Will the Trump/Russian investigation help the Republican Party??

[kentuck]

Will the Republicans fly under the radar as everyone is focused on Trump and his Russian connections? Will they escape scrutiny for changing the rules and putting Gorsuch on the Supreme Court? Will they escape scrutiny for their support of another huge tax cut for the wealthy? Will they escape scrutiny for their efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act? Will they escape scrutiny for dragging their feet in the investigation of Russian involvement in our elections?

Democrats must be very careful not to end up investigating only one Republican, Donald J Trump. The entire Republican Party is up to their eyeballs in this scandal. They cannot be permitted to escape the judgement of the American people.

[jberryhill]

1. It would help some Republicans immensely if they would objectively work on it

There is going to come that part of the classic "project phase" diagram called "Distinction for the Uninvolved".

Some of them have to decide whether they want to wake up with fleas.

[Gman]

2. Considering the news about Carter Paige today

And all the other chatter about Nunes, Chaffetz, Manafort, et al. I think this will take on a life of its own and consume the GOP.

[kentuck]

3. You could be right.

It may be deeper within the GOP than anyone would have guessed?

[Mr. Ected]

4. It might blow our minds how many GOPPERS are in to their eyeballs in this treachery

But IF the evidence shows that the rabbit hole runs deep, they'll probably say what Mitch McConnell said to Obama when confronted with proof of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign: say a word, and I'll claim it's all politics.

Then Americans divide into 2 camps along party lines, when in fact this entire debacle is a transpartisan matter demanding patriotism over party.

[kentuck]

5. I think this is an issue that might be more difficult to persuade upon others...

Yes, they may divide into camps? But the weaker camp would probably get their behinds kicked in the next election?

You are correct, in my opinion, that it is a matter that demands patriotism over party.

It is always best to fight on the side of the righteous.

[Mr. Ected]

6. I'd like to think that, if the shoe was on the other foot,

I'd kick a Democrat in the butt with it if evidence proved them guilty of treason.

I'd also like to think that the Democrats ARE fighting on the side of the righteous, rendering that a moot point.

[kentuck]

7. In this case...

I think the Democrats are on the right side.

[renegade000]

8. All these issues need to be tied together.

Putin's Russia is what happens when the oligarchs completely win and utterly co-opt the power of the state to enrich themselves and eliminate any opposition/dissident.

It serves the plutocrats in both countries to collude. Republicans weren't going to win running on their real agenda, they had to put forth a faux-populist and use any means necessary to tear down the Democratic candidate. The disinformation and propaganda would have been ugly with Sanders as well, alas.

The bright side is that there is likely evidence of this colllusion, and the fact that the Republican agenda is at a point where it is self-evidently anti-populist (e.g. taking away health care) that there's a real opportunity to bring the whole enterprise down.

[0rganism]

9. individually, some may benefit but overall this is poison for the GOP

the outsiders who aren't in on it and can promote themselves as objective and/or independent will have a lot of leverage, and themselves become recipients of significant ... perks ... if they play along and help other powerful GOP members escape scrutiny. some will fold over and participate, others will not; i think it mostly depends on whether they think they can advance faster through the existing power structure or by tearing the top of the power structure down and rebuilding it with their own credentials. playing along will be risky, but not cooperating will have its own risks -- rough either way.