Make Democracy Great Again: US Senate unanimously condemns Trump claim press is "enemy of the people."

Mod: Despite the daft claims of certain complicit individuals here that the press is powerless and can in no way challenge the almighty power of the Marmalade Nightmare, the United States Senate yesterday sent the White House an unprecedented Letter to the Editor. Quoting NBC: "US Senate passes resolution with unanimous consent by voice vote that 'affirms that the press is not the enemy of the people' and 'reaffirms the vital and indispensable role that the free press serves' and 'condemns the attacks on the institution of the free press.'” Extra, read all about it.

Senate passes unanimous resolution avowing a free press (Axioslink): In a uniform decision Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted to "reaffirm the vital and indispensable role the free press serves."

Why it matters: The resolution comes on the heels of a nationwide push by hundreds of local and national newspapers to publish editorials standing up for the press in response to President Trump's claims the press is an "enemy of the people." The resolution, which was introduced by Hawaii Democrat Brian Schatz, affirms that the press is "not the enemy of the people."

It argues there's a "vital and indispensable role that the free press serves to inform the electorate, uncover the truth, act as a check on the inherent power of the government, further national discourse and debate, and otherwise advance the most basic and cherished democratic norms and freedoms of the United States."

The resolution condemns the attacks on the institution of the free press and views efforts to systematically undermine the credibility of the press as threatening to the democratic institutions of the United States.

The backstory: The newspapers' effort began as a call from The Boston Globe to dozens of other publications last week to have editorial boards across the country craft a coordinated response to President Trump's rhetoric calling the press "fake news" and "an enemy of the people."

Mod: Here's another event that has blown up in Trump's perpetually bawling face.

Top former intelligence bosses speak out in favor of John Brennan (CBS Newslink): Twelve former directors and deputy directors of the Central Intelligence Agency and a former Director of National Intelligence signed a letter of support for former CIA director John Brennan, calling the signal sent by the White House's decision to strip him of his security clearance "inappropriate" and "deeply regrettable."

"We feel compelled to respond in the wake of the ill-considered and unprecedented remarks and actions by the White House," the senior officials wrote. "We know John to be an enormously talented, capable and patriotic individual who devoted his entire adult life to the service of this nation."

The letter's signees include former Directors of Central Intelligence William Webster, George Tenet and Porter Goss; former CIA directors Gen. Michael Hayden, Leon Panetta and Gen. David Petraeus; former director of national intelligence James Clapper; and former deputy CIA directors John McLaughlin, Stephen Kappes, Avril Haines, David Cohen and Michael Morell, who is also a CBS News senior national security contributor.

"[W]e all agree that the president's action," they wrote, "has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances – and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech."

Mod: John Brennan is making very good use of the soapbox handed him by Trump. Trump drawing a connection between his revoking clearance for Brennan (and probably others) when he said "these people led it!" being news in itself.

Brennan: Trump worked with Russians and now he's desperate (APlink): Former CIA Director John Brennan said Thursday that President Donald Trump yanked his security clearance because his campaign colluded with the Russians to sway the 2016 election and is now desperate to end the special counsel's investigation.

In an opinion piece in The New York Times, Brennan cites press reports and Trump's own goading of Russia during the campaign to find Democrat Hillary Clinton's missing emails.

Trump himself drew a direct connection between the revocation of Brennan's clearance and the Russia probe, telling The Wall Street Journal the investigation is a "sham," and "these people led it!"

"So I think it's something that had to be done,"Trump said.

Brennan wrote that Trump's claims of no collusion with Russia are "hogwash" and that the only question remaining is whether the collusion amounts to a "constituted criminally liable conspiracy."

Mod: But wait, there's more.

Omarosa believed to have as many as 200 tapes (The Hilllink): Former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman is reportedly believed to have scores of recordings from her time working for President Trump, leaving other aides concerned.

The New York Times reported on Thursday that the former White House aide could have as many as 200 tapes that may contain information about the president and people close to him. The newspaper reported that a number of Trump administration aides have expressed concern that they too will make an appearance on Manigault Newman’s other tapes, as she continues to release bombshell recordings in promotion of her new tell-all book, “Unhinged.”

The report arrives on the heels of a recording released by Manigault Newman on Thursday morning showing the president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, offering the former aide a job following her dismissal from the White House last year.

In the recording, Lara Trump offered Manigault Newman $15,000 a month to work on the president's campaign shortly after she was fired.

Lara Trump later on Thursday hit back at the former White House aide over the secret recording, saying: "I hope it’s all worth it for you, Omarosa, because some things you just can’t put a price on."

The audio is the fourth separate recording Manigault Newman has released in the past several days. She has also teased the existence of additional tapes, and claims the recordings are necessary to defend her credibility as the White House and Trump continue to attack it.

Trump has in recent days labeled his former aide a "dog,""wacky and deranged" and a "lowlife."

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