The list of names of Obama administration officials who submitted unmasking requests for the person who would ultimately be identified as Michael Flynn has been declassified and released, and the optics for the Obama administration are, let’s say, sub-optimal.
So it’s up to media firefighters to try to put out this fire before it gets any worse. Politico digital editorial director Blake Hounshell is up to the challenge:
The list of names who asked to "unmask" Flynn includes former Vice President Joe Biden, raising the immediate question of whether declassification is being used as a political weapon in the 2020 campaign https://t.co/DhI3NIB3WS
— Blake News (@blakehounshell) May 13, 2020
Well, that didn’t take long at all.
Seriously? pic.twitter.com/oi1yVdwV6u
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) May 13, 2020
— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) May 13, 2020
Ah-mazinghttps://t.co/Rl8MRS2xGc
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) May 13, 2020
And yet, so predictable.
No. That's not the story, Blake.
— Jay Zario (@JayZario) May 13, 2020
That's not the immediate question being raised.
— George Smith (@P1B_WMichigan) May 13, 2020
Forget it, he’s rolling.
What an artful tweet. Includes hints of pouncing and weaponizing. Mast work really.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) May 13, 2020
REPUBLICANS POUNCE! https://t.co/0Nocz19SNn
— Gaybibi (@GayPatriotTM) May 13, 2020
Yes. That’s the lesson here. That declassification is being used as a weapon in 2020. That’s the story. Nailed it. Not at all missing the point. https://t.co/5O86gpBIC3
— Luke Thompson (@ltthompso) May 13, 2020
Will Republicans pounce? Stay tuned next week, same pounce time, same pounce channel! https://t.co/YtycKi4WXh
— neontaster (@neontaster) May 13, 2020