The Inspector General and Durham reports have concluded that the Russia election tampering investigation probe by the FBI was justified and that with the exception of some technical issues the wiretaps and other investigative subpoenas were reasonable and legal. This is not what the Whitehouse wanted to hear and it has mounted a counterattack to discredit the origins of the 2016 investigation and the Volume II Mueller findings. Attorney General Barr, supported by Lindsay Graham (of course), are already leading a charge to bring up this case as a means of throwing the entire idea of Russian election tampering and Whitehouse-Kremlin ties into doubt.

No, I don’t think this is just a political smokescreen to help bolster the President’s impeachment defense. This is a direct attack on Comey, his replacement at FBI and the entire intelligence apparat for their participation in the “Russia Hoax”. The President’s enemies are not just being thwarted and outed, now they are being punished. The word has gone out, and not just to the whistleblower; “If you fuck with us we will not only expose you, we will burn you.”

Meanwhile, those who support or even carry out Administration policies are increasingly sheltered by Presidential Pardon from legal sanction. Agencies, bureaucrats and eventually politicians who have the audacity to legally and legitimately oppose this president are now on notice that their jobs, reputations and careers are in jeopardy. What is next, legal action, civil or even criminal? After all, knowing the Justice Department, with full Presidential support, is out to crush you does nothing for agency morale or executive confidence. The courts are leaning more and more to the right because of the preponderance of right wing bench appointees. And of course, the ideological ferocity and rabid loyalty of the Deplorable hordes even puts lives, families and property in the crosshairs. In this political environment, it is not necessary to actually issue a contract or a mob hit on a “Deep State Stooge”. Simply identifying him as such puts a target on his back. Remember Pizzagate?

This will only get worse, if impeachment leads to acquittal, the Right will only become emboldened, and if the president is re-elected in November all the stops will be out. No, I don’t anticipate death camps and “disappearances” of political enemies. As I’ve said before, that’s not the American style. What I do see is the gradual but total Trumpification of the State along Conservative lines: After all, “There are nice people on both sides.” In my William L. Shire Alternative Parallel Timeline, we are now at about 1933.

This is what is really meant by “draining the swamp”.When the Soviets or the Nazis did this, we used to call it a purge.