Patterico's Pontifications

6/18/2013

State Department Whistleblower Threatened, While Liars Clapper and Holder Suffer No Consequences At All

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:21 am



The Cable:

The State Department investigator who accused colleagues last week of using drugs, soliciting prostitutes, and having sex with minors says that Foggy Bottom is now engaged in an “intimidation” campaign to stop her.

. . . .

After the CBS News made inquiries to the State Department about the charges, Schulman says investigators from the State Department’s Inspector General promptly arrived at Fedenisn’s door. “They talked to both kids and never identified themselves,” he said. “First the older brother and then younger daughter, a minor, asking for their mom’s place of work and cell phone number … They camped out for four to five hours.”

Schulman says the purpose of the visit was to get Fedenisn to sign a document admitting that she stole State Department materials, such as the memos leaked to CBS. Schulman says it was crucial that she didn’t sign the document because her separation agreement with the State Department includes a provision allowing disclosures of misconduct. Furthermore, none of the materials were classified.

Schulman charged that sending law enforcement officers to pressure her into signing an agreement was heavy handed. “Why not simply mail it, courier it, send it Federal Express or deliver it by any other normal means by which one delivers a demand letter? Why send two federal law enforcement agents?” he asked. He also said that officials from the Inpsector General’s Office told him they’d be having a “no kidding get together with the DOJ,” implying to him that they would push criminal charges if his client didn’t cooperate.

Meanwhile, there appear to be no criminal consequences on the horizon for Eric Holder, who lied under oath when he said he never even heard of potential prosecution of a report after signing off on a warrant premised on potential prosecution of a reporter.

And there appear to be no criminal consequences on the horizon for James Clapper, who flat-out lied to Ron Wyden by answering this question:

Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?

by saying: “No, sir. There are cases where they could inadvertently, perhaps, collect, but not wittingly.” We have now learned that the NSA “wittingly” collects all kinds of data on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans. Wyden knew it, Clapper knew it, Clapper knew Wyden was going to ask the question, and Clapper declined an invitation to revise his answer afterwards.

But Holder and Clapper are a) high-level guys who b) play ball.

So they are giving a pass for blatant lies to Congress, while a woman who followed the law and tried to tell the truth is threatened with prosecution.

Hope and change, baby. Hope and change.

P.S. Even if there are no consequences for Holder or Clapper, lies have consequences for the rest of us. It turns out we have Clapper to thank, in no small measure, for Edward Snowden’s revelations. In a recent chat at the Guardian, Snowden said that among the factors that caused him to reveal the existence of the program was . . . Clapper’s blatant lie:

I imagine everyone’s experience is different, but for me, there was no single moment. It was seeing a continuing litany of lies from senior officials to Congress – and therefore the American people – and the realization that that Congress, specifically the Gang of Eight, wholly supported the lies that compelled me to act. Seeing someone in the position of James Clapper – the Director of National Intelligence – baldly lying to the public without repercussion is the evidence of a subverted democracy. The consent of the governed is not consent if it is not informed.

Heckuva job, Barry.

60 Responses to “State Department Whistleblower Threatened, While Liars Clapper and Holder Suffer No Consequences At All”

  1. Ding.

    Patterico (9c670f)

  2. And this is merely one reason why Edward Snowden, as disingenuous as he may be, loses some of his own darkness when placed against the backdrop of America in 2013, against the backdrop of Obama’s America.

    Allah help us.

    Mark (19cca2)

  3. Chicago politics is bad enough when it’s limited to Chicago. When it goes nationwide, however, man alive, there will be grave problems.

    Ultimately the denouement already has been written. We’re going to devolve into a banana republic. Along the lines of places like South Africa and Brazil. Tiny concentrations of extreme wealth and machine politics surrounded by vast areas of poverty, crime and systemic despair. Look at California. Juxtapose the disastrous plight of the Central Valley with those of Malibu, Beverly Hills and Pacific Heights. Then juxtapose that phenomenon across the country. Democrat power politics is a destroyer of society.

    William Scalia (89a442)

  4. But but but Holder and Clapper are only being transparent, just like Obama. And we already know it was a single rogue conservative Relublican in the Cincinnati office responsible for the IRS not-scandal. None of these would even be a story if Obama was a teatard old white dude.

    JD (1cc290)

  5. Typo: … “Eric Holder, who lied under oath when he said he never even heard of potential prosecution of a report[er] after signing off on a warrant premised on potential prosecution of a reporter.”

    bobathome (c0c2b5)

  6. The incident at Fedenisn’s house is alarming. Kids are really not prepared to act as attourney’s for their parents, let alone as home security against illegal break ins by thugs who happen to work for the U. S. government. How far were the two agents prepared to go if the kids didn’t agree to let the agents in, or if the kids got angry with them and demanded that they leave? Is this standard police procedure? Delivering paperwork is not the same as having a warrant.

    bobathome (c0c2b5)

  7. Punishment for bad behavior is for the little people. As far as ethics and integrity at high government levels, well we’ve got a Potemkin Village on the Potomac.

    Comanche Voter (f4c7d5)

  8. Here’s the first question from The Guardian’s Q&A with Ed Snowden hosted by Glenn Greenwald:

    GlennGreenwald
    17 June 2013 2:11pm

    Let’s begin with these:

    1) Why did you choose Hong Kong to go to and then tell them about US hacking on their research facilities and universities?

    2) How many sets of the documents you disclosed did you make, and how many different people have them? If anything happens to you, do they still exist?

    Answer:

    1) First, the US Government, just as they did with other whistleblowers, immediately and predictably destroyed any possibility of a fair trial at home, openly declaring me guilty of treason and that the disclosure of secret, criminal, and even unconstitutional acts is an unforgivable crime. That’s not justice, and it would be foolish to volunteer yourself to it if you can do more good outside of prison than in it.

    Second, let’s be clear: I did not reveal any US operations against legitimate military targets. I pointed out where the NSA has hacked civilian infrastructure such as universities, hospitals, and private businesses because it is dangerous. These nakedly, aggressively criminal acts are wrong no matter the target. Not only that, when NSA makes a technical mistake during an exploitation operation, critical systems crash. Congress hasn’t declared war on the countries – the majority of them are our allies – but without asking for public permission, NSA is running network operations against them that affect millions of innocent people. And for what? So we can have secret access to a computer in a country we’re not even fighting? So we can potentially reveal a potential terrorist with the potential to kill fewer Americans than our own Police? No, the public needs to know the kinds of things a government does in its name, or the “consent of the governed” is meaningless.

    2) All I can say right now is the US Government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me. Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.

    ropelight (16077e)

  9. Let’s see — their first instinct is to lie and engage in Chicago-style thuggery?

    Well, I’m sure that (as soon as he learns about it) Obama will declare that “if” it’s happening it is outrageous, and he won’t rest until he gets to the bottom of it.

    [“Folks, uh, shouldn’t be afraid to come forward — that is, unless they make ME look bad.”]

    Icy (4b6265)

  10. Bottom line: Obama ALWAYS shoots par on his home course.

    Icy (4b6265)

  11. From waht i saw of today’s opening statements; the NSA casts a very wide net, collecting a lot of data with a lot of rules and bureaucracy that instead of focusing the inquiry or analyzing the data seems to be more about perpetuating itself than cathcing terrorists. The words “Islam” and “Muslim” cannot and will not be ever used. At one point the general counsel in the course of making a point said they would even delete terrorists’ conversations; really? Then why bother? And we now have a new component of Gorelick’s Wall; the CIA, FBI and NSA are all fiefdoms within the federal government that do not coordinate nor communicate with each other, each with it’s own pointless rules, none the least bit focused on stopping terrorists. And the TSA, despite some lovely blue uniforms and being a boon to the easy wear shoe industry, is more pointless bureaucracy on top of all that.

    Bugg (b32862)

  12. The biggest problem confronting America, today and for some decades, is that we tolerate lying – tolerate it on such a grand scale – that lying has become our currency.

    When that is the case, everything else is just a symptom. And problems can not be solved. There is not a major institution or organization in America that does that have gaping breaches of integrity.

    In a September 10, 1992 journalist, author and presidential historian Richard Reeves wrote a column ‘A Stab at the Heart of Human Society” that started: “If the worst is true and the United States is indeed destroying itself, economically, ecologically, politically and spiritually, this will be our epitaph: ‘They lied!’
    * * *
    [Reeves continued] “It’s killing us. How can government of the people survive if the people believe or accept things that are not true — and they may know are not true? To quote one more American, Ralph Waldo Emerson, on lying: ‘Not only a sort of suicide in the liar, but stab at the heart of human society.'” http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-09-10/news/1992254028_1_lying-liar-lie

    Eric Holder was found in dual contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over documents in the investigation of the Fast & Furious scandal; before that he lied about when he first knew of the operation. Then he lies about the affidavit he signed for the search warrant to obtain the records of Fox News reporter James Rosen. And Obama has complete confidence in Holder.

    Susan Rice lies about the video/movie ‘Innocence of Muslims’ causing the terrorist attack on the Benghazi Consulate(?) on five (5) Sunday News shows, parroting the lies of Obama and Clinton, and Obama promotes Rice.

    Then as mentioned James Clapper – who said he gave “the least untruthful answer.”

    Until we stop tolerating lying and hold our so called leaders (actually they are mis-leaders) accountable – the fact of the matter is: WE ARE DOOMED.

    Gary L. Zerman (95c896)

  13. Gary L. Zerman (95c896) — 6/18/2013 @ 8:45 am

    what he said ^^^

    redc1c4 (403dff)

  14. Well, Clapper and Holder affirm Teh Narrative, and Fedenisn doesn’t.
    It isn’t very complicated.

    Rule-7.62 is looking more and more inevitable.

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  15. If they were at my door and refused to leave, I’d demand that the local cops arrest them for trespassing (or at least get them off of my property).
    If they came back, they would be shot as trespassers!

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  16. I trace the public’s awareness of big government lies and cover-ups back 50 years to the assassination of President John F Kennedy.

    When the media conspired with Lyndon Johnson’s Administration to cover up his coup d’etat and looked the other way as he embroiled the nation in the Vietnam War it was the beginning of the end of public trust in elected government.

    ropelight (16077e)

  17. State Department Whistleblower Threatened, While Liars Clapper and Holder Suffer No Consequences At All

    Barry’s idea of “robust debate.”

    Steve57 (ab2b34)

  18. Gary L. Zerman (95c896) — 6/18/2013 @ 8:45 am

    what he said ^^^

    Comment by redc1c4 (403dff) — 6/18/2013 @ 9:20 am

    what he said he said.^^^

    Tanny O'Haley (e970e6)

  19. “Barry’s idea of “robust debate.””

    Steve57 – People will be held accountable, just not the right people.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  20. It’s the Chicago Way. So, yannow, shut up if you know what’s good for ya.

    mojo (8096f2)

  21. I can see lying for the sake of national security, but nothing I have heard so far rises to that standard.

    There are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the
    people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpation.
    — President James Madison. 1751-1836

    Patricia (be0117)

  22. Talking about a whistleblower (or at least someone who cared about doing the job properly) being investigated consider what happened in the 1990s to FBI agent Nancy Floyd.

    In 1992 the FBI had a doubel agent inside the terror cell led by Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman.

    A new perosn came from headquarters, Carson Dunbar, and said he would drop him if he didn’t carry aa wire. In those days wires were more detectable than they have now finally become.

    The Egytian weny bt the name of Emad Salem.

    He refused to carry a wire and he was dropped as an informant. Dunbar said that Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman was anyway plotting terror only in Egypt.

    These people had already killed someone: Rabbi Meir Kahane – in November 1990. The killer got acquitted of the murder because the defense attorney managed to mnake a big deal out of there not being an autopsy. (They took X-rays)

    Right after the World Trade Center bombing, Emad Salem got back in contact with FBI agent Nancy Floyd. I think maybe she had maintained contact all the time. She was breaking rules to do so.

    He said he could have prevented it (had he stayed involved) They later discovered who the bombers were allegedly through a Vehicle ID number, but that story may have holes in it. The ID number was incomplete, for one. And they should have been at the top of the list of suspects anyway.

    Emad Salem agreed this time to wear a wire. But not only did he tape the terrorists, he also taped the FBI!

    So he told stories to the bombers, and they were prepared to do Round 2, bombing the Linmcoln and holland tunnels etyc, which the FBI’s Kallstrom talked about for years like it was a real plot ratehr than a sting operation. The NYPD had problems with the FBI. The FBI wanted to let taht thing go on too long. They also might have gotten new York State Asse3mbkyman Dov Hikind killed. They warned him but not in details. Senator D’Amato was also aa target. Both

    William Kunsler wanted to get that admitted in court, but they got him knocked off the case.

    Nancy Fox was accused of having had an affair with Emad Salem. That story was invented to shut her up. She was cleared but only after a long time.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  23. Talking about a whistleblower (or at least someone who cared about doing the job properly) being investigated consider what happened in the 1990s to FBI agent Nancy Floyd.

    In 1992 the FBI had a doubel agent inside the terror cell led by Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman.

    A new perosn came from headquarters, Carson Dunbar, and said he would drop him if he didn’t carry aa wire. In those days wires were more detectable than they have now finally become.

    The Egytian weny bt the name of Emad Salem.

    He refused to carry a wire and he was dropped as an informant. Dunbar said that Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman was anyway plotting terror only in Egypt.

    These people had already killed someone: Rabbi Meir Kahane – in November 1990. The killer got acquitted of the murder because the defense attorney managed to mnake a big deal out of there not being an autopsy. (They took X-rays)

    Right after the World Trade Center bombing, Emad Salem got back in contact with FBI agent Nancy Floyd. I think maybe she had maintained contact all the time. She was breaking rules to do so.

    He said he could have prevented it (had he stayed involved) They later discovered who the bombers were allegedly through a Vehicle ID number, but that story may have holes in it. The ID number was incomplete, for one. And they should have been at the top of the list of suspects anyway.

    Emad Salem agreed this time to wear a wire. But not only did he tape the terrorists, he also taped the FBI!

    So he told stories to the bombers, and they were prepared to do Round 2, bombing the Linmcoln and holland tunnels etc, which the FBI’s Kallstrom talked about for years like it was a real plot ratehr than a sting operation. The NYPD had problems with the FBI. The FBI wanted to let taht thing go on too long. They also might have gotten new York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind killed. (his mother doied yesterday I think)

    They warned him but not in details. Senator D’Amato was also a target. Both ideas came from the FBI or informant.

    William Kunsler wanted to get those tapes of the FBI admitted (he had some kind of theory under which they would help the defendants) but got him knocked off the case.

    Nancy Floyd accused of having had an affair with Emad Salem. That story was invented to shut her up. She was cleared but only after a long time.

    That prevented her from complaining and whistle blowing, casuing her to devote all her efforts
    just to clear herself from this charge.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  24. William Fox was the New York City FBI head (not one of the bad guys) The name of the FBI agent was Nancy Floyd.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  25. 7. He didn’t answer the question about Hong Kong, and trial is by jury. He could say he’s guilty – Daniel Ellsberg got off only because of prosecutorial misconduct, and a legal theiory giving him the right to disclose what he did was never tested.

    There is no official secrets act in the United States.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  26. John Miller said that a treaty with Hong Kong (dated 1996 when it was still under British control) provides that Snowden could only be tried for the offenses for which he was extradited – no superceding indictment)

    It must be a crime in both countries. Hong Kong has an Official Secrets act. (but is that the same thing?)

    Hong Kong is a separate jurisdiction for many things.

    Also he cannot be given the death penalty if extradited but that does not apply here anyway. A similar provision is in the extradition treaty with Great Britain. (the United Kingdom)

    So it pays for some people to run away even if they get brought back. It can limit the prosecution..

    Snoowden could in any case slow things down with a plea for political asylum.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  27. Holder only approved, but never signed the warrant, which claimed a Fox reporter was a “flight risk”

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  28. “Holder only approved, but never signed the warrant, which claimed a Fox reporter was a “flight risk””

    Sammy – How do we know he approved it if he didn’t sign it? Is that like his undocumented recusal in the AP case?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  29. I wonder if constitutional rights would slow the Admin down versus a white boy.

    http://hotair.com/archives/2013/06/18/is-there-a-leak-at-the-fisa-court/

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  30. i see the Thin Air fairy is producing “facts” again… 😎

    redc1c4 (403dff)

  31. 12, 13. Hear, hear.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  32. James Clapper, who flat-out lied to Ron Wyden

    Wyden already knew the answer, that the program was classified and that Clapper couldn’t truthfully answer without disclosing classified information. Wyden opposed the program. He wanted Clapper to deny, remain silent or disclose. The last two choices are about the same. Clapper choose to not disclose classified information in an open forum when he knew the questioner already had the answer.

    http://www.aei-ideas.org/2013/06/blame-wyden-not-clapper-for-lie-to-congress-on-nsa-surveillance/#mbl

    Doug (a9c722)

  33. If it was Clapper’s lies that pushed Snowden into initially blowing the whistle, he’s likely hyperventilating and hot under the collar after today’s NSA testimony.

    All I saw and heard was official posturing, full of pretense, prettied-up Pollyanna platitudes, and a idiot’s parade of Douglas Shulmans and Susan Rices spouting self-serving prevarications.

    ropelight (16077e)

  34. The answer was for us…and he was obligated to tell the truth.

    SarahW (b0e533)

  35. BTW, whatever happened to the tried and true non-response of “We/I can neither confirm, nor deny, that xxxxxx ”
    Used to work quite well when the press always asked about nukes being stored in Seal Beach.

    Too many people, in and out of government, just like to see their names in print, and hear their voices on the radio/TV, when what they need to do is STFU!

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  36. 28.“Holder only approved, but never signed the warrant, which claimed a Fox reporter was a “flight risk””

    Comment by daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 6/18/2013 @ 11:16 am

    Sammy – How do we know he approved it if he didn’t sign it? Is that like his undocumented recusal in the AP case?

    From what I understand newspaper reports said.

    Holder had to approve the search warrant affidavit, and we know that because they said so or maybe it’s legally required, and presumably he signed something, but what he did NOT sign was the search warrant affidavit itself that went to the judge.

    Some ordinary FBI agent did that.

    The FBI agent is probably safe from prosecution too, because he’d only be guilty of perjury if he knew the assertions in the affidavit were false.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  37. Here’s a little fuller account than I’ve seen herein of the trailblazer’s opinon on Snowden and his disclosures:

    http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/2428809

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  38. The FBI agent is probably safe from prosecution too, because he’d only be guilty of perjury if he knew the assertions in the affidavit were false.

    Aiding and abetting a civil-rights violation of an American Citizen?
    I don’t think you get to walk that easily.

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  39. #32, I’m not buying it Doug. Clapper could have responded to Wyden’s question by explaining the government is permitted to collect metadata to track foreign terrorists contacting individuals within the US. And, beyond that, the subject of surveillance is classified and should only be discussed in private session.

    Or, as NSA whistleblower, William Binney sucinctly answered the same question at gg’s link at #37:

    I can’t comment in an open forum.

    ropelight (16077e)

  40. I’m beginning to think this Obama person is not very committed to fairness.

    Elephant Stone (6a6f37)

  41. The House republicans really need to start impeachment proceedings against Holder, Clapper and others.

    SPQR (768505)

  42. But…but…that would be Racist, and picking on someone with disabilities…and boy, does Krapper have disabilities.

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  43. Did I mention how much the use of “can’t” where “may not” is necessitated bothers me?

    http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/06/obama-if-youre-a-us-person-nsa-cannot-listen-to-your-phone-calls-but-when-we-do-we-get-a-warrant/

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  44. Correction. Re my comment #12 above, although the Richard Reeves piece “A Stab at the Human Heart of Society” is a very good read and was quite prescient, and the quote he referenced from Emerson so profound, I later checked the Emerson quote and apparently it actually was/is: “Every violation of truth is not only a sort of suicide in the liar, but is a stab at the health of human society.” Health instead of heart.

    So although Reeves’ piece still was/is a good piece, apparently he took a little license with the quote, bent the truth a little, and essentially told a little white lie there. Generally it would be no crime, no foul. However, when you are writing a piece that claims our epitaph will be: “They lied!” – the offense is in fact an elevated one and becomes more serious, the quote all the more profound, and ironically it boomeranged on Reeves himself.

    Maybe an honest – but big mistake – by Reeves?

    Sett’n the record straight. And it was/is still a good piece by Reeves and was/is still a great statement by Emerson.

    Gary L. Zerman (95c896)

  45. It’s possible that Reeves had the quote correct and the headline writer changed it for the headline, and then some editor “fixed” the quote.

    It is most important to become one of the perfumed princes. Anon, ~3000 BCE /fakequote

    htom (412a17)

  46. Well duh.

    This is (the sort of thing) I’ve been saying. Snowden had little choice but to flee, but before then, he did something great.

    Former Conservative (6e026c)

  47. And that was just state department misbehavior BS. Snowden exposed domestic spying on … [link].

    Former Conservative (6e026c)

  48. We are at a stage when even car crash deaths of journalists give one pause. This one was known to be fearless and he had in the past had run-ins with Hillary staffers. Wonder what he was working on mow.

    http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/michael-hastings-dead-33-002300721.html

    elissa (3efc9c)

  49. Schulman charged that sending law enforcement officers to pressure her into signing an agreement was heavy handed.

    Ya think? I’m so tired of the myriad of tales of US Gov thuggery and bulling. Recall the family in Maine in which U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz seized their hotel brought to her attention by a DEA task force(I think, or perhaps ADF) whose sole purpose was to research high crime areas land owners and put together a case to seize their assets and property? They’ve added big money to their coffers stealing money from American citizens.

    The Problem of civil forfeiture is widespread. In 1986, the year after the U.S. Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture Fund was created—the fund that holds the forfeiture proceeds from properties forfeited under federal law and available to be paid out to law enforcement agencies—it took in just $93.7 million. Today, it holds more than $1.6 billion. An Institute for Justice report, Inequitable Justice: How Federal “Equitable Sharing” Encourages Local Police and Prosecutors to Evade State Civil Forfeiture Law for Financial Gain, documents how the problem is growing worse. Between 2000 and 2008, equitable sharing payments from the U.S. Department of Justice to state and local law enforcement doubled from about $200 million to $400 million per year.

    So they can afford 50 million for conferences a year.

    Topsecretk9 (f061ea)

  50. We are really going to need a “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” by-and-by.

    Kevin M (bf8ad7)

  51. Clapper was put in an impossible position by the execrable Wyden. He could not answer truthfully without violating the Official Secrets Act, among others, and damaging national security. Declining to answer would have been interpreted as hiding something left to the listeners’ imaginations, with similar damage.

    Hence his explanation about the “least untruthful” answer.

    A United States Senator should not put a witness in that position. It is as if Wyden were attempting to disclose the program – which is what he wanted to do, but without taking responsibility for it.

    Clapper may be a jerk, but in this instance he did the only thing he could do in attempting to follow the law and serve our national interests. Hang Wyden instead (after a fair trial and due process, of course).

    Estragon (19fa04)

  52. Estragon —

    I might be wrong, but couldn’t have PRE answered and requested a closed door on that? It’s my understanding that he has the option to request private briefings even before hand.

    Also, he could have answered in a way that you just described, that he would violating laws if he were to respond in a public forum.

    Topsecretk9 (f061ea)

  53. Clapper was put in an impossible position

    Nope, re-read, He wasn’t.

    Topsecretk9 (f061ea)

  54. TSK9 – Wassup!

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  55. Estragon, was comment number 52 an attempt at sarcasm?

    Because…

    He could not answer truthfully without violating the Official Secrets Act, among others, and damaging national security.

    …the United States doesn’t have an Official Secrets Act. The UK does, as do several other countries somehow associated with the Commonwealth. Not us.

    What other US laws that don’t exist do you think Clapper might have violated?

    It’s really odd how Obama administration officials are constantly being put in impossible situations on occasions when they’re forced to choose between lying despite penalties for doing so and telling the truth means they can’t keep doing whatever they want. Clapper’s situation reminds me of Holder’s. Poor Eric Holder, Like poor James Clapper, was put in the impossible situation of telling Congress one thing about possibly prosecuting journalists after telling a judge the exact opposite about possibly prosecuting journalist James Rosen.

    But as he told a Peter Williams of NBC it pained him that he “branded [Rosen] a criminal.” But he was put in that impossible situation by the law that required him to say things he doesn’t believe in order to violate Rosen’s 4th Amendment rights against unreasonable searches.

    And he contritely told the reporter he thinks those laws and regulations need to be changed. That way he doesn’t have to lie and tell judges that people are suspected criminals and therefore wouldn’t freely cooperate with a search warrant and might destroy evidence or even flee potential prosecution to get his secret warrants to violate people’s 4th Amendment rights.

    http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/05/18781813-holder-says-he-has-no-intention-of-stepping-down?lite

    That durned Constitution has put this administration’s officials in more impossible situations than any other administration I can think of.

    Steve57 (ab2b34)

  56. 52. Clapper was put in an impossible position by the execrable Wyden. He could not answer truthfully without violating the Official Secrets Act, among others, and damaging national security. Declining to answer would have been interpreted as hiding something left to the listeners’ imaginations, with similar damage.

    Hence his explanation about the “least untruthful” answer.

    A United States Senator should not put a witness in that position. It is as if Wyden were attempting to disclose the program – which is what he wanted to do, but without taking responsibility for it.

    Clapper may be a jerk, but in this instance he did the only thing he could do in attempting to follow the law and serve our national interests. Hang Wyden instead (after a fair trial and due process, of course).

    Comment by Estragon (19fa04) — 6/18/2013 @ 9:11 pm

    Riddle me this; why isn’t Clapper execrable for putting Wyden and others on the Senate Intelligence Committee (as well as representatives on the HSCI) in the impossible situation of having to provide oversight over an intelligence apparatus presided over by a guy who’s content to give them “the least untruthful answer?”

    Do you not know that Wyden put Clapper in that position precisely because he’s never gotten straight answers from him and the people who work for him even in closed-door, classified hearings?

    Steve57 (ab2b34)

  57. What is the statute of limitations for committing perjury before congress? There will be a new attorney general some day, hopefully Republican. Wonder if he can be indicted then.

    Corky Boyd (37df6c)

  58. WHISTLE BLOWERS are SYSTEMICLY being THREATENED by the ->
    OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
    http://www.youtubeskip.com/watch?v=7rV0ZcrMJmw
    http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/2338674138001/benghazi-whistleblowers-threatened/
    http://godfatherpolitics.com/10636/benghazi-whistleblowers-threatened-by-obama-administration/
    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04/29/obama-administration-officials-have-threatened-whistle-blowers-on-benghazi/
    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04/29/obama-administration-officials-have-threatened-whistle-blowers-on-benghazi/
    http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-im-not-familiar-benghazi-whistleblowers-being-threatened_720256.html

    ——–BLOG OF THE DAY——-

    GOVERNOR MARK TRAINA in 2015
    NEW LOUISIANA LEADERSHIP
    http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOwUGylXX6yFY
    CAREER POLITICIANS-> WHO THE HELL NEEDS EM?
    If we keep ELLECTING the same ole POLITICALLY CONNECTED POLITICIANS we will continue to get the same POLITICALLY INCORRECTED OUTCOMES!
    LOUISIANA desperately needs new LEADERSHIP! LOUISIANA needs someone who will STAND UP for the TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH and NOTHING but the TRUTH, without the “COWARDLY POLITICALLY CORRECT SPIN”!
    As GOVERNOR I will “NEVER EVER” tell my CONSTITUENTS what they want to HEAR, I will them the TRUTH!
    “fatuous1 is the GUY who LOVES to PLAY FETCH with the BIG WHITE ELEPHANT, even if he’s BLACK!” (TRAINAISM, 2013)
    PLEASE Watch my CAMPAIGN for GOVERNOR of the GREAT STATE of LOUISIANA ANNOUNCEMENT on the “POLITICS with a PUNCH-RINGSIDE TELEVISON SHOW which will AIR Friday the 28th at 7:30 PM and Sunday the 30th at 10:OO PM on CHANNEL 11 (WLAE) on CHARTER TV
    fatuous1
    MARK TRAINA
    (504) 231-3056
    FatuousCra@aol.com
    WRITER, ECONOMIST and CERTIFIED SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST
    Author: “THE REALIST”-THE TRUTH ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION
    PRESIDENT, FOUNDER & CEO of the Prestigious LOUISIANA BLOGGERS CLUB and the Infamous WHITE HOUSE TEA PARTY
    https://plus.google.com/114683111024066307575
    Whenever CONSTITUENTS tell me, Mr. Traina you seem to be a little Rough Around the EDGES, I always tell them-sooOOOO IS LOUISIANA and then I ask them about when was the last time they Visited NEW ORLEANS, BATON ROUGE, LAKE CHARLES, SHREVEPORT, BOSSIER CITY or MONROE?
    FACT: LOUISIANA is very ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES and it’s DEFINITELY GONNA TAKE A “MAN OF STEEL” TO FLATTEN ALL THOSE RUFF EDGES OUT!
    So if you are “WAITIN ON SUPERMAN”, don’t bother, I’m only one ELECTION CYCLE AWAY!
    People say Mark you’re sooOOOO “COCKY”, but I say, ANTHONY WEINER is “COCKY”, I’m just “CONFIDENT”!
    Paula Deen Fired: Food Network Cancels Show After Racism Scandal
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com
    Read more at http://www.topix.com/forum/city/lettsworth-la/TMD5JBTCN7RE3I1EC#lastPost#HDHKZXHlc6p0msRV.99

    MARK TRAINA (fe031a)


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.2162 secs.