Posted on 04/14/2017 8:22:38 AM PDT by upchuck
Influential Sen. Lindsey Graham said he expects May hearings into allegations former Obama national security advisor Susan Rice ordered the unmasking of names of associates of President Donald Trump and compared her denials to the purposefully wrong claims that the Benghazi embassy attack in 2012 was caused by an anti-Islam video.
The South Carolina senator said, "I'm not going to prejudge. But I know, do know during Benghazi which you're well aware of, that she started the storyline of a protest caused by a video. It was always a terrorist attack on day one. They manipulated the information, I think for political reason."
Graham said that in Intelligence Committee hearings into the scandal he expects key intelligence officials will be called in a bid to figure out what happened when Trump officials were spied on in a probe of Russia.
He also told the upcoming Sunday public affairs show Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson that he is concerned his phone calls with foreign officials could be tapped.
The following is from his conversation with Attkisson for her show which appears on Sinclair TV stations and online Sunday at 9:30 a.m.:
Sharyl: "If this was done to President Trump and his team during the campaign at a time when nobody really thought he was going to win, doesn't that raise a question in your mind of whether it was possible it was done to other candidates?"
Sen. Graham: "Yeah, here's what I don't quite understand. Why should they listen to a conversation between somebody running for president and a foreign agent unless you believe that person's committed a crime? So, if I'm talking to a foreign leader as a United States senator, it's one thing to be monitoring the person I'm talking to for intelligence gathering, it's another thing to listen to my conversation. There's a separation of powers issue here. As a member of the legislative branch of government, I don't want the executive branch of government collecting my conversations even if they're incidental because I don't want them to know what I'm talking about. This is really scary to me. I understand incidental collection is part of the process, but when you have government officials like myself, the Trump team, I think you should cut the machine off."
After Trump used Twitter to raise the issue and point a finger at Rice, she went on TV to deny any wrongdoing in "unmasking" the name of those listened to. She said, "I leaked nothing, to nobody, and never have and never would."
LOL. I stopped reading right there.
I’m betting that Bambi handed out blanket pardons to most of his staff.
Personally, I think it should be REQUIRED that when Lindsey Graham is mention it should be immediately be followed by SOUTH CAROLINA US SENATOR.
The people that elected this man, the STATE that put him in Congress should have their collective noses rubbed in his stupid stuff EVERY TIME! They have to be accountable for electing this POS. Same for McCain, too.
I don’t think Rice lies. I think she says exactly what she is told to say.
Omg, he got something right. My beeber is stuned.
It would be interesting to see what her oath(s) of office were, if any. I think they required allegiance to the country and its laws - not a President.
She may actually have done what she was told, but that is nothing more than an update to “I was only following orders.....”
That there's even a question about this is absurd. Rice knew she was in line for Secy of State under Hillary---that's a might powerful incentive.
"Susan The Sifter" is no shrinking violet. Her hubris is such that she thought nothing of sprinting to five separate Sunday talk shows to dupe Americans into the Benghazi-video scam.
Rice never bothers to disguise her unmitigated contempt for Americans......she wears it like an Olympic medal.
Significantly, they were all running for their lives. Hillary purportedly said:" If Trump gets elected, we'll all hang."
The crimes committed by the Obama admin have yet to be unveiled.....but they will be.....to everyone's shock and amazement.
"Get something damaging on Penguin books for my book deal.
And get Harvey Einstein's tax returns. Malia needs a job."
Trump is a deal guy. The Deep state offered him a deal he couldn't refuse. You can have domestic policy - go ahead kid, knock yourself out with the wall, immigration, spying, etc - but don't mess with the empire.
Positive gestures from neos like Linda & Insane should tell anyone paying attention what went down.
Will “Linda” actually do anything?... or just bark at the moon?
As a South Carolinian, I agree. The folks responsible for linda being a Senator from SC are the Dems who cross over in the primary and vote for linda so she easily beats other, way more qualified candidates. Come the general election you’ve got to choose between linda and some lesser known Dem. I write in the candidate who should have won the primary.
FWIW, I understand conservatives in AZ have the same problem with Juan.
Thanks onyx.
I was only following orders.....
Exactly. Whose orders?
Rice has been the frontman for Team Obama, Baghdad Bob. It is a badge of honor to take the incoming. Graham, imo, is simply following the plan of his guides but this kind of talk enables him to be an ‘R’ thus “influential”. He and McCain both command more attn when their 2 votes count on important matters. It is their niche.
“Influential Sen. Lindsey Graham said...”
drat, you beat me to it. I also stopped reading there
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