Biden: "McConnell stopped Obama from calling out Russians"

[kpete]

“Our administration's interest in making sure the response was bipartisan wasn't for the sake of being bipartisan. It was necessary because we needed the buy-in from state and local election administrators (many of whom were Republican partisans and/or skeptical of federal government),” the official argued in an email. “Unfortunately, as is well documented, Senator McConnell was unwilling to help — only making matters worse.”

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/01/24/biden-mcconnell-blocked-obama-admin-sot.cnn

Link to tweet

://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/23/mitch-mcconnell-russia-obama-joe-biden-359531

[riversedge]

1. That came out over a year ago as I recall of the msm really did nto play it up too much.

[Boomerproud]

31. They still haven't played it up.

It's as much the media's fault as Obama's. It is also McConnel's fault entirely.

[riversedge]

48. Bingo!!#🌊🌊🌊 #FlipItBlue #BlueWave2018 #VoteThemOUT

[Siwsan]

2. I suspect that McConnell is up to his startled eyeballs in Russian money, too

In fact, I think this Russian Rot goes deep into the GOP.

[spanone]

3. so it's Obama's fault YOU colluded with the russians....Bwaahahahahaaa

[RandiFan1290]

4. Why did Obama need his permission?

He should have released the information and told the republicons to GFTS.

Tired of the Democrats trying to get along with these gangsters.

[Blue_true]

5. I am a fan of President Obama.

But, unless more information comes to light, I agree that he should have made the information public and explained that he met with McConnell and Mitch refused to do it in a bipartisan way.

[Tipperary]

7. I agree with you. I voted for him twice, but I think his "go along to get along" policy did not

serve us well.

[Blue_true]

11. When republicans are clearly in the wrong, our leaders must batter and humiliate them.

Republicans don't respect civility, they just don't. They do respect a blade lurking over their heads, ready to come down if they pull any shit.

[CrispyQ]

23. This.

I'm all for civility & decorum, but when the other side throws the rule book in the trash, you don't keep playing by those rules!

[LuckyCharms]

8. Because no matter how he might have presented the information to the public...

Congress would have ensured that the decision was viewed as partisan and an attempt to influence the general election.

Perception is everything...we are dealing with a significant portion of the citizenry that believes Michele Obama is a man, and that President Obama was born in Kenya.

I'm not entirely sure Obama made the correct decision, but I understand his reasoning and I'm sure the decision on whether to reveal or not kept him awake many nights.

[Cosmocat]

9. The MEDIA

Seriously, if he had come out with this, and the republicans lost their shit over it, what would the media have done?

"Gee, golly, the republicans have a point ..."

It was, like so many other things, a no win situation.

[LuckyCharms]

10. Agree. n/t

[CrispyQ]

14. The dems have cowered in fear of the media since Reagan poked fun at the word liberal

For three decades dem leadership has been too mild in its response to the GOP lies & misrepresentations. Now there is an entire TV station devoted to right wing propaganda & a huge number of local TV stations are about to be bought by Sinclair, so the rw message will infect the nightly news, even if you don't have cable. The right has totally captured the narrative & the air waves. Social media can be a tool to fight, but again, the left is behind the 8-ball, reacting to Russian bots, etc. People don't want to admit the dems dropped the ball, but they did. Big time. When I was a kid they were the smart party. But in 2000, the other team threw the rule book in the trash with Bush v Gore & the dems kept playing by that book. They were played. Like it or not, the dems look weak. Agree with it or not, they deserve it. I hope the new generation of dems is ready to come out fighting & swinging, cuz this ain't your father's political environment.

[LuckyCharms]

17. The Democratic Party still is the smart party.

And they have morals. That's the difference.

[CrispyQ]

20. If they were the smart party the GOP wouldn't have their boot on our neck.

The GOP controls all branches of the federal government, they've made generational changes to the judiciary, & they control a majority of state houses & governorships, but hey, lets pat ourselves on the back for our morals. The dem party needs to get in the ring & start throwing punches & even throw dirt in their eyes if that's what it take.

[LuckyCharms]

21. What Democrat is not fighting?

[CrispyQ]

22. Biden: "McConnell stopped Obama from calling out Russians" -nt

[LuckyCharms]

25. Don't you think there was a deliberate and considered reason

for Obama making the decision he did? Don't you think he weighed the risk of each option?

[CrispyQ]

30. I'm sure it was deliberate & considered. And cautious.

I think the dems, as a party, are cautious and trusting, and cautious is usually good. I'll leave it at that.

[LuckyCharms]

32. By the way, I don't entirely disagree with you...

I had a post awhile ago which indicated that the Dems need to be much stronger, and I got lambasted for it. I think the tide is starting to turn, especially this past week.

The problem as I see it is...at this point, they are really kind of muzzled. They have to walk a fine line...they are sunk if they appear to be "whiners". I obviously hope that both the house and the senate are re-taken in November...then I think we will see balls to the wall from them. I hope.

[CrispyQ]

40. I look at their history of being nice, & how the GOP & political landscape has changed,

& I hope they've learned that they need to go bold more often. I think we have some amazing young voices who have been energized & vitalized by this assault on our government, & they just need our votes & support to give them the power to fight this shithole presidency.

[Beartracks]

58. To be sure, it's not JUST a shithole presidency. The GOP is a shithole party...

... for enabling a shithole presidency.

========

[WinstonSmith4740]

33. Agree with both of you.

I have also seen the Democratic Party tied up in knots ever since Reagan made the word "liberal" a pejorative. They got so gun-shy that men like Rahm Emanuel were able to drag it to the right with the argument that Democrats somehow needed to get conservative support on everything. They gave the base nowhere to go. But Obama almost had to take the slings and arrows. If he responded with any kind of emotion, he would have immediately become the "angry black man". It was well known that McConnell wouldn't co-operate on anything, and threatened if Obama brought this up during the campaign, he would make it ugly real fast.

We all would have liked Obama to have brought this out. But I'm sure one of the things he weighed was the universal belief that Hillary was going to win. (Of course, she did, but that's an issue for another discussion.) He probably thought that the risk of having the entire Republican machine throw a collective hissy-fit right before the election was outweighed by the belief that it would all be dealt with by the Clinton Presidency.

[LuckyCharms]

35. Good analysis. n/t

[CrispyQ]

42. It was already so ugly, & had been since 2008, what did we have to lose?

But you're spot on about the angry black man. They were just dying to throw that at him. Too bad for the right that the left picked a man of reason & wit & self-control. And to get back at us they picked a shit flinging orange asshole.

[WinstonSmith4740]

62. You guys ever watch Key and Peele?

They absolutely hit it with Luther. They said they did meet Obama, and his first comment to them was that he needed Luther.

Just in case:

[pangaia]

34. Perhaps the Democratic Party doesn't use their smarts well enough.

Just a thought.

[Garrett78]

13. If roles were reversed, do you think a Rep. Admin. would have hesitated to release the info?

I don't.

[LuckyCharms]

16. No they would not have hesitated, but there is a reason for that.

They would not have to worry about an uneducated and racist Democratic base deluging the public with fake memes and conspiracy theories swaying public opinion.

[Garrett78]

26. Which is why Democrats need to be much more blunt/provocative about the Republican base.

Call them out for the nonsense so many believe. The DNC could hire someone (maybe Fugelsang) to give a daily press conference to address (with both seriousness and humor) all of the nonsense uttered over the previous 24 hours.

None of this "political differences" and "reaching across the aisle" talk. Republicans aren't subscribing to valid opinions (about things like the proper role of the federal government or tax rates). They're subscribing to lies, breaking laws and destroying lives.

And Democrats should be calling for media literacy to become mandatory curriculum in every school.

[LuckyCharms]

29. I agree with your points. n/t

[pangaia]

36. Good plan.

I might also suggest that instead of just reacting to republican bullshit, 'we' should be promoting our own ideas based on facts and get out in front...

[CrispyQ]

44. The dems could start with dissecting that Joe Conservative essay.

I sent it to my rw mother once & asked "What in this essay are you against?" and she was silent.

[CrispyQ]

37. The daily press conf is a great idea & Fugelsang would be terrific!

You should write to them with that idea. Actually, we all should. They need something like that - every day! We have some great voices out there, Schiff, Waters, Swallwell, Blumenthal, etc, but their TV appearances are hit and miss based on what's going on with the news. The dems need a daily message & response to the daily GOP bullshit. It has to be short & serious enough to make network news, but also with a bit of humor. This is the type of thing that billionaire should be putting his money into, not those stupid impeachment commercials. He might not be doing that still, but I thought what a waste of good marketing money!


on edit: It was Tom Steyer. He spent $20M on an ad campaign calling to impeach Trump.

https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/26/politics/tom-steyer-defends-impeachment-ads/index.html

[Garrett78]

38. I've written to the DNC, but I only get promotional emails in return.

[Bettie]

19. He was in damned if you do, damned if you don't situation

and McConnell and Ryan were in a treasonous bastard situation. They knew the fix was in and they wanted to keep it that way.

[treestar]

24. And they all have 20 20 hindsight at this point

Trying to imagine that decision at the time is not something they even try to do.

[politicaljunkie41910]

56. Exactly and he would have been forever accused of trying to rig the election for Hillary.

McConnell and the GOP has always known how to lie in order to rig the system in their favor. As Democrats, it's just not in our DNA.

[elleng]

54. This xplanation in OP:

'we needed the buy-in from state and local election administrators (many of whom were Republican partisans and/or skeptical of federal government),”'

I don't go for it much either.

[eleny]

6. So what is Trump doing about it right now? Nothing!

[dalton99a]

12. Bingo

[shockey80]

15. Obama could not say anything so close to the election.

The Republicans would have said Obama is making that up to help Hillary win.

[GeorgeGist]

49. So?

[R B Garr]

18. Someone could have accidentally leaked it. Oops.

That type of thing. Just get it out there somehow.

[Garrett78]

27. Yep.

And the same thing should be done before November of this year if Democrats in Congress know of damaging information that has not yet been made public.

We're in a battle for our lives.

[duforsure]

28. Didn't Obama also put sanctions on putin, another demanding he stop it,

Says more about trump when he tried lifting them for putin, and Congress stopped him, and didn't they also try to impose more sanctions that trump hasn't done? Trumps incredibly weak on russia and putin , where President Obama was the opposite . Now trumps running off to meet with putin, and if he does more to help putin we know for sure he committed treason against this country for PUTIN.

[Ilsa]

39. Obama thought Hillary Clinton would continue ahead in polls and win.

He didn't want to do anything to give ammo to GOP to question her legitimacy as president.

[former9thward]

46. So for purely political reasons he ignored the Russian attack?

[Ilsa]

59. He was pretty much screwed either way, IMO.

What do you think should have been done, and how do you see that playing out?

[former9thward]

63. Here is a novel idea.

The U.S. has been actively interfering in other nations elections for more than a hundred years. Sometimes to the point of sending in the military to overthrow regimes we did not like. Maybe if we stop, others will.

[duforsure]

41. Weak trump on putin

Is telling with his actions FOR him, and as he's run once again to putin now claiming we should be friends with a corrupt lying murdering terrorist from a country that's attacking our Democracy right now. That says it all who trump is friends with, and those he's chosen not to be friends with.

[moondust]

43. I can hear the banshees screeching from my house.

I suppose Obama, unlike Comey, knew that without bipartisan participation the election results would forever be doubted and disavowed by many--possibly even creating a Constitutional crisis.

[GeorgeGist]

50. Seriously?

Have you been in a coma?

[former9thward]

45. If true, and I doubt it is, it certainly does not make Obama look good.

[DownFromTheMountain]

47. Come on! We were all here and saw it.

McConnell blocked every move he could, slow walked everything he couldn't block, and came right out and said he would never allow a SC nomination if Hillary became Pres. He committed sedition by denying Obama the Garland hearings. McConnell is a criminal and has violated his oath of office for how many years? Most probably from his first office.

[elleng]

51. Should be HUGE part of Dem Party campaigns.

Biden: "McConnell stopped Obama from calling out Russians"

“Our administration's interest in making sure the response was bipartisan wasn't for the sake of being bipartisan. It was necessary because we needed the buy-in from state and local election administrators (many of whom were Republican partisans and/or skeptical of federal government),” the official argued in an email. “Unfortunately, as is well documented, Senator McConnell was unwilling to help — only making matters worse.”


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

McConnell a HUGE part of repug TREASON!

[Tatiana]

52. Obama stopped Obama from calling out Russians. There. Fixed it.

Let's not kid ourselves. The Obama administration knew what was going on. They knew what the Russians were doing. They had a responsibility to do whatever was necessary -- including appearing to be partisan -- in order to inform the public.

He didn't need McConnell's permission. This is one time when we suffered because of his naivete.

[woodsprite]

61. Yes, we look to our leaders and intelligence agencies to protect us, no matter how uncomfortable

the situation. They knew about the Russians and apparently the IC knew about some of Donald's ties to them, and they let it happen. I loved Obama/Biden, but that is the one thing I will never forgive them for. They did not do what was needed protect our country from this. Neither did the intelligence community.

McConnell played chicken with them and we lost.

[0rganism]

53. ooh now tales will be told

and what interesting stories they will be! i wonder how the electorate will enjoy this little peek inside the sausage grinder.

our uber-patriotic trumpies are not gonna like some of the images that emerge. probably won't change their minds right away, but this is going to be a tough nut to swallow, and the ones to follow aren't going to be any easier. eventually the excuses and explanations are going to get so twisted, even Alex Jones won't be able to sell them to his zombies.

[still_one]

55. Yes it was. Thank you VP Biden. Truth be out from these traitors

[NCTraveler]

57. Correct. You were working with an enemy...

During Obama’s Presidency.

[riversedge]

60. kick 🌊🌊🌊 #FlipItBlue #BlueWave2018 #VoteThemOUT