Slowhand wrote:

Donald Trump wrote:This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!

@LarryMurphyJr
Wrong again. In 1692 Ann Putnam accused the former Salem Village minister, George Burroughs, of being the master of all witches in MA

pacino wrote:

Slowhand wrote:

Donald Trump wrote:This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!

@LarryMurphyJr
Wrong again. In 1692 Ann Putnam accused the former Salem Village minister, George Burroughs, of being the master of all witches in MA

This is How Your Government Responds to Unfavorable News Coverage

Monday night, as the story of the President giving classified information to the Russians was in full evolution, I get a call from this guy:

RC Hammond, the State Department’s communications advisor, who had his facts wrong about what was reported and by whom.

But he kicked off the conversation with a venomously irate “What the hell are you doing??!!”

Followed up with full-on DEMANDS—over and over, and over again—to tell him who my sources were. He kept pushing, as if he thought this was ample reason. Then, “Why won’t you tell me who they are?” he bellowed repeatedly, again demanding I at least tell him what jobs they held at State, or in what areas.

I had to explain to him that wasn’t how it worked.

This, mind you, is someone employed by the US government to act as a communications professional.

But he went for another approach: personal attacks. Saying I was losing the “shred of credibility I had left,” etc.

Not sure what he was trying to accomplish here, but next came Hammond’s final attempt: threats.

That he would make sure NO ONE-- no one-- at the department would speak to me, EVER AGAIN, he proclaimed.

I asked Hammond to name one time he had ever shared information with me or responded to a single email I’ve ever sent him (this has been a problem here that has been discussed among journalists, and Hammond told me to my face two weeks ago a flat “no” when I asked him if he ever answered emails.)

“Well maybe there’s a reason for that,” he spat into the phone.
Me: “Ok and what would that be.”

Hammond: “WE don’t think you’re smart enough to HANDLE OUR information!!!!

So when you wonder why it seems information might be a bit—ahem—lacking, contradictory, or confusing coming from your own government, just recall the immortal words of RC Hammond:

“WE don’t think you’re SMART ENOUGH to HANDLE our information!!!!!”

And that should pretty much explain it.

slugsrbad wrote:Chaffetz to announce early departure, per Politico. Announcement of his intention to leave Congress early expected later today.

The Crimson Cyclone wrote:Congrats Jodi and Becky!

phatj wrote:

The Crimson Cyclone wrote:Congrats Jodi and Becky!

And moz!

Suspect public comments like these led one senior Republican leader to dolefully inform his peers that he thought Mr. Trump was on the Kremlin’s payroll, suggesting that Mr. Trump had been compromised by Russian intelligence. Other leaders were surprised by their colleague’s frank assessment, but did not dispute it.