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Pence Finds Classified Documents: Keystone Kops or Something Else Going On?
I read items like this and cannot help but think of the Keystone Kops. How many more “shocking,” “bombshell,” “explosive” discoveries are we going to have before we start asking if just maybe there is something else going on?
Former VP Pence informs Congress he’s discovered documents in Indiana home marked classified
Former Vice President Mike Pence informed Congress on Tuesday that his team has discovered document in his Indiana home that from his time in the Trump White House and marked as classified….
The Justice Department will make the final decision whether the records are classified, Pence’s team said.
In view of that last statement, and considering the Justice Department’s slavish devotion to the doctrine of Equal Justice Under Law, (s/o) it would seem to be prudent of Mr. Pence to “lawyer-up” ASAP.
Either that or switch to the Democrat Party as fast as he can get his name on the papers!
Published in General
We were working from similar perspectives on these events but you beat me to the post by a few minutes. I’m curious if you have some speculation about what, other than stupidity, might be going on?
I suspect there are “classified” documents to be found with every former President and Vice President. Most if not all are there as the result of genuine mistakes. Biden and Garland made this a complete mess in their zeal to get Trump at any cost. The cost will be very high.
I don’t think they’re mistakes so much as politicians believing that they are entitled to those documents by virtue of being in the ruling class.
They have gone on for decades understanding that laws are for the little people, not them!
And so far, they’re right.
We need to show them they’re wrong and make examples of them.
It occurs to me that what’s happening here is Pence covering for Biden.
Pence saw that his buddy Joe was under fire for classified documents from when he was Veep, and so Pence jumped in with “Me, too!” to add to the “everybody does it; mistakes were made!” excuse. And now since “both sides” are guilty, it’ll be easier for the DOJ to let everyone off with a hand-slap.
They’re all in cahoots.
I say lock up both Pence and Biden. The President can declassify what he wants. The VP cannot. Both are guilty. Charge them. (And Hillary, to0.)
My understanding is that all these classified documents are kind’a like library books … unless you are the creator of the material you are viewing a document that has been “signed out” as it were, by someone who is supposed to be responsible for it. If that’s the case, aren’t there people who signed for these docs getting in trouble when the documents they are responsible for end up in FJB’s garage or under Mike Pence’s coffee mug?
Obviously, there are several layers of classifications of “classified” documents, and I haven’t seen any accounts of what layer(s) the reported documents fit into. As is widely acknowledged, there is/has been a lot of over-classification for many years. From my time in the Army, I know that many personnel documents are classified as “Classified,” and are only to be viewed on a need-to-know basis. So, when I read that someone had “classified” documents in their possession, I don’t get too excited until I know the level of classification.
What I end up wondering about the most, especially for a case like FJB where the documents go back perhaps decades, is, doesn’t anyone ever notice that the documents are missing?
When I worked at the Statehouse we saved money by cutting up old documents and turning the blank side into note pads…maybe Pence has classified note pads?
Pence is not a political threat, his presidential bid will not establish significant momentum. That in mind, I have serious doubt they ever would have looked his way for classified docs. Kudos to Mike for getting some headlines, though.
A pattern is apparent and prudence dictates we check former House and Senate Intelligence Committee members’ (and especially chairmen’s) homes. C’mon, DOJ, show everyone who is really in charge!
I also wonder at its overuse. I can’t help thinking that “national security” has allowed an enormous amount of evil to be covered up over the years.
Perhaps it is time to abolish the idea of “top secret” for 90 percent of our government communication. The remaining 10 percent I’d reserve for the nuclear launch codes.
Nah. Rather than loosen things up, tighten them up. And then throw all the guilty ones in prison.
No, this is an attempt to sweep all of Biden’s crimes under the rug. After years of telling us what a big deal this stuff is, they’re now going to adopt the narrative “everybody does it, no big deal.” And it’s all to protect lousy, corrupt politicians.
But be sure that those laws will still apply to the citizen class.
Do we really mean “equality under the law”? No. That’s laughable.
Josh Holmes was the chief of staff for McConnell at one time. He hosts the Ruthless Podcast and on today’s episode said that one guy was in charge of reading the classified material in the appropriate location and deciding what the boss needed to see. One never put anything classified in his notes so he wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally taking anything home.
Thinking some more about how things operate here at work, I’m wondering if some office spaces in Congress are allowed to discuss secret level material in them. In our directorate headquarters building, some places are authorized to go secret with appropriate matters being taken. We’ve gone over to tell the boss things and rarely have couriered over papers for him to view. Of course being sure to bring them back. It’s less secure than a SCIF and might provide insight into how some of these documents are ending up where they shouldn’t.
I don’t think Dick Cheney has any. He does not seem like the kind of guy that cares about reports and briefings or what other people think.
lets see if the Justice department decides to send in the FBI “just to be sure”
@drewinwisconsin comes as close to describing my suspicion as any other comment I’ve seen, although I hasten to add that my basis for suspecting that more is going on than just sheer stupidity is a vague feeling based upon the obvious lesson of the last years that absolutely no one in Washington can be trusted any longer and that any action which first appears on its face to be susceptible of easy explanation almost always winds up being the result of pure dishonesty and corruption. When I first saw the article, my first reaction was something like: Wait, this is just asking too much to believe that all of a sudden we are having a tsunami of “classified” documents winding up in every closet and garage of past and present “leaders” (quote obviously is regarding Biden, maybe for Pence, definitely not for President Trump). I also based that suspicion on the more and more obvious fact that our “leaders” operate on the assumption that we are all stupid and that none of us have any access to any other materials than what they shovel out of their (extremely) privileged enclaves.
As one who lived with the law, in the law, for the law, practicing law, and actually believing that this was a real doctrine and that, while it is abused often, it is still a bedrock foundational principle of America, it saddens me terribly to have to agree with this statement.
Dream on, although it sure would be fun to watch the rats jumping off the ship, wouldn’t it?
I’d forgotten about this:
Every single person with known to have them should be raided by the FBI.
That is the precedent set. All of them.
There is a reason they call it “compartmented” information. I can imagine, repeat IMAGINE, information that would be classified at a very restricted level. Plans for maintaining communications with POTUS and others during states of national emergency or war. Plans for the protection of POTUS during foreign travel and public events. Information regarding intelligence gathering capabilities and the processed data products. Identities of covert assets. Communication channels for covert assets. Pick up an unclassified version of a paper with a title something like A Brief Explanation of Why an Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle Cannot Successfully Discriminate. After you scan it, you’ll think of many more things that should be kept classified at a very restricted level.
Or maybe just watch “Real Genius,” it’s more entertaining. And currently free (“with ads”) on YouTube.
Classic! Always thought about trying that sweepstakes trick.
I don’t think the contests allow “enter as many times as you like” any more. At least not by computer.
You also usually pay the postage for your entries, all those entries would cost a good chunk.
Also if even one other person in the country had Lazlo’s idea, it puts his calculations into a cocked hat, as they used to say.
Start with Warner, Burr, and Rubio.
For that matter, how do we know that Biden hasn’t kept any classified documents in your home or office?
It is suprising to me that these papers are not routinely inventoried, catagorized and filed soon after leaving office. I assume they can afford the office staff to do the work. Whatever the purpose of taking them, they are of no use unless you know the contents.
It is annoying to me, that so me many of the descriptions of what was found is vague. In Pence’s case it is a “small number of documents”. Well what exactly is a small number? Biden’s lawyers descriptions of what was found are even more evasive.
We talking corruption? That’s okay then, Mr. Lincoln will solve all my problems. He’s a good lawyer.