1) Now we know the specific motive for writing:

"Obama asked if Comey was saying that the NSC should not pass sensitive information related to Russia to Flynn. Comey replied "potentially."" Then comes: "Thus far"..

Remember, Rice/Obama deny knowing about FBI investigation. https://twitter.com/TheLastRefuge2/status/1262837762715156481

2) The direct implication of "thus far" is FBI intercepting communication.

We know Clapper briefed Obama from the "intelligence cuts" provided by Comey.

3) So Obama knew the FBI was monitoring and intercepting Flynn's communication.

The aspect of Obama questioning Comey about sharing sensitive information from Flynn; and Comey's response; points to Obama/Rice knowledge of an FBI operation against Flynn...

4) ....An FBI operation against Flynn that Rice needed to specifically claim she and Obama did not know about.

However it gets very sticky denying knowledge with that 1/5/17 meeting content in the fray.

That's the purpose of the Jan 20th CYA memo to file.

Q: Ms Rice how can you claim no knowledge of an FBI investigation when the FBI was providing the White House FBI w/ intercepts of Flynn communication?

Are you saying the FBI intercepts were not authorized by President Obama?...

Rice CYA Memo = Comey was Rogue

See issue?

When James Clapper walked directly into the White House with “intelligence cuts” specifically from the FBI to share with President Obama, it’s likely the legal team around Obama -specifically including Kathryn Reummler- went bananas.

James Clapper was always a doofus, but usefully so. However, in this context doofus Clapper -with his FBI cuts in hand- just infected the White House with direct knowledge of an ongoing FBI investigation of the incoming administration.

In that January 4th 2017 briefing Clapper just walked over Obama's carefully assembled plausible deniability like an ox in the oval.

D’oh.

The ‘pull aside’ meeting immediately thereafter, January 5th, was Obama and Susan Rice cleaning up the mess and reassembling their plausible deniability.

The January 20th Susan Rice memo-to-file was supportive material for that intention.

Imagine if this memo had been released in 2017 or 2018?… the sunlight would have been unbearable for a multitude of ongoing narratives. Mueller could never have attempted to prosecute Flynn in 2017 against the backdrop of a known FBI investigation to target and frame Flynn.