Obama Asserts Executive Privilege On Fast And Furious Documents

[happyslug]

68. I think the answer is yes, Congress has never leaked sensitive information

The vast majority of leaks has NOT been via Congress but the executive branch itself. I can NOT think of ANY classified information or other confidential data that Congress has leaked. Congress has published "sensitive" data that was neither classified or confidential but that is NOT illegal (in fact you can point out that is the job of any opposition party in Congress).

Lets be honest, Congress consists of 535 prima-donnas each supported by a staff to make sure the Congress critter gets re-elected. On the other hand, when given Classified information, it is easy to trace to the Congress critter that released it, and that fact can be used to defeat that member of Congress at the next election. Thus the cost to a member of Congress to leak classified information or other confidential data is extremely high, unlike the relative low costs of someone operating for the White House. The President can denounce the release and even remove the releaser, but more often then not the President wanted the data released, but also wants to say he did NOT want it released. Given that bureaucrats are Civil Service employees, and as such if they release such data that is grounds to be fired, it rare for bureaucrats to release such data. No release of data is worth the loss of their job. Thus it is almost always a political appointee who does the release, more often then not for the benefit of the White House, but occasionally for some other political reason.

My point is simple, it is the PRESIDENT'S political appointees that release the data NOT the bureaucrats with the Executive branch or Congress.

My favorite story of the President complaining about the release of classified data is Iran-Contra. The people around Reagan all denounced the release of the Classified data as a violation of the duty of Congress and the Press to NOT print data that is classified information or other confidential data. The press ran with that story, various commentators denouncing the release of the data. Then it all quieted down, when it was pointed out the data was released BY IRAN in a Lebanese Paper. i.e. NOT released by anyone on the US, anyone in Congress, (or surprisingly) no one in the Executive branch, but that to do Iran-Contra the US had to deal with the Contras (Which the US Controlled and thus did not release the data) AND Iran. The US had no control over Iran and it was Iran that released the data.

I bring it up for it shows the tendency in the Executive branch to blame Congress and the press for any release of such classified information or other confidential data, even when it is public record (which it was when Iran released the data).

Yes, you hear over and over again how Congress and the Press release such data, but when you finally look at who did it is never Congress or a Executive bureaucrat but an political appointee of the President (When it is not released by someone else).

Yes, I know the release of Pentagon and State Department Data by Bradly Manning is a release by a non-political appointee, but it is the only one I have ever heard of AND UNLIKE OTHER LEAKERS HE IS BEING BROUGHT UP ON CHARGES. People in his position almost NEVER release information, he is notable for having done so (And why a Private in the US Army had access to such classified information NOT needed for his job is a question no one is asking or answering, for the answer is unacceptable i.e. total incompetency in the Pentagon and the State Department as to E-mails and other computer data).