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The Atlantic: Senate investigators may have found a missing piece of the Russia probe
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/06/former-gop-congressman-embroiled-in-the-russia-probe/562343/"Curt Weldon, a Republican and former Pennsylvania congressman, lost his re-election campaign more than a decade ago following an FBI probe into his ties to two Russian companies. He has “connections to both Russia and the Trump campaign” that are raising suspicions among senators, a spokeswoman for Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said. Feinstein is the committee’s ranking member, and wants to interview Weldon, the spokeswoman said."
3 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142078251#post6
Wow wow. Weldon was the stalwart in the former PA-7 -the same district that became the gerrymandered joke of the U.S. and was finally redrawn by the PA Supreme Court this past spring.
Weldon lost his seat to Adm. Joe Sestak back in 2006 during the last blue wave (and Sestak won a 2nd term in 2008). However Sestak decided to resign the seat and run against Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate (after Specter switched parties during the summer of 2009). Specter ended up winning the primary but ultimately lost to teabagger Toomey in the general in 2010.
Never realized (or connected, but now do in retrospect) that he was basically another Rohrabacher - or apparently, the PRECURSOR to Rohrabacher.
OMFG -
He (and Rohrabacher) is even mentioned in a Russian Propaganda article from 16 years ago!
The above article mentioned Richard Lugar being there at that conference. Lugar is still around (he had been booted by a teabagger in the 2012 primary election in IN) and may be another to look at.
Wow wow. Weldon was the stalwart in the former PA-7 -the same district that became the gerrymandered joke of the U.S. and was finally redrawn by the PA Supreme Court this past spring.
Weldon lost his seat to Adm. Joe Sestak back in 2006 during the last blue wave (and Sestak won a 2nd term in 2008). However Sestak decided to resign the seat and run against Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate (after Specter switched parties during the summer of 2009). Specter ended up winning the primary but ultimately lost to teabagger Toomey in the general in 2010.
Never realized (or connected, but now do in retrospect) that he was basically another Rohrabacher - or apparently, the PRECURSOR to Rohrabacher.
OMFG -
Patrick Simpson
Nov 5, 2017
Dana Rohrabacher may be known now as Putin’s favorite Congressman but he got there by learning from Putin’s first Congressman, Representative Curt Weldon.
Curt Weldon was the first graduate in Russian studies from West Chester University, the resting place for his congressional archives.
In the late 70’s, Curt Weldon fought the Pagans motorcycle gang as mayor of Marcus Hook, and then he chaired the Delaware County council before running for and winning his House spot in 1986. He was a member of the National Security Caucus and created or co-chaired the Congressional Caucuses for most of the former Soviet States.
While in the House of Representatives, he spent most of time focusing on building a better relationship with Russia. All of the think tanks and all the major politicos of that time ran there after the Soviet Union fell.
https://medium.com/@trumpwatchdog/who-is-curt-weldon-695d0116ad29
(Link that works to the above link for DU due to the "@" not being recognized - https://bit.ly/2Ly6Bhm)
Nov 5, 2017
Dana Rohrabacher may be known now as Putin’s favorite Congressman but he got there by learning from Putin’s first Congressman, Representative Curt Weldon.
Curt Weldon was the first graduate in Russian studies from West Chester University, the resting place for his congressional archives.
In the late 70’s, Curt Weldon fought the Pagans motorcycle gang as mayor of Marcus Hook, and then he chaired the Delaware County council before running for and winning his House spot in 1986. He was a member of the National Security Caucus and created or co-chaired the Congressional Caucuses for most of the former Soviet States.
While in the House of Representatives, he spent most of time focusing on building a better relationship with Russia. All of the think tanks and all the major politicos of that time ran there after the Soviet Union fell.
https://medium.com/@trumpwatchdog/who-is-curt-weldon-695d0116ad29
(Link that works to the above link for DU due to the "@" not being recognized - https://bit.ly/2Ly6Bhm)
He (and Rohrabacher) is even mentioned in a Russian Propaganda article from 16 years ago!
Love and Infatuation at Russia Forum
By Matt Bivens
May. 13 2002 00:00
WASHINGTON -- When it comes to expressing knowledge of and admiration for Russia, few in the U.S. Congress outdo Curt Weldon, the Pennsylvania Republican. But at a talkfest here celebrating American-Russian relations, surfer dude Dana Rohrabacher, Republican congressman from California, did his best. The World Russian Forum has for years been organized by Eduard Lozansky, a Soviet-era dissident and emigre who now lobbies Washington for better relations with Russia. In past, it has been a woozily organized affair. But these days, Lozanksy is the new U.S. publisher of the Russia Journal (yes, the same Russia Journal that competes with The Moscow Times) and he says that has breathed new life into his work.
<...>
It's the sort of event the 54-year-old Weldon ought to dominate. He speaks passable Russian, was a Russian studies major in college and is an old friend of Lozansky's. He is the founder of the Duma-Congress Study Group, which organizes visits between the two parliaments. And Weldon had a lot to talk about: He recently put together a document that outlines all sorts of ways to bring us closer -- from getting more Russian-language instruction in American high schools to exploring for oil together in Timan Pechora. (You can find it at www.fita.org/prbc/index.html).
Enter Rohrbacher, a former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan and the only 54-year-old congressman whose home page features a photo of him in a wetsuit, surfing. He may not have invested the years or done the homework of a Curt Weldon, but he sure can enthuse. "I wanna tell ya, Russia is terrific," Rohrbacher told the conference. "We [Russia and America] are going to be best friends. We're not best friends with Europe. I'm sorry fellas. That's history." "They're out for themselves [in Europe.] They do not have the ideals we Americans hold dear. They are manipulative."
So, we should shut down NATO and replace it with a Space-Alliance Treaty Organization, for cooperation in space exploration. (SATO?) To help Russia's economy, the West should write off Soviet-era debts, as the risk of doing business with an Evil Empire. For Rohrbacher, it's an added plus that the debt is mostly held by manipulative Europeans: "The German bankers to whom this debt is owed, well, you know what they can do with their debt." And when we take out Saddam Hussein, Rohrbacher said, we should make it worth Russia's while -- after all, they've got Iraqi business interests to watch over and old Soviet loans to collect on.
http://old.themoscowtimes.com/sitemap/free/2002/5/article/love-and-infatuation-at-russia-forum/246616.html
By Matt Bivens
May. 13 2002 00:00
WASHINGTON -- When it comes to expressing knowledge of and admiration for Russia, few in the U.S. Congress outdo Curt Weldon, the Pennsylvania Republican. But at a talkfest here celebrating American-Russian relations, surfer dude Dana Rohrabacher, Republican congressman from California, did his best. The World Russian Forum has for years been organized by Eduard Lozansky, a Soviet-era dissident and emigre who now lobbies Washington for better relations with Russia. In past, it has been a woozily organized affair. But these days, Lozanksy is the new U.S. publisher of the Russia Journal (yes, the same Russia Journal that competes with The Moscow Times) and he says that has breathed new life into his work.
<...>
It's the sort of event the 54-year-old Weldon ought to dominate. He speaks passable Russian, was a Russian studies major in college and is an old friend of Lozansky's. He is the founder of the Duma-Congress Study Group, which organizes visits between the two parliaments. And Weldon had a lot to talk about: He recently put together a document that outlines all sorts of ways to bring us closer -- from getting more Russian-language instruction in American high schools to exploring for oil together in Timan Pechora. (You can find it at www.fita.org/prbc/index.html).
Enter Rohrbacher, a former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan and the only 54-year-old congressman whose home page features a photo of him in a wetsuit, surfing. He may not have invested the years or done the homework of a Curt Weldon, but he sure can enthuse. "I wanna tell ya, Russia is terrific," Rohrbacher told the conference. "We [Russia and America] are going to be best friends. We're not best friends with Europe. I'm sorry fellas. That's history." "They're out for themselves [in Europe.] They do not have the ideals we Americans hold dear. They are manipulative."
So, we should shut down NATO and replace it with a Space-Alliance Treaty Organization, for cooperation in space exploration. (SATO?) To help Russia's economy, the West should write off Soviet-era debts, as the risk of doing business with an Evil Empire. For Rohrbacher, it's an added plus that the debt is mostly held by manipulative Europeans: "The German bankers to whom this debt is owed, well, you know what they can do with their debt." And when we take out Saddam Hussein, Rohrbacher said, we should make it worth Russia's while -- after all, they've got Iraqi business interests to watch over and old Soviet loans to collect on.
http://old.themoscowtimes.com/sitemap/free/2002/5/article/love-and-infatuation-at-russia-forum/246616.html
The above article mentioned Richard Lugar being there at that conference. Lugar is still around (he had been booted by a teabagger in the 2012 primary election in IN) and may be another to look at.