The Senate Staffer Behind The Attack On The Trump-Russia Investigation

[DeminPennswoods]

A great read on the "power behind Grassley's throne"

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/senate-staffer-jason-foster-trump-russia-investigation

Foster — who cut his teeth on Capitol Hill working on the staff of former Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., who fueled the theory of foul play in a Clinton aide’s suicide and called for required AIDS testing for all Americans — drew the ire of many for his role in various Judiciary Committee investigations of the Obama administration.

“That’s the way it seemed to go every time with Jason, conspiracy to the point it was ridiculous,” said one Democratic aide who had dealt with Foster. The aide was one of several interviewed by ProPublica, Democrat and Republican, who would not be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the inner workings of Congress.

Foster’s career, including his work on the committee’s Russia investigation, has caught the attention of the Trump administration. Foster has twice been approached about a possible job, an inspector general role, with the administration, a situation that some say should have required his recusal from work on the collusion inquiry.

Foster, 46, would not respond to questions about his work on the committee, and Grassley’s office said its policy was not to comment on specific claims about individual staffers.

[sprinkleeninow]

1. Dirtbags. n/t

[dalton99a]

2. A hardcore wingnut:

In examining Foster’s role in the committee’s Trump-Russia investigation, ProPublica discovered that a decade ago he had written an anonymous blog, using the handle “extremist.” The posts by Foster, who was then working for Grassley on the Senate Finance Committee, made clear he was some sort of D.C. insider, and he came across as a knowing observer as the country navigated the thorny political fights of the Bush and Obama eras.

But there were also plenty of times “extremist” lived up to his chosen name.

He warned of an Islamic takeover. He wrote that homosexuality was akin to incest. He questioned whether waterboarding really amounted to torture. He derided Obama’s proposal to negotiate with the Taliban, and was particularly galled that the president doing so had the middle name Hussein. Liberals? They were anti-American.

He even mused about whether Sen. Joseph McCarthy, condemned as a demagogue for his 1950s anti-Communist crusade, should be remembered more kindly.

[madaboutharry]

3. Vile human being.

What makes a person choose to be a right wing freak?

[DFW]

4. Works for Grassley, it figures

"Chuck" (that's what his wife calls him) Grassley is already one of the most despicable members of the Senate. It figures that he'd have such a sleazebag working for him.

[murielm99]

5. Dan Burton,

Watermelon Dan.

Burton was so obsessed with the Vince Foster death that he did some shooting experiments in his back yard long after everyone else had moved on. He shot guns at watermelon to try to prove how Clinton could have murdered Vince Foster.

This particular Foster sounds as sleazy as his former boss.

[DeminPennswoods]

6. We shall see what happens now that he's been outed

nt