Pelosi Warns of ‘New Stage’ of Inquiry if Trump Blocks Whistle-Blower Complaint

[topdown]

Uh oh guys, Nancy Pelosi is very concerned with Trump's behavior. Why, any month now she might waggle her finger or frown disapprovingly.

Nadler and Schiff are true Democrats.

 

[MovingPictures]

You didn't refute my article. You went into spin mode and completely ignored that Trump's privilege trumps, as far as keeping his phone call classified. That call is not the business of congress. Congress will never win.

What's the matter with you? Try reading factual information again; post 184.

Yeah, yeah.

Just because you didn't like my response and couldn't argue against MY rebuttal, doesn't mean I didn't respond to you, when I absolutely did.

You can never admit when you're wrong and just apologize.

 

[JasperL]

Handing over classified or confidential information to Adam Schiffty is like handing it directly to Rachel Maddow.

Giving it to Trump is like handing it to Putin. But why should anyone believe Trump here when he's not willing to be transparent at all. Is the whistleblower complaint actually about Ukraine? Who knows? What part of any conversation was the subject of the complaint? We have no idea. Congress doesn't know.

If it's about investigating Biden's son, OK, have the DNI show up in open or closed session and describe the conversation under oath. Should work fine. No need to see the whole thing, just the DNI testifying under penalty of perjury about the nature of the whistleblower complaint. Works for me. Do you object?

 

[concernedpuma]

Nadler and Schiff are true Democrats.

Yes. Did someone suggest otherwise?

I suspect years from now, they will be an assignment in a Civics course to define how they were anti-American, and for extra credit, how lucky we are they were ignored by the masses.

Regards,
CP

 

[JasperL]

Devin Nunes has never claimed to have information that he doesn't have. And he has never betrayed the confidentiality of any meeting or shared information that is intended to be classified/confidential.

Be specific - what has Schiff leaked that's classified/confidential?

 

[topdown]

Yes. Did someone suggest otherwise?

I suspect years from now, they will be an assignment in a Civics course to define how they were anti-American, and for extra credit, how lucky we are they were ignored by the masses.

Regards,
CP

In the future schools will be teaching that Trump left office and died in prison.

 

[GreatNews2night]

Alright! Who used the term Moral Compass in front of you? You are a self proclaimed Liberal. Explain to us how a LIBERAL can affix themselves to any fixed compass. That would be contrary to the definition.

Regards,
CP

"Slightly liberal." That's Debate Politics' category. You have to pick from a number of pre-set categories. They didn't have one that said "I'm mostly a centrist, a tiny bit to the left of the very center of the political spectrum." I thought that "slightly liberal" was the closest definition to my position. Being where I am, I harbor some opinions that are usually identified with rightists, like being strongly against illegal immigration, and being for military spending (I do prefer the defensive kind; I think the world out there is tough and we need a strong military). I do harbor others that are identified with leftists, such as being pro-choice and for universal health care. All things considered, I believe that I stand slightly left of center.

But sure, I'm aware that some simpletons will just scream LIBERAL!!!! and will believe that the political spectrum is made of only two positions, liberal vs. conservative, with nothing in-between, and no nuances. I hope you are not a simpleton. If you are, bravo, go right ahead and keep thinking so, because debating the matter with you will be useless. If you are not, then do demonstrate that you aren't, and acknowledge nuances.

 

[JasperL]

No he isn't. Most especially when it is obvious that his accusations are baseless and fabricated out of whole cloth.

How do you know the unknown to you accusations are obviously baseless and fabricated out of whole cloth?

 

[trixare4kids]

Yeah, yeah.

Just because you didn't like my response and couldn't argue against MY rebuttal, doesn't mean I didn't respond to you, when I absolutely did.

You can never admit when you're wrong and just apologize.

You ignored the factual information I quoted from the article, (post 184). From there, you pretended that you knew what you were talking about by elaborating with nonsense and spin. My source is Lawfare and you completely ignored that Trump's "classified" conversation trumps what congress wants to hear. This is just another congressional witchhunt... They will never hear that phone call for the reason I quoted in the block of information, reposted below.

Again,
"Maguire has claimed that “the complaint concerns conduct by someone outside of the Intelligence Community and … involves confidential and potentially privileged communications.”

The executive branch has always maintained that it does not consider the statutory language mandatory. In signing the original Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act of 1998, President Clinton stated that it “does not constrain my constitutional authority to review and, if appropriate, control disclosure of certain classified information to Congress.” President Obama reiterated this limitation in 2010. Congress no doubt disagrees with this interpretation, but the president’s ultimate control over classified information has been a consistent position of every administration.

Unpacking the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Complaint - Lawfare

There's nothing left to say... I cited facts, and you gave an opinion based on nothing. Congress will not win.
You may have the next word, the last word.

 

[JasperL]

What national leader would ever trust President Trump with any sensitive information ever again if President Trump turned over the transcript of a private meeting that Schiff is demanding? Schiff is too stupid and incompetent to be on the Intelligence Committee, much less head it.

They're demanding a whistleblower complaint that the LAW requires to forwarded to Congress. The Trump appointed IC IG determined that complaint to be both "urgent" - which is a term of art, so not just a routine transcript of Trump saying dumb **** like he always does or revealing classified information which he can do - and credible. How can you not know this by now? What garbage websites are you reading for coverage of this issue?

 

[concernedpuma]

Giving it to Trump is like handing it to Putin. But why should anyone believe Trump here when he's not willing to be transparent at all. Is the whistleblower complaint actually about Ukraine? Who knows? What part of any conversation was the subject of the complaint? We have no idea. Congress doesn't know.

If it's about investigating Biden's son, OK, have the DNI show up in open or closed session and describe the conversation under oath. Should work fine. No need to see the whole thing, just the DNI testifying under penalty of perjury about the nature of the whistleblower complaint. Works for me. Do you object?

Excepting the first paragraph parroting of anti-President Trump, so cool propaganda(I understand you have to do that because...?) I agree with you. If there is no knuckling under by the Executive to the Legislative branch, go forward. In the meantime, the anti-American gang can come up with something else. I'm thinking maybe unpaid parking tickets?

Regards,
CP

 

[topdown]

There's nothing left to say... I cited facts, and you gave an opinion based on nothing. Congress will not win.

Congress will impeach.

 

[trixare4kids]

Congress will impeach.

apples to oranges.
Try and stay on topic. The topic is classified information congress is not entitled to see, hear or possess.

Impeachment is a whole other thread.

 

[JasperL]

We will just have to disagree. When the Intelligence Committee demands information that clearly violates separation of powers, it has no case.

They're demanding the DNI comply with the law. What separations of powers does that law clearly violate?

50 U.S. Code SS 3033 - Inspector General of the Intelligence Community | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

See Sec. (k)(5)

 

[MovingPictures]

You ignored the factual information I quoted from the article, (post 184). From there, you pretended that you knew what you were talking about by elaborating with nonsense and spin. My source is Lawfare and you completely ignored that Trump's "classified" conversation trumps what congress wants to hear. This is just another congressional witchhunt... They will never hear that phone call for the quoted block of information reposted below.

Again,
"Maguire has claimed that “the complaint concerns conduct by someone outside of the Intelligence Community and … involves confidential and potentially privileged communications.”



Unpacking the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Complaint - Lawfare

Once again, Trump's phone calls are protected under executive privilege up until there are credible accusation of criminal or abusive conduct in them, just as Nixon's WH conversations were not during the WH investigation.

It will be dealt with in the courts, where the administration will be forced to accommodate the congress.

 

[topdown]

apples to oranges.
Try and stay on topic. The topic is classified information congress is not entitled to see, hear or possess.

No. Topic is what Congress can do. Schiff, Chairman of Intelligence Committee, already said this is impeachable.

 

[JasperL]

No. I don't accept this was a whistleblower. Yet. We'll see.

That's an impressive level of denial. eace

 

[trixare4kids]

No. Topic is what Congress can do. Schiff, Chairman of Intelligence Committee, already said this is impeachable.

That's what they always say... If it's impeachable, impeach him.
They're full of crap too.

 

[GreatNews2night]

Congress will impeach.

Congress? At best, the House will impeach, and this is highly doubtful; it is not at all clear that the House will have the will or the votes to do such thing. And then, even if the House does impeach, the other chamber of Congress won't convict, so, it will go nowhere.

As Trix said, it's not exactly the topic here. But yes, the topics are related, because the current events might be making some US representatives to reconsider their prior position against impeachment. At one point, the Trump administration will have alienated enough people that the issue will re-surface. Still, I believe that it won't succeed, and like I said, even if it did, it won't make any difference.

The only way to remove Trump from the White House is to defeat him in 2020. Anything else is wishful thinking.

 

[JasperL]

Translation. No law was broken. The Ukranians themselves deny it ever happened. And the Constitutional separation of powers takes precedence over Adam Schiff's improper curiosity and subsequent demands.

What did the Ukranians deny happened? If you know the subject of the whistleblower complaint, fill us in!!

And the person you should have a problem with isn't Schiff, but the Trump appointed IC IG. HE is the person who determined the complaint was urgent, credible and fell into the requirements of Sec. 3033(k)(5). The IC IG notified Schiff. At that point, Schiff is just following THE LAW and the conclusions of Trump's appointee.

 

[topdown]

Congress? At best, the House will impeach, and this is highly doubtful; it is not at all clear that the House will have the will or the votes to do such thing. And then, even if the House does impeach, the other chamber of Congress won't convict, so, it will go nowhere.

As Trix said, it's not exactly the topic here. But yes, the topics are related, because the current events might be making some US representatives to reconsider their prior position against impeachment. At one point, the Trump administration will have alienated enough people that the issue will re-surface. Still, I believe that it won't succeed, and like I said, even if it did, it won't make any difference.

The only way to remove Trump from the White House is to defeat him in 2020. Anything else is wishful thinking.

The only issue here is impeachment. The House will impeach. Schiff recommended it.

 

[trixare4kids]

Once again, Trump's phone calls are protected under executive privilege up until there are credible accusation of criminal or abusive conduct in them, just as Nixon's WH conversations were not during the WH investigation.

It will be dealt with in the courts, where the administration will be forced to accommodate the congress.

Nixon has nothing to do with this... The Whistleblower Protection Act came into being in 1989. Afterward, in 1998, there were conditions drawn up with that ACT that presidents could use in order not to give congress what they demanded. Read the quote above, and stop pretending you know what you're talking about.

The executive branch has always maintained that it does not consider the statutory language mandatory. In signing the original Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act of 1998, President Clinton stated that it “does not constrain my constitutional authority to review and, if appropriate, control disclosure of certain classified information to Congress.” President Obama reiterated this limitation in 2010. Congress no doubt disagrees with this interpretation, but the president’s ultimate control over classified information has been a consistent position of every administration.

Beyond the protection of classified information, however, these signing statements did not mention other possible privileges in connection with the whistleblower provisions, although President Obama did note that the administration would interpret a separate provision requiring mandatory notification of certain investigations by the ICIG as “not requiring the disclosure of privileged or otherwise confidential law enforcement information.” But even before the Trump administration’s expansive use of executive privilege, the executive branch has always asserted the right to withhold deliberative material or presidential communications from Congress, even if, again, Congress disagrees.

Unpacking the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Complaint - Lawfare

 

[HAL9000]

If you're tired, how about taking a nap?

Do you know what I like to do, when I'm tired? I like to drive around on back roads, far away from the city, read U.S v Nixon, and throw lit cigarettes out the window.

 

[topdown]

That's what they always say... If it's impeachable, impeach him.
They're full of crap too.

Nadler is running the impeachment investigation.

 

[CharisRose]

It's my opinion that she knows that Mitch is in Trump's back pocket and he will never let Trump be impeached no matter what crimes he commits.

She really has no options.

Well, based on the scenario you have just presented...

The faux impeachment investigations will go on and on and then nowhere and any voters expecting a Real Impeachment Process will be disappointed.

Do you suppose Pelosi will play the Moscow Mitch card to placate those disappointed voters?

Because, based on your scenario the 2020 Presidential Election will solely be decided by The American People.

And, I have no problem with that happening.

Roseann