The Politics Thread

[JaneAusten]

I'd seriously love to know why this is so pleasing to you? You seem to be a-ok with a foreign power trying to influence our politics. And the fact this was retracted doesn't change anything. Per CBS News:

 

"

U.S. government officials have been notified of new cases of attempted or potentially successful cyber intrusions, CBS News has learned.

Officials would not go into specifics or reveal the number of new cases. But the revelation raises concerns that Russian cyberattacks have been more extensive than originally thought. Since the U.S released a report on election-related cyberattacks on Thursday, a government official said more cases have come to light, CBS News’ Justice and Homeland Security correspondent Jeff Pegues reports.

 

Watch: U.S. releases report detailing hacking allegations against Russia

The intelligence information made public last week revealed some of the tools and infrastructure allegedly used by Russian hacking units. Those signatures were flagged over the weekend after officials connected with Vermont’s electric grid confirmed that malware code used in “Operation Grizzly Steppe” was found on a Burlington Electric Department laptop. 

 

A team of Department of Homeland Security analysts are working to determine if Russian hackers successfully breached Vermont’s system. But so far, investigators have not been able to determine the intent behind the Vermont incident, and there are no indications the power grid is compromised.  

 

“While our analysis continues, we currently have no information that indicates that the power grid was penetrated in this cyber incident,” said Todd Breasseale, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.

 

Monday’s revelation about new cases of attempted or potentially successful cyber intrusions came just days after the Obama administration announced a series of actions in response to what the White House called “the Russian government’s aggressive harassment of U.S. officials and cyber operations aimed at the U.S. election.” In addition to sanctions announced on Thursday, 35 Russian diplomats have been expelled from the United States.

 

While President Obama and most congressional Republicans have denounced Russia for its alleged election interference, President-elect Donald Trump has been reluctant to do so, even after FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper backed the CIA’s judgment that Russia interfered. The CIA said in December it has high confidence that Russians tried to influence the election and that they favored Mr. Trump."

 

It's odd to me that American's seem to be just fine with Russia trying to impede our government. Seriously do you ever even ask yourself why kind of honey trap Putin has set for Trump and other members of our government.

[Roman]

Jane.....1. Greg LOVES to pst stuff like this to cause arguments and posts. 2. all the sites reporting this....are all right wing sites known for lying through their teeth. Don't let Greg suck you in. 

[Khan]

I'd just like to know why the hell he quoted me.  It isn't as if I were the one who posted the original link to the story.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

I hesitate to try to decipher what's in the minds of others but it seemed to suggest that somehow Bernie might have pushed the story to WAPO??  Otherwise, I have no early idea. Bizarre.

 

I'm no fan of WAPO but NYPost is tabloid trash best known for writing headlines that elicit chuckles- no one truly takes them seriously. At least, no one literate.

[Khan]

Here's something that has nagged at me for the past few days:

 

The theory goes that Republicans in both the House and the Senate are reluctant even to stand up to Trump, because they need him to push through their conservative agendas.  But wouldn't they be able to carry out their plans now even if Trump were removed from office?  After all, they now hold the majority in both houses of Congress.  Impeaching him would not change that.  Nor would it change the fact that Mike Pence, who would succeed him as President, is ALSO a Republican and ALSO conservative.  (In fact, he's probably more conservative than even Trump.)  The chances of Repubs succeeding in their overall agenda would be just as good with Pence, IMO, as they would be with Trump.

 

So...what am I missing here?

[DRW50]

 

Impeachment is an ugly process and would involve not just action against Trump, but also the increasingly powerful and dangerous "media" outlets who back him. Various Republicans have spoken about the harassment and abuse they faced for criticizing him. 

 

At some point those outlets will turn against him, likely sooner than we think, but they despise Paul Ryan and they don't like Mitch McConnell all that much either. So it's going to be difficult. 

[Khan]

 

Which explains why Trump loves the rag sheet so much.

 

As to my original post:

 

Originally, my understanding was that the authorities had detected possible Russian-ordered cyber-hacking in Vermont.  Without knowing the actual date(s) on which the alleged hacking had occurred, I suspected 1) it was done pre-Convention, or at least during the primaries, when Bernie Sanders appeared to be surging in some polls; and 2) the Russians (or whoever) attempted to hack into Bernie's cyber accounts in order to find information that they could use against him if and when they needed to.  (For example: in case Bernie, and not Hillary, had emerged as the Democratic nominee.)

 

That was my hunch, anyway.  Once it was clear Bernie was NOT going to beat Hillary for the nomination, all intel-gathering missions, had there been any ordered, probably ceased.

 

So, IOW, they won't push back, because they're "scurred"?

 

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[Roman]

well, republicans voted to strip much of the [power of the Ethics Office and placed it under the very politicians to oversee it. now, hours from now when the new republicans will be sworn in, will vote to gut the ACA.

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/us/politics/with-no-warning-house-republicans-vote-to-hobble-independent-ethics-office.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur

Edited January 3, 2017 by Roman

[DRW50]

 

What a shocker. And apparently over the objections of their leaders in the House, who probably remember how bad this made Republicans look a decade ago and how it helped them lose control of Congress. 

 

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/back-to-the-auction-house

[Roman]

They truly don't care DRW. they honestly think they have a mandate to do whatever they want to do....forgetting that, like you said, this is what =doomed them a decade ago. they are truly some really arrogant, sick people. 

[DRW50]

 

Republicans never destroy each other as much as Democrats do (Democrats seem to have a passion for it...), but I do think we're going to see some very nasty conflicts these next 2-4 years. Sadly the average person is the one who will pay the biggest price, so we can't even point and laugh. 

[Roman]

All americans will suffer. neither party cares. if Democrats did they would have done so much better as a party the last 8 years or so...but you must have a backbone to start so...

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Their fear of "populist backlash" if they are seen as conspiring to shove off the alleged populist candidate who got into the White House.

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Trump has historically low approval rating for a president-elect but Congress has had consistently low approval ratings over the years.

[marceline]

 

I think you're right about the increased conflict. I find myself increasingly interested in Evan McMullin and whether or not his "country over party" sensibility can gain a little traction. The bottom line is that decent Republicans must see by now that the GOP isn't an American political party anymore. It's a Russian one that has enacted a coup.

[Khan]

 

So, they're scared AND they're scared for their jobs.

 

And they say politicians are out of touch with the working class.

 

 

I, for one, would love to know what, if anything, the Russians have (allegedly) dug up on the GOP.  IDK why, but I feel like that's the key to this mystery.  (Yeah, I know, I watched soap operas for too long.)