We're Always in Need of Whistleblowers and Leakers

We just don't always get them when we need them.

[L]ike so many things about the Obama administration, the response to what the Russians did was measured and allegedly proportional. ("I feel like we choked," one official told the  [Washington] Post.)

[...]

Before departing for an August vacation to Martha's Vineyard, Obama instructed aides to pursue ways to deter Moscow and proceed along three main paths: Get a high-confidence assessment from U.S. intelligence agencies on Russia's role and intent; shore up any vulnerabilities in state-run election systems; and seek bipartisan support from congressional leaders for a statement condemning Moscow and urging states to accept federal help.

Ah, yes. "Bipartisan support." The brilliant snow-white unicorn pursued by that administration for nearly eight years. How did that work out? How did it ever work out?

[...]

The American people had damned close to an absolute right to the information their government already had. The most fundamental act of citizenship is the right to cast an informed vote. The idea that the Obama administration withheld the fact that the Russians were ratfcking the election in order to help elect a vulgar talking yam is a terrible condemnation of the whole No Drama Obama philosophy. Would Donald Trump have raised hell if the White House released what it knew? Of course, he would have. But, as it was, the American people went to vote with only about half of the information they needed to assess his candidacy. This was a terrible decision.

  Charles P Pierce

As it turns out, Trump is raising hell anyway. (Read them from the bottom up. I didn't feel like cutting them out one at a time to embed them.)

via GIPHY

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.