monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

Whoa, Leakers, Take It Easy. You’re Starting to Embarrass the Obama Folks

Raise your hand if you expected John Brennan, who President Obama appointed to head the Central Intelligence Agency in 2013, to offer a qualified defense of Trump:

“What I have found appalling is the number of leaks that have taken place over the last several months,” former CIA Director John Brennan said at the SALT conference in Las Vegas, the annual gathering of hedge-fund managers and other financiers. “This needs to be stopped.” Brennan was CIA director during President Obama’s second term, stepping down in January, when Mike Pompeo replaced him.

Brennan said Trump made a “serious mistake” when he reportedly shared sensitive intelligence with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, in an Oval Office meeting in early May. But this mistake wasn’t sharing intelligence; it was violating the protocol for doing so. “I shared intelligence with the Russians when I was the director of the CIA,” Brennan said. “But you share that through intelligence channels, and you make sure you word it in such a way as to not reveal sources and methods. President Trump didn’t do that.”

Brennan said the press coverage of Trump’s impromptu intelligence reveal was “hyperbolic” and possibly more damaging than anything Trump revealed. “The damage that was done is what was leaked in the aftermath, what was put in the media. The real damage to national security is the leaks.” He suggested, without saying so explicitly, that news accounts revealed more sensitive information than Trump did.

“The real damage to national security is the leaks,” Brennan said. “These individuals who still stay within the government and are leaking this stuff to the press need to be brought to task.”

The damage that was done is what was leaked in the aftermath, what was put in the media.

but this would imply that the MSM have the same proclivity for abusing their power as other authoritarian bullies.

that's just proof that either [the MSM] have incredibly thin skin or are thinly disguised fascists...probably both.

Question for the trumpees, if these leaks concern "fake news," as Trump has characterized them, are they really leaks? Why do you all get your panties in a twist over "fake news?"

Well, coming from a Frog, I guess this makes sense. But most don't see self-defense as a sign of "insecurity." It's a matter of common sense and self-respect that's all.

If the U.S. was invaded by some foreign power, like, oh, say, Nazi Germany, I certainly wouldn't characterize their utter demolition of those pigs as being a sign of "insecurity." Now, if they were to cave in and immediately surrender, I might well call THAT a sign of "insecurity."

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but this would imply that the MSM have the same proclivity for abusing their power as other authoritarian bullies.

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that's just proof that either [the MSM] have incredibly thin skin or are thinly disguised fascists...probably both.

Note the inversion here. Newspapers and news entities across the nation (many of whom previously and traditionally supported GOP candidates and causes) are the authoritarians and fascists while the political regime in power being criticized by them are the innocent victims.

InfraBlue wrote:

Question for the trumpees, if these leaks concern "fake news," as Trump has characterized them, are they really leaks? Why do you all get your panties in a twist over "fake news?"

No offense, Blue, but that is possibly one of the dumbest questions ever asked in this forum.

Puzzle me this, willya? Why in the WORLD are there laws against slander and libel? I just can't see any possible reason.

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an entity is trying to illegally undo a legal election.

Or vice versa: to legally undo an illegal election.

So, slander and libel are "leaks?"

Trump Told Russians That Firing ‘Nut Job’ Comey Eased Pressure From Investigation

WASHINGTON — President Trump told Russian officials in the Oval Office this month that firing the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, had relieved “great pressure” on him, according to a document summarizing the meeting.

“I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,” Mr. Trump said, according to the document, which was read to The New York Times by an American official. “I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.”

... according to the document, which was read to The New York Times by an American official.

Russia probe reaches current White House official, sources say

The law enforcement investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign has identified a current White House official as a significant person of interest, showing that the probe is reaching into the highest levels of government, according to people familiar with the matter.

The senior White House adviser under scrutiny by investigators is someone close to the president, according to these people, who would not further identify the official.

The revelation comes as the investigation also appears to be entering a more overtly active phase, with investigators shifting from work that has remained largely hidden from the public to conducting interviews and using a grand jury to issue subpoenas. The intensity of the probe is expected to accelerate in the coming weeks, the people said.

I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,”

N.Korea military solution would be 'tragic on an unbelievable scale'

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday that any military solution to the North Korea crisis would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale" and said Washington was working internationally to find a diplomatic solution.

"We are going to continue to work the issue," Mattis told a Pentagon news conference. "If this goes to a military solution, it’s going to be tragic on an unbelievable scale. So our effort is to work with the U.N., work with China, work with Japan, work with South Korea to try to find a way out of this situation."

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Russia probe reaches current White House official...showing that the probe is reaching into the highest levels of government, according to people familiar with the matter.

Probe! The White House! "Person of interest!" Ya left this part out, eh?

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The sources emphasized that investigators remain keenly interested in people who previously wielded influence in the Trump campaign and administration but are no longer part of it, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

People familiar with the investigation said the intensifying effort does not mean criminal charges are near, or that any such charges will result.