Benjamin Franklin

None but that's not the issue. Trump won. That ship sailed. Russians hacked into highly placed election officials and disseminated those documents publicly with intent. Question: Does this bother you? Good story in the NY Times today about the DNC's bumbling response to the hack including the email from the IT guy who told Podesta to follow the fraudulent link to change his password.

"The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations. The recent disclosures of alleged hacked e-mails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts. These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process. Such activity is not new to Moscowthe Russians have used similar tactics and techniques across Europe and Eurasia, for example, to influence public opinion there. We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities." That's a fact. The CIA briefed members of Congress on the hack with more details and that spurred Congress to inquire deeper. Also a fact. The USIC has not seen fit to reveal all the details of its investigation to the public. Maybe the Russians can hack that out of them but until they do, they will probably act like intel agencies and keep their methods under wraps. I don't have access to do the investigation source materials. Going off the facts as known. A week ago the talk of Russian hacking was mocked. Now it's just mocked by Trump. He will come around too.

I barely talk to you for a reason. But please keep posting. Russia hacked into people with intent to do something to our election. Many here said the most important thing was the content not the hack. Some mock the thought of a Russian boogeyman. Now people are coming around to thinking that maybe the hack itself matters. Just because the USIC issued a statement that Russia hacked doesn't mean this is over. Russia hacked. How far? What else? What can be done to stop it? How do we respond? (Looking at you Trump.) Those steps require inquiry and response. Good they are happening. Or, as you surmise, we're all pawns. I know you're working up the new conspiracy narrative now that Clinton lost. Must be about ready by now.

Even more scrumptious strawmen. English weeps.

Which party? The two major ones are aligning that this is a serious issue now in need of deeper inquiry. It took a while for the right to come to this but they finally let their heads prevail (not Trump but many others). Your straw man tastes delicious with a side of Bilderburg.

Third base. Not second.

The right is also joining into the call to look into the Russian hacking. You know that right? Or doesn't that fit your narrative? Try being an American instead of a party hack. Good. He's the next president. That ship sailed. The hacking is the issue, not the count.

All your base are belong to us.

I don't take you and your tin hat seriously but try out your first statement. The USIC issued the statement on Russian hacking, and US Congressmen privy to the intel are asking for investigation too. I forget the group you say is behind all everything in the US...not Illuminati...but whatever it is, we know you've got it all figured out. I question my government plenty. But when the US intel community issues a statement jointly, I take it seriously. People here who "know better" are not a reliable source. And I'm not talking about the Post story. I don't need to.

And none of that matters at this moment in time, but fun for commentary. This would not be a reassuring pick, except to Russia. Fine with Bolton or Mitt. Thankfully Rudy is no longer in the mix.

In Iraq, I'm sure you recall all the Republicans here defending the intelligence community saying "There were WMDs there, Saddam just hid/destroyed them so the war is justified." Flip meet flop. The Russian issue trumps both parties but neither party will rise above the rhetoric.

Public statements by intel agencies are not anonymous. The failure by the CIA on Iraq is well documented. But what was worse there was the fact that there were not mass firings of those who !@#$ed up. But what's happening here is that you now think so little of our intelligence and Congressmen versed in the intel on both sides that you put your even more baseless opinion ahead of the USIC's statement that the hack was by Russian intel directed from the highest levels of its government. Your skepticism of that is based on ______. Yeah, jack squat. And if you doubt that a result like that pleases Putin, he's got a beautiful plot of Carribean beachfront in Siberia to sell you too.

And while we're at it, let's nominate a guy in Putin's pocket for SoS. And let's have the president-elect attack the intelligence establishment to start undermining its credibility. Putin's done laughing--he's chocking on glee at this point. Americans question their election. Trump is nominating its friends to the highest positions. Trump publicly questions the CIA's integrity! You love that a foreign government hacked into private Americans and then took their property to influence an election to their will. And you feel good about it because it shows Dems are liars and you'd like our own government secrets exposed too. U-S-A, U-S-A! The Rosenburgs got caught a few decades too early. You're really slow to recognize how dangerous Russia is. I hope Trump reverses the tide here and goes with Mitt. He might be the only person with a bead on the real enemy in the entire Trump administration.

The fact that Republican Congressmen and US intelligence agree that Russia hacked with intent to affect the election have nothing to do with this? Trump won. No issues there. Russia hacked. Big issue there. Trump can win AND we can look into this serious issue. Or you can keep pissing and moaning pointing to "the other side" if it makes you feel better.

Another friend of Russia in the offing? For the top appointment too. Optically troubling. Watching this selection warily.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/12/08/republicans-ready-to-launch-wide-ranging-probe-of-russia-despite-trumps-stance/ Good to see Republicans taking the Russian hack seriously even if many people thought Russia did us a favor by hacking us.

The 2017 FA QBs are rough after Cousins, who wont leave Washington. http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/quarterback/

Williams Watkins Clay with Shady...need a true passing QB. Totally ok with Romo.

This post is OC-esque but we thank you for being concise.

Welp.

The pres elect is making up dance routines with Putin after Russian intel hacked emails in order to derail our democratic process and you want people to pay attention to this? Hamilton. Flag-burning. Squirrel.

You make a damn solid counter but the single behind the scenes insight we have on Trump nearly derailed his run.

Your quote doesn't refute anything I said. It's directed at hacking the state election systems, which was not part of this discussion about hacking private people and organizations. There's no definitive linkage between state election systems and Russian government. Seriously, do you read what you post?

Guess I'm funny this way: I don't want a state actor hacking private emails and publishing one-side of those emails in order to affect our democratic process. That's my point. It's really that simple. Most here seem to take the tack that Russia did us a favor and we shouldn't be upset. Obama and Trump seem to be reading the electorate right and are OK treating Russia jerking around in our election as no big deal. I give a rat's ass who the person was who got wiped out in the hacking. It would have been wrong if it was Trump, Clinton, or Jill Stein who got targeted by Russian intelligence. Does anyone think there aren't a bazillions crappy emails floating around the Trump campaign? Of course there are. But we didn't see them. *** 4mer--I appreciate all the thought in your post. Let me ask you this: Do you question the USIC statement that it's confident Russian intelligence, directed by its highest levels, did the hacking and release of the data? I agree with a lot of what you said, but to me, as I've said a lot of times, I find it troubling that a state actor hacked people on one side with an interest to monkey in our democratic process. And of course it exposed a corrupt and bogus Hillary/DNC. Shocker. There was a huge value in that being exposed in terms of making our country stronger but it's totally beside the point I keep making.

You missed that the US Intel community said Russian Intelligence was the source of the election email hack, and I'm an idiot for not providing a link? Do you want me to source out a link for who won the election too? Try to have a dialog on the election hack. Respond with a baseless personal attack. Well played Chef well played.