Two timeless adages emerged from the Watergate scandal, forever casting a shadow on the presidency of Richard Nixon. First, a simple yet probing inquiry, “What did he know and when did he know it?” Then, a foreboding warning to all future heads of state: “The cover-up is worse than the crime.”
Decades later, we find ourselves in eerily similar circumstances. This time, Barack Obama stands at the center of a new controversy, illuminated by the explosive revelations of the Durham report.
Unveiling the Clinton Intelligence Plan
Let’s get our facts straight. The report suggests that Obama first learned of the so-called “Clinton Intelligence plan” on August 3, 2016, corroborated by the personal notes of then-CIA Director, John Brennan. This was the day when Brennan briefed Obama and other key individuals about Hillary Clinton’s purported plan to demonize Donald Trump by invoking a scandal about Russian security services interference.
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Obama’s Alleged Role
In all fairness, it’s critical to note that Obama’s involvement in the orchestration of this Clinton Intelligence plan likely mirrored Nixon’s limited role in the Watergate debacle. Yet, we cannot ignore that Obama appears to have played a pivotal role in the subsequent cover-up, which couldn’t have occurred without his implicit participation.
This Sunday, former congressman Devin Nunes brought up the issue of cover-up on Maria Bartiromo’s show. He argued, based on Durham’s findings, that Obama and his team were aware as early as August 2016 of the Clinton campaign’s ploy. What then, did Obama do with such explosive information?
Enter the Intelligence Agencies
Following the November election, Nunes posits, Obama enlisted the intelligence agencies, resulting in strategically timed leaks to media outlets. These leaks insinuated Russian interference with the intent to aid Trump’s campaign.
Now, let’s imagine for a moment that Nixon had pointed fingers at Cuba for Watergate — after all, Cubans were indeed implicated in the case. He would likely have been publicly scorned and ousted from office. However, Nixon did not have the luxury of a complacent media, unlike Obama, who, armed with the FBI and intelligence community at his disposal, supposedly pulled off the most intricate and detrimental political cover-up in American history.
To understand this tangled web, let’s turn to Peter Strzok, the FBI agent leading “Crossfire Hurricane,” the FBI investigation into Trump’s rumored collusion with Russia. On August 5, 2016, Strzok, in a text exchange with his paramour Lisa Page, cited an unnamed high-ranking official (likely Brennan), stating, “The White House is running this.”
As we descend further into this labyrinth of intrigue and political maneuvering, we encounter a cast of characters who seemingly played their parts to perfection. From Ben Rhodes, Obama’s close adviser, to John Brennan, the former director of the CIA with a fondness for Marxism, these individuals were seemingly chosen to carry out an elaborate operation that would leave no trace of Obama’s involvement.
The Calm Before the Storm: The ICA and The Obama Dossier
To truly appreciate the extent of this alleged subterfuge, we need to examine the events following a crucial meeting in the White House on January 5, 2017. It was at this meeting that Obama reportedly stressed his commitment to “by the book” law enforcement, despite the subsequent release of the controversial Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on January 6, 2017.
A parting gift from Obama’s presidency, the ICA, dubbed the “Obama dossier” by Nunes, presented a damning report on Russian interference. Commissioned by Obama and spearheaded by Brennan, the report accused Putin of ordering an influence campaign to undermine the US democratic process and discredit Secretary Clinton.
The ICA’s release set the stage for an onslaught of misinformation, initiating a series of events that would cast a long shadow over Donald Trump’s presidency. By the time Obama exited office on January 20, 2016, he had seemingly orchestrated a strategy aimed at destroying Trump’s presidency based on an elaborate ruse.
As we review the depth of this alleged conspiracy, we cannot ignore the parallels with Nixon’s infamous Watergate scandal. It seems we’re faced with a new twist on an old question, this time, “What did Obama know and when did he know it?”
This story has all the hallmarks of a great conspiracy theory. It involves powerful figures, cover-ups, secret communications, and a potentially manipulated media. The question remains: Was the Obama cover-up worse than the crime? Only time will reveal the full extent of this political mystery.
Afterword: A Reflection on Obama’s Role
And so, we find ourselves circling back to the poignant warning etched into our collective consciousness by Watergate: “The cover-up is worse than the crime.” A chilling echo from the past, it serves as a stark reminder of the potential for power to be misused, and for truth to be cloaked in the shroud of deception.
