Thank Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard for beginning the necessary process of refuting and punishing the Obama administration's RussiaRussiaRussia lies that put American national security at risk.

That's no exaggeration, and I'll show why below.

Gabbard has given the facts to the Department of Justice for review and possible prosecution. I know -- former President Barack Obama likely has presidential immunity. But his bagwomen and men don't. Obama will face history's judgment and honest historians will treat him as a Constitution-shredding and ultimately embittered figure.

Here's a sketch of Gabbard's unclassified memo, with illustrative quotes. On Dec. 9, 2016, in the White House, Obama met with James Clapper (his director of national intelligence), CIA Director John Brennan, Susan Rice, John Kerry, FBI scoundrel Andrew McCabe and others. After the meeting, Clapper's office sent an email titled "POTUS Tasking on Russia Election Meddling," to intelligence officials tasking them with the creation of an "assessment per the President's request."

Obama's request? So dirty. Obama reportedly told the intelligence community to withdraw its Dec. 8 classified conclusion that Russian and criminal "actors did not impact recent U.S. election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure."

In lieu of that finding? More dirt. Obama wanted his intelligence and security advisers to falsely tie Trump to a treasonous conspiracy involving Russia. Obama's goal: damage Trump's presidency and possibly create a political and media hysteria-storm leading to Trump's impeachment.

Obama's hoax relied on the notorious Steele dossier, a debunked smear orchestrated by Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Debunking the Steele dismissal (per Obama's orders) would involve coordinated lies, smears and theatrical hoaxes perpetrated by CIA, FBI, NSA and DHS personnel.

Obama's Hoax would also rely on Trump-despising media outlets -- like The New York Times, CNN and The Washington Post. That crooked threesome of coordinated falsehoods would eventually "win" Pulitzers for magnifying and embedding Obama's Hoax.

Once upon a time, Pulitzers were fodder for subsequent grand histories, what gets taught in college -- except when they're phony. The NYT-WaPo fraud Pulitzer is now a forever embarrassment.

So. How did Obama's Hoax put national security at risk? Read the Constitution. The president's first job is commander in chief of the military. Obama's Hoax had the political and press power to hobble Trump's ability to govern, but in the process, it would undermine his credibility as commander in chief. Why would U.S. military personnel take orders from a man they believed was a Kremlin puppet?

Obama's Hoax is fiction; so is the Manchurian Candidate (an American brainwashed into serving as a Communist assassin). Perhaps Obama thought he could brainwash the American people using Trump-hating media. Can we ask him under oath?

Trustworthy intelligence matters to American defense, internationally and domestically. Protecting genuine secrets matters.

Democrats swear Republicans invented the predicate for Obama's almost-successful attempt to damage Trump Administration 1: Hillary Clinton's so-called email scandal.

Given her scandal's ties to Obama's Hoax, she may yet face trial.

The key tie: Clinton's fear of being held accountable for her criminal abuse of classified documents led her campaign to fabricate the lurid Steele dossier. She wanted to shift media focus to Trump.

Clinton's criminal abuse of classified documents was and remains a national security scandal with major implications.

Terrorists, rogue states, Russia and Communist China are deadly threats. Effective diplomacy and reliable intelligence collection and assessment are our first lines of defense against both. Effective diplomacy and reliable intel require institutionally and legally protecting secrets -- i.e., classified information. Protection includes protecting reliable intelligence sources, from satellites to flesh and blood human spies.

Protecting secrets has a moral spine as well. Failure to protect classified information increases the risk of belligerent attack on America, its allies and their interests. Exposing classified information can endanger the lives of U.S. military personnel, intelligence agents and counter-intelligence officers. It certainly undermines morale at essential security agencies.

Clinton served as Secretary of State, a key national security position. She conspired to circumvent federal laws mandating the retention of government records, and in the process subverted laws protecting national security secrets. Her imperious disregard of no-nonsense laws governing access to and handling of sensitive classified documents put national security at risk.

She doesn't have presidential immunity.

To find out more about Austin Bay and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com .

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