Go check out the EO. The part about why things CAN'T be classified is really interesting. Something like "not embarrassing people" and similar things.
Posted on 05/24/2019 4:51:57 AM PDT by EyesOfTX
Today’s Campaign Update (Because The Campaign Never Ends)
When real news intrudes on DC Kabuki Theater. – While most of the fake news media is focused on the back-and-forth childish insults between President Trump and San Fran Nan, actual important stuff just keeps happening. British Prime Minister Theresa May resigned overnight after making an utter disaster of Brexit planning. That’s kind of a big deal.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who styles himself as a journalist, was hit with 18 charges under the Espionage Act. Gosh, that probably raised the stress level of all the reporters in our fake national news media outlets who’ve spent the last three years trading sports tickets, expensive dinners and sex for classified material, don’t you think? After all, it is one thing for a journalist to “receive” national secrets like several did from Daniel Ellsberg in the famous Pentagon Papers incident, but it is quite another thing to obtain them via bribery or, as in the case of Assange, via hacking illegally into computers. Something to keep in the back of our minds as Attorney General William Barr moves forward with his investigation. More on this later, in fact.
And speaking of our real, actual, functioning Attorney General, the biggest overnight news – news that the New York Times will likely relegate to page 19 of section C – came in the form of a letter to Mr. Barr from President Trump authorizing him to start the process of declassifying documents related to surveillance of the Trump campaign by high officials in the Obama Administration during 2016.
Boom.
“Today, at the request and recommendation of the Attorney General of the United States, President Donald J. Trump directed the intelligence community to quickly and fully cooperate with the Attorney General’s investigation into surveillance activities during the 2016 Presidential election,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.
“The Attorney General has also been delegated full and complete authority to declassify information pertaining to this investigation, in accordance with the long-established standards for handling classified information. Today’s action will help ensure that all Americans learn the truth about the events that occurred, and the actions that were taken, during the last Presidential election and will restore confidence in our public institutions.” The full text of the memorandum can be found here.
This memo is very interesting for several reasons:
It confers Barr the full authority to conduct the declassification without involvement from Mr. Trump himself. This makes sense since Trump was the ultimate target of the illegal spying, and thus would have an inherent conflict of interest. It is very telling that the President was unwilling to confer such authority on former AG Jeff Sessions, but is now willing to give it to Barr. Giving Barr full authority to manage the process also makes sense given that it is being done in conjunction with the conduct of Barr’s own investigation, which is being led by Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham. It allows Barr and Durham the discretion to hold back any documents whose public revelation might harm their own inquiry. Note all the other high officials addressed in the memorandum. Note the presence of the Secretary of …. Energy??? Hey, what is the main function of the Department of Energy? Why, it is providing security for the nation’s nuclear facilities, both in the Defense Department – whose Secretary is also addressed atop the memo – and in the nation’s power generation sector. Hey, remember that time when the Obama Administration – led by then-Sec. State Pantsuit Princess – sold 20% of our nation’s uranium reserves to the Russians, right after the Russians had poured more than $150 million into the Clinton Crime Family’s Fake Foundation? Yeah…guessing the Coughing Crook soiled her newest fashionable table cloth smock when she saw this little item. Oh, yeah, look at who else is on that list – the Secretary of Treasury. Hey, remember that time when President Barack Hussein Obama his own self authorized the loading of $400 million in foreign currency onto a jumbo jet and had it flown over to Tehran to give to the Iranian Mullahs? Yeah, so do I. Oh, and look at the paragraph headed “Section 1. Agency Cooperation.” Look at how it says “The Attorney General is currently conducting a review of intelligence activities relating to the campaigns in the 2016 Presidential election and certain related matters.” What might those “related matters” be? Sure is going to be interesting finding out. [One more interesting note that comes from a friend] It is also “Interesting that it dropped on the Thursday night before Memorial Day weekend, when most of these swamp rats have already checked out for the long weekend, but while most Americans are still paying attention for another 12-18 hours.” Solid point. The timing of this memo is interesting for a number of reasons, one of which is the pending release of the report on abuse of the FISA process coming from DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz. As I told host Greg Budell in a Tuesday interview on Montgomery, Alabama’s 93.1 FM, some parts of that report most likely won’t make much sense to the public at large unless certain documents are declassified either along with the IG’s report or shortly after its release.
My bet is that the timing of this memo means that we will be seeing that IG report very soon now, probably during the first half of June.
One final point, cycling back to the discussion above about Assange and “journalists” who illegally obtain classified documents: Keep in mind that news item we saw several weeks back indicating that Horowitz has been looking into incidents in which FBI and other DOJ officials had received illegal compensation in exchange for such information.
We have waited a long, long time for this declassification and the final Horowitz report. After several false starts and disappointments, it is well past time for both to be real.
That is all.
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Read her bio and pinned tweet.
Walking and chewing gum at the same time is also a good plan.
Go forth and multiply.
Go check out the EO. The part about why things CAN'T be classified is really interesting. Something like "not embarrassing people" and similar things.
Stick with the walking until Trump is re-elected.
I think the news twists headlines and most are too lazy to read further than the headline. EyesOfTX actually breaks it down.
I love his blog.
Why do you suppose that is?
#WeHaveItAll
He's another s'bag appointee?
No thanks.
I don't take direction well.
I'll do what I do. You do what you do.
#HeartsAndMinds
Same here, but that didn't stop me from calling Republicans (I'm not a Republican) to get out the mid-term vote. I'll do the same in 2020, hopefully with better results.
Wrong answer.
Because they don't need direction from the President to cooperate with the AG.
Because they have been cooperating and providing intel since even before The Donald made President.
NSA (and Military Intelligence) are the good guys, in case you were unaware, and it seems like you are.
#TeamTrump
#ReadBetweenTheLinesAndConnectTheDots
#ExpandYourThinking
Awesome.
We all have our roles and do what we can.
#SameTeam
Sadly, pretty common. Free Republic has its share of drunken bar flies.
I'd think that the ongoing coup would teach normal folks to keep all branches of government at arms length. Apparently not.
#StopLookingAtCloudsforAnswers
yes indeed.
The "nothing's happening" crowd is shrinking as events play out as planned.
#TheyDwindle
#FringeOutliersNow
#YouChoseWisely
I still remain unimpressed until and unless Coup Leaders are hauled away in handcuffs. President Trump announcing what he wants AG Barr to do, instead of as a total surprise releasing the papers only serves to give the Coup Leaders the time and opportunity to find judges who will stop it.
All in all, excellent analysis. However, I disagree with the following statement:
It allows Barr and Durham the discretion to hold back any documents whose public revelation might harm their own inquiry.
If this were a public relations effort to make the democrats look bad, then OK. If this is a criminal investigation, then exculpatory information must also be released.
“The Attorney General has also been delegated full and complete authority to declassify information pertaining to this investigation, in accordance with the long-established standards for handling classified information..."
IMHO, this is brilliant. If there are any issues with declassification, then AG Barr is responsible, not POTUS. AG Barr to follow "long-established standards" and addressees to expedite. In event of a tie, AG Barr casts the deciding vote.
I wonder how many times in our history full and complete presidential authority has been delegated? Not many. To me, this shows that President Trump has full faith and trust in AG Barr. I hope this faith and trust continues to be earned.
On a personal note to EyesOfTX...thanks for being a Freeper and posting here at FreeRepublic. I look forward to your daily reports.
Baby...bath water.
There are still patriots in the government, and they support The Donald. In fact, word around the campfire is they got him elected and chose HIM for his particular skill set and characteristics. Those being independent wealth, beholden to none, and willingness to fight. Oh, and the fact that he is a patriot.
No. The NSA and MI are the good guys.
#StopLookingAtCloudsforAnswers
Haha.
I don't use clouds. I use chicken bones.
Thanks......for nothing.
The Mueller coup didnt start for a few months. And it’s been over for a few months.
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