Oh, and Democratic Party Presidential Nomination Debate Open Thread
Let’s start with an obvious given- Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is the single worst Democratic National Committee Chairman ever. She is directly responsible for the devastating defeats of 2012 and 2014 (What? You say 2012 wasn’t a defeat? Look down ticket dope.). She has supported Republicans, Republicans for goodness sake, against Democrats in her home state of Florida, and has sabotaged liberal and progressive Democrats at every turn in favor of corporatist Third Way/Blue Dog/DLC/New Democrat conservative refugees from the rapidly imploding Republican Party who are merely Democrats of convenience.
A less obvious given, but a given none the less, is that she is totally in the tank for Hillary. She makes barely a pretense of neutrality, her support is naked and blatant.
Thus, while Hillary may say that she’d like more debates and wishes that they were scheduled at more prominent times, Hillary is lying because it is the actions of her sock puppet stooge, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, that put those rules in place.
The facts of the current Data Breach controversy are that a staffer at the Sanders campaign was working with the DNC database when he noticed that he was able to get access to information that should not have been available to him. After a short exploration to determine the extent of the problem he produced a report which he sent to his boss, Bernie Sanders, who sent it on to the DNC.
He got fired for his trouble.
The fault is entirely the vendor’s, NGP-VAN. They were installing an upgrade that left a security vulnerability. According to them this condition lasted exactly 45 minutes.
Leaving aside the injustice of what happened to Josh Uretsky (and personally I think Bernie should be ashamed), how did the DNC, or more properly Debbie “HillShill” Wasserman-Schultz unilaterally, react?
Why, by cutting off Sanders’ access to his own data of course.
So Bernie sued. Why? Because he was miffed? Well, it would have been a hard blow to his campaign admittedly, but why is that? Because the Democratic National Committee strongly encourages all candidates to use its centralized database and not their own. Candidates only have access to the data they generate (supposedly) but all their data is supposed to go into the DNC’s black hole and so Bernie was cut off from his entire campaign database.
But that’s not why he sued. He has a contract that says that there must be at least 10 days notice before termination of service (presumably so you can back up your own data) that Debbie “HillShill” Wasserman-Schultz completely ignored. Bernie wanted $600,000 a day and an injunction and any court in the land would have had to give it to him, the contract is that clear.
Now the DNC has walked back its position in an implied rebuke to Debbie “HillShill” Wasserman-Schultz (who, as I noted above, must be fired- now!) and the DNC has wisely shut up because they are on the losing side (though there will be continuing “investigations”), and the ball is now being carried by paid Hillary staffers and complict media that Bernie “hacked” her.
If Hillary had any integrity she’d disavow them and apologize but I’m not holding my breath.
(note: Bill Curry is a former gubernatorial candidate in Connecticut and though I do hold his service in the DLC administration of Bill Clinton against him, he seems fairly liberal and I voted for him 3 times- ek)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz must go, and the case Bernie Sanders must make tonight
by Bill Curry, Salon
Saturday, Dec 19, 2015 02:07 PM EST
`Tis nearly the night before Christmas and not a creature is stirring, what with everyone out at a party, multiplex or mall. What better time for a presidential debate?
That at least is the view of DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the Clinton campaign, from which she takes her cues. They wanted the fewest possible voters to see the fewest possible debates. So we went from 26 debates in 2008 to six debates in 2016, three of them on weekends. It’s called the Democratic Party, but no one other than Clinton and Schultz had any say in the matter.
On Thursday, the DNC told the press a contractor inadvertently breached a firewall in a software program exposing data files of presidential campaigns and that a Bernie Sanders staffer (Josh Uretsky, with the campaign three months) took the opportunity to sneak a peek at Hillary Clinton’s files. Sanders’ campaign instantly sacked the staffer but Schultz still cut off its access to data, a punishment she seems to have made up on the spot, thus bringing crucial outreach and fundraising efforts to a halt.
…
On Friday, Sanders’ campaign filed a federal lawsuit alleging breach of contract. It sought a restraining order and money damages that, assuming the facts set forth in the complaint, exceed a million dollars a day. It was a strong case. Uretsky may have behaved unethically but there was no malice aforethought– the forbidden fruit fell in his lap—and from the moment the campaign learned of his possible malfeasance, it acted honorably and swiftly. Schultz, conversely, appears to have acted without color of authority under law, contract or party rule.The contract required written notice of termination and a 10-day grace period to cure any alleged default. Clearly the DNC was in violation, not Sanders. Because the contract put the onus for securing data on the DNC, it was liable for the breach as well. But the issue was bigger than mere contract law or political dirty tricks. In suspending the vital operations of a presidential campaign, Schultz trespassed on the right of all citizens to free and fair elections. Democrats could ill afford to be seen condoning her actions. Nor could they afford to pay her bills. If she acted without authority she’d be liable for damages, but only if the party was as swift and honorable in dealing with her as Sanders was in dealing with Uretsky.
The DNC Data Breach – It’s The Cover Up!
By Jamie, Crooks and Liars
12/19/15 2:00pm
Yesterday everyone was so focused on who accessed what campaign data in the DNC voter file breach, that we all fell right into a trap by the DNC and Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Honestly I’m kicking myself for not thinking about this, especially after Charlie Pierce asked the best question of the day; “Why Did the DNC Let the Bernie-Hillary Tech Story Leak?” Now I believe I know the answer – to cover-up the real story.
Voter data is the holy grail of politics. It lets campaigns know who to spend time targeting and who to ignore. Both the DNC and RNC has spent tens of millions of dollars curating all this data. So, when news broke that there was a data breach of this data at a national party, damage control had to be quickly done. Enter Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
One thing that really bugged me last night was when Schultz appeared on MSNBC and kept insisting that the Sanders campaign had downloaded this data. This accusation went against the public statement made by the CEO of the DNC’s data vendor, NGP-VAN.
…
So why was the chair of the DNC out there saying something that purely contradicted what their trusted vendor is saying?
…
Let’s think about this for a minute. The DNC is courting people to run for office. On top of that, they are also trying to sell the use of their voter database. But suddenly you now have serious questions about the actual security of this system. If a candidate is looking at a heated primary, this would have them asking “can I trust this system I’m paying all this money for to not expose my data to my rivals?” And honestly, they would be right to ask that.
…
So, back to Charlie Pierce’s question, why would the DNC even leak that this has happened? My guess is that was a last resort tactic. They wanted to try and control the story, distracting from the most important question of the security of their system, and instead focusing on the actions of one of the campaign. There was most likely a fear that after they cut off Sanders access, the Sanders campaign would go public. If that would have happened, then it would have been harder for the DNC to control the story. That control was evident yesterday by the statements Schultz was making.
…
Depending on how the trial would have gone, this could have really undermined data mining efforts for the DNC for years to come. Suddenly you have campaigns not trusting your system and using their own, of which there are other alternatives out there. Those campaigns go to that other system, and the DNC is suddenly not getting their data updated by that campaign. It quickly starts reducing the effectiveness of the DNC’s actual list. As this continues, that list becomes less valuable and suddenly things like Presidential elections become harder to win.So while we were all focusing on who did what, with what and how, the DNC was out there employing the great smoke and mirrors of politics. “Question the candidate, not our beloved system!” became the message relayed from the DNC, and that was despite the well known fact that it was that very system that lead to this entire issue.
Put it this way. If your bank suddenly gave all their other customers access to your account, would you continue to use them? I think we know the answer to that.
Yeah, I think we all do.
Debate stars @ 8 pm ET on ABC (hey, at least it’s a real network).
80 comments
Skip to comment form
Author
Pre Game hype
Author
The pro Hillary spin is too much for my stomach. ‘Tween comedies, maybe Survivorman.
Author
Yeah, the one responsible for all those beatings and deaths in Baltimore. That Martin O’Malley.
Author
Hey what do you know, Dude You’re Screwed then Survivorman on Science.
Author
Matt of Dual Survival is the contestant. He gets a pink stuffed Teddy Bear, something in a jar that stinks, and a pair of Stars and Stripes panties.
Author
Jets v. ‘Boys tied @ 0
Author
Candidates finally on stage. Bernie gets big applause.
Author
Hillary word salad
Author
And so will I
Author
Oh, Police Brutality Mike
Author
Feel the Bern
Author
Datagate
Author
Out of the park
Author
Bernie
Author
Hillary- move on (I fucked up).
Sanders apologizes for data breach
First question goes right to the database spat between Sanders and Clinton’s campaigns. Were your staffers stealing, the moderator asks?
Sanders says the DNC says there were two breaches in information, where his staff found information on their computers. Those staffers said: “Whoa, what’s going on here,” and went to the vendor and asked what was happening, resolving the problem without issue.
He says in this third incident someone instead looked at the information, which was wrong, and that that person was fired accordingly. But the DNC made “an egregious act” by cutting off his campaign’s access to voter data, he says.
He wants an investigation: “I’m not convinced that information from my campaign didn’t end up in her campaign.”
All the press bothers him too – but he’s immediate about an apology: “yes, I apologize” for the staffer’s actions. He apologizes to supporters too: “this is not the kind of campaign we want to run.”
Author
How would you find would be terrorists (because we’re doing a pretty sucky job so far)
Author
Hillary- More of the same!
Clinton says she appreciates Sanders’ apology.
“Obviously we were distressed when we learned of it, because we’ve worked very hard … and so now that I think that we’ve resolved your data, agreed on an independent inquiry, we should move on. Because I don’t think the American people care all that much.”
O’Malley juts in, saying that this sort of data breach is exemplary of why Washington is so terrible at getting anything done. He says people who are more “high-minded” than these incidents should check out Martin O’Malley dot com.
Author
Bernie- Get the fuck out of the Middle East!
Author
Are Americans wrong to want more guns after San Bernadino?
Author
Hillary- sure, yeah
Author
Bernie- targeted restrictions
Author
O’Malley attacks both
Author
Does a ban on assault weapons make a difference?
Author
What do you say to those supporting ban on Muslims coming to U.S.
Author
Is profiling ever acceptable
Author
Turn over Encryption keys
Author
Hillary- Yes!
Author
Fear, fear, fear from the Dems. They are fucking cowards too.
Author
Are we wrong to accept refugees?
Author
Hillary- More Screening!
Author
Why not support boots on the ground against Daesh?
Author
Me- Hah. Boots? Targets.
Author
One of the few things I agree with Obama about
We were not atacked on 9/11 from Afghanistan. The hijackers were not Afghans. They were Saudi Arabians and the palling took place in Hamburg Germany and Florida.
Author
Turks target Daesh instead of the Kurds? Dream on Hil.
The CIA is too busy assassinating people these days instead of gathering inteligence
Author
What more does our IC need to be doing?
Author
Oh sure, spy on U.S.Citizens more.
Author
Mike, the only genocidal power in the ME is US
The no fly zone will not work. We have no right to shoot downa sovereign nations aircraft
Author
What Hil? Daesh has no airpower. You gonna shoot down the Russians and Syrians?
We have no right to demand Assad be removed. It creates a poltical vacuum that opens the door to chaos and another extremist government in the Middle East
Author
They Libya fight. Bernie is correct.
Author
Hil is pro Sunni
Author
It’s like being pro Catholic v. pro Protestant
These three son;t get it any better than the Republicans. The reason that ISIS and Al Qaeda exist is because the US has intervened in the Middle East. We need to get out of the region and stop selling the,m ALL arms. try and get the Russians to go along with that.
Author
What fucking Pink Unicorn was that Hillary? Moderate opposition- bullshit.
From The Guardian
We have armed the “moderate opposition” They took those weapons and joined ISIS. We just need to stop this insanity. It hasn’t worked, ever
Now for the Football game: Jets 9 – Cowboys 3 with 3:20n left in the 2nd quarter
Will corporate America like a Pres. Sanders? No, they won’t
Author
What fucking Pink Unicorn was that Hillary? Moderate opposition- bullshit.
Load more