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When I lived in England in the 1970s, I had season tickets to Leeds United Football Club. Our seats were under roof at midfield, but many stood on wide concrete steps called the “Kop” behind the goal to our right. Our seats cost 3 or 4 pounds while admittance to the KOP was a few shillings. The “ruffians” there waved soiled and worn blue and yellow Leeds scarves while chanting “There’s no f***ing scoreboard” because they were standing beneath and behind the only scoreboard. When a call went against Leeds they’d chant: “Whata Load-a-Rubbish.” As I read and listened to the news over the past couple weeks, I was reminded of this chant.

It’s indisputable that Hillary sent (and perhaps received) at least 30,000 “official” emails from her personal account and another 30,000 or thereabouts that she has deemed ‘unofficial.’ We’d surely have been told if the Clinton server was provided encryption by NSA, as would be required for classified information.

That it wasn’t secure means it was insecure: We have no way of knowing who was monitoring it. Whether or not Mrs. Clinton ever sent or received classified information, those with even a rudimentary knowledge of OPSEC will confirm that of the Secretary of State’s location and who she’s communicating with is valuable intelligence.

Repeated briefings during my 43 years at DOD emphasized the importance of OPSEC. If we did use an ‘open’ communication, we assumed we were being monitored. It defies common experience to accept that Mrs. Clinton didn’t recklessly expose sensitive information (unless she never did anything official during her tenure…).

Separately, CIA Director Brennan told Chris Wallace that President Obama, in telling us that Al Qaeda was decimated, never intended the American people to infer that the threat of terrorism was diminished. Along with being told that ISIS is ‘different’ from Al Qaeda and “JV,” we’re told neither is “Islamic.” What a load!

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The difference between Al Qaeda and ISIS is the equivalent of the difference between the Black Panthers and the New Black Panthers: They are perhaps more violent and ruthless but they are the same people with the same objectives and the same tactics. Our President may not have known that ISIS was the ‘transformation’ of radical militant Islam but the DNI plainly told Congress the Intelligence Community was knew it. Perhaps Mr. Obama should have made time to attend his Daily Intelligence Briefings. He may not consider ISIS Islamic, but ISIS does and the Egyptian President told us ISIS is a corrupt cancer growing inside Islam.

There are other loads: Fast and Furious, You can keep your Doctor, Benghazi, Lois Lerner’s e-mail, the VA, Global Whatever-this-week, Solyndra, 123 Technologies, Operation Choke Point, the weaponization of the IRS, DEA, DOL, EPA and others and, worst of all, the ‘deal’ with Iran. Space is limited and those who care about the truth already know and are furious about being treated like mushrooms. Those who don’t care, well, don’t care and that’s why we’re kept in the dark and fed organic fertilizer by political dynasties on both left and right: They don’t expect to be held accountable.

Sadly, the reality is that many who vote neither know nor care about the integrity of candidates or what becomes of their neighbor, our country, our economy, or our culture. Principles seem not to matter. By letting these individuals prevail, we get the government we deserve!

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Another View, a Maine Press Association award-winning column, is written on a rotating basis by a member of a group of Mid-coast citizens that meet to discuss issues they think are of public interest.


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