President-elect Donald Trump’s broadside against the intelligence community is dividing Capitol Hill Republicans, with some ready to pounce on Trump’s skepticism that Russia interfered with the U.S. elections and others urging a more cautious approach.
The resulting schism could widen as Congress begins probing the CIA’s charges that Russia intervened in the November elections in an attempt to help Trump, potentially becoming one of the first significant intraparty breaches of the Trump presidency.
U.S. critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin, such as Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), want to go full-bore on holding Russia to account for its suspected election interference. But they may be slowed by GOP senators who prefer to wait to hear the intelligence community’s evidence and for Trump to be installed in the White House.
When asked whether he would be influenced by Trump’s Tuesday tweet about a supposedly delayed “Intelligence” briefing on “so-called” Russian hacking, McCain said flatly, “No.”
McCain will hold a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday on “foreign cyber threats” that is expected to center on Russia. Intelligence officials — including Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr., Defense Undersecretary for Intelligence Marcel J. Lettre II and U.S. Cyber Command and National Security Agency Director Michael S. Rogers — will testify, and some Republicans are hoping they will present evidence that Russia meddled in the elections.
“The point of this hearing is to have the intelligence community reinforce, from their point of view, that the Russians did this,” Graham said. “You seem to have two choices now — some guy living in an embassy, on the run from the law for rape, who has a history of undermining American democracy and releasing classified information to put our troops at risk, or the 17 intelligence agencies sworn to defend us. I’m going with them.”
Graham was referring to Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder accused of helping Russia leak emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee. He has few fans in Congress — on Wednesday, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) called Assange a “sycophant for Russia.”
Assange has denied he received leaked emails from the Russians. Trump echoed Assange in a tweet Tuesday in which he said “a 14-year-old could have hacked Podesta,” referring to Hillary Clinton’s former campaign chairman, John Podesta. Trump also tweeted support for Assange’s comment that the media is “dishonest.”
Assange’s first claim may be narrowly accurate — Russia’s intelligence services used middlemen to deliver the purloined files, said senior U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. But U.S. spy agencies are in full agreement that Russia directed the hacking and orchestrated email dumps to WikiLeaks to help Trump win — a finding at the heart of a classified assessment completed this week.
Trump’s online endorsement of Assange is his latest insult to the U.S. intelligence community and is likely to intensify the antagonism between the president-elect and U.S. spy agencies. He has repeatedly disparaged their work and skipped most of the daily briefings prepared for a future White House occupant.
CIA veterans said the level of open hostility is extraordinary. “I can’t think of any transition during my career as seemingly fraught as this one,” said John Rizzo, the CIA’s former acting general counsel.[...]
The bipartisan heads of the Senate’s Foreign Relations, Armed Services and Intelligence committees met Wednesday to coordinate how to conduct the Russian-hacking investigation over the next weeks and months. After the meeting, Democrats expressed hope that Trump’s attacks on the intelligence community would not complicate their efforts.
“The most important role of the intelligence community is to speak truth to power,” said Sen. Mark R. Warner (Va.), lead Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, noting that Trump’s “rather dismissive attitude of the intelligence community” concerns him. “There is broad-based bipartisan concern that we’ve got to do this investigation in an appropriate manner as quickly as possible,” Warner added.
Graham said. “You seem to have two choices now — some guy living in an embassy, on the run from the law for rape, who has a history of undermining American democracy and releasing classified information to put our troops at risk, or the 17 intelligence agencies sworn to defend us. I’m going with them.”
ReplyDeleteI'll go with the 17 intelligence agencies, as well.
“Trump echoed Assange in a tweet Tuesday in which he said “a 14-year-old could have hacked Podesta,” referring to Hillary Clinton’s former campaign chairman, John Podesta. Trump also tweeted support for Assange’s comment that the media is “dishonest.””
ReplyDeleteI’m a Trump supporter.
Zechariah in the Bible fiercely preaches against perjury, stealing, baseless hatreds, and plotting evil and preaches for honesty and integrity.
“And do not contrive evil against one another, and do not love perjury, because all those are things that I hate---declares the Lord.” (8:17). “Thus said the Lord of Hosts: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth month, the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month shall become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals for the House of Judah; but you must love honesty and integrity.” (8:19). “Thus said the Lord of Hosts: Execute true justice; deal loyally and compassionately with one another. Do not defraud the widow, the orphan, the stranger, and the poor; and do not plot evil against one another.” (7:9-10). Perjury is willful making false statements in a court proceeding in a matter material to the issue.
The anti-Trump; Hillary Clinton, John Podestra, much of the media etc are looking high and low to attack and vilify Trump. They won’t succeed. At the end of the day Clinton will go to jail for her crimes of violating laws on classified and secret information.
what does this screed have to do with anything? Please stick to the topic and get off your soapbox
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-lies-and-honest-journalism-1483557700
ReplyDeleteSee what Baker, editor of Wall Street Journal, says on the subject of calling someone a liar. The anti-Trump people like to call Trump a liar. I’m a Trump supporter.
I liar is someone who presents information with the intent to deceive. Trump does it all the time. He is not ashamed of it - why are you?
ReplyDeleteIn other words, you are trying to reconcile your support of Trump with your citations of Torah sources decrying dishonesty, and you have done that by quoting the WSJ. Only problem is that Trump himself has stated that he does not feel any need to speak the truth, and his ghost writer even coined some phrase (used in one of his books) with which he labels his falsehoods (truthful hyperbole).
ReplyDeleteThis is from that writer:
Lying is second nature to him,” Schwartz said. “More than anyone else I have ever met, Trump has the ability to convince himself that whatever he is saying at any given moment is true, or sort of true, or at least ought to be true.” Often, Schwartz said, the lies that Trump told him were about money—“how much he had paid for something, or what a building he owned was worth, or how much one of his casinos was earning when it was actually on its way to bankruptcy.”
Schwartz says of Trump, “He lied strategically. He had a complete lack of conscience about it.” Since most people are “constrained by the truth,” Trump’s indifference to it “gave him a strange advantage.”
As Baker phrased it: The word “lie” conveys a moral as well as factual judgment. To accuse someone of lying is to impute a willful, deliberate attempt to deceive. It says he knowingly used a misrepresentation of the facts to mislead for his own purposes….If we are to use the term “lie” in our reporting, then we have to be confident about the subject’s state of knowledge and his moral intent.’’
ReplyDeleteBeing a Trump supporter, I say that Trump’s moral intentions are noble and good. Trump has no intentions of stealing and contriving evil, even while he states his whoppers:
“Mr. Trump has a record of saying things that are, as far as the available evidence tells us, untruthful: thousands of Muslims celebrating 9/11 on the rooftops of New Jersey, millions of votes cast illegally in the presidential election, President Obama’s supposed foreign birth. We can also point out that the circumstances are such that it’s reasonable to infer that Mr. Trump should know that these statements are untrue.”
are you saying that Trump was too stupid to realize what he was saying was not factual and that makes his untrue statements not lies just not true?
ReplyDeleteSo what Trump made untrue statements---politics, speeches. Trump had tough opposition---Obama, Clinton, media etc…. As a Trump supporter I see Trump following Zechariah.
ReplyDeleteZechariah urges “…but you must love honesty and integrity.” (8:19). “And do not contrive evil against one another, and do not love perjury, because all those are things that I hate---declares the Lord.” (8:17). Zechariah hates contriving evil. Perjury is a way to contrive evil (stealing etc)
please! How disgusting. You are claiming he is a truly righteous and honest man who was forced by the "evil" Clinton, Obama and Media - to lie and cheat?!
ReplyDeleteNo. Trump does say untruths in politics and speeches because he has evil enemies: Obama, Clinton, media, etc. Evil enemies in Israel make a show of sanctimony. See http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/20012
ReplyDeleteLikewise Trump’s evil enemies in the USA do affected hypocritical appearance of sanctity.
I assume you think that since you view Trump as beyond morality he can also steal and kill to stop his "evil" enemies. This is absurd. You are not talking about a president but a tyrant.
ReplyDeleteAssange has denied he received leaked emails from the Russians. Trump echoed Assange in a tweet Tuesday in which he said “a 14-year-old could have hacked Podesta,” referring to Hillary Clinton’s former campaign chairman, John Podesta. Trump also tweeted support for Assange’s comment that the media is “dishonest.”
ReplyDeleteTrump fights the dishonest and scheming Clinton, Podesta, Obama, media etc.
“Assuredly, I will give their wives to others, And their fields to dispossessors;
For from the smallest to the greatest, They are all greedy for gain; Priest and prophet alike, They all act falsely עשה שקר. (Jeremiah 8:10)
“Thus said the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Mend your ways and your actions, and I
will let you dwell in this place. Don’t put your trust in illusions דברי השקרand say, “The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are these [buildings].” No, if you really mend your ways and your actions; if you execute justice between one man and another; if you do not oppress the stranger, the orphan, and the widow; if you do not shed the blood of the innocent in this place; if you do not follow other gods, to your own hurt—then only will I let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers for all time. See, you are relying on illusions דברי השקר that are of no avail. Will you steal and murder and commit adultery and swear falsely, and sacrifice to Baal, and follow other gods whom you have not experienced,” (Jeremiah 7:3-9)
Whew, thank G-d, Trump won. I’m a Trump supporter. “Assuredly, I will give their wives to others, And their fields to dispossessors…” constitutes a warning to lying in a court proceeding (perjury). Liars’ hope to steal property. G-d will punish a liar by giving the liar’s spouse to someone else and by taking away the liar’s property. Jeremiah’s first way to mend ways and actions “execute justice between one man and another.”
you obviously don't pay attention to everything that Trump says - especially not his inconsistent and contradictory statements and tweets.
ReplyDeleteYou just keep repeating the irrelevant nonsense that he is fighting dishonest scheming etc etc.
It is hard to imagine how this thin skinned ego maniac will be able to function as president
I agree that if you plan to stay with a cheater don't try to find any information. However, in my case I needed it in my state in order to file for a divorce and come out of the relationship. You can't just say I think courts want proof or you end up spending a lot of time and money to fight it out! Finding out was hard, but I was relieved that I wasn't crazy and it's making my divorce go a lot smoother. He would never confess; therefore, I did the best thing for me...find out, no doubt, move on!!!contact hotcyberlord@gmail.com..he's a professional and will surely help you out,tell him from Ninah,.,.//
ReplyDeleteHe has enough supporters, who are unwilling or unable to admit they made a mistake, and who will defend him no matter what he does (or doesn't). That is enough to be president in our democracy.
ReplyDeleteNo. We knew exactly what kind of flawed individual we were voting for last November. The problem was we had no better alternative. It's like going into market for whole milk and the only choices were low-fat and skim.
ReplyDeleteTrump's whoppers are just that and people know it. Did you know there was a Tennessee congressman whose campaigns were tall tales? http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2011/06/davy_crockett_and_the_coonskin.html
ReplyDeleteNormally when people realized that the best candidate is 2nd rate - they know that he needs special attention. What I am hearing fromTrum supporters like Joe Orlow is "we need to ignore reality for Trump to succeed" - that is really scary
ReplyDelete“And they told him, “Joseph is still alive; yes, he is ruler over the whole land of Egypt.” His heart went numb, for he did not believe them.” (Genesis 45:26). Can we leave the subject of telling untruths/whoppers and go to the subject of perjury?
ReplyDeleteLonna v. israel Meir or Tamar v. Aaron any evidence of perjury? In the Mendel Epstein sting, we see Schacter, Ralbag, all of them, don’t care about perjury.
Zechariah 8:17: “And do not contrive evil against one another, and do not love perjury, because all those are things that I hate---declares the Lord.” Perjury is willful making false statements in a court proceeding in a matter material to the issue. Perjury, going unpunished, succeeds in stealing property. I wrote today to the NYS Court of Appeals Susan v. Gerald 2016—1135:
“4. I seek the Court's acceptance of my appeal. Susan used throughout phony pretexts to steal my property and to hurt our children. Susan's pretentious complaints against me were to cover her efforts to steal my property. Susan is a tough legal opponent… 6. Jeremiah warns perjurers---liars in a court proceeding: “Assuredly, I will give their wives to others, And their fields to dispossessors…” Jeremiah warns that God will do to the liar, the evil the liar is scheming to do to his/her fellow. Jeremiah warns that God will punish a perjurer by giving the perjurer's spouse to someone else and by taking away the perjurer's property. Jeremiah's first way to mend ways and actions is by executing justice.”
no - stop trying to change the subject. The elections is over. Why does Trump still need to have a carnival of distractions i.e., "Making America Great"
ReplyDeleteSee http://www.wsj.com/articles/we-arent-the-world-1483728161
ReplyDelete“But globalism is an ideology, and its struggle with nationalism will shape the coming era much as the struggle between conservatives and liberals has shaped the last. That, at least, is how the new nationalists see it. After successfully pressuring Carrier Corp. to keep in Indiana about half of the 2,100 jobs that the firm had planned to move to Mexico, Mr. Trump told a rally last month, “There is no global anthem, no global currency, no certificate of global citizenship. From now on, it’s going to be ‘America First.’ ”
I expect Mike Pence to keep him on the straight and narrow because if Trump succeeds, Pence will be in the best position in 2024
ReplyDelete