The NSA Chief Says Russia Hacked the 2016 Election. Congress Must Investigate.

[deminks]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/11/will-congress-investigate-russian-interference-2016-campaign

Despite all the news being generated by the change of power underway in Washington, there is one story this week that deserves top priority: Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. On Tuesday, the director of the National Security Agency, Admiral Michael Rogers, was asked about the WikiLeaks release of hacked information during the campaign, and he said, "This was a conscious effort by a nation-state to attempt to achieve a specific effect." He added, "This was not something that was done casually. This was not something that was done by chance. This was not a target that was selected purely arbitrarily."

This was a stunning statement that has echoed other remarks from senior US officials. He was saying that Russia directly intervened in the US election to obtain a desired end: presumably to undermine confidence in US elections or to elect Donald Trump—or both. Rogers was clearly accusing Vladimir Putin of meddling with American democracy. This is news worthy of bold and large front-page headlines—and investigation. Presumably intelligence and law enforcement agencies are robustly probing the hacking of political targets attributed to Russia. But there is another inquiry that is necessary: a full-fledged congressional investigation that holds public hearings and releases its findings to the citizenry.

If the FBI, CIA, and other intelligence agencies are digging into the Russian effort to affect US politics, there is no guarantee that what they uncover will be shared with the public. Intelligence investigations often remain secret for the obvious reasons: they involve classified information. And law enforcement investigations—which focus on whether crimes have been committed—are supposed to remain secret until they produce indictments. (And then only information pertinent to the prosecution of a case is released, though the feds might have collected much more.) The investigative activities of these agencies are not designed for public enlightenment or assurance. That's the job of Congress.

(snip)

The possibility that a foreign government covertly interfered with US elections to achieve a particular outcome is staggering and raises the most profound concerns about governance within the United States. An investigation into this matter should not be relegated to the secret corners of the FBI or the CIA. The public has the right to know if Putin or anyone else corrupted the political mechanisms of the nation. There already is reason to be suspicious. Without a thorough examination, there will be more cause to question American democracy.

(end snip)

[Stuart G]

1. Yes, I agree...but what will happen??

[jimlup]

4. Nothing

because Putin has the useful idiot Trump in his back pocket.

[MiniMe]

5. I think it is more that...

Trump is the useful idiot in Putin's back pocket

[Raster]

2. YES, and across the board the hacking was to benefit one candidate...

...Donald Trump. And while the NSA is at it, perhaps they should look at the relationship(s) between Rudy Ghouliani, James Comey, Steve Bannon and the rogue "Never Hillary" faction at the New York office of the FBI.

The fact that the head of the NSA is calling interference by a foreign state -Russia- to influence our elections is astounding. WHAT IS EVEN MORE ASTOUNDING IS THAT THE REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS SEEM TO HAVE NOTHING TO SAY. Where is their grinding, abrasive patriotism now? Where is their wrap-ourselves-in-the-flag national outrage?

[Wilms]

3. Why not go straight to war?

[stopbush]

6. Unless Putin sent an email to Hillary, the media

will ignore this story. Entirely.

[Baitball Blogger]

7. Russia found our weakest link.

1984 style Republicans who are so easily emotionally manipulated that they can't keep track from one week to the next whether we're fighting Oceania, Euroasia, or Eastasia.

[BainsBane]

8. He didn't say they hacked the election.

But rather they interfered through Wikileaks and the hacks of the DNC and Podest emails.

[malaise]

9. A ReTHUG Congress will investigate?

Pigs will fly first

[lefthandedskyhook]

10. We knew it would be dirty

How else could they win? The greatest tragedy right now is the SCOTUS open seat arrived at by violating the Constitution.

They will self destruct... but when?

[CrispyQ]

15. Only after they've done a shit load of damage, will people see the truth.

And even then, some won't.

Bush talked about a trifecta, but the GOP now has one.

[Ligyron]

11. Oh, wait til Putin starts dumping what he has on Trump to wikileaks.

His whole propaganda scheme is to destabilize western style democracies and create a distrust of their governments by the populist.
Things will get interesting I'm sure.

[lpbk2713]

12. Not gonna happen.

Not with all three branches of govt stacked in favor of the rethugs.

[ThoughtCriminal]

13. Putin had the cooperation of the FBI in this effort

I'm sure the FBI will devote considerable effort to keeping everybody distracted from the trail.

[alittlelark]

14. Wish I could rec this 1000 times......