GOP Quits Talks Over Russian Hacking And Election Ethics

[DonViejo]

Eric Boehlert

September 9, 2018 4:24 am

Republicans blew up long-running negotiations with Democrats this week, after both sides worked quietly for months to come to a bipartisan agreement not to use hacked or stolen information in the upcoming campaign season.

In a proposal that had been on the table, both parties agreed not to help any hacking efforts and not to search out hacked or stolen materials, and they also agreed to report any contacts with foreign operatives to law enforcement.

The GOP’s decision to abruptly end talks “only fed the complaint by Democrats that Republican lawmakers have resisted bridging partisan divisions in the two years since Russia began its brazen attack on the American political system,” the New York Times reported.

Just last month Republicans scuttled a bipartisan effort to protect American elections against interference.

Once viewed as a rare bipartisan bill that was sure to pass Congress, the White House suddenly signaled to Republicans that it opposed the Secure Elections Act.

more
http://www.nationalmemo.com/gop-quits-talks-over-russian-hacking-and-election-ethics/

[Hav]

1. I'd make the guess

that their intentions were never sincere. As long as it helps them, there is no incentive for them to
fight against election interference or not exploit illegally obtained data.

[randr]

2. They are prone to criminal activity

They now believe they can steal an election and no one will care.

[edhopper]

3. Why can't the Dems

just compromise?

Why can't "Congress" just work things out for America?

[dweller]

4. I guess I can believe

the hacking has begun and Kremlin /KGOP contact has been established ... and no, they won't be reporting it to law enforcement ...

[SHRED]

5. Wait a minute

They are negotiating to not break the law?

WTF?

[malthaussen]

12. Yeah, that's the world we're living in.

SMH. I doubt we could get a bi-partisan agreement that the sky is blue.

-- Mal

[octoberlib]

6. According to WaPo, the bill

to protect elections with audits, paper ballots etc. was scuttled at the last minute at the instigation of the WH. Trump said he’d refuse to sign it. He WANTS election fraud and interference.

[Maven]

7. When will Dems learn? "Agreements" with the GOP are useless.

They are a criminal enterprise and they will bend rules and ignore agreements when it is convenient for them, in order to win.

No, you can't make agreements with people like that. You need deterrence - the threat and imposition of consequences. It is the only language they understand.

[CrispyQ]

8. I will have a hard time accepting the election results if the repubs keep the House. -nt

[lark]

9. drumpf is determined for Russia to steal the mid-terms for his party.

He's fired the entire cybersecurity staff, it's totally empty. He's spent no money on this task and the task force met one time for 30 min. which he spent praising himself and no plans were made and no followups done. His scheme to make passports necessary to vote didn't come through, the courts stopped him. His pet vote rigging committee also got stopped by the court. Russia and lying about every single thing to gin up fear is all he's got and the fear won't win the mid-terms for him. I don't know if there's a way to overcome this, but hopefully a huge blue wave couldn't be stopped. It's our only hope.

[jmbar2]

10. Kavanaugh may also play a role

He has perjured himself over stolen documents. That's got to be a great big turd in the middle of the negotiation.

[SWBTATTReg]

11. Then we need to scream and yell bloody murder when an event occurs where data (stolen and hacked)...

is released solely for the purposes of manipulating an election...that election should be postponed until better security means are in place, immediately. It's awful funny that the GOP backed away...this is an obvious tell that they really don't want the security in place, for it guarantees they'll lose an elected office this way (by sheer numbers, they (gop) are already losers in the overall game of elections in this country.

[pangaia]

13. republicans 'agreed." Right..yeah, sure.... if Democrats actually believed that.....