Thread: Cruz Reveals Classified Info at GOP Debate?

Did Ted Cruz Reveal Classified Information at the GOP Debate?

by Frank Thorp V

The Senate Intelligence Committee is looking into whether Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) may have revealed classified information when discussing the government's ability to monitor phone records during Tuesday night's Republican debate, Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) told reporters this morning.

"I'm having my staff look at the transcripts of the debate right now," Burr told reporters this morning.

The committee is looking into whether Cruz's comments regarding recent changes in the metadata collection program, which was the subject of a testy exchange between Cruz and Sen Marco Rubio (R-FL), may have been classified.

"The old program covered 20 percent to 30 percent of phone numbers to search for terrorists, the new program covers nearly 100 percent," Cruz said, "That gives us greater ability to stop acts of terrorism, and he knows that that's the case."

Rubio began his response to Cruz by saying, "Let me be very careful when answering this, because I don't think national television in front of 15 million people is the place to discuss classified information."

Rebecca Glover Watkins, who acts as the Communications Director for Chairman Burr, tweeted this just after the exchange:

Cruz shouldn't have said that.
— Becca Glover Watkins (@beccaglover) December 16, 2015

Senator Burr says the Intelligence Committee, of which Rubio is a member but Cruz is not, is looking into whether the numbers Cruz mentioned were classified.

"The question had been raised therefor I asked them to look at it and see if there was any validity to it," Burr told reporters, "Anytime you deal with numbers, and I think it dealt with numbers, the question is: Is that classified or not or is there an open source reference to it. So it's not as clear as just reading what he said. We've got to search all sorts of media outlets to see if anybody had reported the number independently."

Burr clarified that he did not see the exchange itself during last night's debate.

"I didn't watch it. 'The Voice' was on," he said, adding "It was the final episode."

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016...debate-n481076

Senate intel committee leaders say no probe into debate comments

By Ted Barrett and Tom LoBianco, CNN

Updated 7:10 PM ET, Wed December 16, 2015

Washington (CNN)Senate Intelligence Committee leaders said Wednesday they aren't investigating whether Texas Sen. Ted Cruz publicized classified information about government phone tracking during the CNN Republican presidential debate.

"The Committee is not investigating anything said during last night's Republican Presidential debate," Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-North Carolina, and Vice Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said in a statement.

Earlier Wednesday, Burr told reporters his staff was reviewing comments made by Cruz about the USA Freedom Act.

"I'm having my staff look at the transcripts of the debate right now. I didn't watch it," said Burr, a North Carolina Republican. "Any time you deal with numbers -- and I think it dealt with numbers -- the question is, is that classified or not, or is there an open source reference to it? So it's not as clear as just reading what he said. We've got to search all sorts of media outlets to see if anybody had reported that number independently."

As he was battling with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Tuesday night over who was better at helping law enforcement track down terrorists, Cruz defended himself by saying the USA Freedom Act, which he supported, increased the number of phones that can be tracked by the government.

"What (Rubio) knows is that the old program covered 20% to 30% of phone numbers to search for terrorists. The new program covers nearly 100%," Cruz said. "That gives us greater ability to stop acts of terrorism, and he knows that that's the case."

Rubio immediately criticized Cruz for discussing details of the new law.

"Let me be very careful in answering this, because I don't think national television in front of 15 million people is the place to discuss classified information," Rubio began. "Let me just be very clear: There is nothing we are allowed to do under (the new law) that we could not do before. This bill did, however, take away a valuable tool that allowed the National Security Agency and other intelligence agencies to quickly and rapidly access phone records and match them up with other phone records to see who terrorists have been calling."

Rubio added: "Because I can promise you, the next time there is an attack on this country, the first thing people are going to want to know is, why didn't we know about it and why didn't we stop it?"

Jim Risch, a Idaho senator on the Foreign Relations committee who has endorsed Rubio, said he believed those type of numbers were classified.

"The only place I've heard those numbers discussed are in classified settings, so I think Marco was on solid ground," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on The Situation Room.

Shortly after Cruz mentioned the numbers, a Burr spokeswoman also hit Cruz over the comments.

"Cruz shouldn't have said that," Burr spokeswoman Becca Glover Watkins tweeted during the debate Tuesday night.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/16/politi...f=rss_politics

In last's debate, Cruz made at least 2 crucial errors. He lied to the American People about his absolute undeniable support for legalizing illegal aliens in 2013 and he released classified information related to the New Freedom Act that he supported.

We need a President who truly wants to stop illegal immigration, because they know we must, not to win an election, who will take the heat on mass deportations which is their job as President under current law, who knows how to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it, who wants to decrease immigration in all its forms, and wants a "pause" on all immigration until such time as Americans are all back to work at reflated wages, and who like Trump says we shouldn't talk a lot about certain things that involve our national security.

So far there's only one who fits that bill, and that is the current front-runner of the Republican Party nomination for President, Donald J Trump.

Take for example, not only Cruz discussing classified information on television during a debate, but Chris Christie telling Russia we'll shoot down one of their planes in some imaginary no-fly zone, John Kasich telling Russia we need to punch them in the nose, and Fiorina saying she wouldn't talk to Putin.

Please Republicans, kick these candidates to the curb so we can move our party forward, unite and start working to help Donald Trump win the General Election. We don't need liars about immigration or candidates who don't know how to keep classified information classified, or who want to ignore, harm or attack Russia.