Today I sent this text as an email to Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill:

During the recent election campaign, there were intimations that the Russian government was cooperating with the Trump campaign. Today that was confirmed in an interview given to the Washington Post by Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Trump is also known to have financial relations with members of the Russian oligarchy who are close associates of Vladimir Putin. I doubt that I am alone in my concern that our naive and poorly informed President elect may have acted in ways that compromise the security of the United States by allowing a relatively unfriendly power the ability to meddle in our internal affairs. I worry that this Russian influence may extend into the future and further compromise our government.

I urge you to do whatever you can to see that President-elect Trump’s Russian ties are investigated and their nature and extent made public. Given the position that Mr. Trump will occupy, an investigation of this sort demands a non-partisan special prosecutor. At the very least, though, concerned members of Congress can make sure that the call for such action is heard, perhaps by holding shadow hearings if the Republican congressional majority refuses to act. President-elect Trump’s many and various conflicts of interest are important, and paramount among them are his Russian ties and the suggestion that he and his campaign allowed the Russian government to meddle in the recent election.

Thank you for entertaining my comments.

I sent a similar email to Republican Senator Blunt; for obvious reasons I omitted the phrase in the second paragraph suggesting shadow hearings if Republicans won’t act.  Instead I urged Blunt to put the welfare of the country over partisan considerations.

I don’t expect action from Blunt – or, truth be told, from McCaskill – but I do want them to hear and be aware of this sentiment. If any of you share this concern, I urge you to join the call for investigation with similar letters to your  congressmen, your local papers or whatever other venues you have access to.