oldmanfan

I certainly think North Korea is irrational. How many administrations have tried to have a dialog with them and yet they are still getting nuclear weapons on board.putin may be more rational but he is like a bully that won't quit until you smack him in the face. Trying to use rational thought processes with irrational people doesn't work.

Diplomacy would be fine, always the first action. Absolutely. But do you actually think Putin would change his behavior through diplomacy? I think not. I think Putin only responds to a show of strength. Would much rather take your approach, not only with Russia but with North Korea. But with both countries I don't think diplomacy would be effective.

A final thought. If the tables were turned and a Democratic president made the statements made yesterday would opinions here change? Mine would not. This should be about country and not politics.

I am not knowledgeable enough in this whole cyber world to know exactly what steps could be taken. But my reading suggests you could potentially use electromagnetic approaches to wipe out their cyber capabilities.

He should have stood for the concept of our sovereignty as a nation based on the concept of free and fair elections.

Your last statement? Yes. Not shooting war, not nuclear war. Fight cyberattacks with cyberattacks. I'm sure I haven't. Claiming someone said something and then backtracking to say you just assume so is just weak.

Which I have never said anywhere. Another stupid comment by you. I have said I am extremely hawkish when it comes to national security. If it were my job I'd bring someone on board like you as SecDef to calm me down.

Trying to affect the elections is not an act of war?

Let Mueller finish his investigation and let the chips fall where they may.

No I don't. I believe they have already committed an act of war by their attempt to affect our elections. If France or Israel think the same if us they should take actions as well. They probably don't because in the sum total of things our relationship has more positives than negatives.

Yes I think our intelligence services are more reliable that Putin. Yes they make mistakes at times. But if you honestly think as the president does that Putin should be put on equal footing, at minimum, to our intelligence services then I would say your loyalties are seriously misplaced.

I would support investigation into some of the material you've presented. But you also need to acknowledge when both houses of congress and our intelligence agencies all agree the Russians tried to influence our election that it also deserves complete investigation.

None of the above necessarily affect what was done. We need to cripple their cyber capability. How that would be done I leave to experts.

I don't necessarily agree with your premise. And the reason why the Russian thing requires investigation is a foreign adversary has potentially committed an act of war against us

We don't know the exact impact of the Russians on the election. And it doesn't matter. What matters is they tried.

I disagree about bigger fish to fry. We are talking about the sovereignty of our country and our electoral system. If that falls into question the whole basis for our system of government comes into question.

I listened to the entire thing as did you. And you know the statement he made about Putin being strong about his denial, etc. we all saw it and we all heard it. Don't be obsequious about this, you're better than that. And continues under the investigation of a special prosecutor assigned by the guy who wrote the memo to get Comey fired. All under the current administration. You are just being ridiculous.

The ones appointed by the president you love?

I'm sooty but trying to rescue his inane comment with this tweet is ridiculous. You don't honestly think he believes this vs. the statement he made in the pressers do you?

When exactly did I take the word of a murderous dictator in 2003? And you call others stupid. The height of hypocrisy.

Is our country completely clean? No. Should we stand with our country vs. a murdering dictator? It's sad that question even needs to be asked of some here.

So you also believe in Putin more than our own intelligence services. Ok comrade.

We all saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears the President of the United States say that the intelligence service of his own country is not to be believed over a murdering dictator. If you prefer to stand with Putin vs. our people feel free. Ironically living in a great country like ours vs. what Putin runs gives you that right.

I believe in my country. You believe in a man who would sell it out.

Moving the topic away from the chief executive of our country saying in full view of the world that he does not accept the findings of his own intelligence team vs. a murderous dictator is disingenuous at best.