This time, it really is like Watergate — and Trump is making the same mistakes

I was fascinated by Watergate. I was on active duty at the time, and taking a course at the local college on U.S. Government. The instructor was pumped.....he said we would be witnesses in real time of a historical event that would test whether or not our system of government actually works. It did. Hopefully, it will work again in very similar circumstances.

MSgt Steve Sweeney - Yes, there was a fringe group who hated President Obama vehemently. I pleaded with them to take their banners and bigotry and go home whenever I encountered them. Their idiotic proclivity for making up nonsense to denigrate him only served to marginalize the very real issues that the rest of us had. However, never, never was their a concerted effort in the entertainment and news media to attack him. Indeed, they worked tirelessly to cover up every faux pas and misstep, every lie and bungle. Never, never did any group larger than a handful don "pussy hats" and march against him. Never, never did anyone attack his children, and his wife was only criticized when she entered the political arena to vilify America. Never, never did the bureaucratic establishment in Washington rise up to attack President Obama, or hide secrets that might embarrass him, or reveal others to embarrass him, the way it is done regularly in the case of President Trump. Meanwhile, as prosecutors conduct witch hunts to bring down any member of the Trump Administration who may have committed any crime, the many crimes of the Obama Administration are still being given a pass to this day. And show me one case, just one case where a member of the Obama Administration or their families were persecuted in public places by mobs. Finally, show me the fascists who plagued President Obama the way they do with President Trump and his supporters. I never heard of anyone being molested because they wore a hat or shirt or campaign button for President Obama. Now we see those wearing MAGA hats and shirts being physically assaulted while other citizens cower lest they be drawn into a melee.

One thing that was Nixon had saving grace's that mitigated his damage, one was that he really cared about the nation enough to serve it at great risk in his misguided way he loved it and wanted to seven it nit just his own ego. Cadet Bonespurs has none of those saving graces and no honor that would limit his actions.

His new habit of speaking about people doing the right thing like a gangbanger boss, is a great indication of that. People forget Dean did the right thing for the nation, he did not become a Rat. Only criminal wouldn't think he did. I guess the buffoons delusions include him being a mafia Don not just a king

SPC Kevin Ford - That was part of their vetting, they could not tell if the criticism was legit so they gave him the benefit of the doubt. In the end they caught the guy before any damage was done.........so not a huge issue.

SPC Erich Guenther - That's amazing. We should handle all our access to classified material like that. Great plan.

No damage done, how exactly do we know that?

As far as I know they do unless a judgement is made your a threat you get the clearance. Also it's not like being handed the keys to an old Chevy. Everything the guy looks at will be tracked via paper or electronic trail.......at least it is that way where I work. If you send an Email to a downgraded classification system the Email system refuses to send the Email and explains your lowering the classification and that you can't do the send. You can upgrade the classification you still get the warning your upgrading but it will let you upgrade a classification. It will not allow you to send Email to Text that is classified or to an External box. All that stuff is protected and monitored. Only reason Hillary blew it was because she setup an external server and somehow circumvented the system and the only way she knew how to circumvent the system is others before or around her coached her how to do it. That might work at the State Department but I have my doubts it does at NSA or other more secure areas.

SPC Kevin Ford - Nah, we should handle all our classified material with email servers in our bathrooms/basements. Then give POTUS a pseudonym so we can email him without anyone knowing it is POTUS we are talking to..

Well said. I sat on a jury and was amazed at the bias (the defendant was a woman of color and a different nationality).

It was nice they treated the hold out juror respectfully. Not sure what religion has to do with this but IRS charges are an open and shut case based on how you have to affirm the forms are correct prior to submission. So the first 8 counts were a no-brainer in my opinion.

SPC Erich Guenther - A great percentage of Republicans identify themselves as religious people, people of God. My response had to do with the personal question those religious people should be asking of themselves right now. Do I put my ego ahead of my religious believes by continuing to support a criminal like Donald Trump and all others standing on the sidelines (all other republicans not speaking out), or do I follow God?

Of course, the decision is personal. However, don’t use religion as your personal values (referring to those religious people that put themselves above others) next time you stand against human rights, abortion, gay marriage, etc. It is nothing less than hypocritical when religious people flex the religious laws in order to save their egos, like continuing to support Trump because of political affiliation instead of ethical personal believes.

Political loyalist and religious extremist are some of the most hateful people you will ever encounter, all political parties and religious organizations included.

Sgt Jesus Rodriguez - OK, well I can't respond to all the issues you raised in under 6 pages. So I will end with I agree with some of that but disagree with other parts. "support a criminal like Donald Trump" Calling Trump a criminal at this point is premature. Though I will say some past Popes have done far worse than Donald Trump has..........to include the extramarital affairs and payoffs. It's part of the history of the Church but often is not discussed publicly.