Washington Post: How the Republican right found allies in Russia

[MelissaB]

How the Republican right found allies in Russia

...snip

A significant shift has been underway in recent years across the Republican right.

From gun rights to terrorism to same-sex marriage, many leading advocates on the right who grew frustrated with their country’s leftward tilt under President Barack Obama have forged ties with well-connected Russians and come to see that country’s authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin, as a potential ally.

The attitude adjustment among many conservative activists helps explain one of most curious aspects of the 2016 presidential race: a softening among many conservatives of their historically hard-line views of Russia. To the alarm of some in the GOP’s national security establishment, support in the party base for then-candidate Donald Trump did not wane even after he rejected the tough tone of 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, who called Russia America’s No. 1 foe, and repeatedly praised Putin.

...snip

Around the same time in December 2015, evangelist Franklin Graham met privately with Putin for 45 minutes, securing from the Russian president an offer to help with an upcoming conference on the persecution of Christians. Graham was impressed, telling The Washington Post that Putin “answers questions very directly and doesn’t dodge them like a lot of our politicians do.”

The growing dialogue between Russians and U.S. conservatives came at the same time experts say the Russian government stepped up efforts to cultivate and influence far-right groups in Europe and on the eve of Russia’s unprecedented intrusion into the U.S. campaign, which intelligence officials have concluded was intended to elect Trump.

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-the-republican-right-found-allies-in-russia/2017/04/30/e2d83ff6-29d3-11e7-a616-d7c8a68c1a66_story.html?tid=sm_tw&utm_term=.0068eca1ee1f

[kimbutgar]

1. Ten years ago they would have been called commie traitors

The right wing has no decency or morals.

[democratisphere]

2. redumbliCONs want to win at all costs, even if it includes treason.

They have no boundaries or limits as long as they perceive they are "winning".

[Botany]

3. It was a coup and we had treason

n/t

[AgadorSparticus]

4. The Republican party is a threat to democracy. What a mess they are!!

[sharedvalues]

5. This is Putin destabilizing America

Putin is cozying up to American conservatives to destabilize our politics. Because a weaker US and weaker NATO helps him.

Key quote

"Hall, the former CIA officer, said he was skeptical. He said he did not think Putin would tolerate a legitimate effort to advocate for an armed citizenry, and asserted that the movement is probably “controlled by the security services” to woo the American right."

The security services are the GRU and FSB - Russia's CIA and DIA.

http://observer.com/2017/03/kremlingate-russia-spy-game-disinformation/

Putin has also cozied up to the left. The guy running the California separatist movement just defected to Russia. Russian spies do that kind of thing.

[Raine1967]

6. Woah.

This article is really amazing and it does a really good job of connecting the dots to the serious RW shift to authoritarianism within the GOP. They are terrified of liberalism, so much so they are going to Russia.

We really have to resist. and keep resisting.

We will go back to being a nation that respects (NORMAL) conservatism and liberalism.

[Sculpin Beauregard]

7. FUCK YEAH!! Finally an article calling out the simpering fucks!!!

More like this, WaPo. MSM has otherwise abandoned the American people in this extremely terrifying time.

[enough]

8. Fundamentalist right wing white supremacists love Putin,

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/03/world/americas/alt-right-vladimir-putin.html

[uponit7771]

9. +1

[rockfordfile]

10. With Trump's collusion with Russia that will continue

[furtheradu]

11. K & R..& thanks! nt