David Rothkopf takes the gloves off and puts a good old fashioned beat-down on the GOP in this powerful piece for The Daily Beast.
Rothkoph begins by considering the timing of The Special Prosecutor’s indictment of twelve Russian Military officers for their role in looting and disseminating, for Trump’s benefit, the contents of the DNC Server combined with the strong statement on continued Russian cyber attacks by The Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats just ahead of Trump’s tête-à-tête with his handler Putin in Finland. Both were done just now, in his estimation, to inform the Russian tyrant (and I think other leaders of the GOP) that even though our idiot Resident is in his thrall, significant players in our nation’s leadership are not.
Then he gets to his meat.
“This is an extraordinary moment. It is without equal, not only in American history but in modern history. A hostile foreign power intervened in our election to help elect a man president who has since actively served their interests and has defended them at every turn.
Trump may deny collusion. But given that this the attack continues, denying it is collusion, distracting from it is collusion, obstructing the investigation of it is collusion — because all these things enable it to go on.
That the president is abetted in his aid for the Russians — again, in the midst of this ongoing attack — by the leadership of the Republican Party makes the situation all the more extraordinary and dangerous. As Republicans seek to undermine the investigation, they serve Russia as directly as if they were officers of the GRU. Some now reportedly seek to impeach Rosenstein on trumped up charges. To attack one of our national defense leaders as we are being attacked, and to do so to benefit our foreign adversary, is textbook treason.
That is strong language. But consider this: If we updated our definitions of war to include cyberwar, then aiding a foreign power engaged in such a war against us would certainly meet the Constitutional definition: “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.”
When only semantics protect our president and our ruling party from the harsh sentences treason demands, we need to recognize the severity of the situation. But more importantly, we need to recognize one of the most important implications of yesterday: while we who watch or chat on cable news have lost the plot here, while the GOP makes it about personal attacks on FBI officers, while the President makes it about him, while many of us make it about partisan politics, Robert Mueller and Rod Rosenstein have kept their eye on the ball.”
Rothkopf makes a powerful argument, and coming from someone of his station, it should shake the GOP to its core.
No need to be demure anymore, everyone.
Call it what it is.
Treason.