Trump selected inexperienced, hard-right Congressman John Ratcliffe’s to be the Director of National Intelligence, but the Republicans in the Senate sent word that they would not confirm Trumps’ unqualified lapdog.
This story from today’s Washington Post by James Hohmann shows what a difference this made. Had Ratcliffe been confirmed, the whistleblower complaint would never have seen the light of day..
THE BIG IDEA: The Ukraine donnybrook shows the degree to which institutions depend on the individuals inside of them to function as they were designed. The whistleblower who sounded an alarm while others bit their tongues showed that. So did the inspector general who alerted Congress to his complaint when President Trump’s loyalists were trying to keep it secret. And the public got a glimpse during a House committee hearing on Thursday of how differently this scandal might have played out if Trump’s previous pick to lead the nation’s intelligence community had been confirmed.
The temperamental contrast was stark between Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Tex.), the hyper-partisan congressman who wanted the job, and Joe Maguire, the decorated military hero who got it instead and seemed eager to show he’s no one’s toady. Democrats faulted Maguire, as the acting director of national intelligence, for checking in with the very entities who a CIA whistleblower had accused of wrongdoing, including Bill Barr’s Justice Department and Trump’s White House counsel’s office, to see if they wanted to claim executive privilege to prevent the disclosure of his allegations.
Maguire noted earnestly that he was new in the role and wanted to do the right thing. The retired admiral had been running the National Counterterrorism Center after 36 years in the Navy, including as commander of Seal Team 6. He said he’s sworn an oath to protect and defend the Constitution 11 times. “No one can take an individual’s integrity away,” Maguire explained. “It can only be given away.”
Ratcliffe’s questioning of Maguire – which was more of a monologue, really – offered a window into how he might have handled both the complaint and the hearing if he’d found himself in the hot seat. The congressman made the case that Trump prodding his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate former vice president Joe Biden was “lawful conduct.” He claimed without evidence that the whistleblower was “wrong in numerous respects” and dubiously compared the complaint to the “Steele dossier” in the Russia investigation. “The United States is allowed to solicit help from a foreign government in an ongoing criminal investigation, which is exactly what President Trump did in that conversation,” Ratcliffe declared.
Ratcliffe’s hopes of getting formally nominated went down in flames on Aug. 2 after Senate Republicans expressed concern about his qualifications and evidence that he had padded his résumé. The three-term congressman had impressed Trump in July with his hostile questioning of former special counsel Bob Mueller. When the president pulled his supportjust a week after announcing his intention to nominate Ratcliffe, reporters asked Trump why he put someone with such limited national security experience up for such an important job without fully vetting him. “I think he would’ve picked it up very quickly,” Trump replied. “I give out a name to the press and they vet for me. We save a lot of money that way.” Trump gave the job instead to Maguire, who had no idea he’d immediately be thrust into the center of an epic fight between the White House and Congress.
During the hearing, Ratcliffe also falsely insisted that the legal opinion from the Justice Department, which claimed that intelligence community officials didn’t need to turn over the whistleblower complaint because it was outside of their jurisdiction, was written by nonpolitical lawyers. “That’s an opinion from the Department of Justice ethics lawyers – not political appointees, but career officials that serve Republicans and Democrats,” Ratcliffe said during the hearing.
In fact, that opinion – released publicly on Wednesday – was authored by Trump appointee Steven Engel. Engel earned a reputation as a highly partisan figure in George W. Bush’s Justice Department, which is why Democrats fought his confirmation to run the Office of Legal Counsel. He was confirmed by a vote of 51 to 47 in November 2017. As a former U.S. attorney, it seems inconceivable that Ratcliffe would not know the Office of Legal Counsel is led by a political appointee.
— It’s also very revealing to contrast how Maguire and Trump talked about the whistleblower. The acting DNI testified that he does not know who wrote the document, but he said he doesn’t question the person’s motives. He added that he believes they “acted in good faith” and insisted that he is glad the information has finally come out. “I think the whistleblower did the right thing,” Maguire said. “I think he followed the law every step of the way.”
As Maguire was testifying, Trump declared that the whistleblower acted like “a spy” and suggested that the legally protected conduct was akin to “treason.” Speaking in New York at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the president made clear that he’d also like to ferret out anyone else who provided evidence of his misconduct. “I want to know who’s the person that gave the whistleblower … the information because that’s close to a spy,” he said. “You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart? Right? With spies and treason, right? We used to handle them a little differently than we do now.”
The Los Angeles Times published an audio recording of the closed-door speech, and The Post later obtained a video. “We’re at war,” Trump said in his ad-libbed remarks, referring to the scandal. “These people are sick. They’re sick. And nobody’s called it out like I do.”
— Trump and his band of brothers have been leaning on the language of war this week. Rep. Devin Nunes (Calif.), the ranking Republican on the Intelligence Committee, congratulated Democrats at the Maguire hearing on the “rollout of their latest information warfare operation against the president.”
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House strategist, compared Nancy Pelosi’s speech on Tuesday night to the start of the Civil War in 1861. “Pelosi’s announcement to begin a formal process at 5 p.m. was the shot at Fort Sumter,” Bannon said. “Now you cannot freelance, you cannot go rogue. You have to be disciplined. You have to be high and tight.”
— Former DNI James Clapper likened the president’s comments about the whistleblower to “witness retaliation.” “What’s really bad about it is this is going to have a very chilling effect on any other potential whistleblowers,” the Trump critic said on CNN.
Trump operates just like a mob boss. All that matters is absolute obedience–“loyalty.” Because all Trump cares about is Trump. His appointments are always based on who he thinks is going to provide him cover, is going to stand in front of a camera and say, with a straight face, there was no collusion, for example.
That is, like a particularly dumb Mob boss, a Gotti as opposed to a Meyer Lansky. Trump–the Teflon Don II.
President Trump is amoral and more than a . . . Liddle’ . . . cognitively challenged.
Yes, Trump’s abominable personnel reflect his horrid policies.
As long as we accept the same about the president who appointed his basketball buddy to be Secretary of Education and a warmonger to be Secretary of State and a neoliberal bully as Chief of Staff, as well as the likes of Congressional perjurer James Comey and James Clapper, David Betrayus, Milton Friedman acolytes Ben Bernanke and Lawrence Summers
If I understand your comment, you are saying that there is absolutely no difference between a President who appoints cabinet members with conservative positions we don’t like, and a President who appoints cabinet members who willingly (and illegally) cover for him when he breaks the law.
I think Donald Trump and the Republicans in the Senate and House who enable his criminality agree with you 100%. Nothing like normalizing criminal behavior by insisting that the Democrats are no different.
I appreciate cynicism, but when cynicism is used to normalize criminality, it just becomes enabling. The political leader before Hitler was not very good and his regime had corruption, but Hitler could never have grabbed so much power without so many Germans constantly acting like his latest power grab being just politics as usual. At some point after the war, the German people did a reckoning and realized they were part of the problem and Hitler could not been Hitler without a lot of German people enabling him just like that.
I always heard about how Andrew Johnson was impeached. Then there was Nixon, resigning before an onslaught of accusations drowned him and his party. His supporters told me years later: “Nixon did not do anything they all do all the time.” There was Reagan, above all the corruption in the Iran-Contra affair, smelling like a rose as arrogant Oliver North told the investigators they were about to be lied to, then lied to them. Then there was Clinton, impeached for lying about an illicit relationship.
In Tennessee I remember the marquee inJackson where governor-elect Lamar Alexander was announced as having to cancel his speech there in order to be sworn in as governor since his predecessor had been selling pardons to criminals. I was there, working in the sewer, a juxtaposition I could hardly ignore.
I feel I have existed within a zeitgeist of corruption. We can and should rid ourselves of this man who is president. But will the successors prove his superior? I am tired.
I’ve heard one thing, a couple of times, that gives me hope. At the time the impeachment inquiry was set up [where we are now], Nixon was still wildly popular; he had just been re-elected in a landslide. But as the facts of Watergate were made excruciatingly clear to the public during televised deiberations, his polled popularity took a nosedive. That, perhaps more than anything else, pushed Rep legislators to move against him. Pundits like to say this wouldn’t happen today due to our polarized politics. But I remember politics of the early ’70’s: there was a lot of vitriol, & intense polarization.
It’s worth stating again: Trump is a traitor to the Constitution and to the Republic.
The Mueller Report lays bare the immense hep Russia gave Trump in 2016, noting that
“the Internet Research Agency, LLC (IRA), a Russian organization began operations targeting the United States as early as 2014. Using fictitious U.S. personas, IRA employees operated social media accounts and group pages designed to attract U.S. audiences. These groups and accounts, which addressed divisive U.S. political and social issues, falsely claimed to be controlled by U.S. activists…By early to mid-2016, IRA operations included supporting the Trump Campaign and disparaging candidate Hillary Clinton…By the end of the 2016 U.S. election, the IRA had the ability to reach millions of U.S. persons through their social media accounts. Multiple IRA-controlled Facebook groups…Facebook estimated the IRA reached as many as 126 million persons through its Facebook accounts.”
Mueller documented in detail the Russian hacks of “the computers and email accounts of organizations, employees, and volunteers supporting the Clinton Campaign, including the email account of campaign chairman John Podesta” and the DNC.
Mueller made clear that the Russians “stole hundreds of thousands of documents from the compromised email accounts and networks.109 The GRU later released stolen Clinton Campaign and DNC documents through online personas, ‘DCLeaks’ and ‘Guccifer 2.0,’ and later through the organization WikiLeaks. The release of the documents was designed and timed to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election and undermine the Clinton Campaign.”
The Guardian reported that Trump had comments he made with two Russian officials – foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador two the US Sergey Kislyak – “ placed into a highly secured system reserved for the most sensitive intelligence information.” These comments include Trump saying that he was “unconcerned” about Russian meddling in the 2016 election on his behalf.
Three days after his phone-call-shakedown of the Ukraine president, Trump fired Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, after he learned that an intelligence community whistleblower complaint was imminent. Then, he tried to place a Republican Congressman loyalist (John Ratcliffe), who had minimal intelligence experience and who lied about his prosecutorial background, into the position. That didn’t work.
Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio summed up the Ukraine scandal thusly:
“Let’s see: Russia has invaded the Ukraine, Ukraine is dependent upon the United States for military assistance to defend itself, Trump is withholding the aid, at the same time asking them for dirt on his political opponent. He’s jeopardizing the national security interests of the United States. If anybody is committing treason — and I believe that’s an impeachable offense — it’s the president of the United States, Donald Trump.”
Trump is a traitor. Anyone still defending him or supporting him is too.
Yes, you sure are right, democracy,
You wrote, “It’s worth stating again: Trump is a traitor to the Constitution and to the Republic.”
Trump does NOT uphold Our Constitution and he is “TRAITOROUS LIAR.” He is committing TREASON.
And I really like the current issue: it’s actionable. Unlike the Russia-meddling, which has lots of innuendo but no evidence connecting Trump directly– which undermines public support for cover-up/ obstruction-of-justice issues– there’s very clear evidence here of holding up bipartisan-approved natl security funds (for Ukraine’s defense against Russia) in a quid-pro quo proposal which benefits Trump’s personal career interests at the expense of natl security.
My husband tends to argue for JQ Public’s viewpoint, which he assumes will be: isn’t it the President’s job to promote investigation of a previous VP’s unethical actions? The line between unethical & illegal is very close! As he sarcastically remarked, “too bad we don’t have a law against Presidents holding up promised aid in order to bully a country dependent on our aid to do him a personal favor…”[Subtext: who knew we’d need such a law?]
Your final vituperation reflects badly on you because your summary of the case is incomplete. Your half truths do not make you a traitor to the USA, merely a disingenuous debater.
You’ve made such a convincing argument, Harlan. I thought your use of facts and evidence to make your point demonstrated superb debate skills.
NYC public school parent: “You’ve made such a convincing argument, Harlan. I thought your use of facts and evidence to make your point demonstrated superb debate skills.”
Well stated NYC public school parent. As a representative of Indiana, I stand with you!!!
Trump is a traitor. Anyone still defending him or supporting him is too.
My prediction is that the impeachment effort will explode like the Hindenberg. All a big bag of gas.
You are right. He belongs in federal prison.
Putin’s poodle. Everything he does benefits Russia, not the US.
Absolutely correct …. personnel is policy. Look what is happening to the EPA, BLM and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau … which is exactly why I am concerned about TFA alumni being Elizabeth Warren’s education policy advisors.
I’m with you, Eleanor. I too have the SAME concern re: Warren, and this one not a small one … but instead HUGE.
Trump is targeting California because that state doesn’t support Trump’s plans for increasing pollution from vehicles. People should just go into the forests and rake leaves to prevent forest fires. Hope there are no windmills that cause cancer. Trump is an IDIOT and he picks people who are no smarter than he is. Water quality pollution is now blamed on the homeless in a letter from the EPA sent to Gov. Newsom.
………………………….
Water experts tell Trump no, the homeless aren’t hurting California water quality
09/28/19
The Trump administration tried to pin California’s water woes on the homeless, but water quality experts say there is little connection between homeless camps and water pollution.
In the latest move in the political battle between President Trump and the nation’s largest blue state, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) criticizing California for “failing to meet its obligations” on sewage and water pollution, blaming homelessness for the contamination.
But experts say the EPA was short on the scientific backing for its claims.
“No self respecting EPA scientist or regulatory staffer is going to claim there’s a direct connection between the homeless and the issues raised in that letter. It’s a pure political stunt,” said Steve Fleischli, senior director of water initiatives at the Natural Resources Defense Council, who knocked the EPA for various proposals to roll back water quality regulations….
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/463439-water-experts-tell-trump-no-the-homeless-arent-hurting-california
Thanks, Trump, for securing CA blue vote in 2020.
Ralph Nader: Constitutional outlaw Trump may implode with lies before he is impeached
Written by Ralph Nader / Common Dreams
September 29, 2019
..Trump says brutal dictators are doing great for their people, ignoring the obvious facts.Trump operates in a vast cocoon of falsity and refuses to read and consult with people who are not sycophants. This is an egomaniacal, narcissistic illusionist who could start wars, has his hand on the nuclear trigger, and believes he is about the law and Congressional controls.
https://www.alternet.org/2019/09/ralph-nader-constitutional-outlaw-trump-may-implode-with-lies-before-he-is-impeached/#.XZDEkG4lqhI.gmail