July 27, 2019

"Mitch McConnell is a Russian asset" is a disgusting click-bait headline...

... for a column by Dana Milbank that begins:
Mitch McConnell is a Russian asset. This doesn't mean he's a spy, but neither is it a flip accusation.
I'm not going to link to the article, because that kind of dreck should not be rewarded.

Here's a link to Memeorandum which links and collects links to the link.

94 comments:

Ralph L said...

By that standard, most of the Democrat party and MSM have been Russian assets since 1967.

mikee said...

Russian asset? The Chinese, who own him through his wife, are gonna be UPSET!

Sebastian said...

Yeah, but does he have as much flexibility as Barry did?

Francisco D said...

Sen. Joe McCarthy is spinning in his grave.

Mr. D said...

The Washington Post and its writers can say any damn thing they want. Judge says so.

Mike Sylwester said...

Democracy Dies in Darkness!

Johnathan Birks said...

Every time I think WaPo can't get worse, it gets worse. Milbank has always been a hack but this is WTF material.

Matt Sablan said...

Man, if he's a Russian asset, I wonder what that makes Bernie.

Phil 314 said...

How many years before a Democratic administration views the Russian government, people etc. our friend?

Mike Sylwester said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike Sylwester said...

The Democrats are hoping that White males without college educations will fall for these hysterical scare-stories about Russians.

Those White males used to vote for Democrats. Now they vote for Republicans.

The Democrats' secret sauce for winning those voters back is scare-stories about Russians.

An alternative political tactic for the Democrats would be to promise to enforce immigration laws, but they don't want to do that.

Seeing Red said...

Let’s put this in perspective.

Under Obama, US government hack stole fingerprints of 5.6 million federal employees
This article is more than 3 years old
Office of Personnel Management hack, which US believes China is responsible for, originally thought to have compromised prints of only 1.1 million workers


Then there’s this theft

Cosko pleaded guilty last week to plotting what federal prosecutors say was “an extraordinarily extensive data-theft scheme, copying entire network drives, sorting and organizing sensitive data, and exploring ways to use that data to his benefit.”

He also admitted that he stole tens of thousands of documents and emails from Hassan’s office, along with credit card data and Social Security numbers that belong to Senate staffers.


But it’s the Russians who are violating the integrity of our electoral process.

Trump should run with that. What a great excuse to clean up voting rolls.

With all the poo being flung by the Dems. I feel like it’s shark watch when the signs if 8/11 were there.

Seeing Red said...

9/11

The Russian ads were nothing.

Howard said...

It's a fair assessment after he blocked antibiotics for Russian interference.

rcocean said...

Is there any reason to care what Milbank thinks?

As for his attacks on McConnell, Mitch is one of those gentlemanly "take the MSM abuse with good cheer" types - so I refuse to get upset for him.

J. Farmer said...

Red Scare 3.0. Foreign governments interfere in our affairs all the time. The Russians, the Chinese, the Turks, the Saudis, the Emiraties, the Qataris, the Israelis, etc. etc. etc. This is one of the the things Washington warned about in his farewell address: "It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another."

Bay Area Guy said...

Dana Milbank? Is he still writing stuff nobody reads?

Leland said...

So much time is available when it is not wasted on clickbait. Thanks Althouse.

Tommy Duncan said...

Blogger Mike Sylwester said...

"The Democrats are hoping that White males without college educations will fall for these hysterical scare-stories about Russians.

Those White males used to vote for Democrats. Now they vote for Republicans.

The Democrats' secret sauce for winning those voters back is scare-stories about Russians."


The Democrats have abandoned campaign issues. The issues favor the Republicans and issues create unwanted expectations that you'll actually do something in office.

And, of course, Peter Schiff said he has proof of Russian collusion. So there's that...

Martha said...

Friday Morning Joe went on an extended rant about “Moscow Mitch” repeatedly blocking measures that would protect American democracy from Russian attacks. Joe could not stop bellowing MOSCOW MITCH !!!!!!!!!!!

Newest Democrat talking point apparently.

ALL Republicans are Commies.

Ronald J. Ward said...

Blocking Russian interference would help elect more Democrats.

Call it what you will.

gilbar said...

Remember the olden days? When the Washington Post WASN'T completely biased and partisan ?
Me Neither!

Gunner said...

In honor of Muhammad Ali, no Russian ever called me deplorable!

gilbar said...

Phil 314 said...
How many years before a Democratic administration views the Russian government, people etc. our friend?

That, will NEVER happen!
We have ALWAYS been at war with Eurasia!
Just like we have NEVER been at war with Eastasia!

To think elsewise, is Wrongthink! and THOUGHTCRIME!! it is doubleplusungood!!!

traditionalguy said...

A needed damage control fiction story. See the Russians rigging our voting machines, see.

Now that you have seen the fantasy...you willbelieve again that the Trump team are Russian Agents...believe. And when I snap my fingers wake up and vote Democrat.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

All these soviet era leftwing media relics are swinging around the pravda.

J. Farmer said...

The Russia story is a fascinating case of partisanship. It was only 2012 that Mitt Romney was calling Russia "our number one geopolitical foe," and Democrats were laughing at him (as they should have) while Republicans were defending the statement. Now we have the Democrats being the party of Russophobia and the Republican laughing at them (as they should).

gilbar said...

J Farmer said ...
It was only 2012 that Mitt Romney was calling Russia "our number one geopolitical foe," and Democrats were laughing at him (as they should have) while Republicans were defending the statement. Now we have the Democrats being the party of Russophobia and the Republican laughing at them (as they should).


Well, Of course!

We have ALWAYS been at war with Eastasia!
Just like we have NEVER been at war with Eurasia!

To think elsewise, is Wrongthink! and THOUGHTCRIME!! it is doubleplusungood!!!

Fernandinande said...

July 25 in the Whappo:

"The fact that Russia’s assistance to the Trump campaign got such high-profile discussion gave Democrats an opportunity to push a pair of election security bills in the Senate on Thursday."

rcocean said...

I'll get upset about Foreign interference when Congressman stop bursting into cheers and tears when they see Bibi.

wild chicken said...

It's not just Milbank- Dems had everyone on the same page re McConnell by 3 pm Friday. "Moscow Mitch," etc.

How DO they do that?

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Who here is a Russian Asset?

*raising hand in shame* I can hold it in no longer. I belong to the Russians.

rcocean said...

DiFi has a Chinese commie spy working in her office for years. But lets not talk about that.

rcocean said...

"How DO they do that?"

"Journolist" still operates. They just changed the name.

J. Farmer said...

I'll get upset about Foreign interference when Congressman stop bursting into cheers and tears when they see Bibi.

You antisemite!

Ray - SoCal said...

I agree and disagree with J. Farmer.

It's amazing with how the Dems went from how dare Romney say Russians are a foe, to the Russians are bad. And Trump and the GOP are in collusion with them.

Putin had amazing success under Obama, with a policy if the US was for it, Russia was against it. The policy got amazing results, where a country with the GDP of Italy, was seen as a major player. Russia is back in the Middle East as a player, after Kissinger had kicked them out.

The danger for the Dems is what if Trump says yes, the Russians are trying to influence US elections, and we should do this to keep US Elections free from outside influence / reduce voter fraud. If Trump sees the Dems position growing in popularity, he will do something to take away the issue.

holdfast said...

Yeah, the last time Democrats helped clean up the electoral process California got to add millions of illegal voters to their rolls. So clearly I should believe Milbank on faith.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
TJM said...

Dana Milbank is a Left-Wing Loon should be the name of the piece. Totally worthless garbage. Dana is engaging in projection because Hildabeast and Obama were definitely Russian assets (I can be more flexible after the 2012 election!).

Trolls4Hire said...

“I'm not going to link to the article, because that kind of dreck should not be rewarded.”

Yet you blog this dreck.

ga6 said...

"How DO they do that?" The modern miracles of IM and/or conference/robo calls ...

Big Mike said...

Were the forty years between when the USSR exploded its first nuclear bomb and when the Berlin Wall was taken down so enjoyable for Dana Milbank that restarting the Cold War on spurious theories seems like such a good idea?

Francisco D said...

The Russia story is a fascinating case of partisanship. It was only 2012 that Mitt Romney was calling Russia "our number one geopolitical foe," and Democrats were laughing at him

It makes one wonder if the Democrats think people are that stupid and/or unaware ...

...or if a significant number of people are that stupid and unaware.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Trump is a Russian Asset
Mitch is a Russian Asset
Who else?
All deplorables who didn't dutifully vote Hillary = Russian Assets.

few years ago Obama and Hillary were in the pocket of Russians, but history begins anew each day. The hack-D pravda + Colbert press scrubbed that from our memory.

wendybar said...

This is what passes as News to the uninformed. THIS is what happens when your fake news collapses and you have nothing else to run on.....

J. Farmer said...

@Francisco D:

...or if a significant number of people are that stupid and unaware.

Well, to be fair, a significant number of people are.

Seeing Red said...

Since I visited Russia, under prog definition I’d qualify.

Michael said...

Gee, how is it that all this Russia hacking business gets played at full volume immediately after the Mueller hearing? Could it be that the NYT, etc., needed something to write about to distract from that that totally damp squib?

Carol said...

It looks like the Democrats want to make all elections like...Montana's. I mean we still use paper ballots and these old ballot scanning machines. Not sure if those hook up to a county server but certainly not the Internet.

Even if the Russians jacked with our MontanaVotes database, the precincts still have their counts and the counties have their totals and it has to add up. There is a canvass that goes on after the dust has settled.

What I worry about is the late-night vote harvesting that always seems to end up with a D winning.

I seem to recall that one of the proposed solutions to the 2000 recount fiasco was having everyone vote online or something?

J. Farmer said...

@Ray - SoCal:

Putin had amazing success under Obama, with a policy if the US was for it, Russia was against it. The policy got amazing results, where a country with the GDP of Italy, was seen as a major player. Russia is back in the Middle East as a player, after Kissinger had kicked them out.

Russia was seen as a major player, because they were a major player. GDP is not the only measure of a state's power. See all the attention North Korea receives despite having a GDP about the size of Vermont's. And one of the reasons Russia was so involved in helping Syria, aside from being longstanding allies of the Assad regime, was because of their naval facility at Tartus, which they've had since the early 1970s.

Sebastian said...

So, WAPO, are Chris Steele and Glenn Simpson also Russian assets?

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Click here to get your Russian Asset information kit.

ThreeSheets said...

The 50's called, they want their red scare back.

rhhardin said...

Asset is spy movie talk for CIA talk.

rhhardin said...

A Russian wrote to me in the 50s asking me to send him a Vibroplex bug in exchange for some Russian postal stamps. Probably a genuine offer, not a Nigerian prince scam.

Russian hams started talking in the mid 50s, some Russian ban having been apparently lifted.

EsoxLucius said...

This blog has been a Russian asset since 2016.

Beasts of England said...

And just like that, I'm pining for a fallout shelter.

Beasts of England said...

'Blocking Russian interference would help elect more Democrats.'

Maybe you should support your premise...

'Call it what you will.'

...before we discuss nomenclature.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

In the democrats, I think Putin got what he wanted.

Achilles said...

wild chicken said...
It's not just Milbank- Dems had everyone on the same page re McConnell by 3 pm Friday. "Moscow Mitch," etc.

How DO they do that?


The major media is owned by about 10 people so it isn’t hard.

Achilles said...

All of these people like milbank need to find a new country to live in.

This is more than a difference of opinion at this point.

Milbank thought it was ok for the wapo to defame a child. That child and his family are facing violence from milbanks fellow travelers.

Milbank knows Hillary Clinton literally sold us out to Russia for known payments in excess of 140 million dollars.

A leftist judge thinks the wapo can do this.

We are at a point where we just cannot be in the same country.

stevew said...

I've just begun reading "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat". One idea expressed in the forward is that the strange behaviors we observe among mentally and psychologically ill people are simply their attempts to make sense of the chaotic world their damaged brain is perceiving.

I'm looking at you, Dana.

Trolls4Hire said...

It was a complete witch hunt, Russia never hacked the DNC, it was Seth Rich and his brother. Mitch knows we have nothing to fear from Russian hackers.

Comanche Voter said...

Hey if the Russkis are our friends (as Obama told me in 2012) why shouldn't I go full Russki?

As for interfering in a foreign country's elections, it's the American Way. We've been doing that since oh say 1895. At times we've even seen to the violent removal of a duly elected national leader say Mossadregh in Iran or any number of banana republic caudillos--or one of our Viet Namese puppets. You have to ask yourself, why is the USA the only allowed to play the game? Or at least that question gets asked in the Kremlin.

It's a hard world out there and you need to be able to take a hit once in a while, as well as giving one. So man up you little Democrat weasels and stop whining.

Narr said...

The Dims morphed into the John Birch Society so fast some people still haven't caught up.

The choice of Putin's Russia as the new bug-a-boo is no accident. He's the very model of a villain suitable for liberal American tastes--he looks funny, has a funny name, is obviously a white male (and unashamed of either fact), and holds most foreigners in contempt. I give him credit for playing a bad hand well. Is he a major threat to the USofA? Please.

I ask people who worry about Russian collusion why they don't start studying Russian so they can combat the threat more effectively.

Narr
Most people are stupid and unaware

Otto said...

"because that kind of dreck should not be rewarded."

But you did by your following sentence.

"Dreck" from a word scholar?

Michael The Magnificent said...

You'd have to have been born yesterday, and fallen off the turnip truck just this morning to believe that Russian interference in our democracy began in 2016.

alanc709 said...

Apparently, all you need is a box of Crackerjacks to become a Russian asset.

Mary Beth said...

...to believe that Russian interference in our democracy began in 2016

Or that it's just Russia. Or that we don't do the same to other countries.

If you think troll farms are influencing our politics, educate people to think critically instead of just teaching them to follow instructions and go with the group think.

I guess you could also close off the internet like the Chinese do with the Great Firewall, but even that's not 100% effective either.

Listening to the people who screech about Russian interference, I get the feeling they would prefer the second option over the first.

Bay Area Guy said...

We almost know for certain that Russian interference with the 2016 campaign was trivial, because President Obama and AG Lynch did nothing about it.

Actions speak louder than words.

Trolls4Hire said...

“Listening to the people who screech about Russian interference, I get the feeling they would prefer the second option over the first.”

Yeah, why don’t they believe that it was Seth Rich and his brother? Stop maligning the Russians.

Molly said...

(eaglebeak)

Dana Milbank has been a wretch since the get-go--does anyone remember his horrible book about the 2000 election, Smash Mouth: Two Years in the Gutter with Al Gore and George W. Bush—Notes from the 2000 Campaign Trail?

All the way back to Woodward and Bernstein the Post has been lying through its teeth about American and world politics from the front page to the fashion column, and the advent of Jeff Bezos brought, finally and completely, the darkness democracy dies in.

tim in vermont said...

Before 2000, I used to enjoy Dana Milbank’s columns, kind of like the WaPo’s Dave Barry. Then he got BDS which has metastasized into TDS.

tim in vermont said...

“This blog has been a Russian asset since 2016”

The weird thing about paranoid delusions is that they seem so real to the sufferer.

narciso said...

what you get from a yale '90 I think he was skull and bones, of course the javelin missiles to Ukraine, the decimation of prigozhins mercenaries in Syria, the air strikes in that same country, all those argue against such a silly coinage, in lieu of fire eye (the outfit that watched the Equifax hack and said nothing) identification of apt 28 and 29, which crowdstrike employed in their briefing papers

Trolls4Hire said...

“We are at a point where we just cannot be in the same country.”

Send ‘em to GITMO. Hang the rest.

Seeing Red said...

We almost know for certain that Russian interference with the 2016 campaign was trivial, because President Obama and AG Lynch did nothing about it.

Actions speak louder than words.


Yup.

roesch/voltaire said...

I am so glad we have a bunch of cyber whiz kids on this blog who trust touch screen voting and have never had their personal information hacked. Me I know better.Give me paper back up ballots in all states Mitch, why are you against that?

narciso said...

You dont know how voting machines work do you, I've dealt with them for 18 years, they are only uploading the ballots at the end of the day, not any other time.

cubanbob said...

J. Farmer said...
Red Scare 3.0. Foreign governments interfere in our affairs all the time. The Russians, the Chinese, the Turks, the Saudis, the Emiraties, the Qataris, the Israelis,"

You forgot to mention the Australians and the British. Was that intentional or an oversight?

cubanbob said...

Funny how when the Russians were Soviets "American" Progressives were all Russian assets. Like Ted Kennedy amongst others.

For once I agree with R/V. We should only have paper ballots and every state should ban exit polling and the release of the count until midnight Eastern Standard Time. Doing this would make election fraud harder since the number of votes needed will be harder to fake and it also allows voters to vote without knowing the likely outcome of an election.

Paco Wové said...

"whiz kids on this blog who trust touch screen voting"

I'm pretty sure that describes exactly zero commenters at Althouse.

I'm also pretty sure that states run their own elections, not the Federal government. No touch screen voting in my flyover state.

Durgarao said...

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MayBee said...

When Harris is president, it will be both racist and sexist to say things like that.

Drago said...

roesch/voltaire: "I am so glad we have a bunch of cyber whiz kids on this blog who trust touch screen voting and have never had their personal information hacked."

LOL

Per usual, the precise opposite of reality.

But only every single time with our resident marxist identity intersectionalists.

Achilles said...

roesch/voltaire said...
I am so glad we have a bunch of cyber whiz kids on this blog who trust touch screen voting and have never had their personal information hacked. Me I know better.Give me paper back up ballots in all states Mitch, why are you against that?

I trust in person touch screen voting more than I trust mail-in ballots. But more isn't a lot.

Paper Ballots. In Person. Photo ID to register at least a month in advance with a legitimate background check.

Photo ID to vote. You can keep the polling stations open for a weekend. Ink for the thumbs.

I don't mind requiring voters either serve in the Armed forces and/or show proof of net positive tax payments minus benefits either.

Trolls4Hire said...

“I don't mind requiring voters either serve in the Armed forces and/or show proof of net positive tax payments minus benefits either.”

Presidents are exempt from this requirement, of course.

Drago said...

"Presidents are exempt from this requirement, of course."

VP's too!!

Sleepy Creepy Slow Joe "5 Deferments" Biden agrees!!

Drago said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Drago said...

The really good news is that in addition to openly supporting infanticide, MS13 and ISIS (the Squad!), the dems/left are coming out strong against the murderers of little children. Including 1 Pelosi-"spark of divinity" murderer who tortured and murdered a 2 year old.

Yeah Dems!!!

And just in time for 2020.

I also think it was wonderful for the dem Speaker of the House to make time in her busy schedule to speak privately with Nancy Pelosi!!

Drago said...

Oh, I'm an asset
She's an asset
He's an asset
We're an asset

Oh wouldnt you like to be an asset too?

Be an asset, be a Russian asset,
Be an asset, be a Russian asset,....

Birkel said...

Is it weird that an Official Althouse Troll Decision is made only to be followed by more troll accounts?

Earnest Prole said...

Cocaine Mitch . . . Moscow Mitch . . . next they’ll be calling him a poofter. In my wildest dreams I never imagined 2019 Democrats would be indistinguishable from 1953 Republicans.

Martha said...

Mitch responds:

McConnell condemns 'modern-day McCarthyism,' 'feckless' Obama policies, after pundits call him 'Russian asset'

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mcconnell-modern-day-mccarthyisim-feckless-obama-policies-washington-post-russian-asset