Will Rohrabacher's Russia entanglements affect his re-election?

[MBS]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/us/california-today-dana-rohrabacher-russia.html?

To understand the kind of re-election battle Representative Dana Rohrabacher is facing, take a look at a billboard overlooking Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa. Larger-than-life images of Mr. Rohrabacher and President Trump face a quote attributed to Kevin McCarthy, the House majority leader: “There are two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump.”

Mr. Rohrabacher’s relationship with Russia is again under scrutiny. On Tuesday, he said that he had met with Maria Butina, who was indicted on charges of conspiracy and acting as a foreign agent, on a 2015 trip to Russia. But Mr. Rohrabacher dismissed the charges against her as “bogus.”

And a day earlier, he gave the most enthusiastic defense of the president’s remarks in Helsinki.

Mr. Rohrabacher’s close ties to Russia have provoked criticism from politicians even in his own party. And Democrats hope his support for the Kremlin will help lead to his defeat this November. But it is unclear whether that support will become a central issue in the campaign. Several voters in the district said they saw the outrage as a side issue propped up by Democrats.

[CentralMass]

1. I'm guessing that he will be well funded with Russian $$.

[MBS]

2. no doubt at all about that.

The extent of corruption and betrayal is as shocking for its shamelessness as it is for the acts themselves.

[CentralMass]

3. +1

[malaise]

4. Why did the NYT say attributed to McCarthy?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/apps/g/page/national/read-the-transcript-of-the-conversation-among-gop-leaders-obtained-by-the-post/2209/?noredirect=on

Here's the transcript. First they said it didn't happen and when they were told there was an audio tape, Ryan's folks said it was a joke.

[MBS]

5. thanks for the transcript (and WaPo for making it available)

The NYT drives me nuts in these kinds of situations.