( CNN) The fact that Donald J. Trump will become president isn't why we should all care — profoundly — about the news that intelligence agencies, but chiefly the CIA, came to the conclusion that Russia use cyberattacks and infiltrations aimed at harming Hillary Clinton's campaign.( Revealing: I supported Hillary Clinton and advised her on homeland security efforts, so for the sake of argument I'll entertain the idea that Russian influence and hacking did not decide the outcome of the 2016 presidential election .)

But Russia's actions have put our republic in peril. The investigation launched by President Obama on Friday to assess the extent and success of Russia's endeavours is not just about looking back and insuring what happened in 2016; it is about protecting our elections in the future.