(`) Joe BltzI guess we have to change the old saying, “In like Flynn.”

It is amazing though that a three star general could betray his country in the manner Flynn has done by lying to the vice president about his conversation with the Russian ambassador, Why would he do that? Remember Obama fired Flynn. Yet, Trump had no problem appointing him to the highest position in intelligence in his office.

Why did Flynn lie to the media when asked if he talked about sanctions with the Russian ambassador?

Why did Trump continue to keep him in this highly sensitive position for over a month after being warned by the acting attorney general that he had lied and the Russians knew it so his would be subject to blackmail?

On Tuesday morning Kellyanne Conway said that his misleading the vice president was unsustainable in an interview with Matt Lauer. She was then asked if that is the case why didn’t Trump act one month ago when he first learned that information. From that we get confirmation that in fact Flynn lied to Pence and that Trump knew this a month before but he nevertheless continued to include Flynn as part of his administration. It was only when the information became public that Flynn was out!

I suppose there are some who hope the information would not have become public and will blame the people who released the information for doing it. There will be others who will come up with come convoluted explanation as suggesting Trump did not believe the information when he first received it so he gave Flynn the benefit of the doubt. There will always be the apologists for Trump no matter what he does but the fact remains that he let Flynn stay in a top security position when he knew he had an illicit relationship with the Russian ambassador. Why illicit? It had to be or he would not have lied about it.

Not only that the information that he conveyed must be substantial and not merely the mention of the word since I am sure if it were not then Trump would have fought back and shown it was not of any significance.

What’s worse is that when Trump was on the plane with the Japanese premier heading to Florida last Friday he was asked about Flynn having a conversation with the Russian ambassador before he was sworn in that included a discussion of sanctions. Trump answered that he did not know about that. Are we to believe that he was not told by his staff a month ago after Kellyanne confirmed it? If not, then we must conclude Trump was fabricating at that point.

Maybe it all goes back to the attitude expressed last Sunday by Stephen Miller the White House Policy Adviser who said: “Our opponents, the media and the whole world will soon see as we begin to take further actions, that the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned . . . .”

If that does not sound like the ominous and frightening words that one would hear in a dictatorship tell me what does. As you know anything can be disguised under the heading “protect our country” and if the White House thinks by merely floating those words before any action it plans to take means those actions “will not be questioned” then Trump has thrown out our democracy with the baby water.

Could one not argue that the Bill of Rights is an impediment to the president’s ability to “protect our country.” Will it soon be necessary to do away with the election process “to protect our country”and make Trump president for life? Who would dare question that?

Perhaps he can then resurrect the expression “In like Flynn” and appoint Flynn as Head of the Ministry of Truth.

26 Comments

  1. Dear Bill C., Your knowledge and compassion is 5 stars. In this blog, you’re the only writer I witnessed helping the less fortunate. Of course, others here do the same, but I probably will never see it. Keep up the insightful writing.

  2. NC: You’re wrong about Snowden. Colorado is made for him. The sooner he gets there, the better. Unfortunately, Putin is just teasing. Snowden’s got the Philby suite in the Kremlin (that means a fancy uniform with a chestful of medals in his closet). He was working for FSB for years, before, they made the decision for him to bolt. The scent-hounds must have been getting close. Snowden’s China escape was a farce. He knew exactly where he was going to end up. He’s currently caught up in all this Trump crap, maybe, its a good thing. If Snowden winds up defending his actions at trial, I want a ticket. When you’ve make a contract with Satan, there’s no small print that gets you off the hook for matters of conscience.

  3. I see that after firing and publicly humiliating Flynn, Trump says the general was unfairly treated by the media. The president needs more of a master plan than blaming the media for everything. I’d love to see him take a stab at personal responsibility. In matters large and small, Trump is just not ready for prime time. The New York Post has a story about the president’s awkward, arms-length greeting of Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, a perfectly normal-looking woman. I suspect that Sara’s crime, in Trump’s eyes, is failure to look hot. Remember, this is a man who loved to hang out at beauty contests.
    http://nypost.com/2017/02/15/trump-has-awkward-moment-with-netanyahus-wife/

  4. Wa-llahi! Pence will only be President, if Glorious Leader leaves the WH in an ambulance.

    Trump’s gonna be splitting the Pennsylvania Ave Pad in hand-cuffs, or, a strait-jacket. If it were up to me, he’d be under humane restraints, tastefully disguised by a bath-robe, when he made his exit. It’d be easier on the public that way. As for Bannon, Manafort, Flynn, Miller, and, the rest, they can be strung up from low-hanging branches of the trees on the White House lawn. Historically speaking, that’s the only conclusive way to deal with fascists.

  5. Ike was a general. Trump for 8 years; then Pence for 8 years!

  6. Benedict Arnold was a general.

    The weather’s getting better, everyday. Manafort will be the next Trump-sovok to go down. President Pence? That will take some getting used to. If it’s a treason charge for Glorious Leader, perhaps, the 2016 election will be undone. Will we be voting for President this Spring?

  7. There is no Question that the President has “substantial powers” both from the Constitution and Congress to “protect the country.”
    He didn’t say “actions” will not be questioned. He said the substantial powers of the president will not be questioned.
    “the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned.”
    Executive powers are a matter of fact. Obama, Bush et al exercised them.
    Executive powers exist. The President is “Commander in Chief”.

    • Our three branch system of government absolutely has the ability to be question the President’s “substantial” powers. This is basic civics. Why was Obama considered a king and a tyrant, governing by fiat when he utilized executive orders, but now Trump “gets things done.”

      If there was no ability to question the “substantial powers” of the President, then we essentially are ruled by an authoritarian government. Please stop with this unconstitutional nonsense.

  8. I share Matt’s alarm about Trump. The man is in over his head. Obama dealt with leaks by prosecuting the leakers. This guy just blubbers on and on. Time for Mr. Mar-a-Lago to man up and do his job.

  9. Flynn wasn’t bright enough to be Nat. Sec. Adviser. He broke no laws when he talked to the Russian Ambassador. He was doing his job. President Elect Trump talked to over thirty foreign leaders. They weren’t discussing the Super Bowl. The Logan Act clearly doesn’t apply to the transition team if it applies to anyone. Flynn got snookered by the media into thinking his conversation with the Russian was improper. He should have known as an Intelligence guy that it was intercepted. His conduct was lawful and blameless. His unnecessary deception cost him his job. 2. There was BETRAYAL in this episode. It came from the Deep State when it leaked classified intel. Some on this site use to expose FBI wrongdoing and the improper leaking of wiretap conversations and Grand Jury minutes. Now they want to excuse it because it is anti Trump. Chelsea Manning and Snowden are now their heroes. They are no longer traitors. 3. Sources and methods were compromised in this leak and our national security put at risk.. A Grand Jury should be called. This is a far worse offense than leaking Valerie Plames name which Armitage did and led to a Grand Jury. This may be a great opportunity to clean out the dead weight in the DOJ, FBI, CIA and NSA. We need a thorough cleaning. Drain the swamp.

    • Yeah Flynn got snookered by media, I’m sure that’s what happened. Why do Trump supporters continually blame the media anytime he or one of his fascists step in it? It’s the media’s fault that they got called out on their BS and lies?

      If this was going on during the Obama administration they would already have filed impeachment charges.

      While the leaks may have been against the law, this information concerned a serious breach of trust between the Trump administration and the People. They lied to us about what they knew and when they knew it. That is a matter of public interest and the People deserve to know about it. If it weren’t for illegal leakers like Edward Snowden, we would still be having our data collected under the NSA’s Prism program. (We probably still are for all we know).

      Also, this might be the first time that Trump doesn’t like leaks, he loved it when Wikileaks was dumping info, asked the Russians to release HRC’s emails, and we all read what he likes to do while he visits Russia (see what I did there? I’ll be here all week folks).

  10. Hysteria aside, here’s what happened.

    TIMELINE:
    12/29 – Obama announces Sanctions against Russia

    @ 12/30 FBI intercepts Flynn conversation with Russian Ambassador Kislyak.
    1/12/2017 Wash. Post questions whether Flynn discussed sanctions with Kislyak; – – — — – – -thereafter many Media carry the story. (Who leaked?)
    1/13 Sean Spicer says Flynn did not discuss sanctions. Flynn misled Spicer.
    1/14 V.P. Pence says Flynn did not discuss sanctions. Flynn misled Pence.
    1/19 CIA Brennan and DOJ Sally Yates tell FBI’s Comey that Flynn has misled Spicer and Pence. Comey says don’t tell President, FBI will investigate.
    @1/21 FBI questions Flynn about his call to Russia
    1/23 Spicer again says Flynn assured him he didn’t talk sanctions
    1/26 DOJ Yates finally tells White House Counsel that they have transcript of Flynn’s call where he “mentions” or “talks about” sanctions. White House begins investigation.
    2/11 Flynn spokesman says Flynn can’t be “100% sure” he didn’t discuss sanctions.
    2/13 Flynn resigns: I “inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador.”
    Feb. 14 — At a press briefing, Spicer says Trump asked Flynn to resign because of an erosion of trust — not because any laws were broken. Spicer says Flynn broke no laws.

    CONCLUSION: Flynn misled White House staff. He didn’t “betray America.”

    Post Script: I’d be careful with the use of the word “betray”. Some people say the Clintons “betrayed” America, when all they did was get rich off public service? During Hillary’s reign as SOS, 20% of America’s Uranium was sold to foreigners; Bill accepted a $500,000 speaking fee from a Russian Bank in conjunction with that Uranium deal; while Hillary was Secretary of State. In fact, 11 of 13 lifetime speeches Bill Clinton made earnings over $500,000 occurred while Hillary was Secretary of State. I’d call that selling influence. Bill Clinton didn’t betray his country; he just got rich off his and his wife’s “public service.”

    Leave the “betrayal” bit to the Benedict Arnold’s.

    .

    • I don’t think Flynn betrayed America unless he was acting independently and wasn’t following President-elect Trump’s orders. If you share information in an attempt to mitigate the consequences of an action of the President against a foreign power, what do you call it?

      • All transition teams share information. If a new transition team says things will change in foreign relations, that’s not betraying America. That’s what Obama said in 2012. All new administrations change things, domestically and internationally.

        • Bill C. You may be right. I’d like to hear more about it. I don’t generally agree, but I do appreciate your comments and perspective here.

    • Bill:

      The evidence is just coming in. Tell me why Flynn lied about his dealings with the ambassador. Why is the Russian media rising to his defense. Why did he go to Moscow and meet with Russian intelligence services.

      • WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE !!! 🙂 … Just watched Trump/Bebe Presser … What a joy. Why does Iran write …Israel Must Be Destroyed …in Hebrew … on the ICBM’s they just tested ? Bill has his own shrewd and legal points to make. But Flynn is down the road. He was incoming NSA and naturally sanctions that Obama politically stunted in just as he left, so to endorse a gigantic canard about Hil losing because of Russian meddling, were talked about. Flynn should not have dissembled afterwards to Trump and Pence. He has paid the price. Like still unproven Russian Wiki-leaking, which Trump had no control over, Flynn has no control over what position the Russian Media is taking. Get exercised about it though. It may be therapeutic. It is nugatory!

    • This Clinton sold 20% of US uranium to Russia has already been debunked. MORE FAKE NEWS from the alt-right. The alt-right has taken the term fake news and totally flipped it around. When they actually report fake news, the decry all opposing view points as fake, rendering the term meaningless.

      Politifact had this to say about the 20% uranium “story” “This is a reference to the fact that Russia’s nuclear power agency bought a controlling interest in a Toronto-based company. That company has mines, mills and tracts of land in Wyoming, Utah and other U.S. states that amount to about 20 percent of U.S. uranium production capacity (not produced uranium). Clinton was secretary of state at the time, but she didn’t have the power to approve or reject the deal.”

  11. “Why would A three star general BETRAY HIS COUNTRY?” A bit hysterical, I’d say!

    Did Obama “betray his country” when he whispered to Medvedev in 2012: Tell Putin to “give me space” on missile defense and other difficult issues until after the 2012 presidential election when I’ll have “more flexibility.” ?

    Let’s wait and see the Transcript, before we convict.

    Spicer said they conducted an investigation, found no criminal wrongdoing, and that Flynn had simply broken “trust” with the Administration. See Timeline, below.

    • So if you went on a job interview and the person told you “give me space, I need a few months for xyz reason,” would you think you got the job? “Give me space,” is for telling people to go to hell, when you want them to feel good about making the trip.

      I’m not worried about Obama’s breaking promises with the Russians. I’m worried about Trump’s keeping promises with the Russians.

      • Kerry. I disagree with your interpretation. Anyway, what worries me is the Neo-cons’ and the Lefts’ insistence on provoking war with Russia and raising tensions with Russia.
        I believe one way to peace is to end the sanctions on Russia. Perhaps, through co-operation with Russia, we can resolve the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
        Remember, Russia gave Crimea to Ukraine in 1954, when Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union. Crimea had been a part of Russia since Catherine the Great.

    • Bill:

      Obama was president. Flynn was not. Since when is a self investigation an investigation?

  12. To suggest that any single one of President Trump’s Cabinet choices, staffers, or those who elected him is anything short of moronic , would be stepping on Matt’s Torah. Pardon the expression. Get used to it. It is going to be a long hard slog ! 🙂

  13. This is a curious teapot tempest. Neocon anti-Trumper Krauthammer is defending Flynn. [It is called ass-kissing.] People of various sides are all over the place except the haters. They glory in whatever can be spun as a negative towards Trump.

    One can do a talmudic hairsplit and differentiate between a mention and a discussion. This probably is what occurred to Flynn who likely did not think the brief mention qualified as a conversation. Hence he did not lie to Pence. There was no reason to inform Pence of every petty word spoken. In any case the National Security adviser in waiting was doing a legitimate thing by sounding out policy with a future counterpart. When you look at the transcript there is no there there. This is how Spook Inc. works.

    The most disturbing thing is that it shows Trump being rolled by the lügenpresse. That should not happen. On the positive side, the Irish charmer and loose cannon, Flynn, fooled Obama for months but it only took Trump a couple of days to see through him.

    Flynn is a self-aggrandizer but not a traitor by any stretch of the imagination. The word betray is an overreach, a malicious one at that. Flynn is certainly not in the double cross league of Obama who was caught on tape begging Putin to go easy until after the election or lowlife Ted Kennedy who sent staff to the Soviet Union to enable Communists to undercut Reagan with an eye to defeating the Gipper in 1984. Memory tells me that the lügenpresse pooh-poohed those incidents as trivial.

    Flynn was always a weak appointment by my lights because he co-authored a book with the Israel Firster Michael Ladeen, one of the most despicable of the neocons who gave us the Iraq war. Glad to see him go. Doubt that Flynn’s agenda was in sync with Trump’s.

    One can expect more of this due to the media’s hatefulness and because Trump will not allow him self to be burdened with failure, betrayal or blackmailers the way Clinton let Janet Reno hold on to office to avoid accepting his own responsibility for the murders of children and others in Waco.