While in South Africa, Vladimir Putin said he was down for another summit with Donald Trump. Why wouldn't he be? He's the one wearing the pants in this relationship, and Trump speaks only when spoken to, and when Putin gives the ok.. "Be my guest. He has such invitation, I told him that," said Putin.
This offer by Putin made his gimp from 'Pulp Fiction' very excited. For Putin he wants to be nothing other than a good boy. "President Trump looks forward to having President Putin to Washington after the first year of the year, and he is open to visiting Moscow upon receiving a formal invitation," said Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Trump doesn't need a formal invitation. He'll go when called upon.
During the Helsinki summit, Trump never confronted Putin about election meddling, and then contradicted his own intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, Putin standing right beside Trump, told the world that he wanted Donald Trump to win, backstabbing Trump as Trump didn't have the guts to confront Putin.
I would say that it would be a bad look for Donald Trump to have Putin come to the United States around the time of the midterm elections, but in reality, the right wouldn't mind, if not love it. They're memory lasts that of a dog, thinking Trump will bring jobs back, even though he said minimum wage was too high. Furthermore, Trump has said in recent weeks that the Russians would interfere on behave of the Democrats. Soon after that comment, the Daily Beast wrote a story saying that Democrat Senator from Missouri, Claire McCaskill, has had her re-election campaign hacked by the Russians. Trump's outright lies, shrouded in stupidity and irony, will not hurt him. The more the Russians help the Republicans, the happier his fan base will be.
Trump, his administration, and the Republican party are acting in ways that I could never have seen myself describing it as before in my life, and that is "anti-American." I hate using that term, because first of all, anti-said-country, traditionally has historical roots in authoritarian countries. Second of all, I don't like using that language, because unlike most Americans, I think America and Americans are capable of being immoral, and capable of doing awful things. The way we treat immigrants is a perfect example of this lack or morality, and the capability of people to be complete and absolute pricks.
Having said all that, the flippant reaction to Russian meddling by the right, has to make one ask if they are anti-American? I understand that the United States has, does, and will do this in the future, in other countries. I do not deny it, I condemn it, and practically speaking, with regard to countries like Guatemala and Iran, doing so has had negative impacts, both within and without those countries. That doesn't mean that we should allow countries to do this to us, but I don't think that Republicans really care.
Take for example, Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security. She has said there were "no indications that Russia is targeting the 2018 U.S. midterms at a scale or scope to match their activities in 2016." Keeping in mind that she has continually said she didn't know, or that there is no evidence that Russians meddled in elections, sorry if I don't trust her opinion on this one.
But like Kristjen Nielsen and Donald Trump, other Republicans are not acting as though this matters very little. Republicans have approved of the new government spending bill, but declined to provide more money into protecting our elections. "There is no crisis. There are funds available," said Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington. At the same time as Dan Newhouse says "there is no crisis," FBI Director Christopher Wray is that Russia is continuing its efforts to use fake news and covert operations to divide U.S. citizens.
One party seems fine with that...
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