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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSenate Democrats go around Moscow Mitch to do something about Russia election interference
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/2/25/1921876/-Senate-Democrats-go-around-Moscow-Mitch-to-do-something-about-Russia-election-interferenceSenate Democrats go around Moscow Mitch to do something about Russia election interference
Joan McCarter
Daily Kos Staff
Tuesday February 25, 2020 · 11:21 AM EST
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has addressed the great purge of intelligence officials who have warned about Russias ongoing efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election on behalf of impeached president Donald Trumpleaving out the part, of course, that its Trump its trying to help. Recent reports suggest that adversaries including Russia are likely continuing efforts aimed at dividing Americans, he said, sowing chaos in our politics, and undermining confidence in our elections. Then he issued this bucketload of bullshit: Fortunately, in stark contrast to the failures of the Obama admin in 2016, the Trump admin once again appears to be doing the right thingin this case, by promptly providing a specific counterintelligence briefing to the Democratic presidential candidate in question. Like the briefing McConnell got in 2016, the one where he threatened the CIA under President Barack Obama with all-out partisan warfare if the public was warned that Russia was trying to help Trump win. Of course, the Trump campaign didnt need to be briefed that Russia was intervening on Trumps behalfthe campaign leadership was in on it!
McConnell wont do a damn thing now to try to stop Russia, so Democrats in the Senate are going over his head, or attempting to. Sens. Chuck Schumer, Robert Menendez, and Sherrod Brown are demanding that the Trump administration impose sanctions on Russia, an action that does not require Senate approval under existing authority. Theyve written to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asking them to immediately and forcefully impose sanctions on Russias government, any Russian actors determined to be responsible for such interference, and those acting on their behalf or providing material or financial support for these election interference efforts.
The three write that it is long past time for the administration to send a direct, powerful and unmistakable message to President Putin: the US will respond immediately and forcefully to continuing election interference by the government of the Russian Federation and its surrogates, to punish, deter and substantially increase the economic and political costs of such interference.
The lawmakers declare, We urge you to immediately draw upon the reported conclusions of the Intelligence Community to identify and target for sanctions all those determined to be responsible for ongoing elections interference, including President Putin, the government of the Russian Federation, any Russian actors determined to be directly responsible, and those acting on their behalf or providing material or financial support for their efforts. Doing anything less would be an abdication of your responsibility to protect and defend the US from this serious threat to our national security, and to the integrity of our electoral process.
The lawmakers declare, We urge you to immediately draw upon the reported conclusions of the Intelligence Community to identify and target for sanctions all those determined to be responsible for ongoing elections interference, including President Putin, the government of the Russian Federation, any Russian actors determined to be directly responsible, and those acting on their behalf or providing material or financial support for their efforts. Doing anything less would be an abdication of your responsibility to protect and defend the US from this serious threat to our national security, and to the integrity of our electoral process.
The administration could do this without any further action from Congress under the 2017 Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. Its clear that McConnell wont take up any of the legislation the House has passed to protect the election. Its also pretty damned unlikely that the administration is going to turn away Vladimir Putins help in re-electing Trump, but its important to keep up that pressure. It should be amplified, maybe with some hearings in the House, with Pompeo and Mnuchin grilled about it with the cameras running.
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Senate Democrats go around Moscow Mitch to do something about Russia election interference (Original Post)
babylonsister
Feb 2020
OP
trumPutin's response so far has been to try to purge IC of non-bootlickers
Hermit-The-Prog
Feb 2020
#3
ffr
(22,671 posts)1. Have them show their red colors again, those slimy Kremlin lovers!
Go after them!
0rganism
(23,970 posts)2. so, a strongly worded letter, to the Trump administration?
doesn't seem like it's going to be much help, but at this point why not, right? what the hell else can anyone do?
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,414 posts)3. trumPutin's response so far has been to try to purge IC of non-bootlickers
Voters need to know how many in this maladministration are willing to allow elections to be manipulated by foreign powers in support of their fake orange god.
The Democrats in the Senate are doing the right thing to expose this shit.