BOONDOGGLE

25 August, 2017

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher,

101 Main Street #380

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Dear Congressman,

Re: Assange

Well, it appears you have been busy traveling, as have I. I was in Idaho, witnessing for the first time the awesome spectacle of a total eclipse. You were in London at the Ecuadorian embassy, on a three-hour visit with Julian Assange. I think I had the better part of the deal.

Did you really say this, as quoted in The Hill: “Unbeknownst to me, I am the first member of Congress to visit there with Mr. Assange”? I hope not. What a weird assault on the English language! I gather, though, from reports in the Los Angeles Times as well as The Hill, that you were persuaded by your host (who must have been delighted with the attention!) that Russia was not involved in the infamous email dump that proved a serious setback to the Clinton campaign. Believe that, rather than the assessment of the entire US intelligence community, and… can I offer you a beautiful bridge in Brooklyn at a reasonable price?

It seems you returned with a proposal to bring to Trump, offering valuable exculpatory information on his Russia problem in exchange for not only a mere presidential pardon, but also for help in extricating the Wikileaks genius from his self-imposed exile in that London embassy—AND for getting Wikileaks a seat in the White House press room. Nice deal for Assange, if he can get it from the dealmaker-in-chief. Trouble is, I suspect the exculpatory information will be about as reliable as everything else that Assange touches.

Nice try, Congressman. I don’t think this boondoggle will earn you any points with your fellow Republicans, nor their affection. Will it curry favor with the great Orange One in the White House? If I were you, knowing how fickle that man is, I’d not count on it.

Respectfully,

Peter Clothier, Ph.D.