Another Putin Deadender

We had Rep. Yoho the other day.

Trent Franks, you're up.

With this in mind, Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), a far-right Donald Trump ally for most of 2016, appeared on MSNBC earlier today and echoed Putin’s talking point:

“I’m all for doing what’s necessary to protect the election here, but there’s no suggestion that Russia hacked into our voting systems or anything like that. If anything, whatever they may have done, was to try to use information in a way that may have affected something that they believe was in their best interest.

“But the bottom line, if they succeeded – if Russia succeeded – in giving the American people information that was accurate, then they merely did what the media should have done.” 

Who are you going to believe Vlad Putin or your lyin' eyes 17 U.S. intelligence agencies?

A couple of follow-up questions for the congressman:

1. If Mexico had broken into RNC computers and Paul Manafort’s email to steal materials, embarrass Republicans, and help put Hillary Clinton in the White House, would Trent Franks have a cavalier attitude about international espionage?

2. If Franks’ own system were targeted in a cyber-attack during his re-election campaign, and his foes published genuine materials stolen from his computer to help elect his opponent, would he be equally quick to declare that the “bottom line” is that the hackers gave voters “information that was accurate”?

Would Trump be so quick to want to sweep this under the rug if it was equally obvious the Russians had worked to elect Hillary Clinton?