When I read something this powerful, I am moved to share it. I find the last line strange. Donald Trump will never become “the leader we prayed you would be.” It is not in him.
William H. McRaven, a retired Navy admiral, was commander of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command from 2011 to 2014. He oversaw the 2011 Navy SEAL raid in Pakistan that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Dear Mr. President:
Former CIA director John Brennan, whose security clearance you revoked on Wednesday, is one of the finest public servants I have ever known. Few Americans have done more to protect this country than John. He is a man of unparalleled integrity, whose honesty and character have never been in question, except by those who don’t know him.
Therefore, I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency.
Like most Americans, I had hoped that when you became president, you would rise to the occasion and become the leader this great nation needs.
A good leader tries to embody the best qualities of his or her organization. A good leader sets the example for others to follow. A good leader always puts the welfare of others before himself or herself.
Your leadership, however, has shown little of these qualities. Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation.
If you think for a moment that your McCarthy-era tactics will suppress the voices of criticism, you are sadly mistaken. The criticism will continue until you become the leader we prayed you would be.
John Brennan is “…one of the finest public servants…”? Really. That was certainly not the case during Obama’s term: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2014/07/31/obama-should-fire-john-brennan/?utm_term=.e1a59122c2a3
Amazing how speaking out against Trump absolves one of one’s entire past!
Thank you sir! Well said and true.
Amen
“The criticism will continue until you become the leader we prayed you would be.” Definitely true. [He doesn’t have it in him to be a leader.]
Sorry, Admiral, but Trump will never be the leader you apparently thought he would be.
In the fine Admiral’s defense, he didn’t say “thought”; he said “hoped.”
🙂
Diane,
Thank you for posting this information.
As an aside, I look forward to your posts EVERY day. Your posts are part of my “must reads.”
Again, thank you.
Thank you, Yvonne, for being a faithful reader and commenter.
This is touching. I am so glad McRaven wrote it. Still, I can’t help but wonder how a person who seems so honest and sincere could even expect Trump to grow in the job and become an answer to a prayer. He is morally bankrupt and unfit to hold any elected office.
Why would you think the Admiral thinks what he hopes for could ever happen.
Reblogged this on Lloyd Lofthouse and commented:
I do NOT think Donald Trump is capable of becoming the leader the majority of Americans deserve.
He’s a small minded bully, not a leader.
If it would do any good I believe every military officer, warrant office, NCI and enlisted who have served this great nation and are now retired should follow in the footsteps of this Admiral. Never truer words were spoken about Trump.
I am retired military officer and was an NCO during the Vietnam time frame and had a top secret clearance. If would make any difference I too would give up my clearance.
The Admiral. Thank you Diane for sharing.
In contrast, Republican U.S. House Representative, Andy Barr, of Kentucky, who is running for reelection equated serving in combat for the U.S. military to his own politician’s job in D.C. (Share Blue)
Republicans know no shame.
I agree. Even before I saw Admiral McRaven’s letter, I was wishing that others with security clearance would make an announcement like this. Wasn’t it Henry Thoreau who said that when just men are put in jail, we should all be there. Dr. King said something similar.
Who’s in jail?
McRaven has got his $hit together. He was called to oversee and get the job done on the Osama hit while in the hospital after a serious Parachuting injury. Go to You Tube and look for commencement speech 2114 at the University of Texas.
reposting everywhere. lol
William H. McRaven: Thank you for this letter, and Diane for bringing it to this blog–for me and family members who served in the Army and the Air Force–and to others. It speaks truth.
Trump is announcing a date for another of his monstrosities, entirely to feed his ego. It is a HUGE military parade, so he can have some bragging and branding rights, compare “his stuff” with North Korea, China, Russia, France.
I hope the parade will be cancelled, but I doubt it. It would be better if Trump and every member of his cabinet and family spent November 10 attending funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, or listening to service members in VA hospitals.
This parade is infuriating, not just the cost, but the ego trip he requires. It is truly obscene. It is a perfect match for his vague idea of I-gotta-have-it Space Force…no clear mission other than feeding his ego.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/16/trump-military-parade-expected-to-cost-80-million-more-than-estimated.html?__source=sharebar%7Ctwitter&par=sharebar&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=politics-daily-newsletter&utm_content=20180816&silverid=NDY0OTA3NjQ1MjIxS0
The parade has just been, “rescheduled” to 2019. I wouldn’t be surprised if a (hopefully) Democratic House shoots down the funding for it(pun not intended!).
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/16/politics/military-parade-postponed/index.html
Dump’s entire life has been a TRAIN WRECK. Anyone expecting more of that dump other than huge and I mean MEGA HUGE MESSES
gotta be crazy like him.
Obscene? Oh, I suppose as a colloquialism for “disgusting.”
Trump’s tribute to Aretha Franklin, “…She worked for me.”
“I want to begin today by expressing my condolences to the family of a person I knew well,” Trump said Thursday during a Cabinet meeting. “She worked for me on numerous occasions. She was terrific—Aretha Franklin—on her passing. She brought joy to millions of lives and her extraordinary legacy will thrive and inspire many generations to come.”
He is possibly the most repugnant human ever. Trump is a living, breathing stain on humanity.
Dear Rage,
Agree totally!
I like your screen name. Thanks for fighting back.
People only WORK 4 him. No one really likes him, not even his wives and children. Dump is an ABUSER and he’s delusional.
Those who support him are also delusional and can’t think much.
I hope we survive his traitorous deeds. I hope he goes to jail for his crimes.
Impeach!
Traitorous? Maybe. Hillary was worse. That’s why she lost. She didn’t secure US secrets.
This letter shows what integrity looks like, doesn’t it? Something Agent Orange would know nothing about.
Brennan was just the first. The trial balloon of a wanna-be fascist. Anonymous WH sources indicate that Trump is going to gradually revoke the security clearances of all those on his enemies list associated with the Mueller investigation. Constitutional crisis in the making. Ans the gutless GOP co-conspirators will sit back and do nothing to stop this madman.
It has also been reported that Trump wants to revoke the security clearances of Mueller and his entire team of investigators. I think that is called “obstruction of justice,” and it is criminal.
Gossip so far. The standard of rationality on this blog has seriously declined.
Why unconstitutional? A security clearance is not a right.
Irony?
McCarthy wanted expose Communism in the U.S. so he asked notables:
“Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist party of the United States”
this president wants to expose PROTECT Communism in the U.S./WH/GOP so he’s asking:
“Are you now or have you ever been a member of the U.S. Justice Department, FBI, CIA, or the Obama Administration?”
The ironical question is germane because some top FBI officials were and still are in fact conspiring to overturn an election Trump won. You may not like his manners, but he did win the election the Russians were trying to throw to Hillary. When democracy doesn’t go the way you want it, you seem to want to retroactively challenge the honesty of the election. Accept it. Move on to the next cycle and try to win on policy.
OMG
How many indictments?
How many of HIS CABINET and appointees have stood in front of cameras declaring Russia interfered with the election and Putin admitting it was to support Trump.
I don’t care (well, I do) if he colluded, plotted, are pushed the damn keys on the keyboard to make it happen. Manners? if only that were his only problem.
WHAT IS disgusting is this absolute numbing and fear to speak out of people (GOP LEGISLATORS) who think his uh, manners… his childish tantrums, attacks on the good men and women of decades of government actual work, attacks on the free press, attempt to place all power in the oval office, expecting loyalty of judges, allegations of voter fraud, overt racism, 3,000+ documented lies, and diversions of “build my wall” “witch hunt” “blame Obama” “science is a hoax” “unpatriotic NFL” everytime the heat’s on – – AND his Chauncey Gardiner Fox News Says it and it comes out of his mouth routine – – how THEY ARE SILENT and think allllllll of this is OK.
And win on policy?… cut taxes for the rich (except we’ll never know about his tax… make U.S. an isolate on the international stage… deny science… gerrymandering…
p.s. where is your evidence that current FBI conspiring to overturn the government
Whew – sure glad some of still read Hemingway and his advice on crap detecting
Harlan Underhill: I’d like to know where this bit of information came from, “…he did win the election the Russians were trying to throw to Hillary. ”
Harlan, what planet did you come from? Did you make this up or is it the most recent mushing up of facts from some far right ‘news’ source?
Carol,
The media claimed that they forecasted Hillary’s win based on info. from the campaigns. That means John Podesto (creator of CAP). Trump’s campaign predicted he would lose. The Russian Facebook messaging telling voters who didn’t like Hillary, to vote for Jill Stein, wouldn’t have worked if those same voters had thought the race was tight. If Podesto had an agenda similar to the Russians, he couldn’t have planned it better. It was also his password unwittingly given to hackers that exposed both conniving against and mocking of progressives. And, even though, Bernie rose above and campaigned vigorously for Hillary, some were not so forgiving and stayed home.
Michael Moore gave a blueprint to everyone for Hillary’s loss. It went unheeded by her campaign.
CAP’s leader, Neera Tandem, who was involved in Hillary’s campaign at the highest level and, therefore, in part, responsible for her loss, remains in her job. Her performance either meets expectations or her accountability excludes electoral successes, which brings us to her policy successes like charter schools and no new taxes for education (right wing positions). Podesto is in a video with Jeb Bush promoting the same charter school agenda as Bush. The PR firm that Tony and John Podesto founded, had in its CEO position, during Hillary’s campaign, the former deputy campaign manager to Gov. Jeb Bush.
As Diane told us, media continue to refer to CAP as liberal. Tanden’s ship is apparently good at networking with media (e.g. NYT’s David Leonhardt and Vogel) to create a false PR impression.
We can dismiss Clinton Dems associated with Third Way and CAP as arrogant and inept or we can do something that exposes and thwarts them.
Harlan Underhill…..all I have to say is that you’ve been hanging out on the dark net with your QAnon buddies a bit too much. Please stop drinking the wrong colored KoolAid!
John Arnold, who gave more than a $1 mil. to Third Way, shows us that the dark manipulative, soul of Enron continues. Arnold and Trump, not very different even in hair
calamities.
I would think that one’s security clearances would be pulled the minute that one left the service of the government. I guess not, but, for me, that is how it should be. As a teacher my “clearance” to view student records ceased the day that I was no longer employed as a teacher by the district. Same difference in my mind.
Imagine teachers were very much involved in school security that included knowing all about the ongoing history of gangs and other bad actors in the neighborhoods and maybe the entire state.
In this case, the entire country.
“and other bad actors”?
You mean like the adminimals, district officials and state department of ed bureaucrats who implement nefarious educational malpractices, i.e., the standards and testing regime, that harm all children???
No, for those people special intelligence is not needed, just rubrics, colored charts, a 4-function calculator and a spinner.
You mean “Twister”?
“Deformer”
Teacher Twister”
Teacher Twister
Is the best
VAMMed and dissed her
With a test
Left foot over
Head behind
Right foot drove her
Out of mind
More than 5 million Americans hold security clearances — about 1.5% of the total population!
George Carlin was talking to you, Duane, when he said ” It’s a big club and you ain’t in it!”
Those of us who do not have security clearances can only wonder at what those who do talk about at the Clubhouse.
Alien visitations?
By the way, 5 million is 2% of the “adult” US population.
I could be wrong, but I am assuming they dont entrust people under 18 with national secrets (eg, about space aliens).
Wouldn’t want to be in that club. I prefer this one:
Oh come on Duane
Aren’t you at least a wee bit curious about who among us are space aliens?
I mean, besides Betsy DeVos, Arne Duncan, Michelle Rhee and Bill Gates.
What a Dilbert! The creator of ‘Dilbert’ doesn’t understand after all this time the signals (whistles, etc.) embedded in clouded references and would-be jokes or sarcasm or irony or whatever? And Fox News, so tilted it is both tabloid and clannish.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/17/jokes-on-brennan-for-failing-to-find-humor-in-trumps-remark-dilbert-cartoonist-says.amp.html
Revoke my security clearance too.
Oh wait, I don’t have one of those.
I had to forgoe it to get my poetic license.
So revoke my poetic license.
PS I don’t have one of those either, but don’t tell anyone cuz poeting without a license is a crime punishable by confienmemt to a white padded room with the voice of Sarah Huckelberry Sanders piped in 24/7
SDP: ” …poeting without a license is a crime punishable by confienmemt to a white padded room with the voice of Sarah Huckelberry Sanders piped in 24/7.”
Oh GROSS! That is worse than starvation with waterboarding.
I’d rather be drawn and quartered than listen to Huckelberry Sanders.24/7 — or even 7 minutes, for that matter.
My quick comment is that it is so VERY tragic that so many people still believe in Trump. He has all the earmarks of dictators. Demeans, gets rid of all opposition; Takes over for a free press, enriches himself [the last tax cut] at the expense of the people ad nauseum. A bad flaw in the American psyche; follow a bully, a person who brags about demeaning women in the worst way, etc etc etc.
I would LOVE to make America great again; get rid of Trump, Pence and drain the swamp of his allies.
We soon will have no friends except Putin and other dictators.
Steele: I want Rudy to dress in my place coach. He deserves it.
Coach Devine: Don’t be ridiculous, Georgia Tech is one of the top offense teams in the country. [Pause] You’re an All-American and our captain; act like it.
Steele: [laying down his jersey] I believe I am.
As Commander McCraven stands for what is right and good – noble and the truth – as others who, too, are EXPERTS and should be consulting as needed, line up with their “jerseys” of “take my clearance” maybe GOP congress will WAKE UP what this maniacal all-about-me president makes us more vulnerable to danger than ever.
Compare the words of a narcissist to those of a man who shows true meaning to the passing of Aretha Franklin. [No Trump, she is not a slave to you. She sang at your Trump’s Castle casino in 1988 and the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in the 1990s. She enriched life.]
…….
The president’s remarks, as released by the White House press office, were in full:
I want to begin today by expressing my condolences to the family of a person I knew well. She worked for me on numerous occasions. She was terrific — Aretha Franklin — on her passing. She brought joy to millions of lives and her extraordinary legacy will thrive and inspire many generations to come. She was given a great gift from God — her voice, and she used to well. People loved Aretha. She was a special woman. So just want to pass on my warmest best wishes and sympathies to her family.
Barack Obama:
America has no royalty. But we do have a chance to earn something more enduring. Born in Memphis and raised in Detroit, Aretha Franklin grew up performing gospel songs in her father’s congregation. For more than six decades since, every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine. Through her compositions and unmatched musicianship, Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. She helped us feel more connected to each other, more hopeful, more human. And sometimes she helped us just forget about everything else and dance.
Aretha may have passed on to a better place, but the gift of her music remains to inspire us all. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace. Michelle and I send our prayers and warmest sympathies to her family and all those moved by her song.
thank you for posting these.
the original blog was about a man with integrity and knowing what is right and good taking a stance with eloquence and sincerity.
your post of President Obama’s speech falls right in line with that. Eloquence and grace – – and meaning — and substance — and pronouns.
How is this man president? How many people will sell their souls for a tax break and a supreme court nominee in November? Evangelicals at the top of the list followed by his white country club locker room talking boys – both groups who will have to face their daughters, employees of color, and their maker one day.
The Orange one is getting more and more frustrate. Why is he so worried if there is nothing to hide and it is a ‘witch hunt’? Surely, the Orange IDIOT has better use of his time…hasn’t been golfing nearly enough. What’s with a fund-raising trip to the Hamptons? Us taxpayers are supposed to pay for such nonsense?
…………………………………..
Embracing Conspiracy Theory, Trump Escalates Attack on Bruce Ohr
And no evidence has emerged showing that Mr. Ohr or his wife played a role in starting the F.B.I.’s Russia investigation. Rather, it was contacts between a former Trump foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, and Russian intermediaries that prompted the bureau to open the inquiry in late July 2016.
But Mr. Trump has embraced the theory, casting Mr. Ohr and his wife as central players in what he calls the “rigged witch hunt” and accusing the couple of having what he claims are indirect contacts with Russians — apparently a reference to Mr. Steele’s research.
“They should be looking at Bruce Ohr and his wife, Nellie, for dealing with, by the way, indirectly, Russians,” Mr. Trump said as he boarded Marine One for a fund-raising trip to the Hamptons. Asked about Mr. Ohr’s security clearance, Mr. Trump added: “I think Bruce Ohr is a disgrace. I suspect I will be taking it away very quickly.”
A lawyer for Mr. Ohr, Joshua Berman, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment….
https://newscentertoday.com/2018/08/embracing-conspiracy-theory-trump-escalates-attack-on-bruce-ohr/
Former intelligence officials bite back after Trump goes after Brennan’s clearance
…On the same day that McRaven put out his statement, a dozen former intelligence leaders signed a letter condemning the president’s action. They included Clapper as well as two former CIA directors who have been regular critics of the president: retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden and Leon Panetta, who served as defense secretary in the Obama administration.
But there were others who led the CIA at one time or another who may not be as well-known as Brennan or Clapper or some of the others who appear regularly on television criticizing presidential actions. They include William Webster, the former FBI director; George Tenet, who was CIA director at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks; retired Army Gen. David Petraeus; John McLaughlin, former deputy director and acting director of the CIA; and Mike Morell, who also served as deputy director and acting director at the CIA.
Another name was added to the list on Friday, that of Robert Gates, who had served as CIA director under President George H.W. Bush and later as defense secretary under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Gates has been a measured critic of some of Trump’s actions but has not been on the front lines of taking on the president…
https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Former-intelligence-officials-bite-back-after-13165733.php?utm_campaign=email-desktop&utm_source=CMS%20Sharing%20Button&utm_medium=social
How many people has Trump declared the ‘worst ever’, or a variation of that such as ‘dumbest ever’, because they have reasons to criticize him? Trump needs to look in the mirror to see the true ‘worst ever’. He has no abilities to get along with anyone who isn’t totally loyal.
……………………………
Donald J. Trump
Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
Follow Follow @realDonaldTrump
More
Has anyone looked at the mistakes that John Brennan made while serving as CIA Director? He will go down as easily the WORST in history & since getting out, he has become nothing less than a loudmouth, partisan, political hack who cannot be trusted with the secrets to our country!
6:12 AM – 18 Aug 2018
DJT will go down in history as the WORST president ever.
I LOVE Borowitz. [Remember it’s satire. He is a comedian.]
…………………………….
Military Refuses to Participate in Trump’s Parade, Citing Bone Spurs
By Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker
18 August 18
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—The Pentagon has turned down Donald J. Trump’s request for a grand military parade in Washington, D.C., citing a sudden outbreak of bone spurs that would prevent men and women in uniform from participating.
Harland Dorrinson, a Pentagon spokesman, said that, within an hour of Trump’s request, more than a hundred thousand military personnel complained that they were suffering from acute cases of bone spurs that would make marching in such a parade a painful ordeal.
“In the history of the U.S. military, we have never experienced a bone-spur epidemic of this magnitude,” the spokesman said. “Regrettably, however, we have no choice but to issue thousands of deferments.”
A statement from the bone-spur sufferers said that they would continue to valiantly serve their country around the world in a non-marching capacity, and offered an alternative to their participation in Trump’s proposed pageant.
“President Trump is welcome to march in the parade all by himself if he would finally like to enlist,” the statement read.
Poor Orange IDIOT. Hope the courts once again rule against him.
………….
Brennan says he’s willing to go to court to prevent Trump from revoking additional clearances
BY BRETT SAMUELS – 08/19/18 11:04 AM EDT
Former CIA Director John Brennan said Sunday he’s willing to consider legal action against the Trump administration to block the president from revoking other officials’ security clearances.
Brennan said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that several lawyers have contacted him to discuss the possibility of filing a complaint against the White House after it revoked his security clearance last week.
“If my clearances and my reputation as I’m being pulled through the mud now, if that’s the price we’re going to pay to prevent Donald Trump from doing this against other people, to me it’s a small price to pay,” Brennan said.
“I’m going to do whatever I can personally to try to prevent these abuses in the future and if it means going to court, I will do that,” he added…
http://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/402529-brennan-says-hes-willing-to-go-to-court-to-prevent-trump-from
This speaks volumes.
……………………………
175 Ex-NatSec Officials Rebuke Trump’s Move vs. John Brennan
The national-security protest letter-writing campaign continues, with 175 former top U.S. officials rebuking President Donald Trump for stripping former CIA chief John Brennan of his security clearance last week. “Our firm belief is that the country will be weakened if there is a political litmus test applied” before seasoned professionals can share their unclassified views, the new batch of signers wrote. They include Nick Rasmussen, the former National Counterterrorism Center director; former Deputy Secretary of State William Burns; former National Security Adviser Anthony Lake; more than 10 former U.S. ambassadors, and more than 20 former U.S. Attorneys. The latest missive follows one last Thursday, when 15 former directors and deputies from the CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence voiced their objections. A day later, 60 former senior CIA officials added their names, said former CIA spokesman Bill Harlow. “Over the weekend, the organizers of the initial messages were inundated with requests,” from senior officials who “wanted to speak out against treating security clearances like political party favors.” Trump has threatened to strip clearances from a half-dozen other former officials and one who is currently serving at the Justice Department. —Kimberly Dozier