Delegitimizing Trump

[This commentary was submitted by Norm Sauer who is on the editorial board of The Union and often contributes his views to these pages.  The same piece appeared in the 26apr17 edition of the newspaper's op-ed section.  It appears below as received.  gjr]

Norm Sauer

In my column last month (http://www.theunion.com/opinion/norm-sauer-the-progressive-swamp-of-washington-d-c/), I predicted the surveillance of Trump and his team by the  Obama administration may be a story bigger than Watergate.

To date an enormous amount of media attention and investigations about direct Russian collusion with Trump have found no evidence.  However, little attention has been given to improper unmasking of surveillance and leaking, and yet this has far more credibility based on contradictory statements by Susan Rice, the reported data on unmasking, and Obama’s expansion of access to intercepts. 

On March 22, House Intelligence Committee chair Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) announced that he had learned that members of President Donald Trump’s transition team had been under surveillance by the Obama administration, that individual names had been “unmasked” by the intelligence community, and that those names had been leaked to the media.  Nunes said that while there was no direct “wiretap” by President Barack Obama of Trump Tower, there was indeed surveillance — perhaps collected incidentally — of people close to Trump, possibly including Trump himself. 

Rep. Nunes also reported something stunningly new: that the surveillance did not involve the ongoing FBI inquiry into Russia’s alleged involvement in the 2016 presidential election.  He emphasized, none of the surveillance had intelligence value.

“I believe it was all done legally,” Nunes told a press conference. The question, he said, was why names of those swept up in the surveillance had been leaked. So, the collection of the intelligence appeared to have been legal, but the leaking may have been illegal.

In a PBS interview later on March 22, 2017, Obama’s National Security Advisor Susan Rice denied any knowledge of the intelligence community’s incidental surveillance of Trump’s transition team or of any ‘unmasking.’  Her words, “I know nothing about this.” 

On April 3 the Bloomberg View reported that White House lawyers learned that the former national security adviser Susan Rice requested the identities be unmasked of U.S. citizens in raw intelligence reports on dozens of occasions that connect to the Donald Trump transition and campaign. 

Contradicting her interview on PBS, on April 4 Susan Rice was interviewed by Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC.  Rice admitted engaging in unmasking U. S. citizens in intelligence reports but claimed she didn’t leak “nothing to nobody.”  Further, Rice implied President Obama ordered the compilation of intelligence reports on Trump officials when she said, “the president requested the compilation of the intelligence, which was ultimately provided in January (2017).”

It is important here to mention that on March 29, Evelyn Farkas, Obama’s former deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, while on Morning Joe admitted: “I was urging my former colleagues, . . . get as much information as you can, get as much intelligence as you can. . . Because I had a fear that somehow that information would disappear with the senior [Obama] people who left … that the Trump folks – if they found out how we knew what we knew about their … the Trump staff dealing with Russians – that they would try to compromise those sources and methods . . .”  

The reference to “how we knew” is evidence that Trump and his team were the objects of Obama administration intelligence reports, and we know from other sources those reports regarding Trump personnel were unmasked and leaked by the intelligence community to the major media most likely with the knowledge and blessing of Susan Rice and President Obama.

The sole purpose of foreign intelligence collection is to understand the actions and intentions of foreign powers and their operatives.  Proper surveillance of an American citizen requires that either a crime be involved or suspicion of being a foreign agent, either ground requiring a FISA warrant.

So, we have conduct, conflicting statements and admissions by the Obama administration officials of unmasking and leaking of intelligence concerning Trump aides and possibly Trump himself probably for a political purpose.  In the past, Benghazi lies about a you-tube video and the IRS’s misuse against conservative non-profits by Obama’s administration suggest political considerations were his and his administration’s top concerns.  Hence, it seems surveillance of Trump and his team probably was politically motivated.

This surveillance, unmasking, and leaking of intelligence on president-elect Trump and his team, if done for political purposes such as to delegitimize his presidency and leadership is an abuse of power and an offense against the public trust.  Necessarily involved in this scandal are the entire intelligence community, Obama’s right-hand person Susan Rice, and probably Obama himself.

Stay tuned.

Comments

[Todd Juvinall]

It OK Paul Emery, we are patient people. No worries.

[Paul emery]

Glad you're happy guy Todd You're kind of a folk hero around these parts and everybody wishes you well

[Todd Juvinall]

Yes it sometimes is a burden to be as famous as I am. But I can deal with it.

[Paul Emery]

We're glad you're here Todd. You're such a relic of the old days when Conservatives ran wild in Nevada County before the great exodus . Perhaps you can give a talk to the Historical Society.

[Paul Emery]

George

Whenever Trump makes an Exec Order it can't seem to pass even minimal legal scrutiny and he doesn't seem willing to challenge the Courts. Why do you think that is?

[Paul Emery]

Fox continue4s to disintegrate with the firing of Bill Shine being the latest example. Bad Boys booted daily at the Fox Hole

"Fox New host Sean Hannity rallied around the executive on Thursday, following reports that his friend and former producer’s tenure appeared imperiled. On Twitter, he said that Shine is an “innocent man”and that “this is the total end of [Fox News] as we know it” if he were to be replaced. "

[ScenesFromTheApocalypse]

I see that the Green Libertarians are having a bit of a dust-up.

https://counterpropa.com/7-jaw-dropping-revelations-hearings-motion-dismiss-dnc-fraud-lawsuit/

[Todd Juvinall]

Paul Emery the dems and Reps are at parity. So be careful. And I am famous and happy to discuss the fact my party stomped you and yours all over the country. Electing Trump was a good thing. His two orders stopped by a political lib hack judge was not unexpected. And we will see many more conservative judges appointed over the next eight years. Get used to losing.

FOX is a disappointment. You can see what happns when a different philosophy is in charge. Like KVMR would be if ever a conservative took over there. You and your libs would probably go. So if FOX decimates the conservatives, there will be another newtwork created to deal with it. No big deal.

[Paul Emery]

Didn't vote for Dems in '17 Todd so your comments are irrelevant to me.

[Walt]

Paul's 4:54
Like I said. You voted LIB once.(you admitted it) That was enough. (since you still shine the LIBS shoes here,) Your denial for "17" is like being "kinda" pregnant.

[Todd Juvinall]

Sure Paul Emery. You walk like a duck, talk like a duck and are registered as a democrat.

[Walt]

OH Paul!!, You got some splain'n to do. Your going to need more than a shovel to dig your way out of this one.
You,, YES you,, in the not so distant past,(say a few weeks.) You stated that KVMR was going to do just fine if Trump cut FED money. Your pals at KVMR are singing a different tune. Hit up The Union web page.
http://www.theunion.com/news/nevada-city-council-asks-washington-to-continue-funding-public-radio/

So who is right? You or upper management? ( now wait for the "I didn't get the memo" excuse.)
And shoots some holes in your street creds around here.

[George Rebane]

PaulE 310pm - Paul, that is not a true statement .

[Bill Tozer]

Trump's delegitimization continues, but she will never be delegitimized. Hell hath no fury as a hater scorned. No wonder the Democrat Party has a lower approval rating than Trum. Even with the 24/7 carpet bombing of President Trump by the Fake News Networks, it still blows up in their faces. Amazing spectacle to witness. Submit all you non-conformists or be banished to the Wasteland and be hung on the Tree of Woe with all the Deplorables Them Lefties just don't have a friggin clue. This is after banning pro-life Dems pols from their own party. Never get tired of winning.

She will not be delegitimized! He will not divide us! I hope they never change.

https://heatst.com/politics/dnc-vice-chair-threatens-anyone-who-dares-criticize-anti-semitic-activist-linda-sarsour/?mod=sm_fb_post

Delegitimization is a two way street.

http://www.breitbart.com/video/2017/04/30/trump-cbss-dickerson-love-show-call-deface-nation/

[Bill Tozer]

Oh my my, Trump has been delegitimized by.....drumroll please....a classless Muslim and a Green Libertarian clueless newsman. How we will ever recover i beyond me.

http://truthfeed.com/classless-muslim-comedian-forgets-alcoholism-killed-trumps-brother/69782/

[Don Bessee]

Well po' ol' PE's rice bowl is good for another few months. KVMR gets $175,000.00 of our tax dollars say the reports. So much for 'community' support. But come the next fiscal year it may be a different story. Time for some community fund raising. I wonder what local 'business' category will throw some green their way? Perhaps they will really start to have a fair and balanced representation of the County and not just the Nevada City world view. When with the Republican Women get a show? ;-)

[ScenesFromTheApocalypse]

I..love Paris in the spring time

https://i.redd.it/yapp4xou92vy.jpg

[Paul Emery]

Don

The process for getting a show on KVMR is first you need to become a certified broadcaster after attending our training class in June. Someone from the Republican Woman's group can attend that training. Then you have a certification process after which you become a broadcaster . You can then apply to the Program Committee for a show. that's the process. You can pass that on to anyone who may be interested includint
g the Republicans Women's group.

[Paul Emery]

How is your patient doing Todd

Will healthcare dead on arriva andl Budget reform a Flop Looks like Trump is a weakling even though the Republicans control everything What a hoot The topic of this post is meaningless because Trump has delegitimized himself beyond all expectations

[Paul Emery]

How is your patientce Todd

[Don Bessee]

Someone needs to explain to our resident fakenewsman the difference between an omnibus budget bill and a reconciliation bill. Who else enjoyed the budget directors smackdown of the press and their dem lies this morning? ;-)

[Paul Emery]

Who cares Don. We have here a weak and ineffective president who can't even lead his own party with historical low support after his first hundred days Only thing he has going for himself Is the fact that the Democrats are are absolutely incompetent as an opposition party

[Gregory]

"Whenever Trump makes an Exec Order it can't seem to pass even minimal legal scrutiny and he doesn't seem willing to challenge the Courts."
-PE 3:10 yesterday

Only two of many were blocked by a far west (or is that far left?) court, and vote counting is easy when only 8 get to vote and there's a 4-4 ideological split. Once the 9th justice took his chair, the appeal of the temporary travel ban executive order was filed. If the actual words of the constitution and applicable statutes trump the social justice slant, I expect the EO will be upheld.

[Paul Emery]

They were the only ex-orders of any real importance. Pretty much the rest are are grandstanding and posturing. No reason to dwell on this because it's pretty clear that Trump has accomplished next to nothing so far and his only distinction is how incredibly and historically unpopular he is at this stage.

The next embarrassment will be his inability to repeal Obamacare despite the Repubs controlling the whole deal and him making the pronouncement that :

"We will immediately repeal and replace ObamaCare - and nobody can do that like me. We will save $'s and have much better healthcare!"
2:15 PM - 9 Feb 2016

[Don Bessee]

So that sounds like you are unable to discuss the budget process and prefer to parrot the party line again po' ol' PE.;-)

[Paul Emery]

What is there to discuss. As you know full funding for Public Radio.

The Trump Troops are going to get a little restless and angry soon with his ineptness which will flip him out. Gonna be fun. I'll be watching.

[Gregory]

Paul, I notice you again ignored your error... ""Whenever Trump makes an Exec Order it can't seem to pass even minimal legal scrutiny and he doesn't seem willing to challenge the Courts" was literally false when you wrote it yesterday.

Fake news from our resident public radio newsman?

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/03/politics/9th-circuit-travel-ban-may-argument/index.html?sr=twCNN0404179th-circuit-travel-ban-may-argument1200AMStoryPhoto&linkId=36156407

[Todd Juvinall]

It is Obama's budget Paul Emery. Trump's will be in September. I will hold my fire until then.

[Bill Tozer]

https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/1079478532186183/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/1080315018769201/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/rpp.217926015008110/1079994605467909/?type=3&theater

[Piper Laurie's Shrink]

Todd, you stated that this is Obama's budget. OK. That's different.

So I must ask a question we are all asking;

Are you drunk, senile, mentally impaired, or intentionally a fat buffoon?

[Todd Juvinall]

Yes all of those things. Obama's budget is from October to October1. Why are you so ignorant? And why a phony name? Chicken turd.

[Piper Laurie's Shrink]

I thought so Mr. Juvenile. Please do add the term "ignorant" to your attributes as you rightly suggest. Hey at least you're doing your part for the local economy by helping to keep certain dating services in the black. You are the perfect old "mark" they target in their business model. The monthly fees keep coming, and coming, and coming. Better than an XM Radio subscription for sure.

But to clarify things, no this was not Obama's budget. Sounds like a Breitbart line to me, and basically just a really dumb statement. The guy has been living the high life with Bruce S, Tom H, Oprah David G et al and isn't really interested in cutting the EPA budget. But I do understand the confusion as its certainly not some crazy GOP budget. Schumer done good. Its nice to see Trump with his tail between his legs in a massive show of humiliation. Well done Donald.

Oh and believe it not I was Piper Laurie's shrink at one time. A great actress and really nice person who really never got her due.

[Todd Juvinall]

Sorry but you don't know anything about this topic. And to purposefully mispell my name to jab me is older than I am. You are a baby and all libs prove it after a short time. And since you are a chicken to put your name here your slights mean nothing.
d
The buget is Obama's and Trump's will start in September. If you can't figure that out then you are truly ignorant.

[Paul Emery]

Approved by Republican Congress and not vetoed by Trump. That makes it Trumps budget. Why do you think they approved it Todd if they didn't agree with it?

[Gregory]

Emery?
Emery?
Emery?
Emery?

Paul, I notice you continue to ignore your error... ""Whenever Trump makes an Exec Order it can't seem to pass even minimal legal scrutiny and he doesn't seem willing to challenge the Courts" was literally false when you wrote it yesterday.

Fake news from our resident public radio newsman? Maybe even a lie?

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/03/politics/9th-circuit-travel-ban-may-argument/index.html?sr=twCNN0404179th-circuit-travel-ban-may-argument1200AMStoryPhoto&linkId=36156407

[Paul Emery]

He gave up on the first ban. That's what I was referring to so technically you may be right.

who cares, the bigger picture is that his first 100 days was a total disaster with no meaningful legislation, no Wall, no replacing Obamacare, no budget reform. what did he accomplish Gregory?

[Todd Juvinall]

Paul Emery is the best politician here. You discover his error and he diverts to something else.

[Paul Emery]

Jab and move Todd. The general topic is the Delegitimizing of Trump and I've more than proved my point. Next round......

[Gregory]

Paul, gave up? He did a minor revision that on the face of it covered the judge's objection which is not an unusual response.

Appointing a Jeffersonian textualist to the SCOTUS is my favorite. Pissing off climate Nazis is a close 2nd, not to mention the ~60" of rain at my house since he took office. :)

Regarding the relative dearth of legislation, writing as a libertarian libertarian, I try not to complain too much when Washington doesn't pass more bad legislation.

[fish]

Posted by: Gregory | 03 May 2017 at 11:00 AM

......I try not to complain too much when Washington doesn't pass more bad legislation.

It appears as though he (the president) may have the opportunity to "step in it" on the healthcare front today as opposed to letting Obamacare collapse under its own weight over the next 18 months?

[Gregory]

Some fish food here
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/04/trumps-real-success-his-first-100-days

[fish]

Posted by: Gregory | 03 May 2017 at 11:26 AM

While I'm not so tightly wrapped around the axle about the first 100 days as some are.....my satisfaction with the present administration surrounds his first (and hopefully at least three additional) SCOTUS appointment and the utter spastic impotent rage to which he reduces leftists (and Green Libertarians apparently).

Good times.....very good times!

[Russ]

It's not just CNN: Now ABC, CBS, and NBC all refuse to run Trump re-election campaign ad that blasts them as 'FAKE NEWS'

• President Trump's 2020 reelection campaign is blasting 'biased' CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC for refusing to run Trump's first re-election ad

• The ad includes five TV news anchors and personalities as it blasts 'fake news'

• CNN pushed back at the 'false graphic' as says 'the mainstream media is not 'fake news'

• The campaign planned to put $1.5 million behind the 30-second ad
Instead, the publicity will drive millions of eyeballs to see it, free of charge

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4477928/CNN-ABC-CBS-NBC-refuse-run-fake-news-Trump-ad.html

[Bonnie McGuire]

Think back to when the gov ran an ad in a San Francisco newspaper promising a paid vacation in the Sierra for individuals to protest logging. After it got started Channel 3 news wanted people to vote whether they were in favor of the spotted owl, or loggers...Our local radio station interviewed some Forest Service gals who demonstrated how they counted how many spotted owls were in the forest...by hooting like an owl and counting the responses from owls. My laugh for the day...I wondered if the same owl was following them.
http://www.mcguiresplace.net/The%20Renegade

[Bill Tozer]

Remember when the Left was screaming for a Constitution Convention to overrule Citizens United and abolish the electoral college? Well, they have changed their tune as 271 Soros funded nonprofits are 100% opposed to it now. Doom! Your rights will be stripped!

Dummies don't even know there is no Article V "Constitutional Convention." It's a Convention of States. And no non agenda items to be stuck in as a bait and switch that was not voted on by all the State Legislatures from the same agenda, despite what the Ministry of Propaganda is howling bloody murder over. They will take away your rights and install The God Emperor Trump as dictator! Fascism!

It's only about returning power back to the States and become a federalist republic again, gee whiz.

Boy, the Globalists are going nuts and are in full resist mode. Anything that reduces Washington DC's power is blasphemy to the ears of the worshippers of the alter of The All Mighty All Knowing Big Brother.

http://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-morris/levin-biggest-news-yesterday-was-not-obamacare-and-going-be-earthquake?ref=yfp

[Paul Emery]

Comey fired-shades of Watergate. The leaks will turn to a gusher. Gonna be fun. Who will the next Deep Throat be?

[Bill Tozer]

No shades of Watergate. No shock, no scandal, no nothing. Just ask Valerie.

http://nypost.com/2016/11/02/obama-aides-want-comey-out-after-clinton-email-controversy/

http://nypost.com/2016/11/02/obama-slams-fbi-chief-james-comey-for-operating-on-leaks-and-innuendo/

[Bill Tozer]

https://heatst.com/politics/with-comey-firing-trump-follows-bill-clintons-lead/?mod=sm_fb_post

[Paul Emery]

Here's the real reason Comey was fired

"Washington (CNN)Federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn seeking business records, as part of the ongoing probe of Russian meddling in last year's election, according to people familiar with the matter. CNN learned of the subpoenas hours before President Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey.
The subpoenas represent the first sign of a significant escalation of activity in the FBI's broader investigation begun last July into possible ties between Trump campaign associates and Russia.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/09/politics/grand-jury-fbi-russia/index.html?adkey=bnhttp://www.cnn.com/2017/05/09/politics/grand-jury-fbi-russia/index.html?adkey=bn">http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/09/politics/grand-jury-fbi-russia/index.html?adkey=bn">http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/09/politics/grand-jury-fbi-russia/index.html?adkey=bnhttp://www.cnn.com/2017/05/09/politics/grand-jury-fbi-russia/index.html?adkey=bn

[Don Bessee]

The local fakenewsman quoting the capital of fake news, priceless. ;-)

[Paul Emery]

So Don are you claiming there are no subpoenas as noted above and that CNN made all that up?