Obama poisons Manning jury pool
In a discussion about Bradley Manning after a fund raiser, President Obama tells someone that Manning “broke the law’.
A rough transcript;
People can have philosophical views about…
[Questioner: unintelligible]
No, no, but look, I can’t conduct diplomacy on an open source. That’s not how…the world works. If you’re in the military, and…I have to abide by certain classified information. If I was to release stuff, information that I’m not authorized to release, I’m breaking the law…We’re a nation of laws. We don’t individually make our own decisions about how the laws operate…
He broke the law.
[Questioner: ‘You can make it harder to break the law.’]
Well, what he did was he dumped…
[Questioner: something about President Nixon’s prosecution of Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg]
It wasn’t the same thing. What Ellsberg released wasn’t classified in the same way. So. Anyway. Alright.
Thanks for giving Manning’s lawyers ammunition, pal.
Category: Politics
He’s not a trial lawyer. Thank G-d for small blessings.
The questioner’s attempt to wedge the Pentagon Papers Defense, even after Ellsberg himself thoroughly discredited the notion, is going to be the prevailing dogwhistle to the Me Generation.
Slimer, 100% SLIMER.
Seriously? This is the most lose/lose post I’ve seen in a bit. If he buckles and doesn’t put his foot down on Manning being the piece of shit that he is he’ll get flak. But if he calls Manning out on being a criminal (and traitor) he’s…poisoning a jury pool? For real?
It’s the whole “innocent until proven guilty” thing. As president (and as a supposed Con Law guy), he should know that, and be the example. He should phrase it as “if Manning did what he’s accused of doing”…
It’s not the presumption of guilt that Obama was replying to, it was the notion that Manning deserved to be free due to a preserved status of being a whistle blower. The President made the point that by breaking the laws that he did and endangering national security he doesn’t get a get out of jail free card, regardless of potential motivations.
It’s called “command influence”
Manning’s lawyer just got handed an appeal on a silver fucking platter. Nice, Barruh. I’m not a lawyer but even I know not to say shit like that.
And for the record, Obots–he was an ADJUNCT professor. That’s NOT the same as a regular professor. I leave it to those who have taken and passed the bar to better explain the difference, although one is MUCH less glamorous and exciting than the other.
“So after you give my contract law lecture to the Firsties, I need you to go pick up my dry cleaning…”
Get the picture?
And now we know why his transcripts and records are sealed.
How about: “Manning is accused of serious crimes that allegedly harmed national security. He is, of course, innocent until proven guilty, and he will have his day in court. Other than that, I will withhold comment and let the judicial process take its course.”
Obama was really a constitutional law lecturer at one point? Really?
If I was in one of his classes, I would want a goddamn partial tuition refund.
Yeah, all the “scholar” had to do was throw in an “alleged”, and this doesn’t even make a ripple in the pool of public opinion. But, no, he has to show everyone, yet again, that he’s not really qualified for the job he holds.
This isn’t the first time this admin has passed judgement on a case that hasn’t gone to trial yet, is it?
Why, Ladybug, I do believe you’re right.
Maybe Obama will decide to have a beer summit with Manning, et all….