Politics Thread

[XU 87]

As I said before, I don't generally agree with their opinion writers. Your link is to an opinion piece, not a news item. I am a huge fan of their news team...very objective and thoroughly done. Try and read the news piece if you are able.

I read the WSJ all the time, but I start with the editorial page, which I might add, routinely criticizes Trump, which is why he has criticized the WSJ.

[Masterofreality]

This is my (probably) last post on this Michael Flynn debacle.

This from the far from friendly to Trump USA Today.
As many have said. Just hope that you are never a pawn in a miscarriage of justice game like this.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opini...mn/5204421002/

[paulxu]

From the article you note:

Information declassified by Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell and released last week raises more questions about the Flynn case. It shows numerous Obama administration officials asking the National Security Agency to “unmask” information concerning Flynn that had been picked up as part of routine NSA foreign surveillance. This unmasking was taking place well before and well after Flynn’s contact with Kislyak. It involved 39 people, ranging from top intelligence officials to ambassadors to outgoing Vice President Joe Biden.

It seems that it wasn't the NSA who did the wiretap, but the FBI. And it seems there was no "unmasking" as Flynn's name was there all along.
However, unmasking is not illegal and happens all the time (actually thousands of times a year).
Hard to now what is going on for sure.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio....co/e73qYSz978

As to masking/unmasking...I still wish some officials would follow recommended guidelines.

[bjf123]

The link is behind a paywall, so I couldn’t read it. My understanding is that unmasking is perfectly legal, but the person requesting the unmasking has to submit documentation justifying the need to know this person’s name. Apparently, that’s where things fall apart regarding Flynn. That documentation is not there for all of the people who requested it. Maybe it’s been misplaced. Maybe it was never submitted. Who knows?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[paulxu]

The link is behind a paywall, so I couldn’t read it. My understanding is that unmasking is perfectly legal, but the person requesting the unmasking has to submit documentation justifying the need to know this person’s name. Apparently, that’s where things fall apart regarding Flynn. That documentation is not there for all of the people who requested it. Maybe it’s been misplaced. Maybe it was never submitted. Who knows?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry about the paywall deal. As I understand the article, in regards to Flynn's calls with Kislyak, Flynn's name was never "masked" in the reports.
So all this uproar about "unmasking" is not needed. Someone did leak the calls to the media, but that person hasn't been identified.

[Juice]

https://twitter.com/LawrenceBJones3/...104606209?s=20

Yikes Joe.

[boozehound]

https://twitter.com/LawrenceBJones3/...104606209?s=20

Yikes Joe.

Well that's not good for Biden. At this point I think he probably needs to go not-quite-full Trump and just keep attacking. Apologize and clarify, fine. But don't go on an apology tour. Maybe that's his plan? If it wasn't before maybe it should be now...

He should also file away for future reference that telling black people 'they ain't black' for really any reason is probably never a good idea, but it's a particularly poor choice when you are an old white dude who happens to be running for President.

Edit: On the plus side - this will give us a clear view to what unprincipled pieces of shit almost everybody is. I'll check back in on this post from time to time and coverage develops.

On the Left: WAPO, CNN, etc. are thus far continuing to run stories about hydroxychloroquine and Trump without acknowledgement of Biden's comments. I don't think they will be able to go forever without addressing it, but when they do they will do mental gymnastics to convince themselves that 'its really not that bad', meanwhile they would be out of their goddamned minds if Trump said this. It will be interesting to see if this gets fed through the full far-left 'outrage machine' meat grinder, or if he gets a pass long-term.

On the Right: Foxnews has immediately updated their front page story to reflect the Biden commentary complete with the most hilariously bad picture of Biden they could find. These people are going to act like hypocrites as well. A bunch of people who love Trump because he 'isn't politically correct' and 'says what he is thinking' are going to jump all over Biden for this. They will suddenly be deeply offended and care very much about political correctness as it pertains to this issue. They will do mental gymnastics to explain how this is somehow worse than any of Trump's comments.

It will also illustrate the unfortunate fact that you are ignorant (not stupid, ignorant) if you get your news only from one side of the spectrum, because you aren't actually getting the news.

[paulxu]

On the Left: WAPO, CNN, etc. are thus far continuing to run stories about hydroxychloroquine and Trump without acknowledgement of Biden's comments.

Booze, I think your comments about needing to get all sides is spot on. Those sites are running stories on it though:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/22/polit...ack/index.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...672_story.html

[boozehound]

Booze, I think your comments about needing to get all sides is spot on. Those sites are running stories on it though:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/22/polit...ack/index.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...672_story.html

Fair - however a more than cursory glance at their front page stories certainly doesn't highlight those stories. You have to go digging around in the Politics section. I would think if Trump had said the same thing it would make the front page.

[X Factor]

Crazy Joe tells black people they "ain't" black if they don't vote for him...