Intelligence Chief Defends Finding Russia Meddled in Election

Wall Street Journal ^ | Jan. 5, 2017 | Shane Harris and Paul Sonne

[TheTimeOfMan]

These idiots have zero credibility. Further, to state that a Russian hacking operation was amateurish instantly tells me the ‘report’ is garbage.

[Steve_Seattle]

The article in your link referenced the pathetic 13-page report released last week, not the broader information discussed today.

[indthkr]

Intel community BS bump for later.....

[Robert357]

“....“I don’t think we’ve ever encountered a more aggressive or direct campaign to interfere in our election process,” he said.....”

Obviously he is ignoring how the DNC interfered with the primary candidate selection/election process. OMG, did I actually say that? ITS TRUE, but the Obama Administration is only interested in delegitimizing Trump.

I hope that after the briefing Trump starts tweeting to refocus this to point out that while Obama intelligence agencies are arguing that Russians tried via dirty tricks to influence the outcome of the US election, by exposing how the DNC and Hillary were using dirty tricks to influence the outcome of the US election. Oh My!

[Steve_Seattle]

I am hearing what sounds like a lot of deliberate misdirection from people who are supposed to be intelligent (i.e., intelligence officials). Everything is being conflated, and it is spreading in wider circles every week.

"Hacked the election" is used instead of "hacked the DNC."

"Interfered in the election" is used instead of "released genuine, unedited emails."

"Spread fake news" is used to suggest that the leaked emails were faked.

The idea of "fake news" influencing the election spread like wildfire among the media, but there is no evidence put forth that "fake news" changed many votes.

And they are acting like these hacks of civilian targets are more serious and unprecedented than the hacks of federal government databases - including national security databases - that have been going on for years.

The question of "Did the Russians do it?" is - to me - secondary to the question, "Why is this, of all hacks that have occurred over the years, being given such unprecedented emphasis and publicity?"

To me, the answer can only be that they are trying to delegitimize Trump, and - for the first time in my life - I think powers within our own government might actually try to get rid of our own president. I know some people believe that's what happened to JFK, but I never believed that.

[Gator113]

Excellent and accurate interpretation.

[Flaming Conservative]

James Clapper said in this briefing that there was no election tampering by the Russians. PERIOD.

[Kickass Conservative]

They had better disconnect the Alarm Buttons and Security Cameras at the Bank.

Don’t want to interfere with Bank Robbery.

[proud American in Canada]

Will never believe it. The Russians had nothing to do with her loss. Too many counties, precincts, etc.

They are grasping at straws.

[proud American in Canada]

Exactly!!!!!

[Boomer]

Since the Russians didn’t fiddle with the ballots; how exactly did they fiddle with the election? Oh; they must mean like the way Soros did by funneling hundreds of millions into liberal factions and groups of all kinds. No? Then I don’t get it.

Oh; more fake news! Now I get it.

[cherry]

what a whole bunch of junk....

the gorilla in the living question is WHAT THE HECK DID THE RUSSIANS DO TO AFFECT OUR ELECTION???

everybody and every nation had intel because of the Toon in the state dept and every muzzie placed in high places....

WE VOTED TRUMP IN, period....

[trebb]

Trump’s going to get rid of the upper filthy crust and replace them with reliable folks.

[SuziQ]

Hubby and I were talking about this this morning. Unless that US Ambassador has definitive proof the e-mails came from a disgruntled DNC employee, then Russian hackers could have done it, without knowledge of, or direction by the Russian govt.

There are computer hackers who are tasked with finding credit card numbers, passwords, etc, and are paid by groups that use the information. It's very possible that some hacker set up the phish that Podesta clicked on to, and when he saw what he had, sold it to his 'employers', who then sold it to Wikileaks, who then made it public.

It's hubby's opinion that Trump needs to task a Cyber Warfare group to track down hackers, and their bosses, and send them all to Guantanamo, because they ARE a clear and present danger to the economy of the US. Heck, he might even get Democrat support for this, since they're smarting from having lost the election so closely to Trump, and truly believe the leaked e-mails pushed enough people over the edge to either vote for Trump, or just stay home and NOT vote for Hillary.

[SuziQ]

Does no one give a damn about the most damning indications of corruption and perversion to ever have hit major players in the Us Political system? Is the substance simply not important?

That's why there is so much press about the 'Russian hackers'. It's deflection from the actual CONTENT of the e-mails.