and the pennant journalist and former wall street journal correspondent joe lauria joins us live now for more on this what do you think is there any limit to how far the western powers will go to put pressure on russia. it doesn't seem to be so they keep finding new people and new companies or new things to sanction despite those nice words we heard the europeans are going along with that for the most part germany is really hard to understand why germany has a buying of americans gone along with this since it's her german interests more than anyone else is very convenient that the u.s. and the u.k. for example have very little trade with russia or business compared to germany and german businessmen have been against us from the beginning and of course merkel is trying to be a good u.s. . what can i say a good u.s. follower and a member of nato her we know that the n.s.a. has been bugging her so she wants to do what the americans want and this is really hurting her i think frankly but you know over all the reasons that were given by the surgery department for this round of sanctions w

leveled not a lot of evidence is really being presented to back them up or an independent journalist joe lauria believes american politicians are using the russian threat to distract from domestic issues this is new rhetoric and actually it doesn't seem to be based in reality i have to say they're going to blame russia for whatever happens in the november elections whatever goes wrong whatever problems we have it's russia's fault there are no racial divisions there is no way in quality of income there are no problems in this country except the ones that are made by russia this is ridiculous what's going on here they have to use something to deflect criticism from their own. rules their own rules ship this is absolutely getting out of control right now i have not seen it like this before and it's getting more and more dangerous when you think of the relations between two superpowers they don't want better relations with russia they want to push this line and they yes there's a war between trump and his intelligence several u.s. senators have introduced a new anti russia sanctions bill among othe

former wall street journal correspondent joe lauria believes u.s. politicians are using the so-called russian threat as a distraction from internal problems the whole thing is quite a conundrum for me why they continue to try to politicize this issue and use sanctions of some way to help them domestically except that they're trying to cover up their own shortcomings their own short changing of the american people and to try the blame our divisions and our economic crisis and our racial divide year on and on an outside power which is the oldest trick in the book going back to the beginning of civilization if the democrats lose or do not do as well as they hope in the november election having used rusher again as their as their main talking point they may have to readjust and realize that the progressive wing of the party is growing and that the american people don't give a damn about russia and that they have to finally address the real issues here and leave this russia issue alone and get back to normal relations with this country that is that it's

former wall street journal correspondent joe lauria believes u.s.politicians are using the so-called russian threat as a distraction from internal problems the whole thing is quite a conundrum for me why they continue to try to politicize this issue and use sanctions of some way to help them domestically except that they're trying to cover up their own shortcomings their own short changing of the american people and to try the blame our divisions an article on the crisis in our racial divide year on and on an outside power which is the oldest trick in the book going back to the beginning of civilization if the democrats lose or do not do as well as they hope in the november election having used rusher again as their as their main talking point they may have to readjust and realize that the progressive wing of the party is growing and that the american people don't give a damn about russia and that they have to finally address the real issues here and leave this russia issue alone and get back to normal relations with this country that is that it's i