Top News Today –
CIA Believes Russia
Hacked U.S. Election
Did Russia hack the 2016 U.S. presidential election? A new CIA report says YES, prompting one former CIA operative to call for a do-over election!
Top News Today
Donald Trump’s surprise November 8th victory may not have been at the hands of a secret society of disgruntled Americans after all. According to The Washington Post, the CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that not only did Russia wish to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system, but they actively intervened in the 2016 election in order to help Donald Trump win the presidency.
Intelligence agencies say they are aware of individuals with connections to the Russian government who provided WikiLeaks with thousands of hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and others, as part of a wider Russian operation to hurt Hillary Clinton and boost Donald Trump.
“It is the assessment of the intelligence community that Russia’s goal here was to favor one candidate over the other, to help Trump get elected,” said a senior U.S. official briefed on a recent intelligence presentation made to U.S. senators. “That’s the consensus view.”
The thought that a foreign government may have interfered in the democratic process of a U.S. election and successfully affected the outcome is a colossal charge with cataclysmic consequences. The theory is so severe, that former CIA Operative Robert Baer says he believes there is no alternative than for the U.S. to vote all over again.
“The Russians, it looks like to me did interfere in our election,” Baer said in a recent interview on CNN. “But, I’ll tell you, having worked in the CIA, if we had been caught interfering in European elections, or Asian elections, or anywhere in the world, those countries would call for new elections — and any democracy would. I don’t see it any other way.”
“They had a good reason to go after Hillary Clinton. Putin hates her,” he added.
Donald Trump has long been considered a push-over and easy target by the Russian government. His naming over the weekend of Exxon Mobile CEO Rex Tillerson (a close friend of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin) as Secretary of State, despite Tillerson’s complete lack of foreign policy or government experience, has only exacerbated charges of Russia’s desire to control the U.S. Government.
“Bob, if I’m hearing you correctly, are you saying we should have another election? How would that work? Is that plausible?” CNN’s Boris Sanchez questioned.
“When a foreign country interferes in your election and the outcome is in doubt and the legitimacy of the government… I don’t see any other way than to vote again!” Baer replied.
Top News Today
The belief that the Russians hacked the U.S. election and that Donald Trump may NOT be the legitimate winner is starting to gain steam.
Over the weekend, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina issued a joint statement along with Sens. John McCain, Chuck Schumer, and John Reed, saying “recent reports of Russian interference in our election should alarm every American.”
“While protecting classified material, we have an obligation to inform the public about recent cyber attacks that have cut to the heart of our free society. Democrats and Republicans must work together, and across the jurisdictional lines of the Congress, to examine these recent incidents thoroughly and devise comprehensive solutions to deter and defend against further cyber-attacks,” the statement read.
On Friday, President Obama ordered a “full review” of Russian hacking throughout the election campaign, so as to assure a greater public understanding of exactly what Moscow may have done to influence the electoral process.
“We may have crossed into a new threshold, and it is incumbent upon us to take stock of that, to review, to conduct some after-action, to understand what has happened and to impart some lessons learned,” Mr. Obama’s counterterrorism and homeland security adviser, Lisa Monaco, said. She added that the president wants the report before he leaves office on January 20th. The review will be led by James Clapper, the outgoing director of national intelligence.
Naturally, Donald Trump has come out against any investigation into Russia’s involvement, calling the claims “ridiculous.” He also slammed the CIA over their suggestion that his win may not be legitimate.
Is it possible that Russia may have actually meddled in a U.S. presidential election? Is it possible that their interference may have completely affected the outcome for their own political gain? If so, should the U.S. government call for the unprecedented move of a do-over election to assure a fair and legitimate democratic process?
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TAKE OUR POLL:
DJ:
Is it possible that Russia may have actually meddled in a U.S. presidential election? Is it possible that their interference may have completely affected the outcome for their own political gain? […]
Yes and Yes. Frankly, I don't think there's any question about either.
Nor is there any doubt in my mind that Julian Assange (Wikileaks founder) was more than happy to be a tool for Putin in this regard. Assange despises the Clintons – Hillary in particular..
Assange's decision to unload at least "20 individual releases of hacked John Podesta emails over a 3 week period" in the closing month of the campaign was significant because…let's be honest….those emails were quite damaging to the Clintons, to the Clinton Foundation and to the cronies who are long-time loyalists to the Clintons, including Podesta himself.
DJ:
If so, should the U.S. government call for the unprecedented move of a do-over election to assure a fair and legitimate democratic process? […]
No. Not in my opinion.
Releasing damaging emails about one candidate in order to try and sway public opinion against that candidate (in favor of another candidate) is very different than actually having "rigged" an election. As far as I know there is no evidence that our presidential election was "rigged" in any way.
Trump did NOT win the popular vote. It wasn't even close. But he did win the Electoral College count.
Hillary lost the EC count. If we have a problem with the EC then we need to address That.
…on a related note…..
October 28, 2016………….
{Assange} rejected the idea that Wikileaks was interfering in any way with the US presidential election claiming "this is not the interference of electoral process, this is the definition of electoral process – for media organizations and, in fact, everyone to publish the truth and their opinion about what is occurring. It cannot be a free and informed election unless people are free to inform.” It will, of course, be spun as interference if Hillary were to lose as the tables would then be turned, and instead of Trump slamming the "rigged" elections, it will be Hillary who will demand a pound of flesh, perhaps literally. [….] Tyler Durden, ZeroHedge writer
Releasing hacked emails which proved to be quite damaging is not at all the same as releasing false information, or misinformation or out and out lies.
The truth is…..the contents of those emails ARE what they ARE.
And the Clintons and their cronies must live with that Truth.
BREAKING: "McConnell Says No To John McCain’s Demand For A Select Committee On Russian Hacking"
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday said recent findings by the CIA that the Russian government tied to influence the U.S. presidential election should be investigated by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Calling the allegations of Russian meddling “disturbing,” McConnell said the intelligence panel should take the lead, dismissing calls by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and others for a special select committee to review the matter.
He said the Intelligence Committee is “more than capable of conducting a complete review of this matter.”
“We’re going to follow the regular order. It’s an important subject and we intend to review it on a bipartisan basis,” he said.
McConnell noted that he sits on the panel as an ex officio member and that incoming Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) will soon join it in the same capacity.
He also said that McCain will be conducting his own review of cybersecurity threats facing the nation as chairman of the Armed Services Committee. […]
H/T: RedState
From CNN:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell broke with President-elect Donald Trump over Russia on Monday, saying he supports a congressional investigation into findings that Russian hackers attempted to influence the election.
McConnell praised the American intelligence community, saying he has "the highest confidence in the intelligence community, and especially the Central Intelligence Agency" — which Trump had recently lambasted over its findings.
McConnell's comments were an implicit rebuke of Trump, who has questioned whether Russia actually interfered with the election, including with hacks of Democratic operatives.
A bipartisan group of senators — McCain, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, and Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island — had on Sunday called for an investigation into the intelligence community's finding that Russia attempted to influence the election.
Reid: FBI director's letter cost Democrats the election, Senate
The President-elect on Sunday morning blasted the intelligence community anew, calling its assessment that Russia interfered in the election "ridiculous."
"I think it's just another excuse. I don't believe it," Trump said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday."
McConnell was also much more skeptical of Russia than Trump.
"Let me just speak for myself: The Russians are not our friends," McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, told reporters at a Monday morning news conference.
"I think we ought to approach all of these issues on the assumption the Russians do not wish us well," he said.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, took the same position as McConnell.
"Any foreign intervention in our elections is entirely unacceptable," Ryan said in a statement. "And any intervention by Russia is especially problematic because, under President Putin, Russia has been an aggressor that consistently undermines American interests."
Two days earlier Trump sided with Russia over the CIA and attacked the US intelligence assessment of Russia's role.
"These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction," Trump's transition team said in a terse, unsigned statement targeting the CIA on Friday.
Gap on Russia hacking conclusions between intelligence, FBI
Though he supported calls for an investigation into Russian hacking, McConnell poured cold water on the idea — which McCain had proposed — of a select committee to investigate Russian hacking.
Ryan, too, said the House Intelligence Committee, which has investigated cyber-hacking, would handle the matter — rejecting Democrats' calls for a bipartisan joint committee.
Truth I have to respectably disagree with you. It sounds like the Russians did more than leak some emails. That is what the senators got briefed on by the CIA. So if the Russians did actually effect the election there should be a new vote. I don't know how that would work or how much fighting and lawsuits would try to stop it. But fair is far. I don't know all the information behind it but it sounds serious.
It sounds like the Russians did more than leak some emails. That is what the senators got briefed on by the CIA.. […]
BD, my friend, if indeed the CIA has uncovered concrete evidence that confirms this is about more than leaked emails, then by all means the CIA should be allowed to present the evidence to the American people and let the chips fall where they may.
If you don't know then don't offer your damn opinion.
Fromm CNN
The White House strongly suggested Monday that Donald Trump was the beneficiary of Russian meddling in the US election, pointing to Trump's own ties to Russia as evidence of Moscow's intentions.
"You didn't need a security clearance to figure out who benefited from malicious Russian cyberactivity," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest during a briefing with reporters Monday. "The President-elect didn't call it into question, he called on Russia to hack his opponent. He called on Russia to hack Secretary Clinton. So he certainly had a pretty good sense of whose side this cyberactivity was coming down on."
McConnell, senators unite behind investigation into hacking
"The last several week so the election were focused on a discussion of emails that had been hacked and leaked by the Russians. These were emails from the (Democratic National Committee) and John Podesta, not from the (Republican National Committee) and Stephen Bannon," Earnest said, naming the campaign chairmen of the Trump and Hillary Clinton campaigns.
Earnest said his assessment was bolstered by perceived tied between Russia and Trump, which he said would lead to a conclusion that Russia was motivated to help him win the election.
"It was the President-elect who over the course of the campaign indicated that he thought that President Putin was a strong leader," Earnest went on, listing other examples of areas Trump and his campaign appeared closely linked to Russian interests. "The President-elect's team, his campaign, did not make any effort to obscure this."
The statement came amid a dispute between Trump and the US intelligence community over Russia's influence in last month's vote. Trump, in tweets and during a television appearance, called into question an intelligence assessment released in October alleging Russian was attempting to influence the election.
Earnest brushed off Trump's assertion Monday.
"The President-elect has said one thing on Twitter. The 17 intelligence agencies have come forward with unanimous assessment about Russia's malicious cyberactivity. I'll let you and the American people judge who's in a better position to defend their argument," he said.
He said members of Congress should "spare us the hand-wringing" and move forward with investigating Russian ties to the election.
"Electors demand intelligence briefing before Electoral College vote"
The request represents the latest effort by Democratic electors to look to the Electoral College as a possible bulwark against a Trump presidency.
Excerpts:
In its first show of public support for efforts questioning the legitimacy of Donald Trump's victory, Hillary Clinton’s campaign said it is supporting a request by members of the Electoral College for an intelligence briefing on foreign intervention in the presidential election.
“The bipartisan electors' letter raises very grave issues involving our national security,” Podesta said in a statement Monday. “Electors have a solemn responsibility under the Constitution and we support their efforts to have their questions addressed.”
“Each day that month, our campaign decried the interference of Russia in our campaign and its evident goal of hurting our campaign to aid Donald Trump,” he said. “Despite our protestations, this matter did not receive the attention it deserved by the media in the campaign. We now know that the CIA has determined Russia's interference in our elections was for the purpose of electing Donald Trump. This should distress every American.” – Politico
It is distressing. A foreign nation brazenly interfered in our presidential election. Then, adding insult to injury, Hillary received at least 2.5 million more votes than Trump. And yet she still lost the Presidency because she lost the EC count. That' IS a mighty hard pill to swallow. I do understand her frustration.
But unless the CIA can provide solid evidence that our election truly was "rigged"…meaning Russia tampered with our vote counts in favor of Trump…..then an election "do-over" ain't gonna happen.