Not the quiet car! Ex-NSA chief spills secrets while riding Amtrak?
Oh, the things you hear on Amtrak's Acela service! Screaming kids, complaints about Wi-Fi and — oh yeah — a former director of the National Security Agency and the CIA seemingly spilling secrets to reporters.
We learn this from the Twitter feed of Tom Matzzie, former Washington director of MoveOn.org Political Action, who sat near retired Gen. Michael Hayden. Matzzie's tweets suggest that Hayden took calls from reporters digging into the ongoing NSA spy scandal and asking about President Barack Obama's BlackBerry and CIA secret prisons overseas.
Hayden apparently insisted on being quoted anonymously.
"FAIL," as they say.
Here is Matzzie's story, as tweeted from Amtrak Acela 2170, which left Washington at 3 p.m.:
Former NSA spy boss Michael Hayden on Acela behind me blabbing "on background as a former senior admin official" Sounds defensive.
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
Hayden talking about a famous blackberry now.
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
Hayden was bragging about rendition and black sites a minute ago.
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
Michael Hayden on Acela giving reporters disparaging quotes about admin. "Remember, just refer as former senior admin" #exNSAneedsadayjob
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
On Acela: Michael Hayden was talking to Massimo Calabresi at TIME I am pretty sure. Does he tweet?
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
On Acela: former NSA spy boss Michael Hayden just ended last of handful of interviews bashing admin.
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
On Acela listening to former NSA spy boss Michael Hayden give "off record" interviews. I feel like I'm in the NSA. Except I'm in public.
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
On Acela: phone ringing. I think the jig is up. Maybe somebody is telling him I'm here. Do I hide?
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
New call. I am totally busted I think.
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
I think I'm safe. Just passed Philly. No rendition yet. Do I have the balls to ask him for a photo? #haydenacela
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
There is a faint smell of sulfur on the train. #Haydenacela
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
#HaydenAcela pic.twitter.com/BV7Y3QshqH
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
New call just came in.
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
On Acela: Hayden's comments to press were clearly about NSA spying on foreign allies. #haydenacela
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
Win pic.twitter.com/tsJHqjv1LM
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
For the record, I am not a reporter.
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
I just had a very nice conversation with Michael Hayden. He was a gentleman and we disagree.
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
For those asking, this was not the quiet car. So he wasn't THAT guy.
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
On the pic. His office called him and then he graciously offered me an interview. We talked around the 4th amendment and foreign spying.
— Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2013
