Anybody Think We Ought to Have Actual Evidence?

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— Trevor Timm (@trevortimm) December 15, 2016

U.S. intelligence officials now believe with "a high level of confidence" that Russian President Vladimir Putin became personally involved in the covert Russian campaign to interfere in the U.S. presidential election, senior U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News.

Two senior officials with direct access to the information say new intelligence shows that Putin personally directed how hacked material from Democrats was leaked and otherwise used. The intelligence came from diplomatic sources and spies working for U.S. allies, the officials said.

Ultimately, the CIA has assessed, the Russian government wanted to elect Donald Trump.

  NBC

Could we see that "new" intelligence?  My confidence is not at a high level yet on the "old" intelligence.

The FBI and other agencies don't fully endorse that view, but few officials would dispute that the Russian operation was intended to harm Clinton's candidacy by leaking embarrassing emails about Democrats.

Perhaps not, but then, few officials have been shown to have any integrity.

The statement said officials believed that "only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities."

And yet, we haven't even seen any solid evidence that they had anything at all to do with the hacks.

That was an intelligence judgment based on an understanding of the Russian system of government, which Putin controls with absolute authority.

I see. Mind-boggling logic: Hacking has been traced to a computer in the Moscow area (according to previous reports), and Putin controls the Russian government. Therefore, Putin is personally responsible for hacking the DNC and causing Hillary to forfeit the crown.

Now the U.S has solid information tying Putin to the operation, the intelligence officials say. Their use of the term "high confidence" implies that the intelligence is nearly incontrovertible.

Well, that seals the deal for me. No further proof needed.

Oh, by the way: that computer in the Moscow area? Has to belong to a Russian, right? And not just any Russian - a Russian connected to the Russian government, and specifically, Putin.

A man who authorities say was the face of the largest theft of financial data in U.S. history surrendered Wednesday in New York, officials said.

Joshua Samuel Aaron, who had been living in Moscow, is charged in connection with the 2014 hack that exposed the records of more than 83 million JPMorgan Chase customers.

[...]

Aaron's two alleged co-conspirators — Israeli citizens Gery Shalon, the alleged ringleader, and Ziv Orenstein — were extradited to the United States from Israel in June.

  NBC

The only thing we've gotten with this "new" intelligence is still couched in terms of "officials believed", "high confidence", "nearly incontrovertible."  Plus "intelligence judgment based on an understanding of the Russian system of government."  Yes, Putin is just the kind of guy who would do such a thing, so he must have been the one to do it.

I don't mean to defend Putin's character here, but I would just like to see some real evidence before we go off poking at the bear.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.