Sue him! Sue Brennan! Charge him!

 " ... later in the day on Wednesday, Mr. Brennan explained that his comments were speculation based on Mr. Trump’s words and deeds, as well as how Mr. Putin’s government has operated at home and abroad — but not on any inside knowledge.

“I do not know if the Russians have something on Donald Trump that they could use as blackmail,” he said in a written response to questions from The New York Times.

“When asked the question, I have pointed out the perplexing submissiveness of Mr. Trump toward Mr. Putin — despite continued evidence of malign Russian activities,” Mr. Brennan added. “I do not know why he refuses to call out Russia; that is a question that can only be answered by Mr. Trump.”

 

Along with Mr. Brennan, who is a paid contributor to NBC and MSNBC, other retired officials with contributor deals included James Clapper Jr., the former director of national intelligence; Steven L. Hall, the former director of Russia operations at the C.I.A.; and Jeremy Bash, a former C.I.A. and Pentagon official."  NY Times

------------------

For a clearly partisan former director of CIA and close friend of Barack Obama to make such statements whether they are "speculation" or not invites legal action against him.

1.  How dos he have "inside information" to support his implications?  Is his "inside information" derived from classified information?  If that is so then he should be held accountable as the Obama Administration held so many accountable under the  Espionage Act.

2.  What could be more clearly Defamations of Character than this Morning Joe interview?  Make him prove his insinuations!  Make him state what the evidence is!  pl  

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/us/politics/john-brennan-trump-putin.html

Comments

[Account Deleted]

That piece links to a tweet by the arch swamp creature which begins thus:

"When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history."

Brennan seems to have mistakenly used the second person pronoun, when of course the first person was appropriate here.

[Flavius]

This man makes it clear that he is without judgement and temperamentally unsound. Up from Fordham, CIA career, Presidential appointee and this is How the man reveals himself. A windbag and a fool.
Then we must give some thought to Comey, to Mueller, to Rosenstein; then to Trump himself, surrounded by Generals; then Jared and Ivanka who trigger Trump into tossing a few dozen Tomahawks into Syria in a knee jerk response to an obvious provocation; Pompeo and Haspel - the slowly draining waters of the swamp recede to uncover Pompeo and Haspel.
And anyone should be surprised that Vladimir Putin decided he needed to showcase when he did Russian weaponary like in the bad old days of the Cold War. If someone like me is wondering what the hell is going on, Putin REALY must be wondering what is going on.
Maybe there is some light at the end of the tunnel down there in the Imperial City on the Potomac: I'm not seeing it. It is looking like Cold War II for the long haul. Maybe, just maybe, Washington might want to check in with the heartland to gauge whether it wants in on that deal.

[DianaLC]

I was quite surprised when I heard what Brennan said. To me, it seemed mostly an angry response to the election that had meant he would no longer have a position of power as he might have had under HRC. And I felt he had been entirely too emotional and bitter about that.

I guess I didn't think ahead to legal ramifications in regard to what he said. I just felt as I might have if I had heard a friend or a student spout angry nonsense when they had lost a job or had earned a low grade from another teacher.

But, you are absolutely correct. He should be sued. Furthermore, the people who paid him to make those statements without themselves questioning what he said or countering him in any way should also have to face repercussions.

I am so sick of the inability of the Democrats to accept that they lost to Trump and "their" political officials' Whiny and mean-spirited pronouncements. They are all pathetic.

Their behaviors makes it hard for some of us who aren't' always thrilled with Trump's Tweets and his counter-punching, etc., to criticize him as we hope for more civility and reason in our political discussions.

Thank you for your post.

[Adrestia]

Not sure if this is related, but since it involves Jared Kushner and thus to DJT.

Until he was stripped of his top-secret security clearance in February, presidential adviser Jared Kushner was known around the White House as one of the most voracious readers of the President’s Daily Brief, a highly classified rundown of the latest intelligence intended only for the president and his closest advisers. ... In the months that followed, the President’s Daily Brief contained information on Saudi Arabia’s evolving political situation, including a handful of names of royal family members opposed to the crown prince’s power grab, according to the former White House official and two U.S. government officials with knowledge of the report. ... What exactly Kushner and the Saudi royal talked about in Riyadh may be known only to them, but after the meeting, Crown Prince Mohammed told confidants that Kushner had discussed the names of Saudis disloyal to the crown prince, according to three sources who have been in contact with members of the Saudi and Emirati royal families since the crackdown.

https://theintercept.com/2018/03/21/jared-kushner-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman/

[Sid_finster]

Lest anyone doubt Trump's true intentions, it appears that Bolton will replace McMaster...

[doug]

Yep, Bonkers Bolton. Crazy stuff. Trump going with his instincts which are not serving him well in this instance.

[tv]

Col:
You don't really expect the swamp to go after one of its own?
Remember, one set of laws for the "imperial city" and another for the rest of us and that's one reason you got Trump.

[turcopolier]

TV

I haven't broken the rules since I left SF and I expect the government to enforce good order. Brennan is acting like a mad dog. You want that? pl

[jdledell]

Sorry but Brennan's speculation seems to be regular partisen politics to me. Making denigrating comments about opposition politicians is part of our current political environment. When Trump said Obama was not a U.S citizen and thus ineligible to be President and was a closet Muslim to boot, I did not hear anyone on this Blog come to Obama's defense or to suggest he sue Trump for defamation. Besides the news channels shown avove, Fox news also has a long list of paid contributers, including the infamous John Bolton.

[raven]

This mad dog motherfucker Bolton will get plenty of SF guys killed with his bullshit.

[turcopolier]

raven

I have made it clear that I agree with that. pl

[turcopolier]

jdledell

Please cite me my denigrating comments about Obama. pl

[J]

Brennan committed 'Sedition' against the Unites States when he used his lock-lips (called foot in mouth syndrome) and actions behind the scenes, and stepped over the line. Sedition is under the Treason Statute and there is no time limitations regarding prosecution for the act. Brennan, anytime of the POTUS's choosing can be legally detained and sent to GITMO and arranged before a Military Tribunal,and if found guilty taken out in the exercise yard and shot by firing squad.

Colonel,

It looks it's official that Trump is replacing McMasters with Bolton as his advisor on the NSC. Now we have one more pain-in-the-ass blockhead to worry about with Bolton on the NSC and having the President's ear.

[tv]

Col:
I would love to see Brennan and Clapper and Comey and McCabe and Strozk and all the rest of the dimwits tried and convicted.
Its just that I don't have any faith in the swamp to do the right thing.
Take a look at this recent budget - all Democrat wins, Republicans bend over as usual.
Democrats - the evil party.
Republicans - the stupid party.
And all joined in the brotherhood of the "imperial city."

[Cee]

Col. Pang,

People don't want to wind up Michael Hastings.

[Cee]

Raven,

A quote from Paul Craig Roberts:
If Trump names John Bolton National Security Adviser, plan to die.

[jdledell]

Col. I did not mean to imply that YOU ever made any denigrating comments about Obama - you were pretty quiet on that subject except where you might have disagreed with specific policy objectives. All I meant to say is that I did not read any comments by our correspondents which came to Obama's defense when his "birth and religious leanings" became a hot topic.If you took my comments in a negative way, my apologies. I am on this site everyday and have learned a lot to overcome my lack of military training. Because of my polio, when my draft number came up, the army decided since I could neither walk or run, I probably was not a good candidate.

[eakens]

Clapper lied to Congress and nothing happened. Brennan should get sued so it can prove once again that the private sector can generally do things better than the public sector.

[Bill Herschel]

"as well as how Mr. Putin’s government has operated at home and abroad — but not on any inside knowledge."

He says he *doesn't* have inside information. At least that's the way I read it.

[catherine]

I really don't care what Brennan says about Trump or Trump says about anyone.

Its all disgusting and a embarrassment to the country.

I do care that Trump has appointed the psychopath Bolton...as far as I am concerned that's Trump's third strike, he's out.

[Bill Herschel]

"Mr. Bolton’s appointment elicited mixed reviews. “Selecting John Bolton as national security adviser is good news for America’s allies and bad news for America’s enemies,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina. “He has a firm understanding of the threats we face from North Korea, Iran and radical Islam.”"

Mad dogs love company.

[turcopolier]

james

Is this psycopathy about the US widespread in Canada? "Pobre Mexico, tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca a los Estados Unidos." P. Diaz. Canadians are filled with a great self pity. pl

[LeaNder]

All I meant to say is that I did not read any comments by our correspondents which came to Obama's defense w

jdledell, I have to come to the defense of the "commentariat" here. At what precise point in time should they collectively have made that clear? Not that I don't suspect some to have been quite attracted to the meme. Including Trump for publicity reasons?

During the election campaign it wasn't an issue anymore. And that was the time when Trump got more attention here. My hardest time here ever. ...

[robt willmann]

John Bolton as possibly the next National Security Advisor is bad news. It cannot be for a "good cop, bad cop" show for foreign governments because Rex Tillerson is out and Mike Pompeo is nominated to be secretary of state. The appointment does not have to be confirmed by the Senate.

President Bush jr used a "recess appointment" to make Bolton the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in August 2005. The Senate would not confirm him as ambassador as the Democrats blocked it. So Bolton resigned as ambassador in January 2007--

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/30/politics/bolton-not-truthful-36-senators-charge-in-opposing-appointment.html

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bush-bolton/bolton-to-leave-as-u-s-ambassador-to-u-n-idUSWAO00003120061204

Since Bolton does not have to be confirmed by the Senate, the only thing that could stop him would be the question of a security clearance, which he obviously will have to have. The recent matter of Rob Porter and his ouster from the White House because of problems with divorces presents one area for investigation, which is prior conduct in family and personal relations. This also became a media project for the opposition to Roy Moore when he was a candidate recently in the special election in Alabama to fill Jeff Session's Senate seat after he became attorney general.

There was an edgy rumor floating around in past years about Bolton and a possible divorce in the early 1980's. It included allegations about a "swingers" sex club called Plato's Retreat. Whether there was any validity to it would have to be investigated and checked, as the report apparently originated from Larry Flynt, the nudie magazine and pornography publisher who has previously offered rewards for information constituting dirt on politicians. There was in the article some language allegedly copied from documents in a court file that appears to be standard language used when a divorce is granted; the claimed wording is from a divorce in which the wife did not appear in person or by an attorney, saying that it was in the Circuit Court for the City of Alexandria, Virginia, number 15645; the couple separated in 1982 and the divorce language is from 1984--

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0505/S00240.htm

If there was anything that might impact a security clearance which was discovered in the process resulting in his blocked confirmation for UN ambassador in 2005 would be in the records of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from back then.

[falcemartello]

You got to be kidding. Since Bubba Clinton and the Bush Jr regime their is enoughevidence of charging these vile creatures under the Nuremberg principles of article 50 and 51 UN charter. Obama as well drone program . So not one of these vile entities will ever be brought to justice. PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
Look another neo-con war hawk has just entered the Trump administration. Bolton just amither AIPAC shill and also another warmonger.