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Clinton Responds To WikiLeaks During Debate, And Blames Russian Hackers (qz.com)

An anonymous Slashdot reader writes:During Sunday night's debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, moderators asked a question based on WikiLeaks documents released Friday -- to which both candidates responded. The leaked emails had included excerpts from Hillary's paid speeches to Wall Street in which she reportedly said "You need both a public and a private position on certain issues."

Clinton said she had been describing the 2012 movie Lincoln, and that Lincoln's use of different arguments for different groups of people was "a great display of presidential leadership." Then, citing intelligence reports, she said "Putin and the Russian government are directing the attacks -- the hacking on American accounts to influence our election...for Donald Trump."

Click through for a complete transcript of Clinton's remarks -- and Trump's response.
The question -- based on the WikiLeaks release -- was, "Is it okay for politicians to be two-faced? Is it acceptable for a politician to have a private stance on issues?"


Hillary Clinton's response:

Right. As I recall, that was something I said about Abraham Lincoln, after having seen the wonderful Steven Spielberg movie called Lincoln. It was a master class, watching President Lincoln get the Congress to approve the 13th Amendment. It was principled, and it was strategic. And I was making the point that it is hard sometimes to get the Congress to do what you want to do, and you have to keep working at it. And yes, President Lincoln was trying to convince some people, he used some arguments, convincing other people he used other arguments. That was a great -- I thought, a great display of presidential leadership.

But you know, let's talk about what's really going on here, Martha, because our intelligence community just came out and said in the last few days that the Kremlin, meaning Putin and the Russian government, are directing the attacks -- the hacking on American accounts to influence our election. And WikiLeaks is part of that, as are other sites where the Russians hack information -- we don't even know if it's accurate information -- and then they put it out. We have never, in the history of our country, been in a situation where an adversary, a foreign power, is working so hard to influence the outcome of the election. And believe me they're not doing it to get me elected. They're doing it to try to influence the election for Donald Trump.

Now maybe because he has praised Putin. Maybe because he says he agrees with a lot of what Putin wants to do. Maybe because he wants to do business in Moscow -- I don't know the reasons. But we deserve answers. And we should demand that Donald release all of his tax returns, so that people can see what are the entanglements and the financial relationship that he has with Russian and other foreign powers.


Donald Trump's response:

Well I think I should respond because -- so ridiculous. Look, now she's blaming -- she got caught in a total lie. Her papers went out to all her friends at the banks, Goldman Sachs and everybody else, and she said things -- WikiLeaks, that just came out. And you lied. Now she's blaming the lie on the late, great Abraham Lincoln. That's one that I haven't heard. [Audience laughs] Okay, honest Abe. Honest Abe never lied. That's the good thing. That's the big difference between Abraham Lincoln and you. That's a big, big difference. We're talking about some difference.

But as far as other elements of what she was saying, I don't know Putin. I think it would be great if we got along with Russia, because we could fight ISIS together, as an example -- but I don't know Putin. But I notice any time anything wrong happens, they like to say, "The Russians are..." She doesn't know if it's the Russians doing the hacking. Maybe there is no hacking. But they always blame Russia.

And the reason they blame is because they think they're trying to tarnish me with Russia. I know nothing about Russia. I know -- I know about Russia, but I know nothing about the inner workings of Russia. I don't deal there, I have no businesses there, I have no loans from Russia.

I have a very, very great balance sheet, so great that when I did the old post office on Pennsylvania Avenue, the United States government, because of my balance sheet, which they actually know very well, chose me to do the old post office between the White House and Congress -- chose me to do the old post office. One of the primary things, in fact perhaps the primary thing, was balance sheet. But I have no loans with Russia. You could go to the United States government, and they would probably tell you that, because they know my sheet very well.

In order to get that development, I had to have -- now the taxes are a very simple thing. As soon as I have -- first of all, I paid hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes. Many of her friends took bigger deductions -- Warren Buffett took a massive deduction. Soros, who's a friend of hers, took a massive deduction. Many of the people that are giving her all this money, that she can do many more commercials than me, gave or took massive deductions. I pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes, but -- but, as soon as my routine audit's finished, I'll release my returns. I'll be very proud to.

10 of 689 comments (clear)

  1. Hacking Vs. The Mouth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    This has turned into a foot race between Assange & friend's hacking, and Mr. Trump's own mouth.

    1. Re:Hacking Vs. The Mouth by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      turned into a foot race between Assange & friend's hacking, and Mr. Trump's own mouth.

      In other words, a foot-in-mouth race.

  2. Re:"we don't even know if it's accurate informatio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    It's just not fair to expect her to remember what she said to other people or what she's been up to with all that brain damage she's suffered. So I think she means it literally and she simply can't remember her own words. That's how she can tell us with a straight face that she hasn't been lying to us. I mean, why can't we believe that she honestly doesn't know what's going on any more or who she used to be?

  3. KGB / Trump / Assange by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Grab her by the pussy, comrade!

  4. yayo by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think they should postpone the election until they can figure out why Donald Trump sniff's constantly when he's talking. It's a serious problem. A news outlet counted ninety-two times tonight, which is 30% up from the last debate.

    He also chewed his lips several times (play the tape). Now I'm not saying the dude is doing rails in the limo on the way to the debates but if he's didn't have a snoot full of flake, he's got to see an ear, nose and throat doctor, stat. Maybe they can adapt Hillary's anti-coughing machine to stop Donald's incessant sniveling, because I find it very distracting, and I'm keen to hear every red pill truth bomb Trump drops.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  5. Re:Great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    How is rejecting Trump trolling? It's only trolling if we inflict him on Congress for 8 years. Trump 2016!

  6. Re:Serious question by serviscope_minor · · Score: 2, Funny

    Looks like the Kremlin has hacked your account. Might want to change your password there mate.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.
  7. Re:Great by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Funny

    EITHER of them would lose against anyone but the other one. Seriously, the other party could field a water cooler next term and it would win.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  8. Re:Great by pslytely+psycho · · Score: 4, Funny

    Either one will survive just fine, after all, it's Gods doing. Let me enlighten you with a Divine Tale!

    And Gabriel walked into Gods office and said " I have the initial results of the Anti-Christ trial run."
    "Oh good," said God, "please continue!"
    "Well, as predicted, just invoking you or the kids name got most of the low intelligence and Evangelical crowd to fall in line, however the more secular and educated amongst them tended to fall in line with AC Mark II. We also noted an equally large percentage that didn't fall in line with either but are still expected to cast a vote for one or the other. And we do have a few outliers that went with that little soiree that Cthulhu and Lucifer likes to put on every four years, and they did get some pretty amusing hosts this year as well, after all we told them nobody reasonable this year for the trial run"
    "Hmmm," said God, "perhaps it's still too early for the apocolypse, we'll just give em a four year taste of what's coming as a warning until we find a way to combine the Mark I and Mark II Anti-Christs into a single Mark III model."
    "Do you mind if the Arch-Angel has a bit of fun with the debates and resulting chaos of the inaugeration?"
    "Oh, not at all," replied God, "I wouldn't miss it for anything!"

    --
    Donald Trump, on a crusade to make Nixon look respectable
  9. Re:Great by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Funny

    Write in Eisenhower. Even as a decomposed corpse he's ten times the president than those two goons combined.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.