Probably because most of that rant is ridiculous, however the director of the NSA/head of US Cyber Command, General Alexander was before the Senate this past Wednesday disputing some of Snowden's biggest's big brother claims. he also defended why secrecy was good but that the phone number surveillance program should be further explained to the American people. he said several terror plots have been thwarted due to the NSA programs.
Now some are kicking around another Oxcy Rush intellectual thief and that is amusing. The way I heard it the theory was the Reagan Theory of Deniability.
Back in 1984 there was a botched attempt to trade arms for 7 hostages held by Iran. Israel sent the TOW (2500) and HAWK (18 plus several shipments of spare parts) missiles to Iran and the USofA resupplied Israel. Col. North used the funds to get around the Boland Amendment that prohibited further funding for the Contras, at the time accused of having become little more than right wing death squads.
After the story broke large amounts of the scandal's documentation was destroyed hampering the investigation. There was a handwritten note from then SoD Wienberger saying President Reagan could answer charges of illegality on arms transfers but not for not attempting to free the hostages. Further evidence did point to Reagan knowing of a potential trade of weapons for hostages with 'moderate' elements in the Iran Government.
In 1987 Reagan went on TV to take full responsibility for actions he was supposedly unaware of and that what had been a 'strategic opening with Iran' had become just an arms for hostages deal. No charges against Reagan, 14 of his administration officials were indicted, 11 convicted, ALL pardoned in the last days of GHW Bush's Presidency. Bush, who had at one time been director of the CIA and the VP during the scandal, was never implicated.
The biggest share of the blame fell on the NSA with Director Admiral Poindexter saying he acted without Presidential approval. The shipments of arms had already started before the Admiral took over for McFarlane as NSA Director. At this time Ollie North in the National Security Counsel concocted a direct sales method using funds from the Sultan of Burnei among others, the plan was uncovered when Fawn Hall, Ollie's cute little secretary transposed secret Swiss bank account numbers and sent the funds to the wrong account, that account holder notified authorities of the 10 MILLION dollar error.
Leaks about the arms for hostages program didn't create near the fuss the downed plane load of arms for Contras did in Nicaragua. That ripped it wide open.
So there you have major arms sales to what was then a hated and much campaigned against enemy, Iran. Huge diversions of funds through secret account with CIA assistance to provide arms for a merc unit cut off from funding by Congress, it lasted at least 3 years and would have gone on longer but for leaks and mis-steps by secretaries, with everyone from the SoD, NSA, and the CIA involved.... some indication the President knew of at least PART of the Iran side of the deals...
But the President is held to not have know enough to be included in the indictments. :shock:
So Oxcy Rush stole the theorem from a few decades ago, typical-
the guy has no original thoughts, and a MASSIVE series of arms deals were conducted without 'anyone' knowing for YEARS...
So Reagan knew nothing about the illegal parts of Irangate but Obama MUST know everything about whatever scandal the right is working on this week???
Let's see how this lays out first, what I see is a desperate attempt to win back the Senate and not lose anymore seats in the House by the GOP at a time when they are knife fighting among themselves and very vulnerable. the right wing knows if the TeaBaggers go into full revolt and can win some primaries a repeat of the slaughter could happen again in both house and Senate, about the only insurance card the GOP leadership has is to attack the democrats as viciously and as widely as can be done.
And it appears done it shall be.