There's always a new boogeyman they can trot out to protect the status quo, and this entire gauntlet felt contrived. "Oh no, new Russian threat! Looks like we need new powers again!"
and more "Please dont take away our post-9/11 powers (702), and not because we forgot how to do our jobs without them we actually do need them for realz!"
This isn't a new boogeyman but recycling an older one. There are some on the right that are worried about nuke in space producing EMP that cripples the US. The suspects used to be China, North Korea, or terrorists. Russia is new threat.
