Election Interference Questioned

If Vladimir Putin were on speaking terms with Chrystia Freeland, the Russian president might be on the phone to Ottawa now, requesting a clarification.

For the past three years, Putin has been the object of regular denunciation for alleged attempts to influence the results of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. Special Counsel Robert Mueller dug deep into suspected dirty tricks originating in Moscow, said to have been aimed at undermining former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s run for the White House. More recently, Democrats have launched an impeachment drive based on charges President Donald Trump sought to pressure Ukraine’s president into providing some dirt on Joe Biden, his potential opponent in the 2020 election race.

Both scandals derive from the well-founded belief that it is wholly inappropriate for a prominent foreign political figure to intrude on the domestic affairs of another country, especially a democratic election in which power is at stake.

Except, it appears, if it’s Canada and you happen to be Justin Trudeau. Once again, as voters ponder how to mark their ballots come Monday’s election, we’ve had it made clear that there’s one set of rules for other people, and another for Justin Trudeau.

Former president Barack Obama is not nearly as distasteful a person as the president of Russia, but he was engaged in a much more open case of intrusion when he urged Canadian voters Wednesday to vote for the Liberal leader over other candidates.

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See Also:

(1) It looks like ‘screw the west’ is back in full swing

(2) Who votes, who doesn’t and some of the reasons why

(3) On immigration, Trudeau simply tells us what we want to hear

(4) Will it be enough for Trudeau to convince voters he’s still the optimistic dreamer?

(5) Idea of a stiff fine for ethics violations isn’t enough. What about resigning?