The intelligence community inspector general was tight-lipped during his closed-door briefing with the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday morning, declining to share the contents of a whistleblower complaint that’s reportedly centered on President Trump, The New York Times reported.
Wait a minute…Michael Flynn had much more experience with intelligence, government protocols…and he obviously didn’t think about other US intel ears on the line when HE spoke with Russians. And lied about it when they KNEW what was said. Was he more stupid than Trump or worse in his arrogance?
Trump promptly denied that he would share anything inappropriate with a world leader on a call he know was monitored and dragged anyone “dumb enough” to believe the reports.
In other words, as Josh points out, Trump didn’t make this promise on a secure “populated” line. He probably used his cell phone.
Trump is the stupidest man.
It’s an interesting conundrum. Whistleblowers are allowed to exposed compromised intelligence agents and people in the intel department who are doing unethical things. Unfortunately, the President has the authority to declassify anything he wants. If the President wishes to share sensitive information with a foreign government, it’s not technically illegal, and so the whistleblower isn’t protected in such a case.
Who knew that having a compromised President could be so complicated?
Why do I think this hearing is going to consist of a lot of “name, rank, and service number”?
Can you imagine Barr, though, thinking:
“Jesus Christ, what the fuck has this moron done now? I thought the job of turning over the country to the dominionists, Opus Dei, and the Federalist Society would be easy. But no. Every time I turn around, I have to pull his sweaty balls out from under the paper cutter.”
(credit to @ralph_vonholst )
I don’t think he can. The statutes say that the DNI must do this, so it’s a circle game here.
Also, it would be irresponsible for Norm not to speculate:
Oy!
The US government is now fully and completely compromised…top to bottom.
As NCSteve said yesterday, this is Washington. It will leak.
Neither
ETA. Not to say Flynn isn’t stupid and arrogant, but…
I can’t actually. I think it’s a bit more like this: “Nothing is off limits and everything is justified for us to keep power so we can establish our permanent minority-rules white Christian hegemony. Those ends justify all means. ALL.”
The House should immediately stamp every toxic trump policy request with “NSF” and cancel it.
WTH. So, can the reporters report on the process Atkinson lays out? Inquiring minds want the facts, not the sensation.
I’m waiting to be told that only available action is to vote on Nov. 3, 2020.
Although I have been hearing that GOP-ers are saying this “delay” is just process and Dems are being the bad actors here, it is impossible not to know (feel) that there is a high probability of this story being explosive and damaging to tRump or his close circle. So, the obstruction begins in plain sight. Many of us go nuts watching our institutions and norms being gutted & GOP-ers shrug. As always, if Obama had behaved this way, Faux News would have been broadcasting around a bonfire & a cross. This is exhausting…
He’s been taking about the process for handling the complaint.
3 hours meeting on the process? Seriously, this sounds kinda nuts.
“If the President does it, it’s not treason.”
Isn’t there a public hearing, too? Please, God, tell me a real prosecutor will be asking questions, first.
The president does not have the authority to out a spy or decide to extradite him to Russia. At least I don’t think so. (Although, who knows? Maybe this will turn out to be another one of those “norms” that previous presidents who weren’t agents of foreign powers would
have considered doing.) But I do suspect that something along these lines is what this is about.