In the next chapter of the latest saga, an aggrieved and allegedly "hunted" Trump demands "Justice" with a capital "J." Our Dear Royal Tangerine Water Balloon is DEMANDING, I SAY! the DOJ find out if there was a spy planted in his golden tower during the campaign.
Wolf Blitzer discussed the matter and its implications with Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) on his show today. Schiff accurately describe this as an alarming assault on the independence of the rule of law, and the Justice Department itself.
BLITZER: California Congressman Adam Schiff. He's the top Democrat on the House Intelligence committee. What do you think about the President yesterday saying, I hereby demand that they look into, that they find out if this informant, or what he called a spy for all practical purposes, was authorized to go ahead and establish these contacts with Trump campaign officials?
SCHIFF: I think, second to the firing of Comey, this is the most direct assault on the independence of the Justice Department, the most direct effort to interfere with this investigation of the Trump campaign. It's deeply disturbing. It obviously puts the Justice Department in a very difficult position. Normally you would expect if the Congress were trying to erode the Department's independence or compromise an investigation that the President would protect the Department, and conversely, if the President were trying to do it, the Congress would protect the Department. But here we have a weak Speaker. We have members of Congress that are only too happy to be complicit with the President in beating down the independence of the Justice Department. This is a major threat to the rule of law.
With his trademark incisiveness, he called it out as yet another diversion. Noting that Deputy AG Rosenstein has asked the Inspector General to look into his demands, Schiff went on with his bad self to call the entire thing nonsense.
SCHIFF: I think they're trying to figure out how to skin this cat at the Justice Department, how to, on the one hand, not be insubordinate to an order by the President, but on the other hand, make sure they don't erode the independence of the Justice Department. They've kicked it to the Inspector General. I am concerned with some of the comments of the Deputy Attorney General suggesting, "we'll look into whether there is any legitimate concern about a politically embedded spy." They know that's nonsense and I hate to see them say anything to give it credence.
BLITZER: Tell me why you feel it's nonsense.
SCHIFF: Because it simply didn't happen. And when you hear reports, as was just related, that there is concern in the White House about this, there is not concern in the White House about this. There is a sense of opportunity. Let's exploit any doubt we can create. This is a defense strategy. Put the government on trial. When the evidence looks increasingly incriminating of your client, in this case, the President, put the investigators on trial, and that's all they're trying to do here. The question is will Congress go along with it? Sadly, you have a few members of Congress who are actively trying to help the President with this, and the rest, in terms of the governing party, are remaining silent.
BEZZACTLY. Say that for the people in the back nice and loud, Adam, baby!
"[T]here is not concern in the White House about this. There is a sense of opportunity."
This is how the "Administration" currently scuzzing up the air in the White House does things. They aren't "concerned." They're opportunistic. They're agents of destruction and corrosion. If it's possible to throw a smoke bomb so they get away with a little more grifting, they'll do it.
Case in point? Schiff's assessment of the Inspector General Trump has entrusted with this task, Michael Horowitz.
BLITZER: Do you have confidence in the Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who has now been charged with looking into this?
SCHIFF: He has a good reputation. I have to say, though, i'm concerned with one of the decisions that may have come out of his office already. And that is, there was a decision to accelerate the investigation into Andrew McCabe, the decision that he could be fired before his pension vested. There is nothing irregular about his being part of that broad investigation, but It is very unusual to say of this broad investigation, we're going to pick this one piece, this one individual, and we're going to put him on a fast track so he can be fired before his pension. The fact the President was openly calling for him to be fired before he got his pension looks like it had its intended effect. If that's the case, then the independence of the Inspector General is at risk. There are lots of concerns both in terms of the Department and the Inspector General. But more broadly, we see a wholesale assault on the rule of law...
Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for decent and articulate Congressmen like Adam Schiff for being willing to call it like it is.
