I have confirmed this reporting from the stellar team at @washingtonpost. Briefing given to Sen. Sanders was not routine and was provided in response to compelling intelligence that Moscow is favoring him in the Democratic primary, sources said.https://t.co/iW8XqzWrOe https://t.co/Z3l2oHl3g6
— Dustin Volz (@dnvolz) February 22, 2020
For the record, I absolutely DO NOT think that Senator Sanders, after being briefed that Russia was attempting to interfere in his favor during the 2020 election, deliberately attempted to hide this information from the voters.
I think, just as he’s said he ‘disregarded’ the nagging chest pains prior to his heart attack, he put his head down and hoped the Russian news… would go away. At least until after the election. Because it just wasn’t a good time to deal with distractions, dammit!
Didn’t work to keep his heart muscle from dying; isn’t gonna work any better in the general election, even if he wins the Nevada caucuses.
He forgot to add “Fake News.”
In case anyone wonders why Russia seems to feel a Sanders v. Trump would be in their best interest. https://t.co/Ev0Mv2fxWY
— Patrick Murray (@PollsterPatrick) February 22, 2020
Credit where due — now that he’s been pinned to the wall, Strong Words!
This is the correct response from @BernieSanders Sanders:
“Unlike Donald Trump, I do not consider Vladimir Putin a good friend. He is an autocratic thug who is attempting to destroy democracy and crush dissent in Russia.”
— Ben Judah (@b_judah) February 21, 2020
“Let’s be clear, the Russians want to undermine American democracy by dividing us up and, unlike the current president, I stand firmly against their efforts, and any other foreign power that wants to interfere in our election.”
— Ben Judah (@b_judah) February 21, 2020
“In 2016, Russia used internet propaganda to sow division in our country, and my understanding is that they are doing it again in 2020. Some of the ugly stuff on the internet attributed to our campaign may well not be coming from real supporters.”
— Ben Judah (@b_judah) February 21, 2020
Can’t see anything so ‘classified’ in this statement that Sanders couldn’t have made it a month ago… except that he didn’t want to have reporters asking awkward questions. But if, purely coincidentally, his silence happened to give him a little extra edge in Nevada…
Another Q, raised by @beyerstein, is what justification could IC have for telling the beneficiary of the Russian activities but the the presumed victims?
And why didn’t Bernie insist they be briefed too? They could all be told: it’s a former VP, a USN intel officer, & 2 Senators
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) February 22, 2020
And if we don’t get these answers before the primary is over, and Sanders emerges as the nominee, you can bet Graham and the Senate Judiciary will be more than happy to drag him in during the general to ask about it.
— Andy (@trtx84) February 22, 2020
Election Year Open Thread: The Other (Unknowing?) Russian PuppetPost + Comments (196)