Ray was asked to comment Monday evening on the latest Congressional follies – the Russian Fellow-Traveler Hunt.  At a Judiciary subcommittee hearing led by Sen. Lindsay Graham, Republicans and Democrats brought former Sen. Joseph McCarthy back to life, and destroyed the reputation of defenseless Michael Flynn.  The “evidence” adduced thus far shows the former general to be inexplicably dumb to the ways of the bureaucracy, but hardly the criminal he was made out to be at the Lindsay Graham show trial yesterday.  But media pressure was so intense that President Trump threw Flynn under the bus, in Trump’s first major flinch before the deep state – a kowtow from which Trump may never recover.

May 8, 2017 (11 minutes; Ray’s segment begins at 3:30)

Evincing the worst of McCarthy-ite tactics, the subcommittee heard from no one in Flynn’s defense, although he has long since agreed to testify about his dealings with Russian officials.  Monday’s hearing made graphically clear why Flynn’s lawyer has insisted that Flynn request immunity, as is normal amid such politically driven hysteria.  On occasion, the witnesses themselves – former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates and former National Intelligence Director James Clapper – seemed a bit nonplussed watching the witch-hunt from their front-row seats.

The prize for the best Joe McCarthy impersonation goes to Sen. Al Franken, who seemed to have a flashback to Saturday Night Live, where he knew what he was doing – and was funny.  This act was not funny.  Worse still, this kangaroo court lacked anyone like U.S. Army Chief Counsel Joseph Welch, who had enough courage to confront Sen. McCarthy with the memorable words: “At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”  The whole hearing was shameful.

Media Reaction

As usual, Robert Parry of Consortiumnews.com was first off the blocks Monday with a commentary putting things in perspective: “Turning Gen. Flynn Into Road Kill,”

Turning Gen. Flynn into Road Kill

By accident, Ray watched a replay of Monday’s PBS News Hour with former Assistant Attorney General John Carlin and other pundits ponderously pondering the profundity of it all.  Readers with the stomach for it can find that link for themselves.

Et Tu, Amy?

What is the difference between PBS’s Judy Woodruff and Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman?  On the Russian Scare, very little.  Sadly, as this morning’s program reaffirms, they have both been infected with the HWHW (Hillary Would Have Won) virus, buying into Mrs. Clinton’s excuse for losing – Russian interference in the election – without a shred of plausible proof.

With Amy and Juan Gonzales so excellent on domestic affairs (Standing Rock, for example), Ray still recommends to students that they tune in to Democracy Now!  But he now appends the caveat that DM has drunk the Kool Aid on foreign policy – whether fostering the HWHW/Russia Scare or parroting transparently dishonest reports regarding Syria and what is really going on there.  It is very sad to see.

Goodman is on a Democracy Now! 2017 Speaking Tour, “Covering the Movements Changing America.”  Someone should ask her to expound on why she has joined the media movement dumbing down Americans on foreign policy.