There is no doubt that the tapping is real and the tapping was authorized by a FISA order that had been sought by the security folks in the Obama Administration --- the only dispute is over Trump’s latest complaint that it was President Obama >>> WHO DID IT
As best I remember it, Nixon never
ordered the Watergate break-in or have any hand in it. Did he ???
--- At any rate, let’s apply the President Nixon
Standard to President Obama --- And, when and if necessary --- to President Trump
This story is just beginning to roil
and boil, so I’ll keep this very short
and simple and let the MSM bulwarks, the Washington Post and the New York Times, tell you something about
it in their own words. Here’s some of
what they had to say earlier today…..
THE WA-PO
“President Trump
on Saturday angrily accused former president Barack Obama of orchestrating a
“Nixon/Watergate” plot to tap the phones at his Trump Tower headquarters
last fall in the run-up to the election….
Citing no evidence to support his explosive allegation, Trump said in a
series of five tweets sent Saturday morning that Obama was “wire tapping”
his New York offices before the election in a move he compared to McCarthyism.
“Bad (or sick) guy!” he said of his predecessor, adding that the surveillance
resulted in ‘nothing found.’…” (See “Trump, citing no evidence,
accuses Obama of ‘Nixon/Watergate’ plot to wiretap Trump Tower” By Philip Rucker, Ellen
Nakashima and Robert Costa, 3/4/17, The Washington Post/ Post
Politics
[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/04/trump-accuses-obama-of-nixonwatergate-plot-to-wire-tap-trump-tower/?utm_term=.4ce2d9f3ddbd]).
What follows is a
particularly cogent observation by the Wa-Po folks, especially for my readers, since I mentioned the Breitbart stuff in one of my comments to a prior post….. “…. Trump offered no citations nor did he point
to any credible news report to back up his accusation, but he may have
been referring to commentary on Breitbart and conservative talk radio suggesting that Obama and his administration used
“police state” tactics last fall to monitor the Trump team. The Breitbart
story, published Friday, has been circulating among Trump's senior staff,
according to a White House official who described it as a useful catalogue
of the Obama administration's activities….”
NOTE: SINCE THE WA-PO PIECE FIRST APPEARED, A FORMER OBAMA HAND HAS RESPONDED
The Hill reported on it like this: “A former policy adviser to President Obama is firing
back at President Trump's claim that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower, saying it
didn't happen — at least not under Obama's orders…. ‘No President can order a wiretap. Those
restrictions were put in place to protect citizens from people like you,’ Ben Rhodes tweeted
Saturday morning…. He also said ‘only a
liar’ could make the case, as Trump suggested, that Obama wire tapped Trump
Tower ahead of the election….” ( See “Top Obama adviser
to Trump: 'No president can order a wiretap' “
by Brooke Seipel, 3/4/17, The Hill/ Trending [http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/322348-top-obama-adviser-to-trump-no-president-can-order-a-wiretap]).
THE NY TIMES REPORT
The Times’ piece started with this: “President Trump on Saturday accused former
President Barack
Obama of tapping his
phones at Trump Tower the month before the election, taking to Twitter to call
his predecessor a ‘bad (or sick) guy.’…
Without offering any evidence or providing the source of his
information, Mr. Trump fired off a series of Twitter messages claiming that Mr.
Obama ‘had my ‘wires tapped.’ ‘ He likened the supposed tapping to ‘Watergate/Nixon’
and ‘McCarthyism.’…” (See “Trump, Offering No Evidence, Says Obama
Tapped His Phones” by Michael D. Shear & Michael S. Schmidt,
3/4/17, NY Times/ Politics [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/04/us/politics/trump-obama-tap-phones.html?_r=0]).
The NY Times article included this background info with a rather
testy rejoinder from an Obamatista: “….Mr. Trump’s aides declined to clarify whether the
president’s explosive allegations were based on briefings from intelligence or
law enforcement officials or on something else, like a news report…. A spokesman for Mr. Obama, Kevin Lewis,
issued a statement dismissing the claims. ‘A cardinal rule of the Obama
administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any
independent investigation led by the Department of Justice,’ he said. ‘As part
of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever
ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply
false.’…”
JUST A BIT OF HISTORICAL CONTEXT
There was never any evidence that President Richard M. Nixon either ordered or participated in any “Plumbers” break-in at Democratic Headquarters in the Watergate complex; nonetheless, Nixon was ultimately held responsible…..
Both Obama and Trump might have good reason to tread
softly and be careful how they go-about covering-up…..
Spy v Spy
ReplyDeleteLet me clarify a few issues. No Nixon did not order the Watergate break in, however, he did order the failed assasination of Governor George Wallace. At the time people were more outraged over a 3rd rate burglary than shooting George. But times have changed. Nixon could only dream of the crimes that Obama committed.
ReplyDeleteJ. S. MaGruder
Staten Island, New York
BACKFILL: THE "VERY IMPORTANT BACKFILL" EDITION
ReplyDelete"NATIONAL REVIEW" WAS ALL OVER THIS TRUMP WIRE TAPPING STORY IN EARLY JANUARY
FORMER US ATTORNEY ANDREW MC CARTHY WENT INTO GREAT DETAIL ABOUT HOW "ROGUE AGENTS" AT DOJ AND/OR OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCIES COULD EASILY OBTAIN A FISA WARRANT
As of the time that he wrote his "National Review" article about the Trump wire taps that were reported by three media outlets, Andrew McCarthy said this:
".... To summarize, it appears there were no grounds for a criminal investigation of banking violations against Trump. Presumably based on the fact that the bank or banks at issue were Russian, the Justice Department and the FBI decided to continue investigating on national-security grounds. A FISA application in which Trump was 'named' was rejected by the FISA court as overbroad, notwithstanding that the FISA court usually looks kindly on government surveillance requests. A second, more narrow application, apparently not naming Trump, may have been granted five months later; the best the media can say about it, however, is that the server on which the application centers is 'possibly' related to the Trump campaign’s 'alleged' links to two Russian banks — under circumstances in which the FBI has previously found no 'nefarious purpose' in some (undescribed) connection between Trump Tower and at least one Russian bank (whose connection to Putin’s regime is not described)...."
And then McCarthy went on to say this:
".... That is tissue-thin indeed. It’s a good example of why investigations properly proceed in secret and are not publicly announced unless and until the government is ready to put its money where its mouth is by charging someone. It’s a good example of why FISA surveillance is done in secret and its results are virtually never publicized — the problem is not just the possibility of tipping off the hostile foreign power; there is also the potential of tainting U.S. persons who may have done nothing wrong. While it’s too early to say for sure, it may also be an example of what I thought would never actually happen: the government pretextually using its national-security authority to continue a criminal investigation after determining it lacked evidence of crimes...." (See all that and more at "FISA and the Trump Team" by Andrew McCarthy, 1/11/17, National Review [http://www.nationalreview.com/article/443768/obama-fisa-trump-wiretap]).
I also read the NR story. It was very good. What it shows is things dont always seem the same when you look under the hood. Today's technology makes it to easy to tap into peoples communications. The drip drip drip of the Trump operations involvement with Russian hacking will continue. Each day (today it was 2) members of congress who are republican are rewarded with national coverage when they call for investigations. Daryl Issa won 51% to 49%. He's not alone.
ReplyDeleteTrump is a Red. Maybe thats why his hair and face are red.
ReplyDeleteObama wont be the one getting impeached
ReplyDelete10:30 has a point.
ReplyDeleteRESPONSE: THE "GUY THAT NEVER GETS IT RIGHT" EDITION
ReplyDeleteTO THE PERSON OR PEOPLE WHO DID THE FOUR COMMENTS FOLLOWING MY COMMENT "UPDATE..." ABOVE
THE LAST FOUR COMMENTS MIGHT BE THE TRANSCRIPT OF A DEBATE IN ONE PERSON'S HEAD --- MAYBE, THERE'S A SMALL CHANCE IT'S MORE THAN ONE PERSON --- IN ANY CASE, HE/ SHE/ OR THEY ARE JUST ABOUT WRONG ABOUT ALMOST EVERYTHING
NOT ONLY DO I THINK THAT THE FOUR LAST COMMENTS (NEVER TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE MASTERPIECE "FOUR LAST SONGS") MIGHT BE BY ONE PERSON, I'M PRETTY SURE I KNOW WHO THAT PERSON IS --- THEY'RE BY A GUY THAT NEVER GETS ANYTHING RIGHT --- EITHER AT FIRST OR FOR A VERY LONG TIME
First, the obvious: After Trump's Tweets, there HAVE TO BE investigations, if for nothing else, to try to sweep the biggest obvious messes out there under the rug.
Second, and more important: Trump's Tweets have also re-framed the debate. Now the country will have to examine, and maybe even decide for themselves, whether there was any undo and unlawful "influence" applied to the 2016 Presidential Election; and, if so, did it come from the Kremlin or the White House, or both.
As for any talk of "impeachment," forget about it. We are closer to a quick resignation at one end of the spectrum, or second civil war at the other, than we are to any stinkin' impeachment.
UPDATE: THE "WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR EXPANDED HEARINGS" EDITION
ReplyDeleteSEAN SPICER CALLS ON CONGRESS TO INVESTIGATE ACTIONS OF OBAMA WHITE HOUSE DURING 2016 ELECTION
TRUMP TWEETS ASKING WHY DNC DID NOT COOPERATE WITH FBI HACKING PROBE
While the mainstream media tried to diffuse charges by President Trump against President Obama and the Obama White House, Trump and his White House kept adding fuel to the fire.
Former DNI Clapper said as far as he knew, there were no wiretaps of Trump and the Trump campaign >>> AND UP TO THE TIME WHEN HE LEFT HIS POSITION IN JANUARY, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY COLLUSION BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND THE RUSSIANS.....
The taps involved international banking issues. That leaves a lot of agencies that might not have involved Clapper's oversight. Clapper's answers were only about Trump and the Trump campaign, and never forget, Clapper has lied in the past.
ReplyDeleteHave Flynn & Manaforte defected yet?
ReplyDeleteUPDATE: THE "MUST READ" EDITION
ReplyDeleteCHRIS RUDDY'S SUNDAY POST ON NEWSMAX SAYS THAT TRUMP IS PROBABLY RIGHT ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE' USE OF SECURITY AGENCIES TO INTERFERE IN THE LAST ELECTION --- AND THAT"S PRETTY DARN NEAR AN EDITORIAL FOR THAT ALT-RIGHT FLAGSHIP OUTLET --- IT IS CERTAINLY MUST READING
RUDDY'S PITCH IS LED-OFF WITH A BANNER HEADLINE >>> "TRUMP AND DEMOCRATIC SMOKESCREENS" <<< AND A BIG HEADS-SHOT PHOTO OF SMARMY CHUCK SCHUMER
ACCORDING TO CHRIS RUDDY, THIS IS WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID TO HIM --- "THIS WILL BE INVESTIGATED, IT WILL ALL COME OUT. I WILL BE PROVEN RIGHT."
Here're the meat and potatoes according to Chris Ruddy: ".... I spoke with the President twice yesterday about the wiretap story. I haven’t seen him this pissed off in a long time. When I mentioned Obama 'denials' about the wiretaps, he shot back: 'This will be investigated, it will all come out. I will be proven right.'... The big news Saturday after Trump’s disclosure was the fact that neither Obama nor any Obama administration officials actually denied that Trump’s offices were ever wire tapped.... Instead the press focused on the rather narrow denial that Obama himself never ordered such a wiretap. [Wouldn’t it strain belief that a major presidential candidate’s offices were wiretapped and the president was never informed?].... Today on the "Meet the Press" James Clapper, Obama’s Director of National Intelligence, denied any agency that operated under him, including the FBI, ever wiretapped the Trump offices. “To my knowledge,” he added. [Wasn’t Clapper the same man who testified under oath that the NSA never collected phone data on millions of Americans — a fact proven untrue by the Snowden revelations?].... But the most important Clapper revelation from “Meet the Press” was this: He empathically told Todd the Obama intelligence agencies found 'no evidence'” of collusion between Trump’s campaign and the Russians. Nothing. Nada.... If that is true, and Trump is right he was indeed wiretapped, it will only fuel his argument that Obama administration officials improperly eavesdropped on his offices.... Trump will be justified when he claimed in tweets yesterday that this was Nixon-style “Watergate” activities.... If that is true, and Trump is right he was indeed wiretapped, it will only fuel his argument that Obama administration officials improperly eavesdropped on his offices.... Trump will be justified when he claimed in tweets yesterday that this was Nixon-style 'Watergate' activities...."
Ruddy's conclusion is this: ".... This week, President Trump gave a bold and inclusive speech to Congress. It won wide praise. The Democrats don’t want Trump to succeed. Hence, all the smokescreens."
THERE IS EVEN MORE THAN THAT IN THE WHOLE RUDDY ARTICLE --- THAT'S WHY IT IS A >>> MUST READ <<< FOR ALL REPUBLICANS AND ALL LOYAL AMERICANS
UPDATE: THE "COMEY QUESTION" EDITION
ReplyDeleteTHERE HAVE BEEN LOTS OF REPORTS ABOUT COMEY ASKING THE DOJ TO REBUT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S CLAIMS ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA AND WIRETAPS --- BUT NO QUOTES ABOUT WHAT COMEY ACTUALLY SAID AND/OR WROTE, AND TO WHOM
THIS IS JUST MORE OF THE DEMOCRATS AND THE MSM SETTING THEIR OWN HAIR ON FIRE
The NY Times story about what Comey supposedly said or did is even more thinly sourced than most of its recent reporting --- NY Times, "Paper of Record" ? Don't be ridiculous.....