Turning The Ballot Box Against Republicans

Thank goodness for those Republicans who stand strong in defending our country, rather than caving in to support a president who shamelessly defends Putin--an adversary of the United States--rather than our county's intelligence community and our country's national security interests.

Top Republicans in Congress break with Trump over Putin
By Lauren Fox, CNN
July 16, 2018

CNN) — After President Donald Trump's stunning news conference Monday next to Russian President Vladimir Putin, members of Congress -- including some powerful Republicans -- were quick to rebuke Trump's performance on the world stage and Trump's refusal to call Putin out for interfering in the US election.

House Speaker Paul Ryan contradicted several comments Trump made during his Helsinki news conference, most notably backing the US intelligence community assessment that Russia meddled with the US 2016 presidential election.

"There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world," said Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, in a statement. "That is not just the finding of the American intelligence community but also the House Committee on Intelligence."

Ryan continued, "The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally. There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals. The United States must be focused on holding Russia accountable and putting an end to its vile attacks on democracy."

The second-ranking Republican in the Senate, Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, told CNN he backed the intelligence community.

"I don't know (whether) the President is trying to use some sort of carrots and stick approach with Putin but I believe the intelligence community," Cornyn told CNN, adding that the recent indictments from special counsel Robert Mueller's probe are "spot on."

Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican who has consistently criticized the President, said Trump's comments were "one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory."

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker said the President "made us look like a pushover" and that Putin was probably eating caviar on the plane home.

"I was very disappointed and saddened with the equivalency that he gave between them (the US intelligence agencies) and what Putin was saying," said Corker, a Tennessee Republican who is not seeking re-election.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not yet personally weighed in on the comments, but released a statement through a spokesman, backing the US intelligence community's assessment and saying "Russia is not our friend."

"As the Leader has said many times, Russia is not our friend, and he agrees with the findings of the intelligence community regarding Russia's efforts to interfere in our elections," McConnell spokesman Don Stewart said in that statement. "Those positions have not changed."

Trump's comments that appeared to equivocate Putin's denial of Russian election meddling and the US intelligence community's assessment were commonly evoked in the steady stream of criticism. Republican Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, issued a blistering statement just minutes after the press conference wrapped.

Sasse rebuked Trump's statement that he held "both countries responsible" for the deteriorated relationship between the United States and Russia.

"This is bizarre and flat-out wrong. The United States is not to blame. America wants a good relationship with the Russian people but Vladimir Putin and his thugs are responsible for Soviet-style aggression," Sasse said in the statement. "When the President plays these moral equivalence games, he gives Putin a propaganda win he desperately needs."

Some Republicans 'deeply troubled' by Trump

Some Republicans in both the House and Senate -- even some typically seen as allies to the President -- said in the hours following the news conference that they were concerned over what they heard Monday.

"As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am deeply troubled by President Trump's defense of Putin against the intelligence agencies of the U.S. & his suggestion of moral equivalence between the U.S. and Russia. Russia poses a grave threat to our national security," said Rep. Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican.

Rep. Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican who was among the Republicans leading last week's sharply partisan hearing of FBI agent Peter Strzok, made clear Monday he did not see Russia as a US ally.

"I am confident former CIA Director and current Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, DNI Dan Coats, Ambassador Nikki Haley, FBI Director Chris Wray, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and others will be able to communicate to the President it is possible to conclude Russia interfered with our election in 2016 without delegitimizing his electoral success," Gowdy said in a statement.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina who has had a close working relationship with Trump on issues related to health care and tax reform, tweeted that the summit was a "missed opportunity."

"Missed opportunity by President Trump to firmly hold Russia accountable for 2016 meddling and deliver a strong warning regarding future elections," Graham tweeted. "This answer by President Trump will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness and create far more problems than it solves."

Graham also warned Trump to leave a soccer ball, a gift from Putin, outside of the White House.

"If it were me, I'd check the soccer ball for listening devices and never allow it in the White House," Graham said.

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican who has been constant critic, called the President's performance "shameful."

"I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression. This is shameful," tweeted Flake, who is not running for re-election.

Republicans show support for US intelligence community

Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger called Trump's comments rebuking the US intelligence community assessment "a disservice," though he did not mention Trump by name.

"The American people deserve the truth, & to disregard the legitimacy of our intelligence officials is a disservice to the men & women who serve this country. It's time to wake up & face reality. #Putin is not our friend; he's an enemy to our freedom," Kinzinger tweeted.

The responses came after Trump declined to endorse the US intelligence community's finding that the Russians interfered in the 2016 US election.

Instead, Trump said Putin was "extremely strong and powerful" in his denial.

"I have confidence in both parties," Trump said of Russia and the US intelligence community.

"I have real confidence in my intelligence people, but I must tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial," Trump said.

A senior GOP congressional aide told CNN it's "shocking he would disrespect our intel community on foreign soil. Next to Putin."

Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, a key Trump ally, issued a statement backing up the intelligence community, but did not directly criticize the President.

"Russia interfered in the 2016 election," Hatch said in a statement. "Our nation's top intelligence agencies all agree on that point. From the President on down, we must do everything in our power to protect our democracy by securing future elections from foreign influence and interference, regardless of what Vladimir Putin or any other Russian operative says. I trust the good work of our intelligence and law enforcement personnel who have sworn to protect the United States of America from enemies foreign and domestic."

New Jersey Republican Frank LoBiondo, who chairs the House CIA subcommittee, also said Trump missed an opportunity to grill Putin.

"I strongly disagree w/ statement that Russia did not meddle in 2016 election. With all I have seen on House Intel Comm & additional indictments of 12 Russian officers last week, it is clear Russia's intentions. President Trump missed opportunity to hold Putin publicly accountable," tweeted LoBiondo, who is not running for re-election.

Democrats outraged

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice-Chairman Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, tweeted "for the President to side with Putin over his own intelligence officials and blame the United States for Russia's attack on our democracy is a complete disgrace."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said Trump embarrassed the US.

"Once again, @realDonaldTrump takes to the international stage to embarrass America, undermine our institutions, weaken our alliances, & embrace a dictator. Russia interfered in our elections & attacked our
democracy. Putin must be held accountable -- not rewarded.
Disgraceful," Warren tweeted.

Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, tweeted that someday the US would "turn the page on this dark chapter," but it would not be easy.

"This is a sad, shameful moment for our great nation. We will reclaim our values and reassert our global leadership. We'll turn the page on this dark chapter. But it won't happen on its own. We all must stand up—to side with U.S. law enforcement and to protect all Americans," Kaine said.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/16/politics/congress-reaction-trump-putin-comments/index.html

Much would depend on the laws in that state.

It might be possible for a law to make it illegal. I can't off hand think of how to go about crafting such a law, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.

But absent any laws to the contrary, this would be legal.

Blow wrote this column before Trump met with Putin today. But after seeing Trump fail to defend our country from attack by Russia, and instead support Putin in today's press conference, I feel Blow is right in using the word "traitor".

Trump, Treasonous Traitor

The president fails to protect the country from an ongoing attack.

By Charles M. Blow
Opinion Columnist
July 15, 2018

Put aside whatever suspicions you may have about whether Donald Trump will be directly implicated in the Russia investigation.

Trump is right now, before our eyes and those of the world, committing an unbelievable and unforgivable crime against this country. It is his failure to defend.

The intelligence community long ago concluded that Russia attacked our election in 2016 with the express intention of damaging Hillary Clinton and assisting Trump.

And it was not only the spreading of inflammatory fake news over social media. As a May report from the Republican-run Senate Intelligence Committee pointed out:

“In 2016, cyber actors affiliated with the Russian Government conducted an unprecedented, coordinated cyber campaign against state election infrastructure. Russian actors scanned databases for vulnerabilities, attempted intrusions, and in a small number of cases successfully penetrated a voter registration database. This activity was part of a larger campaign to prepare to undermine confidence in the voting process.”

And this is not simply a thing that happened once. This is a thing that is still happening and will continue to happen. As Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told the committee in February, “Persistent and disruptive cyberoperations will continue against the United States and our European allies using elections as opportunities to undermine democracy.” As he put it, “Frankly, the United States is under attack.”

The Robert Mueller investigation is looking into this, trying to figure out what exactly happened in 2016, who all was involved, which laws were broken and who will be charged and tried.

That investigation seems to be incredibly fruitful. According to Vox’s tally:

“Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team has either indicted or gotten guilty pleas from 32 people and three companies — that we know of. That group is composed of four former Trump advisers, 26 Russian nationals, three Russian companies, one California man, and one London-based lawyer. Five of these people (including three former Trump aides) have already pleaded guilty.”

Twelve of those indictments came last week with a disturbingly detailed account of what the Russians did. As The New York Times put it:

“From phishing attacks to gain access to Democratic operatives, to money laundering, to attempts to break into state elections boards, the indictment details a vigorous and complex effort by Russia’s top military intelligence service to sabotage the campaign of Mr. Trump’s Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.”

Whether or not Trump himself or anyone in his orbit personally colluded or conspired with the Russians about their interference is something Mueller will no doubt disclose at some point, but there remains one incontrovertible truth: In 2016, Russia, a hostile foreign adversary, attacked the United States of America.

We know that they did it. We have proof. The F.B.I. is trying to hold people accountable for it.

And yet Trump, the president whom the Constitution establishes as the commander in chief, has repeatedly waffled on whether Russia conducted the attack and has refused to forcefully rebuke them for it, let alone punish them for it.

In March, the White House, under pressure from Congress, seemed to somewhat reluctantly impose some sanctions on Russia for its crimes. As CNN reported that month, Congress almost unanimously passed the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act last summer, “hoping to pressure Trump into punishing Russia for its election interference.” But as the network pointed out:

“Trump signed the bill reluctantly in August, claiming it impinged upon his executive powers and could dampen his attempts to improve ties with Moscow.”

Instead, Trump has repeatedly attacked the investigation as a witch hunt.

Just last week at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump said:

“I think I would have a very good relationship with Putin if we spend time together. After watching the rigged witch-hunt yesterday, I think it really hurts our country and our relationship with Russia. I hope we can have a good relationship with Russia.”

Now Trump is set to pursue just such a relationship as he meets one-on-one with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on Monday in Finland. As Trump said earlier this month at a rally:

“Will he be prepared? Will he be prepared? And I might even end up having a good relationship, but they’re going, ‘Will President Trump be prepared? You know, President Putin is K.G.B. and this and that.’ You know what? Putin’s fine. He’s fine. We’re all fine. We’re people.”

Actually, none of this is fine. None of it! Trump should be directing all resources at his disposal to punish Russia for the attacks and prevent future ones. But he is not.

America’s commander wants to be chummy with the enemy who committed the crime. Trump is more concerned with protecting his presidency and validating his election than he is in protecting this country.

This is an incredible, unprecedented moment. America is being betrayed by its own president. America is under attack and its president absolutely refuses to defend it.

Simply put, Trump is a traitor and may well be treasonous.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/15/opinion/trump-russia-investigation-putin.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region

Trump and Putin vs. America

By Thomas L. Friedman
Opinion Columnist
July 16, 2018

From the beginning of his administration, President Trump has responded to every new bit of evidence from the C.I.A., F.B.I. and N.S.A. that Russia intervened in our last election on his behalf by either attacking Barack Obama or the Democrats for being too lax — never President Vladimir Putin of Russia for his unprecedented cyberhit on our democratic process. Such behavior by an American president is so perverse, so contrary to American interests and values, that it leads to only one conclusion: Donald Trump is either an asset of Russian intelligence or really enjoys playing one on TV.

Everything that happened in Helsinki today only reinforces that conclusion. My fellow Americans, we are in trouble and we have some big decisions to make today. This was a historic moment in the entire history of the United States.

There is overwhelming evidence that our president, for the first time in our history, is deliberately or through gross negligence or because of his own twisted personality engaged in treasonous behavior — behavior that violates his oath of office to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Trump vacated that oath today, and Republicans can no longer run and hide from that fact. Every single Republican lawmaker will be — and should be — asked on the election trail: Are you with Trump and Putin or are you with the C.I.A., F.B.I. and N.S.A.?

It started with the shocking tweet that Trump issued before he even sat down with Putin this morning: “Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!” The official Twitter account of the Russian foreign ministry — recognizing a useful idiot when it saw one — immediately “liked” Trump’s tweet and later added: “We agree.”

I’ll bet they do.

It only got worse when, in his joint news conference with Putin, Trump was asked explicitly if he believed the conclusion of his intelligence agencies that Russia hacked our elections. The president of the United States basically threw his entire intelligence establishment under a bus, while throwing out a cloud of dust about Hillary Clinton’s server to disguise what he was doing.

Trump actually said on the question of who hacked our election, “I don’t see any reason why it would be” Russia. And in a bit of shocking moral equivalence, Trump added of the United States and Russia: “We are all to blame … both made some mistakes.” Trump said that it was actually the American probe into the Russian hacking that has “kept us apart.”

To watch an American president dis his own intelligence agencies, blame both sides for the Russian hacking of our election — and deliberately try to confuse the fact that there is still no solid proof of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia with the fact that Russia had its own interest in trying to defeat the anti-Putin Hillary Clinton — actually made me sick to my stomach. I completely endorse the former C.I.A. director John O. Brennan’s tweet after the news conference:

“Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanors.’ It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???”

Trump is simply insanely obsessed with what happened in the last election. But now he is president, and the fact that he may not have colluded with the Russians doesn’t mean he does not, as president, have a responsibility to ensure that the Russians be punished for interfering in our last election on their own and be effectively deterred from doing so in the future. That is in his job description.

Listening to Trump, it was as if Franklin Roosevelt had announced after Pearl Harbor: “Hey, both sides are to blame. Our battleships in Hawaii were a little provocative to Japan — and, by the way, I had nothing to do with the causes for their attack. So cool it.”

There is only one message Trump should have sent Putin in this meeting today: “You have attacked our democracy, as well as two core pillars of the global economic and security order that have kept the peace and promoted prosperity since World War II — the European Union and NATO. We are not interested in any of your poker-faced denials. Just know that if you keep doing it, we will consider it an act of war and we will not only sanction you like never before, but you’ll taste every cyberweapon we have in our arsenal — and some of your most intimate personal secrets will appear on the front pages of every newspaper in the world. Is there any part of that sentence you do not understand?

“So we will be watching you between now and our midterm elections,” Trump should have added. “I’m sure you know the date. If you behave well, we’ll talk again in December 2018 about anything you want — Ukraine, Syria, Crimea or arms control. Until then our C.I.A. and N.S.A. are on to you and your cyberspooks. And Vlad, as you may have noticed from my Justice Department’s recent indictment of 12 of your agents, you are not as good as you think.”

That is what a real American president, sworn to protect and defend the Constitution, would have said to Putin today. He would have understood that this meeting had only one agenda item — and it was not developing an “extraordinary” relationship.

It was d-e-t-e-r-r-e-n-c-e — deterrence of a Russia that has been increasingly reckless and destabilizing.

In the past few years what has Putin done to deserve an American president sucking up to him for an “extraordinary” relationship? Putin has seized Crimea, covertly invaded Ukraine, provided the missiles that shot down a civilian Malaysian airliner over Ukraine, bombed tens of thousands of refugees out of Syria into Europe, destabilizing Europe, been involved in the death of a British woman who accidentally handled a Russian nerve agent deployed to kill ex-Russian agents in England and deployed misinformation to help tip the vote in Britain toward exiting and fracturing the European Union.

Most of all, Putin unleashed a cyberattack on America’s electoral process, aimed at both electing Trump — with or without Trump’s collusion — and sowing division among American citizens.

Our intelligence agencies have no doubt about this: Last week, America’s director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, described Putin’s cybercampaign as one designed “to exploit America’s openness in order to undermine our long-term competitive advantage.” Coats added that America’s digital infrastructure “is literally under attack,” adding that there was “no question” that Russia was the “most aggressive foreign actor.”

I am not given to conspiracy theories, but I cannot help wondering if the first thing Trump said to Putin in their private one-on-one meeting in Helsinki, before their aides were allowed to enter, was actually: “Vladimir, we’re still good, right? You and me, we’re still good?”

And that Putin answered: “Donald, you have nothing to worry about. Just keep being yourself. We’re still good.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/16/opinion/trump-and-putin-vs-america.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region

That pretty much sums it up.

Regarding Trump and firing Comey, Blickers asked the following:


To which Oralloy replied:


It would be illegal in every state. This is a Federal law, but every state has a law similar to this, (and the Trump-Comey thing is Federal anyway):


Trump admitted he fired Comey because Comey would not back off the Russia investigation. That investigation obviously could lead to Trump. Trump has received a benefit from firing Comey because Comey would not back off the Russia investigation, ie, Trump has eliminated for the moment the possibility of being investigated.

It's a measure of Trump's arrogance that he actually went out of his way in the TV interview to establish that he fired Comey, at least in part, because of the Russia investigation. That just made the case of Obstruction Of Justice all the more apparent and provable.

What is the problem then? Why is Trump still president?

Mueller just needs a little more time, after all, he's only spent about a third as much tume to date as the GOP spent on the Benghazi witch hunt.

One was over site, one is criminal. You cannot compare them. Mueller could get enough on Killary. All he has to do is send someone to Russia to collect the evidence. He will never get anything on Trump. And his credibility is shot anyway.

It all comes out in Mueller's report. Mueller doesn't do things in dribs and drabs. He releases his report, then all hell breaks loose.

No it won't. Mueller is hopelessly tainted. People will try to make something out of a frame up. He put a 70 year old man in solitary, and bankrupted innocent people. The 70 year old will not cave, and his victims are fighting back.

Bottom line Trump will remain in office, and the real truth will come out. Democrats can kiss the WH goodbye for quite a while.

It would seem that federal and state laws would be in place for such a situation.

Trump's hometown newspaper minces no words about how they see him.

It is just another newspaper that wants advertising revenue capitalizing on hysteria. Nothing to see here.

On a lighter note. Trump decided to visit here on 12th July. A very appropriate date as it turns out.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelfth<br />

It’s 2 PM EST on the East Coast and I finally managed to turn on the News. Apparently Trump is planning on addressing the nation within the next hour. I don’t have high expectations that he will apologize or resign or do anything except dither and equivocate and then maybe just throw one of his epic temper tantrums, hold his breath until he turns blue and scream at the American people and threaten to ground us. What a magnificent chump!

Trump doesn't know what he is doing. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-22/trump-border-policy-plunges-into-confusion-following-new-order

Another bad Trump idea. https://www.syracuse.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/02/gas_tax_donald_trump_infrastructure.html

I wonder if he thinks he can just draft his own job description, because he has the best skills, the best words and the very very very best ideas. Kind of like buying a flower pot factory and then thinking you can slap a new name on it and then start forging those huge anchor links used by aircraft carriers.