The text continues: “This month, Obama's National Security Council finished an extensive and comprehensive review of U.S policy toward Russia that included dozens of meetings and input from the State Department, Defense Department and several other agencies, according to three senior administration officials. At the end of the sometimes-contentious process, Obama made a decision to continue to look for ways to work with Russia on a host of bilateral and international issues while also offering Putin a way out of the stalemate over the crisis in Ukraine.
“I don’t think that anybody at this point is under the impression that a wholesale reset of our relationship is possible at this time, but we might as well test out what they are actually willing to do,” a senior administration official told me. “Our theory of this all along has been, let's see what’s there. Regardless of the likelihood of success.”
At the time, the plan included the then Secretary of State, John Kerry, who proposed “going to Moscow and meeting with Putin directly. The negotiations over Kerry’s trip got to the point of scheduling, but ultimately were scuttled because there was little prospect of demonstrable progress.”
“In a separate attempt at outreach, the White House turned to an old friend of Putin’s for help. The White House called on former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to discuss having him call Putin directly, according to two officials. It’s unclear whether Kissinger actually made the call. The White House and Kissinger both refused to comment for this column.”
Kerry was chosen as “point man” on dealing with Russia “because his close relationship with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov represents the last remaining functional diplomatic channel between Washington and Moscow.”
It was specifically noted at the time that Kerry and Lavrov “meet often, often without any staff members present, and talk on the phone regularly.”
So, obviously, attempts to establish a viable connection with Russia have long been acceptable at the nation’s highest levels. Until current Democrat leadership turned the seeking of a strategic relationship into some implied subversive tactic. However, an article by Stef W. Kight @axios.com today, provides insight as to why Jared Kushner might very well be the best available for the task.
Referring to Kushner as “The shadow secretary of State,” Kight explains: “While Rex Tillerson fills the official duties of America's top diplomat, Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, has a parallel foreign policy role that was on full display during Trump's first foreign trip last week.
“Why it matters: Kushner is viewed internally as the official most capable of gathering competing viewpoints and translating/presenting the policy to Trump. That's why Trump has put him in charge of issues as big as Middle East peace, and why he has served as point person on the U.S. relationship with China. But he's facing new scrutiny amid reports he tried to set up secret communications with the Russians (to discuss Syria strategy, according to the New York Times).
“A White House official told Axios that Kushner was the one who helped plan and oversee the first part of the trip — to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Italy — with the theme of speaking to 3 of the world's biggest religions. During the Saudi Arabia stop, an arms deal Kushner reportedly helped negotiate was finalized.”
Kight then lists “What Kushner's been up to:”
- Helped negotiate the $100+ billion arms deal that was unveiled during Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia
- Was closely involved in NAFTA discussions and calls from the presidents of Mexico and Canada to Trump (although the exact order of business between Trump and Trudeau is disputed, both versions of the story involve Jared Kushner).
- Helped facilitate the February meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who he has known for years, and Trump.
- Helped smooth relations between Trump and Mexico's President Enrique Nieto through his personal bond with Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray. The two share mutual friends.
- Had a hand in organizing Trump's meeting with China's President Xi Jinping in Mar-a-Lago in April (Kushner has a good relationship with China's ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai).
“So far, Tillerson and Kushner seem to be working together smoothly. Tillerson lets Kushner take the lead on Mexico, the Middle East and even China, while Tillerson handles Russia, meets with other world leaders, participates in foreign councils and forums and gives the public briefings. Trump likes that Tillerson is discrete and doesn't elevate himself above the president, and Kushner has told associates he appreciates that there have been few leaks out of State.”
All of which serves to strongly indicate that the Democrats attempts at creating some kind of case regarding Trump/Russia collusion will not only go nowhere, but if guilt is indicated in any way, far more of it will be found applying to the Obama administration.
As far as Trump himself is concerned, his highly probable innocence was confirmed once again yesterday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, appeared saying ”in regards to evidence of collusion between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia, he is yet to see any “smoking gun” evidence.
According to Trent Baker @breitbart.com, Clapper told host Chuck Todd: “[F]rom a theoretical standpoint, I will tell you that my dashboard warning light was clearly on, and I think that was the case with all of us in the intelligence community, very concerned about the nature of these approaches to the Russians. If you put that in context with everything else we knew the Russians were doing to interfere with the election, and just the historical practices of the Russians, who typically are almost genetically driven to coopt, penetrate, gain favor, whatever, which is a typical Russian technique, so we were concerned.
“I have to say, at the time I left, I did not see any smoking gun certitude evidence of collusion. But it certainly was appropriate given all the sign, certainly appropriate and necessary for the FBI to investigate.”
Thus, as information continues to develop, the American public is now learning that establishing relationships with other nations, hostile or not, is part of sound, intelligent, governance. Which means that if Trump is able to accomplish some kind of cooperation between the U.S. and Russia, it will be one more home run for him in a situation where his predecessor struck out as usual.
That’s it for today folks.
Adios
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