McCain Schedules Hearing On Cyber Threats, Including Russian Hacking

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo



By KRISTIN SALAKY Published DECEMBER 30, 2016, 12:34 PM EDT

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) has scheduled a hearing for next Thursday on foreign cyber threats to the United States, which will include discussing allegations against Russia, Politico reported Friday. An unnamed committee aide also confirmed the meeting to CNN.

The Arizona senator invited James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, Admiral Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, and Marcel Lettre, the undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence to the hearing, the aide told CNN.

The news of the hearing comes just a day after President Barack Obama announced new sanctions against Russia in response to allegations of hacking during the presidential campaign.

As CNN pointed out, this hearing marks a major divide already between President-elect Donald Trump, who has said it was time to "move on" from the election, and members of his own party who have advocated for a tougher posture towards Russia.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/senate-hearing-john-mccain-russia-hacking

[blue neen]

1. Good.

McCain can't sit around and wait for that Russian-loving traitor, Mitch McConnell, to do something.

[C Moon]

2. Now they're all running around scared because the cat is out of the bag.

[femmocrat]

3. Good for McCain.

Going all "mavericky" again!

[kimbutgar]

4. The coward has nothing to lose

He got re-elected for another 6 year term so he has nothing to do but be a thorn in thump's rump.

That "i don't care about prisoners of war being captured" is coming back to haunt him.

[Volaris]

5. Ayep. McCain isn't exactly on our side,

But he's been around (and survived) for long enough that tangling with him isn't something to be undertaken as a one-off or spur of the moment. The man takes patriotism seriously (I think he was personally and professionally impressed with candidate Obama and treated him with as much respect as his party would allow) and he's probably not to be fucked with. Donald might just have stepped in it Bigly with pissing him off.

[flying_wahini]

6. hearing next Thursday but scheduled for 2019 just in time for next election......

[TomCADem]

7. Even Republicans Should Have An Interest In Not Encouraging Candidates...

...to seek foreign help and encouraging candidates to denounce such help even if they receive unsolicited assistance. Right now, Russia is helping Republicans with the election of Trump, but there are strings attached given the pro-Russian tilt of some of Trump's appointees. Indeed, the Russians could have considerable blackmail material on Trump given his unwillingness to disclose his tax returns, as well as his history of assaults on women.

In future elections, other foreign countries may begin to actively participate in U.S. elections through elicit hacks and strategic leaks. While I am sure Republicans would love to continue to receive such assistance, it will not always be so one-sided. Russia's enemies may also begin to actively try to influence U.S. elections. If Russia is trying to corner the petroleum market by expanding oil development and increasing its influence in the Middle East, China or India could very well begin to actively try to effect U.S. elections.