BuzzFeed contributor Michael Hastings joins NOW w/ Alex Wagner as they discuss President Obama's comments that he has a "zero-tolerance" policy against leaks, countering claims that his administration leaked classified national security information.
President Barack Obama hit back today at critics who claim his White House deliberately leaked classified information for political gain.
The president says his administration has "zero tolerance" for the leaking of sensitive information.
"The notion that my White House would purposely release classified national security information is offensive," Obama said at a news conference today.
"It's wrong and people I think need to have a better sense of how I approach this office and of how the people around me approach this office," he continued. "We're dealing with issues that can touch on the safety and security of the American people, our families or our military personnel or our allies, and so we don't play with that."
Lawmakers are investigating recent leaks of sensitive information about the covert drone and cyber wars against terrorism.
Republican Sen. John McCain has accused the Obama White House of leaking the information to bolster the president's standing on national security in an election year.
Of course, we're reminded of one of the most scandalous leaks in the history of our government, just nine years ago, known as the Plame affair.
That's when Valerie Plame Wilson was outed as a CIA covert officer as retribution for arguing that then-President George W. Bush misrepresented intelligence leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Scooter Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, was convicted on four counts of perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $250,000 in the case.
The sentence was commuted in June 2007 by President Bush, voiding the prison term, but convictions still stand on the record.
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I think McCain just made a treasonous statement and should be placed under arrest. Those are false statements he made against the President of the United States. Why are these kinds of fools allowed to do this. This is not freedom of speach it is just out and out lies on McCains part. Make him responsible for them.
Right on!!
Here is the definition of treason according to dictionary.com
trea·son
[tree-zuhn] Show IPA
noun
1.
the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or toharm or kill its sovereign.
2.
a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state.
3.
the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith;treachery.
Exactly what did he do that was treasonous?
#2 and #3, fit that perfectly. Thanks for the help.
What confidence did McCain breach?
What violation of allegiance to the country did he commit?
What YOU think is really not important...what is important are the facts...
Just saying..
i agree with thankful mom, john mccain should be brought up on charges of treason for going against his country and possibly his values just to prove to his REPUKE PARTY AND THE REST OF THE WORLD HOW MUCH THEY HATE OBAMA! this is a shame and it's very hateful and spiteful because OBAMA IS SMARTER THAN ALL OF THEM.
Last time I checked, you could still criticize someone, including the Commander in Chief, without calling it a capital crime and implying a man should be put to death. Last I checked, you get executed for treason. Can we be adults and step away from the name calling for once?
IOKIYAR, typical answer.
Amazing...once again you call a liberal out on one of their BS statements, and none of them have the backbone to stand up for what was said...just a bunch of name calling..
just saying...
Thats because only in your delusional mind that it is a BS statement reality is you spread so much BS you have no ideal what is BS and what is a lie. See that is the problem with republican liars, they lie so much they can't tell the difference between a lie and what is fact. In fact republicans lie so much they believe telling a lie 3 times turns the lie into fact.
All accusations and no proof from Whom...what a surprise...
Please find one lie that I have posted ...please...
oh, that's right, you can't...
just saying...
Go back to free republic storm we don't want to here the 101st keyboard brigade nonsense from rimjob.
what wrong whom? can't do anything except call names? Why can't you come up with some proof to debunk all of these facts I put before you. Given that you appear to be such a genius (please note heavy dose of sarcasm), it should be very easy for you. That is, if you have the ability to actually do research for yourself...
just saying...
Because the only proof you accept is what rimjob tells you. Your whole argument falls into the I am a right winger so therefore everything I say is right and nothing you post unless it fits my definition of proof is not proof. Reality is you don't understand the words right and correct, just because you are a righty doesn't make you correct.
Since you don't even have the brains to try and discuss the matter, your opinion is worthless...just like your life.
just saying..
Projecting again storm, seems like you have some serious social issues. But then when you are a free republic 101st keyboard brigade member its understandable rimjob feeds your psychosis.
McCain knows it's not true... but its inflammatory nature receives a lot of attention to the point that low information voters will believe it. The repugs have been doing this kind of thing from day one.
Why isn't this illegal?
Nobody knows what is true. The fact is sombody is leaking information that the the white house is privy to. Obama needs to learn how to lead and put everybody he has on finding who is doing this. These leaks have been going on for a while this is not an isolated incident.
Yeah - its most likely a teabaggin-gop-neo-con-nazi - Infiltraitor - Yup - Real Patriots They Are !!! Guarantee Ya !!! just sayin' !!
As long as you forget that the GOP outed Plume for telling the truth about GWB's faking the Saddam WMD reports. Yeah and true to GOP form they got a scape goat to take the fall.
Its most likely sombody working under Obama. Its his responsibilty to catch em and kill em are whatever the pubishment is.
high,
kinda like when dick cheeeeeney leaked that Valarie Plame was a CIA agent because her husband Joe Wilson wouldn't lie about WMD in iraq and scooter libby took the fall?
kinda like THAT?
Dear Ed, I love your show. I am flabbergasted at the nerve of the Republican party and how obviously they get together on their little jabs at the President. Do they even have an opinion of their own? Who do you think is the wizard behind the curtain instructing them what to say? Was this one of Mitt's moments "what is gravy to the goose is gravy for the gander"? Mitt smiled so gleefully when he said that even when what he was referring it to was a lie. Does Mitt think politics is just a monopoly game that he wins if he gets to be President? If he were to win what kind of new game would he start, King of the world? Why are Americans falling for those who have been caught in so many lies? Perhaps Obama should run his campaign against Murdoch the real orchestrator of lies. Also will you please correct the Republicans when the say that the Democrats controlled congress the first years of Obama's term. It is a cleaver lie and the everyday average people do not understand the Super Majority. This lie should be called out every time they say it. If you don't it is like you are saying it's true. Thanks Ed, you rock.
The President is right and does have an answer. There is NO reason why the House along with the Senate cannot approve the Jobs Bill to put vital people back to work educating our children and protecting all of us. It is disgusting that the House is taking a vacation while the poverty level rises and people are still losing their homes. This is the WORSE House we have seen in our lifetime and Boehner is the WORSE Speaker of the House. None of these GOP so-called leaders care anything about the constituents who elected them and expected these conservatives to represent their best interests instead of the wealthy and large corporations who are making them rich.
This is just another example of Obamas lack of leadership. Im amazed that he would put himself out on a limb like that. He dont know where the leaks are coming from, if Binden is anywhere near by hes subject to spout off anything he knows The fact is the leaks are coming from sombody who has clearance to know the information. If I had to bet on it I would have to say its sombody Who has a connection to the White House, thats just common sense, the only people who have that kind of information is very high up on the clearance level. I just hope Obamas lack of leradership doesnt get anybody killed. This guy cant do anything right, look at that poor doctor who helped get OBL, hes in prison now.
i feel so sorry for the repub party.
they let w. bush lead them into the biggest deficit, the worst economic collapse since the great depression, and an illegal war in iraq, everything they agreed with and loved.
they were led by the nose up w. bush's ass and gave him everything he asked for. they were led by the worst president in the history of the world.
yet now that we have an african american democratic president, they refuse to be led, as per their promise to each other on the day President Obama was inaugurated, and as mitch mcconnell stated. that has been their most important goal.
President Obama has consistently given repubs good reason to vote on economic policies that he puts forth, by giving them THEIR OWN IDEAS (individual mandate; one example only), and ideas that have had bi-partisan support in the past.
we see that repubs were led by the biggest ignoramous of all; w. bush, and they are ALL proving themselves to be just as ignorant as he is.
Somebody is leaking the infomation, this is very serious. It really confuses me on when Bush was in office everything was his fault but know the same doesnt apply its not Obamas fault because hes a half black and half white. Suzette your theroy just doesnt add up. We would have to use the same standard both Presidents and not say it was ones fault in the give the other a pass because hes half blak and half white. That just doesnt pass the smell test.
high,
there were also many leaks during the bush administration. as i responded to you above. the bush administration wanted Joe Wilson to lie about WMD in iraq, and he refused to do so, so karl rove, dick cheeeeney, (the bush administration) OUTED his CIA wife, Valarie Plame.
there were other leaks as well: al jazeera bombing leak, bush administration lies that led to war, prewar intelligence, and etc, too many for me to list here.
republicans who get their dander up at the suggestion that the bush white house did anything wrong when they revealed the identity of Valarie Plame, a CIA operative, are taking a much more agressive stance in the leaks associated with the Barack Obama white house.
my point is this: both sides do the same thing, but repubs have a sense of entitlement when it comes to "putting democrats in their place". AS A GENERAL RULE, we simply do not see democrats use the same tactics in trying to "bring down" a repub.
some of what the repub/baggers/conservatives are doing since President Obama took office is based on racism. as our first african american president, there is a price to be paid, and repubs will make sure that Barack Obama pays it. the same will be true with our first woman president.
this is human nature, whether or not you think it doesn't pass the smell test. perhaps because you agree with the demoralizing way our president has been treated, you do not see it as racism or bigotry, you simply see it as politics. you simply see it as repubs standing by their principles, when they are acting like they have never heard of the individual mandate (their idea), they hate the dream act (their idea). cap and tax (their idea).
they held a meeting the day President Obama was inaugurated and pledged to each other to say NO to every economic policy the president puts forth, which is why they will hold the debt ceiling hostage, which is why they will keep their promise to the muslim grover norquist to not raise taxes, even though the leader of the repub party, a dead man, raised taxes 11 times.
i hate to give the muslim gorver norquist and the wingnuts credit for their "wing-nut accomplishments", but they have made it virtually impossible for President Obama to govern. this is why the repub party has the lowest approval rating. the american people want taxes raised on the rich, but the repubs are disregarding what the american people want.
i could go on, but i'm sick of this. i won't change my mind, and you can't becuase you don't see what is really going on.
Hes just not a leader thats why he cant do anything. Hes a good speaker and can convince you of many things just by talking but a leader he is not. He has just failed thats his fault and nobody elses. Suzette we are responsible for our own actions trying to blame the repuks for Obamas lack of leadership is just down right stupid and childish. You need to grow up and face the reality that Obama is not a leader and needs to go.
Since the only thing Obama knows how to do is fund raising I can only assume he has one of his stooges leak the information and try to stop the blood letting by making himself look like a hero. He would sell his mother for a vote. He shows no leadership ability at all. Obama does not like the one percent but that is where he goes to get his money. Even the dem's are turning on him now. Bye bye Bama!
And more right wing lies and insults.
Larry he is just another confused tea bagger he just got everything sdrawkcab ssa.
2 down, 32 to go...
O down and 6 million to go storm. Once again a fact less post made up in the mind of a delusional republican.
The Maverick! Well maybe just the back end..
Come to North Dakota and get a JOB in the oil patch! Get RICH LIKE LIKE A KING!!! HUH?
http://www.bakkentoday.com/event/article/id/33759/
XXX OOO, Read the link and what a rip off. Its as if they are working for free . Did you hear whats happening in PA ? There is a Trailer park that is protesting the take over of there homes from big oil and guess what there after?WATER ! I am telling you people are getting wise to the fracking in this nation and the iron fist of the oil industry. We can not afford to let them use billions of gallons of water across this nation!
Pam:Indeed in N.D. they can't keep up with the permits for new well heads. The whole story about drill baby is BS to bring the price of gas/fuel down. They are selling it of to foreign countries as fast as they can refined or crude. I believe they are stockpiling it so they can sell it back to us for even more gain. Also they want it out as fast as they can because they know dam well that its making the water table toxic and causing earthquakes. Who knows maybe its what's behind the strange sounds.
Its great that he came back strongly on this. I think they need an investigation and find the mole .
Knowing what the Repubs are capable of and the fact that Obama has so many close around him, (which I could never figure out), It wouldn't surprise me at all if it was a Repub that did it. Trying to embarrass the Obama WH, even if the information made him look tough on foreign policy. Who knows what's in a Repub's head these days!
First post. Just wanted to reflect on watching the Ed Show with a guest host tonite that reeled of a list of issues related to Scupery Libby,the outing of Valerie Palme and the potential need for a special prosecuter in the current leaks dynamic. Libby was convicticed, right or wrong, of perjury. The Ed Sow tonite stated quite cleary, he was convicted for the leak. That is dead wrong and is what, I might sugges,t is what is so wrong about our dialouge, left or right(maybe middle also).
I don't know how anyone could think it was leaked as a form of flaunting the Presidents muscle. The President isn't known for being a show off and is far from an egotist. At times I think he could use an boost in his ego and there is no doubt being President of the most powerful country in the world would make anyone either a more of a self centred person of make them withdraw because of the huge responsibility of which it entails. I think I see a bit of both and that in my mind isn't a weakness but the sign of a mind that thinks things though and with feeling. Past presidents have revealed only after their service was over how deeply troubled wars have been. Its sad when a event like this takes place and then is immediately turned into a story for political gain. God help the President that do anything to be considered political.
It was leaked because someone in the chain of command is an idiot that does not comprehend operational security. Whoever was at fault probably thought they were helping Obama. They were wrong and they should be punished for leaking the information.
That being said, it's not like information hasn't been leaked for some kind of gain in the past. Intelligence and counter-intelligence is built on things like this. Let's try to be reasonable and not pretend that it never happens.
Its really choice for a fortunate son from the Vietnam War to criticize the president on foreign affairs when he thumps his chest to convince the public he is the toughest primate in his cage. However, Mitt Romney has proven to be one poorly trained circus act. He also proclaimed on Memorial Day that the country has no money for the social needs of the people since that money could be spent on the military; what type of Christain would force feed more bullets than bread on the public?
One that was tortured in a POW camp in Vietnam. One the refused special treatment from his captors unless ALL of his compatriots were given the same fair treatment and was therefore treated worse for the courage of his convictions. One that will never be able to even lift his hands above his shoulders again because of the injuries he sustained there. I think that experience would color McCain's view of the world.