Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Media, Politics, Uncategorized

“I Know Nothing About This”: Rice Accused Of Ordering Unmasking Of Trump Aides and Then Lying About Her Knowledge [UPDATED]

Susan_Rice,_official_State_Dept_photo_portrait,_2009donald_trump_president-elect_portrait_croppedI have written about my mixed views of coverage of President Donald Trump. On one hand, he has caused much of the negative coverage with sensational and insulting tweets — as well as unforced errors by his White House staff.  On the other hand, I have never seen more biased coverage by some major outlets which fail to offer counterarguments in favor of Trump or ignore developments supporting his claims.  The recent disclosure that the unmasking of Trump aides may have been ordered by President Barack Obama’s national security adviser Susan Rice is a case in point.  The most recent story was published by Bloomberg News. The startling disclosure was all but ignored by major outlets and networks or given only passing attention.  As I have said on air, the unmasking allegation is a serious one and it is made all the more serious by the denials of Rice that she had any knowledge of any unmasking. [Update:  Rice has gone on air and, while refusing to address the requests to unmask these individuals, she insisted that such requests are not unusual and, if done, were not done for political purposes.  She did not deny that she was indeed the person asking for the unmasking of the individuals.]

The story emerging suggests the White House learned last month that Rice requested the identities of U.S. persons in raw intelligence reports involving Trump staff inadvertently intercepted.  There were reportedly dozens of such requests, suggesting a comprehensive and ongoing effort to unmask aides.  That would constitute a serious privacy abuse and raise troubling questions about the use of intelligence operations for political purposes.

The National Security Council’s senior director for intelligence, Ezra Cohen-Watnick, reportedly discovered Rice’s multiple requests to unmask U.S. persons and raised it with the White House.

U.S. Signals Intelligence Directive (Section 18) only allows unmasking of the identity of U.S persons when it is essential to national security. The question is why the identity of Trump aides satisfied this standard if there was no evidence (as has been reported) of collusion.  Nevertheless, this intent standard is difficult to violate absent a confession or incriminating statement.

However, just last month, Rice  was asked on the “PBS NewsHour” about reports that Trump transition officials, including Trump himself, were swept up in incidental intelligence collection, Rice said: “I know nothing about this,” adding, “I was surprised to see reports from Chairman Nunes on that account today.”

That would seem to magnify the importance of the story. Yet, it has received relatively little attention on some networks.  It raises past concerns with media largely ignoring proven lies from Democratic officials like James Clapper.  Rice should be given the right to respond and deny these accusations, but there should be greater media interest in the answer.  CNN however has called claims under that story “demonstrably untrue” while others on the network have openly dismissed it as news.  Why? I can understand demanding further proof but this seems a legitimate and important news story. It is certainly for civil libertarians long concerned with unmasking by intelligence officials.

Fox News has reported that unmasked names of Trump aides were given to officials at the National Security Council (NSC), the Department of Defense, James Clapper, President Obama’s Director of National Intelligence, and John Brennan, Obama’s CIA Director.  However, Clapper has also denied any such knowledge. I have previously written about Clapper’s emergence as a reliable witness in this controversy.

It seems impossible for some reporters to admit that Trump might have been partially right about surveillance and that the Obama Administration might have committed serious privacy violations.  The facts still need to be established but there remains troubling questions raised by these reports.

In her only public statement, there was no effort to press Rice on her earlier denial of knowing anything about any unmasking of aides.  Now she says such unmasking was routine and confidently denies that it involved political motivations.  By the way, there still remains how this routine practice threatens not just privacy but she would have likely known that these were political opponents.  Rice returned to the same parsing of words of “wiretap” — a point that I have previously criticized.

233 thoughts on ““I Know Nothing About This”: Rice Accused Of Ordering Unmasking Of Trump Aides and Then Lying About Her Knowledge [UPDATED]”

  1. Responding to some of the comments about Erik Prince:

    https://theintercept.com/2017/04/05/intercepted-podcast-trumps-secret-little-prince/

    “ERIK PRINCE IS the most infamous mercenary in modern U.S. history. The Blackwater founder has also served as Donald Trump’s shadow adviser and secret emissary. This week on Intercepted, an exclusive interview with Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who has fought a decadeslong battle against Erik Prince. Host Jeremy Scahill, who wrote the book on Blackwater, analyzes the news that Prince established a back channel for Trump and Vladimir Putin and, as Trump meets with China’s leader at Mar-a-Lago, outlines Prince’s latest venture with Beijing. On the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s militant speech against the Vietnam War, television host and author Tavis Smiley talks about the “Santa Clausification” of Dr. King and explains why he would not be allowed to speak at his own memorial events today. Rep. Barbara Lee reflects on her own historic speech, delivered three days after 9/11, when she was the only member of Congress to oppose the blank check given to Bush and Cheney to wage an unchecked war on the world. And Vice President Mike Pence, who says he can’t be alone in a room with a woman who is not his wife, gets the Norman Bates treatment.

    “Transcript coming soon.”

    1. Jill,

      Scahill, today:

      https://theintercept.com/2017/04/05/rep-jan-schakowsky-calls-for-investigation-into-trumps-ties-to-blackwater-founder-erik-prince/

      “On Monday, the Post reported that “the UAE agreed to broker the meeting in part to explore whether Russia could be persuaded to curtail its relationship with Iran, including in Syria, a Trump administration objective that would likely require major concessions to Moscow on U.S. sanctions.” The paper stated: “Though Prince had no formal role with the Trump campaign or transition team, he presented himself as an unofficial envoy for Trump to high-ranking Emiratis involved in setting up his meeting with the Putin confidant.”

      “A Prince spokesperson told the Post: “Erik had no role on the transition team. This is a complete fabrication. The meeting had nothing to do with President Trump. Why is the so-called under-resourced intelligence community messing around with surveillance of American citizens when they should be hunting terrorists?””

      Again:

      “Why is the so-called under-resourced intelligence community messing around with surveillance of American citizens when they should be hunting terrorists?” -Erik Prince

      Whatever transpired, I agree with the aforementioned statement. Also, one has to be very careful about taking anything that’s written by the MSM at face value. And I’m not an Erik Prince fan, but he’s generally correct about the money/time/resources that are being misallocated in the surveillance of American citizens.

  2. I’m sure the media will cover up for Rice. Of course Obama spied on Trump, he did it with the IRS, and all the other scandals the news media covers up. The future is alternative search engines. We all need to us another search engine and than we take away the governments power, who have become to powerful, or we just go back to yelling loud try Lookseek.com a no tracking search or one of the other alternative searches. Have a nice day

    1. Steve Carr – the MSM is already trying to cover-up the Rice story. They are trying to make it a non-story and not cover it.

      2. And it is so obvious what the MSM is doing. How long can they keep pretending that they don’t see that Susan Rice did what she did for purely political reasons with the full knowledge of her boss, Obama, who is hiding out in Tahiti? I’m taking bets.

        1. Bob – if you are setting up a pool I will take until Obama gets back in town.

  6. This is a thoughtful piece on this situation:

    “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was “legal” and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal.” It was “illegal” to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany.

    The fact that most of the debate surrounding the unmasking of Trump personnel revolves around whether it was legal or not highlights just how superficial and ethically deranged our culture has become. If what she did was indeed legal, this is an enormous problem in the first place, one that privacy advocates and opponents of Big Brother surveillance have been warning about constantly since the gulag spying panopticon was put in place following 9/11. For the purposes of this post, let’s assume that what Susan Rice did was legal.”

    https://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2017/04/04/if-what-susan-rice-did-wasnt-illegal-it-should-be/#more-43463

    I see too many people using the, “it’s legal argument” as a way of avoiding the sure knowledge that the US is a police state.

    1. Jill, excellent observation as usual! I would love to see some retribution but that’s not going to happen – the Dems are so damn arrogant and they have a compliant press.

      I just tonite finished an amazing novel about the Tokyo firebombing “the Gods of Heavenly Punishment” by Jennifer Cody Epstein. I thought she did a great job portraying the hellish scenario that people get caught up in during wars from both the Japanese and US POV.

      After the Occupation post-war the press was controlled by the military – if a US paper reported on rapes, etc. they were ordered to get rid of all their papers and rewrite (omit?).the stories.

      Reminded me of the WMDs run up to the Iraqi disaster – compliant Press, as well as the fact that most people don’t know Obama’s folks bombed 7 countries and actually ran out of bombs!

      Just hope we can hold on to the internet!

      1. Autumn,

        Thanks for telling me about the book. It sounds great!

        Clearly the press is under control. As they are being exposed, they seem to be actually, physically flailing! Mr. “I won’t cover this story–WHAAAAA is a pretty obvious stooge

        Now the press is ginning up the much wanted removal of Assad by saying he used chemical weapons again! Trump is going right along with it, just as he goes along with giving the IC increasing power. These are truly dangerous times, not times for people to be partisan or stupid!. I wish Trump’s peeps would hold him to account for his war making just as I wish the Obama/Clinton peeps would have held them to account. Trump said he was going to focus on the US and many people voted for him for that reason. Instead, he’s making war just like the Obomber Jesus. I must wonder if this whole thing is just deep state making a ruckus to hide their own blood lust.

        Obama was their willing dupe. Clinton was. Bush was and now Trump is.

        1. “Instead, he’s making war just like the Obomber Jesus. I must wonder if this whole thing is just deep state making a ruckus to hide their own blood lust. (Jill)

          “To hide their own blood lust” — and other crimes.

          “Obama was their willing dupe. Clinton was. Bush was and now Trump is.” (Jill)

          True. True And true.

  7. And right on schedule….race card and woman cards have been played. David Corn over on MSNBC says the attacks on Susan Rice may be because she is black and a woman. He went there.

    1. Bob, I thought she was being persecuted because she was a Christian, just as Donna was!

      David Corn is such a sell out!

    2. Is she? I just wanted to find out which sun tan product she used and some said how come she doesn’t have a Latino name?

  9. My God Mr. Jones, please look at any other channel instead of FOX, I’m sure you will be in line behind the people Trump has already conned, Trump U, contractors, American steel, women, working people, SSI, Health care, the swamp, Flynnghzi,….Shall I go on? Because the list keeps getting longer everyday. Then again Nobody could’ve predicted that a mentally unstable narcissist with no government experience would instantly be a failure running the most complex government office in the world. Wake up, if not for you but your country.

    1. What makes you think He or She is Your God? Really! Claiming God as your own! What wanton hubris? Wait a minute…WHICH God? One of the 300 some Christian versions, the 80 plus Muslim versions? The contless Hindu Versions, Never mind just seek professional help. dial HEmlock 45789 you can call it up and brew an appointment any old time. Great Jumping Hi Ho Twinkies what do you think you are an elected politician? Just take three helpings of Rham A Lhama Ding Dong for the one true………and don’t forget to send in your faith pledge (hey it worked for Al Bore.)

  10. The lessons to be learned here are as follows:

    The Dems and the biased media will go to any length to obstruct and demonize Pres.Trump.

    Susan Rice is a pathological liar.

    The mainstream media can no longer be trusted to provide accurate, pertinent, and impartial news.

    Much of our judiciary has become politicized and can no longer be fair and impartial.

    Our Intelligence Community and Justice Department were extremely politicized during the Obama presidency.

    1. “…Our Intelligence Community and Justice Department were extremely politicized during the Obama presidency…”

      Yes. Hard to believe, but even worse than Bush’s tenure.

      When you think about the cesspool that is Chicago politics though (challenged only by places like LA for fraud and corruption, both Democrat strongholds), which gave birth to Obama’s thought stream, it all makes perfect sense. Think Saul Alinsky, et all.

    2. Don’t forget the weaponization of IRS under Obama! (that they actually got away with)

  12. The truth has finally surfaced.
    Only a few want to admit.
    How painful for main stream media to
    To touch this hot wire.
    President Trump finally vindicated.
    The liars will be exposed and brought to justce,real justice.

    1. I normally enjoy reading Taibbi, particularly on economic issues, because he can make very complex subjects understandable without loosing all technical detail.

      In this article, however, it seems to be more an exercise in keeping his pen sharp at the somewhat gratuitous expense of President Trump. He’s basically just rehashing all the dump on Trump tropes with his own hyperbolic cliches. Yes, he makes some hits, but we have been over all of them before – again and again and again.

      I’m all for dumping on who ever holds the seat of President as long as 1) it’s warranted and 2) we learn something. Otherwise it’s just negativity and an unpleasant read.

      1. I normally enjoy reading Taibbi, particularly on economic issues, because he can make very complex subjects understandable without loosing all technical detail.

        He has no academic or professional background in economics or finance and knows nothing of the subject. He does, however, know how to sell bull**** to his marks.

  15. Pretty simple scheme really:

    1. Trump et als get caught up in wiretap surveillance that had nothing to do with Russia
    2. Suzie-Q takes an interest in July when Trump looks on a roll to the nomination.
    3. Suzie-Q very neatly unmasks the Trumpers because she needs to “understand the context of the intelligence.” All legal mind you, but “by God it ain’t right.”
    4. Suzie-Q sees opportunity to help the Wicked Witch of the East but needs a way to launder the leak the unmasked names to willing apparatchiks in the press.
    5.Suzie-Q then trots off to Obama’s office and get rules changed to share this avalanche of unmasked data not merely with NSA but with 16 other government intel agencies riddled with operatives masquerading as intel officers knowing full well what would happen.

    Like Paul Newman tells Sally Field in Sydney Pollack’s masterpiece, “An Absence of Malice,” after she asks Newman how he knew that she’d print his planted, bogus story about a corrupt DA: “I knew somebody would,”, he says. So did, Suzie-Q.

      1. And so far the only allegation that seem valid are when the left points fingers at the left. What a way to commit political suicide.

      2. Sorry but Comey seems compromised and incomptent.

        First, Hillary was not deposed under oath.
        Two, no transcript.
        Third, Comey reviewed notes to come to his ‘decision’ on recommending indictment.

        Therefore he seemed very hands off for such a major investigation.

        NOW he wants to get involved?

        He needs to be fired ASAP. He presents a clear and present danger to the republic.

    2. The Financial Times revealed that the agency charged with counter-espionage investigations is ramping up its inquiry into Russian election-meddling by bringing a veteran agent back to Washington to head up a new 20-person unit dedicated to the direction of the sprawling effort. Rice might be today’s distraction but Russiagate won’t be over until Comey’s operation is done with it.

      1. I believe some of the posters here (not all, but certainly anon) who parrot DNC narrative here are Deep State operatives, as revealed in the Snowden leaks.

        Hey, anon: post one link to “proof” that Russia hacked Podesta or the DNC. Hint to readers, no such proof has ever been published. Only the “testimony” of world class felony perjurer James Clapper: https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-11-17/lawmakers-resume-calls-for-james-clapper-perjury-charges

        Hey, let’s all believe it and parrot it like our buddy anon! WMD worked out well, no?

        2. If I’m not mistaken the DNC never let the FBI see thier server. They had “a third party” check the server(s) out and report that the bad guys had hacked them. Probably same dudes who took care of HRC servers. The way I see it whoever did the hacking and phishing took the place of the MSM this election cycle.

      2. Anon….
        Rice is now “a part of the mix” involving the issue of surveillance of Trump associates.
        It’s likely that she will be more than “today’s distraction”.
        Her March 22 statement that she “knew nothing” about Trump transition team members being caught up in surveillance has now morphed into “unmasking was not used for political purposes”.
        It’s too early to know just how deeply she’ll be caught up in the surveillance/ unmasking issue, but I think her pivot from her March 22 “I know nothing” denial to her current position that unmasking was not used “for political purposes” will result in ongoing problems for Rice.

        1. tnash, Maybe Rice will end up testifying as to why she asked for the unmasking……

          1. Anon…
            There is already mounting pressure for Rice to testify before Congress.
            Based on what I’ve seen, she’s not helping herself by giving interviews to PBS, NBC, etc.

            1. WSJ rewported she has been asked to testify as a witness in the House Intelligence Committee Russia probe.

              1. From the WSJ”

                “Susan Rice Keeps Her Mask On
                The press corps buys her story that ‘unmasking’ was no big deal.
                April 4, 2017 7:22 p.m. ET
                Susan Rice returned to the friendly confines of MSNBC Tuesday to respond to softball questions about the news that the Obama national security adviser had “unmasked” the identity of at least one member of the Trump transition team who was surveilled by U.S. intelligence. Her answers make it all the more imperative to hear her under oath before Congress.

                Ms. Rice didn’t deny that she had sought the name of a Trump transition official in intelligence reports, though she said she hadn’t done so “for any…”

                https://www.wsj.com/articles/susan-rice-keeps-her-mask-on-1491348172

                1. Jill,
                  If Susan Rice does testify before Congress, it won’t be Andrea Mitchell questionong her with fluff questions.
                  There might be real questions raised, with the expectation of real answers from Ms. Rice.
                  Based on Susan Rice’s history of sticking her foot in her mouth in interviews outside of Congress, it should be very interesting to see what happens if she gives sworn testimony to Congress.

    3. And Mespo….

      When surprise, surprise Trump actually (!) wins, Suzie Q realizes her dirty (and actually illegal) taps will be uncovered.

      And will eventually be investigated as ILLEGAL reverse taps, Suzie Q et al decide to fabricate the Russia meme as a “beard”.

      And start amping up the entirely strange, inexplicable and fabricated Russia story. And keep raising the volume despite zilch evidence.

      Prediction: they will defend the taps as legal, not illegal reverse taps to the death.

      1. Frankee, Here’s the BIG problem. Much of these unmasking of surveillance had NOTHING, let me repeat this for the mongoloids here, NOTHING to do w/ Russia. So, there’s that.

        1. It’s a good time to watch another great movie ‘All The Presidents Men’ again too.

  16. Seems the sand is a most inviting place to bury one’s head these days. And as long as individuals clamor for corrupt and malfeasant government officials, corrupt and malfeasant government officials are who we will have.

    But to those who have a great need for crooks in office, please support only those having irrelevant positions such as the hyas muckamuck of your local noxious weed board or something. Spare the rest of us the damage bad pols in Congress and the presidency cause the world.

    1. Sadly, the odds played against us and the current Congress proves the rule, the craven, clueless and criminal at full display with a stand out now and then.

      The Founders stepped up and did the extraordinary in their time, backed by great spouses no doubt. It would be hard to imagine John Adams persevering without Abigail.

      Watching Congress at work, especially the Dems who are particularly inartful in their dealings.

      Jackie Speier, for example bleating on about the Russian hacking nothingburger, while she evades an explanation for why she hired the Awan Muslim Bros for her intelligence IT work, which of course got compromised.

      That is the third leg of this Obama fiasco:

      1. What was the extent of the Russian involvement in the election?
      2. Did the Obama Admin use the resources of the IC to spy on Americans including the president-elect?
      3. What was the extent of the damage the Awan Bros did to national security as a result of the Congressional intelligence committees security breach?

  17. What the heck are you Trump supporters going to do when all this hits the fan? Wake up you have been conned. And lied to. How about country before party.

    1. FishWings paraphrase: Because Trump is bad, therefore it is good when Susan Rice commits potential felony crimes, using her non-elected political office (Deep State) to destroy bad political enemies like Trump and anyone on his team.

    2. FishWings, so what is going to hit the fan? What’s the con? The lie? I must be missing it.

      I AM putting country before party. I have no party being an Independent. I believe Trump is an Independent middle of the road non partisan who is about Results that improve things for families and working people and the country. This is what I believe and why I am supporting Trump and giving him a shot to show us what he is able to do – against all this resistance and obstruction even – from both Dems and Republicans.

      I don’t think the Democrats are putting country before party. Chucky Schumer? Pelosi? Tom Perez? No way. They are all political all the time at any cost to hell with the people and the country. That’s how I see it. Obamacare hurt more people than it helped, but they rammed it down our throats with all the lies anyway. TPP was going to hurt more than it helped, but to hell with that. Jobs and manufacturing moving overseas? Oh well. We’ll expand the government welfare, food stamps, disability rolls massively to the point where 90 million are not in the work force. The Dems didn’t care, they just want the power. And this is why blue collar Dems turned toward Trump this time. We believe Trump does care and are willing to give him a chance. So if you want to keep fighting and resisting the president we have for the next four years so that literally nothing gets done -which then hurts this country and the people even more than the past 8 years has, then that is on you. I am supporting Trump. The Democrats are the party of this RESIST nonsense and I hope they pay for it with big losses come 2018.

        1. Glad to have some company. I forgot to add another point…..remember when the Democrats BOO’d at their convention and took ‘God’ out of their platform? Yeah, those Obama years have not been good for the Democrats, no matter how they try to spin it.

          1. I just read a headline from a Washington Post, The Daily 202 email: “Trump keeps blaming Obama. Fresh polls show voters don’t buy it.”

            I don’t recall EVER seeing a MSM headline that said OBAMA KEEPS BLAMING BUSH – do you?

            I don’t recall a single POLL that got the 2016 election right – do you?

            Where’s the reporting on the Susan Rice scandal? Nowhere.

            The MSM is a joke with its phony outrage and increasing irrelevance.

            1. Bob,
              I turned on the morning news earlier….ABC’s national morning news (Stephanophilus, etc.) led off with a lengthy story about a controversial Pepsi ad.
              Then the “news” shifted to speculation about the possibilty of a new James Bond film.
              Given their need to prioritize and cover these vital issues, it looks like they just couldn’t get around to covering the Susan Rice story.
              CBS Evening News actually spend 45 SECONDS covering the Susan Rice story when it broke, but ABC and NBC had no coverage.
              The Pepsi controversy and the Bond film seem to be the vital issues covered today, at least by ABC.

  18. When something like this starts with a lying sack of sh*t like our present President, someone who lies so consistently, smears people at the drop of a pin, whose immediate response to any question of his veracity is to ignore, lie some more, or accuse mindlessly; you expect the mainstream press to jump on each of his accusations and lend them credibility? You need to look at this in context. You need to read Fox News or the Washington Times if you feel the Chief Buffoon is not represented. There is plenty of media coverage that defends him when he is indefensible, ignores the lies, and/or simply supports whatever he does.

    1. “There is plenty of media coverage that defends him when he is indefensible, ignores the lies, and/or simply supports whatever he does.”

      Kind of like most of the media did for 8 years of Obama….and continues to do. Seems you have no issue with the softball, benefit of the doubt treatment the MSM consistently gave Obama?

    2. Earth to Isaac: the election is over. Get over it. Increase your meds.

    3. Isaac, you are such a broken record: “…When something like this starts with a lying sack of sh*t like our present President…”

      Exactly and specifically, please enlighten us dumb readers by defining what means the “start” of “something like this?” Give us a date, and time if possible, and location, and persons involved.

      Till you correct me for other’s enlightenment, we shall all presume the “start” of this was when internal Obama polls showed HRC (one of the most hated Americans of all time, with a proven track record to justify it, unlike Trump who has 70 days in office) had inadequate lead over Trump. We know from video record that Obama campaigned for HRC saying she was to continue his “legacy.” He did all but order blacks to vote for her, and one step short of calling them uncle toms if they disobeyed their quasi-black Democrat Slave Master.

      Followed by Rice and her team concocting a simple plan: “reverse targeting” of every single person on the Trump Team. What is “reverse targeting?” RT is very simple:

      “I (Susan Rice) identify persons A-Z as being political enemies I wish to destroy. In this case A-Z are members of the Trump Team including Trump, running against my chosen person to inherit the Democratic Throne, HRC (who would make me Secretary of State, for absolutely positively sure). I have no legal cause to hack and/or record Trump’s Team. So I simply record non-American citizens who may speak with Trump’s team. Then I can later concoct some believable lie how and why I am justified in “unmasking” the ID of said political enemies, for the sole cause of destroying them.”

      1. Isaac is Rain Man. Call him by that name and everything he says makes sense.

    4. Increasingly removed from reality, burrowing deeper into your comic book world.

    5. Right. It’s over the pimps have lost. When the stupids resort to cussing then like their hero Perez and then continue to repeat one unproven allegation after another they deserve to be dropped as just another stupid mouth piece willing to be programmed with any hysterical comment. How did you ever get one foot in your mouth and the other up your…wrecked….ummmm…..posterior? Now that would be a trick not worth watching. Sorry Comrade. wow that must really hurt!

  19. Simple question: where is the proof that Rice lied? Come on, Jonathan, you teach law, and you should know better. You carefully couch what you say in terms of this is what certain people claim, but you offer no proof. All of this, as most of us know, is to deflect what’s coming and to cast doubt on media outlets.

    Biggest question of all when it comes to you: why do you shill for The Rump anyway? He sexually assaults women, by admission. He serially lies. He trades on hate, panders to prejudices. The Russians helped him get elected. Isn’t education, such as the one you received, supposed to make people better than this?

    1. Great Comment. I only wish I had made it!
      Mr. Turley, you’re better than this hatchet job. Don’t jeopardize your credibility for a lout like Trump, please.

      1. The Lout was Obama. Look at the mess he left the country in as regards foreign policy. Russia, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Iran, and NK to name a few.

    2. Susan Rice is a well known LIAR. She lied on Benghazi (YouTube Video….reallly? How stupid Obama’s people think we are.) She lied about Bergdahl…served with “honor and distincition”. Susan Rice give me the willies whenever I see her. She LiES…blinks, blinks, blinks LIES, blinks, blinks, blinks. I would like to see an interrogation light brought down in front of her but we all know how that will turn out. Just like the IRS LIAR, Rice will plead the Fifth. Brennan, Clapper, are all in cahoots and the bread crumbs will all go back to the Liar President Obama. Wait and see.

      1. The Bergdahl thing, the whole of it, was so clearly a mess…. and yet there they had Obama stand in the Rose Garden with the parents. I had not actually seen them before and looking at the so optically wrong display, all I could think was, this will not go well.

      1. For all you Democrat women who spout off about Trump and his behavior with women and also overlooked Bill Clinton’s bad behavior and supported him anyway (and his God awful wife) because you liked his policies, go ahead and look up the definition of hypocrisy.

    4. The proof she lied is HER OWN WORDS! In her PBS interview 10 days ago she said she knew nothing about this. Now she says she did know about it, but didn’t do the leaking of it, but can’t say anymore about it because, you know, this is classified!!!

      I’m betting you thought Bill Clinton was a good president. Yes?

    5. Natacha – you did a nice rant againt Trump. However, keep your eye on the ball. Evidently people have seen the speadsheets that Rice had prepared and then disseminated across the Intelligence communities. Rice is a public liar who has no credibility. I have heard she is a fine Christian woman and is in line to replace Donna Brazille.

    6. My understanding is that she answered this question on NPR Newshour.

    7. Susan Rice, Deep State operative whom Natacha defends, is not only a serial liar (Benghazi), she was HRC’s first Lt. in the overthrow of legally installed Libyan President Gaddafi. Rice paid and armed so-called “moderate rebels” (AKA mass murdering Islamic ISIS scum) to anal rape and then murder (not sure of the order, sorry, Rice’s “moderates” prefer either sequence) Gaddafi, which turned Libya into a hell hole and directly caused the drowning death of tens of thousands of women and children fleeing the death and hell that is now Libya.

      Rice’s lies and obfuscation after Benghazi is the prime reason Rice did not take HRC’s job when HRC left the office. Rice is certainly among the most evil and duplicitous humans walking the earth, at least the equal of HRC if not worse, because Rice is happy to get her hands dirtier and bloodier than HRC.

      And then there’s these other crimes in Africa: https://www.blackagendareport.com/rice-museveni-crimes-central-africa

      Why and how did Gaddafi sign his own death warrant? Africa is the world’s richest store of untapped wealth for Western Banks. Gaddafi had the audacity to suggest African nations unite under one currency to better deal as one superpower before Western Banks cut Africa up into clean little pieces to plunder.

      Whenever a foreign entity grows balls big enough to challenge Western hegemony, POTUS responds with either, “I’d like to introduce you to my friends, the Marines,” or people like HRC and Rice go in with the CIA and do their dirty work with their friends, in the case of Libya, that would be ISIS, the same people who now run Libya.

      In case you needed a reason why the MSM news have not been covering the hell hole that is Libya, it’s because the MSM are owned by the same Western Banks who benefited by Gaddafi’s death. Gaddafi’s death, and Noriega’s imprisonment (a CIA drug runner who decided to go independent….the US Marines murdered 3000 innocent Columbians just to find Noriega) stand as warning to the next national leader who considers challenging US Western Hegemony.

    8. “…https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-11-17/lawmakers-resume-calls-for-james-clapper-perjury-charges…”

      We “know” Russia helped Trump, because James Clapper said so, the same guy who got clean away after committing felony perjury to Congress and the US people: https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-11-17/lawmakers-resume-calls-for-james-clapper-perjury-charges

      One of infinite differences between Natacha and Turley is the latter does not hide his true identity behind a pseudonym. Snowden leaks confirmed that Deep State operatives like Rice and the CIA team hire agents to troll and post in social forums like this.

      Is that YOU, Agent “Natacha?”

      I have uncovered many such persons like you. I noticed they just can not help themselves from revealing their Deep State status with inane names like yours, “Natacha” (a take off of cartoon Russian KGB Agent “Natasha” on Bulwinkle cartoon show in the 50s/60s). They either choose a supercilious name like yours, or an obnoxious and hateful name that mocks other posters and appears to give them some level of unearned respect and admiration.

    9. Right here:

      ““Susan Rice, former President Barack Obama’s national security adviser, reportedly requested on several occasions the identities of “masked” U.S. persons in intelligence reports linked to President Trump’s transition and campaign. The revelation contradicts Rice’s past comments on March 22, when she claimed she knew “nothing” about the intelligence reports.

      White House lawyers discovered Rice’s dozens of requests last month, during a National Security Council review of the “government’s policy on ‘unmasking’ the identities of individuals in the U.S. who are not targets of electronic eavesdropping, but whose communications are collected incidentally,” Eli Lake of Bloomberg reported Monday, citing U.S. officials.

      But Rice, who Newsweek once called Obama’s “right-hand woman,” denied during a PBS interview last month having any knowledge of the intelligence community’s alleged incidental surveillance of Trump’s transition team.”

      More @ https://californiajimmy.com/2017/04/02/susan-rice-behind-obamas-unmasking-incoming-trump-team-apr-03-2017/

      1. Yes, that was a blast of propaganda. How can anyone know Rice lied? Well by listening to what she said!

        I’m so glad you and other posters pointed out that Rice’s own words ought to be counted as evidence of this particular lie–but then again—PUTIN!!!!!!

    10. Can you prove your theory or premise? Claiming someone in shiling when they are pimping themselves is a rather risky move but I guess once you have proven what you are it’s just a matter negotiating a price. Your claim, your theory, your statement yours to own and yours to defend.

      Go for it..

    11. Natacha—-Watch the PBS interview. Why haven’t you seen it? Rice is a damn liar.

  20. In these times the Russians could strike a propaganda bonanza by having RT television broadcast the most completely truthful and objective news possible. The American public could then ignore the news here and no longer buy into the government / media collusion the MSM regurgitates today. After all, why would the Russians need to make false narratives when it is much easier to ruin the credibility of the US Gov’t by exposing the lies and sleaze pols here generate.

    1. Very astute, Mr. Smith.

      The U.S. version of democracy is close to having run its course. The rot runs from the White House to the courthouse(s). Hopefully, things will get better, but it will be many years before substantial progress is made – imo.

      1. I dont think so, Mr McWilliams. I would say that the mainstream media has though. The only people in media making a profit are “talking heads” so every reporter fancies themselves a talking head. And never forget that ALL talking heads–whether conservative or liberal–characterize themselves as entertainers rather than reporters.

        Which means none of them have any obligation towards journalistic ethics–notwithstanding their self righteousness!! : )

        I wish there wers some publications with good ole fashioned honest but cynical gumshoe reporters. Meanwhile god protect the citizen bloggers and whistle blowers out there

      2. What version of democracy is that? We have never been a democracy but a Representative Republic which uses democratic principles as it’s foundation but that doesn’t go beyond any village or township with any sort of elected official nor does it go beyond any level in any State which doesn’t have direct control of it’s elected official with a recall provision. The entire claim of ‘our democracy’ is bogus on it’s face.

      3. And whose fault is that? While there are many factors, the ultimate responsibility comes down to whose who have the biggest say in issue: the voters – or those who can’t be bothered to get involved in the running of this country. People can change the direction of the country if they take the interest and the time.

    2. Again, Bravo, Mr. Smith. Standing ovation, deafening applause, stomping of my huge shoes, AKA “violin cases” per my coworkers.

      Tucker Carlson interviewed Rep. Adam Schiff, ranking Dem. on the House Intelligence Committee, which allegedly “oversees” and keeps honest non-elected “Deep State” scum of the earth like Susan Rice.

      Carlson is the soul MSM news person demanding actual evidence that the Russian Government “hacked” Podesta’s and the DNC’s email accounts. So far to date, the single mantra quoted by Schiff and every other Progressive Democrat sycophant is, “you must believe the seventeen intelligence officials who agree w/the Dems.”

      Schiff’s reply was to slay the person bearing bad news (Carlson) by claiming he “carries water for Vladimir Putin,” and should “broadcast his show on Russia Times.” The last suggestion is ironic. Schiff meant is as a slur, while the irony is that RT is infinitely more reliable than USA MSM and liars like Schiff.

      Re. The seventeen intelligence officials: these persons occupy the exact same offices of the persons who confirmed Saddam’s WMD, AKA the justification these same slime ball Democrat Neo-Cons used to vote to give Bush the power to invade Iraq, which these same scum of the earth Dems later claimed was “the nations all time worst and most costly foreign policy blunder.”

      BTW, take note: The King of all “intelligence” officers was James Clapper, the all-hallowed “Director of National Intelligence.” The next time some Democrat claims we have to believe anyone occupying this office, remind them this lying sack of dung directly and intentionally committed felony perjury to the nation and Congress itself (including Schiff), and got away with it clean without charge: https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-11-17/lawmakers-resume-calls-for-james-clapper-perjury-charges

      The best (failed) reply you’ll ever get when demanding proof about Russia hacking the Dems is: “I can TELL you how I know because it shall harm national security.” Screw that. Demand proof.

      Lastly, we know from Julian Assange’s most recent leaks a month ago, the NSA has invented software that can assign a false source to a hacking code. Meaning: the NSA itself could have intentionally invented a false electronic narrative that Russia committed then hack when the NSA or the government itself was the source. The US has a track record of such lying: see “stuxnet” program which when uncovered, the USA denied knowledge about it, when we invented it.

      As long as it’s lying to “spread democracy” (thank Democrat Woodrow Wilson for stamping this meme into your psyche), it’s all good.

      1. Why are you using sexist terms thorughout? Really deos detract from your premise which means without acceptable proof is …..plonked.

        1. A lib who sees everything through the prism of race and gender. How precious!

        2. Foolish comment on your part! By the way, how is your Mom? OOPs, sorry, that’s sexist according to you.

    3. I usually check RT news prior to reading any MSM reports, that’s very sad when you think about it.One interesting thought is that no one and I mean no one takes VOA seriously. Considering the millions in it’s budget it might be time to put it to bed.

      1. No one? Are you sure? How do you intend to to prove that allegation or theory or whatever…something?

        You mght try 1956 or thereabouts.

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