© 2016 Jim Spence - Sometimes you write a pair of columns that seem to be
unrelated, only to see them become related as new facts come out in the open. Two columns back, I wrote a piece on the corruption and/or incompetence of Bernie Sander’s
wife Jane, when she ran Burlington College into bankruptcy. In my last piece I wrote about the essential realities of opposition research. It seems that these two themes
are now inter-related.
Bernie Sanders, the Venezuela-style socialist from Vermont has
been dodging questions surrounding the terrible scandal his wife is embroiled
in this week. Bernie is lying through his teeth when he claims that an FBI probe of his
wife Jane, is simply based on partisan politics. How can Jane’s deep troubles
be partisan, when the investigation into her bogus loan application for
Burlington College, began under President Obama’s DOJ?
What does seem chillingly ironic is that the investigation
was all part of the hopes of Hillary Clinton’s opposition research efforts. Hillary’s
oppo research strategies on Bernie were revealed as a result of Wikileaks
exposing the Clinton campaign’s email communications. It is particularly rich that
Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta and his Clinton campaign team wrote a
memo entitled “Sanders Top Hits-Thematics.” In this memo they discussed the
damaging truth about Jane Sander’s role in the college’s demise. Of course the same FBI investigation that was
going on in Loretta Lynch’s DOJ is now going before a grand jury. It is
possible Jane Sanders will be indicted for making false statements on a loan
application. We shall see.
Here is an excerpt of what was in the Clinton Campaign’s
opposition research memo:
“I think our first question is how are we going to defeat
Sanders. … he's not who he says he is -- gun votes, DSCC money, Jane. There may
be other options too but these seem to be the strongest attacks to consider.
How we undermine Sanders candidacy is our threshold question. We have a meeting
scheduled on Thursday to discuss next steps on Bernie Sanders … we'd like for
everyone to come having reviewed the material and ready to discuss which hits
and themes we want to deploy. (Jane) O’Meara Sanders brokered a risky and
potentially fraudulent purchase that nearly bankrupted the college. After
several years as the president of Burlington College, Jane O’Meara Sanders
resigned amid speculation that she conflicted with the board and [didn’t] bring
in enough money for the school. Critics later tied her to the school’s
financial trouble after she brokered a deal to borrow $10 million to buy land
for the college. Members of the lending agency expressed concern over the
college’s ability to repay the loan, and one suggested that if O’Meara Sanders
was not involved, the loan would not have been approved.”
Despite the fact that Jane Sanders drove Burlington College
right into bankruptcy, she took a $200,000 golden parachute when she left the
college dead and broke. This special treatment doesn’t quite square with Bernie’s penchant for claiming he is all for
the little people. People who did what Jane Sanders did don’t get golden parachutes for failing……..they get
fired and they get sued.
Opposition research should be front in center in the
political discussions in the media. But it isn't.
Instead of learning more about how Democrats used oppo
research on Bernie, we are watching the media circus try to crucify Donald Trump Jr. for
meeting with an attorney/lobbyist well known by Obama’s DOJ. Despite the fact
she could not deliver the kind of dirt on Hillary that the Clinton’s have mined
for against their “enemies” every day of their political lives.....the media thinks this is.....get this......"Russian collusion."
Can you say “absurd hypocrisy and double standard?” I knew
you could.
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