Okay take a look at this from the MTP transcripts:
CHUCK TODD:
Can you get on a better footing with them if you don't address this issue of the Russian interference? I mean your counterpart, the Russian foreign minister, Mr. Lavrov, said that you guys didn't even talk about this issue of Russian interference in our election because, as he put it, President Trump himself says it's fake news, so it's not an issue. Why haven't you brought it up with them?
SECRETARY REX TILLERSON:
Well, Chuck, I think we have such a broad range of important issues that have to be addressed in the U.S.-Russia relationship. Obviously the interference in the election is one of those. I think it's been well documented, it's pretty well understood, the nature of that interference, here and elsewhere. And you know, these are not new tactics on the part of the Russian government, directed not only at us but at others. But again, I think we have to look at this relationship in its broadest contours, and there are many, many important areas which require our attention if we are to bring it back to a relationship that we believe is necessary for the security of the U.S.
CHUCK TODD: Mr. Secretary, though. This is fundamental. They interfered with our democracy. I just don't understand how this is not a top issue for you to deal with with them in order to, essentially, start with a clean slate. Can't start with a clean slate until maybe they either own up to what they did, or we punish them in a way that they're not going to do this again.
SECRETARY REX TILLERSON: Well, Chuck, I think it's important to understand we're not trying to start with a clean slate. I think terms like having a reset are overused. You cannot reset. You cannot erase the past. You cannot start with a clean slate. And we're not trying to start with a clean slate.
We're starting with the slate we have. And all the problems that are on that slate. We don't dismiss any of them. We don't give anyone a free pass on any of them. They're part of the entire nature of the discussion we're having with the Russians. And yes, there are a large number of issues that we have to get around to addressing in order to put this relationship back together, if that is indeed possible.
CHUCK TODD: During your confirmation hearings you made clear you didn't have-- obviously you hadn't been briefed on the intelligence reports, the 17 different agencies that came to the conclusions that the Russians did make an effort to interfere in this election. Obviously there's an investigation going along to see if there was any collusion in this interference. Since you've become Secretary of State in February, have you been briefed? Have you seen this intelligence now? Is it clear in your mind that it is a fact the Russians interfered in our elections?
SECRETARY REX TILLERSON: I have seen the intelligence reports, Chuck, and yes, I don't think there's any question that the Russians were playing around in our electoral processes. Again, as those intelligence reports also have indicated, it's inconclusive as to what, if any, effect it had.
CHUCK TODD: I understand about the impact, but the fact that they got into it, what should the repercussions be now, in your mind?
SECRETARY REX TILLERSON: Well, they're just part of that broader landscape of conversations, Chuck. And I think, you know, the real impact is it serves yet again to undermine the trust between the United States and Russia. And as I have said, and the president has said, you know, we're just at a very, very low level of trust between our two countries right now. And so what we're exploring is how do we begin the process of restoring that trust. And ultimately it will touch on all of these issues.
Yes, that "low level of trust" is directly related to the Russians hacking our election, and restoring that trust means that THEY do something to make amends and promise to stop screwing with out democracy.
Until that happens all America should be doing is thinking up ways to make Russia pay for their meddling, with sanctions and refusals to allow drilling in the Arctic.
Time and time again Chuck Todd gives Tillerson the opportunity to condemn Russia for interfering in our election process, and to identify some consequences that we are prepared to use to punish Russia for that interference.
And EVERY SINGLE TIME Tillerson minimizes the impact that the Russian hacking had on our election, and on elections around the world, and continues to suggest that we should work to repair our relationship with them.
I swear a Kremlin spokesperson could not have done a better job of defending Russia.
I watched this with my mouth hanging open.
Tillerson did not even TRY to portray himself as anything other than Putin's poodle.
Source http://ift.tt/2r9wVI9
CHUCK TODD:
Can you get on a better footing with them if you don't address this issue of the Russian interference? I mean your counterpart, the Russian foreign minister, Mr. Lavrov, said that you guys didn't even talk about this issue of Russian interference in our election because, as he put it, President Trump himself says it's fake news, so it's not an issue. Why haven't you brought it up with them?
SECRETARY REX TILLERSON:
Well, Chuck, I think we have such a broad range of important issues that have to be addressed in the U.S.-Russia relationship. Obviously the interference in the election is one of those. I think it's been well documented, it's pretty well understood, the nature of that interference, here and elsewhere. And you know, these are not new tactics on the part of the Russian government, directed not only at us but at others. But again, I think we have to look at this relationship in its broadest contours, and there are many, many important areas which require our attention if we are to bring it back to a relationship that we believe is necessary for the security of the U.S.
CHUCK TODD: Mr. Secretary, though. This is fundamental. They interfered with our democracy. I just don't understand how this is not a top issue for you to deal with with them in order to, essentially, start with a clean slate. Can't start with a clean slate until maybe they either own up to what they did, or we punish them in a way that they're not going to do this again.
SECRETARY REX TILLERSON: Well, Chuck, I think it's important to understand we're not trying to start with a clean slate. I think terms like having a reset are overused. You cannot reset. You cannot erase the past. You cannot start with a clean slate. And we're not trying to start with a clean slate.
We're starting with the slate we have. And all the problems that are on that slate. We don't dismiss any of them. We don't give anyone a free pass on any of them. They're part of the entire nature of the discussion we're having with the Russians. And yes, there are a large number of issues that we have to get around to addressing in order to put this relationship back together, if that is indeed possible.
CHUCK TODD: During your confirmation hearings you made clear you didn't have-- obviously you hadn't been briefed on the intelligence reports, the 17 different agencies that came to the conclusions that the Russians did make an effort to interfere in this election. Obviously there's an investigation going along to see if there was any collusion in this interference. Since you've become Secretary of State in February, have you been briefed? Have you seen this intelligence now? Is it clear in your mind that it is a fact the Russians interfered in our elections?
SECRETARY REX TILLERSON: I have seen the intelligence reports, Chuck, and yes, I don't think there's any question that the Russians were playing around in our electoral processes. Again, as those intelligence reports also have indicated, it's inconclusive as to what, if any, effect it had.
CHUCK TODD: I understand about the impact, but the fact that they got into it, what should the repercussions be now, in your mind?
SECRETARY REX TILLERSON: Well, they're just part of that broader landscape of conversations, Chuck. And I think, you know, the real impact is it serves yet again to undermine the trust between the United States and Russia. And as I have said, and the president has said, you know, we're just at a very, very low level of trust between our two countries right now. And so what we're exploring is how do we begin the process of restoring that trust. And ultimately it will touch on all of these issues.
Yes, that "low level of trust" is directly related to the Russians hacking our election, and restoring that trust means that THEY do something to make amends and promise to stop screwing with out democracy.
Until that happens all America should be doing is thinking up ways to make Russia pay for their meddling, with sanctions and refusals to allow drilling in the Arctic.
Time and time again Chuck Todd gives Tillerson the opportunity to condemn Russia for interfering in our election process, and to identify some consequences that we are prepared to use to punish Russia for that interference.
And EVERY SINGLE TIME Tillerson minimizes the impact that the Russian hacking had on our election, and on elections around the world, and continues to suggest that we should work to repair our relationship with them.
I swear a Kremlin spokesperson could not have done a better job of defending Russia.
I watched this with my mouth hanging open.
Tillerson did not even TRY to portray himself as anything other than Putin's poodle.
Source http://ift.tt/2r9wVI9
