BREAKING: Trump Pulls Out Of North Korea Summit

Reaganite - You've definitely sold me. The DEEP STATE IS REAL! Your unspecified and vague anecdotes from shadowy people who are definitely not figments of your imagination was exactly what I needed to hear to be convinced. How did you know? OMG ARE YOU PART OF THE DEEP STATE?! It's the only way you could know I'd be so easily swayed by your nonsense and complete avoidance of countering my questions regarding how you leverage someone who is clean and to what end is the deep state doing all this leveraging. BRAVO!

streiff_is_a_moron said: @reganite - let's pretend your "deep state" exists - it can't operate without gathering "dirt" on elected officials. Yes? This means, without being dirty, they can't leverage you. If you were clean, the only leverage they would have over anyone treads into "nice family you got here" territory and there's no way any official with a clean closet would keep that on the hush. So I guess this means you're ok with dirty officials? As long as they aren't being leveraged (which is impossible to guarantee when you're dirty and have something to hide)? What exactly has the "deep state" gotten for all this supposed leverage on all these supposed dirty elected officials? Your theory makes zero sense unless you're trying to delude yourself into thinking that not only is Trump innocent, he's the most innocent President in the history of Presidents....instead of the bigly liar, scumbag that he is. He could tell you the sun is blue and you'd go along with it.

The survival of what's left of the republic is what I care about. People are routinely blackmailed for affairs and other vices. That is why the CIA once polygraphed their employees constantly (including my roommate) and was always watchful for any dirty laundry that the Soviets could exploit. I've known more politicians than I care to remember, and it is rare to find any of them who are squeaky clean. That's how J. Edgar Hoover (who I worked for and met) stayed in power so long...all those files he kept on politicians. When LBJ was asked why he didn't fire Hooover, Johnson said, "It's better to have Edgar inside the tent (urinating) out, than outside (urinating) in." Don't make everything about Trump.

gunner305 said: @Reaganite, when Pompeo says there is no “Deep State”, should we not believe him? FYI, this question is intended to discern delusional state of mind.

Short answer...no. I've known many people in Washington who say one thing publicly, but when you are alone with them, out of earshot and away from electronic surveillance, they tell a different story. If he said that for the benefit of the morale of the department he now leads, I understand that, too. The term "Deep State" is not confined to the State Department. It spans many agencies, particularly intelligence agencies. The ruling oligarchy has deep roots in the institutions of government and adherents in both political parties. Also, he was testifying before Congress when he said that. He qualified it by saying there were always bad actors in every agency, and that the people at the CIA were "almost uniformly" working for the good of America. Some parsing and wiggle room there, but no CIA Chief or Secretary of State will ever admit to the public the vulnerabilities of the agencies of our government. That just does not happen in public. As he said, “There are always exceptions to every rule. I’ve never led an organization that didn’t have bad actors,” he said. “I don’t think any government organization is exempt from having malfeasance as well.” Call it big egos, bad actors, rogue players, and entrenched ideologues if that brings you comfort. :)

@AmericanPatriot I guess you were cheering when Obama got ELEVEN people released from North Korea? He didn't pay for them. Maybe you should learn their names.

Euna Lee Laura Ling Robert Park Aijalon Gomes Eddie Yong Su Jun Merrill Newman Jeffrey Fowle Kenneth Bae Matthew Miller Sandra Suh Arturo Pierre Martinez

Of course, he didn't turn them into a side show opportunity to congratulate himself, like Trump did, so I forgive your utter and complete ignorance of history.

@reganite - let's pretend your "deep state" exists - it can't operate without gathering "dirt" on elected officials. Yes? This means, without being dirty, they can't leverage you. If you were clean, the only leverage they would have over anyone treads into "nice family you got here" territory and there's no way any official with a clean closet would keep that on the hush. So I guess this means you're ok with dirty officials? As long as they aren't being leveraged (which is impossible to guarantee when you're dirty and have something to hide)?

What exactly has the "deep state" gotten for all this supposed leverage on all these supposed dirty elected officials? Your theory makes zero sense unless you're trying to delude yourself into thinking that not only is Trump innocent, he's the most innocent President in the history of Presidents....instead of the bigly liar, scumbag that he is. He could tell you the sun is blue and you'd go along with it.