General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIs this credible that President Obama blocked Comey from going public on Russian interference?
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/comey-tried-to-reveal-russian-plot-before-election-obama-administration-officials-blocked/drray23
(7,641 posts)I bet they were concerned about the appearance of trying to influence the elections. They insisted that it should be a joint bipartisan statement and mc connel et al refused to do so. That is one instance where they should have gone ahead anyway.
still_one
(92,595 posts)lapucelle
(18,423 posts)as an announcement from the FBI director.
"The op-ed would not have mentioned whether the FBI was investigating Donald Trump campaign workers or others close to him for links to the Russian interference in the election, a second source with knowledge of the request tells Newsweek."
And then there's this:
The other national security leaders didnt like the idea, and White House officials thought the announcement should be a coordinated message backed by multiple agencies, the source says. An op-ed doesnt have the same stature, it comes from one person.
Maybe Comey was pitching the op-ed idea because he didn't want the formal announcement that the White House preferred.
still_one
(92,595 posts)lapucelle
(18,423 posts)Raw Story's headline is sensational and misleading given the actual details of the story because it casts the Obama White House as obstructionist and serves to ennoble Comey as the fierce protector of the public's right to know.
Not everyone reads past a headline, and now the right wing media has a very useful soundbite from a left-leaning source.
still_one
(92,595 posts)lapucelle
(18,423 posts)in a dismissive way, and I think we have to be careful with a story that's framed a particular way in a headline when the details tell a more nuanced story.
still_one
(92,595 posts)jmg257
(11,996 posts)still_one
(92,595 posts)jmg257
(11,996 posts)Would have been good to be aware of, but to what extent may not have been understood at the time..especially with Hillary the expected winner (and trump bitching about a fix).
LisaM
(27,874 posts)Unfortunately, everything lined up to harm Hillary. It's so freaking unfair. I just want to explode sometimes.
jmg257
(11,996 posts)Hassin Bin Sober
(26,382 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)lapucelle
(18,423 posts)The other national security leaders didnt like the idea, and White House officials thought the announcement should be a coordinated message backed by multiple agencies, the source says. An op-ed doesnt have the same stature, it comes from one person.
It may be that Comey vetoed a formal announcement and then offered up the idea of a vague, broad op-ed as an alternative.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)I see evidence it works everywhere I look
enough
(13,280 posts)ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)Comey wanted to be transparent but was not allowed to, so he gets blamed for covering up. When he is allowed to with the Clinton emails, he gets nailed for being partisan. Seems like the best solution is to continue to be as secretive as possible and not tell anyone anything.
LisaL
(44,989 posts)inform congress about emails.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)It was this part of the article that made me think he had some sort of green light from somewhere:
This raises a lot of questions, says Jarad Geldner, a senior adviser for the Democratic Coalition Against Trump, which filed a complaint with the Department of Justices Office of Professional Responsibility over Comeys disclosures about the Clinton investigation. That raises the question of why Comey or DOJ [Department of Justice] or the White House felt that it was okay to hold that [July] press conference on Hillary Clintons emails, but not to go public with this.
But you're right, he was advised not to inform congress.
Gabi Hayes
(28,795 posts)dunno if the rules applied differently to what he could say WRT this mess, but he should have shut it with email BS
he's had it in for her since whitewater
and I posted a thread back in october or so, saying obama should've fired him the day after the election, regardless of who won
rzemanfl
(29,589 posts)part of a sting gone wrong. Trying to get the Russians who pretended to be an underage girl to message someone somehow and be intercepted. Done in the belief Hillary would win anyhow. Not that I necessarily believe my far-fetched theory, but these days the unbelievable is truer than anything coming out of the White House or Capitol Hill.
roamer65
(36,749 posts)We pretty much expect Pootie to try to meddle by himself, but outright collusion with Agent Orange is a completely different criminal matter.
Blanks
(4,835 posts)Control-Z
(15,682 posts)This part makes it obvious to me:
"But the source with knowledge of Comeys request says the director wanted the Russian interference made public earlier and it was a sluggish White House that denied Comey and delayed the announcement. The White House shut it down, [/b ]" that source says. They did their usualnothing. Both sources spoke to Newsweek on the condition of anonymity..."
Because we all know the Obama administration was a do nothing adminustration.
I could be wrong.
If that meeting happened it didn't go down the way the "sources" say.
Boomerproud
(8,002 posts)I'm not sure they are being 100% truthful.
triron
(22,038 posts)Of course I have no idea where he was coming from. But something seems strange in Denmark so to speak.
Jarqui
(10,131 posts)Americans in some other way, I can seem Obama doing it in a heartbeat if that side of the concern was compelling.
rzemanfl
(29,589 posts)William769
(55,160 posts)For fear of making it look like he was favoring Hillary. hindsight is 2020.
still_one
(92,595 posts)blocking they did of Garland, I wish he would have not relied on his view that people are basically good for this one
You are right William, 2020
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)campaigned
milestogo
(16,829 posts)doc03
(35,488 posts)interfering in the election and at the time they figured Hillary was going to win anyway.
still_one
(92,595 posts)JI7
(89,305 posts)because you have to consider how the media would report on it.
they would not report the story about russian/trump connection.
they would report it and make the story about Obama leaking this to help hillary.
and that for sure would NOT have helped hillary .
nikibatts
(2,198 posts)Russian attack was so deep and the fake news so abundant.
m-lekktor
(3,675 posts)EffieBlack
(14,249 posts)Comey had no problem doing whatever he damned well pleased in the Clinton matter. Loretta Lynch warned him not to sent the explosive letter to Congress days before the election, but he ignored her and did it anyway. So I don't buy that he wanted to revel the Russian plot but was stopped by some unnamed Obama people. Had he really wanted to do it, he'd have done it, just as he took other steps over the objections of his superiors in the administration.
This is just an attempt to make Comey look noble. I don't buy it.
JI7
(89,305 posts)also i read somewhere he suggested some shit about an op ed. but with the emails he had a press conferences .
BuddyCa
(99 posts)there was a similar story about the White House deciding not to reveal some information about Russia hacking, because McConnell threatened to accuse him of partisanship.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/11/obama-and-congress-knew-about-russian-hacking-and-they-did-nothing.html
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