How Much Is Trump Counting On Putin To Help Him Win In November?

Last night Russ Feingold's campaign sent an e-mail to his followers saying that "Donald Trump just encouraged Russia to commit cyberattacks against Americans... Trump held a press conference on national security that reaffirmed just how truly dangerous he is-- and utterly unfit to be the president of the United States." He's the law and order candidate? That actually sounds illegal. I mean in Florida yesterday, he seemed to be calling on Russian spy agencies-- his allies?-- to hack American organizations to find dirt on Hillary Clinton. No, he really did, causing Leon Panetta to say that "No presidential candidate who's running to be president of the United States ought to be asking a foreign country, particularly Russia, to engage in hacking or intelligence efforts to try to determine what the Democratic candidate may or may not be doing...This just is beyond my own understanding of the responsibilities that candidates have to be loyal to their country and to their country alone, not to reach out to somebody like Putin and Russia, and try to engage them in an effort to try to, in effect, conduct a conspiracy against another party."

Trump surrogate Newt Gingrich said Trump was only joking but Pence, clearly embarrassed, ran to a microphone and said if the Russians do what Trump told them to they'd be in big trouble. What is wrong with this crew of lunatics? Trump, who is being financially supported to the tune of over $600 million by Putin puppets, used to brag about how he and Putin met in a 60 Minutes green room and got along famously. That was a total fabrication and yesterday Trump reversed himself and said "I never met Putin, I don't know who Putin is. He said one nice thing about me." Remember when Trump lied to the American public by claiming, "I know him well" so definitively?

Still, Putin must have been delighted that Trump announced he may recognize Russia's seizure of the Crimea from Ukraine and withdraw from the NATO sanctions against Russia if he's elected. That might even be the kernel of a good idea, but not as part of a political campaign.

Now Trump says he was joking or being sarcastic. They Trump campaign is looking for an excuse that flies and takes off the pressure. Which looks right to you? His tired stand-up comedy shtik or sarcasm?



This morning, in his NY Times column, Nick Kristof explained why Putin is trying too make sure Trump is the next president of the United States, starting with 2 important quotes from Russia experts, first from Stanford Prof. Michael McFaul, U.S. Ambassador to Russia (2011-2014): "'It’s crystal clear to me' that Putin favors Trump. 'If I were Putin, I would rather deal with Trump, too, given the things he has said about foreign policy.'" And later in the column, from Brookings Institution security expert Benjamin Wittes: "I think the most likely explanation is that someone in Russian intelligence, probably very high up, decided to help Donald Trump."

The reason Moscow favors Trump isn’t some conspiracy. It’s simply that Putin dislikes Clinton, while Trump’s combination of international ignorance and catastrophic policies would benefit Putin. In particular, Trump’s public doubts about NATO renounce more than half a century of bipartisan orthodoxy on how to deal with Russia, and undermine the Western alliance that checks Putin.

One nightmare of security specialists is Russia provoking unrest among ethnic Russians in Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania and then using rioting as an excuse to intervene. NATO members would be obliged to respond, but frankly it’s not clear that they would-- and Trump’s loose rhetoric increases the risk of paralysis and a collapse of the alliance.

In that sense, Trump poses a national security risk to the West, and that’s reason enough Putin would be thrilled to see him elected president.

I don't always agree with my own New Dem congressman, Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, but he stated the foreign policy case against Trump appropriately enough last night: "When the rights of expression, religion and association are under growing assault around the globe, when the world needs a leader who can offer 'blood, tears, toil and sweat,' Trump offers only bluster, tirade, swindle, and threat. With malice towards all, and charity for none, Trump would separate us from the world, and divide us here at home. In Trump’s world, NATO is a relic, Putin an ally, Tiananmen an example, and torture our instrument. This is not leadership; this is calamity. It is not speaking hard truths or shunning political correctness-- but, instead, failing to see America’s greatness, its essential goodness, its unending promise. Like an easy mark at one of his casinos, Trump would have us throw the dice with America’s future. We will not do it."

DuWayne Gregory, the candidate Blue America endorsed for the South Shore of Long Island congressional seat on-again/off-again Trump ally Peter King holds, reminded us this morning that "King said Trump was morally and intellectually unfit to be President, but he put politics before the best interests of the country. Now today, Donald Trump proves, yet again, why he is too unstable and unfit to be the President and Commander and Chief of our country. His coziness with the Russian government should be a concern for everyone, even his endorser Congressman King. Both Trump and King have shown why their judgment is sufficiently lacking to hold public office."

Tom Wakely is a military vet running for the Austin/SanAntonio congressional seat held by the anti-science Chair of the House Science Committee, the man who'se ideological extremes is responsible for bringing the Zika virus to America. Last night after the convention he e-mailed us about Trump's latest obvious display of disloyalty to America:

I just recently heard that a concerned constituent in my district reached out to Lamar Smith's office to ask about Trump's invitation for espionage. From what they were told, Smith's office declared that 'they don't get into political election issues.' Seems a bit of a stretch coming from the office of the man who sat in Trump's VIP box on the very night Trump accepted the GOP's nomination. I'm not sure what's more political than a 30-year incumbent congressman falling into the waiting arms of the new Trump-branded GOP.

We already know that Trump's campaign manager has deep ties to Putin's political allies. The idea that we'd be soft on Putin, or simply allow citizens of our nation to be attacked by his cronies is flat out disgusting. All of this because what, Democrats play for the other major political team? And they have the nerve to complain that President Obama has been divisive.

If the reports of Trump's ties to Russian investors are true, coupled with Manafort's political past-- there should be no further evidence for folks in this nation to realize Trump's threat to our country has reached its boiling point. There has been a lot to laugh about regarding Trump, but this particular matter should be damn near disqualifying. It's certainly horrifying. If you're a member of the Russian oligarchy, there's a better-than-good chance it was only because Vladimir Putin allowed it. This is beyond a 'political election issue.' Vladimir Putin and his cronies operate solely on the basis of accruing wealth. Trump's been branding that trait as part of his appeal.

And yet, my opponent endorsed him - and acts like he has no opponent this November. If my opponent stays silent on this matter then he, too, endorses a Russian hack of his own people. He certainly endorsed a hack of some sort in May when he threw his full support behind Donald J. Trump.

As I explained a few days ago, many Russian elites have long felt that the CIA turned Gorbachev and that he dismantled the Soviet Union at their behest. He lives in the U.S. these days. Putin has been financing right-wing parties in Europe and there's amply evidence-- although without Trump's tax returns it's hard to prove legally-- that Trump's bankrupt business is staying afloat because of Putin's cash infusions, to the tune of over half a billion dollars. Putin has pumped millions of dollars into Jean-Marie Le Pen's fascist-oriented National Front and now Le Pen's putrid and savage daughter Maine Le Pen is threatening to win the presidency. (Imagine, if you will, Ivanka or Barron Trump waiting in the wings some day as well.)