Russia is still a foreign government in regard to campaign financing, and receiving stolen goods (in the form of digital information) is still a crime, even if your best friend hands you the stolen goods.

Since we are not in a state of war with Russia, the exact 'temperature' of our relationship with them is irrelevant to the crimes.

That’s how GOP rolls, and media usually falls for it.

They know they can't actually affect either Mueller or the courts with 'public opinion', right?

Is their goal simply to keep control of congress? or is it something potentially more violent? Or both?

Clarifying:

I realize that there are several types of 'they' here. There's the Trump admin, which would undoubtedly sacrifice the peace of the union for their own benefit, but all those establishment type Republicans? They still exist, right? Are they really ready to fly the black flag? They'd lose a ton of money...