First, this column would like to take a moment to recognize the tragedy in San Diego of another shooting at a synagogue where one person died and three others injured. Their families and the community will forever be affected, for that our deepest sympathies. We should also recognize that too many communities in this country are feeling similar affects of sadness and are worn to the bone from the frustration that our politicians refuse to do anything about it.
A moment...
In the post-Mueller report world that we now live in, the two numbers of note are the 56 percent of the American people believe impeachment proceedings of the president should not happen, but that 58 percent of Americans believe that the president lied about his actions, especially when it comes to obstruction with regard to the investigation.
So what does this tell us? It tells us, first, that in this polarized political climate, impeachment (a political act) will not go through for various reasons. If you're a political sycophant and hack like Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) then you believe that the entire investigation was a witch hunt. However, maybe you believe that the president has committed impeachable offenses but know that an impeachment trial in the Senate will never happen. Robert Costa explained today that through his sources in the Senate there is zero Republican support for an impeachment hearing or trial. In fact, given that it's Trump's Republican party, that they may turn the tables an start investigating the investigators.
Mr. Johnson said he wouldn't have used the word 'scum' to describe law enforcement as the president did, but that he understands his frustration. He also said that he's concerned with Russian interference but that we shouldn't blow things out of proportion, and explained that the Department of Homeland Security is doing a pretty good job in handling this. Sorry, if we don't feel reassured Senator Johnson, but to say they're doing a 'pretty good' job kind of sucks.
The fact is that there were 140 contacts between Trump campaign officials and his transition team and never once did anyone report this to the FBI. Now the President of the United States calls senior officials of his justice department and the premier law enforcement agency in the world 'scum.'
As referred to on the program today, here is the clip of Lindsey O. Graham on the Senate floor in 1999 taking about Bill Clinton, in which he says that impeachment is not about punishment but cleansing the office.
As Helene Cooper explained, this is why people are so disgusted with politics because of things like this - that Senator Graham displays brazen and admitted hypocrisy simply to retain power and be reelected. Those are the reasons, plain and simple. Senator Graham, like Senator Johnson, has forfeited all principle.
Andrea Mitchell, filling in for Chuck Todd this week, asked Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) about the president's stonewalling and his refusal on letting current or fmr. administration officials testify in front of Congress, to which she answered that that is what the subpoena is for. Most prominently, one said current official Attorney General William Barr has not agreed to a hearing with the House after he testifies to the Senate this week. Mr. Barr has a lot to answer for, especially since he is not at all acting like the top law enforcement official for the American people but solely for Mr. Trump. Ms. Klobuchar mentioned that it not only about the Mueller Report though she did note his conflicting answers about obstruction and what constitutes it, but also about repealing the ACA and the justice department's support for a lawsuit that has the potential of taking away the protections Americans now have about being denied insurance based on a preexisting conditions.
When the president speaks of getting rid of the scum in our government what he's really saying is that he's trying to get rid of any individual, like a career law enforcement official like Sally Yates, unwilling to blindly protect him or do his bidding unequivocally.
Talk about slimy.
Panel: Peggy Noonan, the Wall Street Journal; Helene Cooper, The New York Times; Robert Costa, The Washington Post; Carlos Curbelo, fmr. Congressman from Florida
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