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I’m really very impressed, the 77-year-old Democrat House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi sets record with 8 hour and 7 minutes long speech on the House floor. She has broken a record set in 1909 by a Rep from Missouri, who spoke for 5 hours and 15 minutes. I’m sure Trump will be jealous.




Pelosi stages 8-hour speech to push for vote for 'dreamers'

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi staged a record-breaking, eight-hour speech Wednesday in an attempt to force a House vote on protections for the "Dreamer" immigrants — and to prove to an increasingly angry wing of progressives and activists that she has done all she could.

Wearing four-inch heels and forgoing any breaks, Pelosi spent much of the rare talkathon reading personal letters from the young immigrants whose temporary protection from deportation is set to expire next month. The California Democrat quoted from the Bible and Pope Francis, as Democrats took turns sitting behind her in support. The Office of the House Historian said it was the longest continuous speech in the chamber on record. Read more

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My blood boils whenever I read something like this. And damn, so far Trump has done nothing substantial to punish Russia and have been playing delaying tactics to implement new sanctions on Russia approved by the Congress. This will only encourage the Russians to continue with their nefarious games.


DHS cyber chief: Russia 'successfully penetrated' some state voter rolls

BY BRETT SAMUELS - 02/07/18

A U.S. cybersecurity official said Wednesday that Russia "successfully penetrated" the voter rolls in a small number of states in 2016.

Jeanette Manfra, the head of cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), told NBC News that Russia targeted 21 states and “an exceptionally small number of them were actually successfully penetrated.”

DHS previously notified the 21 states that Russia had attempted to hack their elections systems before the 2016 election.

It was Manfra who first revealed to the Senate Intelligence Committee last June that the states had their systems targeted by Russian hackers ahead of the election.

It was previously known that voter registration databases in Arizona and Illinois were breached by hackers. Alabama, California, Colorado, Wisconsin and Florida are among the other states that have confirmed they were targeted.

Officials told NBC there is no evidence any of the voter rolls were altered in any way.

Homeland Security formally notified election officials in the states that were targeted. Officials said then that most of the targeting amounted to mere preparations for hacking, such as probing for vulnerabilities.

The targeting was part of a broader effort by Moscow to meddle in the presidential election, according to the U.S. intelligence community. The systems targeted were not involved in vote tallying.

The revelations have sparked widespread fears that Russia or another foreign actor could seek to interfere in future elections using cyberattacks and other tactics.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned Tuesday that Russia is already attempting to meddle in the U.S. midterm elections this year.

But Manfra told The Hill in a recent interview that, while she is unaware of any credible targeting efforts related to the 2018 midterm elections, she remains worried about the threat.

“I will always be worried about it and it is always something that entities are going to look to influence our democratic processes,” she said. “As a country, we should be in a position to counter that.”

The department is providing vulnerability tests and other services to states looking to shore up the cybersecurity of their election systems ahead of future votes, as part of its new designation of voting systems as critical infrastructure.

Homeland Security is also working with state election officials to share information on cyber threats. Source


 
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I’m really very impressed, the 77-year-old Democrat House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi sets record with 8 hour and 7 minutes long speech on the House floor. She has broken a record set in 1909 by a Rep from Missouri, who spoke for 5 hours and 15 minutes. I’m sure Trump will be jealous.

No question. She doesn't look 77 either. And how can anyone talk about anything for 8 hours?! I even marvel at radio talk-show hosts who have 4 hour shows on a daily basis but at least with that there are new, daily news topics and they have a lot of material to discuss etc. This here is really something, even though it is about one of the most pertinent issues the US government is facing, that's a lot of time.

I hope the Dems hold their ground against the wall in exchange for the Dreamers and put the onus on the Republicans to make the decision. Even though immigration laws need serious work and I understand that, still, to give up the wall which was falsely promised to be paid for by Mexico for a deal on the Dreamers is a no-no IMO. Not to mention the negative environmental impacts of that thing, fighting against it being a condition for the Dreamers is the best strategy.

Personally, I would tell the Republicans you can have a section of the wall in the troubled Texas areas only if Mexico pays for it as promised and that would be the only thing I'd give up in exchange to the Dreamers. Then it would be pretty tough for the Republicans -- and the president -- to end DACA because they didn't get the wall and the fallout of that decision will be on them, but particularly the head baboon.
 
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Trump's "Fake news award" is an attempt to wipe out the news agency which doesn't obey to his rule. It's easy to create a news with flaw, then feed it to an agency he doesn't like. When the news agency swallow the bait, then it became an "enemy of people". Or Trump just denies what he has said before, that's something he always does.
 
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And as usual, Trump and the White House were caught lying:

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday contradicted the White House version of events surrounding the background check for a former top aide accused of domestic abuse by two ex-wives, triggering more disarray around the controversy.

Wray, in testimony on Capitol Hill, said the agency in late July completed a background check for security clearance for former White House staff secretary Rob Porter, who resigned a week ago amid allegations of abuse from two former wives.

Wray's comments conflict with the White House assertion that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and intelligence agencies had not completed investigations into Porter. White House officials had no immediate explanation.


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What is wrong with the Republicans, how low are they going to go? Trump, Roy Moore, Joe Arpaio and now this Nazi, he’s running unopposed for a Republican nomination to Congress.


No question. She doesn't look 77 either. And how can anyone talk about anything for 8 hours?! I even marvel at radio talk-show hosts who have 4 hour shows on a daily basis but at least with that there are new, daily news topics and they have a lot of material to discuss etc. This here is really something, even though it is about one of the most pertinent issues the US government is facing, that's a lot of time.

I hope the Dems hold their ground against the wall in exchange for the Dreamers and put the onus on the Republicans to make the decision. Even though immigration laws need serious work and I understand that, still, to give up the wall which was falsely promised to be paid for by Mexico for a deal on the Dreamers is a no-no IMO. Not to mention the negative environmental impacts of that thing, fighting against it being a condition for the Dreamers is the best strategy.

Personally, I would tell the Republicans you can have a section of the wall in the troubled Texas areas only if Mexico pays for it as promised and that would be the only thing I'd give up in exchange to the Dreamers. Then it would be pretty tough for the Republicans -- and the president -- to end DACA because they didn't get the wall and the fallout of that decision will be on them, but particularly the head baboon.
I agree. I damn still remember how Trump repeatedly used to bragged that he will “have Mexico pay for that wall, mark my words.” And there were many idiots who really believed him. In many of his rallies he’ll ask, “who’s going to pay for the wall?” and the fools will shout “Mexico”. :lol:

And now he wants $ 25 billion to build that useless wall, even the US border patrol does not necessarily see the need for a wall. In a 2016 internal US government study the border patrol called for the creation of a virtual wall and requested 23 more miles of fences, better radios and more aerial drones, according to an unpublished US government study that influences budget requests. Source

Poll after poll has shown that most American are opposed to the wall, in a recent national poll, voters oppose 59 – 37% building a wall along the border with Mexico. Opposition jumps to 65 – 33% in a question noting that Trump has asked Congress for 25 billion for the wall. Source

On the other hand, majority of Americans support Dreamers, in a recent poll 81 – 14% support Dreamers to stay in the U.S. and eventually apply for citizenship. Support for them is strong among every party, gender, education, age and racial group. Source

And as you rightly pointed out, on these two issues, Trump and the Republican are in a tough situation and the Democrats have an upper hand, rather than offer concessions from a position of weakness, they instead should negotiate from a position of strength.

November 2018 is a critical election year, I hope, the Democrats would take extra caution not hand over any propaganda victories to Trump and the Republicans that they can use as a talking point for November election.

Trump still is the most unpopular president at the 1-year mark.

PRESIDENT INAUGURATION YEAR APPROVE DISAPPROVE NET APPROVAL:

John Kennedy 1961 79% 10% +69

George W. Bush 2001 81 13 +68

George H.W. Bush 1989 78 11 +67

Lyndon Johnson 1963 74 15 +59

Dwight Eisenhower 1953 71 18 +53

Richard Nixon 1969 60 23 +38

Jimmy Carter 1977 55 27 +28

Bill Clinton 1993 57 34 +22

Harry Truman 1945 50 35 +15

Ronald Reagan 1981 49 40 +9

Barack Obama 2009 50 43 +7

Gerald Ford 1974 44 39 +5

Donald Trump 2017 40 55 -15

Average without Trump 62 26 +37
 
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Breaking News: special counsel Robert Mueller has indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities for interfering in the U.S. election.

The indictment says that Russian paid US persons to participate in rallies supporting Donald Trump. One American was even paid by the Russians to dress up as Hillary Clinton in a prison uniform.

It also says that a Russian organisation called the Internet research agency sought to wage information warfare against the United States by using fictitious American personas and social media platforms and other Internet based media.
 
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Breaking News: special counsel Robert Mueller has indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities for interfering in the U.S. election.

The indictment says that Russian paid US persons to participate in rallies supporting Donald Trump. One American was even paid by the Russians to dress up as Hillary Clinton in a prison uniform.

It also says that a Russian organisation called the Internet research agency sought to wage information warfare against the United States by using fictitious American personas and social media platforms and other Internet based media.

No names. Fake. I have seen Mexican flags at anti Trump rallies. That's not fake.
 
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U.S. v. Internet Research Agency, et al (1:18-cr-32, District of Columbia)

A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment on Feb. 16, 2018, against 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities accused of violating U.S. criminal laws in order to interfere with U.S. elections and political processes. The indictment charges all of the defendants with conspiracy to defraud the United States, three defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and five defendants with aggravated identity theft.

Indictment Link

No names. Fake. I have seen Mexican flags at anti Trump rallies. That's not fake.
Don’t jump to conclusions, read the indictment.





Here are some of the most important quotes from Mueller's indictment of Russians

CNBC

Special counsel Robert Mueller on Friday released a surprise indictment of 13 Russian individuals and three Russian entities alleged to have sown discord through "information warfare" in then-candidate Donald Trump's favor during the 2016 presidential election.

The 37-page document outlines specific ways in which Russia, through numerous individuals and organizations, sought to influence the election — from abroad, online and on U.S. soil.

Here are some of the most important quotes:


  • The so-called Internet Research Agency, a Russian corporate entity registered in July 2013, "sought, in part, to conduct what it called 'information warfare against the United States of America' through fictitious U.S. personas on social media platforms and other Internet-based media.'"
  • The Internet Research Agency "focused on the U.S. population and conducted operations on social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter."
  • "By in or around May 2014, the organization's strategy included interfering with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, with the stated goal of 'spread[ing] distrust towards the candidates and the political system in general.'"
  • The Russian entity "had a strategic goal to sow discord in the U.S. political system, including the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Defendants posted derogatory information about a number of candidates, and by early to mid-2016, Defendants' operations included supporting the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald J. Trump ('Trump Campaign') and disparaging Hillary Clinton."
  • The defendants sought disruption by staging events for and against Trump after the election: "After the election of Donald Trump in or around November 2016, Defendants and their co-conspirators used false U.S. personas to organize and coordinate U.S. political rallies in support of then president-elect Trump, while simultaneously using other false U.S. personas to organize and coordinate U.S. political rallies protesting the results of the 2016 U.S. presidential election."
  • It goes on: "For example, in or around November 2016, Defendants and their co-conspirators organized a rally in New York through one organization-controlled group designed to 'show your support for President-Elect Donald Trump' held on or about November 12, 2016. At the same time, Defendants and their co-conspirators, through another organization-controlled group, organized a rally in New York called 'Trump is NOT my President' held on or about November 12, 2016. Similarly, Defendants and their co-conspirators organized a rally entitled 'Charlotte Against Trump' in Charlotte, North Carolina, held on or about November 19, 2016."
  • The defendants attempted to discourage African-American turnout in the election: "In or around the latter half of 2016, Defendants and their co-conspirators, through their organization-controlled personas, began to encourage U.S. minority groups not to vote in the 2016 U.S. presidential election or to vote for a third-party U.S. presidential candidate."
  • The entity allegedly used an account on Instagram called "Woke Blacks" to post: "'[A] particular hype and hatred for Trump is misleading the people and forcing Blacks to vote Killary. We cannot resort to the lesser of two devils. Then we'd surely be better off without voting AT ALL.'"
  • The defendants allegedly stole Americans' identities to open online payment accounts — an allegation appearing to connect the Russians with the actions of Richard Pinedo, who was also indicted separately by the special counsel on Friday. "Defendants and their co-conspirators also used, without lawful authority, the social security numbers, home addresses, and birth dates of real U.S. persons to open accounts at PayPal, a digital payments company...[they] purchased credit card and bank account numbers from online sellers for the unlawful purpose of evading security measures at PayPal..."
  • They also allegedly used cryptocurrency exchanges to maintain their accounts: "Additionally, and in order to maintain their accounts at PayPal and elsewhere, including online cryptocurrency exchanges, Defendants and their co-conspirators purchased and obtained false identification documents, including fake U.S. driver's licenses."
  • The indictment describes Trump campaign officials who communicated with the Russians as "unwitting" in the defendants' plans: "Some defendants, posing as U.S. persons and without revealing their Russian association, communicated with unwitting individuals associated with the Trump Campaign and with other political activists to seek to coordinate political activities."
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
 
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Robert Mueller just made it impossible for Trump to call the special counsel probe a 'total hoax'

Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large

(CNN)On Friday afternoon, the Justice Department announced that special counsel Robert Mueller had indicted 13 Russian nationals for their roles in attempted meddling in the 2016 election.

Most of these people do not live in the United States, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Russia won't be extraditing them any time soon. But that's not the point.
The point is this: The indictments of a baker's dozen of Russians gives us a very clear window into not only the depth and breadth of the Mueller investigation, but also makes crystal clear what the Russians wanted in the 2016 election and the elaborate measures they undertook to make it happen.


This paragraph stands out:


"Defendant ORGANIZATION had a strategic goal to sow discord in the U.S. political system, including the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Defendants posted derogatory information about a number of candidates, and by early to mid-2016, Defendants' operations included supporting the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald J. Trump ("Trump Campaign") and disparaging Hillary Clinton. Defendants made various expenditures to carry out those activities, including buying political advertisements on social media in the names of U.S. persons and entities. Defendants also staged political rallies inside the United States, and while posing as U.S. grassroots entities and U.S. persons, and without revealing their Russian identities and ORGANIZATION affiliation, solicited and compensated real U.S. persons to promote or disparage candidates. Some Defendants, posing as U.S. persons and without revealing their Russian association, communicated with unwitting individuals associated with the Trump Campaign and with other political activists to seek to coordinate political activities."

OK. So what we know from that paragraph of the charging documents, which you can read in full here, is this:
  1. By "early to mid-2016," Russians had decided to use whatever means at their disposal to help Donald Trump win.
  2. The Russians bought political ads on social media sites and organized political rallies to achieve those goals.
  3. Russians, disguising their identities, "communicated with unwitting individuals associated with the Trump campaign" in an attempt to "coordinate political activities."
None of that is a smoking gun of collusion.
"Unwitting" members of Trumpworld working with Russians, who didn't identify themselves as Russians, is not the same as a willful effort on behalf of members of the Trump campaign to actively collude with the Russian government.

But what this latest set of indictments proves beyond a shadow of a doubt is that, yes, Russia staged an aggressive and elaborate effort to influence the 2016 election.

This was a multi-pronged campaign -- social media, in-person meetings, political rallies -- by the Russians to beat Hillary Clinton and elect Donald Trump. It employed hundreds of people.
That analysis, of course, jibes with the unanimous conclusion of the intelligence community in 2017 that Russia actively sought to influence the 2016 election in support of Trump.
What it runs directly counter to is Trump's ongoing -- and persistent -- attempts to cast the entire special counsel investigation as nothing more than a politically motivated sideshow. Read more



 
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Since special counsel Mueller indicted 13 Russians and three of their entities, Trump has gone on a Twitter-storm, reading some of his tweets reminds me of the famous Urdu proverb, chor ke daari mein tinka (a guilty conscious needs no accuser). :D

Trump has not altered a single word against the Russians, who used all kind of dirty tricks to undermine our election process, or given any hint how he plans to protect our coming elections from such attacks in the future? In fact, he has tried everything to undermine Mueller’s investigation.

Something is damn very fishy, what is he hiding, what has he done, what Putin has on him?

Here are some of his tweets:



 
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Since special counsel Mueller indicted 13 Russians and three of their entities, Trump has gone on a Twitter-storm, reading some of his tweets reminds me of the famous Urdu proverb, chor ke daari mein tinka (a guilty conscious needs no accuser). :D

Trump has not altered a single word against the Russians, who used all kind of dirty tricks to undermine our election process, or given any hint how he plans to protect our coming elections from such attacks in the future? In fact, he has tried everything to undermine Mueller’s investigation.

Something is damn very fishy, what is he hiding, what has he done, what Putin has on him?

Here are some of his tweets:




13 Russian punks with no ties to the Russian government. I bet hundreds of Chinese meddled in the US election. That's okay. Because there is no trade between Russia and the US while there is trade between China and the US.

Out of 150 million Russians, you think NO Russian messed with election? I call that bull.
 
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BREAKING FEB 20 2018


Mueller charges lawyer Alex van der Zwaan, oligarch’s son-in-law

by KEN DILANIAN, PETE WILLIAMS, TOM WINTER, DANIEL ARKIN and TRACY CONNOR

Special counsel Robert Mueller has filed a new charge against an attorney — the son-in-law of a Ukranian-Russian oligarch named in the controversial Donald Trump dossier — who is accused of lying to investigators in the Russia investigation.

Alex van der Zwaan was charged with making false statements about his communications with former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates, according to a court document obtained by NBC News. He is expected to plead guilty Tuesday afternoon.

Gates and his longtime business associate, former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, were indicted in October on charges of money laundering, conspiracy and other offenses tied to their lobbying on behalf of Ukrainian political figures.

Van der Zwann worked in the London office of international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom for a decade. The firm said it fired him last year and has been cooperating with Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible links to the Trump campaign. Read more

Since special counsel Mueller indicted 13 Russians and three of their entities, Trump has gone on a Twitter-storm, reading some of his tweets reminds me of the famous Urdu proverb, chor ke daari mein tinka (a guilty conscious needs no accuser). :D

Trump has not altered a single word against the Russians, who used all kind of dirty tricks to undermine our election process, or given any hint how he plans to protect our coming elections from such attacks in the future? In fact, he has tried everything to undermine Mueller’s investigation.

Something is damn very fishy, what is he hiding, what has he done, what Putin has on him?

Here are some of his tweets:



That’s almost exactly what I said. Shepard Smith of Fox News criticized Trump for not condemning Putin’s Russia.

Shepard Smith goes after Trump for not condemning Russia in tweetstorm

Fox News host Shepard Smith slammed President Trump on Monday for failing to condemn Moscow but instead attacking Democrats and the FBI after more than a dozen Russians were indicted for election interference.

"The president spent the weekend defending himself, misrepresenting the truth and attacking others from his phone in Florida," Smith said "Shepard Smith Reporting."

Smith noted that Trump attacked the Department of Justice, the FBI, national security adviser H.R. McMaster, as well as Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former President Obama and Oprah Winfrey.


"He did not attack Vladimir Putin or Russia, nor did he express concern that the Russians attacked the United States. Nor did he pledge in any way to put measures in place to stop future attacks," Smith said.

Smith also highlighted Trump's tweet claiming that he "never said Russia did not meddle in the election."

"But he reality is the president has questioned the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election over, and over, and over again," the Fox News host said.

He noted Trump's past tweets calling the probe into Russian election interference "a hoax" and the president saying he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin when Putin said Russia didn't meddle in the election.

"The president's spokespersons have been on television denouncing the meddling, the president has not. Not once, not on camera, not on Twitter, not anywhere," Smith said. Read more
 
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It's be pretty surprising if out of 150 MILLION Russians not a SINGLE one of them meddled in the US election. That said, the Russian government is not responsible for the deeds of its citizens. They are free to do anything unless they break Russian law. Thousands of Russian citizens joined Islamic State. That does not mean the Russian government supports Islamic State. Government and private citizens. Totally different things.

BTW, Obama personally flew to Britain before Brexit to meddle in Brexit. Now THAT is unacceptable for a head of state.
 
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It's be pretty surprising if out of 150 MILLION Russians not a SINGLE one of them meddled in the US election. That said, the Russian government is not responsible for the deeds of its citizens. They are free to do anything unless they break Russian law. Thousands of Russian citizens joined Islamic State. That does not mean the Russian government supports Islamic State. Government and private citizens. Totally different things.

BTW, Obama personally flew to Britain before Brexit to meddle in Brexit. Now THAT is unacceptable for a head of state.
The indictment of Internet Research Agency (IRA), also known as troll farm is a well-known Russian government linked organization. Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is one of 13 Russians named in indictment was charge of IRA operations, the man is also known as Putin’s Chef. Outsourcing cyber espionage is a tactic used by Putin’s Russia to create plausible – deniability.


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Yevgeny Prigozhin, left, one of 13 Russians named in Mueller’s indictment, serves dinner to Vladimir Putin. Photograph: Reuters
 
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