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spanone

(135,855 posts)
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 11:10 AM Aug 2018

Rand Paul, in Moscow, invites Russian lawmakers to Washington

Moscow (CNN)Sen. Rand Paul on Monday invited Russian lawmakers to Washington after meeting Russian members of parliament in Moscow.

"I am pleased to announced that we will be continuing this contact," Paul, a Kentucky Republican, said in Moscow. "We agreed and we invited members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Russia to come to the US to meet with us in the US, in Washington."

Paul is in Moscow meeting with Russian lawmakers in a trip he sees as a continuation of US President Donald Trump's diplomatic outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and comes several weeks after Trump invited Putin to DC as well. Paul has been one of Trump's most outspoken supporters following the criticism Trump faced -- including from some within his own party -- for the US President's handling of his meeting with Putin in July. During a news conference in Helsinki at the time, Trump declined to back the conclusion of the US intelligence that Russia interfered with the US presidential election over Putin's denials, though Trump later said when he was back in the US that he misspoke.

Paul is also expected to meet with Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov and State Duma Foreign Affairs committee head Leonid Slutsky during his visit, and plans to continue speaking on Tuesday. The US delegation also plans to visit Saint Petersburg.


https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/06/politics/rand-paul-russia-lawmaker-invite-maria-butina/index.html
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Rand Paul, in Moscow, invites Russian lawmakers to Washington (Original Post) spanone Aug 2018 OP
So they can start measuring the drapes?? MANative Aug 2018 #1
WTF? The Velveteen Ocelot Aug 2018 #2
What is this fascination with Russia?...WTF is going on here? spanone Aug 2018 #4
It has to be money. It always is. The Velveteen Ocelot Aug 2018 #6
Yes, but if seeking money/power leads to treasonous Hortensis Aug 2018 #14
Libertarians are worse in many ways than traditional Republicans The Velveteen Ocelot Aug 2018 #18
Yes. They've become a real danger. Hortensis Aug 2018 #20
I think he's both. CatMor Aug 2018 #7
McCain called it last year dalton99a Aug 2018 #8
+1000 Pachamama Aug 2018 #12
All 3 is my thought irisblue Aug 2018 #13
He acts as if he has something to hide ... kentuck Aug 2018 #22
That's a big republican "F*ck You" to all 17 US Intelligence Agencies Achilleaze Aug 2018 #3
Traitor is unmasking himself more and more every day. dalton99a Aug 2018 #5
n/t ScratchCat Aug 2018 #9
This message was self-deleted by its author dalton99a Aug 2018 #10
Paul is and has been for a long time an intense opponent of the intelligence community. The Velveteen Ocelot Aug 2018 #19
Pardon the neighbor. Sneederbunk Aug 2018 #11
Rand Paul, kisser of Russian ass SkyDancer Aug 2018 #15
Maybe if we're super nice to them, they'll leave us alone. maxsolomon Aug 2018 #16
How is this happening right out in the open? smirkymonkey Aug 2018 #17
What is really going on within the GOP? UCmeNdc Aug 2018 #21
Because the whole damn party was in on it! Initech Aug 2018 #23

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
14. Yes, but if seeking money/power leads to treasonous
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 12:03 PM
Aug 2018

behaviors, do we care that much about primary motive? Like pornography, we all know treason when we see it, by its common definition anyway.

And, given the current warfare by Russia on the U.S., to me all activities empowering Russia are highly suspect. Their histories mean wondering if either or both has been compromised and blackmailed isn't outrageous in the middle of this occult war.

Rand claims to be libertarian like dad, and we are now learning about the connections between many prominent American libertarians and Russia. I just did a very brief search on dad, and Ron Paul has been brazenly supporting Russia, and now Trump, for some time. RT and other Russian sources like to quote him, and Paul obligingly has been channeling their viewpoints to those who read him. Rand's also very useful to them that way.

Interestingly, back in 2012 Ron Paul was also identified as one of the most corrupt members of congress. He left public office in 2013.

The Atlantic in 2014: Ron Paul Is Putin's New Best Friend: The former congressman from Texas is making a better argument for shielding the Russian president from blame than Kremlin TV.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/07/ron-paul-is-putins-new-best-friend/439533/


The American Conservative, July 2018: Ron and Rand Paul Call Out Foreign Policy Hysteria: And like his father, the senator found himself on the wrong end of the media mob this week.



The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,781 posts)
18. Libertarians are worse in many ways than traditional Republicans
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 12:24 PM
Aug 2018

because they have no ideology other than profit.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
20. Yes. They've become a real danger.
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 12:53 PM
Aug 2018

I'm assuming, though, that the natural progression of real libertarians who want to protect their estates from libertarianism would be to economic conservatism. Greed will overcome concern for the personal freedoms of other people.

And a bunch aren't even real libertarians, who'd at least believe in personal freedoms for those other people, they're conservative poseurs. I've read something about these, and many are actually social conservatives who support the right's rising authoritarianism. So, very dangerous.


Pachamama

(16,887 posts)
12. +1000
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 11:53 AM
Aug 2018

I ask myself the same question about him and he has been showing so many signs that makes one wonder...

Achilleaze

(15,543 posts)
3. That's a big republican "F*ck You" to all 17 US Intelligence Agencies
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 11:13 AM
Aug 2018

republicans just keep pissing on America, and on the honorable veterans who staff America's Intelligence Agencies.

No doubt Dirty Donny, the republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief, will be among the republican Brown Nosers welcoming the russians who are engaged in ACTS OF WAR against America past, present and future.

#republicanTreason sucks.

dalton99a

(81,539 posts)
5. Traitor is unmasking himself more and more every day.
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 11:13 AM
Aug 2018

Paul's libertarianism is really Putin's authoritarianism

ScratchCat

(1,999 posts)
9. n/t
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 11:19 AM
Aug 2018

Pictures with little boys. It has to be. This guy has gone from libertarian to Russia's cheerleader in less than 18 months. This makes absolutely no sense unless they have something very serious on him. The incident with his neighbor is looking more and more suspicious as time goes on.

Response to ScratchCat (Reply #9)

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,781 posts)
19. Paul is and has been for a long time an intense opponent of the intelligence community.
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 12:31 PM
Aug 2018

He will align himself with Russia in order to take down the IC "deep state" regardless of any so-called libertarian principles. Also, the Russian oligarchs have a lot of money. Follow the money.

 

SkyDancer

(561 posts)
15. Rand Paul, kisser of Russian ass
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 12:16 PM
Aug 2018

Fuck this guy.
Rand Paul is a Russian fluffer. The sooner he GTFO of congress, the better America will be. Maybe his neighbor should run against him.



maxsolomon

(33,345 posts)
16. Maybe if we're super nice to them, they'll leave us alone.
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 12:21 PM
Aug 2018

We gladhand lots of Autocracies in the course of our hegemony, but the enthusiasm here is repulsive.

UCmeNdc

(9,600 posts)
21. What is really going on within the GOP?
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 12:56 PM
Aug 2018

How are the Russians able to have so much influence over individual Republican leaders and members?

Initech

(100,088 posts)
23. Because the whole damn party was in on it!
Mon Aug 6, 2018, 03:24 PM
Aug 2018

And I think that is what Mueller is going to find out. They all have a psychotic hatred Hillary in some way. So the Russians found a way to channel their hatred and flipped the script.

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