Russian connection re" Chelsea Manning running for Ben Cardin's seat?

[MrsMatt]

I just finished reading "Red Notice" by Bill Browder, and in his book he credits Ben Cardin for sponsoring the Magnitsky Act in Congress.

Putin hates the Magnitsky Act; so much so that the Russian government stopped all adoptions of Russian orphans to US parents within a month of the passage of the act.

Manning was convicted of espionage; she provided Wikileaks with classified information.

Wikileaks, I am convinced is a Russian tool; responsible for interfering in our elections.

Does anyone think that Manning was put up to this to attempt to unseat Cardin as payback?

[MrsMatt]

1. Maybe I've read too many

mysteries.

[Irish_Dem]

5. At this point, I think anything is possible. We have been quite naive and complacent.

And have not been connecting dots.

Now we are looking at everything through a new lens, questioning how far Putin has gone in subverting the US government. It may look paranoid to some, but I think we have to start asking questions.

[FreepFryer]

10. To which we are you referring? Not all of us have been so naive, nor so complacent.

[Irish_Dem]

14. Yes, not referring to DU we. But Americans in general.

However, even sophisticated, intelligent and cynical political junkies like myself did not foresee the Russian hacking our elections and infiltrating the US government.

And if a couple of years ago if someone here had posted speculation about
a Russian takeover, that thread would have been ridiculed and labeled a conspiracy theory.

[Voltaire2]

2. People here sure are *inferring* that is the case.

But try to get them to make that explicit and you will likely get denials.

[louis c]

8. Use deductive reasoning

Assange was and is, no doubt, in cohoots with the Kremlin in advancing Trump and tearing down Hillary.

Chelsea was an Assange operative.

Ben Cardin supported Russian sanctions and supports LGBT rights.

Why else would Chelsea Manning run against a DEMOCRATC Senator from another state?

[EllieBC]

20. She's part of that small percentage of people who vote or work against

their better interests. I don't know if it's because being a transwoman is not at the top of her concerns list or if it's because she's just an anarchist who wants to burn it all down.

[louis c]

29. If you want to understand people against themselves, check this guy out

Max Naumann. Jewish leader who formed a group of Jews to help elect Hitler in 1933.

Link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_German_National_Jews

[cilla4progress]

3. I

do.

Maybe its paranoia, but c'mon..lets not be completely naive. Could happen!

[BeyondGeography]

4. In addition to which she doesnt even live in MD

and is renting an apartment there just to take on Cardin. So, yeah, good mystery novel stuff at a minimum.

[Irish_Dem]

6. I read that the Russian operatives can lead people along, they don't even

know they are Russian assets.

[louis c]

7. Celsea Manning is a Russian Stooge (NT)

[Clarity2]

9. My first thought was yes

The politcal ad sounds divisive...typical putin

The one thing I disagree with obama was ever pardoning her.

[nycbos]

12. He didn't pardon her.

He commented her sentence. But I agree with you.

[Clarity2]

16. I thought they were the same thing.

Guess not. Same result though. Still free.

[MineralMan]

17. Free, but still a convicted felon.

A pardon would have wiped out the conviction.

[Clarity2]

25. Thanks for clarification

and I think if you are a convicted felon you should not be allowed to run for anything.

[MineralMan]

27. There are no such requirements for US Senator.

The qualifications are listed in the Constitution, and those are the only requirements. So, a convicted felon can run for that office. It would be difficult to win, though. The people still have to vote and most people would not vote for a convicted felon as their Senator.

[nycbos]

19. A "pardon" means your conviction is wiped clean.

"Commuting a sentence" means your sentence is reduced the conviction still stance.

[rzemanfl]

23. "Stands" but thanks for "commuting" instead of "commenting." n/t

[nycbos]

11. President Obama should have left her in jail.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

13. Who is financing this escapade, who is managing this travesty, follow the money???

Most importantly are there any real "democratic party" members on board with this distraction?

Senator Cardin can be trusted to handle this with all the concern necessary to defend his seat consciously against any and all opposition candidates!

[Irish_Dem]

15. I think we are foolish and naive if we don't start asking a lot of questions

concerning current political events.

[MineralMan]

18. Well, if they did, they wasted their money.

There is approximately zero chance that Manning will win. The current Senator is very popular in his state, and a primary challenge is pretty much a silly thing to try. Chelsea Manning will lose the primary by a large margin.

The Russians are not stupid. They know that there is no chance in this race to unseat the Democrat in the primary. So, I conclude that they had nothing to do with it. Who did? Probably some "progressive" group.

[MrsMatt]

21. Well, I don't think they expected

Trump to win. Didn't stop them from interfering.

I think that the intent was to probe the security processes surrounding our voting procedures.

[peggysue2]

22. It's absolutely possible

When I first heard that Manning was running for the primary, I thought--we need to see who is behind the run, who talked her into making the bid. It doesn't necessarily need to be 'a Russian.' Could be the various groups on the right or alt-right willing to use Russian techniques (and money), playing the left against itself. I think we're going to discover that this happened in 2016 and is likely to be repeated in the November elections.

Because it worked.

Even with indirect Russian influence, Cardin would be a target via the Magnitsky Act--something Putin hates--and the recent report form the Foreign Intelligence Committee that named Russia and the Kremlin's dirty money as a source for funding chaos and confusion. I think there's little doubt at this point that Julian Assange has been thoroughly compromised. Which also throws the whole Snowden affair into question.

We on the Left were duped, led like babes in the woods. This whole operation was in the works for a long time, IMHO.

[ucrdem]

24. Exactamundo.

The bald fact is, it works. And judging from the ad it could be anybody with a Florida focus group which means the usual suspects, not just Russians.

[yurbud]

33. Democrats could deter primary challenges by pursuing progressive policies when they gain power

instead of agreeing with Republicans on things like the recent surveillance bill, and looking for conflict with countries we have already persuaded to change their political and economic systems to our liking.

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. What Chelsea did took guts, if it turns out she is a traitor along with the rest of them,

I will lose faith, again.

[ucrdem]

28. She told a reporter in a chatroom that she did it because she hated Hillary Clinton.

Okay maybe she's changed but she's not exactly role-model material.

[IluvPitties]

30. I'm with Cardin.

[comradebillyboy]

31. Who is picking up the tab for this senate run?

She is an unemployed ex con. Who is paying for her basic living expenses? Who are her financial backers? How about some transparency for your campaign Chelsea.

[yurbud]

32. I am little more concerned about countries that try to get us INTO wars not out like

Israel and Saudi influencing our elections.

[louis c]

34. I'm more worried about an asshole traitor trying to help a dictator take over America (NT)

[yurbud]

35. Russia has a military one-sixth the size of ours and an economy even smaller

Diversify your sources of news so you don't fall for fear-mongering.

[Blue_Tires]

36. You must be new here...

Let me give you a belated welcome to DU!