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FOCUS: Now the CIA Will Rescue Us From Donald Trump |
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Written by <a href="index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=36478"><span class="small">John Kiriakou, Reader Supported News</span></a>
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Tuesday, 13 December 2016 12:46 |
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Kiriakou writes: "I've made a living the past several years criticizing the CIA. The Agency is easy to criticize. Its analysts have missed most of the major trends and events throughout post World War II history, as documented in Tim Weiner's excellent book Legacy of Ashes. Its operatives have committed crimes against humanity, including torture and extraordinary rendition. And its leaders lie every time they open their mouths. 'We don't torture prisoners.' A lie. 'We don't send prisoners to third countries to be tortured.' A lie. You get the idea."
Donald Trump, left, and CIA director John Brennan. (image: FT/Getty Images)
Now the CIA Will Rescue Us From Donald Trump
By John Kiriakou, Reader Supported News
13 December 16
 ’ve made a living the past several years criticizing the CIA. The Agency is easy to criticize. Its analysts have missed most of the major trends and events throughout post World War II history, as documented in Tim Weiner’s excellent book Legacy of Ashes. Its operatives have committed crimes against humanity, including torture and extraordinary rendition. And its leaders lie every time they open their mouths. “We don’t torture prisoners.” A lie. “We don’t send prisoners to third countries to be tortured.” A lie. You get the idea.
But now the CIA – indeed, the whole “intelligence community” – is telling us that the Russian government somehow hacked into “the election” or “the electoral process,” apparently with the help of Wikileaks or other hackers, for the express purpose of aiding the Donald Trump campaign. The FBI apparently has come to a variation of the same conclusion, although the Washington Post says that the FBI is more circumspect about the accusation. Still, President Obama has ordered a governmental review of the allegations. And a bipartisan group in Congress, including senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), and John McCain (R-Ariz.), has announced hearings on the matter.
Let’s get some history out of the way first. The CIA’s first covert action program after its creation in 1947 was to work to swing the 1948 Italian elections to the (pro-American) conservatives. Testimony before the Church Committee, created in 1975 to investigate CIA crimes, showed that the CIA had given $1 million to Italian “centrist parties,” and published forged letters to discredit the Italian Communist Party. And just ask anybody from Iran, the Dominican Republic, Chile, El Salvador, Greece, and a dozen other countries about what the CIA has done in their elections over the years. Meddling in elections is wrong. It’s anti-democratic. The CIA shouldn’t do it and, if this new CIA report is accurate, the Russians shouldn’t be doing it either.
For the sake of argument, let’s say that the Russians did indeed conduct a covert action operation to influence the election in Trump’s favor. Where does that leave us? First, it means the election is (or ought to be) illegitimate. Russian intervention, coupled with the fact that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes, makes Trump look like a usurper. The Washington swells’ admonitions that we should all “pull together” for the sake of the country make them look like quislings and are just as anti-democratic as Trump's election.
With that said, the Constitution doesn’t include any mechanism whereby a newly-elected president can be removed because of interference in the election. We’re likely stuck with Trump for the next four years or until he’s impeached and removed from office for any number of reasons that already seem to be bubbling to the surface. In the meantime, though, we can resort to the courts to help get to the bottom of this mess. We can demand that the entire election be declared illegitimate. (It likely won’t be, but it could force changes in the system that might guard against future election-related security breaches.) We can push our members of Congress to investigate the allegations, with witnesses being subpoenaed and forced to testify under oath and under penalty of perjury.
Whatever the American people decide to do in response to Russian interference, if there was Russian interference, one thing is clear – we have to be a monkey on Trump’s back every day for the remainder of his presidency. We must not let up.
Oh, and by the way – the release of the CIA report, or information from the CIA report, is an act of espionage as defined by the Obama Justice Department: “Providing national security information to any person not entitled to receive it.” I wonder who’s going to be charged with that leak. Yeah, right.
John Kiriakou is a former CIA counterterrorism officer and a former senior investigator with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. John became the sixth whistleblower indicted by the Obama administration under the Espionage Act – a law designed to punish spies. He served 23 months in prison as a result of his attempts to oppose the Bush administration's torture program.
Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
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FOCUS: A Constitutional Crisis Is Brewing |
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Written by <a href="index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=63"><span class="small">Marc Ash, Reader Supported News</span></a>
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Tuesday, 13 December 2016 11:56 |
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Ash writes: "Based on the backgrounds of the senators involved, the participation of NSA director James Clapper, and the statements being made, it is clear this is a highly focused effort to move Russian involvement in the elections to center stage - prior to Donald Trump's inauguration and perhaps before the Electoral College convenes on December 19th."
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has been asked to brief Electoral College electors on Russian involvement in the November 2016 presidential elections. (photo: Evan Vucci/AP)
A Constitutional Crisis Is Brewing
By Marc Ash, Reader Supported News
13 December 16
 he Russian election interference issue is heating up quickly. A lot of very powerful Congressional leaders, both Democrats and Republicans, are taking quite seriously the CIA’s findings that Russia deliberately influenced the recently concluded U.S. presidential election.
Leaving aside for the moment serious concerns about the CIA’s ability to be a fair broker of public information, in addition to the U.S. government’s own record on effecting regime change, often through unilateral military action, Russian involvement in the outcome of the November 8th election is absolutely being treated as an urgent matter at the highest echelons of American government, on both sides of the political divide.
Based on the backgrounds of the senators involved, the participation of NSA director James Clapper, and the statements being made, it is clear this is a highly focused effort to move Russian involvement in the elections to center stage – prior to Donald Trump’s inauguration and perhaps before the Electoral College convenes on December 19th.
A bipartisan group of 10 Electoral College electors have authored an open letter to James Clapper requesting a briefing on Russian involvement. The letter is extraordinary in its detail, attention to fact, and readily apparent alarm over the potential that a foreign actor played a hand in determining the presidential election. The letter contains a request for a briefing on potential foreign involvement in the election. The letter reads in part:
“The Electors require to know from the intelligence community whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of those investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations. We further require a briefing on all investigative findings, as these matters directly impact the core factors in our deliberations of whether Mr. Trump is fit to serve as President of the United States.
“Additionally, the Electors will separately require from Donald Trump conclusive evidence that he and his staff and advisors did not accept Russian interference, or otherwise collaborate during the campaign, and conclusive disavowal and repudiation of such collaboration and interference going forward.”
Having published the letter publicly prior to the vote that will determine the presidency puts the result of the Electoral College vote in play; it can no longer be viewed as a foregone conclusion. In less than 24 hours from the time the letter was published the number of signers has nearly tripled from 11 to 29.
Many in Washington are very uneasy with Donald Trump’s irreverent and unorthodox style. Nothing Trump has done in assembling his cabinet has eased those concerns. To the contrary, Trump’s picks are among the most deeply conflicted ever considered for positions within a presidential administration. That, coupled with unprecedented opposition to Mr. Trump by leaders of his own party, has set the stage for a confrontation that now appears to be taking shape.
The situation is fluid and developing very quickly. However, the trajectory of events could easily put Mr. Trump’s ascension to the presidency in question.
All of this takes the country into uncharted waters. It would appear that is where we now are.
Marc Ash is the founder and former Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.
Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
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Electoral College Electors Have Written a Letter to James Clapper |
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Tuesday, 13 December 2016 09:07 |
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Excerpt: "As Electors, we believe that deliberation is at the heart of democracy itself, not an empty or formalistic task ... The Constitution envisions the Electoral College as a deliberative body that plays a critical role in our system of government - ensuring that the American people elect a president who is constitutionally qualified and fit to serve."
James Clapper. (photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Electoral College Electors Have Written a Letter to James Clapper
By Christine Pelosi, Extra Newsfeed
13 December 16
 pen Letter to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper:
We are Electors who were selected by the voters of our states to represent them in the Electoral College on December 19, 2016. We intend to discharge our duties as Electors by ensuring that we select a candidate for president who, as our Founding Fathers envisioned, would be “endowed with the requisite qualifications.” As Electors, we also believe that deliberation is at the heart of democracy itself, not an empty or formalistic task. We do not understand our sole function to be to convene in mid-December, several weeks after Election Day, and summarily cast our votes. To the contrary, the Constitution envisions the Electoral College as a deliberative body that plays a critical role in our system of government — ensuring that the American people elect a president who is constitutionally qualified and fit to serve. Accordingly, to fulfill our role as Electors, we seek an informed and unrestrained opportunity to fulfill our constitutional role leading up to December 19th — that is, the ability to investigate, discuss, and deliberate with our colleagues about whom to vote for in the Electoral College.
We further emphasize Alexander Hamilton’s assertion in Federalist Paper #68 that a core purpose of the Electoral College was to prevent a “desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils.” The United States intelligence community has now concluded with “high confidence” that a foreign power, namely Russia, acted covertly to interfere in the presidential campaign with the intent of promoting Donald Trump’s candidacy. During the campaign Russia actively attempted to influence the election outcome through cyber attacks on our political institutions and a comprehensive propaganda campaign coordinated through Wikileaks and other outlets.
Allegations that Donald Trump was receiving assistance from a hostile foreign power to win the election began months before Election Day. When presented with information that the Russian government was interfering in the election through the course of the campaign, both in private briefings and public assessment, Donald Trump rejected it, refused to condemn it, and continued to accept their help. Donald Trump even made a direct plea to the Russian government to interfere further in the election in a press conference on July 27, saying, “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.”
According to reports in the Washington Post, New York Times, and other outlets, the United States intelligence community has now concluded definitively that the Russian interference was performed to help Donald Trump get elected, yet even today Mr. Trump is refusing to accept that finding. In response to the reports, the Trump transition office instead released a statement which called into question the validity of United States intelligence findings, and declared the election over despite the Electoral College not yet casting its votes. Trump’s willingness to disregard conclusions made by the intelligence community and his continuing defense of Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin demand close scrutiny and deliberation from the Electoral College.
Separate from Mr. Trump’s own denials of Russian involvement in the election, the confirmed communication between Trump’s aides and those associated with the Russian election interference activity raise serious concerns that must be addressed before we cast our votes. Trump-confidant Roger Stone confirmed during the campaign that he was engaged in back-channel communications with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, responsible for releasing much of the Russian-hacked Democratic communications, and indicated that he was aware of the hacked content prior to its release. Trump foreign policy advisor Carter Page reportedly visited Moscow in July of this year, just prior to the release of hacked DNC communications, during which it was believed he met with the Putin aide in charge of Russian intelligence on the U.S. election. Page returned to Moscow this week where he claimed to be meeting with Russian business and thought leaders.
In addition to Donald Trump and his aides’ conduct, revelations about their further involvement with the Russian government over the course of the campaign demand further investigation, as well as full disclosure of findings from any ongoing or closed investigative efforts:
- Russian government officials revealed that they had maintained contact with the Trump campaign during the election, and stated that they were familiar with most of the individuals associated with Mr. Trump.
- Media inquiries into whether the FBI was investigating Donald Trump’s July plea for Russian interference in the election resulted in a “Glomar response” neither confirming nor denying the existence of an investigation, rather than the more typical response of denying the request outright.
- U.S. intelligence officials reportedly probed Trump foreign policy advisor Carter Page in regard to travel to his Moscow during the campaign.
- The FBI reportedly began an inquiry into Trump associates following reports of a multi-million dollar business relationship with pro-Putin figures in Ukraine and Russia, and reports of an effort to sway American public opinion in favor of Ukraine’s pro-Putin government.
- Michael Flynn, Trump campaign aide and the announced incoming National Security Advisor, traveled to Russia in December of 2015 for a gala event celebrating RT, a state-controlled propaganda network, at which he was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Electors require to know from the intelligence community whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of those investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations. We further require a briefing on all investigative findings, as these matters directly impact the core factors in our deliberations of whether Mr. Trump is fit to serve as President of the United States.
Additionally, the Electors will separately require from Donald Trump conclusive evidence that he and his staff and advisors did not accept Russian interference, or otherwise collaborate during the campaign, and conclusive disavowal and repudiation of such collaboration and interference going forward.
We hope that the information and actions described in this letter will be provided in an expeditious manner, so that we can fulfill our constitutional duty as Electors.
Signed,
Christine Pelosi (CA)
Micheal Baca (CO)
Anita Bonds (DC)
Courtney Watson (MD)
Dudley Dudley (NH)
Bev Hollingworth (NH)
Terie Norelli (NH)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH)
Clay Pell (RI)
Chris Suprun (TX)
Newly Added Electors:
Vinz Koller (CA)
Katherine Lyon (CA)
Andres Ramos (CA)
Jerad Sutton (CO)
Robert Nemenich (CO)
Jason Palitsch (MA)
Parwez Wahid (MA)
Paul G. Yorkis (MA)
Robert Leonard (MD)
Salome T. Peters (MD)
Stuart Appelbaum (NY)
Melissa Mark-Viverito (NY)
Stephanie Miner (NY)
Melissa Sklarz (NY)
Sam H.W. Sappington (OR)
Beth Caldwell (WA)
Bret Chiafalo (WA)
Deb Fitzgerald (VA)
Terry C. Frye (VA)
Presidential electors interested in adding their names to this letter should contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Rick Perry Infamously Forgot About the Department of Energy. Now He Might Lead It |
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Tuesday, 13 December 2016 09:05 |
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Reilly writes: "President-elect Donald Trump may nominate former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to lead the Department of Energy - the agency Perry wanted to abolish but infamously forgot to name during a 2011 presidential debate."
Rick Perry. (photo: Reuters)
Rick Perry Infamously Forgot About the Department of Energy. Now He Might Lead It
By Katie Reilly, TIME
13 December 16
"Commerce, Education and the, um, what’s the third one there? Let’s see"
 resident-elect Donald Trump may nominate former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to lead the Department of Energy—the agency Perry wanted to abolish but infamously forgot to name during a 2011 presidential debate.
“It’s three agencies of government, when I get there, that are gone—Commerce, Education and the, um, what’s the third one there? Let’s see,” Perry said during a Republican presidential debate in November 2011.
As Perry stumbled to think of the answer, Mitt Romney chimed in to suggest the Environmental Protection Agency, while Ron Paul suggested he actually meant to cut five agencies.
“But you can’t name the third one?” CNBC moderator John Harwood asked.
“The third agency of government I would do away with—the education, uh, the, uh, commerce and let’s see. I can’t—the third one. Sorry. Oops,” Perry said.
He later identified the Department of Energy as the agency he had been trying to name.
“From time to time, you may forget about an agency that you are gonna zero out,” Perry said in an interview following the debate, according to ABC News. “Everybody tomorrow will understand the Energy Department is one of those that needs to be done away with.”
Perry met with Trump at Trump Tower on Monday. NBC News and CBS News reported that Perry has been selected to be energy secretary, citing sources close to the presidential transition.
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ere are two of political history’s great constants: first, countries meddling in the internal affairs of others (both enemies and “friends”); and, second, bogus charges from a faction in one country that foreigners are meddling in its internal affairs to help another faction.
