New York Times Editorial Board condemns Donald Trump for spewing nonsense

[CousinIT]

What plausible reason could Donald Trump have for trying so hard to discredit America’s intelligence agencies and their finding that Russia interfered in the presidential election? Maybe he just can’t stand anyone thinking he didn’t, or couldn’t, win the presidency on his own.

Regardless of his motives, the nation’s top intelligence officials were having none of his nonsense on Thursday. In an extraordinary pushback against the president-elect, James Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he was “even more resolute” in believing that Russia not only hacked the computers of the Democratic National Committee and others but also disseminated classic propaganda, disinformation and fake news.

Flanked by the Pentagon’s top intelligence official and the head of the cyber command, Mr. Clapper acknowledged that the intelligence agencies can at times make mistakes. But he distinguished between presidential skepticism about their findings, which is healthy, and “disparagement” of the professionalism of the agencies, which is perilous for national security.

With his refusal to accept regular intelligence briefings on threats facing this country and his persistent denigration of the intelligence community, Mr. Trump has shown time and again that he worries more about his ego than anything else. He is effectively working to delegitimize institutions whose jobs involve reporting on risks, threats and facts that a president needs to keep the nation safe.

. . .

If he ever decides to govern responsibly, Mr. Trump has made his job much more difficult. Having worked so hard to convince the American people that the intelligence community cannot be trusted, what will he tell the country when agents inform him of a clear and present danger?

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/05/opinion/donald-trump-casts-intelligence-aside.html?smid=tw-nytopinion&smtyp=cur&_r=1

[2naSalit]

1. K&R!!!

[underpants]

2. The boy who cried - Wolf? What wolf? *I* don't see any wolf!

Who said there's a wolf?

[Cha]

3. Wonder how many in the Intelligence community voted for this stupid asshole to be their boss?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028436945

Thanks IT

[progressoid]

8. Damned sure a couple in the FBI that did.

**cough** Comey **cough**

[Achilleaze]

4. Why does Comrade Casino (R) hate America's 17 Intelligence Agencies?

most of them staffed by former US military personnel?

[marybourg]

7. But he knows more than the generals.

He told us that, and: "I'm like a smart person."

[MadCrow]

5. It's not a wolf , it's a bear!

[kimbutgar]

6. He is the clear and present danger to our country.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

9. "If he ever decides to govern responsibly,..."

Yow.

[gratuitous]

13. Where was this kind of observation during the campaign?

It's nice that the Times has finally noticed the irresponsible dimensions of the president elect's behavior. It would have been nice if they could have been just a little more forceful about it before now.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

14. Google is your friend.

I clicked on this at random. It took me only a few seconds to find it.

Donald Trump and the Judge

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD MAY 31, 2016

Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy presents decent people everywhere with a dilemma: Sprayed with an open fire hose of schoolyard insults, locker-room vulgarities and bizarre policy pitches by the presumptive Republican nominee, they must make hard choices. Is this latest comment so outrageous, so much worse than all the others, as to require its own response?
....

Mr. Trump has said so many irresponsible or dangerous things so often and in so many settings that there is a real risk that many voters will simply tune out and his campaign will somehow be normalized.

So it is particularly important to note when Mr. Trump’s statements go beyond the merely provocative or absurd and instead represent a threat to America’s carefully balanced political system. This is such a moment. It is not too late for Republicans who revere that system to question how they can embrace a nominee who has so little regard for it.

[gratuitous]

16. So every eight months or so . . .

We can expect the Times to make a tepid condemnation. And never one when it counts (like during the general election). I'm thinking Pulitzer!

[elmac]

10. He was given a mandate by the ameriKan voted to say whatever he wants

while he man dates putin

[BSdetect]

11. He's a devious and disgusting self absorbed moron.

Is this all distraction again while he piles cash into his own pockets?

So many conflicts of interest.

And they (Congress) are sitting on their hands while he deals.

[lark]

12. He will just lie some more, that's it.

He'll deny he ever got the information, say they are lying, tweet out a ton of spew and cover that he let it happen because Putin is his controller.

[Lucinda]

15. We all do NYT...we ALL do. n/t