Back In The Day, I had to take a polygraph exam before Three Letter Intelligence Agency granted me a security clearance, and had to take another one - this time for Counter-Espionage purposes several years later. The examiners were extremely interested in my sexual orientation. That seemed odd, until someone explained that they couldn't care less what I did in my extra-curricular activities.
They wanted to know if I were in the closet, because it would mean that I could be blackmailed. Transparently gay was no problem getting a Top Secret clearance, because everyone if already knew, the KGB would have no leverage.
The Czar of Muscovy is absolutely correct that Rep. Weiner should resign, because his wife is Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State, and therefore is a huge blackmail target. With his clear inability to exercise sober judgement, our foreign policy is at risk.
The only other thing I'll add is that had Rep. Weiner tweeted a pic of his junk while he was driving, that would have been epic.
I always like the the question "have you or someone you know plotted to overthrow the U.S. Government?
ReplyDeleteLike you are going to say YES, while applying for that sort of job. Or "yes, the little voices in my head told me to."
He hasn't resigned yet? He's tenacious, I give him that.
Since when does "clear inability to exercise sober judgement" have anything to do with being qualified to hold office?
ReplyDeleteI thought that was a requirement to run for office.
And since I like my job, I don't answer the question Brigid brings up: "My representatives in Congress". Something about 3-letter agencies cause a sense of humor to disappear.
Q
You know people are looking at the original offense -- sending an inappropriate picture of himself to someone. How about if we look at how he LIED about it repeatedly? This is the guy you want to represent you in Congress?
ReplyDeleteI had to have a set of clearances to work as a communicator in the Navy, so I know what you're talking about. It always pissed me off that Clinton was excused with "it's just sex" when he was endangering national security, leaving himself open to blackmail or even assassination. If a chubby intern could get that level of access, what could a Russian "honeytrap" spy have done?
ReplyDeleteAs long as we're coming out of the closet, so to speak, right on, right on, right on.
ReplyDeleteI worked for an Agency No One Knew Existed, too, and we all went through those polygraph trials, too. If I had done anything remotely like what Weiner has done, I'd be sitting with big bad men in Leavenworth now. They'd pull your clearance so fast, your head would spin faster than a rotary lawnmower blade.
I don't really care that he sent the pictures. It was lying about it so transparently that everyone knew right along that he had sent them and screwed up. My first guess was that he had misaddressed them and panicked. If you can't come up with a believable lie, tell the truth.
ReplyDeleteHe should have tried, "You knew I was a Democrat when you elected me. What did you expect? Hell, Billy "Blue Dress" Clinton presided at my wedding. It was pictures of my junk and some dirty chat. So what? Now, go away and find some real news."
I could have respected that.
One of the first things my Academy instructors pounded into our still soft heads was that lying was a crash and burn offense. Period. He should resign and never be in a trusted position again.
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