To The Reader’s Forum:

There is no question that Russia interfered in the presidential election. The Mueller Report looked at whether Trump’s campaign helped them with that. Ultimately it found there was no criminal intent to help the Russians. This doesn’t change the FACT that Russia did interfere.

Republicans used to be very concerned about the Soviet Union and subsequently, Russia’s intentions in the United States. They spent a great deal of time and taxpayer dollars investigating Hillary Clinton and her use of a private email server. Donald Trump publicly called on Russia to illegally hack Clinton to “find the missing emails.” Why was it so terrible for Hillary Clinton to risk possible hacking by foreign adversaries through use of an unsecured private computer, when Trump came right out and asked them to do it? He even called for Clinton to be jailed because of this risk; remember “Lock Her Up”?

Do Republicans actually care anymore about National Security? Do they know that Russia is not our friend? That if they’re able to hack into our elections they are also capable of hacking into our power grid and even shut it down? That they routinely jail and even kill political adversaries?

Right now, Russia is a third-rate power. Its wealth is minuscule compared to that of the United States. Putin is doing everything he can to change that equation. Trump has repeatedly failed to call Russia out for its attack on our election system. As recently as yesterday he called Putin and talked to him for an hour about ways to strengthen ties with Russia. He congratulated Putin and himself that the Special Counsel investigation failed to turn up a criminal conspiracy. He didn’t say anything about Russia’s attack; in effect green-lighting ongoing and future assaults on our elections. Trump and the Republicans in Congress might welcome Russian interference as long as it helps them get and keep power. But they are just pawns. Russia will do whatever it can to increase its wealth and power and become dominant in the world. Republicans need to stop helping them.

Rachel Brown

Greenhurst