Michael Flynn resigns as National Security Advisor

sushilover

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 10:56 am

In the course of my duties as the Incoming National Security Advisor, I held numerous phone calls with foreign counterparts, ministers, and ambassadors. These calls were to facilitate a smooth transition and begin to build the necessary relationships between the President, his advisors and foreign leaders. Such calls are standard practice in any transition of this magnitude.
Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. I have sincerely apologized to the president and the Vice President, and they have accepted my apology.
Throughout my over thirty three years of honorable military service, and my tenure as the National Security Advisor, I have always performed my duties with the utmost of integrity and honesty to those I have served, to include the President of the United States.
I am tendering my resignation, honored to have served our nation and the American people in such a distinguished way.
I am also extremely honored to have served President Trump, who in just three weeks, has reprinted American foreign policy in fundamental ways to restore America's leadership position in the world.
As I step away once again from serving my nation in this current capacity, I wish to thank President Trump for his personal loyalty, the friendship of those who I worked with throughout the hard fought campaign, the challenging period of transition, and during the early days of his presidency.
I know with the strong leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and the superb team they are assembling, this team will go down in history as one of the greatest presidencies in U.S history, and I firmly believe the american people will be well served as they all work together to help Make America Great Again.
Michael T. Flynn, LTG (Ret)
Assistant to the President/ National Security Advisor

SixOfWands

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 11:50 am

sushilover wrote:

So? When the DNC was caught undermining Bernie's campaign, I remember liberals saying that the real problem was that the Russians were hacking.

Well, I think that the Russians hacking into US computers in an effort to influence the election was a serious, serious concern. Don't you?

Like I think that the concern that the National Security Adviser could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail was a serious, serious concern. Don't you?

Trump is correct to be concerned about a White House that already seems to be leaking like the proverbial sieve. But its of less concern to me than Flynn's actions.

And the DNC's actions were of concern, but less so than the Russian action.

(And please, not Petraeus. We already know the man cannot be trusted with confidential information.)

sushilover

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 5:18 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

What was soo bad about what Flynn did? For the future security advisor to meet with the Russians? (I would compare it to Lorretta Lynch meeting Bill Clinton, no?)
I understand that it may be against policy, and he lied to Pence, but what's the major crime here???? I'm seriously asking.

Also, if what Flynn did was so bad, then isn't Trump to be admired for letting him go? Compare this to Obama and his reactions to Susan Rice's (lied about Benghazi) and Ben Rhodes (lies regarding Iran)

SixOfWands wrote:

Trump is correct to be concerned about a White House that already seems to be leaking like the proverbial sieve. But its of less concern to me than Flynn's actions.

You should be concerned about the intelligence community being a leaky sieve. The intel community is not supposed to be waging a secret war against the administration. The deep state is far- reaching and pretty much anonymous. It would be a terrible thing if they are trying to topple political opponents secretly...

Chuck Schumer said last month, “Let me tell you, you take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you,”

SixOfWands wrote:

And the DNC's actions were of concern, but less so than the Russian action.

Both are worrying. I agree. But, we should be far more worried about our own intelligence community acting against our country's elected administration, than about a foreign country acting against the DNC.
Foreign countries spying is to be expected. Our own intel spying on their own 'boss'? Scary stuff.

SixOfWands

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 7:00 pm

sushilover wrote:

What was so bad about what Flynn did? Violating the Logan Act. Lying to the FBI. Lying to the Vice President of the United States. Lying to the American People. Leaving himself open to the risk of blackmail by the Russians. All as a SECURITY adviser.

And I think its sad that you're more concerned with these actions all taken adversely to the interests of the US are less troubling than the fact that we found out about them.

And that you're not particularly concerned about the very real possibility that a foreign government successfully intervened in and influenced our election, and that it may well hold or be privy to information that it could use to blackmail officials and influence US action.

And if you're really so concerned about actions of the intelligence community, why are you not complaining about Comey? He clearly used his office to try to torpedo Clinton -- by releasing information about a possible investigation into Clinton, which turned out to be less than nothing -- but not releasing a thing about the fact that Trump's closest advisers were allegedly in close contact with Russian intelligence, which was being examined by the FBI. You should be livid that he is being kept on by Trump. But I'm guessing you're not.

sushilover

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 7:37 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

Logan Act- not a single individual has ever been prosecuted under this act since 1799. If we are suddenly worried about private citizens getting involved in foreign affairs, then there are a lot of people- Repubs and Democrats who would be in major major trouble. So, try again.
Lying- Ok, I'll grant you that. But this is the major scandal? Sounds weird to me.
Blackmail- I honestly don't understand the issue. What kind of blackmail?

Just to be clear, I happened to have been really skeptical of Flynn's positions and never liked his stance on Russia. But Trump firing him seems overly cautious, and to be honest, not what I imagined in his character (firing someone for something so relatively minor) It's just weird. And the msm acting like Flynn is the devil... Ok, that part is not out of character, but def not justifiable.

SixOfWands wrote:

And I think its sad that you're more concerned with these actions all taken adversely to the interests of the US are less troubling than the fact that we found out about them.

And that you're not particularly concerned about the very real possibility that a foreign government successfully intervened in and influenced our election, and that it may well hold or be privy to information that it could use to blackmail officials and influence US action.

And if you're really so concerned about actions of the intelligence community, why are you not complaining about Comey? He clearly used his office to try to torpedo Clinton -- by releasing information about a possible investigation into Clinton, which turned out to be less than nothing -- but not releasing a thing about the fact that Trump's closest advisers were allegedly in close contact with Russian intelligence, which was being examined by the FBI. You should be livid that he is being kept on by Trump. But I'm guessing you're not.

I never said I'm not concerned about foreign spies. I just said that I'm more concerned about internal spies.
If I ran a company and was hacked by my competition, I would be worried and take care of it. But if I found that the leaks were coming from within my own company, I would be terrified.

At least with Comey we know who he is, we can keep our eye on what he's doing and he knows that .
These mysterious leakers, who are they? What are their motivations? Like Schumer said, they have tremendous power. Who's keeping an eye on them?