The List of Docs on Election Hacking

Every once in awhile I get a note from a reader that is worth repeating in their own name.  This follows my reference to the DHS-FBI document that was sent out last week and shows next to nothing about hacking in Russia, or anything about the hacks on the Democratic National Committee.      Thanks to my friend Heidi Sebastian for this insightful response:

Subject: Full Summarized List Of All Government Docs In US Response To Russian Election Hacking

https://www.justsecurity.org/35889/full-list-govt-docs-response-russian-election-hacking/

These documents really don’t say much about the election, so the posturing regarding the election can be attributed to 1) White House spin and 2) the media’s wishful thinking and/or continued attempt to paint the incoming administration as the beneficiary of Russian meddling.

What they seem to have forgotten is:

A)      Foreign (and illegal) contributions to the Clinton campaign were acceptable (talk about a direct link that the media won’t acknowledge even if the campaign itself did!).  Some legal transactions with the Clinton campaign and Virginia's governor by Chinese officials here to specifically influence the election process.

B)      It’s totally fine that the US spent $350K of taxpayer money to influence the Israeli election - backing Benjamin Netanyahu's opponent : http://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-w-chapman/state-dept-350k-group-built-campaign-structure-used-against-election-israels  Hypocrisy is a key word here especially when it involves my tax money!

The biggest thing I dread for the next 4 years will be the intense hypocrisy of the media (see: http://legalinsurrection.com/2017/01/impeaching-trump-before-he-takes-office/) who turned a blind eye to all matter of issues over the past 8 years. The only thing that will be different this time is the reaction of the foreign leaders this administration has mistreated. Like these major players:
http://www.businessinsider.com/russian-embassy-obama-lame-duck-tweet-2016-12
http://legalinsurrection.com/2016/12/live-netanyahu-responds-to-kerry-speech/

Then, in an attempt to correct some problems with national security policy, they manage to do even better with this:

“The White House announced Thursday that it has amended a 2015 executive order on government response to malicious cyber activity in light of the Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election. The 2015 order established a “new, targeted authority” for the U.S. government to respond more effectively to cybersecurity threats, especially in situations where hackers operate “beyond the reach of existing authorities. The revised order now explicitly states that that any tampering, altering, or “misappropriation of information” with the purpose or effect of interfering with or undermining American elections or institutions through cyber means should warrant a U.S. government response.” see https://insidecybersecurity.com/daily-news/obama-response-russian-hacking-includes-revised-order-trump-enforce

This is opening Pandora’s Box. It’s one thing to do these things quietly, but another to make things like this public. You know, the whole glass house thing will get pretty ugly.

Yes it is Heidi.  Pretty ugly indeed.