Bernie Sanders briefed by U.S. officials that Russia is trying to help his presidential campaign

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Quote

 

U.S. officials have told Sen. Bernie Sanders that Russia is attempting to help his presidential campaign as part of an effort to interfere with the Democratic contest, according to people familiar with the matter.

President Trump and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have also been informed about the Russian assistance to the Vermont senator, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence.

It is not clear what form that Russian assistance has taken. U.S. prosecutors found a Russian effort in 2016 to use social media to boost Sanders’s campaign against Hillary Clinton, part of a broader effort to hurt Clinton, sow dissension in the American electorate and ultimately help elect Donald Trump.

“I don’t care, frankly, who Putin wants to be president,” Sanders said in a statement to The Washington Post. “My message to Putin is clear: Stay out of American elections, and as president I will make sure that you do.

 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/bernie-sanders-briefed-by-us-officials-that-russia-is-trying-to-help-his-presidential-campaign/2020/02/21/5ad396a6-54bd-11ea-929a-64efa7482a77_story.html

 

Yikes.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

That's cute, Bernie.  You're going to make sure no countries interfere with our elections?  When no president in the past 50 years has been able to do so?  Uh huh.  I suppose ole Bernie will stop the US from meddling in foreign elections, too?

[Ban Hammer 13,336]

well commies gotta stick together

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

tl;dr-> establishment candidates, the people that built their lives around this well-connected corruption mess people are increasingly tired of, are panicking over losing their grip on elections, employ "Russia" gaslight sledgehammer that would make Joseph McCarthy look normal. There's a clear reason why they haven't, and won't ever quantify this "Russia->election/votes" conspiracy trash. It's psychological games aimed at steering Americans in a direction they want, or else chaos.

 

Left or right, Americans are going the way of the populist, establishment are more than willing to destabilize the country to try and steer this ship back in the course they want it.

 

The obvious irony is it's the very people pushing Russia hysteria that want to control elections, as proven by their attempts to smear Trump, abuse power against Trump, overthrow Trump, interfere in the 2020 elections, etc. It's no surprise they do this to Bernie as well. 

 

I think Bernie is nuts, but I still want him to beat the corrupt piles of dog poo in the bureaus, media, etc. that think they're entitled to decide elections rather than the people. At this point, it's an all out assault on the voter. Unfortunate that the real enemy is in the US rather than "the Russians".

Edited February 21, 2020 by Burnt Reynolds

[Dashinka 24,494]

Wasn’t there a time when Democrats actively requested help from Russia/СССР for election meddling?

Edited February 21, 2020 by Bill & Katya

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

24 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

Wasn’t there a time when Democrats actively requested help from Russia/СССР for election meddling?

It's funny because both parties actively sought out "dirt" and smear/PR partnerships with at least 6-12 countries. 

 

No one bothers to ask why we don't hear about them in this same light of hyperbole. It's because their actual effect on the outcome of elections can't be quantified, and is largely infinitesimal. 

 

But, because plenty of people in the US (the aforementioned groups) invest countless time and money in psychologically screwing with the populace, it's easier to cater to irrationality (in-group/out-group bias, confirmation bias, etc.) than prove things.

 

They've been getting away with it for so long because they've been good at misdirecting people, which is precisely how, say, Congress can get close to a 0% approval rating but have a very high rate of incumbency. As much as we like to think of irrationality as something difficult to predict and control, the last century of psychological research and experimentation in the market and in politics has shown that irrationality can certainly be exploited and steered. And it's the very people motivated enough to do this that we need to be worried about. They've demonstrated they're perfectly fine with tearing the US apart either to make people hate the chaos (they've sowed) so much they'll acquiesce to whatever these people want, or the entire system gets blown apart.

 

So it's going to come down to how much of a spine the voter (from all political angles) has to stand up to the corrupt. Not by virtue signaling ("calling out"/"destroying"/"slams"/etc), but by actually doing something useful.. voting. 

Edited February 22, 2020 by Burnt Reynolds

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

50 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

Wasn’t there a time when Democrats actively requested help from Russia/СССР for election meddling?

Every election has had meddling for as long as I can remember.  And I know we (the US) has meddled in MANY foreign elections.

[laylalex 7,284]

It doesn't make it acceptable imo just because we've done it too. Other countries don't get a pass in some weird kind of "turnabout is fair play" scenario.

[Dashinka 24,494]

1 minute ago, ALFKAD said:

Every election has had meddling for as long as I can remember.  And I know we (the US) has meddled in MANY foreign elections.

You mean to tell me that a foreign country may have helped Barack Obama become President?  Say it’s not so.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

2 minutes ago, laylalex said:

It doesn't make it acceptable imo just because we've done it too. Other countries don't get a pass in some weird kind of "turnabout is fair play" scenario.

awww, does your fee fees hurt?  

 

It IS acceptable, because it has been done for centuries.  Only idiots wouldn't care about who it running other countries.  It ain't gonna stop just because you were born.

[laylalex 7,284]

15 minutes ago, ALFKAD said:

awww, does your fee fees hurt?  

 

It IS acceptable, because it has been done for centuries.  Only idiots wouldn't care about who it running other countries.  It ain't gonna stop just because you were born.

No, I'm only hurt in the sense that I'm a citizen and a patriot and it bothers me that foreign bad actors would interfere in our elections. I think this isn't a way out position to take.  

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

14 minutes ago, laylalex said:

No, I'm only hurt in the sense that I'm a citizen and a patriot and it bothers me that foreign bad actors would interfere in our elections. I think this isn't a way out position to take.  

Welcome to reality.  It has been going on since world governments have been different.  The play remains the same, only the players ever change.

 

Also, not all the actors are bad.  They simply want what is best for them.  Just like the US does.  I'd be willing to bet my next paycheck that the US has influenced more elections in the past 50 years than any 5 countries have influenced ours.

[Steeleballz 7,550]

2 hours ago, ALFKAD said:

That's cute, Bernie.  You're going to make sure no countries interfere with our elections?  When no president in the past 50 years has been able to do so?  Uh huh.  I suppose ole Bernie will stop the US from meddling in foreign elections, too?

 

  I'm not sure how Bernie would stop it, although I imagine there are ways to enhance cyber security and target bots. The good thing is Sanders is not in complete denial about it the way Trump is. As we have all seemed to acknowledge the existence of foreign interference, perhaps it is better that someone make an attempt at mitigating the effects rather than denying the existence.

[90DayFinancier 910]

1 hour ago, ALFKAD said:

Welcome to reality.  It has been going on since world governments have been different.  The play remains the same, only the players ever change.

 

Also, not all the actors are bad.  They simply want what is best for them.  Just like the US does.  I'd be willing to bet my next paycheck that the US has influenced more elections in the past 50 years than any 5 countries have influenced ours.

You have never lived in Finland or Sweden where Moscow always looms as a threat. Only a fool would give away their sovereignty. It was a founding doctrine of this country. 

See Washington, the President.

 

Smh that some seem ready to stick their heads somewhere because their candidates prevail, at the expense of freedom.

[90DayFinancier 910]

4 hours ago, Ban Hammer said:

well commies gotta stick together

Guess that makes Trump a trotskyist.