Not having learned a damn thing from its idiotic fake news story about fake news, the Washington Post continued its witch hunt on Russia, this time under the guise of an Op-Ed by Michael McFaul.
In the article, former US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, labels some extremely questionable opinions as “facts”.
Worse yet, McFaul directly attacks the first amendment in his alleged search for the facts: Let’s Get the Facts Right on Foreign Involvement in Our Elections
We know some facts, and they are disturbing. For instance, we know that Russian actors stole data from people working at the Democratic National Committee. We know that another foreign actor, WikiLeaks, published data stolen from the DNC to adversely affect Clinton. We also know that WikiLeaks and others published data stolen from John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, in order to try to damage further the Democratic candidate. We also know that WikiLeaks did not publish similar kinds of data from the Trump campaign or the Republican Party.
We do not know precisely if the Russian government or its intermediaries transferred the data they stole to WikiLeaks. We do not know with certainty if the Russian government (or any other actor) stole data from Trump and the Republican Party but chose not to release it to WikiLeaks. We do not know if WikiLeaks had obtained data on Trump and the Republican Party but made an editorial decision not to release this information.
We also know that Russian hackers were probing computers that contained information on voter registration, and poking around at actual voting machines and tabulators. Thankfully, this clear Russian capacity to disrupt Election Day activities, including vote counting, does not seem to have led to actions influencing the election outcome.
In addition, we know that Russian-government-controlled “media” outlets such as RT and Sputnik campaigned openly for one candidate, Donald Trump. Sputnik even tweeted the hashtag #CrookedHillary. We have laws preventing foreign governments from contributing financial support to candidates. Should we have similar laws about in-kind support? Such regulation seems hard, in tension with our First Amendment, but shouldn’t our lawmakers wrestle with the issue?
Disturbing Questions
McFaul admits there are some things he doesn’t know. But much of what he alleges to know is a lie. He does not “know” it was Russia that stole any data.
If he does know, let’s see the proof.
Some of the attacks in his Op-ed appear as if they were written by an eighth grader.
“Sputnik tweeted #Crooked Hillary,” whines McFaul.
Mercy, how horrendous. Would he have been as upset if Sputnik tweeted “#Crooked Trump”?
McFaul attempts to disguise a blatant attack on the first amendment by posing a ridiculous, and disturbing question: “Should we have similar laws about in-kind support? Such regulation seems hard, in tension with our First Amendment, but shouldn’t our lawmakers wrestle with the issue?,” asks McFaul.
No, our lawmakers have no business wrestling with the first amendment. Nor does McFaul, nor anyone else.
McFaul goes on: “Should Sputnik and RT employees be accredited as journalists or as foreign agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act? I don’t know,” says McFaul.
I do know. And anyone who doesn’t know the answer is no, does not believe in the first amendment.
McFaul and his ilk are very dangerous. He did not get the election result he wanted, so he blames the press, makes unsubstantiated allegations, and questions freedom of Speech.
WaPo Scores Again
The Washington Post should have trashed such nonsense. Instead it posted McFaul ‘s allegations and twisted opinions as “facts”.
For the second time in recent days, I suspect WaPo will be under attack for fake news, this time containing an attack on the first amendment hidden in the form of questions.
For discussion of WaPo other recent errors, please see:
- Washington Post Thoroughly Discredits Itself With McCarthy-Style Smear Campaign Against ZeroHedge, Naked Capitalism, Truth-Out 200+ Others
- Naked Capitalism Threatens Lawsuit Against Washington Post Over “Fake News” Story; Obama Starts Russia Witch Hunt
By posting McFaul’s preposterous Op-Ed, the Washington Post further fueled the Russian witch hunt, while simultaneously questioning the first amendment.
Ultimate Irony
The stunning hypocricy in this mad witch hunt is direct US interference in foreign governments.
The US overthrew the Shah of Iran with disastrous consequences, overthrew Sadaam Hussein with disastrous consequences, and interfered in Cuba, Chile, Afghanistan, Libya and numerous other places with disastrous consequences.
But here is the ultimate irony of them all:
Time Magazine Boasts of US Interference in Russia Elections
After Yeltsin won, he did not do what the US wanted so we tried to get rid of him.
By the way, I have one final question:
What information did Wikileaks publish about Hillary that was not factual?
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Mish, this is a Huge issue and we need facts. I can imagine if HRC had won and then it came out that “allegedly” the Russians or anyone else had “allegedly” helped her. Then up-roar and non-stop coverage on Faux News and Right Wing talk radio would be deafening. I think people of BOTH political parties should want to know the FACTS and IF there was truly foreign interference in our elections then what do we do about it and how do we prevent i from happening in 2018 and 2020?
Mexico blatantly interfered in the election, to no avail. Obama and everyone in national security has said there are NO facts to be known. Tell your paymaster Soros to stop interfering in our elections….
What you are witnessing is the crescendo period in a multiple-perception-management-firm orchestrated attempt to create a vast public outcry to influence and flip the electors who will hold their election one week from Monday next. Other inputs to the electors are organized threats, promises, inducements and bribes.
The real key to the success of the attempt will be the willingness of key Republican officeholders of stature to redistance themselves from the presumptive President-Elect over the next few days and then speak out against him. (A person … Senate staff … in a position to know stated that John McCain actually reverted to that terminology, “presumptive”, in a conference call this afternoon.)
McCain (who absolutely hates DJT) and Graham (who absolutely despises him) have already flipped. Kasich seems to be a mugwump, publicly supporting DJT while privatly making multiple denunciatory calls.
Listen carefully to the nuances of every statement emanating from Paul Ryan. If he gives even the slightest hint of redistancing, that will be the indication or tell that this election could go into the House.
DJT, to his credit, fully understands this ploy (primarily due to the input of one Kellyanne Conway) and that is why he is landing on the story like a ton of bricks on a piece of shyte. And so is Kellyanne. Further, the RNC/Transition has established its own whip operation to hold the electors in line.
Make no mistake here, this has nothing to do with annoying DJT during the transition or weakening him in office, but has everything to do with actually preventing him from ever entering into the Presidency.
The Clintons, Obamas and Soros are truly the most diabolical figures in the last 100 years of political history, Richard Nixon and Spiro T. (may I have the envelope please) Agnew included.
One can only hope that the scheme fails, and one week from tomorrow we will know.
Is there a futures market in betting whether Trump is inaugurated? Whose money can I take?
Frankly, I think that DJT will slip by … just barely, say 277 votes.
And if he does, he should “return the favor” to the Obamas when he walks them down the steps for their last ride on Marine One to Andrews by having the craft lift off prior to their boarding.
And when they inquire regarding what just happened he can respond,
“Looks like you will need to secure other transportation.
Move along now, boy”
And if they fail, rest assured, these sociopathic Collectivist will not stop. Attempted assasination, war, and who knows what else they will do to protect their perks and power.
there is a massive ongoing attempt to steal this election, if the repub leaders waffle on this they deserve to be marginalized forever, join the whigs and the rest of the usedtobees
Hi Garry,
how about this. After Trump takes office, we have a special prosecutor look into this. If the Democrats are discovered to have politicized the CIA, I would assume that is a criminal offense. Just as criminal as a hacked election. A trial with witnesses under oath should be a good thing, right?
The MO of the Democratic establishment is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. They seem willing to destroy democracy because they don’t like the possibility of adverse results. If it’s civil war they are after, they will get it in spades.
The issue is it will be very bad for the economy, as capital will flee. Unfortunately, unless Trump can lock up the Sr. nut jobs, and we start teaching real history, economics, and civics to the youth, we are headed for another historical rough patch.
Rather dire prediction! If Trump is denied the presidency via some fiddling with the electoral college and violence results who will the national guard, militarized police and the armed forces back? Trump and his supporters or the Establishment as they walk all over the constitution “protecting” Americans? This could very easily get out of control…. Think Ferguson riots in your neighbourhood, for weeks or months. I can not see anyone pushing this that far. it is all just smoke and mirrors to weaken or discredit the result. God i hope i am right!
Mark my words — if the will of the electorate is subverted, there will be violence within the USA on a scale not seen since 1865. The good news is that, while non-zero, the chance of Trump not being inaugurated is VANISHINGLY small.
That “fiddling” is exactly why the founding fathers gave us the electoral college. Their job, should the situation arise, is to stop people like Donald Trump from becoming president.
As for the threatened violence that’s becoming SOP for the rightwing. These days they’re always threatening violence if they don’t get their way
You’ve got to be kidding Arthur. It’s not the right wing that’s rioting & destroying businesses in Oakland, CA. It’s not the right wing that paid to incite violence at Trump rallies. It isn’t the right wing that blocked traffic on Interstate highways & beat motorists for having a bumper sticker on their car. The left wing “party of tolerance” owns that behavior.
During the campaign the mass media denounced Trump for suggesting he might not accept election results. But now that Hillary supporters are trying to derail Trump victory the presstitutes are singing a different tune. Unbelievable HYPOCRISY.
Which is what liberals do best….
From the fake news site of Mark Dice, Lol.
McFaul is a long-time infamous Russia hater. So this new attack against Russia is just more of the same. I was surprised when he was appointed US ambassador to Russia… Obama’s ‘in your face’ insult to Putin.
These imbeciles are still living in the 50s. Nobody’s afraid of Russia any more, and they’ll fail trying to reignite that fear.
Both the democrats and republicans are owned by the MIC/media/bankers and other lobbyists. They need a boogie man to keep stoking big military budgets. That budget is as large as it is because they are able to justify needing to fight 2 WWII style wars AT THE SAME TIME. So we cannot be at peace, and have not been since the 40s.
It’s all just about money.
agreed…………………are you investing in marjiuna in any way?
These NEO-MARXISTS will just keep doubling down on the same insane strategy until it either works, or they get their heads handed to them (literally).
Yes…There was foreign influence in our elections
And his name is George Soros
In 1999 Yeltsin began a series of appointing and firing prime ministers. Then Yeltsin appointed little-known Putin as PM August 1999. The West’s logical assumption, Putin would also be temporary. Then came the big surprise on Y2K eve… Yeltsin suddenly resigned putting Putin in power. Putin has been confounding his enemies ever since.
McFaul has been attacking Putin since Putin came to power. I saved a news article from January 2001 [right after Putin came to power] that quotes McFaul attacking Putin as a “dictator.” Hillary losing the election is just one more excuse for McFaul to go ballistic against Putin once again.
What we know is nothing. No proof. Show the actual proof, the IP addresses of those that hacked. The basis of most of this is that the general public is well not intelligent enough to figure it out. Some one said. That’s enough proof.
Hillary lost the election that was given to her. No doubt at all.
http://img.memecdn.com/rigged-votingmachines-tearing-up-ballots-registring-dead-people-and-still-lost_o_7000847.jpg
What’s the fuss over whether the DNC e-mails made public were hacked & exposed by Russian hackers or others?
There is no reason to question the credibility of U.S. Intelligent Communities assessment that Russian hackers were involved. Interference with democratic elections around the world has been a hallmark of major power foreign intelligence agencies covert operations at least continually after WWII. It cannot be a surprise that Russian & other foreign “hackers” may up to mischief. Certainly, we know this is historically true of the U.S.’s C.I.A. involvement in foreign elections.
Usually, this is accomplished through dissemination of propaganda (fake news), sowing lies in the media about the disfavored candidate, slandering him or her, purposeful distortions of statements, and “spinning” knowingly false narratives.
Does the hacking & accurate publishing of a candidate or political surrogates’ private e-mails concerning campaign tactics & issues constitute “propaganda”, slander, or “spinning” of false narratives? Certainly, such activity is an invasion of privacy, and may even be criminal….but if published accurately, so what? Certain foreign involvement in campaigns is specifically prohibited; accepting foreign donations to a political campaign is illegal, for example.
Assume Russian agents hacked the DNC & caused the e-mails to be published. Assume they did so because Putin preferred Trump to Clinton. So what?
It is no secret that HRC holds very negative views toward Putin & would like to change Putin’s regime in Russia as much as Assad’s in Syria. The anti-Russian hostility exhibited by the Obama/Clinton/Kerry foreign policy is known throughout the world.
Obama/Clinton/Kerry foreign policies have resulted in chaos in the Middle East and have inundated Turkey, and Europe with millions of refugees. Trump has been critical of those policies, going so far as to blame them for the creation of ISIS. He ran as the “change” candidate.
Obama/Clinton/Kerry foreign policies have overtly & covertly been provocative & hostile toward Russia by pushing NATO to the very boarders of Russia, supporting anti-Russian regime change in the Ukraine, and jeopardizing Russian control & access to Crimea & its warm water ports. Trump has raised legitimate questions about NATO, its mission, the burden of its expense on the American taxpayer, and lack of financial support by member nations. Trump was the “change” candidate.
Putin may well prefer Trump to Clinton. He may not be any more interested in war with America than Americans are interested in war with Russia. Would Putin vote for a change in the hostile, saber rattling, provocative, interventionist foreign policy of Obama/Clinton/Kerry…..you bet. So would I. Hopefully, Trump & Putin can figure out a way to lessen tensions & work together to resolve the mess in the Middle East.
If Russian hackers exposed the Truth, God bless em.
I wonder how many Democrats have had to seek counselling.
Now they have an idea what post traumatic stress is except this has only been an election defeat and not a full metal jacket combat situation.
According to the Klingon Post he also blames the Klingons over Hillary’s loss.
Post tlhIngan:
yInbe’taHbogh tlhInganpu’ pIch u.s. Duypu’ HIv wa’DIch ammendment, rIn Loss hillary
Way to go Mish. Right on point. Somehow Bezos is behind this.
Wow, you guys are pretty funny over there, who runs your country is decided by the emails of a contender. I really can’t figure that one out for you but I have to admit it is an original approach, is it based on literary content or just sheer volume? I can understand Russia wanting to help out, I thought they would be helping Trump though, maybe he didn’t need any help so he just left them to it?
Anyway, it is not good manners to complain and blame people who are helping, even if it makes you look weak or you think their efforts are misplaced. I am sure we will all learn from this, quantity is no good without some quality, even Wikileaks is losing reputation on that one, but then you know some people stoop to anything for a little credibility, probably why they want to use your constitution as approval. Ha, you guys know how to market anything…
Tooteloo from over the pond.
Note that Ambassador McFoul-nasty-pants does not (and can not) refute the veracity of any information released by Wikileaks. These asshole, fascists are just pissed that the truth was made public.
Rot in hell, Ambassador.
Have to hope it is just ‘Look, a distraction! ‘ while they disappear, but I get the impression it is more sinister.
Kinda funny how Trump has less than a month to be sworn in and congress keeps falling in line with same old direction. Let’s see how much it really changes after Trump gets in.
Bill 6393 already passed the house earlier this week, and senate 2 days ago.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-12-10/senate-quietly-passes-countering-disinformation-and-propaganda-act
Nice post Mish and well supported.
I wish politicians everywhere would stop acting like kindergarten kids and get on with looking after their citizen’s, protecting common human rights (instead of theirs) and looking after business of benefit to the community that pays their bills and exorbitant privelege.
As for McFaul, I don’t know him but how come a trained soldier, trained blindly and brutally leverage gain and forced to follow orders knows anything about politics and independent thought.
Sorry – correction. I looked up McFaul and he was not a trained soldier Wikepedia reports that – the Daily Beast described McFaul as “an earnest Stanford academic”.
Made me look up the Wiki on him….
“On January 17, 2012 soon after McFaul was appointed the new United States Ambassador to Russia and arrived in Moscow to assume his post, a number of organizers and prominent participants of the 2011 Russian protests, as well as some prominent figures of the Russian opposition parties, visited the Embassy of the United States in Moscow. On the entrance to the embassy they were encountered by TV journalists who asked them why they were visiting the new Ambassador.[13] On the video later released on YouTube[14] and titled “Получение инструкций в посольстве США” (Receiving instructions in the Embassy of the United States) opposition activists appear flustered by the unexpected media attention. ”
Don’t know if I should laugh or what.
“…accredited as journalists…” Who is the character proposing that journalists should be accredited? What does he think is, Europe?
And the available data suggests that whoever did indeed release all the matching Republican data. That;s all the data showing the RNC Chair rigging the nomination for Trump. Oh, right, that data fits in a file of zero bytes.
The data on the DNC was only harmful to their candidate because of what the files said.
Nobody has claimed the WikiLeaks are fake. Had anyone hacked the RNC they’d have seen months of the #NeverTrumpers at work until the convention. The one thing they’d not see is the collusion of the media.
Exactly.
“We know some facts, and they are disturbing. For instance, we know that Russian actors stole data from people working at the Democratic National Committee.”
It is very disturbing that McFaul is peddling fiction.
McFaul Tweet: “I dont know the truth about foreign involvement in our elections.”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-12-11/ex-us-ambassador-russia-calls-labeling-rt-and-sputnik-foreign-agents
Hillary Clinton wanted someone to take-out Julian Asange and Edward Snowden, that is to kill both of them.
So there should be no surprise that WikiLeaks would publish as much true dirt on Hillary as possible.
When it is all true and factual it should be called Real News. It is our U.S. Corporate Media that is publishing Fake News supplied by Hillary supporters who believe that “The End Justifies The Means”.
I did not expect Trump to win, but with 32 electoral votes over the required 270 I fully accept that he won as per the Constitution and deserves to hold office.
He can make the U.S. Constitution Great Again and the other two co-equal branches have to flex their Constitutional powers to complete the job.
Does Max Keiser still podcast on RT? I know the lovely Lauren Lyster has moved on, but the least McFaul could do was fire a shot or two at Max.
As for Assange, I do expect somebody will try and take him out. He must keep personal security an utmost priority.
Here is my opinion, “I don’t think that Russia hacked DNC computers and “rigged” our election in favor of D. J. Trump” and even if they did we are as guilty for trying to rig their political processes. When you have any internet system there are going to be lots of problems with security issues. Let’s face the problem head on, there will never be a totally secure system: Someone some where is hack it. It will be an on going “one up-man-ship issue forever.
“EVERYONE HAS A PLAN….UNTIL THEY GET PUNCHED IN THE FACE”.
Mike Tyson – Former Heavyweight Champion of the World
Poor 1/10th of 1%. We feel your pain…..especially your’s, David Rockefeller, and your associates in crime.
After a LIFE-TIME effort to establish and operate the SHADOW governments of so many nations around the world, and to install your monopolistic control of their most important industries and financial systems … and then to be kicked in the teeth by a TRUMP victory over your annointed bitch … and to come to awareness that others can play the “color revolution” game …well, it must be a TEMPER TANTRUM moment for you.
Of course, it does nothing for me and anyone else who still clings to the shredded documents of the BILL OF RIGHTS and the US CONSTITUTION.
But it does, if only for a brief moment, ease OUR pain.
Why does John Podesta have a Top Secret security clearance? He is not even employed by the government.
Why does Soros’ group Correct The Record keep its army of internet trolls busy expanding even more fake news a full month after the election? What are they up to and who are they working for?
The funny thing is that they think we are supposed to believe this propaganda, as one actor after another comes out to claim Russia interfered in our election. It seems they doth protest too much.
Meanwhile, there were numerous foreign donors to the Clinton Foundation, which would not have occurred, except that they expected something in return for their millions. What interference did Saudi Arabia have on our election? The sound of crickets chirping.
There in lies the truth.
This is why politicians are sickening. This country has many real problems but they obsess about trivial crap. McCain makes me sick. He is a neoconservative hawk along with his ilk who will jump on this bandwagon. This has gotten so bad the head if the CIA and FBI are going to have to hold a joint press conference to clear this up. Sources say……is political talk for RUMOR.
We do know it was Russia. That has been determined beyond a shadow of a doubt. Except for useful idiots like you who carry water for Putin. What’s really going on here is this anti liberal derangement you rightwingers have. I don’t mean anti liberal like you just disagree with us, I mean a mental illness where no matter what we do you see as evil and anything that happens that results in something unfortunate for us you see as good, no matter what it is. This is why you are mentally unable to realize that what Russia did isn’t just bad for Democrats, it’s bad for America. You are unable to comprehend that because you can’t get past the fact that it cost us the election. And right there you determine that what Russia did was good.
“The Washington Post should have trashed such nonsense. Instead it posted McFaul‘s allegations and twisted opinions as “facts”.”
Did you even see your own link? It very clearly says “Global Opinions Opinion” above the title
It would help if you could think instead of parroting Hillary crap and anti-Russia crap
Liberal progressives are hysterical. Every pejorative they sling at others is merely an affirmation of their character flaws. From racism, to narrow-mindedness, to blind, slavish acceptance of their party dogma.
Shame on you.
Arthur – In case you did not receive the memo, Clinton’s “Correct the Record” Super-Pac is insolvent and they are not going to pay your social media trolling invoices, $0.05 per comment.
The recent revelations that some or even much of the news we see may be “fake” should not shock us. Confirming that someone else has been less than forthright does not elevate institutions such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, or PBS to a higher level. The article below calls for us to question all we are told or see.
http://brucewilds.blogspot.com/2016/12/fake-news-revelations-should-not-shock.html
if you really want to waste your time, try my neighbor (in USA). he spent so much time making things up and posting on line against both Hillary and Trump. he called it his full time job.
And for a more recent example of U.S. meddling, just look at Obama’s comments before the Brexit vote (h/t David F. Friedman).
Mish, I’d like to see you take McFaul’s folly and replace Clinton with Trump, and all the accused with the NYT…would make for a good read 🙂
“We have laws preventing foreign governments from contributing financial support to candidates.”
Somehow the Clinton Foundation must be skirting those laws.
To even think I voted Democrat and Obama in the past, makes me cringe in shame now because of the most stupid rhetoric they are spewing about Hillary’s loss to Trump. First they demanded a recount using Jill Stein as a guinea pig, which backfired on them because it was Trump who gained from the recount. Now they blame Russian hacking into our election system in favor of Trump! When this attempt too fails, what’s next? Probably Aliens from another planet using extra terrestrial powers to change Hillary’s votes for Trump? Am I glad I voted for Trump !