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Going forward is what counts

To the editor:

It has been said the goal of the Russians is to weaken us from within. As politically divisive as we are with Trump Derangement Syndrome (about half of us are always angry) we seem to do quite well without their help.

It started — almost the day after the election — with accusations Trump colluded with Russia. After two years that investigation seems to be going nowhere. When Deputy AG Rosenstein recently announced indictments of Russian military officers for cyber meddling he said there was no evidence of involvement by American citizens. Special Counsel Mueller referred that case to SDNY for prosecution. Unlikely they will ever be extradited to the U.S.; it will probably end up in the bottomless pit. Moreover Paul Manafort’s trial, presently underway with Mueller’s prosecutors, does not involve anything Trump did or did not do with respect to Russia.

Recently hyperbole by a few politicians and media pundits has gone so far as to suggest Trump has committed treason — maybe espionage. Article 3, Section 3 in the Constitution defines the crime of treason very narrowly. Without Congress actually declaring war, after which someone actually commits a treasonous act, my laypersons opinion is treason is not an issue. And with respect to espionage, establishing Trump was/is a Russian spy does not seem even a remote possibility at this time.

We can argue neither Obama nor Trump responded appropriately to Russian meddling. But neither got us into war; both supported continuing dialog. Past is prolog; what we do going forward is what counts.

Bob Jentges

North Mankato

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