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America's spies anonymously took down Michael Flynn. That is deeply worrying (Lib somewhat honest)
The Week ^ | Damon Linker

Posted on 02/14/2017 5:40:15 PM PST by Bigtigermike

The United States is much better off without Michael Flynn serving as national security adviser. But no one should be cheering the way he was brought down.

The whole episode is evidence of the precipitous and ongoing collapse of America's democratic institutions — not a sign of their resiliency. Flynn's ouster was a soft coup (or political assassination) engineered by anonymous intelligence community bureaucrats. The results might be salutary, but this isn't the way a liberal democracy is supposed to function.

Unelected intelligence analysts work for the president, not the other way around. Far too many Trump critics appear not to care that these intelligence agents leaked highly sensitive information to the press — mostly because Trump critics are pleased with the result.

"Finally," they say, "someone took a stand to expose collusion between the Russians and a senior aide to the president!" It is indeed important that someone took such a stand. But it matters greatly who that someone is and how they take their stand. Members of the unelected, unaccountable intelligence community are not the right someone, especially when they target a senior aide to the president by leaking anonymously to newspapers the content of classified phone intercepts, where the unverified, unsubstantiated information can inflict politically fatal damage almost instantaneously.

But no matter what Flynn did, it is simply not the role of the deep state to target a man working in one of the political branches of the government by dishing to reporters about information it has gathered clandestinely. It is the role of elected members of Congress to conduct public investigations of alleged wrongdoing by public officials.

Those cheering the deep state torpedoing of Flynn are saying, in effect, that a police state is perfectly fine so long as it helps to bring down Trump.

(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: corruption; deepsecrets; deepstate; democrats; flynn; intelleaks; intelligence; leaks; liberals; resignation; secretgovernment; shadowgovernment; spies; trump; trumpadmleaks
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To: manc

A new freeper put up a thread positing about the “partial renovations” made by Obama, on the White House. Did they include surveillance bugs to expose inside info leaks? The outside leaks belong to intelligence gathering orgs, infested with Obama hold overs, in the NSA and CIA, FBI phone transcripts.


41 posted on 02/14/2017 6:40:39 PM PST by RitaOK (Viva Christo Rey! Public Education/Academia are the farm team for more Marxists coming... infinitum.)
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To: AndyJackson

where is your sarcasm sign? smile

But, yes. You are absolutely correct about Donovan. He should have credit where it was due. And he should be accused where he failed. He had failures.

Unfortunately, the Lefties have been very deeply entrenched for decades.

I don’t know about the number, but I suspect it is higher than we would expect. Same with most of the Fed Gov.


42 posted on 02/14/2017 6:41:28 PM PST by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: Democrat_media

43 posted on 02/14/2017 6:41:52 PM PST by Yaelle
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To: Revolutionary
He had been a huge thorn in the dems side and was going to spill the beans on the secret Iran side deals.

And that there will be the payback to those who got Flynn out - his replacement will expose the whole deal, secrets and all - then the public will turn against them and the deal itself. In a perfect world, even Obama himself but the media will make sure that doesnt happen.

44 posted on 02/14/2017 6:41:55 PM PST by capydick (“Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.)
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To: AndyJackson

How long has it been since we had a businessman as president?

I hear some say it was Truman. But Truman ran a hat shop. Technically a business, but certainly not a very large one.

Prior to that It would have been before the Depression. I’m not exactly sure who the last was.


45 posted on 02/14/2017 6:44:33 PM PST by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: Bigtigermike

I continue to be optimistic. Seattle judge. 9th circuit and now flynn. Trump knows this is war. So does bannon. Elites are taking shots. War room plotting right now on counter attack. Can’t wait...


46 posted on 02/14/2017 6:47:04 PM PST by Panhandle.deporable
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To: Texas Fossil

Both Bushes ran small oil companies.


47 posted on 02/14/2017 6:48:23 PM PST by Publius ("Who is John Galt?" by Billthedrill and Publius available at Amazon.)
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To: RitaOK

thanks


48 posted on 02/14/2017 6:51:21 PM PST by manc ( If they want so called marriage equality then they should support polygamy too.)
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To: Bigtigermike
Important points from the article:

"Flynn's ouster was a soft coup (or political assassination) engineered by anonymous intelligence community bureaucrats"

"These leaks are an enormous problem. And in a less polarized context, they would be recognized immediately for what they clearly are: an effort to manipulate public opinion for the sake of achieving a desired political outcome. It's weaponized spin."

This stinks to high heaven. Not just that Jarrett, Obama, Yates and Rhodes are probably behind the whole episode, but the precedent for the future. We now have leaks from the CIA from bureaucrats still working for Obama to continue his shadow government.

At what point does Trump invite Obama for a visit to the White House for, shall we say, a discussion?

49 posted on 02/14/2017 6:53:43 PM PST by Art in Idaho (Conservatism is the only Hope for Western Civilization.)
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To: Yaelle

Who is that???


50 posted on 02/14/2017 7:00:26 PM PST by boxlunch (Pray for Donald Trump's safety, for his family and cabinet. Make America Good Again!)
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To: Bigtigermike

Be very afraid when an intelligence agency tapes a conversation of a private citizen and then uses that taped conversation to bring him down. I trust that the newly appointed Attorney General will investigate these leaks and prosecute those responsible!


51 posted on 02/14/2017 7:06:29 PM PST by eeriegeno (<p>)
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To: Jaxmum

What I have not yet seen discussed is could there actually be a rift now between Trump and Pence?

Supposedly, Trump was aware that Flynn had some level of discussion regarding Obama’s landmine weeks ago. Yet Pence is said to have only been made aware that Flynn was not fully forthcoming on the 9th. So could it be that Trump never told Pence that his utter denial earlier on TV was not the whole truth?

Maybe in order to mollify Pence, Flynn had to be sacrificed.


52 posted on 02/14/2017 7:09:31 PM PST by phoneman08 (qwiyrqweopigradfdzcm,.dadfjl,dz)
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To: Publius

Okay. thanks for reminding me. I did know that. G H W Bush was not that small. W was a new company from what I remember.

I liked W. and on a personal level GHW

I did not like the political perspective of elder Bush. Far to Globalist to suit me.

W may have been same, but I don’t think as much. He did have some advisors that were with his dad.

W. was pretty earthy.

His dad was a legit War hero. I respect him for his term at CIA and POTUS. He was always respectable. But Globalist.


53 posted on 02/14/2017 7:12:39 PM PST by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: Lazamataz

54 posted on 02/14/2017 7:13:39 PM PST by conservativeimage (NEWS (it might not be true))
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To: manc; Lazamataz

“Those cheering the deep state torpedoing of Flynn are saying, in effect, that a police state is perfectly fine so long as it helps to bring down Trump.”


55 posted on 02/14/2017 7:19:11 PM PST by thecodont
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To: thecodont

agreed


56 posted on 02/14/2017 7:21:38 PM PST by manc ( If they want so called marriage equality then they should support polygamy too.)
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To: Revolutionary

The Democrats put almost no effort into getting this guy’s scalp. It was as easy as pie.


57 posted on 02/14/2017 7:23:31 PM PST by arrogantsob (Check out "CHAOS AND MAYHEM" at Amazon.com.)
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To: manc

wife said it would not surprise her that the White House is also bugged before the last administration left.

There are leaks in the White House, State, and DOJ, and they need to be found, and charged.>>>. Obama installed all new computer systems that need to ripped out and replaces as well.


58 posted on 02/14/2017 7:29:28 PM PST by kvanbrunt2 (all your base are belong to us)
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To: UCANSEE2

Wasn’t he? The taped conversation took place before the inaugeration.


59 posted on 02/14/2017 7:31:35 PM PST by piasa
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To: kvanbrunt2

Agree 100%


60 posted on 02/14/2017 7:37:47 PM PST by manc ( If they want so called marriage equality then they should support polygamy too.)
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