was not Trump being wiretapped, leading me to wonder how he will finesse the standing issue…he has this tendency to say, “I hardly knew this guy,” which translates to “Make room under the bus!”)

The “act of extortion by Biden” which is, as you say, freely admitted, was a policy of the US government (and the EU) to get rid of the prosecutor who, unless I am mistaken, started an investigation of Burisma before Biden fils was on the board and closed it before Biden pere made his remarks. The government policy was for the reason that everybody knew he was a crook.

You overlook that Mr. Trump’s extortion is also freely admitted (off and on) and it reflected the policy of the Three Amigos (currently residing under the bus) and not the US Department of State. On the day you wrote, Mr. Trump for the first time claimed that Rudy Giuliani was not representing him or the government….contra to what he and his Ambassador to the EU told the Ukrainians. This is another instance of asserting inconsistent defenses, which is permitted under the law but very confusing in politics.

As I write, there is video playing on the tube of Mr. Trump claiming that he saved the convicted war criminals he pardoned “from the Deep State.”

I presume he means the SEALs, who remove tridents regularly to expel persons who do not meet their extraordinary standards of honor. The guy who will be on the campaign trail with Mr. Trump to pay back for his pardon, was not convicted of stabbing a helpless prisoner to death in spite of having bragged about it on social media because one of the SEAL witnesses testified in a manner that surprised the prosecutors — for the first time claiming he had done the stabbing. So the defendant got nailed for his trophy picture with the corpse. When I was in, we knew better and I was never an Air Commando, the closest thing we USAF wimps had to SEALs.

I’ve got to sign off and get ready to head out. The VA Clinic where my appointment is requires me to cross both the city of Austin and the Colorado River. Not complaining — just explaining.