"The Deep State" aka the American Intelligence Community

[MDlaxfan76]

No. What I'm searching for from Mattis -- (based on his access to intel, his close observations & consultations with Trump on national security issues) -- is some hint that Trump is compromised by Russia.

There isn't anything directly linking Trump to illegal work with Putin. If there was, not only would Mattis rat him out.....so would dozens of other Federal employees. We knew this before Mueller started in. But that doesn't mean Trump and his family aren't a useful idiot, wholly compromised to Putin's ends. The list of things they can do that are damaging to America, while totally legal, is a mile long.

You know this. So does Mattis. But there's nothing we can do about it so long as Republican voters---and therefore the Republicans in the Senate---don't care.

I already know that Mattis shares my low regard for Trump as a CinC, leader, & statesman, which is why I'm grateful to him, Kelly & McMaster for enduring as long as they did & doing their best to keep Trump pointed in the right direction.

Yep. Agree 100%

Mattis made it plain that he disagreed with Trump on pulling out of Syria & the way Trump treated our allies.

He has said nothing about disagreeing with Trump's Russia policies, actions or attempts at outreach.
He supported our withdrawal from the INF treaty.

And when someday he does tell us what he really thinks of Trump and his policies, you'll tell us he's just a cry baby like the others who are disgusted by Trump.

[old salt]

No. What I'm searching for from Mattis -- (based on his access to intel, his close observations & consultations with Trump on national security issues) -- is some hint that Trump is compromised by Russia.

There isn't anything directly linking Trump to illegal work with Putin. If there was, not only would Mattis rat him out.....so would dozens of other Federal employees. We knew this before Mueller started in. But that doesn't mean Trump and his family aren't a useful idiot, wholly compromised to Putin's ends. The list of things they can do that are damaging to America, while totally legal, is a mile long.

You know this. So does Mattis. But there's nothing we can do about it so long as Republican voters---and therefore the Republicans in the Senate---don't care.

I already know that Mattis shares my low regard for Trump as a CinC, leader, & statesman, which is why I'm grateful to him, Kelly & McMaster for enduring as long as they did & doing their best to keep Trump pointed in the right direction.

Yep. Agree 100%

Mattis made it plain that he disagreed with Trump on pulling out of Syria & the way Trump treated our allies.

He has said nothing about disagreeing with Trump's Russia policies, actions or attempts at outreach.
He supported our withdrawal from the INF treaty.

And when someday he does tell us what he really thinks of Trump and his policies, you'll tell us he's just a cry baby like the others who are disgusted by Trump.

.. ....only if tells us about the Russian kompromat on Trump that he ignored until Trump left office.
Otherwise, I'll remain grateful for his service & stand in awe at how much he accomplished in 2 years, the change in course that he made & the enduring legacy of his tenure.

[MDlaxfan76]

No. What I'm searching for from Mattis -- (based on his access to intel, his close observations & consultations with Trump on national security issues) -- is some hint that Trump is compromised by Russia.

There isn't anything directly linking Trump to illegal work with Putin. If there was, not only would Mattis rat him out.....so would dozens of other Federal employees. We knew this before Mueller started in. But that doesn't mean Trump and his family aren't a useful idiot, wholly compromised to Putin's ends. The list of things they can do that are damaging to America, while totally legal, is a mile long.

You know this. So does Mattis. But there's nothing we can do about it so long as Republican voters---and therefore the Republicans in the Senate---don't care.

I already know that Mattis shares my low regard for Trump as a CinC, leader, & statesman, which is why I'm grateful to him, Kelly & McMaster for enduring as long as they did & doing their best to keep Trump pointed in the right direction.

Yep. Agree 100%

Mattis made it plain that he disagreed with Trump on pulling out of Syria & the way Trump treated our allies.

He has said nothing about disagreeing with Trump's Russia policies, actions or attempts at outreach.
He supported our withdrawal from the INF treaty.

And when someday he does tell us what he really thinks of Trump and his policies, you'll tell us he's just a cry baby like the others who are disgusted by Trump.

.. ....only if tells us about the Russian kompromat on Trump that he ignored until Trump left office.
Otherwise, I'll remain grateful for his service & stand in awe at how much he accomplished in 2 years, the change in course that he made & the enduring legacy of his tenure.

That's all cool. Glad he served as well.
But it was nearly all in conflict with the butthead in the Oval Office, which you are unfortunately loathe to admit.

[dislaxxic]

Is the Trump administration squelching a whistleblower — and a major scandal?

"According to Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, a whistleblower who lodged an urgent complaint about wrongdoing within the intelligence community has gone ignored and left unprotected. In a letter released on Friday, Schiff accused a “top intel official of illegally withholding” a “whistleblower” complaint described as “urgent” by the Intelligence Community Inspector General (IC IG) — and one that could implicate the White House.

"A month ago, a whistleblower within the intelligence community lawfully filed a complaint regarding a serious or flagrant problem, abuse, violation of law, or deficiency within the responsibility or authority of the Director of National Intelligence," Schiff said in a statement. The IC IG first notified the committee of the whistleblower complaint on Sept. 9. The next day, Schiff requested a full, unredacted copy of the complaint, the ICIG's findings related to the matter, and all records connected to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s (ODNI) involvement, "including any and all correspondence with other Executive Branch actors including the White House."

In what may be the clearest example yet of obstruction in the Trump administration, acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, in direct contradiction to an unambiguous rule worked out in the wake of Watergate, is refusing to hand over the whistleblower’s complaint to Congress. The ODNI officially declined the Intelligence Committee's request on Friday, saying that Maguire is withholding the complaint in part because it "involves confidentially and potentially privileged communications by persons outside the Intelligence Community." But the statutory mandate being ignored by Maguire was specifically intended to deny intelligence officials this kind of discretion — that is, they're not supposed to keep Congress from hearing whistleblower reports, or to let the officials implicated in any allegations unilaterally decide to bury them."

..

[a fan]

In what may be the clearest example yet of obstruction in the Trump administration, acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, in direct contradiction to an unambiguous rule worked out in the wake of Watergate, is refusing to hand over the whistleblower’s complaint to Congress. The ODNI officially declined the Intelligence Committee's request on Friday, saying that Maguire is withholding the complaint in part because it "involves confidentially and potentially privileged communications by persons outside the Intelligence Community." But the statutory mandate being ignored by Maguire was specifically intended to deny intelligence officials this kind of discretion — that is, they're not supposed to keep Congress from hearing whistleblower reports, or to let the officials implicated in any allegations unilaterally decide to bury them."[/i]

..

With each passing day, the decision to leak classified information seems more and more moral and correct.

[Typical Lax Dad]

In what may be the clearest example yet of obstruction in the Trump administration, acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, in direct contradiction to an unambiguous rule worked out in the wake of Watergate, is refusing to hand over the whistleblower’s complaint to Congress. The ODNI officially declined the Intelligence Committee's request on Friday, saying that Maguire is withholding the complaint in part because it "involves confidentially and potentially privileged communications by persons outside the Intelligence Community." But the statutory mandate being ignored by Maguire was specifically intended to deny intelligence officials this kind of discretion — that is, they're not supposed to keep Congress from hearing whistleblower reports, or to let the officials implicated in any allegations unilaterally decide to bury them."[/i]

..

With each passing day, the decision to leak classified information seems more and more moral and correct.

Yep

[LandM]

so when your leakers McCabe and Comey at least get indicted - u gonna be cheering them on - pathetic

[Typical Lax Dad]

so when your leakers McCabe and Comey at least get indicted - u gonna be cheering them on - pathetic

Not my guys....BTW, Comey didn’t do anything Illegal....when you guys criticize the president and his staff for lying, I will take your comments seriously....but then again, lying ain’t illegal if you are not under oath so it’s all good.

[tech37]

Is the Trump administration squelching a whistleblower — and a major scandal?

"According to Rep. Adam Schiff

nuff said...

[a fan]

so when your leakers McCabe and Comey at least get indicted - u gonna be cheering them on - pathetic

Your partisan slip is showing.

You just spent how many pages convincing us that there's no such thing as ethics----so long as it''s legal when it comes to airmen staying at a Trump Hotel, there isn't a problem


And now you've completely reversed course, and are clutching your pearls over leaking......that was obviously legal, so far anyways.

You want to pick a lane for us? Last week it was all about whether something was legal or not. What's the story this week?

[a fan]

so when your leakers McCabe and Comey at least get indicted - u gonna be cheering them on - pathetic

If it turns out (which is why I made the comment) that when someone who would previously leak, instead choses to follow the rules and uses the whistleblower statue....and that whistleblower gets buried? You're doggone right it becomes moral to leak. This isn't East Germany, where you get to bury shady activities by the government because you have a fascist government. This is the United States, where the people take precedent over some stupid made up secret squirrel cr*p.

If you're asking me would I prefer more transparency in government, versus a government that is ruled by classified information, take a wild guess as to which one I'd chose.

We're not supposed to trust our government, remember? Doubly so for our Federal government's elected officials. Politicians. I don't trust any of them, and I find the notion that their shady behavior can be protected by simply dropping "classified" on the information wholly repugnant.

This whole "that's not illegal" nonsense that's in vogue in 2019 doesn't cut it for this voter.

And I say that having no earthly idea what the whistleblower is blowing the whistle on....

[Typical Lax Dad]

so when your leakers McCabe and Comey at least get indicted - u gonna be cheering them on - pathetic

If it turns out (which is why I made the comment) that when someone who would previously leak, instead choses to follow the rules and uses the whistleblower statue....and that whistleblower gets buried? You're doggone right it becomes moral to leak. This isn't East Germany, where you get to bury shady activities by the government because you have a fascist government. This is the United States, where the people take precedent over some stupid made up secret squirrel cr*p.

If you're asking me would I prefer more transparency in government, versus a government that is ruled by classified information, take a wild guess as to which one I'd chose.

We're not supposed to trust our government, remember? Doubly so for our Federal government's elected officials. Politicians. I don't trust any of them, and I find the notion that their shady behavior can be protected by simply dropping "classified" on the information wholly repugnant.

This whole "that's not illegal" nonsense that's in vogue in 2019 doesn't cut it for this voter.

And I say that having no earthly idea what the whistleblower is blowing the whistle on....

Never thought I would see the day when people chose to believe the politicians and the government over independent news agencies.

https://www.theamericanconservative.com ... -into-war/

[LandM]

So in your mind, it is ok to leak what your attack plans in Syria and Iraq are? Now that is a grand strategy. Think about that young kid going into a bad situation - what if it was your kid?

Let me try this again - I do not trust anybody in DC except my few friends there. Everybody out here has said they thought the world of John McCain - I personally think he was a jerk with what he did to my friend Admiral Brian Losey - if Comey and McCabe had an issue why not just tell him? After all he is an American patriot according to most of you and we all know he hated DT. If that did not work try Nadler and/or Schiff. BTW - Nadler needs to loose a few pounds - that is a fat dude - Diss calls McConnell waddles - what you gonna call him - a penguin? Follow a chain of command and that is how the government works and my wife recently retired after after 34 years - so follow your your chain.

Afan, you own a business, how would you feel if one of your distillers took your recipes and leaked them to your competitor? I am pretty sure you would be pi$$ed off.

[Typical Lax Dad]

So in your mind, it is ok to leak what your attack plans in Syria and Iraq are? Now that is a grand strategy. Think about that young kid going into a bad situation - what if it was your kid?

Let me try this again - I do not trust anybody in DC except my few friends there. Everybody out here has said they thought the world of John McCain - I personally think he was a jerk with what he did to my friend Admiral Brian Losey - if Comey and McCabe had an issue why not just tell him? After all he is an American patriot according to most of you and we all know he hated DT. If that did not work try Nadler and/or Schiff. BTW - Nadler needs to loose a few pounds - that is a fat dude - Diss calls McConnell waddles - what you gonna call him - a penguin? Follow a chain of command and that is how the government works and my wife recently retired after after 34 years - so follow your your chain.

Afan, you own a business, how would you feel if one of your distillers took your recipes and leaked them to your competitor? I am pretty sure you would be pi$$ed off.

If AFAN was selling tainted liquor or using banned ingredients, hell yeah I hope it’s leaked.

[LandM]

TLD,
Back in the day it was a garbage can drink - you never knew what was in it but you got buzzed drinking it

[foreverlax]

More gibberish...

[Typical Lax Dad]

TLD,
Back in the day it was a garbage can drink - you never knew what was in it but you got buzzed drinking it

Not me.

[LandM]

Forever,
Add some substance man - you keep shouting conflict of interest; when some are saying - cheapest place around - at some point you need to add some flavor to the post. You have no idea what you are talking about or how the per diem per day works. BTW, I still have not gotten your PM.

TLD,
Were you a choir boy? Were you and James in the same Boy Scout troop?

You guys and your holier then thou lectures are too damn funny

[Typical Lax Dad]

Forever,
Add some substance man - you keep shouting conflict of interest; when some are saying - cheapest place around - at some point you need to add some flavor to the post. You have no idea what you are talking about or how the per diem per day works. BTW, I still have not gotten your PM.

TLD,
Were you a choir boy? Were you and James in the same Boy Scout troop?

You guys and your holier then thou lectures are too damn funny

Low tolerance so I never drank much. Also, I considered myself a serious athlete and since I played two sports in college for part of my time, I didn’t have time for a lot of hell raising. Not a holier than thou type. BTW, I was drunk 5 times in college.... Edit: 2 times in High School. End of season party at my sister’s apartment.

[a fan]

So in your mind, it is ok to leak what your attack plans in Syria and Iraq are? Now that is a grand strategy. Think about that young kid going into a bad situation - what if it was your kid?

Comey leaked troop movements? He didn't do anything anywhere close to that. Come on, man.

Let me try this again - I do not trust anybody in DC except my few friends there.....

Same here. You should keep that in mind when thinking about this topic.

Follow a chain of command and that is how the government works and my wife recently retired after after 34 years - so follow your your chain.

My man, the chain of command leads to Trump. That's Comey's boss. In what world does it make sense to reveal information to the leader of the crew that you're supposed to be investigating? Sensing the problem here yet?

Our system of Government isn't designed for this. You're asking America's leading investigator, Comey, to investigate our President--and his boss-- Trump. To say that there's some major problems with this setup is the understatement of the century. And what did Trump wind up doing, exposing the problem for all to see? He fired the guy who was investigating him. That sound to you like it fits within America's understanding of how our Justice system should work? Yeah, me neither.

And what prompted my comment is that there are reports (yes, just reports) that a whistleblower's story is getting stonewalled by the chain of command you are touting.

This ain't N Korea. So who do you think is at the top of the chain of command? It ain't Trump. It's the American people, and I think that you've forgotten that.

But to answer your question, if Comey or anyone else broke a law, and is convicted, I'm 100% behind that. But we're talking about morals and ethics here. Something you just told us, in no uncertain terms, don't exist when it comes to Trump's hotel. All that matters is law. So really, you're not a part of this discussion. You don't believe in morals or ethics. If you did, you'd be livid that taxpayers are lining Trump's pockets by having Federal employees staying at his properties. Your response to this has been "so what, that's not illegal". So sorry mate, any discussion surrounding ethics is off limits for you. You put your stake in the ground.

Afan, you own a business, how would you feel if one of your distillers took your recipes and leaked them to your competitor? I am pretty sure you would be pi$$ed off.

Not at all. First of all, what I do is far too complicated to pass on to others. It's not a grocery list. It's a process that involves living things (yeast and bacteria). Second of all, even if they could use my "recipes", it doesn't matter.

Do you think, for example, Pappy Van Winkle is successful because of the "recipe"? I hope not. Because it has been made using multiple recipes in four separate distilleries over the years. Same thing can be said for Pepsi. Do you think they sell like they do because of the recipe?

The recipe is immaterial. Moreover, Pepsi, just like every other mass produced product on planet Earth, has changed its recipe dozens of times over the years. New ingredients. New production methods. And in most cases, entirely different recipes based on the market it is sold in.