Defeating ISIS on the Digital Battlefield

Many US experts on terror have warned that we need digital sources of intelligence to defeat ISIS.  However, allowing the US government to collect intelligence from our phone calls and texts, emails and internet browsing requires that we trust the government not to misuse the information.

The way to build trust is to explain both what you are doing and what you are not.  For example, you are collecting who email is sent to and who it came from, but you are not looking at the message.  It's the same with phone calls.  You are looking at the number dialed, and the number of the phone that originated the call, but not listening to what was said.  You will then use the information of who called who as a basis to get a warrant before you look at the message or listen to the calls.  It's simple to explain that way and everybody would get it.  

The problem of trust in our government is also that the Feds ain't trustworthy, they're scofflaws. The federal government has a very recent history of misusing information for political purposes.  Lois Lerner used the IRS to attack the Tea Party without any cloak of secrecy.   The IRS used an excuse that was equivalent to saying subpoenas caused disk crashes, obstructing justice with impunity.  Lois Lerner retired with full benefits and no indictment. How much worse can the government do if it's cloaked as a secret national security issue.  There's a legitimate fear based just on the behavior we can see.  Ending federal lawbreaking with impunity will build trust. 

Unfortunately, the Clinton email scandal is creating more distrust.  After presenting a very strong case against Hillary Clinton, FBI Director James Comey went on to say no prosecutor would indict Mrs. Clinton.  They certainly indicted General David Petraeus for a lot less.  Stunts, like Clinton breaking the law with impunity, have national security consequences.  By lowering the trust people have in government, they make it harder for the federal government to collect the digital intelligence needed to stop Islamic terrorist attacks.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/defeating-isis-on-the-digital-battlefield-1466635130

Finally, Republican Move Towards Impeaching IRS Commissioner Koskinen

The Republicans in the House are finally moving to impeach John Koskinen, the IRS Commissioner.  Not that I have any influence, but I called for Koskinen’s impeachment in a blog post on July 8, 2014.  Even now, some Republicans are nervous about adverse reaction to impeaching Koskinen.  Personally I don’t see much downside.

People argue that Koskinen was a turnaround specialist for Republicans and Democrats both.  When Koskinen was turning things around for Republicans, did he allow evidence to be destroyed and lie under oath then also? Under the Scooter Libby doctrine, somebody has to have done something we can get them for. Koskinen lied under oath, and it wasn't about sex, so he seems to be fair game. Koskinen is part of the most opaque administration in history. We need to memorialize that in some meaningful way. (Animal House movie reference)  Consider it a symbolic gesture towards telling the truth, our version of blaming guns for Islamic terrorists when there's no real connection. We're just trying to play by liberal rules. We've picked an unattractive defendant, who happens to be guilty, and we're making an example of him. I think the part that's throwing liberals and RINOs off is that Koskinen is actually guilty. Liberals usually just choose somebody belonging to a hated ethnic or religious group, like Evangelical Christians, to persecute. Anyway, Koskinen is an old white guy, so he should check his privilege. Republicans in Congress don't think he has any, unless he's willing to make a deal in exchange for immunity. It's about time Republicans showed bureaucrats that that liberals can't protect people who lie to Congress.

The fact that Democrats will never convict one of their own, no matter how guilty, needs to be publicized. The fact that the IRS targeted groups for political reasons and then covered it up needs to be publicized. People hate the IRS and, by extension, they hate the IRS Commissioner. This is the most unsympathetic defendant possible. Even if it truly is a waste of money, voters would like the IRS to suffer half as much as they do in an audit. Koskinen is an old white guy who should check his privilege. It will cost the Republicans nothing to take this shot at corruption in the IRS.

The Pravda Press has not and will not cover any of the IRS political corruption seriously without an impeachment vote. When they cover the impeachment and try to spin it as a waste of money, the Republican response is that Koskinen lied under oath. It wasn't just about sex. Koskinen allowed evidence to be destroyed. He should have been indicted, but the Justice Department is crooked. When the Pravda Press is also trying to spin the lack of an indictment against an obviously guilty Hillary Clinton, it becomes a pattern. Low information voters suddenly might get it. The Obama Justice Department is the most partisan Justice Department in history! They won't indict any Democrat for any offense. There's no downside to harassing a white IRS Commissioner, but there's a possible big upside. Why not take the chance?

Preemptive surrender is only for the French. It's definitely not for me. Impeachment is not the same kind of coverage as an ordinary hearing. The timing of an impeachment now is great, because it will coincide with the pass on indicting Hillary. Koskinen is the weakest link. He's a physically unattractive, old, white IRS Commissioner. Everybody who has every had a problem with the IRS will want to see him sweat, even if he doesn't get convicted, and yes even if they are liberals. If Republicans don't have the stomach to make a run at Kosinen, then they don't have the stomach to defend the Constitution at all.

We have to be as obnoxious as liberals are. We have to play by the rules liberals use for themselves, not the rules they make for us. The only reason Trump is our presumptive nominee is because he is eager to challenge the Pravda Press, while none of the other candidates except Cruz came even close. You should notice that Cruz came in 2nd. The narrative is never going to favor us. We have to make our own news, or decide to allow America to become a large dictatorship. That's not what I want my 6 grandchildren to have to live with. This is a tipping point. I'm not going to let the a**holes who spit at me for wearing a US Air Force uniform in the Vietnam era win without a fight

Original Article:

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/436689/impeach-john-koskinen-irs-commissioner-deserves-be-impeached

My call for Koskinen’s Impeachment

http://www.conservativeruckus.com/2014/07/impeach-irs-chief-koskinen.html