A succession of new revelations about National Security advisor (and possible Russian operative?) Mike Flynn have gotten people talking about Trump’s Russian connections again.
Of all the scary things I’ve read about Trump and Russia in the past few days, the most telling one came from a piece called “The Spy Revolt Against Trump Begins” in The Observer, revealing that the intelligence community is increasingly convinced that Trump and his people can’t be trusted with America’s secrets:
Our Intelligence Community is so worried by the unprecedented problems of the Trump administration—not only do senior officials possess troubling ties to the Kremlin, there are nagging questions about basic competence regarding Team Trump—that it is beginning to withhold intelligence from a White House which our spies do not trust.
The worst part isn’t the withholding of information. It’s that our spies are probably right to withhold that information. Even aside from the Russia stuff, there seems to be a real chance that Trump will start blabbing about top secret matters while poking at his iceberg lettuce-based salad during dinner at Mar-a-Lago just a few feet away from assorted random diners.
But I digress Obviously, WE NEED A THOROUGH AND INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION into the whole Trump/Russia thing.
So get out those phones and call your Members of Congress!
See my posts here and here for information and advice on how to make your calls and emails effective. If making these sorts of calls is tough for you, here’s some advice on calling politicians if you have social anxiety. But emails are also fine.
The weekly Action Checklist for Americans of Conscience that I mentioned a few posts back has some suggestions of other people to call about Russia:
Action: Support investigation of Russian interference in US elections.
On January 6, an official report of the CIA, FBI, and NSA assessed with high confidence that Vladimir Putin ordered a 2016 campaign to undermine public faith in the US democratic process. Thankfully, three Senate and House bipartisan committees are now examining Russia’s actions.
Call: Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
- Chair, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) 202-224-3154
- Ranking Member, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) 202-224-2023
Call: House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
- Chair, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) 202-225-2523
- Ranking Member, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) 202-225-4176
Call: Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism
- Chair, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) 202-224-5972
- Ranking Member, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) 202-224-2921
Script: Hi! I’m calling in regard to _name’s_ role on the _committee name_. I strongly support his work on resisting attempts to “move on” from Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. I am looking forward to learning the outcome of the committee’s findings.
See the rest of this week’s Action Checklist here.
Might I suggest also calling and thanking Congresswoman Maxine Waters for her attempts to keep this issue on the front burner? You can leave a message at (323) 757-8900 or (202) 225-2201.
Speaking of giving thanks, the folks at Wall-Of-Us will be hand-delivering a valentine to Elizabeth Warren tomorrow. You can put your name on the card by going here.
I am seriously speechless about that whole debacle.
How come he was even authorized to run for president ? Shouldn’t the secret service stop someone from bringing actual spy within the white house before he actually do it ?
My husband showed me that article last night. He thinks it’s a ray of hope that there are people who are not treating this administration as ‘business as usual’.
Are we supposed to call if we’re not constituents of these Congresscritters? That’s what’s stopping me — the idea that they’ll go, Oh, he’s not a constituent, don’t count him.
That and apparently new crippling generalized anxiety about the damn telephone.
While I was in the USAF, I had a rather high-level security clearance. I used to wonder about the President’s security clearance, which is necessarily the highest security clearance there is.
I asked my NCOIC about it, mentioning that it took a year and a half for me to get my clearance, how does it work with the prez? (Back then, in the 80s, Presidential elections were shorter than that.) NCOIC explained that the military and intelligence agencies could pick, choose, and background check whomever they felt was qualified but the President was elected and the agencies then had to take what they were given (yeah, makes sense.)
Because it’s only the POTUS and VP, the security agencies have to assign people to brief and counsel them about classified info and how to handle it. There is someone available for this at all times.
Knowing this, I figured that the ginger howler monkey would turn everything on its head and I wasn’t wrong. He’s every bit the security disaster I thought he’d be, but I wasn’t expecting him to discredit the CIA and FBI!
As far as preventing the infiltration of the Russians into the highest levels of the U.S. government? I dunno. It seems like a fail of multiple agencies. Mostly Congress; I’m sure the applicable Committees were briefed, we have seventeen intelligence agencies, ffs! The only reason to “mistrust” ALL of them is if you have something to hide. That includes the Republican controlled intelligence committees in Congress.
Okay, I emailed everyone except Schiff, who doesn’t have an email form I could find.
Falconer – I think it’s entirely fair and appropriate to contact Congresscritters that are in charge of Congressional committees. They have control over what their committees do or don’t do.
It doesn’t seem that easy to find out who does what on the government website. I had to go to Wikipedia to find the chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (it’s Sen. Ron Johnson (R) Wisconsin). But all of the standing committees are listed at https://www.congress.gov/committees.
I have telephone issues myself, so I totally understand! So, I’m writing snail mail letters to Jason Chaffetz (who was responsible for all or most of the investigations into Hillary’s emails) to politely inquire about Trumps phone, and now, also Sen. Johnson. Maybe I’ll take the next baby step and do the free fax thing next. I figure anything is better than nothing!
@ hambeast
In the run up to Pearl Harbor the US Navy took the President off the intelligence briefing distribution list for a while.
(They weren’t so much worried about him but his staff had been somewhat careless with the documents)
Alan – I hope the U.S. intelligence agencies are doing their jobs and carefully selecting the intel they give to Orange Julius Caesar. It can’t be easy for them; they have to walk a fine line between cleared to know and need to know.
Now I have to stop procrastinating and get myself a dentist appointment; I broke a tooth the other night but I am rather dentist averse :/
@ hambeast
I mentioned before that our intelligence services were raising questions about the future of the ‘five eyes’ agreement the day after the election. And The Mossad have been told to be more wary about intelligence sharing too.
Good luck at the dentist!
“But her emails” is looking pretty damn stupid right now. Well, even more stupid, I mean.
A little something for our troll friends, courtesy of Twitter:
OT (but there is a pedophile in chief in the White House):
Jerry Sandusky’s son Jeffrey facing child sexual abuse charges
Jeffrey S Sandusky, 41, alleged to have sent texts and requests for photos
Jerry Sandusky currently serving long prison sentence for abuse
This is the child molestation case at Penn State.
Jeffrey S. was a stalwart supporter of Jerry S.
Jeffrey S. is (was) a prison guard.
Penn State seemed to have turned a blind eye to Jerry S’s widespread child molestation.
I take this kind of personally: the school is my alma mater.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/feb/13/jerry-sandusky-son-jeffrey-child-sexual-abuse-charges
Oh hey!
Here’s a Video of Trump Crashing a Wedding Right After Giving His North Korea Statement
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/02/watch-trump-crash-wedding-right-after-north-korea-statement.html
This made me laugh.
https://mobile.twitter.com/superdeluxe/status/830842872899334150/video/1
The first of three protests I’ve got on my schedule (actually four now, since I heard about this March for Science on April the 22nd) is on Saturday, the 18th. Tomorrow, on Wednesday, the 15th, I’m partaking in a phone campaign to promote it. Hopefully I won’t receive too much Trump-supporter abuse over the phone…
Thank you for your efforts thus far, everyone. Keep it up.
Oh I’ve made an ass of myself. I used the 5calls.org script for a couple of events and instead of making it quick I just made it awkward as hell.
I guess at this point I’m wondering if someone in a three letter organization is thinking about a sting on one of/the entire Trump government.
Justin Trudeau was the first leader not to have his arm yanked on by Donald Trump. Was it Trudeau’s technique (putting his hand on Trump’s shoulder)? Or was it Trudeau’s extra-buffness? Both?
Woo-hoo!
Trump administration
Michael Flynn resigns: Trump’s national security adviser quits over Russia links – live
Senior aide to president was accused of lying over calls to Russian ambassador in which he reportedly discussed the lifting of US sanctions
As Senator (ex-SNL cast member) Al Franken pointed out, he either lied or he forgot. Lying is bad. And you don’t want a national security adviser who forgets something that important — not to mention irregular/illegal.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2017/feb/14/flynn-resigns-donald-trump-national-security-adviser-russia-links-live
And now it’s being reported that Trump is considering Petraeus as Flynn’s permanent replacement. Petraeus, who gave classified information to his lover.
@Moggie
Petraeus is on probation. He’d have to notify his probation officer before he took the job.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petraeus_scandal
Petraeus isn’t the worst person they could pick. Dude has a brain on him and is far less of a gung-ho idiot than, say, James Mattis.
From an article he wrote about why Islamophobia is a threat to America:
The news story I read on Flynn’s resignation said his excuse for not being truthful was that the nomination and confirmation process was too rushed. That’s pretty damning.
IP, I think “either incompetent or dishonest, or both” applies fractally to team Trump.
NBC are tweeting:
“NBC News has confirmed that Sally Yates warned the WH last month that Flynn had not accurately recounted his talks with Russian ambassador.”
Probably before she was fired.