Wednesday, April 18, 2018

No, it makes no sense at all

Outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) has repeatedly said that he doesn't think congress needs to pass a bill protecting Special Counsel Robert Mueller from being fired "because I don't think the White House is going to fire him."

This was the response Ryan gave when Chuck Todd asked him:   "If the Senate passes the bill that's before it now, will you bring it up in the House?  It's the same response that Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, also gives.

The problem with that -- besides its staggering naivete -- is that Donald Trump has already tried to order his White House Counsel Don McGahn to get Mueller fired, only to back down when McGahn threatened to resign himself.   In addition, there is some evidence that Trump tried again in December -- and he's been talking about it ever since.

So, Republican leadership has got to come up with something better than "I don't think he's going to do it" as an excuse for not acting to prevent it.  What are they going to say after he has just gone ahead and done it

I don't think my house is going to catch on fire, but I carry insurance, just in case it does.   And the likelihood of Trump getting rid of Mueller and/or Rosenstein is far greater than my house catching on fire.

No one has offered the slightest hint at why they're actively resisting this insurance.  'We don't think it's necessary' is not as good reason.   Has Trump threatened them in some way, if they do?    Do they think it will show their bad faith in him?  Does the good of the country even matter to them anymore?

McConnell does say that it's impractical, because the president won't sign such a bill.    That's not the point.   Such a bill, passed by strong majorities in both houses of congress would be a message that might add some weight to deter the president's action.   It give some indication for how such action would be regarded by the bodies that have impeachment power over him.

What a sad spectacle the Republican Party has become -- just caving in to being the Trumplican Party.   What are they so scared of?  Is Trump really that formidable?    He does not command that large a slice of the vote, and all his other troubles aren't likely to gain him many more votes, if he even holds on to what he has.   His support in special elections hasn't proven helpful:  from Roy Moore in Alabama to the oppponent defeated by Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania.

Ralph

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