ELECTION/GOP/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “One of Capitol Hill’s most outspoken backers of Moscow is facing a tough re-election fight, with President Donald Trump’s controversial comments on Russia now taking on a central role in the race. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican representing a coastal southern California district, has focused his campaign on tax issues, not foreign policy. But Mr. Trump’s widely criticized press conference, in which he didn’t confront Russian President Vladimir Putin over election interference, along with miscues by Mr. Rohrabacher, have put his pro-Russia stance squarely in the spotlight. In comments Monday [7-16-18], after Mr. Trump’s remarks in Helsinki, Mr. Rohrabacher broke with many GOP and Democratic lawmakers by defending the president and playing down Russia’s actions…Mr. Rohrabacher also acknowledged Tuesday [7-17-18] that he was in a meeting in 2015 with Russian national Maria Butina, who was arrested this week on charges of failing to register as a foreign agent. She has been accused by the Justice Department of trying to set up back-channel relationships with Republican officials through the National Rifle Association, accusations her attorney denied. Mr. Rohrabacher characterized the indictment as ‘stupid’ in an interview with Politico.”
–Alejandro Lazo and Natalie Andrews, “Rohrabacher on the Defensive After Trump’s Russia Comments,” The Wall Street Journal, July 20, 2018 7:01 am