Mark Warner and Marco Rubio give you different ways to look at this Russia media conspiracy Chris Graham here on Augusta Free Press so there's the way Mark Warner decided to respond to the $10 million Russia scheme to pay far-right influencers to sew blatant political disinformation by calling it what it is yet another attempt by Foreign actors to influence the outcome of our elections and then there's the way Marco Rubio responded by making it out to be much a do about nothing OB offis skating to the effect that we the people who got millions to say bad things about the US and Ukraine were going to say them anyway whether they got the millions from Russia to say it or not that's where we are in this country today folks now the reason I bring up Mark Warner and Marco Rubio in a context like this they're the two ranking uh party members on the Senate intelligence committee a Warner because Democrats are the majority in the Senate he's the chair of the Senate intelligence committee and Rubio the Florida Republican is the ranking Republican as he's called I saw them sitting together in a a luxury box at the ACC tournament in DC earlier this year so I know they hang out here was what Warner had to say I'll quote him today's announcement he's talking on Thursday uh about the announcement from the justice department regarding uh the information about indictments from of two employees from RT formerly Russia today uh which is a State controlled propaganda Outlet uh in Russia uh for funneling millions of dollars through a Tennessee based media company to pay far-right influencers uh to produce Trump friendly content on behalf of the Russian government that's this this sounds like a movie that you would say is unbelievable um here's what Warner had to say today's announcement underscores what the Senate intelligence committee has repeatedly warned foreign adversaries are acutely interested in meddling in our elections using a wide range of tools to to seek their preferred electoral outcomes and Stoke division among Americans continuing we applaud federal law enforcement for taking steps today to hold Russia publicly accountable for its efforts to influence the US presidential election with just at that point 62 days until election day we must remain Vigilant and the Senate intelligence committee will continue to work with the intelligence Community to keep the American public alert to the threat posed by those seeking to disrupt the Democratic process that's not a partisan uh statement it's a very very uh equivocal I don't equivocal doesn't sound right but you know very even-handed statement from the chair of the committee now here's what the ranking Republican had to say um he went on Hannity Thursday night this this is his statement he went on Sean Henn on Fox News Thursday night now he he was alongside uh Ohio Senator Bernie Morena who called the indictments a clear violation of the First Amendment they're not uh getting money to uh uh getting money without disclosing it and not disclosing you're a foreign agent uh is is is a crime there's no first amendment protection for for treason uh and he accused Moreno accused the justice department of trying to dictate to Citizens quote what information were allowed to see well again register as a foreign agent and you can give all the propaganda you want because then we know what you're doing right that's um Rubio piled on which is the the I mean Moreno is bad enough he's the elected US senator but Rubio ranking Republican on the Senate intelligence committee who should know better disinformation he said is something totally different from what they are going after and describing disinformation is when you make things up that aren't true and you spread it and people think they're true in this particular case Rubio said we are talking about pre-existing political opinions in the United States let me add editorially planted planted by the Russians with their Millions these are pre-existing political opinions that have existed well before any Russian engagement or involvement or what have you Republicans used to be uh anti-russia Mr gorbachov tear down this wall that was Ronald Reagan right pre-existing political opinions one of the indictments rubo said that came out yesterday these people that they say were being funded by the secret donor that was hiding their sh identity they already had these opinions okay I mean they they independently had opinions that Russia wanted to pay for is what he will be arguing here they already believe in these things they legitimately believe in the views they were espousing they were victims he said okay now if they already believe things how are they victims the only thing they didn't do was register as foreign agents um they were targets of a fraud Rubio said someone posing as just a regular investor had Russian money behind them okay that is how the ranking Republican on the Senate intelligence committee views this Scandal I can only imagine what he'd have to say if it was Democrats getting money from anybody else from outside of this country in the same situation thanks Little Marco but a question for Mark Warner here I noted that you I saw you hanging out with the guy Rubio being the guy uh at the ACC tournament in a luxury Suite in DC back in March do you still hang out with a guy please say you don't if you have anything for me uh please feel free to email me at Chris austa freepress.com