In his ignorant stubborness Trump proclaimed yesterday that he is "vindicated" by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller's 34-page indictment of thirteen Russians for interfering in our 2016 election.
No, Trump is not vindicated. He has entirely lost his claim that the Russians didn't interfere in the election, that it is just "a hoax" by the Democrats to explain why they lost the election. He has called the interference "fake news". It wasn't a hoax and it wasn't fake.
The indictment of the thirteen Russians on carefully described criminal grounds clearly establishes that the Russians did indeed interfere so severely as to constitute a war-like act against our country, as the indictment notes. Insofar as this was an act of war, any American who knowingly joined in it commited treason, the sole crime defined in the Constitution as warranting capital punishment.
The Mueller indictment also does not clear Trump and his coterie of collusion with the Russians, as Trump claims. The fact that there is no evidence in this indictment of such collusion, as Deputy General Rod Rosenstein has noted, does not mean there is no evidence elsewhere of such collusion. In fact, this same week Mueller went right on interviewing Trump campaign people, most notably Steve Bannon. Why would Mueller still be interested in the Trump campaign if there wasn't some indication of collusion?
So where are we now with the Mueller investigation? We are partly finished. All indications are that there will be more revelations, likely dealing with obstruction of justice, possible collusion with the Russians, and possibly Trump's business crimes as the hook by which the Russians got control over him. And maybe even more issues of which we don't yet have an inkling.
But this opening salvo is key. Mueller did well to begin his reporting by first explaining the Russians' role. In dealing with a crime in which there was possibly collusion, it is effective to first establish the misdeeds of one of the perpetrators before describing those of a second.
This opening report is also key because it sets before the American people — and the government — the danger still facing us, i.e. the looming Russian interference in this year's elections. The heads of all the federal intelligence agencies have just told Congress in open hearings that the threat in 2018 from the Russians is real and imminent. Mueller's report makes clear how well-organized and well-financed such Russian attack can be.
In light of Trunp's denial of this threat, Mueller had to sound the alarm bell now. Trump has the duty, first and formost, of protecting our country. He must not be allowed to duck that duty because he loves the myth that he beat Hillary Clinton all on his own and without Russian help. Whether he did or did not is one for the political scientists to figure out. All that matters now is unified American action to protect the 2018 election from Russian interference. To get unified federal action we need the leadership of the president.
If Trump doesn't respond, Congress must act. So far the GOP in Congress has been increasingly reluctant to part ways with Trump or leap to its duty on anything. An exception: in early 2017 Congress enacted sanctions on Russia for what was then known to have been interference in the 2016 election. Trump hasn't enforced these sanctions; the now criminally indicted Michael Flynn reassured the Russians even before Trump was sworn in that the new president would not be enforcing any sanctions against Russia. And Trump has kept Flynn's promise.
Now there must be new sanctions on Russia. They must be severe. And they must be immediate! Our families back to the Revolution have fought and died for our free and fair elections. These are the foundation rock of our democracy and must be protected.
Instead of protecting us from the Russians, Trump and his clownish Congressman Devin Nunes have done all they could to impede and denigrate Mueller's investigation. As one commentator put it, "They are doing the Russians work for them." Bombshell Russia indictments: What do they all mean? - The ...
Needless to say, we must impeach Trump. If the Democrats win back Congress in November, impeaching Trump should be their first priority. He is dangerous. He has stoked the possibility of nuclear war with North Korea and has failed to protect us from the Russian "warlike" acts (so-called in the Mueller indictment). As ideaologically bad as Vice-President Mike Pence is, he wouldn't be as bad for the country as Trump. There couldn't be two like Trump.
Could there?
work for them." from wp 2-16-18
Bombshell Russia indictments: What do they all mean?
No comments:
Post a Comment