Slate - important read - "Trump's Accomplices"

[NRaleighLiberal]

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/03/congressional_republicans_care_more_about_loyalty_to_trump_than_the_rule.html

Congressional Republicans have shown they care more about loyalty to the president than their own principles, or even the law.

By Jamelle Bouie

Until Wednesday, Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, had a good enough relationship with his vice-chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat. But then Nunes broke protocol by sharing intelligence with the White House and then with reporters, showing incidental collection of data from Trump’s transition team and possibly from Trump himself. Just two days earlier, FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers had told the intelligence committee that several Trump associates were under investigation for ties to the Russian government and its hacking during the 2016 presidential election. What’s more, they debunked the president’s claim that Barack Obama had placed him under direct surveillance. Nunes concluded the hearing by saying, accurately, that Comey and Rogers had placed a “gray cloud” of suspicion over the Trump administration.


Rather than wait to see if that cloud would linger or pass, Nunes chose to play Weather Wizard, accusing spy agencies of abusing their surveillance powers by collecting and sharing information on Trump and his transition team. Nunes refuses to say where he obtained his evidence and hadn't shared it with other members of the intelligence committee. But the White House has embraced his claim as vindication that, in fact, Obama spied on Trump.

The problem for this argument, as the Washington Post notes, is that this surveillance—which occurred after the election—was routine monitoring of foreign officials and diplomats. “While such surveillance aims to gather intelligence about foreign actors, it can often pick up conversations with their American counterparts,” notes the Post. Nunes, who served on the president’s transition team, has muddied the waters around the White House, but he hasn’t vindicated Trump. What he has done, however, is alienate his colleagues, spur calls for a special investigation, and raise questions of whether he released classified information and revealed information about an FBI investigation to the subjects of the investigation.

Nunes sacrificed his professional integrity to run interference for Donald Trump and his team, who—if recent revelations are true—may have coordinated with Russians government hackers to harm their political opponents. Citing U.S. officials, CNN reported on Wednesday that the investigation has revealed indications that “associates of President Donald Trump communicated with suspected Russian operatives to possibly coordinate the release of information damaging to Hillary Clinton’s campaign.”

snip - more to read at the above link

[KittyWampus]

1. Correction in 1st paragraph. "But then Nunes broke protocol... SHOWING"

"But then Nunes broke protocol by sharing intelligence with the White House and then with reporters, showing incidental collection of data from Trump’s transition team and possibly from Trump himself."


NUNES DIDN'T SHOW ANYTHING.

Nunes ALLEGED.

He made allegations and contradicted himself doing it several times while speaking.

Nunes has shown on proof of anything to the Democrats on the Committee and he won't say what he got, if he got anything of substance, came from the White House itself.

Furthermore, using what Nunes said, he could be referring to something as banal as surveillance of two foreign businessmen simply mentioning "the President".

Then in the 3rd paragraph:

"The problem for this argument, as the Washington Post notes, is that this surveillance—which occurred after the election—was routine monitoring of foreign officials and diplomats. "

Again, why the hell is the WP making any kind of explanation without calling it "alleged" and also pointing out Nunes contradicted himself MULTIPLE times when speaking the other day.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. yep - the media consistently struggles with errors in small words that mean a lot. good catch.

[dchill]

2. That gray cloud of suspicion over the Trump administration...

was created BY the Trump administration. That's a NON- alternative fact.

[kentuck]

4. Trump wiil continue to be under suspicion and distrusted...

So long as he continues to hide his tax returns and his foreign holdings. Everyone associated with Russia will be under suspicion, also. This White House needs to be transparent and stop the lying and the secrecy.