Can Mitt even GET a security clearance?

[Playinghardball]

Somewhat lost in the noise during Mitt's foreign policy meltdown this week is the news that he isn't yet getting the traditional presidential candidate's intelligence briefings. I've read a couple of explanations for this.

First, it was reported that Mitt's campaign hadn't asked for them.

Now it seems that the government requires a security clearance for the candidate in order to get the briefings.

Hmmmmmmm. Follow me over the jump for a few thoughts.

I've held high security clearances, as has my wife, so I know a little about the process, which gets more thorough and intrusive as the level of clearance increases.

They are looking for many things in addition to the obvious ones like financial problems, criminal convictions, etc. They want to see a life without mysterious interruptions (3 months in a Russian spy indoctrination camp?) or unexplained financial circumstances (large bank deposits? foreign bank accounts?). They can peer into EVERY nook and cranny of your life.... no, you can't say 'I'll just give you 1 or 2 years of tax returns'... they don't ask, they take...........

Waitaminit! Foreign bank accounts?

Yeah, if I got a job and was put in for a high security clearance, and the investigation revealed that I had a bank account in Switzerland or the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda, that would be the end of that. EVEN if I told them about it up front. They wouldn't bother to ask why, they wouldn't negotiate, they wouldn't argue with my team of lawyers and accountants. They wouldn't care that I'm already filthy rich.

Bottom line, next to a dalliance with a known Russian or Chinese spy, having a place to park untraceable money has to be the biggest red flag possible.

So it wouldn't suprise me in the least if there is a file sitting on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's desk right now with a big red DENIED stamp on it, and she's going to have to head over to the White House to figure out what to do about it.

Because if the investigators followed the rules that apply to you and I, there is NO WAY Mitt Romney legitimately gets cleared for the level of intelligence that's in the President's daily briefing.

I have no doubt that he will get that clearance, but wouldn't it be rich if word seeped out that he needed a waiver from the President?

Or that they have to scrub his briefings down to a lower security level?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/14/1131740/-Can-Mitt-even-GET-a-security-clearance

[1StrongBlackMan]

1. Merely having a swiss or cayman island account ...

is enough to be denied security clearance? Wow ... I guess that extinguishes my presidential aspirations ... well ... That and that weekend in New Orleans back in '82!

[avebury]

2. I wonder what would happen if Romney managed

to steal the election regarding obtaining security clearance. Would he get it automatically as President or could it be withheld if he didn't pass the investigation.

[jody]

3. Security and also govt jobs require copies of his college transcripts.

Browse https://www.usajobs.gov/ and see if you meet current job requirements.

[nc4bo]

4. Word has it that he was supposed to get his first briefing today, right?

I'm not sure anymore - so much Romney BS to keep it straight.

But yea - how interesting of a development would that make?

[Tx4obama]

8. No, not today.

This link says next week: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-receive-intelligence-briefings-233147531--abc-news-politics.html


And this link from 16 hours ago says:

GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, will begin receiving regular intelligence briefings from national security officials in President Obama’s administration as soon as they are finished with the required security clearance process, The Washington Post reported.

http://news.yahoo.com/romney-ryan-begin-receiving-intelligence-briefings-063728886--politics.html


And this link from today says next week: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/09/14/romney-ryan-security-briefings/70000323/1?csp=34#.UFO6Aa4mI1I

[Cha]

11. Thanks Tx! That's Optimistic..

"as soon as they are finished with the required securit clearance process".

I hope part of that SC is mitt's tax returns and his mouth.

[ProSense]

13. I still say these reports are nonsense

Romney-Ryan campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul confirmed the detail to The Washington Post. It is a tradition for the major-party presidential candidates to receive these briefings once their nominating conventions are complete.

...put out by the Romney administration.

On November 6, Obama received his first classified intelligence briefing from Director of National Intelligence John Michael McConnell and Central Intelligence Agency Director Michael Hayden.[13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_transition_of_Barack_Obama

Why on earth would a person who likely could lose the election be given classified information?

Did Palin receive classified briefings?

[Tx4obama]

16. There are different classification/levels of the briefings

Here's an excerpt from September 2, 2008

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. Barack Obama Tuesday received his first high level briefing as a candidate from the office of the Director of National Intelligence, according to officials at the campaign and at the DNI's office.

-snip-

Obama was given the briefing at the FBI field office in Chicago. A team of intelligence experts from the DNI office traveled to Chicago to brief the democratic candidate on national security and intelligence issues, according to sources.

The briefing was more extensive than what he would normally get as a senator on the Foreign Relations Committee, but not as detailed as the daily briefing given to the president.

President Bush has followed the practice of previous presidents in deciding that intelligence briefings will be made available to the presidential and vice presidential candidates of both major parties, CNN has learned.

Sen. Joe Biden, Obama's running mate, has not yet received a briefing. The Republican ticket, Sen. McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, will be able to be briefed once they are officially nominated later this week.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1002&pid=1346050

Then in November2, 2008 'after' Obama won the election...

(Reuters) - Barack Obama will get his first intelligence briefing as president-elect on Thursday, a U.S. official said, as the first-term senator prepared to face security challenges from terrorism to a resurgent Russia.

The official, who is familiar with the process, said on Wednesday that Obama would receive the same briefing as outgoing President George W. Bush.

The briefing is more detailed and comprehensive than those given candidate Obama and the Republican opponent he defeated on Tuesday, Sen. John McCain.

-snip-
http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/11/05/us-usa-election-security-idUSTRE4A49P120081105

[nc4bo]

18. Thanks! nt

[madinmaryland]

19. John Bolton was give Mitt Romney his daily briefing, and said that

three brazilians died yesterday....

[pnwmom]

5. This is exactly what I was wondering, since I know people who've had to get them.

And he needs a security clearance at the highest level. If he were an ordinary citizen, it's hard to imagine how he'd qualify.

[Aerows]

6. Given his recklessness with Foreign Policy

I hope whatever briefings he gets are heavily redacted. He's a loose cannon.

[KamaAina]

7. So Mitt Romney is reading his daily foreign policy briefing...

and it says "three Brazilian sioldiers were killed in Afghanistan today."

"That's horrible!", he says to Paul Ryan. "How many is a brazillion?"

[cali]

9. yes, of course. that's just silly

and the latest news is that he will be getting them imminently

[Cha]

10. I would think the Gov would need

a Security Clearance to brief Anyone. And, part of that SC would be to see their Tax Returns. Ol mitt could be up to Anything.. Just sayin'

[part man all 86]

12. According to give them hell Harry Reid, Rmoney can not get clearance for dog catcher.

[longship]

14. Yes, these are daunting investigations.

Mine was for working on military aircraft at an engineering level. They (undoubtedly FBI) interviewed neighbors from my youth. It was so completely thorough that when I later found out the people they interviewed I was a bit shocked. My clearance was from DOD.

These guys are thorough (and thoroughly paranoid).

[GP6971]

15. I agree

I just received my SC and it was very, very thorough. My secret clearance was done in 45 days.....their goal is 30 days.. Imagine how long a TS, compartmentalized clearance would take??

[NightWatcher]

17. I used to conduct these and some people are just "cleared"

It usually happens during transition times between Prez Admins. During GWB's a lot of people got clearances that they were in no way eligible for had they been a slug like you or me. GWB's team got clearances under Code Name: Yankee White and it was a joke. The good news was I cleared a lot of cases that month.

Since USOPM privatization, I'm afraid a clearance isnt what it used to be.

[moondust]

20. Doubt they would deny a clearance to a Presidential candidate

from one of the two major parties unless there was a felony or something on their record. I don't know how that works but assume elected politicians get special treatment. It'd be screwing voters if their elected representatives were prevented from doing their jobs due to lack of a clearance, no?

On the other hand, wouldn't foreign bank accounts pose a possible foreign extortion/coercion risk?