Obamagate

mdrowe00 · May 19, 2020

Invisible Fan said: ↑

Links abound in this thehill op/ed. Had to take them out to get under 10k.

..Might be enough fer a 10 min youtubes "theory" that I can plead like a 5 yr old to "must watch".

'Obamagate' backfires: Documents show Biden, Obama acted properly

Republicans and right-wing media are in a conspiracy theory-spewing meltdown. In the wake of selective, politically motivated “leaks” of sensitive documents, conservative pundits are launching an avalanche of baseless attacks against President Trump’s political opponents.

But the reality is brutally obvious: Trump is weaponizing the American government to distract from his catastrophically incompetent pandemic response and the crushing economic fallout.

While right-wing media continue to whip their audiences into hysteria over a nefarious Obama-led plot to undermine Trump, the documents — strategically released by Trump’s political lackeys atop the intelligence and law enforcement communities — do absolutely nothing to further such asinine conspiracy theories. In fact, they prove the opposite.

The recently disclosed files show the Obama administration’s diligence and focus in the wake of Russia’s sweeping assault on American democracy. Moreover, contrary to unhinged right-wing conspiracy-mongering, the materials demonstrate Obama’s dedication to upholding the FBI’s independence from improper political influence.

In short, Trump’s election-year ploy to distract the American public with selective leaks of sensitive information backfired. Spectacularly so.

Well-documented exceptions aside, the files also show that the Comey-led FBI deftly steered a sensitive counterintelligence investigation amid nightmarish political circumstances.

The FBI — rightly — opened counterintelligence investigations into several Trump campaign officials following a litany of Trump World contacts with shady Russian intelligence cutouts; these meetings coincided, naturally, with Moscow’s brazen campaign to swing the 2016 election in Trump’s favor.

The president’s baseless conspiracy theory du jour holds that members of the Obama administration improperly interfered with the FBI’s investigation into Michael Flynn, the first person President Trump fired (for lying to Vice President Pence and the FBI). Conservative pundits also peddle thoroughly unsupported claims that Obama appointees, as part of a vast anti-Trump plot, leaked sensitive information about Flynn’s case to the media.

But the evidence is abundantly clear: Obama — unlike Trump — was adamant about staying out of the FBI’s investigation into Flynn.

Trump’s future acting attorney general remembered then-President Obama saying that he “did not want any additional information” on Flynn’s case. Even more to the point, Obama’s national security adviser noted that Obama was “not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective” regarding the Flynn probe. Instead, Obama told the FBI to proceed “by the book.”

Obama, in essence, kept a wall of separation between the FBI and the presidency — as there should be. And just like that, unhinged conspiracy theories of a nefarious Obama-led, anti-Trump plot melt away.

Obama’s dedication to preserving the bureau’s independence from political influence also begs comparisons to Trump’s shamefully improper demand for “loyalty” from an FBI director. Ditto for the president’s indefensible attempts to obstruct the Flynn investigation.

Moreover, assertions that Obama and Biden “both actively followed the [Flynn] investigation” — published in these pages — fly in the face of the facts. Reviewing intelligence reports on improper interference in U.S. foreign policy is wholly separate from “actively following” a sensitive, compartmentalized FBI counterintelligence investigation. There is not a shred of evidence that Obama appointees engaged in the latter. Full stop.

Conspiracy theory-spouting pundits also assert — again, without an iota of evidence — that Obama’s team leaked sensitive information about Flynn to the media as part of a broader plot to damage Trump.

Some context is in order. In late 2016, then-President Obama slapped aggressive sanctions on Moscow in retaliation for Russia’s sweeping assault on American democracy. Flynn, coordinating with “senior members” of the Trump team, then colluded — in the truest sense of the term — with a high-level Russian government official to undermine U.S. pressure on the Kremlin.

Putin’s uncharacteristically tepid reaction to Obama’s sanctions — including the expulsion of 35 Russian spies living in the United States — left America’s foreign policy, intelligence and law enforcement agencies stunned. After sifting through reams of intelligence, the FBI finally made sense of the normally combative Russian leader’s tame response. Thanks to routine, legal surveillance of foreign government officials, the bureau found that Flynn asked Putin, through a Russian ambassador, not to respond to Obama’s sanctions.

In other words, Trump cozied up to Vladimir Putin (via Flynn) only months after Russia’s brazen attack on the 2016 election.

Two weeks later, the rough outlines of Flynn’s (technically illegal) discussions with the Russian ambassador appeared in The Washington Post. Conspiracy-mongering right-wing pundits have seized upon a recently released list of U.S. officials as proof that Obama appointees leaked details of Flynn’s collusion with the Russian government to the Post.

The list shows which high-level policymakers requested to “unmask,” or reveal, Flynn’s identity in conjunction with intelligence reporting. “Unmasking,” in short, is a commonly used tool that helps senior U.S. officials put sensitive intelligence products into context. To guard against improper snooping, all requests to reveal the names of U.S. citizens incidentally caught in such reports must be sufficiently justified and approved — as they were during the Obama administration.

We now know that six U.S. government officials requested to unmask Flynn after Dec. 29, 2016, (the date of Flynn’s collusive calls with a high-level Russian official) and before Jan. 12, 2017, (the date of the first Washington Post column referring to those calls). But this list of six names does absolutely nothing to further baseless charges by right-wing conspiracy-mongers that Obama appointees leaked details of Flynn’s collusive calls to the Post.

Three of the six individuals who unmasked Flynn during this two-week window are career intelligence officials. Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper knew of Flynn’s calls before his Jan. 7 unmasking request. Then-White House chief of staff Dennis McDonough requested an unmasking on Jan. 5 to put a critical Oval Office briefing that same day into context. And former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power submitted an unmasking request on Jan. 11. But Washington Post reporters knew about Flynn’s calls several days before the first column referring to them ran (on Jan. 12). In other words, the unmasking list is utterly worthless to anyone inclined to hold it up as evidence of a fantastical Obama-led plot to undermine Trump by leaking to the media.

Conspiracy theories aside, senior Obama officials like former Vice President Joe Biden had a pressing national security interest in understanding how and why an unnamed U.S. citizen (ultimately revealed to be Flynn) undercut U.S. pressure on the Kremlin after the 2016 election. We can only hope that Trump would be so diligent under similar circumstances.

Contrary to the president’s conspiracy-mongering, the Obama administration operated exactly how Americans would have hoped in the wake of an astoundingly brazen — and disastrously successful — psychological operation to subvert American democracy.
Click to expand...

...who's to say all of those documents aren't as fake as Obama's birth certificate?

Sweet Lou 4 2 · May 19, 2020

Invisible Fan said: ↑

Links abound in this thehill op/ed. Had to take them out to get under 10k.

..Might be enough fer a 10 min youtubes "theory" that I can plead like a 5 yr old to "must watch".

'Obamagate' backfires: Documents show Biden, Obama acted properly

Republicans and right-wing media are in a conspiracy theory-spewing meltdown. In the wake of selective, politically motivated “leaks” of sensitive documents, conservative pundits are launching an avalanche of baseless attacks against President Trump’s political opponents.

But the reality is brutally obvious: Trump is weaponizing the American government to distract from his catastrophically incompetent pandemic response and the crushing economic fallout.

While right-wing media continue to whip their audiences into hysteria over a nefarious Obama-led plot to undermine Trump, the documents — strategically released by Trump’s political lackeys atop the intelligence and law enforcement communities — do absolutely nothing to further such asinine conspiracy theories. In fact, they prove the opposite.

The recently disclosed files show the Obama administration’s diligence and focus in the wake of Russia’s sweeping assault on American democracy. Moreover, contrary to unhinged right-wing conspiracy-mongering, the materials demonstrate Obama’s dedication to upholding the FBI’s independence from improper political influence.

In short, Trump’s election-year ploy to distract the American public with selective leaks of sensitive information backfired. Spectacularly so.

Well-documented exceptions aside, the files also show that the Comey-led FBI deftly steered a sensitive counterintelligence investigation amid nightmarish political circumstances.

The FBI — rightly — opened counterintelligence investigations into several Trump campaign officials following a litany of Trump World contacts with shady Russian intelligence cutouts; these meetings coincided, naturally, with Moscow’s brazen campaign to swing the 2016 election in Trump’s favor.

The president’s baseless conspiracy theory du jour holds that members of the Obama administration improperly interfered with the FBI’s investigation into Michael Flynn, the first person President Trump fired (for lying to Vice President Pence and the FBI). Conservative pundits also peddle thoroughly unsupported claims that Obama appointees, as part of a vast anti-Trump plot, leaked sensitive information about Flynn’s case to the media.

But the evidence is abundantly clear: Obama — unlike Trump — was adamant about staying out of the FBI’s investigation into Flynn.

Trump’s future acting attorney general remembered then-President Obama saying that he “did not want any additional information” on Flynn’s case. Even more to the point, Obama’s national security adviser noted that Obama was “not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective” regarding the Flynn probe. Instead, Obama told the FBI to proceed “by the book.”

Obama, in essence, kept a wall of separation between the FBI and the presidency — as there should be. And just like that, unhinged conspiracy theories of a nefarious Obama-led, anti-Trump plot melt away.

Obama’s dedication to preserving the bureau’s independence from political influence also begs comparisons to Trump’s shamefully improper demand for “loyalty” from an FBI director. Ditto for the president’s indefensible attempts to obstruct the Flynn investigation.

Moreover, assertions that Obama and Biden “both actively followed the [Flynn] investigation” — published in these pages — fly in the face of the facts. Reviewing intelligence reports on improper interference in U.S. foreign policy is wholly separate from “actively following” a sensitive, compartmentalized FBI counterintelligence investigation. There is not a shred of evidence that Obama appointees engaged in the latter. Full stop.

Conspiracy theory-spouting pundits also assert — again, without an iota of evidence — that Obama’s team leaked sensitive information about Flynn to the media as part of a broader plot to damage Trump.

Some context is in order. In late 2016, then-President Obama slapped aggressive sanctions on Moscow in retaliation for Russia’s sweeping assault on American democracy. Flynn, coordinating with “senior members” of the Trump team, then colluded — in the truest sense of the term — with a high-level Russian government official to undermine U.S. pressure on the Kremlin.

Putin’s uncharacteristically tepid reaction to Obama’s sanctions — including the expulsion of 35 Russian spies living in the United States — left America’s foreign policy, intelligence and law enforcement agencies stunned. After sifting through reams of intelligence, the FBI finally made sense of the normally combative Russian leader’s tame response. Thanks to routine, legal surveillance of foreign government officials, the bureau found that Flynn asked Putin, through a Russian ambassador, not to respond to Obama’s sanctions.

In other words, Trump cozied up to Vladimir Putin (via Flynn) only months after Russia’s brazen attack on the 2016 election.

Two weeks later, the rough outlines of Flynn’s (technically illegal) discussions with the Russian ambassador appeared in The Washington Post. Conspiracy-mongering right-wing pundits have seized upon a recently released list of U.S. officials as proof that Obama appointees leaked details of Flynn’s collusion with the Russian government to the Post.

The list shows which high-level policymakers requested to “unmask,” or reveal, Flynn’s identity in conjunction with intelligence reporting. “Unmasking,” in short, is a commonly used tool that helps senior U.S. officials put sensitive intelligence products into context. To guard against improper snooping, all requests to reveal the names of U.S. citizens incidentally caught in such reports must be sufficiently justified and approved — as they were during the Obama administration.

We now know that six U.S. government officials requested to unmask Flynn after Dec. 29, 2016, (the date of Flynn’s collusive calls with a high-level Russian official) and before Jan. 12, 2017, (the date of the first Washington Post column referring to those calls). But this list of six names does absolutely nothing to further baseless charges by right-wing conspiracy-mongers that Obama appointees leaked details of Flynn’s collusive calls to the Post.

Three of the six individuals who unmasked Flynn during this two-week window are career intelligence officials. Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper knew of Flynn’s calls before his Jan. 7 unmasking request. Then-White House chief of staff Dennis McDonough requested an unmasking on Jan. 5 to put a critical Oval Office briefing that same day into context. And former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power submitted an unmasking request on Jan. 11. But Washington Post reporters knew about Flynn’s calls several days before the first column referring to them ran (on Jan. 12). In other words, the unmasking list is utterly worthless to anyone inclined to hold it up as evidence of a fantastical Obama-led plot to undermine Trump by leaking to the media.

Conspiracy theories aside, senior Obama officials like former Vice President Joe Biden had a pressing national security interest in understanding how and why an unnamed U.S. citizen (ultimately revealed to be Flynn) undercut U.S. pressure on the Kremlin after the 2016 election. We can only hope that Trump would be so diligent under similar circumstances.

Contrary to the president’s conspiracy-mongering, the Obama administration operated exactly how Americans would have hoped in the wake of an astoundingly brazen — and disastrously successful — psychological operation to subvert American democracy.
Click to expand...

Read this if you have courage @generalthade_03

CCorn · May 19, 2020

Sweet Lou 4 2 said: ↑

Read this if you have courage @generalthade_03
Click to expand...

What’s The Hill? Fake news

NewRoxFan · May 19, 2020

edwardc · May 19, 2020

Mr.Scarface said: ↑

There is not. The DOJ has been investigating this for months(on the QT). There is a reason Barr said the DOJ wouldn’t officially investigate: There is nothing there.
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oh so this is all just another smoke screen by 45 and crew i just got to keep saying it Worst Potus Ever.

NewRoxFan · May 19, 2020

NewRoxFan said: ↑

Because you know there will be something new soon...

Click to expand...

Heh... I called it again. Course boffled posts this latest fake scandal, quoting qanon sources? LOL!

Invisible Fan · May 20, 2020

NewRoxFan said: ↑

Heh... I called it again. Course boffled posts this latest fake scandal, quoting qanon sources? LOL!
Click to expand...

Donnie should send Gimp Billy to QAnon AQademy in order learn a thing or two about finding REAL DIRT.

Didn't fatboy #2 fly around to world like Carmen Sandiego in order see if the Russia Witchhunt was real?

Amiga · May 20, 2020

Sweet Lou 4 2 said: ↑

These guys are having trouble making up scandals that stick.

Americans are tired of their bullshit.
Click to expand...

you are just not getting it.

Doing it “by the book” is the scandal. Who the heck does that anymore? Get with the time.

Ubiquitin · May 20, 2020

NewRoxFan said: ↑

Heh... I called it again. Course boffled posts this latest fake scandal, quoting qanon sources? LOL!
Click to expand...

Can’t wait until we get BREAKING: Joe Biden doesn’t like Ovaltine.

AleksandarN · May 21, 2020

The republicans know this is bullshit. They are just using the same tactics of their allies, Russia. They are flooding the news cycles with fake stories to burry the actual story the administration’s handling of the coronavirus. This misinformation campaign is not only dishonest but it effects the very institutions of America.

mdrowe00 · May 21, 2020

AleksandarN said: ↑

The republicans know this is bullshit. They are just using the same tactics of their allies, Russia. They are flooding the news cycles with fake stories to burry the actual story the administration’s handling of the coronavirus. This misinformation campaign is not only dishonest but it effects the very institutions of America.
Click to expand...

Dasvidaniya.

RayRay10 · May 21, 2020

Trump and his allies seized on the development and said it showed Biden and others improperly and illegally unmasked the former national security adviser's identity.

But a Washington Post report on Wednesday blew up that allegation when it revealed that Flynn's name was never "masked" in the first place.

"When the FBI circulated [the report], they included Flynn's name from the beginning" because it was essential to understanding its significance, a former senior US official told The Post. "There were therefore no requests for the unmasking of that information."

Moreover, the list documented unmasking requests made through the National Security Agency, while transcripts documenting Flynn's conversations with Kislyak were an FBI product, meaning the names on the declassified list Grenell released are unrelated to Flynn's conversations with Kislyak.
Click to expand...

The Obamagate theory also accuses Obama and Biden of having advance knowledge of the FBI's plans to interview Flynn about his communications with Kislyak during the 2017 presidential transition period.

That allegation centers on an Oval Office meeting that took place on January 5, 2017, and included Obama, Biden, then-national security adviser Susan Rice, then-FBI Director James Comey, and then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.

Rice sent herself an email documenting the meeting afterward — known as a contemporaneous memo — and Trump and his Republican allies have seized on the email as evidence that Obama ordered the FBI to "spy" on the Trump campaign.

But the email, which was declassified in full this week (though much of it had already been declassified), appears to indicate otherwise.

During the meeting, according to Rice's email, Obama emphasized "his continued commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this issue is handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities 'by the book.'"

"The President stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective," the email said. "He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book."

Obama said, however, that from "a national security perspective," the outgoing administration should be "mindful" when sharing information about Russia with the incoming Trump administration, according to Rice's memo.

Comey then affirmed that he was proceeding "by the book" but said he was concerned about Flynn's frequent conversations with Kislyak and that the communications "could be an issue as it relates to sharing sensitive information."

Obama asked Comey if he was saying the National Security Council should not share sensitive intelligence about Russia with Flynn, to which Comey replied: "Potentially."

He added, however, that he had no information indicating that Flynn had passed any classified information to Kislyak, though their "level of communication" was "unusual," the memo said.
Click to expand...

Astrodome · May 21, 2020

AleksandarN said: ↑

The republicans know this is bullshit. They are just using the same tactics of their allies, Russia. They are flooding the news cycles with fake stories to burry the actual story the administration’s handling of the coronavirus. This misinformation campaign is not only dishonest but it effects the very institutions of America.
Click to expand...

FlOoDinG tHe NeWs CycLE wItH faKe StoRiEs

Pot, meet kettle.

B-Bob · May 21, 2020

Astrodome said: ↑

FlOoDinG tHe NeWs CycLE wItH faKe StoRiEs

Pot, meet kettle.
Click to expand...

is firing inspectors general a fake story?
is America having more cases and deaths from COVID a fake story?

these are major, real stories. “Obamagate” and “I take malaria drug now!” are stories manufactured for distraction.

you cannot “both sides” something when one side has unchecked power on its side AND won’t admit to basic facts. Sorry.

Deckard · May 21, 2020

B-Bob said: ↑

is firing inspectors general a fake story?
is America having more cases and deaths from COVID a fake story?

these are major, real stories. “Obamagate” and “I take malaria drug now!” are stories manufactured for distraction.

you cannot “both sides” something when one side has unchecked power on its side AND won’t admit to basic facts. Sorry.
Click to expand...

Well said. I don't understand where @Astrodome is coming from. That is to say, I'm trying not to see where he is coming from. It allows me to have a higher opinion of the fellow.

He also seems to have a problem with his keyboard. Clearly, his shift key is running amok.

dobro1229 · May 21, 2020

Astrodome said: ↑

FlOoDinG tHe NeWs CycLE wItH faKe StoRiEs

Pot, meet kettle.
Click to expand...

Yet you'll never actually be able to cite one story about Trump that has been proven completely false, or not something that under any other president would be the biggest scandal in political history.

Imagine it was found out that in 2007 Obama had a letter of intent for a multi million dollar business opportuntity directly with the Chinese government, and then we find out that China had meddled in the 2008 election in way to help Obama by hacking the computers of McCain's staff, and publishing it through wikileaks to help out Obama.

Just imagine that....

Now flip back to 2020 where you and other Trump supporters claim that stories like this are.... "FaKe StoRiEs" and show how Democrats are (whataboutism) just as bad as Trump when concocting made up conspiracy theories to spread disinformation for help winning an election.

I'm sorry Astrodome.... I'm calling BS on your response here unless you can start naming some actual Fake stories and conspiracies that the Democrats have investigated and brought to light to the American people that are on par with the greatest hits of the Republicans like Obama's birth certificate, etc. Be my guest.

dmoneybangbang · May 21, 2020

B-Bob said: ↑

is firing inspectors general a fake story?
is America having more cases and deaths from COVID a fake story?

these are major, real stories. “Obamagate” and “I take malaria drug now!” are stories manufactured for distraction.

you cannot “both sides” something when one side has unchecked power on its side AND won’t admit to basic facts. Sorry.
Click to expand...

What do conservatives have except “but but but both sides do it”?

B-Bob · May 21, 2020

dmoneybangbang said: ↑

What do conservatives have except “but but but both sides do it”?
Click to expand...

honestly, I think they can say: “ you and the media are just totally obsessed w Trump.” There’s a point there. I wish McConnell and other corrupt senators got more attention. I wish changes in judiciary got more attention.

trump plays the media game better than anyone I’ve ever seen.

dmoneybangbang · May 21, 2020

B-Bob said: ↑

honestly, I think they can say: “ you and the media are just totally obsessed w Trump.” There’s a point there. I wish McConnell and other corrupt senators got more attention. I wish changes in judiciary got more attention.

trump plays the media game better than anyone I’ve ever seen.
Click to expand...

Agreed. It also shows the difference between media as conservative media is far more coordinated and on the same page.

To engage in “both sides do it”, the conservative media was obsessed with Obama. I think conservative media is far more effective.

dobro1229 · May 21, 2020

dmoneybangbang said: ↑

What do conservatives have except “but but but both sides do it”?
Click to expand...

But the reality is they don't even really have that. Look at the example I mentioned above. We have to continue to call out that they really don't even have whataboutism that is on any sort of leveled reality. If any Democratic president did just one thing that Trump does in one single day it would be the biggest scandal in political history. If any Democratic donor did half of the corrupt things that Republican donors do it would the end of the world, and would allow for a creation of a buffet of conspiracy theories.

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