Drumpf Diary 2/14/17 - The First Head Rolls

1.) Less than one month into the era of Drumpf, the first head rolls. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has resigned. Anonymous officials familiar with intelligence investigations say Flynn discussed sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador before Drumpf took office. Because Flynn was a civilian at the time, this would have been in violation of a little-known rule called the Logan Act which forbids civilians from conducting diplomacy in situations related to national security, or something like that. Flynn then apparently lied to then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence, claiming he hadn't discussed the sanctions with the ambassador. Top-level officials, including acting Attorney General Sally Yates, had investigated the whole affair before and after Drumpf took office. It is a rather convoluted thing, and it led to Flynn's resignation late last night.

The fallout is multi-faceted. Drumpf and Co. appear to be in complete disarray, this comes amid a number of setbacks and public relations fiascos which have marked Drumpf's first month in office. Even congressional Republicans have stated that they want to investigate the matter. Dan Rather has told his 1 million+ Facebook followers that he thinks this looks like a potential Watergate level scandal. Others have made similar observations.

Glenn Greenwald railed in defense of whistle-blowers throughout the Obama Administration. He points out that all this information about Flynn appears to be public due to leaks similar to those made by Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, yet there is no such call to charge the leakers/whistle-blowers. This angle touches a little bit on my previous entry about the question of the Democrats. In the case of Snowden and Manning, the leaks were made to inform the American public about serious wrongdoing by the NSA and the U.S. military. Manning served several torturous years imprisoned for her leaks, including a long time in solitary confinement. Snowden is exiled in (ironically) Russia. Greenwald:

Given the extreme secrecy powers that have arisen under the war on terror, one of the very few ways that the public has left for learning about what its government officials do is illegal leaking. As Trevor Timm notes, numerous leaks have already achieved great good in the three short weeks that Trump has been president. 

Leaks are illegal and hated by those in power (and their followers) precisely because political officials want to hide evidence of their own wrongdoing, and want to be able to lie to the public with impunity and without detection. That’s the same reason the rest of us should celebrate such illegal leaks and protect those who undertake them, often at great risk to their own interests, so that we can be informed about the real actions of those who wield the greatest power.

1a.) The Trevor Timm piece noted above by Greenwald is noteworthy on its own. It states that leaks to the press have been essential in stopping several Drumpf actions, including possibly an act of war against Iran.

1b.) Drumpf apparently expects Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine.


2.) North Korea tested a ballistic missile. Drumpf's response, according to a Reuters report, was rather subdued and measured, especially by Drumpf's standards.