The Nunes document is apparently only 4 pages long, so what did he alter, or was it a further security breach of classified materials. So the modified memo must be reconsidered, and the release should not occur until February 5. The GOP’s committee chair apparently thinks making stuff up as they go along is OK.
And the speculation is that the WH may release it regardless, which explains the tweet silence so far from Agent Orange. It could be timed to distract from the latest on reports that Hope Hicks figures in a previously unreported conversation implying the suppression of information that could advance the case for obstruction.
and in other obstruction news….
It may be that the best exemplar for ‘fake news’ might be the Nunes Memo.
Here’s how the launch plan has marched forth:
- Nunes writes memo.
- But it’s based on classified info and “can’t be released.” Everybody loves secrets, so that gives the memo an extra cachet.
- Nunes makes it available for reading, but only to members of Congress and only in a secure location. Ooh!
- Lots of Republicans read it, so it generates lots of chatter—and a few carefully calibrated leaks so the press will write about it. The Washington press corps absolutely can’t resist a leak.
- Needless to say, Fox News is giving the memo 24/7 coverage throughout the entire marketing rollout.
- Trump starts tweeting about how the memo will blow the Russia investigation out of the water.
- Nunes threatens to release the memo regardless of whether it’s officially declassified. This naturally provokes a partisan fight, and just as naturally that has to be covered. It’s news!
- Adam Schiff is provoked into writing a dissenting memo.
- Republicans vote to release the Nunes memo regardless of its sources.¹ This is the first time any intelligence committee has done this, so naturally it’s news.
- The vote leaves the final decision on release up to President Trump. He has five days to decide, which means five more days of news.
- Then we get the usual Trump show. Will he release it? Or won’t he? Has he tweeted about it? What did he tell that congressman, anyway? All the world wants to know.
- The FBI chimes in. The memo is shoddy and wrong. News!