David Corn: While America Sleeps: Trump's Treachery and the Russia Scandal

[babylonsister]

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/07/while-america-sleeps-trumps-treachery-and-the-russia-scandal/

While America Sleeps: Trump’s Treachery and the Russia Scandal
With a summit ahead, Trump works with Putin to cover up Moscow’s attack on the US.
David Corn
Jul. 11, 2018 9:21 AM


In 1938, Winston Churchill published a collection of his speeches warning that his homeland was not adequately contending with the threat posed by Nazi Germany. The title: “While England Slept.” Eighty years later, a similar observation can be rendered concerning the United States. Much of the political and media elite and the citizenry seem to be sleepwalking past a horrific and fundamental fact: The current president of the United States has helped to cover up a serious attack on the nation. This profound act of betrayal has gone unpunished and, in many quarters, unnoticed, even as it continues. With Donald Trump about to meet Vladimir Putin on Monday—rewarding the thuggish authoritarian Russian leader with a grand summit in Helsinki—this is an appropriate moment to remember that their dark bromance involves a mutual stonewalling of wrongdoing.

snip//

Leading congressional Democrats—besides Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and other Ds on the House intelligence panel—have generally not raised a steady fuss about Trump and Russia. They have not strived to make the momentous facts of the Trump scandal a driving narrative of the ongoing political debate. They have not clearly, loudly, and continuously pointed out the indisputable: Trump has provided comfort to an enemy. On Tuesday, hours after Trump landed in Brussels for a NATO summit, Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) did lead the Senate to a whopping 97-to-2 vote on a non-binding resolution that reiterated support for NATO and called on the Trump administration to quickly adopt a government-wide strategy to thwart Russian intervention in the United States and other democracies. Reed deserved credit for achieving this Trump-rebuking, bipartisan victory, but this step was hardly as forceful a counter to the president’s pro-Putin propaganda as was warranted.

In the past, it would be unthinkable for Republicans to go so light on Russia or any other overseas foe. But one reason they can get away with this is that the story has shifted. Though the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller commands media attention, there has not been a major public examination of the Russian attack. The probe conducted by the GOP-led House Intelligence Committee devolved into an acrimonious clown show, with Republicans focused mainly on diversions (such as the FBI’s use of secret surveillance warrants). The Senate Intelligence Committee’s inquiry, which is ongoing, has been a quiet affair, with few public hearings. When the committee issued a preliminary finding noting that it has concluded that the US intelligence community was correct to assess that Putin had tried to help Trump, it released the report on the afternoon before July 4—a move guaranteed to attract less attention. The Washington Post ran a short story about the Senate report on the inside of the paper. It was not front-page news that Senate Republicans had confirmed the finding—disputed by Trump and his minions—that Putin had plotted to boost Trump’s chances.

So as Trump prepares (yeah, right) for his sit-down with Putin—which is expected to include a private one-on-one with no aides present—much of the nation has lost sight of the big story. With Trump’s repeated cries of “witch hunt” and his lapdog Republicans slavishly concocting false narratives to cover for the boss, they have managed to convince Trump’s tribalized Fox-fed followers there is nothing to see here. And for many others, the scandal is not presented or viewed as the original sin and paramount controversy of the scandal-ridden Trump presidency.

It may be ineffective or counterproductive to shout out each day, “Where’s the outrage?” Yet the public record remains: Trump and Putin have jointly worked to disappear perhaps the greatest crime ever committed against American democracy and their respective complicity in this villainy. And it is crucial for the Republic that they not succeed.

[AlexSFCA]

1. trump is succesfully normalizing this in front of our eyes

[Sophia4]

2. This is so startling and so true that I have to quote it again.

"Yet the public record remains: Trump and Putin have jointly worked to disappear perhaps the greatest crime ever committed against American democracy and their respective complicity in this villainy. And it is crucial for the Republic that they not succeed."

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/07/while-america-sleeps-trumps-treachery-and-the-russia-scandal/

[dalton99a]

3. +1. They have a large supporting cast in the GOP Congress

[Pepsidog]

4. Brilliant. I pray these treasonous bastards are held to account. I want justice, I want revenge.

[smirkymonkey]

5. K&R

[politicaljunkie41910]

6. At some point, the GOP has to figure out that it's not just the Dems that he's sold out, but our

Last edited Wed Jul 11, 2018, 08:50 PM - Edit history (1)

entire country. That would include them as well.

[babylonsister]

7. They don't seem to care.

Look at how they're ruining the environment, not taking climate change seriously, etc. I just don't understand how they can't care.

[kpete]

9. then again...

@juliaioffe
Ran into an old source from Moscow here in Brussels and asked him how Moscow sees Trump. “As a total idiot, a useful battering ram who goes after the American elite and NATO.”

Link to tweet

[kentuck]

10. "Where's the outrage?"

Truly.

[Raastan]

11. K + R