Joe Conason - Is It Treason Yet?

[DonViejo]

August 5, 2018 4:00 am

Would anyone still be shocked to learn that most Republicans are untroubled by the Kremlin’s efforts to manipulate our politics? The appalling truth is that millions of Republicans — more than 10 percent, according to a new survey by Yahoo Finance/Survey Monkey — would actually approve of Russian interference in the midterm elections. And nearly 30 percent say they wouldn’t really object to such an intervention, presumably so long as the Russians remain supportive of Trump and the Republican Party.

Given the decades of continuing enmity between the Russian Federation and the United States, not to mention the illegal nature of foreign meddling in our elections, these sentiments are tantamount to treason. That label would certainly be applied to Democrats instantly if they were to ever express such tolerant attitudes toward an attempted political coup by a hostile power. But Republicans, both in the Party leadership and the Trump-inflected “base,” seem increasingly receptive to a Kremlin takeover.

One revelation after another has demonstrated just how receptive they are. Leaving aside President Donald Trump’s own highly compromised relationship with Moscow, we have repeatedly seen evidence that the Republicans either don’t care about or even welcome the Russian incursions.

The House Republican leadership was well aware two years ago that the Kremlin had established dubious connections not only with Trump but also with one of their members, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told the Republican caucus that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was paying Trump and Rohrabacher. At that point, House Speaker Paul Ryan broke in to warn the Republican members not to mention these suspicions outside the caucus room. When the conversation leaked, they claimed to be joking.

But of course it wasn’t a joke, and it isn’t a joke now. Both Rohrabacher and Trump openly behave like Putin’s most abject stooges, whether the Kremlin boss is actually paying them or not.

Worse still, Ryan and the House leadership have encouraged Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., to misuse his position as House Intelligence Committee chair to frustrate the investigation of Russia’s attack on the 2016 election that he should be leading, and to hinder the Office of Special Counsel probe. Ryan has made zero effort to defend our country against the Kremlin’s ongoing assault. Just last week, Facebook management revealed that it suspects Russians were using pages on the social media mammoth to meddle in the midterms — and had shut down those pages.

With very few exceptions, Republicans in Washington watch mutely as the president of the United States dismantles our diplomatic and trade capacities, wrecks our international alliances, drives away our friends, dishonors our values and destroys the prestige our country once enjoyed. His actions don’t serve our interests, as those Republican officials know very well, but they can’t even clear their throats to protest.

For anyone who ever believed that the Republican Party stands for patriotism and freedom, as advertised, this sudden subservience to a foreign dictator must be stunning. But others have observed the rise of authoritarian ideologies among Republican constituencies for a long time.

That trend is rooted in the radical assault on democratic values led by then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich during Bill Clinton’s presidency, and it gathered force after President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney traduced the Constitution under the “unitary presidency.” The rhetoric of insurrection became fashionable in certain right-wing circles, especially when a Democrat was in the White House, as did notions of religious and racial superiority.

Those same circles have found a kindred spirit in Putin, a “strong” ruler who mocks civil liberties and cultivates fascists in Russia and abroad. Like his admirers on the American religious right, he purports to be a Christian, mainly as an excuse to persecute gays, Muslims and feminists. He acts out their authoritarian fantasies without worrying about opposition or criticism, since he has effectively suppressed both.

The American right might have continued to admire Putin from a safer distance, but that is no longer possible under the Trump regime. We may soon learn whether Trump’s willingness to compromise his country justified former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s accusation of treason. And Republicans who seek partisan benefit from Russian intrusions will risk that same disgrace.

###

http://www.nationalmemo.com/is-it-treason-yet/

Full article posted with the permission of Joe Conason -- Don

[malaise]

1. Must read

Off to the greatest page - they are all involved in treason.

[BSdetect]

5. It's really terrifying that we know this and are pinning all hope on an election that may well be

hacked - like the 2016 election.

What are the so called IC actually doing about this?

Our infrastructure is vulnerable right now?

What is being done about that?

Here's a scenario:

On the election day it looks like drumph is losing.

Cue a massive power outage across the country or selected areas.

Then perhaps he declares martial law, suspends the election, runs rampant with dictates...

Can't happen?

[malaise]

6. The system needs serious reform

He should already have been removed from office.

[BSdetect]

7. Agreed but how can we reform the system based on a deeply flawed Constitution?

The supreme court farce is just one aspect of the problem.

There is no remedy for the 2016 election fraud / treason?

Stuck with a bigoted fool appointed by a bigoted fool?

[malaise]

8. Wish I knew

Americans better sort this out

[shraby]

13. The way I look at it, the Constitution is just fine. Not flawed at all.

It's the people entrusted to uphold it that are flawed, and the encompasses the most of the republican party that's in office. They are all breaking the oath they took when the took office.

Fix that, and it will take care of a multitude of problems.

[The Liberal Lion]

9. Thank you

I'm glad someone else is recognizing that pinning hope on the midterms is perhaps foolhardy. Look, it's like this on November 8th 2016 Russia launched a successful attack to overthrow the legal government of the United States of America. With the help of donald j trump they succeed in their quest and took over the country. On January 20th 2017 America effectively became a satellite state of Russia and as well occupied territory. We've been engaged in a small but growing "cold" civil war ever since. If republicans were so craven to surrender our sovereign status to putin (that they all well knew) in order to gain relatively full control of the governing apparatus of the country why would anyone believe they are now changed and are willing to carry out fair and legal elections? Why would they? They know they are in the minority, they also know they can't win control of the government with their traditional messages. Tell me, why would trump, during the general election cycle constantly clam that the elections would be rigged if he didn't win? Every poll showed him losing, every last gottdamn single one. He said it because he knew that the election was going to be rigged for him! He knew that not only was putin assisting him on social media, but even further that putin had hacked into the voting machines and would alter vote totals should they not turn out in his favor. Why does anyone believe that putin is ready to give up his greatest prize yet? I say to those who still believe in the integrity of the US election system to continue to have hope. Hope is strength. But I caution as well, be ready, because sometimes hope is held in vain.

[elmac]

10. in the end, we need more voters to overcome the fascist dirty tricks

we need at least 64% of voting age citizens casting a ballot. It has been averaging in the low 50% range since 1996. It is up to our party to energize the base, as in, obstruct the fascists at every turn, play dirty, no more high road crap.

[YOHABLO]

14. He's already losing. How we win is get everyone registered and vote.

[triron]

17. Many scenarios with Trump-Russia fuckery could result in some surprises (unpleasant to dems).

[CrispyQ]

19. PAPER BALLOTS COUNTED BY HUMAN BEINGS.

We should be demanding this now. No more electronic touch screens. No more running paper ballots through black box tabulators. Why isn't dem leadership calling for this? It should be a national movement. Instead, we read story after story about how Trump is doing nothing & the GOP controlled Congress is doing nothing. My bad, the GOP Congress is doing something. They are all visiting Russia right before this critical election!

If we don't gain control of at least on chamber of Congress in November, we are so fucked.

[robbob]

22. They don't have to be that brazzen.

I would imagine it more like: Dems are leading in polls, massive social activism and involvement. It seems certain that we will retake both houses, then...

Once again, TRump defies all polls. Close races turn Repugs. Surprise upsets in district that were suppose to turn blue. Sudden come from behinds in Rethug strongholds that were trending blue. They hang on by the skin of their teeth. Yay, Democracy! Then the pundits come on and explain how the polls got it so wrong and bye bye fair elections.

I hope I’m not clairvoyant.

[peacebuzzard]

2. Good post, thanks, Don.

[oasis]

3. Joe knows for sure, it's America that needs to waking up. nt

[Kotya]

4. You'll not find many Trump voters who are angry that Hillary Clinton lost.

Republicans view "Russian collusion" as John Podesta getting his email hacked and everyone learning that the DNC was in the tank for Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders.

They're not particularly angry over this. It shouldn't be shocking to anyone.

[triron]

18. Just so long as Mueller doesn't view it this way.

I really don't give a damn about Trump voters who refuse to see past this masquerade.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

11. KR NT

[dameatball]

12. Just yesterday, was having a not so polite discussion with a Trumper. He informed me that as far as

he was concerned, if a Russian troll or a bot could help Trump stay in office, he would gladly send them "a hundred bucks."
I asked him what being a traitor felt like. End of conversation. These people are real folks and some of them live nearby.

[cstanleytech]

15. Yet? It was treason long ago. nt

[panader0]

16. Recommended.

Out of curiosity, how do you go about getting the author's permission
to post in full? E-mail? Electronic signature?

[dalton99a]

20. Kick

[CrispyQ]

21. "I'd rather be a Russian than a Democrat."

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210965262

This is what we're up against.