Last night, many of us responded to the statement of Leon Panetta, former CIA Director in the Obama Administration, that he “has no regrets” about signing the now infamous letter of 51 former intelligence officials suggesting that the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation. Even more unsettling were his comments that he believes it could still be Russian disinformation. It turns out that even with American intelligence, the media, and Hunter Biden himself acknowledging authenticity, it can still be Russian disinformation. Panetta has become the personification of the economic theory of path dependence. No matter how much countervailing evidence is presented to Panetta, he still refuses to accept the authenticity of the laptop.
In his interview on “Special Report,” Panetta was asked by Bret Baier if he had any regrets about signing the letter, which was then used by Joe Biden in the debate to avoid answering questions about influence peddling by his family (and a virtual blackout of coverage before the election).
Panetta insisted that he had no regrets and then added that he has seen no intelligence that would make him change his mind.
“You don’t think it was real?” Baier asked him.
Panetta responded “I think disinformation is involved here.”
This was the man in charge of our CIA.
Panetta simply refused to acknowledge (1) American intelligence quickly debunked the claim and said that there was no evidence of Russian disinformation behind the laptop, (2) the emails contained in the laptop were quickly authenticated by the other parties, (3) the FBI authenticated the laptop, (4) Hunter Biden has since sued over the use of his laptop, and (5) the media has independently authenticated the laptop.
It has also been shown that the Biden campaign and associates coordinated the letter.
It was then used by an enabling media as an excuse not to investigate or report on the contents. What is striking is that Panetta can not cite any basis to believe that it was Russian disinformation. The laptop details an influence peddling scheme by a family that has long been known for such corruption. More importantly, there was not a single fact cited in the letter (or now years later) that supported this claim. It was simply embarrassing to the Bidens before a close presidential election.
However, in order to admit to these facts, Panetta would have had to admit that he was a willing or unwitting dupe of the campaign. It is easier to simply continue to claim that this could all be the invention of the Russians. Yet, Panetta is still sought for his advice on other intelligence matters as he continues to repeat disproven claims because the truth is simply too costly on a personal level to acknowledge.
What do we call false claims that are repeated despite being repeatedly debunked and disproven? Oh, yea, disinformation.
Have you noticed?
The DOJ is prosecuting Donald J Trump on trash charges.
While real wrongdoing goes unpunished.
“Bret Baier couldn’t manage to stick to the truth in his attempt to sandbag former CIA Director Leon Panetta on Friday. Baier debauched the gravity of an appearance purportedly focused on the Hamas attack and aftermath, with what he must have thought was a clever gotcha question about a letter Leon Panetta signed in October 2020 stating the opinion that the emails being pitched by Murdoch outlet New York Post, ‘has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.’ The letter not only expressed an opinion, but it cited four specific data points and two observations about known Russian methods, all of which were and remain true to to this day. …
“From the get-go, Baier adopted a rhetorical move commonly used by Murdoch employees and frothy right wingers sustaining their blind faith in ‘the laptop:’ He conflated ‘the laptop’ with individual emails. … Baier then falsely claimed that, ‘Hunter Biden said it was his laptop.’ … Hunter is not — contrary to Bret Baier’s false claim — admitting that, ‘Hunter Biden said it was his laptop.’”
https://www.emptywheel.net/2023/10/15/bret-baiers-lie-the-russian-escort-service-and-former-fox-news-pundit-keith-ablow/
That last sentence is confirmed with evidence from HB’s suit against John Paul Mac Isaac. More details at the link.
I read the laptop hacked thread and it was childish and wrong and self corrected a LOT.
It had ZERO hacking info.
Now we have this giant empty wheel you want read – probably wasted time good thing I’m a speed reader.
” She writes as emptywheel at her eponymous blog, publishes at outlets including Motherboard, the New Republic, and Al Jazeera, and appears frequently on television and radio. She is the author of Anatomy of Deceit, a primer on the CIA leak investigation, and liveblogged the Scooter Libby trial. ”
Oh look at that, a lefty loon false prosecution, one of the first big major ones all to cover a left wing hack liar at the cia, and the dream to get Cheney which the jurors admitted …. ONE OF OUR FIRST LAWFARE CRIMES WRIT LARGE AND SHE WAS THERE, LYING EVERY SECOND AND DROOLING.
Ask Colin Powell and his adams family shortstuff sidekick who blabbered out PLAME, VALERIE PLAME!!!!!!
I’ll get back to you. As we see above, the CIA is still a lying toolbox.
Leon Panetta is a lying sack of sociopathic sh*t.
He looks at Brett and lies.
He knows he is lying and he still lies.
He looks into the camera and lies.
He lies to the viewers KNOWING they all know he is lying…
and he still LIES thru his pychopathic teeth.
For shame.
These f’n lying corrupt psychopaths stinking up every corner of the government deserve NOTHING BUT the utter contempt of the American people AND the entire world. Despicable.
Ok, read the leftytard demoncrat babble all the way through.
This is her basic premise: Hunter denies knowing or not knowing if it is his laptop, he pleads the 5th, in other words. He isn’t gonna help convict himself. He doen’t deny going to the shop and dropping off his laptop for repair and never picking it up.
His lawyer DOES go after Hunter’s laptop, then Hunter denies knowing at the time his lawyer did it, the 5th again.
That is apparently, in liberal world, a win for Hunter and the biden’s lies.
She claims the 51 intel liars document is about emails not the laptop.
In the end, hunter was banging russian esscorts, she admits, so her theory is that is how russia was involved, but there is zero evidence for it, she presents none, and says – hey it was his hookers from russia…LOL
Yeah, you’re a hack and liar supporter.
Since Hunter was banging Putin’s hookers, how badly is Hunter compromised. Let’s imagine Trump was banging Russian hookers and we have the videos. Would that mean Trump is compromised by Russia ? YES, TO YOU, OF COURSE IT WOULD.
So you’re a zero sum liar. You lose on every possible point as does emptywheel the libturd fool.