The Washington Post reports that Putin devotee and California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher is planning a congressional delegation trip to Russia to see where Americans can cooperate with Russia's agenda.
Specifically, he told the Post that he wants to head over to Russia to see "how we can work with the Duma."
Apparently he is interested in joint legislative activities with the Russian government. In his interview, he said, “What could we actually set in the legislature of Russia and in Congress? Could we work together, for example, and cooperate on space activities?”
We actually already work together and cooperate on space activities without legislative action, so what is he actually talking about there?
Rohrabacher paid lipservice to making common cause with Russia with regard to defeating the Islamic state, too. It's far more likely this trip is intended to strike some deals for oil and pipelines in war-torn areas like Syria after Russia levels what's left of their cities.
According to the same report, when Rohrabacher was asked if the group would meet with Putin while in Russia, Rohrabacher replied, “I really can’t say that." After a pause and a half-smile, he added “It’s possible.”
His trip may not be popular with Speaker Ryan and others who aren't quite as high on Russia as he is.
As The Washington Post’s Elise Viebeck reported last month, “Rohrabacher has been criticized for freelancing his own foreign policy”:
Around the time of his election, he briefly joined a mujahideen unit fighting the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. After he won his race, he illegally entered Burma to meet with pro-democracy students. Against advice from the State Department, he became the first congressman to visit Croatia, in August 1991, after fighting broke out between Croatian secessionists and Serbian militants that summer. Ten years later, the State Department reportedly rebuked him for meeting with Taliban officials at a Sheraton Hotel in Qatar.
Rohrabacher has long been a freelancer who hates Muslims and loves Big Oil. Expect more shenanigans like this from him.
