Trump is selling out America to Putin and his actions against Russia are superficial and not impactful. Tweety has been tougher on NATO and America's Allies by creating uncertainty.
"The stench from Trump’s execrable performance grows ever more putrid"
by Max Boot Columnist July 18, 2018
"As explosive new Russia revelations hit Trump, Republicans throw him a lifeline"
by Greg Sargent July 19, 2018
The article title says it all. Nuff said.
"Republicans will continue to throw Trump that lifeline for as long as possible, which in practice means abdicating on the use of congressional authority to force the full truth about this saga out into the open, even as learning the truth grows ever more urgent."
Here's a useful idiot commentary . . . I think it shows that the "tough" actions by Trump against Russia are superficial and have no impact on Putin's plans tp undermine our democracy in the long run. What does Daniel mean by "high point?"
"Trump’s Russia Policy Is Better Than Obama’s Was"
The U.S. stance on Russia may have reached a post-Cold War high point.
By Daniel P. Vajdich | April 13, 2018
https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/04/13/trumps-russia-policy-is-better-than-obamas/
"Simultaneously, as Trump was praising Putin, the Republican Party’s commitment to provide Ukraine with lethal military assistance mysteriously disappeared from its platform. Even more egregious was Trump’s explicit comparison of the United States to Russia. “You think our country’s so innocent?” he asked Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly, drawing an unthinkable equivalence between the two countries’ governments and actions."
Interesting. I thought Trump was tough on Russia. There is a list of actions taken to influence Russia, but are the listed items really "tough?"
"More than a year into his presidency, Trump’s Russia policy is far more forceful than that of his predecessor. It is substantive, antagonistic to Russian aims, and not at all to the Kremlin’s liking. Still, this fact has been buried by politics, optics, and the president’s own behavior. Some in the Russian government, however, continue to cling to the idea that Trump is on their side. "
I am not clear about this author's point. I'm not sure he knows what he is saying.
"The 13 scariest reactions to Trump's disastrous Russia summit, ranked"
Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large Updated July 19, 2018
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/19/politics/trump-putin-summit-statements/index.html
"11. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: "I think the Russians need to know that there are a lot of us who fully understand what happened in 2016, and it really better not happen again in 2018."
"9. House Speaker Paul Ryan: "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."
This is about as strong a statement as you are going to see from Ryan. He makes clear Trump is wrong about the threat posed by Russia and blasts Russia's "vile attacks on democracy." That's serious stuff. Of course, Ryan is retiring . . . "
"8. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr: "I need to hear the President, without any hedging, say that he believes that the Russians were and are meddling in our elections. I haven't heard that yet. You can only run from facts for so long.""
"7. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats: "We have been clear in our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and their ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy, and we will continue to provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support of our national security.""
"5. (tie) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer: "Does anyone believe he was tougher on Putin in secret? You can't assume anything but that as weak as he was in public before President Putin, he was even worse in private. Why else did he not want anyone in the room?"
5. (tie) Senate Intelligence Committee ranking Democrat Mark Warner: "If the President was willing to dismiss American concerns in public, what in the heck did he say in private?""
"3. Former CIA Director John Brennan: "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???""
"2. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi: "On Monday, the entire world witnessed President Trump cower in the presence of Putin. President Trump obviously seemed frightened in the presence of Putin. What was he afraid of? What is Putin blackmailing President Trump with? Personally, politically or financially.""
