Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe launches a pre-planned proactive media blitz timed to coincide with DOJ receiving a new Attorney General. Say what you will about the duplicitous, lying, corrupt and conniving weasels – but they know how to seamlessly execute cunning self-preservation political objectives.

The strategy is as transparent as it is Machiavellian. Andrew McCabe, James Baker and the Lawfare group (Benjamin Wittes, Michael Bromwich et al) had a planned defensive front waiting to roll out; today they pulled the trigger:

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Team McCabe always knew the biggest legal threat to their corrupt position would be if they lost control of the mechanisms within the DOJ and FBI. The launch of a media blitz, surrounding a book and constructed defense narrative, positions them to claim that any legal action against them now comes from a retaliatory Trump administration and DOJ institution (Barr) carrying out the objectives of the President.

The best way to position themselves legally was/is to go on the attack and then use their attack as a shield from any accountability. This is what we are seeing today.

For almost two years the corrupt career elements within the DOJ and FBI have been hiding the trail of evidence that would expose the McCabe plan to usurp the 2016 election.

They have redacted evidence including the Lisa Page and Peter Strzok text messages; withheld information from congress; stalled and defied requests for documents they used in the construction of their plans; and generally positioned themselves to run out the clock. In all measures they have been stunningly effective thus far.

The McCabe team, in close coordination with the Lawfare group of strategists, forced the recusal of Jeff Sessions and positioned the use of the Mueller investigation as a political shield to cover their tracks. However, with the introduction of William Barr as a new Attorney General, they obviously would lose their most valuable tool. Thus the moves today and in the weeks/months to follow is the next phase of a continual plan for self-preservation to avoid legal accountability.

Using CBS is almost as predictable. Inherently the 2016 and 2017 actions by the corrupt McCabe team were in alignment with the political agenda of the Obama white house. CBS, including Vice-President David Rhodes – brother to Ben Rhodes, has a well documented history of defending the Obama White House from scrutiny. There is a natural alignment of mutual benefit.

It will be interesting to see how McCabe’s lawyer Michael Bromwich, McCabe’s political ally Benjamin Wittes, and McCabe’s fixer/hatchetman/former FBI chief-legal-counsel, James Baker, align their defense narrative moving forward. Obviously McCabe carries the greatest legal risk if full sunlight is placed upon the ‘small group’. That said, it makes sense for them to use the political narrative as their best weapon against any accountability.

How former FBI Director James Comey positions himself will also be a key ‘tell’ to watch for. If Comey remains distant from the McCabe issues then it will appear more likely McCabe will face some measure of legal accountability. If Comey snuggles up to McCabe, or openly defends McCabe, that would indicate McCabe is likely to avoid any substantive trouble.

Moving forward it makes sense the McCabe crew will blur the lines of wrongdoing by attaching their action to current DAG Rod Rosenstein who was a willfully blind participating member, albeit perhaps initially, unwillingly.

Robert Mueller’s ability to hide the gross corruption within the upper levels of the FBI appears to be significantly reduced with the introduction of William Barr, though given the history of what has taken place over the past two years it would be exceptionally naive to put too much faith or hope in Barr.

There’s going to be a great deal of insider horse-trading, positioning, and attempts to deploy leverage to avoid accountability and exposure. Within DC this is known as the Potomac two-step. Each entity trades their leverage for escape routes and no-one is held accountable. So far, through the use of politics, all of their endeavors have been exceptionally successful and little has changed to inject any confidence things will shift.

Today’s roll-out is smart politics for the McCabe team.

Yes Alice, justice is indeed two-tiered…

The man has a story to tell. And whatever Andrew McCabe may have done, nobody will ever take away from him that he led the FBI with dignity and honor at a moment of true crisis, surrounded by people at the White House and DOJ who lacked dignity and honor. https://t.co/TQtJVGErwP — Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) February 14, 2019

After Mr. McCabe’s 60 Minutes interview, it is imperative that he, and others, come before @senjudiciary to fully explain how and why a FISA warrant was issued against Carter Page and answer questions about what appears to be, now more than ever, bias against President Trump. — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 14, 2019