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My Point of View by Joe Pacovsky

The Republican Party’s Putin/Trump wing is alive and well. Trump has reinforced their partnership. Trump, the insurrectionist, just asked Putin, the butcher war criminal, for help.

 Trump asked Putin to “release any information he has on reports a Russian oligarch gave money to a company co-founded by  Hunter Biden.” “… so now I think Putin would know the answer to that. I think he should release it. I think he should know that answer.”  

The corporate community has been overwhelmingly supportive of Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s  brutal aggression. Hundreds of businesses have left Russia. I was particularly impressed with Delta Airlines, which was one of the first airlines to discontinue service to Russia. Delta quickly also dropped  Aeroflot as a partner.  

There are notable exceptions of companies that are staying in Russia. Koch Industries owned by Charles  Koch, a conservative and major donor to the Republican Party, has refused to close two glass plants of its Guardian Industries Subsidiary and continues to operate in Russia. Of course, the Republican Party is only too happy to accept Mr. Koch’s money. It is amazing that Republicans talk about their love of  freedom and democracy until it interferes with their profits. Remember when you use Koch Industries products, which besides petroleum products includes Georgia Pacific, Invista Chemicals, Infor Software and Molex Electronics, you are also getting a dose of Ukrainian blood thrown in for free.  

Some other companies still operating in Russia (as of March 29) include Subway, Asus, International  Paper, Checkpoint Software, Nestle, IPG Photonics, Titan International, and Mondelez-Nabisco, which makes Oreos and Cadbury. If your Oreos have a reddish tint, you will understand why. Other companies  of local interest include Linde (industrial gases) and General Mills and Cargill headquartered in  Minnesota, S.C. Johnson (Pledge and Ziploc) and Manitowoc headquartered in Wisconsin. The heavy duty nature of Manitowoc’s cranes would seem to have military significance.  

Republicans are doing and saying everything they can to discredit President Biden. Can you imagine if Trump was still president? Trump said Putin was a genius when he invaded Ukraine. There are other  examples of the Putin/Trump wing’s propaganda. Trump said “If I were in office, this deadly Ukraine situation would not have happened.” Of course not. Trump would still be blackmailing Ukraine by withholding weapons. He would still be undermining NATO. He would be advancing Putin’s power and  undermining Putin’s victims without Putin firing a shot.  

Close to home, J.D. Vance, a Republican Senate candidate for Ohio and an original scheduled speaker at the Minnesota Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner, said, “I don’t really care what happens  to Ukraine one way or another.” Whatever your political persuasion, this lack of humanity is sad.  

The Republican National Committee has called the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol “legitimate political discourse” and censured Republican Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for trying to learn the truth. Republican Sen. Mitt Romney stated, “Shame falls on a party that would censure persons  of conscience, who seeks truth in the face of vitriol. Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost.’  

Trump’s buddy Roger Stone said, “Putin is acting defensively; he is not acting offensively.” Stone should try to convince the thousands of innocent women and children Putin has murdered that he is acting defensively. Stone was pardoned by Trump before he left office.

Retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor, senior adviser under Trump, said Russian forces were “too gentle” and called Ukrainian President Zelensky a “puppet.”  

Marjorie Taylor Green said our latest aid to Ukraine would go to “Nazi militias” and President Zelensky was using his own military to “torture his own people.” Retired Col. Alexander Vindman has  responded to Green’s ridiculous past statements “Nope. It’s because you and your pro-Putin party  encouraged Putin to invade by cheerleading him. Worse you undermined @POTUS efforts to signal  punishing costs. You undermined U.S. efforts deter the war. You have blood on your hands…”  

There is example after example of Republicans undermining democracy. 

Joe Pacovsky is a member of the Freeborn County DFL Party.