OPINION:
James Clapper, former director of national intelligence, took to national CNN airwaves to insist that Robert Mueller’s special counsel report is “devastating” enough that it lays out a clear path of impeachment of President Donald Trump.
And you thought it was only the CIA that had been involved with mind-altering drug research.
How else to explain such die-hard delusion?
Clapper, asked about his take on the Mueller report and on Attorney General William Barr’s handling of its release, said this: “I think the attorney general is clearly trying to paint as favorable a light on the Mueller report as possible and when you read it, it’s pretty devastating. … The big deal to me is the magnitude of the Russian interference. No one can say they didn’t interfere and, in fact, taint the election.”
Great. But the issue was whether Trump or his campaign worked with the Russians to interfere and, in fact, taint the election. And guess who said Trump and his campaign didn’t? Mueller.
But all the leftists go: pish-posh.
“It really is a conundrum as others have commented earlier, particularly for the Democrats, the Democrats in the House, whether to pursue this in terms of impeachment,” he said, Breitbart reported. “Clearly, at least my read of the Mueller report is that there is a road map laid out there if the Congress chooses to follow it.”
Of course, Clapper’s take can be taken with a grain of salt. In fact, anything Clapper says can be taken with a grain of salt — and probably should be.
This is the same Clapper who sparked this headline from USA Today in January of 2018: “James Clapper’s perjury, and why DC made men who don’t get charged for lying to Congress.”
The piece was about Clapper’s “open perjury before the Senate Intelligence Committee” about warrantless surveillance on American citizens. He was asked if the NSA collects any type of data on millions of Americans, and he responded, “No sir,” “not wittingly.”
Lie.
Clapper later accounted for his lie by saying it was “the least untruthful” statement he could make.
Another lie.
Another prosecutable lie left untouched by the left.
So here’s Clapper with an interpretation of the Mueller report that finds an open door to impeachment — despite the fact that the Mueller report found no evidence of collusion with Russia by Team Trump, and by logical extension, that would render any claims of obstruction completely moot. (Obstructing what? Nothing?)
Clapper’s a tool. That’s all.
He’s one of the left’s “least untruthful” tools to keep the impeachment and obstruction and collusion and Russia narrative going another two years. Why go that distance? Simple. Democrats need something to fund-raise and campaign on, doncha know.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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