McCain and Graham Pushing for War with Russia?

By Philip Hodges

Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) were making the rounds in former Soviet Republics, seemingly laying the groundwork for a war against Russia.

Here’s what they had to say while in Tbilisi, Georgia:

Senator John McCain: We will be working for much tougher sanctions against Russia. They attacked the United States of America. The hacking was an attack and should be treated as such. We think their financial institutions and other aspects of the Russian economy should be addressed, and we will strongly urge our colleagues to enact more meaningful and stronger sanctions against Russia because of their attack on the United States of America.

Senator Lindsey Graham: We’re going to go back and tell our colleagues what Russia’s up to, and the Baltics, what they’re going in the Ukraine. We’re going to get briefed about Georgia. We hope to make 2017 a year of offense. We believe that Putin has hacked into our elections in America, and he’s trying to undermine democracy all over the world, and it’s time for new sanctions to hit him hard as an individual – his energy sector, his banking sector. It is time to push back against Putin, but be a better friend to our allies over here including Georgia-to be more helpful.

With friends like these, who needs enemies, right?

These are the some of the “colleagues” that the incoming Trump administration is going to have to “work with.” Most Democrats and several Republicans want tougher sanctions on Russia. They’re trying to stir the pot to get the U.S. involved in yet another war based on totally false pretenses, hopefully before Obama’s term is over so that Trump is left having to deal it. Trump of course will be blamed for the war – or at least a much more strained relationship with Russia – because after all, it was Russia that got Trump elected. (Or, so goes the narrative.)

They’re putting Trump in a difficult place. If Trump reverses the sanctions against Russia once he’s sworn in, that move will only confirm everyone’s long-held suspicions – suspicions fabricated by the media and the Obama administration – that Putin was colluding with Trump all along.

If Trump does nothing and leaves the sanctions in place, and agrees to more and tougher sanctions, it will further erode U.S.-Russia relations, and it may lead to war – which seems to be what the establishment wants at the moment. In addition, it would set a dangerous precedent that Trump is willing to bow to political pressure. At that point, the establishment will know that they have an ally in the White House.

He should reverse Obama’s actions once he’s in office, regardless of “how it looks” to his critics. His critics will always find something to complain about, no matter what he does. So, he might as well just do the right thing.