I am struck by the disingenuous, and ironic, nature of a Presidential Memo to all of the heads of Executive Branch Departments and Agencies. On one hand, here is the President of the United States admitting that there is a clear and present danger to the United States from insiders in his administration and on the other hand, here is the President of the United States appointing communists, socialists and personnel with ties to radical political agendas – including terrorist activities – to sensitive government positions.

Presidential Memorandum -- National Insider Threat Policy and Minimum Standards for Executive Branch Insider Threat Programs

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: National Insider Threat Policy and Minimum Standards for Executive Branch Insider Threat Programs

This Presidential Memorandum transmits the National Insider Threat Policy and Minimum Standards for Executive Branch Insider Threat Programs (Minimum Standards) to provide direction and guidance to promote the development of effective insider threat programs within departments and agencies to deter, detect, and mitigate actions by employees who may represent a threat to national security. These threats encompass potential espionage, violent acts against the Government or the Nation, and unauthorized disclosure of classified information, including the vast amounts of classified data available on interconnected United States Government computer networks and systems.

The Minimum Standards provide departments and agencies with the minimum elements necessary to establish effective insider threat programs. These elements include the capability to gather, integrate, and centrally analyze and respond to key threat-related information; monitor employee use of classified networks; provide the workforce with insider threat awareness training; and protect the civil liberties and privacy of all personnel.

The resulting insider threat capabilities will strengthen the protection of classified information across the executive branch and reinforce our defenses against both adversaries and insiders who misuse their access and endanger our national security.

BARACK OBAMA

Source: Presidential Memorandum -- National Insider Threat Policy and Minimum Standards for Executive Branch Insider Threat Programs | The White House

What Obama really means …

I am convinced that President Obama is worried lest government insiders become whistleblowers and provide Inspectors General, Congress or, heaven forbid, key media outlets with proof of illegal or unconstitutional criminal or partisan activities occurring within the White House and/or its departments or Agencies.

For example, releasing key Fast and Furious scandal documents that the Obama Administration has denied Congress, including the allegedly improper use of “executive privilege” with respect to documents relating to what Obama buddy, Attorney General Eric Holder, may have known about gun-running to Mexican Drug Cartels that resulted in the deaths of American citizens – and an unknown number of Mexican nationals. And whether or not a cover-up took place that included the President of the United States or his immediate advisory staff.

Or, releasing key documents on the Benghazi scandal that would clarify the true nature of the 9/11 attack and the responsibility for lying directly to the American Public. Perhaps to cover-up an illegal gun-running scheme to al Qaeda terrorists – enemies of the United States – for the purposes of destabilizing Syria.

I am also convinced that this memo is the broad rationale for an increased witch hunt against whistleblowers who might do their constitutionally sworn duty and inform the appropriate Congressional oversight committees of significant wrongdoing in the White House and its Departments and Agencies.

Bottom line …

It is an open secret that the government over-classifies documents to prevent the disclosure of internal criminal wrongdoing and/or politically embarrassing events – thus delaying their exposure until such time as the events themselves cannot affect public policies, political outcomes or the criminal prosecution of the perpetrators due to an expiration of the statute of limitations. Perhaps what is needed in this case, is to modify the statute of limitations to begin upon the disclosure of the previously classified information and to make it a felony to classify information relating to criminal activities or interference with domestic elections.

You will notice in the above notice that I highlighted a single word, “centrally,” which I believe is the key to understanding this document. There is little or no doubt in my mind that the Obama Administration has gone far beyond the Bush (43) Administration in centralizing Executive Branch power in the White House – particularly with the intent to form a shadow government with unelected, unvetted, unconfirmed czars who appear to have cabinet-level powers in various administration areas. And that “centrally” can mean the establishment of a White House “Plumbers Unit” to prevent leaks much as the unit contemplated under disgraced former President Nixon. Such an effort might be controlled by someone like presidential advisor Valerie Jarrett to exert further control over the facilities and personnel of the civilian intelligence – and possibly military – agencies. Thus surveillance capability may be misused for political purposes against the citizens of the United States and the efforts may not be reviewable or accountable to any other Branch of government such as the Judiciary or Congress.

One wonders if a disagreement about the presidential policy agenda, foreign or domestic, can rise to the level of a treasonous subversion of the government to be investigated and prosecuted by an Executive Branch kangaroo court.

I personally believe that this memorandum is the beginning of an effort to protect the President and his fellow travelers from investigation and prosecution for criminal or unconstitutional actions – something that might be discovered sooner rather than later if a conscientious employee uphold their sworn duty to preserve, defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States.

Under this theory, perhaps Private Bradley Manning is less of a traitor and more of a whistleblower in the manner of Daniel Ellsberg (Pentagon Papers), Mark Phelps (Deep Throat) and others who have, for their own reasons and benefit, exposed government malfeasance and wrongdoing to the American public?

-- steve