Attorney General Eric Holder recently told intelligence community lawyers that he wants them to continue the Administration’s crackdown on leakers and media sources despite calls for his termination and the controversy on the attack on the free press. The message is clear: there will be no quarter given those who disclose classified information. Well not everyone. This week it was revealed that former CIA Director Leon Panetta disclosed classified information to “Zero Dark Thirty” filmmaker Mark Boal. According to an inspector general report, the disclosure of the name of the Navy SEAL unit that carried out the Osama bin Laden raid and the unit’s ground commander at a 2011 ceremony. Some of the information was marked as “top secret.”
The wonderful thing for Holder is that this leaker is known and there are witnesses. He made the disclosure in front of 1,300 people in a tent at the CIA complex on June 24, 2011. So Panetta is now being housed next to Bradley Manning, right? Not quite. The Administration leaks classified information on a regular basis. On Obama Farm, all leakers are equal but some leakers are more equal than others.
Notably, this disclosure helped a filmmaker who was developing a controversial film that seemed to herald the value of torture by CIA employees. Like many, I was surprised by the degree to which the movie made it look like it was torture that led to the killing of Obama in direct contradiction to what we know about the various sources used in the operation. Giving top secret information to a filmmaker for such a film does not appear to be a matter for prosecution. Now, the Associated Press or Fox News? That is an entirely different question. In that case, the reporters are viewed by the Administration as an possible criminal co-conspirator. In the case, of Boal, he was not a co-conspirator . . . just part of the creative enterprise.
Source: Politico
Mike, Being disabled, don’t you hate it when people w/o disabled stickers park in disabled parking stalls?
Mike, What’s your favorite pasta dish?
Gene, What’s your favorite pie?
Gene, You seem to like cars, what about GTO’s?
Gene, Have you ever been to France?
Gene, What’s your favorite color?
Gene, Do you think Holder will resign?
Gene, Are you a member of mensa?
Gene, You seem very pro 2nd Amendment. What’s the background on that?
Gene, Are you in favor of immigration reform?
Gene, Do you have any children?
Gene, If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?
Gene, You never speak of your parents, are you estranged?
Then please explain further. Were you speaking of my wife, Mr. Kessler or myself? By the way, my wife’s book is now available in paperback on Amazon, kindle in a week or so. Mr. Kessler has many best sellers.
The sole issue is your inability to refrain from ad hominem attacks, nick.
Your choice in targets is irrelevant.
Mike, Could you please be more specific and less obtuse about your “Can you top this” comment. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation and candor. I’m being moderated and have to speak like a nice boy.
Nick!,
More specific? I was quite specific, one only has to know the reference. And civilty becomes you.
Otteray,
The idea for that book and the painted snowflakes that raised money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund was Grace Lin’s. As you know, Grace’s first husband Robert Mercer died from Ewing’s sarcoma. He was diagnosed with the cancer just months after they married. I am happy to tell you that Grace remarried in 2010 and had her first child last year. I am touched that you buried that snowflake with Reed. It is so sad when good people die young. I can think of nothing more terrible than losing a child or grandchild. I am sure you have many wonderful memories of your times spent with Reed.
My maternal grandparents lost two of their four children when they were in their early adulthood. I never knew my Uncle Stanley.
http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=family_robert
OS, You’ve been through a lot. It’s a tribute to you that you remain positive. It’s all about attitude and helping others. We can choose to be happy or curmudgeonly as we grow older. The fact that Elaine reached out to you in a difficult time shows her good heart. It’s about actions, not words.That is what God wants from us, everything else is inconsequential. Embrace the positive people and try to avoid the negative as best as possible. That’s what my old man taught me. I was blessed to have great parents, and I sense you were also.
Elaine & nick,
When my younger daughter was fighting for her life as a toddler, somebody gave us a copy of Erma Bombeck’s book, I Want to Grow Hair, I Want to Grow Up, I Want to Go to Boise.
We still have the book. She lived, but my grandson did not. Elaine, we treasure the book you sent for Reed, and that paper snowflake will be with him forever.
I have started a book about her several times. Everyone to whom I have shown the rough draft outline always bursts into tears.
Bron, I guess anecdotes and name dropping are acceptable today? Leonard is a big baseball fan and loves going to Spring Training games.