With some pundits and members of the public asking “why are GOP congressmen attacking the FBI and Department of Justice?” and “why would they try to block Mueller’s investigation?”, I offer an simple response:
• The collusion is not only between Russia and Trump, but also between Russia and the GOP.
Recall the May 17, 2017 Washington Post story revealing a secret tape recording of Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, and other representatives in which McCarthy stated, “There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump,” and Ryan immediately interrupted to swear everyone to secrecy: “No leaks. . . . This is how we know we’re a real family here.” When confronted, Ryan first denied there was any tape recording, then that there was any transcript of the recording, and later when shown the transcript, he said they had been joking all along. Russian interference in the voting process may have helped both Trump and the GOP at large, enabling the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
• The obstruction of justice is not only by the Trump administration, but also by the GOP.
Recall also that on the evening of March 21, 2017, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes met secretly with White House officials to review classified information allegedly showing that President Obama had wiretapped Trump. He at first denied the meeting but soon after admitted that it had occurred. Today, most of the GOP stands silently by as Nunes, ignoring unprecedented FBI warnings, prepares to release a cherry-picked and now altered memo to undermine the Russia investigation by erroneously tying it to the Steele dossier.
In short:
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The GOP has the goods on Trump’s collusion
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Trump has the goods on the GOP’s collusion
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Russian intelligence has the goods on both of them
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The FBI and Mueller have the goods on all of the above
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Thus, Trump and the GOP are attacking the FBI and Mueller in order to obstruct the investigation into their mutual and continuing collusion with the Russians.
There’s a Russian proverb that reads: Znayet koshka, ch'yo myaso s'yela: “The cat knows whose meat it has eaten” or “A guilty conscience needs no accuser.”
But politicians without conscience or shame need to be accused, tried, and brought to justice.
