December 16, 2016

"It’s almost as if people in the intelligence community are carrying out a disinformation campaign against the President-elect of the United States."

"It’s absolutely disgraceful," said Congressman Peter King about the CIA's refusal to brief Congress about the idea that the Russians "hacked" the U.S. election.

Via Scott Adams, who says "CIA refuses to brief Congress about the Russian hacks? Fire the Director of the CIA TODAY and walk him out."

ADDED: If Obama does not fire the CIA Director, should we not infer that the CIA Director is doing what Obama wants?

129 comments:

tim in vermont said...

Why does Russia want us to approve Keystone and frack more driving down the price of the commodity that powers their economy.

Wince said...

Glenn Reynolds put it succinctly: "It’s as if nobody’s willing to put their name on this story."

David Begley said...

Almost! They are.

And those hard bitten skeptics at the MSM question it at every turn.

Robert Cook said...

It's not only that they're trying to discredit Trump--no worries, he'll do that well enough for and to himself once he begins his Presidency--they're also continuing with the demonization of Russia, part of the project to inflate Russia once again into the evil ogre that was Soviet Russia. Russia and China are the two great rivals to America's economic power and geopolitical domination of the world, and we can't have that so we must undermine them by whatever means necessary.

Sally327 said...

This is a CIA "false flag" op, the Russians actually had nothing to do with anything, it's the CIA behind all of it, making it look like the Russians did it. Nothing is ever as it appears, it's a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside of an enigma (which having just googled that I find is a Churchill quote from 1939 speaking about the Russians, yes, exactly! and not Oliver Stone just putting those words in Joe Pesci's mouth in the movie JFK, also about the Russians, except yes, exactly! not really.)

Vet66 said...

The CIA is doing a helluva a job confirming what most thinking people already knew that the agency is infiltrated by political hacks running their own psyops program on behalf of Obama and the liberal cause. One may correctly draw the conclusion that these same "moles" are running the FBI also under the Department of Justice flag of Loretta Lynch.

Proper analysis would lead to the possibility that information leaked to WIKILEAK's Julian Assange was from patriots in the CIA and FBI who understand and reject the politicization of their esteemed jobs to protect the country. Something Obama has refused to do. Predictable that Obama would not go quietly into that dark night.

AllenS said...

Althouse --

"Obama works?" or
"Obama wants?"

AllenS said...

I can imagine now why Trump might not want to briefed by the intelligence agencies.

Big Mike said...

@Althouse, I think you meant "wants " instead of "works." Outside of his golf game I don't think that Obama has really worked at anything since Election Day 2008.

David Begley said...

Obama is 100% behind this CIA leak. He wants to weaken Trump. Typical Ivy smart duping of the American people. Russia. Bad!

Big Mike said...

No one has yet presented me with an answer to this question: what idiot thinks that the Putin government would regard the unknown and very unpredictable Donald Trump in lieu of a well-known, bribeable, and probably blackmail-able Hillary Clinton? How would that possibly make any sense?

David said...

"works" = "wants"

Typo in last word.

grackle said...

Pompeo was hired to clean house at this agency. A lot of arrogant high-up CIA fuckers are going to retire, resign or be fired after he takes over. These lies about Trump and the Russian hacking are their parting shots.

I looked in on Morning Joe’s whorefest this AM. They ran a couple of snippets of Trump at last night’s thank you rally; just a few seconds. They’ve learned that longer sound bites of Trump rallies only get him more support so they run the snippets and then look at each other and sigh without comment.

The rallies and the tweets really, really bother them because it is unfiltered by the MSM gatekeepers and Fox is streaming the rallies live every night. Mika calls the crowds “raucous.” Not “excited, not “enthusiastic,” “happy” or “joyful.” Later she admits that the crowd seemed to be “having fun.”

Madame Mika and Head Pimp Joe keep announcing that they, Mika and Joe, WARNED everyone about Trump. The Regular Whores have heard this many times but Mika and Joe think it bears repeating.

Pimp Joe is moaning about the MSM “overreaching,” in this case a NYT article calling Trump a threat to democracy. But Joe and his whore crew are constantly lying about Trump themselves so this is like house whores comparing themselves to mere streetwalkers. Irony is lost on NewsWhores.

rhhardin said...

Obama wants a mess to paralyze the incoming Trump administration, say to save Obamacare etc.

Sydney said...

No accountability in this administration. Zero. Inauguration day can't come fast enough. Hope they fail to do the damage they're trying to do before then.

GWash said...

you folks are really, really delusional... i'm with you as far as skepticism is concerned but to jump to a conclusion that the obama or the democrats have somehow turned the cia into a tool of the administration is way way way beyond belief... how's the pizza gate thing going?..
why doesn't trump call these quislings in and confront them?..why has his tune changed from i dont believe it to well maybe?... you guys have get to get a grip...we are on the same team here. check out putin bio and maybe you will understand him better. hey martians have landed in NJ... unfortunately trump wont get the briefing until next week... he's busy with his businesses...

MaxedOutMama said...

Perhaps Obama's press conference today before heading off for vacation will cast some light?

I do assume that this is stemming from the top - it's an attempt to provide a face-saving alibi for the GE results.

However the Russians are now also demanding that we put up or shut up. This might end up to be face-losing campaign internationally. This could hurt the US later very severely if the CIA/US intelligence seems entirely politicized now, and later their reports are being used internationally to try and drum up support for some initiative (something to do with Iran and nukes, for example).

David Begley said...

GWash

The whole Russia - DNC thing is ambiguous and vague. Conflicting facts and conclusions. Assange says the source was not Russia. The most important fact was that the substance in the emails was TRUE. Headline: Some Americans dislike the facts about the Dems and what they think about them.

Is there any Dem more detestable than John Podesta?

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

I think we're entering dangerous territory here. You now have Obama openly trying to undermine his successor. It's one thing for generic Democrats to continue their whining and crying binge. Its another thing for the Obama administration to insert itself in this issue. Especially since they haven't provided conclusive evidence to back up their statements.

If I was Trump, I would point out to Obama and the American people the seriousness of these actions. This could become a very dangerous game if those in leadership positions eschew their political responsibilities for partisan reasons.

Ann Althouse said...

Typo fixed.

Sorry.

GWash said...

bushman you assume its partisan politics at play here.. the cia is staffed with loyal americans of all political persuasions and backgrounds.. they are professionals at what they do and one of the things they do is hack our enemies (adversaries, frenimeies whatever you call them).. they know how to hack and how to determine when we are being hacked.. they know the game.. they can't just blurt out the evidence or who is presenting the evidence for obvious reasons.. they may sound like an excuse but think about it.. putin is a dictator and kgb, his only interest is to do us harm.. i'm sure you can think of hundreds of reason why...if we do not come together as americans and face this threat he has a victory.. trump won but now he has to get serious, being president is a full time job, getting intelligence briefings is important.. thus far he is not impressing .. he seems disengaged from the business of protecting this great country...

traditionalguy said...

The one world Establishment strikes back. With a tsunami of fake news the media hit men are lusting for an impeached Trump as a trophy on their wall. When he laughs them off, the real hit men will come next.

The emergency speed of the attempts on Trump are a sign that Mega Crooked and Traitorous acts are going to be exposed when the Fifth Column Muslim's record of destruction is exposed by Trump's Mighty Men coming in at CIA , Defense, Justice, State, and Homeland Security where the rats have played fast and loose.

Anonymous said...

GWash said...
bushman you assume its partisan politics at play here.. the cia is staffed with loyal americans of all political persuasions and backgrounds..


The fact that the CIA refuses to brief their two Congressional oversight committees on an investigation cited by the WH from the podium of the Press Briefing room is more than troubling. If the allegations are true, it requires that the Congressional Leadership of both parties be made aware of what is known and unknown. To immediately do anything less makes it partisan...

Charlie Eklund said...

Let me get this straight. The people who told the President and Congress back in 2002 and 2003 that Iraqi possession of weapons of mass destruction was a "slam dunk" can't be trusted to tell the truth?

Why, I'm speechless.

GWash said...

SGT, i agree with you ... but it's my understanding that daily briefings are going on and the information is being communicated to congress, the administration and to trump (if he wants it).. not sure what the problem with nunes is and i'm not sure why he was asking for a 'panel' meeting about the morphing story...

Hunter said...

There's no excuse for not answering the Congressional intelligence committees. The people on these committees are authorized to see whatever secret evidence the CIA has and trusted not to divulge it, like all the other classified information they see routinely.

If I heard just one person with a name vouch for this info, especially if it was a Republican Congressman, then I could believe this story was anything more than BS.

Original Mike said...

"The fact that the CIA refuses to brief their two Congressional oversight committees on an investigation cited by the WH from the podium of the Press Briefing room is more than troubling."

I think it's the tell that this is all bullshit. Dangerous bullshit.

Mick said...

A lot of "Real Fake News" out there to distract from the REAL NEWS, such as:

#Pizzagate
https://dcpizzagate.wordpress.com/

Arpaio's news conference yesterday detailing the REAL NEWS that the Birth Certificate dispayed at WH.gov is a complete forgery, and that whole sections were lifted from a real Birth Certificate from 16 days later, and pasted on the forgery-- which is why it is still "layered"(the much maligned "birthers" were right all along):

http://www.wnd.com/2016/12/investigators-find-source-for-obamas-online-birth-certification-image/

How come the "media" refuses to report that one of Obama's top "bundlers" is indicted as a pedophile?:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/11/20/kiah-lawson-terry-bean-human-rights-campaign-gay-sex-obama-prison-column/70021560/

So that is a top bundler and a former chief of staff as pedophiles, plus another bundler, John Corzine, stole millions and is getting away with it. The criminality goes to the top.

GWash said...

Charlie Eklund its always good to be skeptical and to question authority.. but in answer to your question YES.. and as it turns out, as i have been reminded a couple of times here, there were wmds in iraq.. and if you review that moment in time it think you might conclude that the cia was used in a way by the administration... but keep your skepticism but also remember who the pulling the strings on the other side and i'm not talking about obama..

Hagar said...

We do not know that it is the CIA or any other "intelligence" agency - and neither do they. The refusal to testify may be because they are all busy trying to find out if any of "their" people had anything to do with this story and, if so, what should they do about it.

Remember Joseph C. Wilson IV and "the yellowcake mystery" that morphed into "who leaked Valerie Plame's name"?

Mike Sylwester said...

On the day after his inauguration, President Trump should inform the people what the US Intelligence Community thought during the election campaign about the idea that the Kremlin controlled Wikileaks.

How many of the 17 intelligence agencies:

* were asked to provide comments and input to that finding?

* concurred with the finding?

* declined to concur with the finding?

Then Trump should publicly fire James Clapper.

Mick said...

Putin tells Obama to show proof or STFU

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-12-16/putin-lashes-out-obama-show-some-proof-or-shut#comments

Original Mike said...

"Then Trump should publicly fire James Clapper."

My understanding is the guy pushing this is Brennan. I read a piece yesterday that Clapper was not on board.

GWash said...

mike s... why wait until jan... he can ask that now... he has access to daily intelligence and can call these folks on the carpet if he wants.. too busy trashing restaurant reviewers at the moment..
mick why would we tell putin what we know and how we know it? why should we answer his questions.. he know very well what the answers are... this is just a game they play... 'prove it or you're making it up'.. a line i've tried on this blog many times to no avail...

Original Mike said...

Ron Johnson, Chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, says the CIA refused to brief him.

Mike Sylwester said...

Original Mike at 8:24 AM

My understanding is the guy pushing this is Brennan. I read a piece yesterday that Clapper was not on board.

This started with a public announcement that was signed by:

1) Clapper

2) The Department of Homeland Security.

[end of list]

cubanbob said...

I doubt the Russians had anything to do with the email leaks but if they did, so what? Considering the exposure of the Democrats corruption and criminality I say we owe them a huge favor. Trump should send a container load of America's finest whiskey as a thank you to Putin.

Original Mike said...

Thanks, Mike. Can you point me to that statement? I'd like to read it.

holdfast said...

Is Brennan the guy who converted to Islam?

GWash said...

cubanbob well that's a first.. our #1 enemy, a dictator messes with our election (no matter what the reason) and you are going to reward him... i don't think he needs your whiskey, the dreaded cia estimates his wealth at $85 billion on a salary of $136k a year.. of course he has been running the country for 16 years... do the math... he is trumpian! or maybe trump is putinlite?... time will tell ... watch your wallet...

rehajm said...

This is for Monday.

Original Mike said...

Here it is:

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/10/07/joint-statement-department-homeland-security-and-office-director-national

MacMacConnell said...

So after eight years in office Obama decides to push back on Russia in his last month of being President. He's retaliating for his prolapsed rectum from Putin bending him over the podium on the World stage.

Someone tell me again how Trump had anything to do with any of this US intelligence failure under Obama's watch.

Matt Sablan said...

". and as it turns out, as i have been reminded a couple of times here, there were wmds in iraq."

-- There were. The media just played up WMDs to be solely large, explosive nuclear weapons, not things like outdated gas and chemical weapons, which is what we found. Because of that, people believed there were no WMDs, because there were no nuclear weapons found.

Peter said...

"No one has yet presented me with an answer to this question: what idiot thinks that the Putin government would regard the unknown and very unpredictable Donald Trump in lieu of a well-known, bribeable, and probably blackmail-able Hillary Clinton? How would that possibly make any sense?"

Even if one were to stipulate that Russia was behind the DNC email hack, it does not follow that the motivation was to elect Trump. Alternate possibilities would include:

1. They thought it overwhelmingly likely that Clinton would be elected (as did practically everyone before Nov. 8) and therefore were motivated by a wish to weaken her presidency, and

2. But just in case Trump won, they also tried to hack Republican sources but did not succeed.

Although considering (1), one would have expected that more effort would be spent trying to hack Democrats.

PB said...

The intelligence committees of the House and Senate are cleared to see everything they want and the CIA has no legal authority to deny them. Should a department under their review refuse, their only recourse is to eliminate funding, cite them for contempt and refer them to the DOJ which is obligated by law to investigate and present to a grand jury, with the last being impeachment of the department head. Unfortunately, all but the last of these require ultimate cooperation of the executive. The last only requires sufficient political will.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Ans once again Obama proves that progressives are all about tearing down institutions. After a campaign of fake prognostications about a Trump meltdown and "danger to our peaceful transition" bullshit before the Election, Barrack is daily proving that it is he and our politicized "intelligence" community that are the real danger to a peaceful transition of power. Eschewing the 2012-year unbroken record of handing off the POTUS position with grace and honer Obama craps on tradition and viciously campaigns against the other party, then tries to undermine the integrity of the election by alleging "secret" hacking from a foreign power.

The only person to assert that "Putin was directly involved" is Josh Earnest, the Dickensenian-named prevaricator-in-chief who "interpreted" the secret signal for reporters. Fake news all the way.

Progressives are for the first time in history attacking the electors, trying to upend a lawfully executed election. And for what? In service of someone who got more votes but lost the contest, because that's how it works! Not content to simply yell "FASCIST!" the progs are bent on showing how fascism actually works.

bgates said...

Russia and China are the two great rivals to America's economic power and geopolitical domination of the world, and we can't have that so we must undermine them by whatever means necessary.

Cookie's two great worries are the immiseration of the American people by the cold-hearted oligarchs who secretly rule us, and the prospect of bad things happening to the nice gentlemen who run the Russian and Chinese governments.

AMDG said...

Why doesn't the Trumpster tweet the following:

"Under my administration the Justice Department will take refrrrals for contempt of Congress very seriously."

GWash said...

bgates.. i see this more as the oligarchs (if you will) internationalizing and shaking hands across borders... for the uber rich (not that they call uber for a ride).. borders are passe.. it would be a new group analogous to Médecins Sans Frontières 'Billionares without borders' their motto is my jet lands wereever i want...

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Bgates must be some kind of cultural imperialist because he thinks the countries that jail people for having certain religious beliefs or for saying the letters TS too loudly (and harvesting their organs to sell to rich sick tourists) is somehow a system that should NOT be undermined. Cookie has no such concerns.

Bruce Hayden said...

-- There were. The media just played up WMDs to be solely large, explosive nuclear weapons, not things like outdated gas and chemical weapons, which is what we found. Because of that, people believed there were no WMDs, because there were no nuclear weapons found.

What I don't think has ever been fully disclosed is what happened to all those Russian trucks that were at Iraqi WMD sites right before our incursion there, where they went (I think Syria is likely - which may be where some of the poison gas used on Syrians by their govt. came from), and what they were carrying. We have satellite pix, and a lot of activity, but no resolution.

mikee said...

Cook sees the demonization of Russia and China as constructs of the US.
May I respectfully suggest that their own damnable activities have something to do with how they are viewed by the rest of the world?

Quaestor said...

There's no excuse for not answering the Congressional intelligence committees.

There's at least one. They're afraid the committee chair will demand to see the raw, unfiltered evidence of Russian hacking, which they will not be able to produce without exposing the political motivations at the top of the agency.

GWash said...

mikee amen... this is a dangerous game that we are playing here, making excuses, calling it fake news, false flag... trump and his businesses are very aligned with putin.. same with SoS designate... trump insider manafort also close to putin and has been a lobbyist for the russians and has excused the invasion and annexation of part of the ukraine... if i remember correctly trump asked putin to hack the dnc.. why are we surprised that he did? why wouldn't he? we seem to be in the mood to forget about how the russians play the game and what their goals are especially in the light of the iron curtain roll back.. and with trump saying that NATO may not be in our future... what does he mean? putin is licking his lips as his influence grows... if trump of a mind to open the chicken coop for the fox?... maybe for a little payback?

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Bruce Hayden said...
-- There were. The media just played up WMDs to be solely large, explosive nuclear weapons, not things like outdated gas and chemical weapons, which is what we found. Because of that, people believed there were no WMDs, because there were no nuclear weapons found.

What I don't think has ever been fully disclosed is what happened to all those Russian trucks that were at Iraqi WMD sites right before our incursion there, where they went (I think Syria is likely - which may be where some of the poison gas used on Syrians by their govt. came from), and what they were carrying. We have satellite pix, and a lot of activity, but no resolution.


Yes exactly. What if we had an institution that would investigate curiosities like that, perhaps determine the facts and write a report. When it is information previously unknown we could call it "news" and the people who write the reports could be... Duh. Reporters! Hey I think we're onto something here! Just think how all this information wants to be free!

Mike Sylwester said...

Here is a link to the "Joint Statement from the Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security" signed on October 7, 2016, by the:

1) Department of Homeland Security

2) Director of National Intelligence

[end of list]

https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/215-press-releases-2016/1423-joint-dhs-odni-election-security-statement

This statement was the basis for Hillary Clinton's accusation that Donald Trump was ignoring a finding by 17 intelligence agencies.

Gretchen said...

The whole the evil Russians thing is rich.

Obama, Hillary, Kerry, the media and the Dems ridiculed Romney for saying Russia was a geopolitical threat, indicating he was stuck in the 80s and out of touch, just four short years ago. Obama told Medvedev he'd have "more flexibility" after the election, certainly indicating he was on cozy and friendly terms with Russia. Hillary had her goofy "reset" button--a cheesy and mistranslated bit of statecraft.

Now, after four more years of horrible Obama foreign policy the Russians are a threat to our Republic because Hillary sucked as a candidate? Sorry, Dems, no "reset" button, like Hillary's mistranslated button said, your donors have been "overcharged".

grackle said...

… our #1 enemy, a dictator messes with our election (no matter what the reason) and you are going to reward him.

I cannot speak for the commentor who was addressed but I’m not going to reward anyone. I’m especially not going to reward the fucking government because I do not trust the fucking government when the fucking government tells me ANYTHING about Trump.

AFTER Trump is sworn in I may trust the fucking government a little bit more.

They're afraid the committee chair will demand to see the raw, unfiltered evidence of Russian hacking, which they will not be able to produce without exposing the political motivations at the top of the agency.

BINGO!

… if i remember correctly trump asked putin to hack the dnc …

Someone can’t tell a fucking joke from a serious remark. Lesson One: What I just wrote is no fucking joke. Lesson Two: What you posted is an example of the gullibility of those who want to believe ANY bullshit about Trump. End of lesson.

Quaestor said...

Is Brennan the guy who converted to Islam?

That's an unproven rumor according to Snopes.com, which, considering their undisguised partisanship, is blessing with faint sanctity, to coin a phrase.

Seeing Red said...

They didn't give a sh...in 2014, so why now?


OTOH, dems are really really REALLY stupid when it comes to protection.

During the W admin, I think it was, the Republicans "leaked" dem memos and the dems had a meltdown.

Those idiots shared the word processing program, never pass worded their computers and voila, one could sit down at any desk and look at anything.

Like a lot of companies have.

Seeing Red said...

Some of this stuff is so basic.

Mick said...

Hannity: "Let me be clear, Russia did not give you the Podesta documents or anything from the DNC?"

Assange: "That's correct."

Rick said...

mikee said...
Cook sees the demonization of Russia and China as constructs of the US.
May I respectfully suggest that their own damnable activities have something to do with how they are viewed by the rest of the world?


Between them almost a hundred million of their own citizens dead at their hands, but America is worse because corporations provide goods and services of such value people voluntarily buy them.

Yancey Ward said...

I think the entire story is faked. The question of the day is why is it being pressed? I think the most likely answer is that it is the Hail Mary attempt at preventing Trump from winning the Electoral College vote on Monday. What is interesting to me is that the story was elevated to the top of the media frenzy at almost exactly the moment it was clear that the Wisconsin recount wasn't going to change the outcome in that state, and when the first stories appeared about the problems in Wayne County as Michigan took the first steps in recounting that election. When it became clear that all of Trump's state wins would meet the safe harbor deadline, another plan was hatched.

The more worrisome explanation for pushing this is that it isn't a form of pressure on the electors, but is instead a cover story for something else that hasn't raised it head above the water yet.

MayBee said...

Can someone tell me exactly what the plot was?

Was ingenious intervention did Russia run on our election?

MayBee said...

"Interfering"
"Hacking"

Is the extent of what Russia supposedly did is hacking or publishing the DNC and Podesta emails? Is that it?
Or is there more, something actually substantial?

Paul said...

So Obama tries to subvert Israels election and he has his panties in a wad cause he 'thinks' Russia exposed Hillary's deeds to the public?

Time for Obama to put up or shutup (but we know he will just talk and talk and talk... the BS master of hot air.)

No folks, there is just a bunch of fog coming out of the DNC and Obama. Not smoke and mirrors, but fog and mirrors are being used.

GWash said...

just so i understand... most of you think it's fake news or some kind of democrate double whammy to hurt trump.. the rest of you think ah who cares, just the russians hacking us and trying to influence our system at the most or just trying to discredit us at least... doesn't bother you that our #1 enemy is having it's way with us... this is shaping up to be a really interesting 4 years... as bad as obama was in foreign policy trump is shaping up to be worse.. disinterested, a smart guy that doesn't need information, close ties to our enemies, going to appt someone that will support the israeli capital moving to jerusalem, redoing the iran treaty... geez what could go wrong with all that?... i just pray that you don't have sons and daughters in the already over taxed military...

n.n said...

The Left wants to have the baby and abort it too. Clinton ran amuck, and as with similar incidents, the so-called "hack" is likely the work of a disgruntled insider doing the traditional work of the partisan Press.

MayBee said...

GWASH- what do you mean by "trying to influence our system"?
What do you think Russia did, exactly, to influence our system.

Yancey Ward said...

GWash,

I know I am wasting my time, but here goes:

I think the story is fake because no one wants to put their name on any evidence supporting the story. Extraordinary claims like this require, at a minimum, a willingness to take the evidence public. At this point, we apparently can't even get the present administration to show the evidence to Congress. This strongly suggests the evidence isn't really supportive of the claim. I want to see the evidence, not summaries in future reports. If you can't do that for me, then I will choose to believe it is all a lie.

MayBee said...

doesn't bother you that our #1 enemy is having it's way with us

Yes, it bothers me greatly that Iran is supporting fighters against us in both Yemen and Syria, and that we had to give them billions in cash to get our citizens out of their prisons, only to see more hostages be taken.
I'm also bothered that they work with North Korea on nuclear weapons. Or at least they used to, we don't hear very much about that.
And I'm bothered that Iran's nuclear deal is so bad it had to be pushed to the American people in a disinformation campaign by the current president.

Robert Cook said...

"...to jump to a conclusion that the obama or the democrats have somehow turned the cia into a tool of the administration is way way way beyond belief...."

The CIA is and has always been a tool of the administration at any time since it's inception.

MayBee said...

And, no, I have no love for Putin or Russia. But what Obama is doing with them isn't working, Hillary was too bellicose against them and it made me worry she'd get us in a war against them.
I don't see what's wrong with not being more provocative than we have to be when it comes to Russia.

MayBee said...

Finally, GWash- do you remember what some CIA employees tried to do to Bush via Valerie Plame?

I think the CIA hasn't fought against Obama too much because he's so feckless internationally, he just lets them do what they want.

Robert Cook said...

"...and as it turns out, as i have been reminded a couple of times here, there were wmds in iraq...."

No,there weren't. There were only forgotten, buried, aging remnants of the WMD that had been destroyed years earlier, a mere fraction of what Iraq had once had. You can try to hold on to that and claim these were the WMD they warned about", but they weren't. We were led to believe--and they asserted certainty--that Hussein was rebuilding has stocks of chemical weapons and nerve gas. He was not.

Robert Cook said...

"Finally, GWash- do you remember what some CIA employees tried to do to Bush via Valerie Plame?"

No...what was that? Plame had her career destroyed by Bush's administration simply to punish her husband for publishing an op-ed calling their claims of Hussein trying to rebuild his nukes hogwash.

FullMoon said...

Blogger Darrell previously explained:

"Listen. There are millions of Russian hackers. That's a legacy of Communism and the crappy Russian economy. Russian hackers package their successful exploits and sell them on 4Chan and the dark web. Those are little programs and apps to disable specific security features and hackers around the world keep stuff like that to make up their "toolkit." Try one tool and if it doesn't work, try another. Now the DNC hack showed some of those Russian apps being tried, but that means nothing. Hackers from every country use those. When this thing started, some computer website talked to the some of the people from the top PRIVATE computer security companies that were brought in to consult. When they compared the DNC hack to their proprietary databases of past hacks and looked at all the technical details, these private security people concluded that the hack DID NOT come from Russia. Obama's lackeys have gotten stupid political apparatchiks at our Security Agencies to say that it was Russian because of those tools used. Those political apparatchiks will be out as soon as Trumps takes office. Obama and Hillary are playing a dangerous game just to set up the next narrative for the Left and that is why these people should never hold power again."

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

GWash, your Trump hysterics aside, Russia has thrived under Obama. Eight years ago they were in disarray, a diminished relic struggling for any kind of relevance on the world stage Today, they've essentially regained their former cold war status. I guess when the 80's called asking for their foreign policy back, Obama gave it to them. I have a hard time imaging how the Russians could benefit more from Trump than they already have from Obama.



Hagar said...

I think the "intelligence community" just do not want to go up on the Hill and say, "we never said that and do not understand why they are saying we did," while Obama is still in office.

n.n said...

The DNC has lost its footing with leaks from WaterCloset. Deep Plunger has exposed progressive Pinocchios of omission, commission, and deception.

As for the CIA, they lack a consensus. It was probably the Chinese.

MayBee said...

No...what was that? Plame had her career destroyed by Bush's administration simply to punish her husband for publishing an op-ed calling their claims of Hussein trying to rebuild his nukes hogwash.

Plame volunteered her husband for a CIA-funded trip so he could get his consulting company off the ground. He later claimed that Dick Cheney had sent him, that Wilson had discovered there was no attempt to buy yellowcake in Africa, that Wilson had provided this information to Cheney, and that Cheney had disregarded it. All of that was a lie, and Wilson knew it.
Wilson (and possibly Plame) then went to the Senate Democratic meeting, met with Nick Kristoff, met with John Kerry, and then went public via David Corn, claiming Bush and Cheney had outed his wife in retaliation.

There were a whole group of CIA agents who then got on board with the Wilsons- Tyler Drumeheller and Larry Johnson, to name two. Drumheller went on to buddy up with Sidney Blumenthal to provide bad intel from North Africa and the Middle East to Hillary Clinton.

Hagar said...

No...what was that? Plame had her career destroyed by Bush's administration simply to punish her husband for publishing an op-ed calling their claims of Hussein trying to rebuild his nukes hogwash.

The ABQ Morning Journal had an article saying the Wilson's plunked down $3½ million for their new digs in SANTA Fe, so yeah, it seems they were adequately "punished" for the caper.

MayBee said...

Hagar said...
I think the "intelligence community" just do not want to go up on the Hill and say, "we never said that and do not understand why they are saying we did," while Obama is still in office.


I wonder what Obama is going to say today.

Robert Cook said...

"The ABQ Morning Journal had an article saying the Wilson's plunked down $3½ million for their new digs in SANTA Fe, so yeah, it seems they were adequately "punished" for the caper."

It's not about how much money they may have...it's about her career having been destroyed simply as petty political payback. (It also put into jeopardy the lives of anyone she had worked with while under cover, as it would reveal those persons to their governments as possibly having given information to an American spy.)

Matt Sablan said...

I thought her career was destroyed because she carelessly spoke to journalists like Richard Armitage.

Matt Sablan said...

Err "carelessly spoke to journalists, like Richard Armitage [did]." Not Armitage is a journalist. Punctuation.

grackle said...

… doesn't bother you that our #1 enemy is having it's way with us.

You know, it might bother me more if the Russians hadn’t already hacked Obama for several years with the minimum of coverage about it from the lying MSM. And everyone and their brother probably hacked Hillary she is so fucking dumbshit with her computers but no one in the Obama administration or the MSM seemed the least bit fucking upset about it. Try doing some research on the subject before shitting these comment turds.

The White House’s computers were down for weeks because of the intrusion by a “foreign power,” which the administration finally identified as Russia. It wasn’t just the White House, either; it was the entire Executive Office of the President, which comprises a good chunk of the executive branch. Nor was that all: the State Department’s computer system was hacked, too.

http://tinyurl.com/jdmwmbg

This whole thing is nothing more than a transparent attempt to hurt Trump. But I want it to continue if only to illustrate how fucking hopeless the fucking MSM and their little helpers are. It’s sooooo much fun watching Trump fuck them up. And Trump and Pompeo are finding out just how politically fucked up the CIA has become under Obama. This info will be valuable once Pompeo is in office. Who to fire, who to put on a desk in Timbuktu where they can do the least harm, who to retire, who might be trusted, etc.

John Christopher said...

Eichenwald is melting down on twitter right now. Claiming he had a seizure due to an image posted on his TL and that he is working with authorities to prosecute.

Hagar said...

Well, she did say that she nominated her husband for the Niger mission, because he was unemployed and they needed the money, what with little children to raise and all.

So it is not so much about what money they have as about how much money they got and for what.

Robert Cook said...

"I thought her career was destroyed because she carelessly spoke to journalists like Richard Armitage."

Uh...when did Plame speak to Richard Armitage,(who was not a journalist, by the way, but a member of the Bush Administration)?

Someone provided Armitage and others in the administration with this information with the intent that Plame's status as a CIA agent would be leaked, thereby destroying her career. (I smell the greasy, porky aroma of Karl Rove and/or the sulfuric stench of Dick "Beelzebub, Jr." Cheney behind it.)

exhelodrvr1 said...

Robert Cook,
"Someone provided Armitage and others in the administration with this information with the intent that Plame's status as a CIA agent would be leaked"

She wasn't undercover - the fact that she was in the CIA wasn't a secret at that point.

MayBee said...

Someone provided Armitage and others in the administration with this information with the intent that Plame's status as a CIA agent would be leaked,

Armitage knew it was Plame because the State Department had been consulted about Wilson going to Africa, and had been briefed when he came back. When Wilson started talking up what he claimed to have found out, State Department looked into who was talking. That's how Armitage knew, and that's what he told Novak. And then he and Powell kept quiet about what Armitage had done, so their boss the president could get dragged through the mud.

Had Wilson not tried to pass himself off as going on a trip for Cheney and providing Cheney the information, Cheney wouldn't have even been involved.
Joe tried to make himself more important than he was, and it burned him.
You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.

MayBee said...

I'd also like to point out Wilson lied about the forged Niger documents when he first began talking to Kristof, anonymously.

You can think Valerie was outed unfairly, but my original point was the CIA started playing games against the administration. And they did, and Joe Wilson was a part of it.

Hagar said...

It was factions within the State Dept. and the CIA with an "attitude" socializing, and Joe Wilson conducted a brilliant "dirty tricks" caper.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

but the CIA is supposed to brief the electors.

good gravy

Hagar said...

You have to kind of admire Joe Wilson. Whatever they paid him, he was worth many times that to them.
One man has rarely achieved so much damage with so little ammunition.

tim in vermont said...

Why are Democrats beating the war drums against Russia and implying that anybody who wants peaceful coexistence is some kind of traitor?

Rick said...

Robert Cook said...
Someone provided Armitage and others in the administration with this information with the intent that Plame's status as a CIA agent would be leaked, thereby destroying her career.


This is nonsense and indicative of Cook's radicalism interfering with his ability to understand reality.

Many, many people in DC knew Valerie Plame was CIA long before this incident. These people knew she was a manager not a covert agent. Armitage carelessly repeated this thinking it was public knowledge when it was semi-public. Cook invents the timing of Armitage learning about Plame so he can attribute intent where it didn't exist solely because he hates Bush et al.

Ignoring facts to create a false narrative is the result of his conspiracy theory mindset.

traditionalguy said...

Obama is trying to out do P.T. Trump and Dickie Smothers with a huge farewell propaganda show of show based on unsearchable CIA analysts swearing to secret rumors that Putin's Russia loves DJT more than he loves Hillary.

The Clinton Cash book in June 2016 was 100 times more of a problem for the Clinton Crime Family than the Podesta e-mails ever were. And Obama the Liar knows neither one came from Putin's Russia.

Obama just wants to show Hillary and Bill how much better he is at Lying.

Robert Cook said...

"Many, many people in DC knew Valerie Plame was CIA long before this incident."

Really? Is it common practice to reveal the names of covert agents to reporters? Isn't than a criminal offense? Didn't CIA analyst John Kiriakou go to jail for a couple of years and have his career destroyed simply because he mentioned in an interview that the government had tortured some detainees?

How convenient that this "inadvertent" slip to a reporter would occur just after the Wilson column that pissed off Dick Cheney.

Robert Cook said...

"You have to kind of admire Joe Wilson. Whatever they paid him, he was worth many times that to them. One man has rarely achieved so much damage with so little ammunition."

What damage? The administration went ahead with its illegal war based-on-lies. Wilson didn't stop a damned thing. The damage was done to him and his wife.

Robert Cook said...

"Had Wilson not tried to pass himself off as going on a trip for Cheney and providing Cheney the information, Cheney wouldn't have even been involved."

This is from Joseph Wilson's op-ed:

"In February 2002, I was informed by officials at the Central Intelligence Agency that Vice President Dick Cheney's office had questions about a particular intelligence report. While I never saw the report, I was told that it referred to a memorandum of agreement that documented the sale of uranium yellowcake -- a form of lightly processed ore -- by Niger to Iraq in the late 1990's. The agency officials asked if I would travel to Niger to check out the story so they could provide a response to the vice president's office."

There is no suggestion here that Dick Cheney asked Wilson to go to Niger or that Wilson was working directly for Cheney. Anyone who presents Wilson has ever having said that is either lying or hasn't read his actual words.

JaimeRoberto said...

If Russia's aim is to erode trust in our elections, the Dems are doing a fine job of enabling that.

If the CIA truly has sources close enough to Putin to determine what Putin did, then how do we know that the source is telling the truth? If the goal is to erode trust, then the source serves that aim by saying "Da, we did it" even if not true.

Espionage is a tricky business filled with lies and deception, and we should be skeptical of all the information.

MayBee said...

Robert Cook- I'm not going to relitigate the whole Plame thing with you. I have emails from Larry Johnson from back when they were still trying to sell the idea that Cheney had something to do with Wilson going.

However, for the sake of argument. let's say he never mentioned Cheney when he was lying about the forged documents and misleading people about what he had done.

The whole point was people at the CIA were getting information out to hurt the President then. So this wouldn't be the first time.

Anonymous said...

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/fbi-now-agrees-with-the-cia-russia-intervened-to-help-trump-win-the-election/

"Another shoe just dropped in the 2016 presidential election Russian hacking scandal: It seems the FBI and the CIA now agree that Russia’s goal with the hacks of the DNC and Clinton campaign official John Podesta was to help Donald Trump win.

Previously, the FBI had maintained that it didn’t know the true motives behind Russia’s hacks on Democrats, but The Washington Post reports that FBI Director James Comey has now acknowledged that the FBI shares the CIA’s conclusions."



Anonymous said...

Oh yes, don't forget Pizzagate and Obama is a Kenyan is real, really really realz.....really.

Anonymous said...

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2016/12/16/fbi-yeah-russia-intervened-to-help-trump-win-the-election-n2260640

"FBI Director James B. Comey and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. have backed a CIA assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election in part to help Donald Trump win the presidency, according to U.S. officials.

Comey’s support for the CIA’s conclusion suggests that the leaders of the three agencies are in agreement on Russian intentions, contrary to suggestions by some lawmakers that the FBI disagreed with the CIA.

“Earlier this week, I met separately with (Director) FBI James Comey and DNI Jim Clapper, and there is strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our presidential election,” CIA Director John Brennan said in a message to the agency’s workforce, according to U.S. officials who have seen the message.

“The three of us also agree that our organizations, along with others, need to focus on completing the thorough review of this issue that has been directed by President Obama and which is being led by the DNI,” Brennan’s message read."

Kyzer SoSay said...

Shorter version of that news article:
"The FBI and the CIA agree that they think maybe the Russians hacked the DNC and Podesta emails using ridiculously simple tactics that wouldn't fool most children, all for the purpose of publishing actual emails from the Democrats to show how corrupt they are and illustrate just how much Media-Democrat Party collusion is going on. Even though Trump plans to expand American oil interests which will lower the price of oil and hurt Russia in the long run, Russia still decided to carry out this attack because Hillary was supposed to win and these revelations could have caused major problems for her Presidency. Now that Trump has won Russia is still screwed but at least he probably won't start WW3 by declaring a No-Fly Zone over Syria and shooting down Russian planes as Hillary intended to do."

That about sums it up. We still have no proof it was Russia. We have allegations, accusations, and hearsay. What a rock-solid foundation - unlike, oh, the accusations against Hillary over her email server, which had actual rock-solid evidence, but since she was Hillary there was never going to really be a prosecution because Comey doesn't want to commit suicide by 3 shots to the head in a park.

Anonymous said...

All the security agencies aren't as smart as the Kyz. They should beg him to join one of the agencies to help them out.

Robert Cook said...

"However, for the sake of argument. let's say he never mentioned Cheney when he was lying about the forged documents and misleading people about what he had done."

But then, he never lied about the forged documents or what he had done.

Also from his op-ed:

"(As for the actual memorandum, I never saw it. But news accounts have pointed out that the documents had glaring errors -- they were signed, for example, by officials who were no longer in government -- and were probably forged. And then there's the fact that Niger formally denied the charges.)"

Kyzer SoSay said...

All the security agencies answer to, and follow directions from, one person. The President. And they have still offered no solid proof. Wikileaks denies that the Russians provided them the info. Russia denies providing the info. And none of the info was claimed to be false. At worst, Russia was given access to Podesta's email through a childish hack and a childish blunder, and published true information about the corruption of the Democrats, including Hillary's attempts to evade the law and her campaign trying to cover for her.

Nobody hacked any voting machines.

The only suspicious voting we've found has been in the Democrat enclave in Detroit.

The published emails were not altered in any way; their contents were true and original.

If a Democrat had gotten their hands on confidential GOP data and published it, they'd be up for a Nobel Prize. Yes, the GOP would scream about it, but not to this extent, especially if the info was especially damning. The only reason Dems are screaming about it is because the info was damning and they want the media to cover the source, not the data. Easy-peasy.

Gahrie said...

We were led to believe--and they asserted certainty--that Hussein was rebuilding has stocks of chemical weapons and nerve gas. He was not.

Pay no attention to all of those convoys going to Syria...especially not since Syria has actually used WMDs since then........

MayBee said...

Also from his op-ed:

"(As for the actual memorandum, I never saw it.


Yes, when he outed himself he admitted he hadn't seen it.

But when he was anonymous and talking to Kristof: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/opinion/missing-in-action-truth.html

I'm told by a person involved in the Niger caper that more than a year ago the vice president's office asked for an investigation of the uranium deal, so a former U.S. ambassador to Africa was dispatched to Niger. In February 2002, according to someone present at the meetings, that envoy reported to the C.I.A. and State Department that the information was unequivocally wrong and that the documents had been forged.

The envoy reported, for example, that a Niger minister whose signature was on one of the documents had in fact been out of office for more than a decade. In addition, the Niger mining program was structured so that the uranium diversion had been impossible. The envoy's debunking of the forgery was passed around the administration and seemed to be accepted -- except that President Bush and the State Department kept citing it anyway.

''It's disingenuous for the State Department people to say they were bamboozled because they knew about this for a year,'' one insider said.

MayBee said...

Look at the ironic conclusion of that Kristof article from 2003

The C.I.A. was terribly damaged when William Casey, its director in the Reagan era, manipulated intelligence to exaggerate the Soviet threat in Central America to whip up support for Ronald Reagan's policies. Now something is again rotten in the state of Spookdom.

Like it's ripped from today's headlines!

Michael K said...

trump and his businesses are very aligned with putin.

This, Gwash, puts you in Cook territory as far as I am concerned. You and Cookie come across as nuts of the Daily Kos variety.

Wilson, like many, many retired State Department employees has been hired by the Saudis at a nice salary for which they have to do nothing but the Saudi line.

There was no justification to send him on any "mission" to Niger. He was recommended by his wife who was still at CIA, not in a secret position. The Saudis did not want us to invade Iraq. They considered Saddam an ally against Iran.

I think Armitage made his mistake unwittingly. What is despicable is Fitzgerald pursuing Libby after he knew where the leak came from.

Hagar said...

John Brennan, James Comey, and Jim "Least untruthful answer" Clapper - worst reference to authority.

Scott said...

MayBee said...

"Interfering"
"Hacking"

Is the extent of what Russia supposedly did is hacking or publishing the DNC and Podesta emails? Is that it?
Or is there more, something actually substantial?
12/16/16, 11:14 AM


Well this is what we know. Someone who was using Russian-developed exploits and has been linked to suspected Russian hacks managed to get into the DNC's email system thanks to incredibly shoddy IT work and network security. Podesta fell for a spearphishing email that was supposedly from google telling him that his GMail password was compromised, so he clicked on the link versus going to google and changing it at the official website. Meanwhile there was an unsuccessful attempt to get into the RNC's network by similar methods.

Once the emails were stolen they were dumped through suspected Russian front organizations like Wikileaks. Note at this point when this hit the news back in June, the RNC requested the FBI take a look at their system, which is how we found out that there was a failed attempt to compromise the RNC.Also, as far as we know, the information int he emails and content of them was legitimate, and certainly everyone has acted as if they were (IE firing Wasserman-Schultz and Donna Brazile).

Now, as to motive, this is much harder to determine unless someone working for the CIA was listening in at the policy level when the orders were given by Putin to do this. Or, of course, unless we tapped Putin's phone and have tapes of him giving orders. Personally, with Clinton compromised, and Trump a total unknown, it would make more sense for Putin to face a weakened president Clinton, who he presumably had lots of blackmail info on from this and other hacks into her private email, versus a total loose cannon. Also, if, in fact, the Russians had figured out Trump would win, that puts them ahead of everyone else studying the race.

Now, all these things rise on the level of business as normal in international affairs, certainly blackmail and compromise is an old, old tune, if not to this level of publicity. That said, there is zero evidence that any attempt was made to actually hack into the mechanisms of voting by the Russians, although there's reports someone in DHS tried to hack the state of Georgia's voting mechanisms.

HT said...


This is a CIA "false flag" op, the Russians actually had nothing to do with anything, it's the CIA behind all of it, making it look like the Russians did it.

David Begley said...

Obama is 100% behind this CIA leak. He wants to weaken Trump. Typical Ivy smart duping of the American people. Russia. Bad!



Now I'm hearing the pro Trump FBI (that is how we're dividing these 2 organizations right?) agrees with the CIA.

Oh, who can keep up.

The thing is, the thing that I rarely hear mentioned is the reason for Trump's affinity for Russia. It's not just that Putin is a strong leader and he admires him, but it's also that Russia is pursuing the same enemies Trump sees: Muslims or Islamic terrorists (which Obama is also pursing and killing). But what's the plan here? Anyway, that to me was always very obvious - that Trump and Putin have the same enemies.

Second, Trump beat Hillary, I sometimes wonder if he's also not fashioning a way to also beat Obama.

HT said...

Everyone also says that Hillary lost because she was a bad candidate. And I did not vote for her, so yes, I agree to an extent. However, I also question the impact of learning only about the DNC and their emails and the imbalance created by not learning about the RNC's laundry. Maybe there was nothing there. Maybe there was. And yes, of course, Donald Trump, a man with zero government experience would seem to make him a weak candidate. One of the reasons I and maybe millions of others did not vote for him.

Hagar said...

Does "Hillary was a bad candidate" also explain the 2/3+/- Republican state governors, legislatures, local councils and commissions, etc.?

HT said...

No, and if you read my comment, I did not say anything implying that it does.

JAORE said...

" What is despicable is Fitzgerald pursuing Libby after he knew where the leak came from."

Equally so Colin Powell staying silent during the investigation of Libby (close to Cheney) when he knew Armitage (close to him) was the culprit.

I have him on my list of men of honor until that point.

Meade said...

Oct. 27, 2013: A malfunction brought the ObamaCare website down.

Does anyone know for sure that the "malfunction" wasn't due to Russian hackers?

JamesB.BKK said...

It's fun to see lefties talking up America as a "great country" and acknowledging that there were WMDs in Iraq, if not "massive stockpiles," and talking about pulling together as a team. How refreshing, even if too many ellipses and no capitalization. Situational rhetoric at its finest. Pretty soon we might be reading about how the acts of the US government in what remains of Libya and Syria are indeed "Wars for Oil!" Protests to begin January 21?

JamesB.BKK said...

That rascal Putin hacked Democratic Party operatives and candidates and made them into repulsive jerks. It is a danger to our Republic that the people have received too much truthful information about them.

JamesB.BKK said...

HT: There is anyone in DC that is "pro" Trump? Do tell. All I can hear is the shattering of the sluices, pipes, and conduits of large quantities of funds to the consultant class living in DC, Northern VA, and what remains of MD. There's no money in it for most of the crowd already there. We'll see.

JamesB.BKK said...

Unknown 575: Amidst your derision, could you explain what you think this text means? "Hi John, The realtor found a handkerchief (I think it has a map that seems pizza-related. Is it yours?" Asking for a friend.