emptywheel

2016 Presidential Election, Cybersecurity, Russian hacks

Obama's Response to Russia's Hack: An Emphasis on America's More Generalized Vulnerability

/

December 18, 2016

/

I liked Obama's statements on the Russian hacking Friday far more than most Democrats, who are furious he wasn't more belligerent. But Obama noted, correctly, that the real problem is America's existing political vulnerability, which would exist even if we nuked Putin off the face of the earth.

Football, Trash Talk

Trash Talk - Week 15

/

December 18, 2016

/

I started on several versions of Trash Talk only in order to make it all less political. Trash will not always be non-political, but I will try. Kind of. So, Eagles cannot play with the Ravens today. Maybe next year, but not today. Who cares…

Liberal Bubbles and Conservative Intellectuals

/

December 17, 2016

/

Conservative thinkers are happy to ride to power on the coattails of those who distort the national discourse with lies, crackpot ideas and conspiracy theories.

2016 Presidential Election, Russian hacks

Russian Hack-Related Excerpts from President Obama's Press Conference

/

December 17, 2016

/

There are the excerpts from President Obama's press conference pertaining to the Russian hack.

2016 Presidential Election, Russian hacks

Just Before Obama Weighs in on the Russian Hack, John Brennan Tells Everyone What He Says Others Said

/

December 16, 2016

/

CIA totally stomped on President Obama's last press conference today. Who says Vladimir Putin is the only one who is good at Information Operations?

2016 Presidential Election, Cybersecurity, Russian hacks

The DNC's Evolving Story about When They Knew They Were Targeted by Russia

/

December 16, 2016

/

The DNC complains the FBI didn't warn that its hackers might be Russia until November 2015. Except the DNC did Google "the dukes" the same month a big report tying that group to Russia.

Craig Murray's Description of WikiLeaks' Sources

/

December 15, 2016

/

Craig Murray says Russians are not Wikileaks' source. Here's why I don't buy that.

Dealing With Trump Voters

/

December 14, 2016

/

Let the Trump voters hang out together. You don't have to be anywhere near them.

2016 Presidential Election, Health Policy

Democrats Can Do Better than "Wonk Harder" on ObamaCare Going Forward

/

December 14, 2016

/

Democrats seem to be taking the wrong lessons about ObamaCare from the election of Donald Trump. Even those who are thoughtfully trying to improve the program -- rather than just dismissing people who made real decisions including ObamaCare's import --are missing the opportunity to fix the structural problems with ObamaCare.

2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel

"Jim Comey thinks he was handed a shit sandwich"

/

December 14, 2016

/

Tim Weiner really should stick to history. Because to suggest that Jim Comey is the one who got dealt a shit sandwich this year takes hagiography to a whole new level.

2016 Presidential Election, Russian hacks

The NYT's Legitimate Email Detail

/

December 13, 2016

/

In a story describing the DNC hack in the light most favorable to the Democrats the NYT repeats a claim about the John Podesta hack that makes no sense.

2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Russian hacks

Why Is CIA Avoiding the Conclusion that Putin Hacked Hillary to Retaliate for Its Covert Actions?

/

December 12, 2016

/

The most logical explanation for why Russia hacked Hillary Clinton is the one the CIA hasn't included in its many leaks to the press: that it was retaliation for 4 prior perceived and real US interventions in the government of other countries, including Russia itself as well as three countries that are key Russian interests.

2016 Presidential Election, Health Policy

The ObamaCare Not Comey Effect

/

December 11, 2016

/

A chart purportedly showing the Comey effect better illustrates the ObamaCare spike effect.

Week 14 Trash Talk

/

December 11, 2016

/

Going to be a fairly quick Trash today, have some other things requiring attention. No college football this weekend, save for the Army Navy game. Have to say, it was as good of a Army/Navy game as I remember seeing, certainly anytime recently.…

While America Debates Rex Tillerson Nomination, Saudis and Russians Join Hands to Raise Oil Prices

/

December 11, 2016

/

While we were all talking about ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson serving as Trump's Secretary of State, the oil states of the world were deciding to cut production.

2016 Presidential Election, Russian hacks

The Not-Majority Leader Promises Bipartisan Investigations in Russian Cyberhackery

/

December 11, 2016

/

Chuck Schumer just released a statement with John McCain, Jack Reed, and Lindsey Graham that does nothing so much as emphasize that Mitch McConnell is unprepared to investigate Russian hacking.

2016 Presidential Election, Russian hacks, WikiLeaks

The Evidence to Prove the Russian Hack

/

December 10, 2016

/

Here are all the elements you need to prove that Russia hacked the DNC and John Podesta to help Trump win the election.

2016 Presidential Election, Cybersecurity, Russian hacks

Unpacking the New CIA Leak: Don't Ignore the Aluminum Tube Footnote

/

December 9, 2016

/

Just hours after Obama announced he was going to ask for a formal review of what Russia did in the election, the CIA and/or Democratic Senators leaked to the WaPo what they want the outcome of the review to be.

Intelligence, Trump Administration

Donald Trump's Intelligence Briefings and Ellsberg's Limits of Knowledge

/

December 9, 2016

/

The spooks are cranky that Trump isn't accepting their briefings.

2016 Presidential Election, Cybersecurity, Russian hacks

The Game of Telephone about the Election Hacking Review

/

December 9, 2016

/

Comparing reports on what the White House announced review of election cycle hacking will include only makes me more confused about what the review will include.