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@rembrandt said in US Politics:
She is not wrong here.
Absolutely disgusting what mainstream media has become.
Acosta is scum. Stupid prick can't realise that it's people like himself that are the reason his profession is held in such contempt.
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Awesome. If Dennis Rodman can do it... why not?
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I could watch a US president mock politicians all day.
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@baron-silas-greenback said in US Politics:
I could watch a US president mock politicians all day.
Well I laughed out loud.
Once you 'get' Trump its actually a hell of a lot of fun watching him perform.
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Of note:
Rand Paul’s Comeback
The Kentucky senator is a favorite of the president. In Trump’s Washington, Paul, and some of his friends, are power players unto themselves.
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/rand-paul’s-comeback-28682
“...[S]hould Trump continue to buck the neoconservative establishment, discussion has swirled in recent days of an even larger role for Paul—in the cabinet or on the ticket. ...”
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And again:
Trump connects with Rand ‘at gut level’
Enemies on the 2016 campaign trail, the Kentucky senator and the iconoclastic president have developed a quiet Washington friendship.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/08/rand-paul-trump-russia-putin-768472
He infuriates West Wing aides who have had to scramble to win his support for key votes, but Rand Paul has the ear, and the affection, of the most important person in the White House: President Donald Trump.
Once bitter rivals on the Republican campaign trail, the Kentucky senator and the commander-in-chief have bonded over a shared delight in thumbing their noses at experts the president likes to deride as “foreign policy eggheads,” including those who work in his own administration.
When Trump dismissed national security adviser H.R. McMaster in March, replacing him with John Bolton, he told McMaster, “Look, he’s a hawk, you’re hawk, I can handle you guys,” according to a White House aide. While Trump tolerates his hawkish advisers, the aide added, he shares a real bond with Paul: “He actually at gut level has the same instincts as Rand Paul.”
Paul has quietly emerged as an influential sounding board and useful ally for the president, who frequently clashes with his top advisers on foreign policy. The Kentucky senator's relationship with Trump, developed via frequent cellphone calls and over rounds of golf at the president’s Virginia country club, became publicly apparent for the first time on Wednesday when the senator announced he had hand-delivered a letter to the Kremlin on Trump’s behalf.
Both Paul and Trump routinely rail against foreign entanglements, foreign wars, and foreign aid — positions characterized as isolationist by critics and as “America first” by the president and his supporters. [...]
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This is interesting. Is this a free speech issue? Seems pretty clearly like it to me, but I see the Daily Wire is already is full refutation mode arguing that Obama tried to do the same thing.
August 16, 2018
STATEMENT FROM FORMER SENIOR INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS
As former senior intelligence officials, we feel compelled to respond in the wake of the ill-considered and unprecedented remarks and actions by the White House regarding the removal of John Brennan’s security clearances. We know John to be an enormously talented, capable, and patriotic individual who devoted his adult life to the service of this nation. Insinuations and allegations of wrongdoing on the part of Brennan while in office are baseless. Since leaving government service John has chosen to speak out sharply regarding what he sees as threats to our national security. Some of the undersigned have done so as well. Others among us have elected to take a different course and be more circumspect in our public pronouncements. Regardless, we all agree that the president’s action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances – and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech. You don’t have to agree with what John Brennan says (and, again, not all of us do) to agree with his right to say it, subject to his obligation to protect classified information. We have never before seen the approval or removal of security clearances used as a political tool, as was done in this case. Beyond that, this action is quite clearly a signal to other former and current officials. As individuals who have cherished and helped preserve the right of Americans to free speech – even when that right has been used to criticize us – that signal is inappropriate and deeply regrettable. Decisions on security clearances should be based on national security concerns and not political views.
William H. Webster, former Director of Central Intelligence (1987-1991)
George J. Tenet, former Director of Central Intelligence (1997-2004)
Porter J. Goss, former Director of Central Intelligence, (2005-2006)
General Michael V. Hayden, USAF, Ret., former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2006-2009)
Leon E. Panetta, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2009-2011)
General David H. Petraeus, USA, Ret., former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2011-2012)
James R. Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence (2010-2017)
John E. McLaughlin, former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (2000-2004)
Stephen R. Kappes, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2006-2010)
Michael J. Morell, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2010-2013)
Avril Haines, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2013-2015)
David S. Cohen, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2015-2017)
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I genuinely don't understand the concept of permitting retired people who no longer have a need to know, to keep a security clearance. In my job, once you don't need it, you lose it.
[edit] And what ad comes up on Spotify after I respond to this thread? ASIO is looking for Int Officers. LOL
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@gt12 What speech is Trump stopping exactly?
What stuff can Brennan now not say that he could previously?
Why is Brennan upset? Why does he need clearance?Trump has changed lots of stuff. He has also banned his staff from becoming lobbyists.
Let's be honest Brennan was using his clearance for profit by working on MSNBC.
Any others on that list do that? -
IMO, I think this is happening as payback for him being a critic of the administration. So, I don't think it is about stopping free speech per se (he's not locked up), but it is about the president punishing people for expressing their opinion. Is there any proof that he has abused his clearance? That has traditionally been the step for having it removed, so I think that the lesson here is that if you are critical of the administration, you'll be penalized. That doesn't sound like a great idea to me.
Btw, I actually agree with @antipodean that retired officials should have their clearance revoked. However, if that's the case, then I think putting that to congress and changing established practice for all retired directors would be a fairer and more appropriate way of dealing with it.
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@gt12 I mostly agree, free speech is hardest to defend when people are saying stuff you dont like.
I dont really see it as a free speech issue, but can see the argument. I think it is more about that clearance being a privilege not a right. And Brennan (like Trump) has broken the mould on how to behave, a ex CIA director jumping on cable TV and ranting, making incredibly thinly veiled statements that he knows things that you don't is dangerous and not really great.
I think the unwritten 'normal' was that these people keep clearance, but they dont go on national news shows and leverage that clearance.And congress doesnt need to be involved, it is the presidents sole job. Not up for debate really.
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John McCain just died. He kind of tarnished his legacy towards the end there but that was kind of understandable given what Trump said about it. Can't take anything away from what he achieved after going through hell for so many years.
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@donsteppa said in US Politics:
Sad news about John McCain. He always seemed like a very decent bloke.
I think he seriously lost the plot in the last few years. And his accomplishments in politics were a procession of failures. Would have made a good president, if he hadn't been savaged by the media..... Like every other republican nominee and president
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@baron-silas-greenback said in US Politics:
@donsteppa said in US Politics:
Sad news about John McCain. He always seemed like a very decent bloke.
I think he seriously lost the plot in the last few years. And his accomplishments in politics were a procession of failures. Would have made a good president, if he hadn't been savaged by the media..... Like every other republican nominee and president
Not sure I was ever comfortable with McCain has President, he had a massive temper.
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