Rand Paul on Russian election meddling: 'We all do it'
Source: Politico
By QUINT FORGEY 07/15/2018 09:15 AM EDT
Sen. Rand Paul on Sunday sought to justify Russia's interference in America's 2016 presidential race, claiming that all countries meddle in foreign elections.
I think really we mistake our response if we think it's about accountability from the Russians. Theyre another country, they're going to spy on us," Paul said on CNN's "State of the Union," a day before President Donald Trump's scheduled summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Were going to do the same," Paul added.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Friday announced special counsel Robert Mueller's indictment of 12 Russian military officials for hacking the Democratic National Committee in 2016.
But Paul maintained such cyber-intrusions into other countries' elections were common on the world stage, suggesting the United States while not "morally equivalent" to Russia provoked the Kremlin's stealth attacks.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/15/rand-paul-election-meddling-russia-722205
Corgigal
(9,291 posts)folder from the staples box, fill in Rand Paul financial. With a photo of his ass kicking on the cover, because we got to keep morale up.
bmpbmp
(310 posts)Someone could use similar reasoning to dismiss the 911 attacks. Just disgusting.
Delphinus
(11,840 posts)Trying to normalize it when it should NEVER be normal.
marble falls
(57,204 posts)Eyeball_Kid
(7,434 posts)The GOP got millions from Russians during the 2016 campaigns, and for certain, Paul's colleague, McConnell, received over a million bucks from a Russian oligarch. Paul is trying to protect his own.
marble falls
(57,204 posts)outraged the GOP got when it thought a rogue fund raiser for Clinton got some money from South Koreans, around $200,000?
Or this:
The GOP practically spun in circles over this with the Chinese trying to funnel money to Clinton and no one even tried to interfere with the election directly as the Russians did.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_United_States_campaign_finance_controversy
Don't get me wrong. I do not want foreign money put into that huge pile of cash floating aroung in a national or local US election. I don't want corporate cash put into states they don't operate in just to buy a legislator or two, either.
dalton99a
(81,570 posts)Fucking traitor
PatSeg
(47,586 posts)dalton99a
(81,570 posts)Last edited Sun Jul 15, 2018, 07:13 PM - Edit history (1)
PatSeg
(47,586 posts)dameatball
(7,399 posts)MBS
(9,688 posts)BOTH senators from Kentucky.
ck4829
(35,091 posts)Since we all do it.
Our current "if you get sick and can't pay, just die quickly" regime is because Russia's government is on the same wavelength.
relogic
(155 posts)This logical, reasoning and apologetics for undermining our democracy has reached a normalization thats hard to endure for clear-thinking Americans. Too few of us left, I fear.
Eyeball_Kid
(7,434 posts)Liberalagogo
(1,770 posts)What would you be saying if Russia had helped Hillary win?
dalton99a
(81,570 posts)If Hillary, Barry or the elite Hollywood (excluding fox and has been actors,celeb cheerleaders) then we alert the media and Congress and jail all pronounced, lib-moderate personalities.
Such is the reason to despise these cheats for their false principles.
AZ8theist
(5,493 posts)using obvious slurs in your first sentence.
Sancho
(9,070 posts)...and Rand Paul was on tape acknowledging that he KNEW tRump and other GOPers were stealing info. He's a crook.
Cicada
(4,533 posts)We need to protect ourselves even tho we attack others.
We do bad things but we still need to protect our nation from others doing bad things to us.
TheBlackAdder
(28,211 posts).
Nice try, Rand.
Trump is illegitimate too, you fuck!
===
Iran: The Shah of Iran
Congo: CIA assisted in assassination of Patrice Lumumba, leading to Congolese President Joseph Kasavubu.
The Dominican Republic: Assassination of Rafael Trujillo, though he was a brutal dictator. Puppet replacement.
Guatemala: Coup of President Jacobo Árbenz, leading to a succession of military juntas.
Brazil: CIA coup of Brazilian President Joao Goulart, military government until 1985.
S. Vietnam: Assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem, through he cracked down on Bhuddists. Puppet replacement.
Chile: Economic fuckery, Coup of Salvador Allende, installing Gen. Augusto Pinochet.
.
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)amcgrath
(397 posts)Than the United States.
They have also been involved in political assassinations and dozens of coups in South America alone.
Their actions in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya could also be seen as overstepping.
paleotn
(17,956 posts)Nice.
On edit.... Since "we all do it", I guess your going to apologize for this guy too....
Or maybe this guy.....
In short, and I don't give a rats shit if this gets hidden, you disgust me.
and Hanssen
paleotn
(17,956 posts)Their treachery cost many lives.
But, then again, "we all do it."
emulatorloo
(44,182 posts)us. It is certainly not ok with us that Americans in Trumps orbit aided and abetted Putin in undermining elections.
Marthe48
(17,018 posts)Last edited Sun Jul 15, 2018, 09:42 PM - Edit history (1)
don't like it when people in the gorvernment try to topple other governments. Remember Nixon getting booed in Central America? Remember the riots in the 60s? The anti-war demonstrations? Laws regulating covert operations? I am not naive. The covert destruction goes on with or without laws. When the government or rogues like north go too far, the people speak.
I am hoping that we are close to tipping a majority of Americans who will say "enough!" on this attack on our own country.
Resist must become a national offensive, not just the one-sided defence of the woke.
elmac
(4,642 posts)we do have a long history of destroying more Democracies then building them.
https://beastrabban.wordpress.com/2017/02/18/blums-list-of-country-in-which-us-has-interfered-with-their-elections/
But, that doesn't mean we deserve this or should just let it happen. Our past and present actions are because of big money controlling our government. Corporate interests. When a country attacks us, it is war. When are own government lets it happen, it is treason and they should all be punished for it. First elections, then the most severer punishment on the books.
ansible
(1,718 posts)It's been a long time coming
emulatorloo
(44,182 posts)Nor do the rest of US citizens, especially the most vulnerable among us.
It is Putin and Trump that deserve punishment.
milestogo
(16,829 posts)EarthFirst
(2,904 posts)behind all this...
GeorgeGist
(25,323 posts)paleotn
(17,956 posts)Lock him up! I've had it with these slime balls.
MacKasey
(993 posts)I was taught two wrongs don't make a right
I guessed republicans did not learn that lesson
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)when done to us, especially if Americans helped the Ruskies.
That's where the treason lies -- helping the Ruskies intervene in our election. I'm sure Putin would take action against any Russian citizen who helped Americans or others work against Putin.
Nor, should we not develop a strong cyber defense system just as if it were nuclear defense.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,214 posts)Cold War Spook
(1,279 posts)I do know that after learning Russian, I spent the next 2 1/2 years spying on Russian troop movements within the Warsaw Pact.
Vinca
(50,303 posts)Tactical Peek
(1,212 posts)LiberalLovinLug
(14,176 posts)He tries to obscure the actual crime of not just spying, but actively working to derail and influence the election through social media, and hacking of computers.
Maxheader
(4,374 posts)Initech
(100,102 posts)Nitram
(22,877 posts)Julian Englis
(2,309 posts)BadGimp
(4,018 posts)lark
(23,155 posts)Sorry, asshole, there's a law and it was sure used heavily against the Clinton's but now that it's your traitorous party getting caught with smelly nasty illegalities, well, the shoe is so on the other foot. Asshole!!!!
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)Doesn't make it right, but what power do I have in stopping it? Ask Dr.Kissinger .. he'll back me up.
Soxfan58
(3,479 posts)unblock
(52,317 posts)Why do the cheaters even get airtime to excuse their cheating?
Sophia4
(3,515 posts)Publishing the materials that you capture in your spying, publishing them in order to influence the outcome of an election, whether you actually influence that outcome or not, is quite another.
It's wrong.
And a country that hacks e-mails and then arranges to get them published so as to influence the outcome of our election is not just a competitor, it has made itself an enemy of our democracy and therefore an enemy of our country.
We should not do that sort of thing. No country should.
I don't think we have done that in a long time. If we have, please respond to my e-mail and explain the circumstances.
FM123
(10,054 posts)we thought the republicans were tolerating, enabling and covering for trumpy because there was an R before his name so they were willing to put up with anything because they didn't want women to have abortions or gays to marry or guns to be confiscated or blah blah blah but REALLY it was because they were russian dirty too???
Kablooie
(18,641 posts)Oh boy, that's not the right response, Pauly.
demtenjeep
(31,997 posts)he would think the neighbor spat was child's play