Trump: Technically Correct on Obama Complaints re Russia, Grammar Nazi Edition
Donald Trump said this on Twitter:
If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2016
Big Media is saying Trump is wrong, because the Obama administration accused Russia of interfering in the election before the election. And it did.
This is where I play grammar Nazi on behalf of Donald Trump. Sort of.
Far too many people misuse the word “only.” It needs to closely accompany the word or phrase it is modifying. If I say: “Why did they complain only after Hillary lost?” I am saying that their complaints were timed to occur after Hillary’s loss.
But that’s not what Trump said. He said: “Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?” Technically, that means that, after Hillary lost, all they did was complain. They “only complained.”
And that appears to be accurate.
Do I think Donald Trump made this distinction in his head when he typed that tweet?
Hahahahahaha no. Are you kidding me?
But you could have some fun tweaking a media person today, by pointing out that Trump appears to be technically correct.
Ding.
Patterico (115b1f) — 12/16/2016 @ 7:41 amI edited the post to remove a profanity because I figured out a way to achieve the effect without it.
Patterico (115b1f) — 12/16/2016 @ 7:43 amIt could also be argued,
That no matter when they complained,
They only complained,
And nothing else,
Like hash tags for kidnap victims
Instead of acting like the (once upon a time, anyway) leader of the free world.
Not interested in defending or criticizing Trump,
just making a valid point.
I read elsewhere that supposedly Obama did nothing because he expected HRC to win, and preferred not to cause a fuss.
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 12/16/2016 @ 7:53 amEffectively, also volodya got much out of Obama, which he needed to keep the Rhodesia road show going, the shootdown of Malaysian air had much less impact then one would have thought.
narciso (d1f714) — 12/16/2016 @ 7:59 amthe cia is only the gayest and least credible intelligence service ever in the whole whirl
happyfeet (28a91b) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:04 amThere is no hope,
DCSCA (797bc0) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:09 amThis I know,
Michelle Obama,
Told me so.
Barack is always leading from his behind.
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:12 amMr Donald’s going to make grammar great again.
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:17 amoh my goodness failmerica’s risibly incompetent tranny-lovin’ navy just gave China one of our fancy underwater drones
Losers.
happyfeet (28a91b) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:25 amWhile the Obama gang are clearly trying to plant this cyberlandmine to explode in Trump’s face on aren’t they really setting him up to claim a great victory by announcing he and Papa Bear are going to work together for peace in cyberspace?
There are always competing and cooperating agendas in DC but beyond foot-stomping I really don’t get what the IC’s endgame is here unless they’re arguing for standing up operational control over a national firewall. Creating a crisis to gain power and control over cyberspace would satisfy to bipartisan big government urge to gain what the Patriot Act never could deliver.
Russian involvement in collecting and using adverse information for their perceived benefit is nothing new, even if the cyber-dimension seems new. The schizophrenic public reaction by our leaders is the only new element.
crazy (d3b449) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:25 amSo when Obama complained before the election – was it about Hillary getting the debate questions ahead of time?
papertiger (c8116c) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:47 amOr was Obama’s objection about Hillary’s team meeting to coordinate lies about the bathroom server?
papertiger (c8116c) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:49 amDid Obama complain about Hillary erasing “TOP SECRET” from selected ‘yoga and wedding’ email on advice of her council?
papertiger (c8116c) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:52 amwiped clean with cyberscrub and dust cloth.
http://www.cyberscrub.com/topics/delete_erase_email.php
Did Obama inquire with Putin about the missing 60,000 emails or so, to see about purchasing a set for the FBI to investigate?
papertiger (c8116c) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:59 amSince Hillary’s private email server became the dangling carrot for hackers all over the world to test the firewall of the DNC and people associated with her campaign, Hillary ought to be prosecuted. That would show the entire world that we take hacking seriously! (LOL)
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:59 amLoretta Lynch, put down your cheeseburger and your chili cheese fries, and prosecute that nasty, reckless, irresponsible Hillary woman!
Michelle Obama says that she has lost or is losing hope.
Which is a good thing.
Donald (bd230b) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:59 amIs this the Grammar Nazi’s version of Operation Barbarossa?
Pinandpuller (9c2caf) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:04 am#StopTehPhishingExpeditionNow!
Colonel Haiku (73c0b6) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:04 ampost-presidential anthem is anthemic
happyfeet (28a91b) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:09 am@16 Donald
Is she worried about keeping up the payments on any of her five new houses?
Maybe she will have to rent to own some furniture and appliances. Take out some payday loans. Get down with the struggle.
Pinandpuller (9c2caf) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:11 amTrump appears to be technically correct.
Which is the very best kind of correct.
Gabriel Hanna (64d4e1) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:17 amNone of this – which has been going on for years and years – bothered Obama and other Democrats until they could try to use it to blame the election results on it AND undercut the duly elected new POTUS. National security was of little consequence to them. Absolutely of no interest to the administration.
They all play at their roles, much like actors on the pathetic, crack-fevered “West Wing” TV series.
Colonel Haiku (73c0b6) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:19 amHaha, well spotted
JP (f1742c) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:19 amLuckily and happily, this pathetic production will all come to a “wrap!” on January 20, 2017.
Colonel Haiku (73c0b6) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:22 amI blame that goddam, pesky phone call to Taiwan! http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/16/politics/chinese-warship-underwater-drone-stolen/index.html
Colonel Haiku (73c0b6) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:28 amIn the Wall Street Journal:
“Russian hackers tried to penetrate the computer networks of the Republican National Committee, using the same techniques that allowed them to infiltrate its Democratic counterpart . . .”
“But the intruders failed to get past security defenses on the RNC’s computer networks, the officials said”
Confirmation bias runs two ways: we filter in news that gives credence to our own views, but it also prompts us to give unmerited credence to the sources of the confirming stories as well. At this point, it seems reasonable to assume that any article in the MSM that damns Donald Trump is fabricated, no matter how much we hate Trump. We should all know that.
The sidebar story, which none of us should be missing, is that our national law enforcement/ intelligence organizations are all politically compromised. They are on their own side, not ours. It’s a truly frightening thought. This realization should put your concerns in perspective.
ThOR (c9324e) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:37 am@9.oh my goodness failmerica’s risibly incompetent tranny-lovin’ navy just gave China one of our fancy underwater drones
Should be amusing when they pry it open and discover the key components are made in… China.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:38 am“I really don’t get what the IC’s endgame is here”
Icy,
It helps if you examine events while inhaling the strong carrion stench of Arab Spring. I tend to think of the IC as very similar to the Five Families. Sometimes they don’t play well together. It appears as if the CIA had the lead in the Arab Spring idiocy wrt providing analysis giving utter stupidity a reasonable chance of success. As failure piled upon failure, the other families making up the community sought distance from the CIA and even greater distance from Clinton, whose role as second idiot in the fiasco cannot be discounted, given her desire to become First Idiot.
I believe IG DNI McCullough’s letter regarding the contents of published Clinton emails to have been the first clear salvo from the IC ex-CIA and FBI involvement thereafter to be a continuation of the expression of the deep repulsion towards the idea of a second First Idiot continuing to blunder blindly forward.
In the end, the Clinton campaign became Arab Spring II. The stupidity and wilful blindness of both of the idiots involved is obviously due to Russian interference. It’s that or the distance between progressive fantasy and reality.
Rick Ballard (764455) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:45 amThey complained before, but didn’t make any official statement, but then Obama hasn’t done so even yet, although that may change after 2:15 pm today.
This was even discussed in the final debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=119039
Sammy Finkelman (b66da2) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:55 amRep. Peter King on Fox:
“It’s almost as if people in the intelligence community are carrying out a disinformation campaign against the President-elect of the United States.”
Nice comment at #9, happy.
ThOR (c9324e) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:56 amcrazy (d3b449) — 12/16/2016 @ 8:25 am
Don’t fire anybody. And it’ll be a scandal if he replaces anybody or even tries to get different intelligence.
Sammy Finkelman (5736b6) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:14 amSammy, why do you suppose the CIA refuses to brief the Congressional oversight committees about this alleged hacking?
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:16 amThe idea of the infallibity of the intelligence agencies is a problem even if you think Trump might try to distort the intelligence.
Because they are not infallible, and quite possibly, some of the people there are working for foreign powers, only not Russia.
One of the most stupid claims being made in this cyberhacking story is the claim that the Clinton server in Chappaqua must have been penetrated. Then how come none of the deleted emails ever made it onto Wikileaks? And Wikileaks was almost promising them. The truth is, it was just about the only e-mail system run by Democrats that wasn’t penetrated.
Sammy Finkelman (1190c5) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:21 amwe’re just not getting what e pay for
intelligence-wise or with the military anymore
it’s very troubling
hey Mr. P i hit that widger and got me a zojirushi rice cooker
i hope it’s awesome i tried and tried to get the trick of doing it on the stove in my cast iron pot but the tasty rice was elusive
happyfeet (28a91b) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:26 am#s 9 & 30, our underwater drone will make a nice bookend to the airborne stealth drone Obama generously handed over to the Iranians. Advanced American military technology is always a welcome Christmas gift to bloodthirsty tyrants and insane despots the world over.
God save us from evil and deliver us from the traitors and turncoats hiding in plain sight among us.
ropelight (78afaa) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:30 amwhat *we* pay for i mean
happyfeet (28a91b) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:31 amI’ll be happy with Trump if he can “Make America Good Again.”
ThOR (c9324e) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:37 am“So just what can stir our president from his “no drama Obama” cool indifference to aggression?
Russia invaded Georgia. After President Bush responded effectively to save Georgia from complete conquest, President Obama offered a “reset” to Russia.
Iran crushes a democracy movement in Iran. President Obama does nothing and says nothing.
Russian-backed Assad slaughters the Syrian people, including with the use of poison gas that was a “red line” for intervention. No American response.
Russia invaded Ukraine, including a shoot-down of a Malaysian airliner by Russian-backed separatist hand puppets. Little American response.
Iran tries to bomb a Saudi diplomat in Washington, D.C., with a bomb plot. There is no American response.
Chinese cyber-thefts of our economy and defenses rages. There is no apparent American response.
Russians violate nuclear arms agreement on theater nuclear weapons. Muted American response.
Russians hack Democratic emails when it looked like Hillary Clinton would win. No American response.
Trump wins election. Blood and Guts President Obama vows that this Russian cyber-aggression will not stand!”
https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/252061/
Colonel Haiku (73c0b6) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:53 amCases in point.
Colonel Haiku (73c0b6) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:54 amLet’s not forget that Barack got even with England by getting rid of the Churchill bust!
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:58 amWay I read it the Chinese took one of the Navy’s climate change buoys. collecting unclassified scientific data.
Someone should tell NOAA. Not about the loss of their science buoy. That their raw data isn’t a state secret. In fact it’s worthless. Not worth a Chinese damn.
papertiger (c8116c) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:04 amThe CIA has been as politically biased as the IRS under the Obama regime. And what has this wrought? The disasters of Libya and Syria.
AZ Bob (f7a491) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:05 amWe can get even by shutting down cable car runs to Chinatown.
papertiger (c8116c) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:06 amForget it, America, it’s China.
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:11 amEvery once in a while the Chinese Navy will heist a supertanker full of oil, with the barely a ripple of complaint frm the coward in chief.
I figure we’re getting off light.
We could have some fun with this. Imagine the Chinese stealing a drone full of skunks.
papertiger (c8116c) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:29 am42… very much so, AZ Bob!
Colonel Haiku (73c0b6) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:33 ampapertiger, the crew of the Bowditch apparently share your appreciation of the significance of the data being collected by these buoys. This CNN article described the event as follows:
Reminds me of the seizure of the two small boats by the Iranians. Our Navy just aims to get along apparently. Perhaps we should be grateful that they let us keep the ship.
Peace in our times. Only 32 days until the FecklessWon is ushered out of the White House, so the pressure is building for our adversaries to complete any unfinished business.
BobStewartatHome (c24491) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:35 amThese islands China has been building do not reflect the scientific consensus of rising seas due to climate change.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/world/asia/china-spratly-islands.html?_r=0
Maybe Mr. Gore should re-release An Inconvenient Truth after making sure the Chinese subtitles are correct.
Evidently the 99% of scientists world wide who see man made climate change as absolute fact does not include scientists from China representing 1.4B methane and carbon dioxide producing units.
steveg (5508fb) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:36 am“buoys” … well submersible, mobile, autonomous buoys, aka drones. Or so we might hope. The Bowditch is an oceanographic vessel after all. But the Navy is working on large, 50 foot long, submarine drones that would play a role in fleet defense.
BobStewartatHome (c24491) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:41 amDid Obama declare the USN a gun free zone?
Can we at least throw rocks…
steveg (5508fb) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:42 amThe Bowditch is not a USN ship, but don’t they have an emergency contact at the USN?
steveg (5508fb) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:44 am@stevg:Evidently the 99% of scientists world wide who see man made climate change as absolute fact does not include scientists from China representing 1.4B methane and carbon dioxide producing units.
Oh, the Chinese scientists do, but the Chinese government lets industry do what it wants, at least out in the boonies.
There are Chinese economic policies which it would be wise not to emulate.
Gabriel Hanna (64d4e1) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:45 amFirehouses might have been the Bowditch’s best weapon to thwart this theft. They would have worked if the Chinese boats were small enough, and if the Bowditch had the guts to resist.
But that is for a different kind of American Navy, in a different era, with a different Commander in Chief.
BobStewartatHome (c24491) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:48 amThis reminds me of the Soviet sailor who attempted to defect by jumping onto a Coast Guard Cutter off Cape Cod in 1971. The Captain of the cutter was ordered to allow a soviet posse to chase the guy down and drag him back to face punishment. The desperate fellow ran through the CIC in hopes that the posse wouldn’t be allowed into classified spaces, but to no avail. This was under Nixon, and the brass were concerned over a treaty that was being negotiated with the Soviets. We aim to please.
BobStewartatHome (c24491) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:55 amSo soros is behind the Zuckerberg ‘fake news’ purge.
narciso (d1f714) — 12/16/2016 @ 11:57 amColonel Haiku (73c0b6) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:53 am
They went to the United Nations and also made out a warrant for the arrest of an Iranian. Also out sanctions on 5 Iranians.
http://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2011/nov/17/iran-letter-un-about-bomb-plot
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/12/us/us-accuses-iranians-of-plotting-to-kill-saudi-envoy.html
What actually happened is that Iran attemoting to recruit aMexican drug gang. Only they got in ciontact with an informer. They wanted to kill the Saudi Amabassadr. the new Saudi Ambassador. The FBI played along .
They FBI tried toi make this agreater crime. they said the Mexican druug gang ciulkd kill the Ambassador but they would kill 100 people at the same time (a la Rafik Hariri) Do they still want to go ahead. The Iranians said yes we don’t wanna wait.
Sammy Finkelman (643dcd) — 12/16/2016 @ 12:02 pm54. The sailor was later ruled to have U.S. citizenship and allowed to go to the United States because his grandmother had been norn in the United States or soemthing.
Sammy Finkelman (643dcd) — 12/16/2016 @ 12:04 pmPoynter and omidyar, and the Newmark foundation.
narciso (d1f714) — 12/16/2016 @ 12:07 pm32. Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:16 am
they want to demonize Republicans, so they don’t want the Republicans to agree with them, so Trumop can be accused of political interference with intelligence should he not let them have free rein.
Also there’s nothing solid about Putin doing it to elect Trump.
Sammy Finkelman (643dcd) — 12/16/2016 @ 12:07 pmhttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/us/politics/hillary-clinton-russia-fbi-comey.html?_r=0
This is alie, a convenient lie. I don’t think the hostility goes back to 2011.
Sammy Finkelman (643dcd) — 12/16/2016 @ 12:10 pmSteveg,
She’s part of the Military Sealift Command, and she plays a role in military operations. As you can see from this report, https://www.usnwc.edu/getattachment/d11a2362-fa30-4742-8ec4-c8bed2025114/Close-Encounters-at-Sea–The-USNS-Impeccable-Incid.aspx, this class of ship has been the sharp end of the spear for the Obama administration in the China seas. They are crewed by civilians, but Navy and Marine personnel may be onboard depending on the mission. Their operational orders come from naval fleet elements. The Navy knows where they are and what they are doing.
BobStewartatHome (c24491) — 12/16/2016 @ 12:13 pmI just sent a message informing Hillary Clinton that she will never be president… http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/16/01/3B6CD2C900000578-4039350-image-m-43_1481852385210.jpg
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 12/16/2016 @ 12:17 pmThis Hillary speech is news because what she said Thursday only came out now on Friday.
Meanwhile the Washington Post has a whole long article to rebut Trump’s tweet:.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/12/16/trump-has-been-lying-about-the-russian-hack-he-just-accidentally-admitted-it-himself/?utm_term=.f631a7b35c8c
They say that Trump now has a new tweet which acknowledges that the first tweet is wrong:
But the truth is, though, it is intensifying and it was portrayed by the CIA officials who leaked to NBC as news.
It wasn’t, really.
Sammy Finkelman (643dcd) — 12/16/2016 @ 12:20 pmThe Washington Post links to this Oct 7 story:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/world/national-security/us-government-officially-accuses-russia-of-hacking-campaign-to-influence-elections/2016/10/07/4e0b9654-8cbf-11e6-875e-2c1bfe943b66_story.html?tid=a_inl
And an Oct 10 NBC story that says Trump was briefed on it:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-was-told-russia-was-blame-hacks-long-debate-n663686
.. and of course the Washington Post mentions the last debate.
Sammy Finkelman (643dcd) — 12/16/2016 @ 12:22 pmObama sadly letting us all know that we’ve disappointed him again, as we’ve let partisan politics divide us as a nation.
Also that Reagan must be rolling in his grave, given the high level of GOP voter support for Putin. The dude is contemptible to the end, which can’t come soon enough for this American.
Colonel Haiku (73c0b6) — 12/16/2016 @ 12:52 pmAs he promised on the hot mic, Obama give Putin more leeway after the ’12 election.
AZ Bob (f7a491) — 12/16/2016 @ 4:09 pmHappy! Happy! Joy! Joy!-
https://static.pjmedia.com/instapundit/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-16-at-6.47.58-PM.png
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 12/16/2016 @ 4:38 pmVolodya is pro capitalist, nominally orthodox nationalist, Richard pipes would indrtify him as a throwback to the czars
narciso (d1f714) — 12/16/2016 @ 4:59 pmCrap. I have to bow to your grammar skills. So few have them.
LYT (b54186) — 12/16/2016 @ 9:58 pmIf Barack has to play the Reagan card, it’s because he knows he can’t successfully play any of his traditional left wing canards.
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 12/16/2016 @ 10:09 pmAs expected Cheney understands tillerson’s situation
narciso (d1f714) — 12/17/2016 @ 10:27 amHack of LA County emails exposes personal data of nearly 800,000 people
Personal information of 800,000 or so with one I’m gonna guess overstayed visa literally doing the Nigerian businessman email scam on a goodly swath of the Democritiocracy of Los agelesse’ county.
(More evidence that stupid is job requirement for a certain party)
If one 37 year old free range Nigerian can do this sort of damage in LA, why do we need a Russian spy agency with direction from Putin himself just to beat up John Podesta?
papertiger (c8116c) — 12/17/2016 @ 10:40 amI guess one might call it larceny, as opposed to burglary, but when did purloined product become verboten, answer the climategate scam AMD this instance
narciso (d1f714) — 12/17/2016 @ 10:47 amObama: Cut it out.
Putin: Huh?
Obama: You heard me. Cut it out.
Putin: Or what?
Obama: That’s for me to know and you to find out.
Putin: Oh! You mean you will draw a red line.
AZ Bob (f7a491) — 12/17/2016 @ 5:05 pmMany, many years ago, I think in the 1960s, CBS did a special in the course of which theydiscussed the changing meanings of the word only, (or different meanings of the senetence) according to where you put it in a sentence.
The example sentence was:
It could mean different thing if it was:
or
or
or
But in reality, I think, only can move around a bit and keep its original meaning.
Sammy Finkelman (db7fea) — 12/18/2016 @ 9:30 amSeeing the all star team that trump has put together as Michael Walsh points out.
narciso (d1f714) — 12/18/2016 @ 11:07 amElias groll also notes the preponderance of cyber warriors in trump’s entourage, particular mcfarland and pompeo.
narciso (d1f714) — 12/18/2016 @ 11:12 amTrump’s cabinet nominees are not important. We’ve got to focus on his spelling, grammar and diction.
I noticed that the media was all in a tizzy over Trump’s tweet saying the Chinese can keep the underwater drone.
steveg (5508fb) — 12/18/2016 @ 11:24 amInteresting response by Trump. Belittles the Chinese and makes them look like petty thieves.
Plus it spun heads all around down at CNN.
Also am wondering why the media thinks Putin wanted Trump to be President.
Much rather have Obama or Clinton because they’d cave. Trump will set a deadline or a red line and it will be enforced.
The Russians, Chinese and the Iranians are going to test Trump.
steveg (5508fb) — 12/18/2016 @ 11:36 amIran should have an unexplained explosion on one of their pest boats, China should find some of its state secrets are being released by WikiLeaks style.
The Russians should have its gas and oil pricing take a nosedive due to an electronic glitch in the exchange
Or whatever solution his advisors cook up.
steveg (5508fb) — 12/18/2016 @ 11:38 amI am sure Trump already knows how to hurt those three economies
Well they already took the entrails art and are in the process of reengineering it. Most of Obama’s it people were associates of Richard clarke
narciso (d1f714) — 12/18/2016 @ 11:57 am79. steveg (5508fb) — 12/18/2016 @ 11:36 am
I don’t think they wanted to voice it, but Hillaryy Clinton said in a debate that it ws because he thought Donald Trump would be a puppet, which really goes beyond the bounds of..I mean could anyone think that actually would happen? That’s too much.
Hillary’s alternative theory: That Putin took a personal dislike to her — because she critixied the 2011 Parliamentary eections in Russia?
Knocking down the price of oil was proposed by someone in one of the Sunday interview shows. He sad retaliation did not have to be in kind.
Sammy Finkelman (d7b491) — 12/20/2016 @ 5:17 pm