Weekly Comments Archive
Archived Issue
Sunday, January 24, 2016
ISSUE #856
A true test for candidates

This campaign for President is giving us quite an education. Not about the candidates, but rather the inner workings of government and politics. For example, if you’re born in another country to American parents you might not be allowed to run for President. And a surprising number of Democrats don’t know the difference between a Democrat and a Socialist.

The biggest surprise is that “Top Secret” is not really the top secret; there’s another whole level above “Top,” and it’s called Special Access Program (SAP).  These SAP messages are so secret that you pretty much have to be the President or Secretary of Defense or Secretary of State to ever lay eyes on one of ‘em.

But that changed in 2009 when Hillary Clinton became Secretary of State. For the next four years those SAP and (previously) Top Secret classified messages were available to hackers in Russia, China, and probably a few Junior High computer whiz students.

Of course, Secretary Clinton says none of her emails were marked as classified or top secret or SAP. I believe her. And that makes the problem even worse for her and the country.

So here’s one more thing we’ve learned during this campaign: there ought to be a standard test for candidates for President, or Cabinet positions. Ask ‘em 100 questions to see how much they know about economics, foreign policy, energy, food production, and most important, top secret classified information. Here are 3 suggested questions:

1. If you as President wanted to discuss a report by a named CIA agent in the Middle East with the Sec of State, would you suggest: a. face to face meeting; b. secure telephone call; c. email message on gmail; or d. posting on Facebook?

2. As President, how would you communicate with the Defense Secretary on including Saudi Arabia leaders in a plan to attack ISIS: (same four choices)?

3.  Someone gives a kitten to you at the White House, how would you ask for suggested names for the new White House cat: (same choices)?

Ok, other than that third question any answer other than a or b is disqualifying. Adios. Goodbye.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

          “The more people study about you, nowadays, the less they think of you.” WA #25, June 3, 1923

“There is two places where what a person says should not be held against ‘em in a court of law. One is at a dinner, and the other is on the witness stand of a Washington investigation.” DT #2405 April 18, 1934

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