The President of the United States |
If anyone ever had any question whether or not the investigation of the President by congress is entirely political, what has happened since the Mueller report should put that question to rest.
It might be true that the behavior of the President with respect to Russian influence might have warranted an investigation. It was a legitimate pursuit to find out whether Trump or any of his associates violated the law by colluding the Russians to throw the election in his favor. There did seem to be some indications that there might have been. But after one of the most thorough investigations ever undertaken by a Special Counsel, Robert Mueller (a man who was spoken of as having near god-like integrity) determined that the President broke no such law.
And when the President fired former FBI director James Comey after he began investigating those indications - it was also justifiable to see if the President violated the law by obstructing justice in doing that (which actually triggered the Mueller investigation). After 2 years of that investigation where there were many indictments, Mueller clearly concluded that there was not enough evidence to indict him. (Although it did not exonerate him either – the standard in this country is innocent until PROVEN guilty.)
That should have wrapped things up. For Republicans - who were mostly on board with the Mueller investigation – it did.
Democrats on the other hand were all beside themselves in near disbelief about Muelller’s conclusions. They could not believe that what they already ‘knew’ about the President and his men did not result in any indictments on either allegation.
Taking this news like the true partisan politicians they are, Democrats did not sit still. The President must be guilty of something. And they are determined to find it. As such what seems like an endless number of subpoenas have been issued in that vein. For example Democrats (and only Democrats) want to examine Trump’s tax returns even though those returns couldn’t possibly have anything to do with collusion or obstruction.
Now it’s true that Trump might be the only President in history not to reveal his tax returns, he nevertheless has that right. But since he didn’t, Democrats believe they will find some dirt. ‘There has to be’ they reason. ‘Why else hide them?’ Fair question. But that still doesn’t make what they are doing any less political since it is only Democrats that are demanding those returns.
The reaction by Democrats to the Mueller Report is so telling. You could practically read their disappointment with it on their collective faces. That applies to the mainstream media as well. They try to look objective, but their facial expression belie that attempt. Their reportage on this issue wreaks with liberal anti Trump bias.
Democrats are not giving up. They will search and search until they find something. And they keep talking about how the Trump’s behavior with respect to allegations of collusion was nevertheless unworthy of a President. Even if it wasn’t found to be illegal. As far as obstruction is concerned, they have interpreted the 'no exoneration’ part of Mueller’s conclusion as their right to see it as a crime.
They say there was obstruction of justice attempted by the President in his desire to fire Robert Mueller. But that his staff refused to obey him. The problem is that he ended up listening to his advisers. He surely had the power to override them. As did Nixon when he fired Archibald Cox, the Special Counsel investigating Nixon’s role in Watergate. But Trump didn’t fire Mueller. That means there was no obstruction. There was only a will to obstruct that he did not carry out. That is not a crime.
And yet House Intelligence Committee Chairman, Democrat Adam Schiff said that the obstruction of justice allegations described in the Mueller report are "far worse than anything that Richard Nixon did." (Republicans plainly see the bias and are calling for him to resign as chairman.)
If this isn’t political, why is there not a single Republican joining Democrats in this drive? After all they were almost all together on Mueller. Why have they not come on board with the Democrats here? Not even a moderate like Susan Collins.
The answer is that this is an entirely political attempt to ‘correct the mistake’ the Mueller committee made by not finding anything indictable about the President’s actions (or those of his associates that had not been indicted til now).
Why are they doing this? As I said - it’s political. The truth is that Democrats can’t stand the President’s policies. They believe that their liberal views are the only truly moral and ethical ones. The President is therefore harming this country. Both domestically and in foreign policy. They want power back in Democratic hands in order to correct those immoral and unethical policies.
Some examples: They believe his environmental policies are destroying the planet. They believe the prosperity we are now experiencing benefits mostly the wealthy. They see an unfair distribution of wealth in this country. Which they want to equalize by taxing the rich and giving it to the poor. They see his immigration policies as inhuman. They see his treatment of allies as adversaries and adversaries as allies is hurting our relationships with both. They see his policies with respect to Israel and the Palestinians harming the (non existent) peace process... and so much more.
‘What will come next if Trump is not removed from office?’ This begs for a remedy. Which biases how they see the President’s guilt regardless of what the Special Counsel concluded. Or at least that there must be an indictable crime elsewhere if not here. And by golly they are going to look for it until they find it.
Democrats are entitled to their liberal beliefs. Conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are going to see things differently. That has always been the case. But to liberal Democrats - this President is not only going too far, he is ruining the country by not adhering to their liberal orthodoxies. Which they believe to be sacrosanct while seeing conservative orthodoxy as racist and immoral. They truly do not understand how anyone could ever disagree with their enlightened views!
That is what these investigations are all about. All the rhetoric about the righteousness of their liberal orthodoxies notwithstanding!
How sad that it is that politics is what’s driving congress now instead of dealing with the problems they were elected to solve. That is how (for example) I see House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Democrat Jerry Nadler (whose district includes Boro Park). He keeps saying that congress has the right – even the duty - to investigate wrongdoings by the President as part of the checks and balances purpose of the 3 separate but equal parts of government.
Sure they do. But looking for dirt in every nook and cranny of the President’s life is not the way to do that.
Instead of wasting taxpayer money looking for dirt they should be doing what they were elected to do. Legislate for the common good of the American people by dealing with the problems at hand. They should be trying to work on areas where there is common ground with the President. Such as fixing the infrastructure of this country. Much of which is dangerously in need of repair. Do we have to wait for a tragedy to happen before congress and the President act?
And yet some of the more prominent candidates are so hot to get rid of Trump that they are calling for impeachment – regardless of whether he committed a crime or not. Even though the standard for impeachment requires not only a crime - but high crimes and misdemeanors!
To her credit, House Speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi actually agrees with my contention that congress should focus on the issues and work with the President where there is common ground. And to stop obsessing about impeachment!
To her credit, House Speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi actually agrees with my contention that congress should focus on the issues and work with the President where there is common ground. And to stop obsessing about impeachment!
I hope the American people can see through all this. And call out those elected Democrats that are wasting time and taxpayer money on an elusive goal. Even if they were to have impeachment hearings and the Democratically controlled House would vote to impeach, the Republican controlled Senate will not vote to remove the President from office, anyway.
If voters call out these Democrats and they don’t pay heed to their voters, they may end up paying for it at the polls in 2020. And that may bring 4 more years of Trump.