Russia Investigation Heating Up

[Gelston]

I honestly have no problem, and I really think they should, investigate every election. At least the Presidential ones. I wouldn't mind if it was just an automatic process. Cap them at a year unless something substantial is found. I think I've said this from the beginning.

[Androidpk]

I honestly have no problem, and I really think they should, investigate every election. At least the Presidential ones. I wouldn't mind if it was just an automatic process. Cap them at a year unless something substantial is found. I think I've said this from the beginning.

Given the vulnerabilities in the voting machines and voter registration databases that's a good idea.

[cwolff]

@jamesoliphant

Interesting phrasing from the president in @Reuters interview today, speaking of Russia probe: "I think it’s a disgrace. And they had played right into the Russians—if it was Russia—they played right into the Russians’ hands."

Trump's still denying Russian interference. He's really quite careful to ensure that he doesn't ever directly accuse them of what his intelligence services are telling him Russia is doing.

[time4fun]

I honestly have no problem, and I really think they should, investigate every election. At least the Presidential ones. I wouldn't mind if it was just an automatic process. Cap them at a year unless something substantial is found. I think I've said this from the beginning.

Agreed in theory. In practice, unfortunately, this is almost impossible to do. The Federal government isn't supposed to investigate campaigns without some reason, and they have very little oversight into State elections where the voting actually happens. The states would have to each volunteer to do their own automatic investigations, and, well, good luck with that.


But that's not actually the point of my post. In 2016, there were A LOT of VERY suspicious things going on with the Trump campaign and Russia. Whether you think it was all circumstantial evidence or not- it was there. It was an extraordinary situation in modern US politics. I don't think we've seen anything like it.

The point here is that if the shoe were on the other foot:

*If it had been the Clinton campaign with a ton of suspicious contacts with the Chinese government (which they repeatedly lied about) while China was actively trying to get them elected and meddling in our election,

*if it had been Clinton who lied about her deep, personal business ties with China (and who was involved in a major business deal with them during the actual campaign)

*Clinton's campaign who met with representatives of the Chinese Communist government to discuss getting help on their campaign in exchange for lifting Chinese sanctions

*If Clinton's campaign were being run by someone whose last stint was installing a puppet leader in a European country on China's behalf (and who volunteered to do it for free)

*If Clinton's campaign had appointed a known Chinese spy to their campaign

*If Clinton's campaign had been advocating for China's foreign policy priorities even when they were bad for the US

*If it had been China who was selectively leaking hacked Trump emails at key moments when Clinton needed a distraction

*If it had been Clinton who got up on International TV and asked China to hack into Trump's campaign (and it turns out they tried that very day)

*If a President Clinton had immediately tried to do the Chinese government a huge favor by lifting US Sanctions levied for election meddling

*If it had been Clinton who repeatedly denied that the Chinese government had meddled in our election (when her campaign had been told the meddling was real by both the US Government AND the Chinese Government),

*If it had been Clinton who fired Comey for refusing to drop the FBI investigation into her campaign...


You would ALL want that investigated. And you would be right

And for the sake of our national security and our ability to decide our own leaders- why on earth would you NOT want that investigated?? First off- the odds of all of that being "just a coincidence" is just ridiculously small. I've worked on the Hill, I've spent years working on various political campaigns, and I learned one thing above all others: There are no coincidences in politics.

Secondly- even if it IS all just one big pile of circumstantial evidence piling around innocent people- NOT investigating it sends a clear message to China and everyone else in the world who wants to meddle in our elections: go for it. There are no consequences.

That's my point.

[Tgo01]

"*If it had been Clinton who got up on International TV and asked China to hack into Trump's campaign (and it turns out they tried that very day)"

Wow...way to totally change what happened after I humiliated you the last time you brought this up.

So now Trump asked Russia to "hack into Hillary's campaign" and they did the very same day?

What happened to he asked Russia to hack Hillary's server and they did that day? Oh wait, that never happened either.

Here is exactly what Trump said that day, word for fucking word:

“I will tell you this: Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”

He didn't ask Russia to hack anything, much less Hillary's server or "her campaign."

This is why conservatives largely don't want to agree with Democrats on anything when it comes to the Russian probe, because Democrats are so fucking dishonest about almost nearly every aspect of it. Just look at the way you make up shit to make things look much worse than they are, then you want conservatives to agree with you? Why? As soon as that happens the next step is gonna be "Well, time to impeach! You agreed that Trump committed treason!"

Try being honest first, time4fun, then maybe we can see if there is any common ground. Until then just keep thinking up more conspiracy theories for your echo chamber so you can receive all of those pats on the back you so desperately want.

[Androidpk]

"*If it had been Clinton who got up on International TV and asked China to hack into Trump's campaign (and it turns out they tried that very day)"

Wow...way to totally change what happened after I humiliated you the last time you brought this up.

So now Trump asked Russia to "hack into Hillary's campaign" and they did the very same day?

What happened to he asked Russia to hack Hillary's server and they did that day? Oh wait, that never happened either.

Here is exactly what Trump said that day, word for fucking word:

“I will tell you this: Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”

He didn't ask Russia to hack anything, much less Hillary's server or "her campaign."

This is why conservatives largely don't want to agree with Democrats on anything when it comes to the Russian probe, because Democrats are so fucking dishonest about almost nearly every aspect of it. Just look at the way you make up shit to make things look much worse than they are, then you want conservatives to agree with you? Why? As soon as that happens the next step is gonna be "Well, time to impeach! You agreed that Trump committed treason!"

Try being honest first, time4fun, then maybe we can see if there is any common ground. Until then just keep thinking up more conspiracy theories for your echo chamber so you can receive all of those pats on the back you so desperately want.

It's literally in the OSC's indictment that Russia attempted to hack Hillary on the same day Trump asked Russia to find her emails. There is no conspiracy.

[Neveragain]

Speaking of Chinese and the Clinton's... didn't they give the Chinese American technology back in the 90's in exchange for donations?

[Tgo01]

It's literally in the OSC's indictment that Russia attempted to hack Hillary on the same day Trump asked Russia to find her emails. There is no conspiracy.

"I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing" is NOT "Russia hack Hillary's campaign."

Just a minute or two before he said this he said Hillary's server (where her missing emails would be) had probably already been hacked, so his comment was obviously stating he felt Russia already had the emails (because Hillary was negligent with her server) and he wanted them to share the emails.

You are just so incredibly dishonest it's beyond annoying now.

[Androidpk]

"I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing" is NOT "Russia hack Hillary's campaign."

Just a minute or two before he said this he said Hillary's server (where her missing emails would be) had probably already been hacked, so his comment was obviously stating he felt Russia already had the emails (because Hillary was negligent with her server) and he wanted them to share the emails.

You are just so incredibly dishonest it's beyond annoying now.

Trump asks Russia for Hillary's emails and soon after her servers, domains and staffers working for the campaign are hacked by Russian military hackers. Total coincidence, right? And BTW, Hillary's server was actually well protected and the hackers weren't able to penetrate it. They did succeed in hacking other people working the campaign.

[Methais]

Reading is very hard for me.

Yes.