It is time for the men with the guns and badges to pay trump a visit. Defy a court order, I dare trump. trump, is feathering his own nest, with dirty money. He is a crook, plain and simple. All freedom loving men and women in this country should stand up and say enough of this crook, this humbug, phony president.
5
Impeach Trump for trying to block an investigation about a crime that the Mueller Report says did not happen? He was the victim of a smear campaign. I am confident that since most of the rogue element is no longer in the FBI and the Justice Dept , the truth will clear this up
39
@Hank What crime does the report say did not happen?
82
@Hank
Too early for Happy Hour, Hank, even in Florida.
94
@Hank You haven't read the redacted report, have you? Read it and then answer the question, "What is Trump hiding?"
134
Trumps latest tweet storm complains about witch hunt and that there was NO OBSTRUCTION.
Just read the report. Even if it doesn't reach the legal bar for indictable obstruction, it's still an incredible breach of the public trust, which is an impeachable offense.
Sad, sad state when congress has everything it needs to act, but won't because people are too stupid (unethical?) to realize this stark fact. By doing nothing, congress and the American people are implicitly endorsing a corrupt presidency.
5
the point of the administration's objections isn't whether or not they are legalh justifiable or even make sense. te point is to delay, buy time, let the uproar blow over, hope for something to come up that will override or overshadow the responsibilities they are trying to avoid. whatever they say specifically means nothing when their purpose is to delay delay delay,
4
"But especially with the Mueller report, the administration’s claim isn’t just legally ridiculous. It actually puts our country at grave risk."
Nope. The only "grave risk" to this country is white supremacy, and impeachment, would, without a doubt, trigger some nasty forms of white supremacy.
Instead of dwelling on the past, try focusing efforts on the next election, which is just around the corner! All of this poo pooing is unhelpful. The horse is already dead.
None of this matters a whit unless the Democrats in the house take off the gloves and punch back against Trump and his minions and use every tool in their arsenal to punish those who refuse to comply with their subpoenas. The time for dilly dallying is long past.
6
What are they trying to hide?
2
The New York Times, CNN and MSNBC are desperate to keep the Mueller Report alive, but for most people it's already yesterday's news. No collusion. No treason. Time to move on.
Trump is surely hiding something. It must be something so bad for him to be afraid of the Muller report. The obvious reason is that our President is a crook.
5
Wake up, Ms. Pelosi and the Democratic House members, and do your constitutional duty! Hesitation now makes you look embarrassingly weak, foolish, and complicit in the destruction of American democracy. AND it will guarantee your loss in the 2020 election.
1
I thought we aspired to transparency in government and our government employees and representatives? The Trump organization is being egregiously opaque. They act like a private company above lawful scrutiny. Why?
"In a free society, transparency is government's obligation to share information with citizens. It is at the heart of how citizens hold their public officials accountable."
The absolute worst obstruction of justice any elected official could enact would be to be an opaque candidate for president in 2020. Refusal to allow all these subpoenas and requests for information and interviews is high treason. Trump is unelectable. There should be no debate about that.
Impeachment may be inconvenient. Due process, if compliance were to be imposed, should happen. Trump has to show his cards —all of them. Or he is ineligible to run for POTUS 2020. Meanwhile, he should stop going on the taxpayer dime to campaigning rallies. He is currently ineligible to run.
1
The sooner the court battle over release of the full Mueller report begins, the better.
1
Since when has "legally ridiculous" stopped Mr. Trump?
He has nothing to lose by attempting any of the maneuvers that could be described that way. At worst, he gains time to chew up before the election next year, as well as obfuscation. And as long as the GOP, particularly its Senate caucus, refuses to consider any of it obstruction, "legally ridiculous" does not equate to "legally unsuccessful".
1
"Congress may need to expand the federal offense of trafficking in stolen property to include hacked emails, define what counts as a “thing of value” when offered to a campaign by a foreign government agent"...
So in other words Goodman is attempting to bypass the First Amendment by pretending that information is "property" and that a reporter informing the public by obtaining and publishing e-mails that, say, reveal that a candidate rigged her party's nomination process is not a reporter, but a thief?
NO. It does not matter where the information came from or what the motive of the person who provided it is. If the person who received it and released it to the public did so for the sake of informing the public, it is protected speech under the 1st Amendment.
While I agree that Trump's arguments ar ridiculous and dangerous, in this instance so are Goodman's. Goodman must not be allowed to kill free speech any more than Trump must be allowed to kill checks and balances.
No. Such legislation would unequivocally be a violation of the First Amendment.
How do we get our president who ask like a tyrant to follow the Constitution and the Rule of Law? What are some solutions for protecting the American Public from a criminal administration when we have republicans in the Senate ok with his criminal conduct?
1
The Democrats need to listen to what Graham said during the Clinton impeachment.
During Clinton’s impeachment proceedings, Graham recalled that President Richard Nixon made himself vulnerable to impeachment when he refused to comply with congressional subpoenas, effectively taking away Congress’ ability to conduct oversight.
On January 16, 1999, a Southern politician with a mop of faintly graying hair stood on the floor of the United States Senate and made a striking proclamation about what it meant to impeach a president.
“You don’t even have to be convicted of a crime to lose your job in this constitutional republic if this body determines that your conduct as a public official is clearly out of bounds in your role, Impeachment is not about punishment. Impeachment is about cleansing the office. Impeachment is about restoring honor and integrity to the office.” So in Graham and the rest of the GOPs minds, its okay to investigate a democrat (for 30 years) but not a republican president.
It time for the democrats to bring Trump and the GOP down a notch or two, Its time for the democrats to begin Impeachment hearings, then and only then will the Mueller report, and Deutsche Bank, and more WILL fall under their oversight powers.
The Supreme court has upheld congresses authority under article 1 of the constitution, many times over, and congress has never been cited for overstepping. after all, Lindsey Graham, has all but defined what the role of congress was, then and now
1
When I started reading this opinion piece I saw Watkins V United States and now it is gone in the time it took to follow the link. Watkins supports the Justice Department position.
What Congress has going for it are the numerous convictions already arising from the Mueller report. Wouldn't you be suspicious too of the judgment behind all those picks of "fine people" or "the best people" Trump claimed he was appointing?
Past presidents shared their tax filings because they wanted to prove they weren't taking bribes as Nixon and Agnew had. Trump's refusal - although he said he would if Hilary did, is enough to suggest he isn't an honest man.
Congress legislative purpose should be to require disclosure of income tax forms by the chief executive. But do they really need to see them? He isn't a private citizen. And even a King is effectively owned by the nation. His life is in their hands at all times. Kings get their heads chopped off if they are really disliked, too.
Impeachment is so much more civilized.
If Trumps' position on the Mueller report is legally ridiculous then it is the courts that should decide about its legality not a partisan congress. I cannot believe that after Mueller was futzing around for over 2 years that now congress wants to futz around instead of doing the people's work. The lynch mob of Nadler and his gang will not be reelected in 2020 if they continue to harass the president and obstruct the work he is trying to do for our country.
3
@Girish Kotwal: Holding the executive branch accountable IS a mandate of the House and IS doing the people's work. It is Trump and his lawyers obstructing justice and Congress.
4
It'll get overturned in 7 days by another judge. Nothing is going to happen. Intent of the law is relevant here and Congress is going outside of intent.
2
Intent of what law?
Where is Robert Mueller? And Don McGahn?The author of a report that basically calls on Congress to do its own follow up to obstruction charges because Justice cannot is sitting silent, not appearing as a witness before Congress and filling in the many blanks in the report he wrote for the American people. And McGahn, too, stays home, cowed apparently by the White House obstruction machine. Why doesn’t Mueller man up and cut ties with the Department of Justice? What, does he need the health insurance perks from remaining a DOJ employee? Does he enjoy keeping some office space there? How satisfying would it be to see Mueller and McGahn become their own men and walk into the well of Congress to speak their truth. I’m so sick of the clubby, self-protective, silent-partner insiders who seem to place keeping connections and not burning bridges above their country’s best interests—no, their country’s very survival. It’s beyond disappointing to see them missing in action during this historically crucial time.
13
@Cmary: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do...oh, never mind.”
2
Mueller should resign and then stand up for the American people.
That is his duty, we hired him.
Mueller and Barr have been close friends for 30 years, their wives go to bible study together. They are all Republicans. Mueller could resign immediately and place the country where it should be, in the hands of the American people. I have heard the word 'integrity' over and over describing Mueller, if that is the truth, the answer is apparent and easy. After all, the investigation was for the American people, the results belong to the American people.
12
Funny how one's political persuasions affect one's view of the law. Only a few years ago Barack Obama's administration was making the same arguments Donald Trump's administration makes now. And Republicans now resist the impeachment of Donald Trump with the same arguments Democrats trumpeted when Bill Clinton was impeached.
Congress doesn't need the full Mueller report and the underlying evidence to do its job. Robert Mueller was hired to prosecute any members of the Trump campaign who had illegal links with the Russians. He had no brief to conduct a counterintelligence operation, nor did he.
Congress can get the information it needs to address Russian meddling and campaign finance reform from other sources. And it will. Insisting that the full Mueller report be made public along with its underlying evidence is just playing petty partisan politics. That is wrong, just as it is when the Republicans do it.
Congress should attend to its business and let the president attend to his. There's plenty of legitimate work to be done. Quit wasting time with witch hunts and grandstanding.
4
President Donald Trump cannot stop Mc Gahn testify to Congress no immunity protect President Donald Trump even executive privilege if Mc Gahn doesn't he will be contempt of Congress and possible loser ATTORNEYS LICENSE AND GO TO JAil.
What are hide Donald can guess 30% . Criminal Activity . IT FACT NOT FAKE.
Mueller Report been under attack every since been out by President Donald Trump what are hide Mr. President America People are became suspicious.
These are embarrassing arguments made by the lawyers in the WH counsel's office. These inane positions are taken to hide all the evidence of Trump's unethical and criminal conduct.
If the Republican Senate had not made the Faustian choice to maintain power at the expense of Truth, Rationality, and Democracy we could still have forced the tawdry little conman, grifter and petty criminal to leave office and stop disgracing the country. But that is not what we have witnessed.
Instead a corrupt Republican Senate stands as a firewall AGAINST Truth, Justice and the American way.
Trump's stonewalling to get this into the courts to tie it up and runout the clock is a primae facie case of impeachable offense. But what does it matter if the Republican Senate will not do their constitutional duty?
Bill Barr, Republican Senators, and the petty criminal in the WH form a triangle of a naked power play and a travesty of justice. McConnell, Graham, and down the line are destroying our system of government when they refuse to see the corruption that defines Trump's presidency and personality.
I never thought I'd have to see anything like this in my lifetime; but as I head into the sunset of my life the only view I have of my beloved country is of it spiraling down into graft, corruption, and cowardice. The betrayal is so enormous as to be incalculable.
9
Three.
Co-equal.
Branches.
One branch needs to be pruned.
7
As long as Trump is President, and McConnell controls the Senate, absolutely none of the well thought out reforms in this article will ever come up for a vote, or be signed into law. Clearly, Republicans no longer have allegiance to the Constitution, preferring illegality, lies and obfuscation. How patriotic.
4
What is the legal status of government employees who knowingly develop these indefensible legal positions to withhold information from the congress and American public? I find it shocking that government employees would do these sorts of things. I would think that anyone interested in doing shady legal work would at least move into a sector where they would be better paid for it.
2
There is a legal action called "abuse of process." A legal "process" is something like a subpoena, issued by a court. It means using such a legal document for some other motive than its proper intended purpose.
When Trump asserts that Congress does not have a proper legislative purpose, he is saying in effect that the subpoena issued is an abuse of process.
It is certainly a position within our law. The question is whether the specific process (subpoena) was issued for its intended proper purpose, or really was issued for a partisan political purpose.
Trump and Congress can argue that. One or the other is correct, and the courts can decide. However, it is error to say that Trump is making up a theory. The theory is valid. The thing is question is the facts -- is Congress abusing the subpoena or not.
3
Bring it to SCOTUS and let Americans understand once and for all the limits of the executive branch of our government. The political parties shun from this type of decisive action for fear that, win or lose, a sizable percentage of the electorate will only harden their feelings around "their guy."
That's what happens when the politicos realize they no longer are leaders, but career politicians.
The unfortunate aspect is that a very large segment of the American people don't seem to care.
3
And Donald's ordering people not to testify before the House committee is pretty much like saying that fingerprints and ballistics cannot be used in any criminal cases involving the Trump family. It's just plain gross obstruction of justice.
5
If Rep. Amash saw the light by actually READING the redacted version, imagine the impact an un-redacted edition would have.
For those who are challenged by low reading comprehension, I also recommend an audio book version. GOP Members of Congress can listen at the gym or during floor speeches.
7
"oversight and investigations are a fundamental part of Congress’s Article I responsibilities."
Congress needs to act to impeach this President before he blows up other countries in an unnecessary war.
7
The fat man is terrified that his many egregious financial crimes will be exposed. That’s all he cares about, and he will stop at nothing, including trashing the Constitution, to prevent his criminal organization from being revealed to the world.
7
Attention Trump fans. It's obvious that you did not read even the redacted report. You just keep repeating whatever Trump wants you to repeat, and you end up sounding as foolish as Trump sounds.
Since you're not willing to even read up to page 2 while screaming routinely, "no collusion" like Trump in the way Trump wants all of his suckers I mean fans to, here is a sampling of some of the ACTUAL statements in the Report:
“The evidence we obtained about the president’s actions and intent presents difficult issues that would need to be resolved if we were making a traditional prosecutorial judgment. At the same time, if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state."
"Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgment. Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”
Mueller has recommended 14 other investigations, according to the Mueller Report.
Potential Wire Fraud
Federal Employment Law Violations
are two that were not redacted.
The other 12 were redacted.
So to Trump's fans. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CARE. What we the people don't care about is that you don't care, and obviously, you don't care.
7
To the Trump fans who obviously have not even read the 1st 2 pgs of the Mueller Report: This is from pg 176:
"Congress has Article I authority to define generally applicable criminal law and apply it to all persons-including the President. Congress clearly has authority to protect its own legislative functions against corrupt efforts designed to impede legitimate fact-gathering and lawmaking efforts. See Watkins v. United States, 354 U.S. 178, 187, 206-207 (1957); Chapman v. United States, 5 App. D.C. 122, 130 ( 1895). Congress also has authority to establish a system of federal courts, which includes the power to protect the judiciary against obstructive acts. See U.S. CONST. ART. I, § 8, els. 9, 18 . . . The long lineage of the obstruction-of-justice statutes, which can be traced to at least 183 I , attests to the necessity for that protection. See An Act Declaratory of the Law Concerning Contempts of Court, 4 Stat. 487-488 § 2 (1831) (making it a crime if"any person or persons shall corruptly ... endeavor to influence, intimidate, or impede any juror, witness, or officer, in any court of the United States, in the discharge of his duty, or shall, corruptly ... obstruct, or impede, or endeavor to obstruct or impede, the due administration of justice therein")...."
===
Not my fault you don't "get" it.
6
"This is from pg 176 [of the Mueller report]: ..."*
MR(176): "Congress has Article I authority to define generally applicable criminal law and apply it to all persons including the President."
Evidently Mueller missed this part of "Watkins":
"Nor is the Congress a law enforcement or trial agency. These are functions of the executive and judicial departments of government."**
The wording is odd, but "trial agency" seems to mean "court of law", and "department" seems to mean "branch".
So Congress does NOT have "authority" to "apply" "criminal law". That is the function of the executive and judicial branches.
* The Mueller report is online at the Times's web site:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/18/us/politics/mueller-report-document.html
** Watkins v. United States, 354 U.S. 178 (1957)
Follow the link in the OpEd: "The Supreme Court has long _recognized_ as much."
What Trump and Barr don't want Trump "loyalists" to know.
They don't want them to know that Mueller actually pointed out the following, which is contained in the Mueller report:
"...Congress has Article I authority to define generally applicable criminal law and apply it to all persons-including the President. Congress clearly has authority to protect its own legislative functions against corrupt efforts designed to impede legitimate fact-gathering and lawmaking efforts. See Watkins v. United States, 354 U.S. 178, 187, 206-207 (1957); Chapman v. United States, 5 App. D.C. 122, 130 ( 1895)...."
Page 176 of the Mueller Report.
Here is what's at pages 176 and 177:
"The Article TII courts have an equally strong interest in being protected against obstructive acts, whatever their source. As the Supreme Court explained in United States v. Nixon, a "primary constitutional duty of the Judicial Branch" is "to do justice in criminal prosecutions." 418 U.S. at 707; accord Cheney v. United States District Court for the District of Columbia, 542 U.S. 367, 384 (2004). In Nixon, the Court rejected the President's claim of absolute executive privilege because "the allowance of the privilege to withhold evidence that is demonstrably relevant in a criminal trial would cut deeply into the guarantee of due process of law and gravely impair the basic function of the courts." 407 U.S. at 712."
Hey, Trump fans, why do you think Mueller wrote that?
Take a guess.
1
This is like Watergate without Deep Throat. And what unites the base is the same thing that unites white nationalists around the globe, Trump is promising to protect them from the horde. Trump is normalizing prejudice.
4
Congress should try a different tack. It should subpoena financial records of the Trump Organization, the Trump Foundation, and Kushner's businesses to look for evidence of a corrupt organization that has engaged in tax fraud and money laundering. The President will say there is no legitimate legislative purpose and that it's retaliatory, but it's Congress's job to pass laws and to check on the effectiveness of those laws.
7
"... to look for evidence of a corrupt organization that has engaged in tax fraud and money laundering."
That's the job of a law enforcement agency such as the FBI. Goodman cites "Watkins", which makes that point explicitly:
"Nor is the Congress a law enforcement or trial agency. These are functions of the executive and judicial departments of government."*
The wording is very strange, but "trial agency" seems to mean "court of law", and "department" seems to mean "branch".
* Watkins v. United States, 354 U.S. 178 (1957)
Follow the link in the OpEd: "The Supreme Court has long _recognized_ as much."
But we’re a long way off from that battle. In the meantime, the White House is robbing Congress of information vital to protecting our democracy and national security through the exercise of legislative powers.
Because Trump and the GOP expect Russia's help in 2020.
7
I see below a number of comments below that seem to indicate there are still people who believe that this entire investigation was bogus from the beginning; that there is in fact a "soft coup", or Obama and Hillary Clinton somehow conspired to make trump loose...and so on.
For clarity on the matter of possible coordination (collusion) between members of the Trump campaign and the Russians, I urge everyone to (at the very least) read the eight page "Executive Summary to Volume One" at the beginning of the Mueller report.
This section of the report clearly lays bare the facts of the matter so that such crazy conspiracy can be laid to rest.
And those who think Mr. Mueller is some sort of sly operator should do the research and find out the truth. The man is a decorated Vietnam War vet, and volunteered for active combat duty in one of the most deadly theaters of that war. Since then, a life of public service including a number of high level appointments during which he consistently received large margins of bipartisan support in the legislatures during the vetting process.
The man is a straight shooter and patriot....and a lifelong Republican.
If we can't agree on the basic facts of this matter, how are we supposed to have a serious conversation about the grave concerns this president's behavior brings to light?
13
Donald Trump's contempt for the law is that of a fascist autocrat for democracy and justice. His claim before the NRA, that he is the victim of a coup perpetrated by the Justice Dept. must be seen for what it is. And so must Barr’s and Rosenstein's complicity in Trump's claim, which is exhibited by their silence after Trump named the Justice Department employees as traitorous criminals.
There will be a constitutional crisis that will determine whether America continues as a democratic republic where no person is above the law and we can only hope that America will do what it has always done and reject having a king.
15
If trump wants to win 2020, he and all his minions know that they will again need Russia's help. That's why all the stonewalling.
Congress needs to follow the redactions, stat.
12
Watching the resistance wish upon an impeachment is like playing peek-a-boo with a toddler. No matter how many times you hide behind the pillow, the toddler is surprised to find you when the pillow is removed. Trump is president because politicians have failed and the people want him. He isn't going anywhere no matter how pretty and serious your new pillow looks.
4
@Tim
Speaking of toddler, I'm assuming you have never looked at Trump's Twitter remarks.
Also, that you never looked at the Mueller report - not even up to page 2.
6
I never voted for Justin Amash and have been angered that our district is so gerrymandered that a Republican could never again lose.
But today I'm so proud of him I promise to vote his way in every election henceforth; not because I agree with all his positions but b/c he is the only member of the GOP with enough courage to admit the truth == Trump is a criminal and the evidence Mueller uncovered proves it.
Amash has absolutely no support from his colleagues but even one candle in a dark room pushes back the darkness.
19
Dems need to walk (fulfill their constitution obligation of oversight, even if that means arresting people and putting them in jail, impeachment, etc) and chew tofu (address climate change, income inequality, wealth inequality, healthcare, out of control higher education costs, etc) at the same time.
5
Re: "You may have a hard time believing a key argument the Trump administration is using to rebuff efforts by Congress to obtain information legislators need to do their job..."
I am NOT surprised by President Trump's oft, voiced criminal fantasies!
3
Why is Mueller not agreeing to appear for a hearing about his report? Wasn't it our great hope that he would clarify his reluctance to declare Trump's obstructions and lies idictment worthy? What happened, and why is nobody talking about that anymore?
14
@Herr Fischer
He's expected to testify, so I'm assuming the answer to your question is: The reason nobody who has read the newspapers you're commenting on is that they have read the newspapers you are commenting on.
@Herr Fischer
Trump is intent on blocking all congressional inquiries into his corrupt behavior, including having Mueller testify.
However, Mueller is expected to testify in the month of June.
If any Trump fans have a problem with that, let them take it up with the Kremlin.
2
A specific legislative purpose? A friend argued at me during the 2003 run-up to the vote on Iraq; "Congress's Job is to do what the President Tells Them!" I could not convince her that under the Constitution, it was exactly the opposite way around. President Trump seems to agree with her point of view.
3
In listening to a news report about the current tariff issues and relief to farmers, it finally sunk in that the House of Representatives is now irrelevant. Tariffs come and go at the administration's pleasure, as do payments to farmers or others affected. Money flows to the border whatever Congress says. Keep the Senate so it can rubber stamp appointments, but send the House home!
3
I disagree with Mr. Goodman's final statement: "In the meantime, the White House is robbing Congress of information vital to protecting our democracy and national security through the exercise of legislative powers."
As far as the House goes this is true; the Senate's Majority Republicans never wanted the information to do its job. There main goal was to protect the President at all costs. Why? Because he led them to a Tax cut for the few they represent and conservative judges and justices who will slant the judicial system for decades to come.
In just over two years Trump has undone the good it took decades of effort to promote the general welfare.
12
We know (because we are sentient creatures) that the President has longstanding financial ties to Russia, and that he lied about them throughout the campaign. That alone has compromised him, and merits investigation.
The position of the US Attorney General, that obstruction requires some "underlying crime," preposterously puts the cart before the horse. The purpose of a law enforcement investigation is to determine whether crimes may have been committed. If someone interferes to obstruct that investigation, that is itself a crime, independent of the eventual results of the initial investigation, because it thwarts efforts to determine the facts.
Mueller's report lays out multiple instances of apparent "collusion" (conspiracy) and obstruction. Congress needs that information to flesh out its own investigations, to decide whether impeachment and trial (or referrals for criminal prosecution) are warranted. At this stage, we don't even know how much Mueller was allowed to look into the Trump Organization's financial entanglements with Russia, but to withhold his full report from Congress is yet another example of the obstruction this administration has routinely practiced all along.
8
I have a simple suggestion for legislative action. Congress could draft legislation that clarifies that taxes are part of the Presidential Records act, and that they should be searchable by the public.
6
Protecting our national security from foreign powers who subvert our elections is not the goal of this administration nor of the Republican Party. Their goal is winning the next election by whatever means necessary.
9
As you so wisely state, the truth does clear stuff up. In fact, they say the truth sets us free. Therefore, congress needs the entire report without redactions. And we all need the tax returns. You are so correct, the truth is cleansing and it is what we should all be after.
11
It is frustrating that so many voters believe the bunk that republicans sell concerning their reverence for the same Constitution that they completely ignore every time they are in the executive branch, and even worse under trump, wanton violations of even our understandings of institutional roles. Only republicans would argue that congress can not perform its Constitutional duties unless it can prove it is indeed congressional intent and purpose it is attempting to perform.
One of these days, America's conservatives, will again attempt to destroy this republic, as they did the last time, on the basis that it no longer serves its purpose generally, but in fact, it will be because it does not serve theirs particularly and solely. Perhaps they already have destroyed it, or at least its potential, just a little at a time, over the past forty years or so, as the conservative revolution was indeed that, and we have become revolting because of it. When democrats again control both the congress and the executive, watch closely, as the republican minority claims the whole government is illegitimate, and incites their crowd to the point of insurrection, so brazen has their rhetoric been growing, even as they held power themselves.
The temerity of republicans and the timidity of democrats, one always sure and oft in err and the other forever steeped in the doubt of pragmatism and the chimera of compromise and consensus... the more's the pity.
8
We can wax eloquent about the absolute necessity for Congress to get the entire Mueller Report. Although Congress is not legally bound to give reasons for getting the entire report. The fact, the demand for the entire report needs no justification. The fact that Congress is trying to justify shows the great power of Trump's administration of thugs.
6
To agree with another comment-Trump is a shallow, uninformed, profoundly amoral narcissist. We know this. He does not understand the Constitution, and does not care about it. What I am surprised at is the number of Republicans in Congress who are so self serving. It's funny I always thought they were elected to serve the people, not for a cushy life long career. I have twin twenty one year olds. What a shame that their first election and introduction to government is this.
8
Trump as president cannot be indicted or investigated according to his toady AG Barr (Roy Cohn) as he now owns the justice dept ,the presidency and the senate and FOX News state TV. Only the democrats and the free press and rein in this wanna be dictator. Trump fawns over the world's dictators indicating he would like to rule the USA as a dictator and not like our democratic allies around the world. Trump is busy attacking China, Iran ,Venezuela the democrats ,the free press and our allies winning the blessing of Putin and Kim. Barr will try to squash any investigation of Trump/Kushner families but brave investigative reporters will uncover all the bread crumbs the House needs to use in an impeachment hearing.
5
If Trump and his minions didn't do anything wrong why are they so afraid of having the voters know what is in the Mueller report. Sounds fishy to me. My belief is that the republican party is a criminal conspiracy and should be treated as such. Trump is trying to turn the USA into a fascist state and himself into a Hitler like dictator, he needs to go.
9
The shallow media sure botched this one, believing AG Barr's letter because Rod Rosenstein stood behind it. I've read the Mueller Report and it is damning. But you wouldn't know it because reporters haven't got the patience to study it and editors won't say what it says.
4
@Paco: Maybe some of the media believed Barr's letter: shallow indeed. But plenty have read the report as released and understand it (which is plenty) and are eager to get access to more.
2
Please put this to bed. Trump did nothing wrong. Plug the Russia holes.
5
Old news.
4
@Mike DeMaio.
"Old like Article I of the Constitution? From the Mueller Report:
"Congress has Article I authority to define generally applicable criminal law and apply it to all persons-including the President. Congress clearly has authority to protect its own legislative functions against corrupt efforts designed to impede legitimate fact-gathering and lawmaking efforts. See Watkins v. United States, 354 U.S. 178, 187, 206-207 (1957); Chapman v. United States, 5 App. D.C. 122, 130 ( 1895). Congress also has authority to establish a system of federal courts, which includes the power to protect the judiciary against obstructive acts. See U.S. CONST. ART. I, § 8, els. 9, 18 ("The Congress shall have Power ... To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court" and "To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing powers"). The long lineage of the obstruction-of-justice statutes, which can be traced to at least 183 I , attests to the necessity for that protection. See An Act Declaratory of the Law Concerning Contempts of Court, 4 Stat. 487-488 § 2 (1831) (making it a crime if"any person or persons shall corruptly ... endeavor to influence, intimidate, or impede any juror, witness, or officer, in any court of the United States, in the discharge of his duty, or shall, corruptly ... obstruct, or impede, or endeavor to obstruct or impede, the due administration of justice therein")...."
1
Do we want to know what the Russians did or not? If so, run down how they used HRC and Steele. If there is no interest in that, admit this is all about politics, the obsession over Trump winning, and move on.
4
@TD: Here we have the old tried and true propaganda move: accuse the opponent of exactly what you are guilty of. Introduce the suggestion that maybe HRC was in cahoots to be attacked, and that will be plenty for the devotees, and will add to the appearance of confusion, for those who don't want to think about any of it at all.
5
"“The Democratic Party has lost its voice to speak to people that shower after work and not before work,” he said."
Not non-white ones.
6
@KNVB:Raiders: I don't know where that line comes from, but: of course, the Democrats are still the ones talking about organized labor, safety regulations, unemployment insurance, social security and so on. All the liberal accomplishments of the last century, all threatened by the mainstream Republican agenda. The Democrats have a lot to say to the working class, but a lot of people have been seduced by demagogic lies...
6
Bigfoot, collusion, and the Tooth Fairy, all need to be reinvestigated again and again. To my liberal friends,, give it up, it's over ....which part of NO in no collusion don't you understand?
8
@Bummero: as Mueller points out, "collusion" isn't a term referred to in law. The report details a lot of information about how Russia broke existing laws in secretly supporting Trump's campaign, as well as generally sowing divisiveness and resentment here and there, as well as hacking into some election systems. Some of us are interested in the vulnerability of our systems to this kind of interference. There is more going on in the world than Trump, although he and some of his devotees might not understand that.
5
Ridiculous as opposed to what? The Democrats still refusing to accept reality that after 2 years of investigations, hundreds of subpoenas, millions spent Mueller had to conclude -- the same as America's top investigative journalist who also said he tried very hard -- found no evidence of collusion with Russia and especially no treason? And the Democrat's political porno paid for the by the DNC and the Clinton Campaign called the Steele "Dossier" that was so bogus it even claimed Russia was coordinating its collusion conspiracy with Trump via its consulate in Miami -- the trouble being Russia has no embassy or consulate in Miami. But still the Dems just can't let go -- like a compulsive gambler in deep need of Gamblers Anonymous who desperately needs someone to pull them away from the slot machine before they dig an even deeper hole.
8
This is the type of unmitigated, feckless thought that populates the pages of the NYT. So, there is no purpose to classify any information. Smear everyone even those with the most tenuous, tangential connection to any partisan campaign. After all we can trust in the confidence of the House and Senate. I am embarrased to admit that I have a degree from NYU if it can harbor such a nonsensical professor.
9
The silliness of the position taken by the Trump administration on whether or not Congress can enforce a subpoena for the full report of special counsel Robert Mueller or a subpoena for Mr. Trump’s financial records is obvious to any lawyer who bothers to read the Constitution and who takes a cursory look at the case law on the subject.
Not only should Congressional leaders and the attorneys representing their committees be aggressive about this, they should seek a declaration by the courts that the Trump lawsuits are frivolous.
There also should be a complaint made to the disciplinary counsel for the states which licensed the Trump lawyers.
9
We need a reincarnation of Daniel Ellsberg, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.
6
@Lee Downie: Yes, there's that, but we also need a kind of openness that would make their undercover work less necessary.
3
The only way to get Putin is to get his Trump out.
6
Congress has the power: hold in contempt and lock up and fine if necessary. The lapdog Barr deserves to be jailed for betraying the rule of law, the Justice Department and his duties. Mnuchin is a snakelike figure -- he might actually thrive in prison. Congress is granting them far too much respect -- respect they neither deserve or show the constitution.
10
After working halfway through Volume II of the redacted report, I am struck by a number of things, not least of which, what a different experience reading a sustained, sequential narrative is over the course of a few weeks, as opposed to seeing and hearing some drips and drabs of it leak out over the course of several years. The latter, I fear, has led to the shoulder-shrugging acceptance and normalization of countless horrendous behaviors that have, as they say, become “baked in”. On the other hand, anyone who actually reads even the redacted report in one or several sittings can only come to the same conclusion that those who didn’t vote for Trump in the first place did: the man is unfit and unqualified for office, is lawless and reckless, and holds Vladimir Putin’s, Russia’s and his one-and-the-same own interests over and above those of his ostensible own country and people. One can only imagine what degradations and disgraces await in the redacted portions and underlying evidence!
294
@Steve Griffith This should be a Times Pick.
22
@Sarah D.
Your wish is the Times command......and yes its a richly deserved, its a great post.
5
In the past several weeks, writers have referred to some GOP members of Congress as Vichy Republicans. It is only now that I get the point. After Hitler's armies occupied the north of France, rightwing French politicians cut a deal with him. In exchange for non-belligerence, these folks got nominal control of southeastern France. While they sipped their Bordeaux, they shipped tens of thousands of their Jewish fellow citizens to the Nazi gas chambers.
The so-called Freedom Caucus are the Vichy here. They are happy to collaborate with Trump as he attempts to tear down our hard-won democracy. The rest of the GOP cower in their boots afraid to challenge Trump and provoke ultra-rightwing opponents in the GOP primaries. We must defeat these selfish pols in 2020.
10
We can safely assume, if all of this criminality was being conducted by a Democratic president with the same background as a business fraud, charity fraud, serial bankruptcy con artist, a bragging sexual predator, chronic narcissist and liar, the Republicans in both chambers of Congress would be in full pitchforks-and-torches mode, collectively calling for impeachment to begin.
Instead, we have an entire Republican Party endorsing just such a president. The former party of Lincoln, the party that searched under ever bed and rock for communists in our midst, has decided that Trump campaign officials were perfectly within their rights to conduct secret meetings with Russian operatives closely tied to the Kremlin, and Putin himself.
This is the party that has only itself to blame after more than 30 years of expanding right-wing power of the courts through appointments demanded by The Federalistr Society; of eliminating input from the loyal opposition in the legislative process through secret meetings with ultra-conservative lobbyists such as ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council).
Now, the Republicans have so soiled themselves, they can't find it within themselves to confront a president run amok. They have sold their integrity, and souls — McConnell, Graham in the Senate, with Jordan, Goetz, Meadows, and Gohmert in the House — to carry Trump's water.
Are they really this stupid or do they fear Trump's tweets more than nuclear holocaust itself?
11
Only one Republican Congressional Representative has the blinders off, having admitted that he is rational enough to see that there is a case against Trump for impeachment.
In fact, there are several cases against Trump for impeachment.
But what is really very disappointing about this circus act of the GOP sycophants for Trump is how they have pounced on Representative Amash like a pack of wild rabid animals, while Trump gets on Twitter to declare the Congressional Representative a "loser" and claiming he was "never a fan.. he's a total lightweight ... biased Mueller Report composed by 18 Angry Dems . .. crimes were committed on the other side . . . Why are the Democrats not looking into any of the crimes committed by Crookied Hillary . . . the Mainstream Media has never been as corrupt and deranged as it is today . . . Russia Hoax... I don't need banks...DeutscheBank was very good and highly professional to deal with....""
Talk about deranged and corrupt. Trump is a corrupt, imbecilic, incompetent raving lunatic and if there hadn't been so much obstruction of justice, if the meetings he held with Russians in the oval offfice and Helsinki weren't concealed in secrecy, the jerk would be in jail for treason, right now.
8
Look, of course we need robust protection against foreign subversion -- or indeed any subversion -- of our elections. But to give aid and comfort to the scoundrels who unrelentingly peddle the fairy tale that a handful of Russian trolls swung the election is outrageous.
Where is the evidence that one vote was changed? What did the Russians do to us that we weren't already doing to ourselves -- and much more effectively? Who were these inglorious Miltons? Let's seek them out and give them the Nobel prize for fiction if Goodman is right.
And enough already with the lawyer's lie that Congress is subpoenaing everything Trump in sight in order to perform its legislative duties. Goodman knows perfectly well that the subpoenas are flying because the Democrats have never forgiven Trump for winning the 2016 election. They are obsessed with digging up dirt to try to impeach Trump in order to overturn the last Presidential election or (now) to defeat him in the next election. Goodman, look us in the eye and tell us that I am mistaken.
If there are high fives all around in the Kremlin these days, it is not because Russian trolls won the last Presidential election. It is because the Russian trolls provoked the Democrats in a demented quest to burn down America in order to get Trump.
Nothing is as harmful to our democracy as the Democrats' abuse of the powers of Congress to try to settle personal scores.
4
“Goodman knows perfectly well that the subpoenas are flying because the Democrats have never forgiven Trump for winning the 2016 election.” No, the Democrats “have never forgiven” and will never forgive not Trump for the electoral victory but those who voted for him. The “subpoenas are flying” in an effort not simply to discredit Trump but to try to demonstrate to those who voted for Trump that they made an unforgivable mistake and should never do the like again. All of this is not just an effort to deligitimze Trump, it is an effort to deligitimize the opinions and aspirations of a significant number of American citizens.@Ian Maitland
4
@jack
Have to agree. Sadly, as this is not a constructive path forward. But it's true. My sister has still not forgiven me for daring to vote for 'the other woman', a perfectly safe Green vote in a reliably Red state.
Beware the Independents, Dems !
Don't just assume their votes belong to you, that was a Big Mistake in 2016 and has the potential to be a game changer in 2020 too.
Unfortunately, Democrats are not exercising any muscle to prevent this administration’s stonewalling, delays and deceits. Instead of declaring Barr in contempt of Congress they dither; instead of fining and encarcerating those refusing to respond to subpoenas, they postpone action and send polite letters urging cooperacion. Instead of starting impeachnent hearings they pussyfoot around wringing their hands (all 22 of them, or has the number increased? ) for fear of how it will reflect on their quest for the presidency. Enough already! The gloves must come off. Obama was weak and indecisive in dealing with the Uber partisan and obstructionist GOP and his patience and kindness gave Trump two conservative seats in the Supreme Court essential to continue the destruction of past gains (e.g. the ACÁ, Rowe vs. Wade, and more). I’m
disgusted with Trump and his Corrupt a pluges but getting almost as disgusted with de Democrats.
4
It is vital that Trump suppresses the Mueller report as much as he can...it shows just how corrupt and crooked Trump is.
4
Since when has President Trump or any of his supporters cared whether an argument made on his behalf had any legal basis? or, for that matter, any factual basis?
8
Trump and Republicans may very well be relying on Russia to win the forthcoming US elections. Do we think Russia went away, simply because Mueller reported on their actions? Likely, the Russians have only gotten savvier. See what is happening in Austria and Hungary -- why do we think that Trump and Republicans would stop short of obfuscating the very tactics that Russia will only employ more effectively in the next election? This accusation needs to be articulated by Congressional Democrats as the potential reason for Trump's withholding of the redactions. When will Democrats accuse the Trump administration and his Republican enablers of doing exactly what their actions indicate to be true?
5
In the meantime, Trump and his devotees focus on a theory that the Steele memoranda were fiction; that a work of fiction was therefore used to initiate an investigation into the Russian connection to the Trump campaign and justify surveillance; and that the Mueller Report, the product of the Mueller team, is therefore false.
It appears now, in light of Mueller's indictments, other legal filings, and Report--and ensuing events-- that Steele's writing are far better confirmed now than they were previously. But in an environment in which most of the GOP will not even read a summary of the Mueller work, let alone the whole report, Parts I and II, it is futile to argue every single point in terms of confirmation, or not, or levels of confidence in those judgments, but consider this alone:
During the same time frame when Donald Trump was denying ANY Russian business dealings, Michael Steele was describing accurately negotiations regarding a possible Trump Tower in Moscow.
If Michael Steele is a fabulist, he is one blessed with ESP.
5
The Trump Administration and the House Judiciary Committee are at odds about the value of the unredacted Mueller report. Clearly, any possible legislation may provide a legitimate constitutional inquiry once the findings in the unredacted report are supported by evidence. As long as the Justice Department withholds the evidence, the report remains problematic.
The parties are engaged in cat and mouse tactics that offer some respite to the President.
2
Maybe I'm crazy, but I still believe in our Constitution. We are going through the ultimate test our country will ever face. My heart breaks at the cynics who don't think we can get out of this: we must. Don't lose heart. Support our rule of law - it's the only bargain we have with each other. Trust that we can get this back if we move forward together. Moving on past criminal behavior is not worthy of us. Move forward, not "on".
5
"... I still believe in our Constitution."
That's nice, but have you actually read the US Constitution? The full text is online:
The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
(NB: The Amendments are on separate web pages.)
There are numerous books on the US Constitution. Penguin has nice printed edition with annotations by Richard Beeman.
"Showing a specific legislative purpose is not required."
Goodman should explain how ACTUAL legislation is worded. Bills commonly include a statement of purpose, that, while it may have no legal force, serves a POLITICAL purpose -- namely explaining WHY the legislation is needed.
See the "National Security Act of 1947" for a specific example. (Follow the link in the Wikipedia article to public law 80-253, or do a web search.)
I am really amused by the "legitimate legislative purpose" argument made by Trump's attorney. What law school did he go to?
Congress' demand for information from the executive has two broad constitutional purposes: 1) guide future legislation, 2) oversee and ensure that the executive is not abusing power through arbitrary or authoritarian actions. This is Constitional Law 101!
6
"This is Constitional Law 101!"
If you are going to invoke "Constitional Law", you should cite some actual US Supreme Court cases and explain their relevance. Condescension is not a legal argument.
@LCA - I presume you are aware that Congressional oversight of the executive branch has a long history. It is an implicit power Congress derives from the Constitution's enumerated powers. The best way to understand it (including case laws) is by reading about it. Please read: Congressional Oversight by Elaine Halchin (10/17/12), published by the Congressional Research Service. Access through Google search.
P: "It [Congressional oversight] is an implicit power Congress derives from the Constitution's enumerated powers."
Which "enumerated powers"? Please cite and quote the US Constitution. The text is online at archives.gov.
P: "Congressional Oversight by Elaine Halchin (10/17/12), published by the Congressional Research Service."
That report never uses the word "implicit". And, AFAICT, it doesn't even cite the US Constitution.
When theres nothing to hide someone doesnt go to such lengths to stop investigations. The full Muller report should be released to congress to the people with proper security clearence. trump never worried about security clearence when he gave security clearence to his daughter & son in law even though they were denied numerous times. trump is SUPPOSE to answer to the people of america, if hes covering up anything he doesnt deserve the job as presdient. AMERICA FIRST is the only way to keep your freedom.
2
@Joe,
Great point on security clearances with his family and others.Transparancy and people testifying,plus the main stream press reporting are abhorant to this would be Tyrant.
Thank You,
J Fitz
1
"...oversight and investigations are a fundamental part of Congress’s Article I responsibilities. The Supreme Court has long recognized as much. Showing a specific legislative purpose is not required. That’s what Judge Mehta told Mr. Trump’s lawyers."
This suggests Judge Mehta would have been on firm legal and constitutional ground to issue a summary judgment, or is it a summary dismissal?? and find in favor of the House of Representatives and order immediate subpoena compliance and order stiff penalties for contempt of congress.
But the judge didn't do this.
I presume / hope he is taking his time to write a thoughtful and well reasoned judgement; one that can withstand a Supreme Court review, a finding which has already been made many times before.
However, I wonder, will our current Supreme Court follow judicial precedent or expand the power of the presidency to avoid Congressional oversight?
We know what President Trump is shooting for.
3
Using "Legally Ridiculous" in the title is inaccurate and not up to the standards that the NYT should adhere to. The author can disagree with the few redactions that exist but there is precedent for redactions and typically a report like this is not released at all unless charges are filed. This is a fishing expedition.
1
At this point, I am waiting for the day when I will no longer need to subscribe to the NYT, because our so called "president" deems freedom of the press a thing of the past.
2
No kidding. So....who is going to do something about it?
1
Either the Democrats will fight to preserve what little check and balance the self-neutered Congress still has against a regnant executive branch, or we'll just drift further into authoritarianism. That's it.
There is no choice. If the worry is, if we push, then we'll encourage the loonies to go more far-right, that's a mistake that anyone who ever dealt with a bully on a schoolyard should instantly recognize.
Ninety percent of Republicans love Trump. That will literally never change. They simply need to be defeated, and by someone who will change their lives for the better, which will peel off some, but not all, of the support for Trumpism, which will persist till we drain the swamp. Yes, even if Trump chokes on a Big Mac today, or is defeated (and leaves) in 2020, and so on.
Otherwise, you'll buy yourself a neofascist interregnum at most. AGW's effects are obviously and notoriously fascism-o-genic; it will only get worse and worse. Do nothing to make real strides on the real issues that face people, and you can bet the farm people will go further and further to the right.
I mean, Vote Biden! The NYT told me Sanders hates America, loves commies, and is oh, so angry! So, that's all I need to know: I'm already softened up for Neo-McCarthyism after three years of nonstop Russophobic insanity, and, being Super Smart like Mayor Pete, I, a be-Ivy-ed latte sipper, cannot ever be fooled.
Uncle Joe will take on big oil to stop AGW. His whole record proves it.
Obstruction, a new right, descended from might. Cry the beloved country.
3
This Trump actiin is really another to add to the list of Trump actions that undermine American democracy. The first on the list was dehumanizing Mexicans when hec nnounced his cand8dacy for president.
1
What Democracy?
1
It is high time to begin placing the obstructors under arrest, beginning with Barr who has blatantly lied to Congress.
Congress, if not your duty, then at least DO YOUR JOBS!
6
He needs to be impeached, now.
4
Austria's newly minted DJT-clone was caught on tape getting cozy with Russia, undermining Austria's interests...is this a pattern? Of course it is...if it walks like a duck...
3
Anyone can make any stupid assertion they want, including the president. It's really only becomes dangerous if the courts agree with him. Then we have a big problem!
2
Start the IMPEACHMENT proceedings while you still can!
3
Trump himself is ridiculous and dangerous, and should have already been removed from office. It's insane hearing from Trump supporters who are negatively affected by his malicious policies and who are completely blind to his criminality, and yet, they say they still support him because "he tells it like it is."
If you combined all the lies of all the previous 44 Presidents, they still wouldn't equal the number of lies and criminal transgressions Trump has been a party to. No one in the history of our country has ever told it less "like it is" than Trump. How do we make these people see that not only does the Emperor have no clothes, he is a malignant disease?
7
Republicans can't be expected to serve the interests of national security; they are too busy examining women for possible baby-having crimes like sex without procreation. Russia does not concern them anywhere NEAR the danger they perceive from gynecologists.
4
why is meuller only"invited" to speak?
where is his subpoena?
4
"the White House is robbing Congress of information vital to protecting our democracy and national security through the exercise of legislative powers."
Will someone please explain to me why tihis is not treason?
7
Trump's USA: Insolent, Mean, Nasty, Vindictive, Angry, Vile, Inhumane, political PROPAGANDA mongering disaster zone.
1
A plethora of lies....is this the only way a Republican can hold office these days.
3
Doing their constitutionally mandated jobs now makes the job easier to do down the road. What will then be the ilne in the sand? A "president for life" amnedment introduced by Mitch McConnell?
Hose Democrats:
The mantra:
"We're doing our consittuionally mandated jobs-tell them to do theirs" should be like a broken record.
Otherwise don't expect full throated support for a half baked "loyal minorty" party. ain't gonna happen
Barr: "Did you bring handcuffs?" (ha ha)
Pelosi: "Yes I did. Please put your hands out in front."
1
Here's something else that's hilarious - Republicans claiming the economy is good under Trump.
Except that it isn't, really, unless you're a billionaire.
Republicans acted in bad faith when it came to getting healthcare reform passed - after adding over 150 amendments to it and getting rid of the public option not one of them voted in favor of it, more recently, they purposely destabilized the healthcare market, gutting the high risk corridor funds that enabled insurance companies to compete with lower premiums.
Republicans are endorsing Trump's tariffs which is actually what should be called a TRUMP TAX on working people, including the farmers who will be ruined. Farmers in America, that is. (Farmers in Russia are doing great now that China is buying from them instead of us.)
Is that export market even recoverable at this point?
And Republicans sure were worked up about the deficit when former President Obama was in office; but now that the former "Dean" of Trump "University" - also known as Individual No. 1 for OBVIOUS reasons - is in the oval office, the deficit the deficit increasing in leaps and bounds under Trump does not matter one whit!
They sure were worked up about the deficit when former President Obama was in office; but now that the former "Dean" of Trump "University" - also known as Individual No. 1 for OBVIOUS reasons - is in the oval office, the deficit does not concern them at 1ll!
Trump's wholly owned property - i.e., this GOP is RIDICULOUS.
4
Since the installation of a political hack, Barr, as the head of the Justice Department, the justice department has clearly not been at all just. The complete perversion of an entire wing of government, that is supposed to be inherently law based but is now breaking the law, is upon us. That is unnerving.
A full read of the Mueller Report, even redacted, causes a hair-on-fire reaction. Our elections were attacked, with cooperation from our side. Evidence of that cooperation was willfully hidden and destroyed, by "our side". That's in the report. With Flynn's parts un-redacted, it is even worse. We now know #1 was directly involved.
No wonder they are fighting tooth and nail to hide the same report they claimed "exonerates" them. With each drip of new information we get closer to revealing how massive a cover up Barr is attempting to pull off. Likely there are one or more members of Congress involved.
I hope the house of cards eventually falls, on top of those inside, and when it does, those cards turn into bricks.
4
Why does anyone care what trumps top-notch legal team says? The courts should reject their crazy attempts to subvert law and order and throw their junk out of court.
This is MORE clear evidence of OBSTRUCTION. That is all it is. It is exactly what it appears to be. The president is seeking to hide information and even go against the laws of our nation and our constitution to protect himself.
TIme to Impeach and Impeach with Impunity.
5
Sadly ridiculous seems to be a prominent theme within the Trump White House.
1
Trump's position is so laughable that no person with any ethics, morals or respect for the Constitution or the rule of law. Yet the Republicans in Congress are eating it up and the Democrats are flummoxed about what to do. Trump's behavior seems to be a lot more like what Putin does in Russia than a United States President.
By not starting impeachment proceedings the House Democrats will probably not get any requested documents or be able to speak to critical witnesses for years.
The Republicans in Congress are scared silly by Trump and McConnell who are acting like Mob bosses. Graham and Barr are acting like Mob hitmen who could care less both the country they took an oath to defend.
4
Trump is violating our Constitution by claiming executive privilege across the board without cause. Clearly he has much to hide and the hypocritical Republican cowards in Congress join in Trump's contempt for the balance of powers that is the foundation of our government. The Democrats are obliged to pull out all the stops on behalf of the American people. Force is the only response Trump is capable of understanding.
Beyond Trump's blatant abuse of the rule of law, we must continue to ask what has happened to the Republican Party. Yes, they were always right of center and conservative but how could this party put in office a lying fraud and known con artist like Trump? How could they have so little respect for the United States. Trump is the ignorant, bigoted egomaniac and financial fraud he has always been - but what has brought the Republican Party to such a state that they allow an incompetent, hateful tax evader to represent them ?
The challenge we face daily is fundamentally about saving our democracy from a wannabe dictator. In these truly perilous times there is no legitimate defense of Trump and the anti-American behavior of a Republican Party. that has truly lost its way. In the end it is up to the people of America to stand up for their country and throw every traitorous Republican out of office!
5
Whether Mueller shall turn out to be the hero of his own life, or whether that station be held by William Barr these hearings must tell.
(Apologies C.D.)
1
The White House is just following the Holder Doctrine, established during the Fast and Furious affair.
And just as happened with Holder, this one will go the courts and be resolved in 5-6 years.
2
Madam Speaker trump needs to be impeached. We must keep the constant pressure on the trump administration since it is a pyramid of lies, betrayals and lawlessness and it will collapse.
6
After two years of Mueller, you really want to keep this up?
3
The singular lack of curiosity of how the investigation began is puzzling. The actual method that Mueller started the investigation. The absolute obsession that Russia could be used to overthrow Trump. The neo McCarthyism it began. The fact that there now a counter investigation of the highly suspect origin and motivations of the players. Basically the removal of Trump is a political act not one of an investigation, as in the Nixon case, of bipartisan agreement that the president was guilty of crimes. The actual case against Trump is that he is a rip off and beneficiary of being to big to fail due to bank malfeasance and paying hush money to porno people he had sex with. But this truly dangerous belligerence towards a nuclear power capable of destroying the US all in an effort to get a guy who won the electoral college legitimately is absurd.
2
"a specific legislative purpose is not required" -- yet the Supreme Court says any Congressional inquiry "must be related to, and in furtherance of, a legitimate task of Congress", in the opinion linked from this article. Subpoena power must be subject to independent judicial review.
2
Americans are short-sighted in not acting in unison to counterattack Russia's effective measures to destabilize our democracy. All branches of the government should be laser focused on curbing their interference not only on the 2020 elections but beyond. What exactly is the government doing to accomplish that end right now? All of this daily partisan bickering plays right into Mr. Putin's strategy of achieving dysfunctional division from within the U.S. and in turn, the ultimate breakdown of our democratic norms. He is spot on in his continuing long term goals of doing so while Congress remains obsessed and stuck in party politics on all other issues.
3
It's still not clear to me what the penalties might be should the courts rule against Trump administration's refusal to comply with congressional oversight and subpoenas.
Fines and jail time? Can the pres then pardon members of his administration for crimes committed at his direction?
At what point do the Trump administration's delay tactics and refusals to comply with the Constitution amount to obstruction of justice?
I guess it goes without saying that the tax payer is footing the bill for Trump's legal defence-- right?
1
Mr. Ryan's heated rhetoric over what is essentially a discovery dispute is itself to be criticized. Lawyers who conduct ordinary litigation, as I do, will tell you that discovery disputes are commonplace and resistance is not typically characterized as 'bad faith.' Differences of opinion over what documents should be turned over, and to what extent they should be redacted, are going on today in myriad courtrooms across the nation. Hyperventilating about it does not make the argument stronger. The same may be said for the 'time is running out' argument. All litigants seek information as soon as possible, but judges are generally skeptical about the claim that the world will end tomorrow unless the moving party gets all the information it demands today. Mr. Ryan presents no limits to his 'discovery demand' at all - if the arguments presented here are valid, then everything every President ever possessed is liable to be turned over to Congress upon demand, because Congress may have "an important legislative purpose." In ordinary civil litigation, that is known as a 'fishing expedition.' Whatever wouldn't qualify under that standard? Mr. Ryan's arguments are grandstanding for the already-persuaded, not careful legal reasoning.
3
Here's a conundrum. How does an allegedly representative democracy deal with the open commitment of its second-largest political party to obstructing justice so that it can continue to dominate the government?
4
While this is true, the simple fact is that Cons don't actually care about protecting America from invasion or attacks. All they care about is holding on to power by any means possible.
Certainly, Trump is the most recent and egregious example of this, but it's been this way for a long time: GWB's loss of the 2000 election, Nixon's pardon, McConnell's holding open federal judiciary spots to fill with loyalists, state gerrymandering, Wisconsin's legislature removing power from the incoming Democratic governor, and so on.
6
Congress does not need the full report to "Do its job." Mueller could not be more of a straight arrow, and he found no conspiracy( no collusion). Of course, that was after almost two years of looking under every conceivable rock. The Democrat controlled house can not accept the Mueller result and now wants to re- do Mueller's job. But, it is not the job of Congress to re-do the work of a special counsel appointed by the DOJ. The job of congress is to legislate. It can investigate as to legislation, but this does not transform congress into DOJ. To be frank, the house is attacking Trump for purely political reasons: it is the attempted death by one thousand cuts. The goal of the house is to keep questioning the legitimacy and honestly of Trump up to the moment of the next presidential election. The danger is this approach will backfire in that the majority of Americans ( even this one who did not vote for Trump and would not vote for Trump next time out) have had enough of Congress not addressing the needs of this country to include immigration reform, climate change, health care, and all else. Instead, the House is obsessed with Trump. Congress has sunk to his depth, and it is playing his game instead of doing its job notwithstanding all the holier than thou pronouncements of House leaders or firebrands. Please wake up; do your job; and stop with the Trump obsession. If you do not, you will simply be re-electing him.
4
@Bian You obviously have not read the report. Mr. Mueller did not find no collusion. He found that there was not evidence beyond a reasonable doubt for the crime of conspiracy. He did find lots of evidence for obstruction of justice--Trump interfered with investigative processes. Obstruction of justice is not an inconsequential crime in and of itself. If someone can block an investigation or hide evidence, that prevents justice from being done.
5
@Bian - this article lays out why access to the report is necessary for Congress to address the needs of this country. Yet you ignore the full scope of the investigation, much of which was about a foreign nation interfering directly in our elections. Instead, you parrot the Twitter in Chief's assertion that just demonstrates that to him, everything is about him, and nothing is about the nation he's supposed to be serving and the Constitution he took an oath to protect.
We don't have to question the honesty of the President. He's given no reason to believe anything he says - the man is a pathological liar. What else can you say about a man who claimed for decades to be of Swedish ancestry, but now is on a kick of telling people that his New York-born dad was born in Germany?
http://vt.co/news/us/donald-trump-keeps-bizarrely-falsely-claiming-that-his-father-was-born-in-germany/
Republicans in Congress must stand up for the American people and call the information in the Mueller report what it is. Evidence. And the full report must be made available to all.
6
Duh. It’s the economy. The amorality of The Don has nothing to do with his fitness for the presidency.
Does an America electorate of 2019 want to impeach an amoral person when the economic numbers are good?
Do corporations and big banks who control Congress want to impeach an amoral person when government regulations and taxes for these entities are being slashed?
Oh, by the way, on the human rights issue, does the Christian Right want to impeach a person when The Don and his minions attack LGBT rights and the right to an abortion?
I say no, no, and again no.
1
If securing our democracy from foreign intervention isn't in the interest of promoting the general welfare I don't know what is. It's really that simple. No need to dust off McCarthy era case law.
Anyone who sees this as presidential harassment cleary does not understand that the nature of the Mueller report was to investigate Russian interference and not the president. In normal times this is something the AG would do. But the Trump campaigns own lack of objectivity (and Session's subsequent recusal) triggered Mueller's appointment. Trump's own actions (obstruction) is what dragged him into this.
This is a story of a corrupt and incompetent president failing to rise above his own self interest. His own failures have led the country into this mess and continue to drag us deeper into this legal mess.
8
For many months I have been ashamed of
the actions of the person in the
White House. Now I am alarmed by his actions to
prevent the House from obtaining information
needed to protect our democracy for his own good
The country must rid itself of this political cancer.
6
Maximum Leader has made a career out of weaponizing the legal system. Just ask any of his bankers, business partners or subcontractors. Now he is employing this tactic on a grand scale, defying Congress and the rule of law under our Constitution. That the GOP leadership tolerates this is beyond reprehensible. It is treasonous. And if you're wondering how democracies die, you are witnessing one way firsthand.
8
a legitimate legislative purpose is clear, a president who is beholden to oligarchs laundering money thru his connection to deutsche bank and who is self dealing via his office, who is raking in bucks via his foreign leaders staying in his hotels, is not only corrupt but endangering the security of this country. the oversight is far behind schedule due to the toadies in congress, some of which have been tossed out in 2018.
6
Donald dodged a bullet with the Barr version of the Mueller Report. The smart move would have been to lie low and stick to the law, until everything blew over.
But Donald continues to obstruct justice daily. He doles out pardons to personal friends and flatters, and orders federal employees to violate asylum law and court orders -- with the promise of a pardon if they get caught.
Surely the Justice Department policy of not indicting a president did not contemplate serial and ongoing criminality of the person in the White House.
Forget the Senate vote. It is the constitutional duty of the House to impeach Donald, to catalog his crimes and put them in the record for the public to see.
The Senate vote will stick to the Republicans who support Donald for the rest of their political lives.
4
Donald Trump is what a country gets when it has such low standards for males and high standards for females. None of this ought have happened...since the 1960s.
2
DHS is gutting cyber security - sending its experts to the border to "better protect the country." The Trump administration seems to need the US to be amenable to Putin's hackers.
4
Dear Mr. Goodman – first congratulations on your excellent column. Secondly, I must accept that I am obsessed with this “thing” about Trump.
Everyone knows that he is running the Presidency a la capo di tutti i capi. The Republican Party is full of “made men” – and one who really stands out as the sycophant maximus is a guy named Lindsey Graham. He has gone much lower than our Puerto Rican Trench. Unbelievable.
Yet nothing really happens. I still think that impeachment will go into labor spontaneously – there is no need for induction right now but the democrats must act as if they are in command – in reality TV body language and appearance matters. They act and look hesitant. Legal experts keep saying that it will take time, that this is how the “system works”, etc. That might be true but they are negative arguments.
Look, we are in a crisis – a global one – this mafia boss is dangerous. He will make decisions that will benefit him and only him. You know that.
4
What nonsense! Key House members can see the full unredacted report by traipsing up to the DOJ to read it! They haven’t and they won’t! The Muller report speaks for itself! No collusion, no obstruction!
4
We used to have a Constitution that was admired and copied by free governments all over the world. Now we have a Despot and his lackeys who are working hard to destroy it. The first thing a despot does is to destroy the people's faith in their government. Wake up all you trumpistas. Trump may be coming for us Liberals but you are next. Wake up all you gun owners. Despotic Dictators cannot survive as long as the citizens own guns.
3
I hope Republicans strong arm the Democrats. The Democrats deserve this for electing only D's that 'want to heal'. Rooting for Republicans on this one, guys. D's are the loser party. They always lose.
1
It's another bizarre day in Washington when POTUS can discuss any aspect of the Mueller Report with Putin that he wishes but Congress can't get a full, unredacted copy to do its Constitutionally-mandated job of oversight.
5
What "democracy"--pray tell!
What Trump cannot steal by Executive order he will attempt to do by judicial order. He is stacking the courts. These Trump lackeys must all be removed voluntarily or otherwise.
5
But.....Trump and his WH are only interested in power. (By the way, who really is governing since Trump watches Fox and Tweets?)
1
How is Trump able to stonewall? Well Senate Judiciary Chair Sen. Salacious B. Crumb of South Carolina makes sure nothing done on his side of the aisle will in anyway threaten his reign.
The 'good' senator recently even counseled Jr. not to testify.
Who's protecting Trump? Why the majority party's senators.
This is so yesterday's story....its just another lame attempt by Big Media to try and keep us thinking there is something there/ ....Bottom Line if there was Mueller would of not said NO COLLUSION end of story!
2
Why do people keep trying to use logic and legality to explain the illogic and illegality of Trump and his supporters (essentially the whole republican party)?
Dictators, would be dictators, all their minions, zealots, and hate mongers don't care about such things. All they care about is power and holding on to it by whatever means necessary.
3
Your editorial is ridiculous if you can't differentiate between a political a position by Democrats vs a legitimate request by Congress. This is all political drama, thank god the majority of Americans pay no attention to this dramatized "constitutional crises"
3
The dodge about legislative relevancy goes out the window the moment the Democratic House formally initiates impeachment proceedings.
Otherwise it will be long after the 2020 election and beyond before the Trump stonewalling is resolved — if ever.
1
"the White House is robbing Congress of information vital to protecting our democracy and national security through the exercise of legislative powers."
So they can do it again before it explicitly becomes illegal.
1
“...the Trump administration is preventing [Congress] from obtaining the kind of visibility that would best serve the country.” True!
And let’s be clear, the Republicans are consistently aiding and abetting that effort.
What more do we need to know before we vote in 2020? Only that our votes for a better government will be counted.
9
The Democrats in congress may find political dirt from Trump's tax returns and claims of obstructing justice. They must "pretend" to need the information to write general tax laws and to see if Mr. Mueller and Mr. Barr have made the correct conclusion on the issue. The House of Representatives acting alone, is not coequal with the Executive.
Both houses may pass legislation with 2/3 majority and that has saved most presidents from congressional whitch hunts.
The courts are being asked to intervene in areas where there are few guidelines and and likely no power to act - assuming political issues are at the heart of the matter.
Impeachment may be the best option even if a loss in the Senate is certain.
The people should be trusted to make the right choice next November.
1
@Eugene Patrick Devany: pray tell us how the various Benghazi investigations helped the former Congress draft legislation to address anything? Now that several current House committees have delved into matters that could yield valuable information on national security, banking, conflicts of interest , and impeachable offenses (impeachment is in Article II of the Constitution as a Congressional power), how do you figure those matters fall outside the House’s jurisdiction? In addition, your comment about both houses of Congress passing legislation only shows that your high school diploma should be recalled.
"In the meantime, the White House is robbing Congress of information vital to protecting our democracy and national security through the exercise of legislative powers."
That is exactly how autocrats and dictators work. Taking away the power of other branches of government. That is how Chavez started. I hope this is not the first step to dissolve Congress.
11
The President knows this is a ridiculous legal argument his administration is making in bad faith. Disputes between the Executive branch and Congress take months to years to resolve through the courts. He only needs a 539 day delay to get to (Re-) Election 2020 and then his answer will change to “it doesn’t matter, we won.”
Only rapid rulings by all courts including SCOTUS, together with fortuitous leaks and whistle blowers, can break this obstruction open.
247
@Anon Where is Deep Throat when we need her/him?
118
@Anon. Or start impeachment hearings immediately. Motions towards impeachment can free the documents the House needs.
27
@Susan Piper: Deep throat only told the press where to look for evidence. Impeachment of Nixon required congressional subpoenas to shake loose the evidence.
17
The Trump presidency is revealing flaws in the U.S. Constitution. Among these is placement of the Department of Justice within the executive branch (Article II). Consequently, if the president breaks laws or ignores congressional subpoenas, he can instruct a complicit attorney general to not make arrests. Speaker Pelosi is accentuating the flaws by not proceeding with impeachment hearings.
9
This laundry list of national security weaknesses that the Mueller report exposes, and which the White House is hiding by ignoring subpoenas, makes you wonder whether Trump et al want foreign/Russian influence to stay. And that there already is enough info out there that Congress could act on to protect our country, but instead Republicans are protecting Trump and insisting on investigating the investigators, makes you think Republicans are not on America's side.
6
"There’s a lot wrong with the administration’s position, including that oversight and investigations are a fundamental part of Congress’s Article I responsibilities. The Supreme Court has long recognized as much."
That paragraph is misleading, if not incoherent. Specifically, the linked case, "Watkins", never uses the word "oversight".
Further, the White House Counsel's letter explicitly recognizes that Congress has "oversight authority", but argues that that authority is not unlimited. For example, the letter says:
"Thus, Congress's oversight authority does not extend to the President's pardon power."
And the author fails to note what "Watkins" says of investigations:
"But, broad as is this power of inquiry, it is not unlimited. There is no general authority to expose the private affairs of individuals without justification in terms of the functions of the Congress."
The status of the latter sentence is unclear, but it could be interpreted as an *example* of a limitation on Congress's "power of inquiry". In which case, there could be other limitations.
Indeed, "Watkins" goes on to say:
"Nor is the Congress a law enforcement or trial agency."
Most supportive of the President's position is this broad statement from "Watkins":
"No inquiry is an end in itself; it must be related to, and in furtherance of, a legitimate task of the Congress."
2
@LCA: All of this is beside the point. The inquiry would not be an end in itself and congress has legitimate interest for legislative purposes. In other words, so what?
@LCA: It is true that neither house of Congress is a criminal court but for the matter of impeachment (“high crimes and misdemeanors”), which is an enumerated power of Congress in which both the House and Senate have a role to play. The Constitution says nothing indicating that either the House or the Senate must rely on the Attorney General’s synopsis of the evidence, they can gather it on their own.
SS: "All of this is beside the point."
You must not be paying attention. Congress, the President, and Goodman ALL cite US Supreme Court cases.
SS: "In other words, so what?"
I'm not sure what you are really asking, but it should be obvious that Congress (or its committee chairs) need to PERSUASIVELY articulate their "legislative purposes". In their support, you didn't do that, so should I infer that you can't think of any?
Where is Daniel Ellsberg when we really need him? In 1971, Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers (top secret internal memoranda showing the government and the military doubted the war could be won). Ellsberg hoped that stealing these secret documents and leaking them to the press would help end the Vietnam War. And they did. What he did was a crime. But it helped shorten a criminal war. We need a hero or heroes to step up today and get the full Mueller report to the public and Congress -- even if doing so entails criminal activity. It might help shorten the democracy-destroying reign of the criminal in the White House.
4
But with no consequences from Congress, Trump just grows more and more emboldened.
Now Trump's even threatening jail time for those who were lawfully investigating his many contacts with a foreign adversary during his campaign.
Unless impeachment charges are initiated Trump will continue to defy Congress and obstruct justice in bolder and far more egregious ways.
5
“Showing a specific legislative purpose is not required.” In other words the Dems have no purpose other than to continue their harassment of the President and to make his job as President more difficult. This article only reinforces that perception and underlines how poor a strategy the Dems have for 2020. Going negative on Trump is not a policy.
43
@Edward: Nope. The article argues that Trump and his lawyers make the job of Congress more difficult, which puts the country's democracy at risk.
224
@Edward The accepted definition of "legislative purpose" includes Congress' right to any information which could affect legislation.
It is exceptionally broad for a reason, namely, to prevent the kind of interference that the president's lawyers are attempting.
Congress does not need to state why it wants the information. The SCOTUS has already ruled on that.
As for "making his job more difficult" how do suggest that requesting access to an unredacted version of a document regarding an investigation which has already been completed makes Trump's job more difficult?
He already has no credibility as a businessperson, negotiator or leader; indeed, as a person, as a person as well.
People know that. They are just too cynical to care!
167
@Edward No you mean what Repub Congress did to President Obama for 8 years. If you don't think trump requires congressional oversight then you cannot recognize propaganda and have been duped.
169
This is the focal point where the federal courts must demonstrate that the Constitution's system of checks and balances is still viable. It has already been seriously eroded by the Senate's refusal to proceed on President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. The advise and consent function of Congress has been circumvented by President Trump's resorting to the naming of "acting" nominations to fill various administration roles, including cabinet positions.
If the courts permit these and other insults to the Constitution to stand, then the basis of our democracy has been imperiled
Just as much as Congress needs access to the complete Mueller report to execute its responsibility, the people need the same access in order to hold their elected representatives accountable.
Is that not a "thing of value"?
3
The Mueller Report is flawed, not because of the misinterpretation by Barr, but because the investigators were not allowed to look into Trump´s financial dealings with the Russians. In other words Mueller was commissioned to investigate a crime, but was not permitted to find the motivation of the suspected criminals.
But in spite of its narrow boundaries the Report DID NOT exonerate him nor the Russians.
But now this new line of inquiry, which is long overdue may spread light on all the mysteries surrounding our President, from his miraculous transformation from a bankrupted and discredited developer into a successful businessman, and most importantly on all the whys related to his subservience to Putin.
3
@Leon
I think you are on to something here but you aren't thinking big enough. I mean really, Putin has a lot of power but not nearly enough to do all those things that happened in Trump's life. No. has to be a crossroads demon. That is what we should appoint a Special Counsel to investigate. It is clear this President is not only beholden to another Power, but he has sold his soul in the process and is now in the Oval Office with No Soul at all!! What should we do now?
I can't help wondering if Mueller could give the full report to congress himself, perhaps when he testifies? If he feels that the suppression of the full report is obstruction of justice, then he has a legal and moral obligation to present the full report to congress himself. After all, the investigation wasn't done so that only Barr and the president would be privy to the results. Mueller's first allegiance must be to the constitution and the rule of law. Otherwise he is just another Trump enabler who is allowing our democracy to erode into an authoritarian state. He is in the unique position of having the power to stand up for our democracy in this matter by defying the illegal orders coming from Barr.
1
@Mary Pernal
Robert Mueller is a Republican. He won't do as you suggest.
1
brilliant suggestion!
1
As Congess remains indecisive, weak and partisan in the quagmire of the Trump presidency, there is a winning strategy being played out every day by Vladimir Putin.
Mr. Putin is brilliantly and actively succeeding in undermining our faith in our elections, the FBI, CIA, Justice Department, judicial and legislative branches of government. He has the good fortune of having helped to elect a malleable and incompetent executive whose witting or unwitting complicity in the process is taking a wrecking ball to our constitutional norms. Mr. Putin revels in the divisive destabilization of our people and our nation and with Mr. Trump's help, must be very happy to witness our withering confidence in our institutions. If Congess does not act soon, new precedence will be set for the slow decline of the U.S as a #1 world power.
8
Agree with all of this, and then some.
The Mueller report indicated the special counsel was not the right body to determine if Obstruction reached the bar for indictment. Congress is the ONLY body who can answer that question re Donald Trump, but the Executive Branch is withholding the very information it needs to reach that determination. That, to me, is the core constitutional problem.
The DoJ has long held that it can't indict a sitting president due to conflict of interest. With that in mind, Barr has absolved Donald Trump of something for which he could not have indicated (obstruction of justice). That contradiction is absurd. Only Congress can indict (or impeach, which is the term for a president) - then only Congress can absolve.
Frankly, I don't think that there is enough evidence to make impeachment workable in this environment. But the ongoing obstruction by the DoJ makes me less patient since it is an ongoing constitutional problem
1
Disingenuous to the extreme.
Congress has the report.
22
@Morgan01944: No, it has a redacted report and no access to the underlying evidence.
60
@Morgan01944
And congresspersons who have actually read the redacted report say -
Obstruction is named in at least 10 instances
The reason conspiracy was not definitely proved to the degree it would hold in court is because of obstruction
He committed multiple impeachable offenses
We need the rest of the report and the underlying evidence to proceed with impeachment
59
@Morgan01944 - How is this disingenuous? Congress has the redacted report and none of its supporting information. Just as Barr`s `non-summary` four-page letter did not do justice to even the redacted report, the redacted report cannot do justice to the information uncovered by Mueller`s investigation. Congress cannot fulfil their constitutional responsibility by flying blind. If President Trump is so confident that the report exonerated him, he should be the first to demand the release of this information. Wait a second. You don't suppose that he has something to hide do you?...
7
This country is reminding me of when Mussolini took over Italy and when Hitler took over Germany. Wake up America. Where are the patriots.
7
Our Democracy is over, unless our courts find the backbone to stand up to a lawless president, who holds no regard for our Constitution.
Contempt of Congress is a criminal offense.
7
The White House is indeed making "bad faith" arguments, but from Trump's point of view what defense attorneys do when a client is at risk is to make all the possible legal (and even extra-legal) arguments, no matter how much merit they have. In his business life Trump routinely lied, cheated, reneged on promises (including breaking contracts), etc. When he was challenged he called on his attorneys to mount counter-attacks and sophistical defenses. That's his m.o. So why expect anything now but stonewalling? At his core he believes "good faith" behavior is for suckers and losers.
3
As long as our Senate leadership is willing to lift sanctions on a Putin frontman so he can butter McConnell’s bread with an aluminum factory in his state of Kentucky, the GOP is showing its willingness to put their interests and Russia’s interest in front of America.
The fact that American companies had to beg for a reprieve from the Aluminum tax/tariff for the past year and Russia gets handed an aluminum factory right after sanctions were lifted on Derispaka courtesy of McConnell and the GOP ramming it through Congress is disgusting.
Canada and Mexico had their sanctions lifted specifically because McConnell’s Russian deal was reported. Couldn’t exactly give Russia a sweetheart deal and screw our allies to our north and south without it raising an eyebrow.
However, Americans still won’t fret back the millions they had to pay in tax/tariffs.
4
Hopefully Robert Mueller will be forced to testify in open hearings before Congress. The only way we may get close to the truth is if he talks. We cannot count on Republicans for the truth. They are now complicit in all of Trump's dirty deeds.
3
@susan: Sounds like Barr is pulling a fast one on us once again. He says he has no problems with Mueller testifying but when asked what is the hold up he mumbles something about 'people are talking to Nadlers's people about dates or something' and that's that.
Then I read that Mueller really doesn't want to testify, doesn't want to get in the middle of it. His people better start leaking is all I've got to say. After two years of work, this is what the country gets? We need to hear from Mueller or others on his team.
This is very, very bad for our country.
2
This is a wholly corrupt administration. Let’s hope the federal judiciary won’t let Trump and his GOP enablers get away with ignoring Congress. If it does, democracy is truly dead in this country.
3
This is such a shameful and frightening chapter in this nation's history. What kind of precent will be set for future administrations if this is allowed to stand? If the executive branch is allowed to commit what are clearly impeachable offenses and behave as though they are above the law, it doesn't bode well for our future well being as a representative democracy. Corruption lurks in every corner of this administration.
3
Donald Trump continues to obstruct justice each and every day he sits in the oval office . It is so obvious you would miss it unless you were paying close attention .
And that means all that stands between us and a broken democracy are the Democrats in the House who continue to press for the truth. This is no longer about partisan politics- it is about a quest for the truth in place of living in a continuous lie. It is a quest to redeem our democracy , from the hands of a liar and a fraud.
3
Of course, it’s LA
Trump has become somewhat of a domestic terrorist with the damage he has done in the name of greed. Gang GOP is complicit in this criminal activity either by being one of the three monkeys or actively committing these crimes. Gang GOP has failed to make international murderers accountable. Kushner’s 666 received a handsome lease from the Saudi’s to keep that property afloat. Trump family members have received millions for doing the biddings of foreign adversaries. We are at war, home and abroad. No one is above the law. Vote blue everyone in 2020.
3
If the Report "completely exonerated 'Donald Trump'," shouldn't it be the "angry" (deep state) Democrats who don't want it released?
5
@Gustav Aschenbach: Logic is not Trump's forte, now is it? Nor his lawyers, it appears. Of course, now that he has his own Roy Cohn, whose spirit lives on in Mr. Barr, he feels pretty comfortable about all of this.
By the way, why are the taxpayers paying Barr's salary? Trump should be paying, not us. Barr does not have the country's interests in mind, he is representing Trump.
3
You are a lawyer so it’s hard to take seriously your chicken little argument about how dangerous it is that the Administration is making arguments that don’t appear to you to have any credibility. Lawyers do that all the time. Prosecutors add lots of charges they know they couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt to give themselves bargaining room. Other lawyers (including prosecutors) do it to make it too expensive for the other party to fight. And some do it to put off the inevitable. Trump’s attorneys are doing it for many reasons: First, with the Mueller Report our there and the key takeaway being no collusion, the electorate is tired of the blah blah blah—they have lost interest. Second, the MSM and left have been on a 3 year witch hunt with little to show for it, emboldening Trump to fight back hard and nasty. And most importantly, Trump wants to delay things until the origin of the Russian collusion fiasco is exposed and his witch hunt narrative is proven. And talk about dangerous—we are likely to see how a bunch of Trump haters at Justice and the FBI using a foreign sourced Dossier paid for by the Dem candidate to influence an election by trashing the GOP candidate. When that is exposed by the IG and Justice Dept, the Dems will drop their persecution like a hot potato.
1
These reminders of practically downright evil regarding Trump and his "Republican" ilk are important. But such cries can get horribly lost in an apparent unchanging wilderness. Increasingly, the reaction can be "Duh!"
Hulu is running a remake movie based on the Heller novel, Catch-22. The “catch” as many will recall is that although an airman can be grounded if he is crazy, claiming yourself crazy to avoid the obvious hazard of aerial combat actually demonstrates your rational sanity and therefore you must continue to fly. Democrats seem hobbled by their own variant of a “catch 22”. The OLC, DOJ and Mueller have determined that as sitting President, Trump cannot be indicted for crimes. Congress however has the constitutional option/obligation to impeach a sitting president for high crimes and misdemeanors but is now being told by the President and DOJ they have no right to the full evidence of such misdeeds. This is ludicrous.
3
Reality Check this is a case proves no system is perfect. People will find a way to ruin it everyone if they cant have own way. Important that congress take steps to ensure good faith of people all people. Good step would make manditory to vote an be citzen of usa. Would defeat any attemp of either party to tamper with elections process.
I need to ask a question of this audience and maybe the author.
I am one of the lay public that has been told that the redacted portions of the Mueller report contain grand jury information that, according to AG Barr, cannot be legally released. Please state to me the basis of this stance.
If you bother to respond to this request, please do not give me political blather. If possible, state, in legal terms, the truth, if any, of Barr's statements. Thank you.
@Bill
Grand Jury testimony cannot be released PUBLICALLY without a judge's order (which Barr has refused to ask for).
GJ testimony CAN be released to congress without such an order (Congress has the authority and procedures in place to view even very highly classified materials)... however, AG Barr refuses to let them see it.
There is really no reason other than Barr's insistence on obstructing and delaying congress to explain his actions.
We are rapidly reaching the point where Impeachment becomes necessary if only to force Barr and the White House to release documents that Congress has a complete right to see.
@James Constantino Thank you, James. I appreciate your information.
I would think that as the people directly responsible for the defying of congressional subpoenas, trump and Barr and Mnuchin are openly engaged in inherent contempt and ought to be taken into custody if they persist in their defiance. Such an ugly business.
Has a political party ever been outlawed here? Might be time to give it a try.
3
This opinion piece is so disingenuous.
Once Democrats figured out the report didn’t deliver the goods on collusion by the appalling DJT, the false narrative suddenly became all about — wait for it — ‘obstruction.’
You know, as if someone has to take a multi-year full-court press by the former administration, its Justice Department, its FBI, and its intelligence agencies in order to to benefit that admin’s chosen candidate, the venal and duplicitous Hillary Rodham Clinton. Watergate was child’s play in comparison.
Any Democrat that wants to can read the almost entirely unredacted Mueller report at their leisure. None have done so. No surprise there.
The nation has seen that Dems and their media adjunct cooked up this entire scam and will vote accordingly. They should not be allowed anywhere near political power as they now pose a fundamental threat to liberty.
5
@EGD
The report details over 140+ documented instances of "collusion" between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, as well as 11 instances of criminal obstruction of justice to hide that "collusion".
Repeating the "no collusion" lie over and over again will not make it true.
@EGD If he is exonerated by the report why is Trump blocking the reports release? And if there is nothing there why not release his taxes...perhaps he protest too much :)
Regardless of what is dangerous or even ridiculous, nothing will be done. Barr is Trump's minion. Mueller was afraid to go up against a Justice Department idea that the president can do whatever he wants. (Watch the movie "Cheney") and Mitch McConnell will continue to dismantle the social network, put conservative judges who are rejected by their own profession on courts for life so that abortion will go away, and Mr. Trump will make up whatever his daily lies are, based on what he sees on FOX. DJT has been disaster and the behavior in DC for over 2 years would rattle the graves of our founders.
The saddest thing is that those who could stop him won't because FOX feeds the masses glowing, false info every day so they LOVE The Donald. Rupert Murdoch should be in jail. All those FOX hosts should be ashamed.
Will any of this matter? Ha.
Still, there is no stomach for Impeachment. Pelosi refuses to do her job and believes that the Dems will lose in 2020 if they proceed. How about the democracy is already losing in 2019??? If the Dems don't think the constitution is worth defending, and they are frightened to death of losing in 2020, why not just hand DJT a document allowing him to be king today?
We will never see an unredacted Mueller report. The man running the DoJ has had his soul eaten by Trump.
1
@Jeanie LoVetri: I think the movie about Cheney is called, 'Vice'.
1
The Democrats do not act in good faith. Their delusional behavior over the past two years and shrieks of “collusion” and “impeachment” show that plainly enough. Their calls for “the tax returns” have no legitimate purpose other than to appease their tinfoil hat, conspiracy theory base. Fake news posted on Facebook by Russian agents and the hacking of John Podesta’s email account are not existential threats to our democracy. Sorry. Time for the Democrats to try doing something constructive.
5
If this were about Russian involvement and disinformation, then we would also be reading about Steele, his dossier, its funding, and the Clinton campaign. We are not. This is not about legislation or oversight, it is about the obsessive hate toward one man and undoing the votes of deplorables smelling up the Walmart.
2
@TD
Everyone - but you - already knows about the Steele Dossier, which was put together in 2015-2016 by the MI6 ex-Brit intel agent over Russian affairs for the opposition research firm Fusion GPS hired by conservative Republican think tank/web site, The Washington Free Beacon. Only afterward in 2016 did the Clinton campaign obtain the same information.
Fake Russian FB accounts didn’t elect Donald Trump. The plethora of real, home-grown right wing social media accounts, radio broadcasters, a cable news network and Fundamentalist churches, funded by folks with surnames like Koch, DeVos, Mercer, and Thiel - did. Disinformation is a staple of the conservative movement. The Russia scare is merely a distraction from that little factoid.
There’s absolutely nothing in the Mueller report that speaks to how billionaire American oligarchs have suborned the Federal judiciary and the ‘rule of law’ to corrupt the nation’s political process. The “daunting list of reforms” Mr. Goodman is so captivated by will have about as much impact as the footsteps of a cockroach skittering across a linoleum floor.
For more than two years now, not a month has gone by without a dire warning from some member of the Bar in the NYT opinion page that American democracy, and/or the “rule of law,” is “at risk” by the latest Trump outrage or Russian meddling. Mr. Goodman’s column is the latest. If the constitution really is hanging by a thread, I just wish someone would snip it so NYT subscribers can be spared the gloomy, sanctimonious prognostications of men and women sporting nothing more than two year law degrees.
3
3 thoughts or 2020:
1. States must pass a bill requiring a PAPER Ballot as a backup for Federal elections.
2. Democrats candidate for President = Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton.
3. Anywhere the Trump Family has investments should have their State/Community TAX RETURNS checked for TAX EVASION and SUE-SUE-SUE!!
@swenk
Comment 1 offers no value as it stands. "Backups" are only valuable if the primary data source is lost or corrupted. When would the backup be used and who makes the call?
Comment 2 makes 0 sense. Obama served his maximum two terms and is not eligible to run again. Hilary is un-electable and not even running.
Comment 3. How punitive do you want to be ? You want to weaponize the IRS for political gains ? That's a slippery slope. And you don't SUE TAX EVADERS, you fine or jail them.
Please think through your suggestions more in the future and moderators: please do your job, this should not have been printed.
1
Mueller and Barr have been close friends for 30 years, their wives go to bible study together. They are all Republicans. Mueller could resign immediately and place the country where it should be, in the hands of the American people. I have heard the word 'integrity' over and over describing Mueller, if that is the truth, the answer is apparent and easy. After all, the investigation was for the American people, the results belong to the American people.
3
Please do not forget William Barr and other Trump's enablers, the entire GOP.
6
Since America is not and never was meant to be a democracy, there is no risk to what never was and never will be.
The Founding Fathers intended to create and did make a divided limited different power constitutional republic of united states where all white Anglo-Saxon Protestant men who owned property were divinely naturally created equal persons with certain unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Every American state regardless of population has two Article I branch Senators. And the number of member's of the Article I House is capped to the disadvantage of more populous States.
While the Electoral College picks the Article II executive branch President of the United States. Because votes cast in one state do not count nor matter in any other state in determining a meaningful Electoral College majorities.
And Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States along with all Article III judiciary are appointed for life after nomination by the Electoral College President with the advice and consent of every state has two Senators U.S. Senate.
A nation built upon black African enslavement on land and resources stolen from brown Natives is not ' our democracy'. No fair, just, moral and objective God could or would ever bless this Trumpian America.
See Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural speech where he speculated that God ignored the prayers of both the white North and South while granting the prayers of the enslaved black Africans.
3
@Blackmamba: If only, if only......if only Lincoln had lived. The South's reconstruction would have been vastly different, I think (or at least would have had a chance) under his guidance. But Johnson? The war just continued underground and continues to this day.
1
@Blackmamba
America was and is a Democratic republic of Sovereign states.
Article 1 house does not disadvantage large states but rather rewards them, California has more representatives then 21 other states combined and they have just about the same number of EC votes as the bottom 15.
Only the unhinged left looks at this as being unfair.
1
But there’s no evidence for Russian interference in the 2016 election. The redacted Mueller report just accepts such interference as established sans supporting evidence.
The DNC emails look to have been leaked, and no one has presented evidence to contradict that.
The click farm in Russia had no influence on the election.
There’s plenty of evidence Hillary Clinton won both Michigan and Florida, but she didn’t ask for a recount of Michigan when given the chance. But Russia had nothing to do with those losses. And given the fact that she lost the primary through similar vote count hacking, she really couldn’t complain.
So by all means release the full Mueller report, but in unredacted form it’s unlikely to support the Russian interference claims.
Frankly the insistence on some “established” Russian interference reads about like FoxNews going on about WMDs in Iraq in 2004 or 2005. Or in 2017 the NY Times claiming that “faulty” intelligence in 2002/3 explained the invasion.
Submitted May 20th 10:15 AM Eastern
The Republicans don’t care. Their voters don’t care. Indeed, their voters are glorying in their own rise, in their righteous anger, in the triumph of their ignorance, and anybody who does care is chasing windmills. Many commenters have said it: the American experiment is over. We’re in the last stages of a fascist revolution — a quiet, non-violent, takeover of the American government by the Republican Party, which as Ornstein and Mann have repeatedly pointed out, has been the instrument of a fascist Insurgency for quite some time. (Fascism in Mussolini’s definition: when the government and the corporate state are one.) Where are the Americans who would tell the American people the truth? Who would tell the American people that the Republic is vanishing in front of their eyes? Where are Gates and Buffet and Cook and Zuckerberg and Bush and Clinton? They’re in their fortresses, watching (and who knows, maybe celebrating) the fall. What of the Times? Could it tell the truth? Probably not, and if it did would anybody listen? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s not going to happen. I second what’s been said so often here. RIP, the United States of America.
3
"The redacted Mueller report is rich in information..."
...but apparently beyond the reading comprehension level of a majority of Representatives and Senators.
5
Note how little attention the Mueller report is getting in the media these days? Why have the Democrats gone silent?
5
There was no “Russian delegation” art the Trump Tower meeting. Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was the only Russian who attended. She was not indicted for filing to register as a foreign agent U.S. because under U.S. criminal code “the term “agent of a foreign government” means an individual who agrees to operate within the United States subject to the direction or control of a foreign government or official.” Veselnitskaya was representing her corporate clients sanctioned by the Magnitsky Act, not the Russian government.
2
@William Case
You have conveniently overlooked the Russian-American Rinat Akhmetshin, a former Soviet counter-intelligence officer who is suspected of having ties with Putin.
The column shows that there are valid legislative purposes for the subpoena. That is not the issue. The real issue is whether Congress must prove there is such a purpose in the first place for the subpoena to be valid.
52
@Don Feferman
No, Congress does not need to prove that there is a legislative purpose.
The Supreme Court has held that Congress has the right to investigate as broadly as Congress has the right to legislate, which means on just about ANYTHING.
The Supreme Court said that Congress does not need to actually legislate on what is investigated, because the investigation may show that the legislation is needed or is not needed.
McGRAIN, Deputy Sergent at Arms of the United States Senate, v. DAUGHERTY, 273 U.S. 135 (1927)
"This becomes manifest when it is reflected that the functions of the Department of Justice, the powers and duties of the Attorney General, and the duties of his assistants are all subject to regulation by congressional legislation, and that the department is maintained and its activities are carried on under such appropriations as in the judgment of Congress are needed from year to year."
Watkins v. United States, 354 U.S. 178 (1957):
"We start with several basic premises on which there is general agreement. The power of the Congress to conduct investigations is inherent in the legislative process. That power is broad. It encompasses inquiries concerning the administration of existing laws, as well as proposed or possibly needed statutes. ... It comprehends probes into departments of the Federal Government to expose corruption, inefficiency or waste."
39
@Don Feferman
Mueller's report proves there is a purpose.
27
@Don Feferman Congress doesn’t have to prove anything. Period.
28
"Time is running short: The electoral calendar won’t bend, and the full threat of foreign interference remains unaddressed."
That's the purpose of Trump's stonewalling. He plans to use that to get re-elected.
7
@Victor I.
And he plans on getting re-elected, not because he loves the job, but in order to stay out of jail. Isn't that just swell?
It's really very simple... our president and his children are crooks. We need to see (read and understand) every single word of the Mueller report, along with a deep dive into the shenanigans of Deutsche Bank and its failures (and refusals) to prevent criminal activity which are brought to their attention, and which then may result in the firing of the employee who brought the information to light. Trump and his son-in-law have tremendous culpability which Deutsche Bank has provided with a wink and a nod. The president and his family have no clothes, and no reason to be free to destroy our America.
7
@m. portman - zero evidence. Fact-free post
@David Fick
Fact free, Mr. Fick? Zero evidence? Absolutely. Treasury Department monitors recommending an investigation of Deutsche Bank and the Trump family’s money-laundering? Never happened. Totally imaginary. (It’s fake news, don’t you know? And if it’s not, the Democrats instigated it.) The Russians did not interfere in our election. Trump and his family did not encourage and collaborate with them. There was no obstruction of justice and the Mueller report, where it says such, is wrong. No need for alarm. Nothing going on here. Move right along. Good night, and good luck. We’ll need plenty of it.
"The administration’s attempt to deny or slow roll the release of this information is hampering Congress’s ability to draft new legislation to protect our democracy from foreign adversaries."
Thank you for this article that shows why Congress's request for the full Mueller report goes way beyond "getting" Trump or re-litigating the 2016 election.
The most disturbing aspect of administration stonewalling is its blanket refusal to obey subpoenas on the grounds of both "executive privilege" and the lie promoted by William Barr that the Mueller report "exonerated" the president.
Such argument inherently presumes that that the Executive Branch holds more power than Congress: after all, if the president can decide what Congress sees before drafting legislation, why have a Congress at all?
Of course, we know the main reason is to delay hearings that might remind the country why he's possibly committed impeachable offenses.
The and his lawyers and his Senate allies show daily that their only interest is protecting this president from Congressional oversight as the founders intended. So far, it's been working--which should alarm us all.
423
@ChristineMcM
WHY is Trump and his administration allowed to break the law ?
By law ,if you or I are summoned by sub poena and refuse to appear or provide evidence , we would be fined or prosecuted . That's what sub poena means : under pain of repercussions.
9
Once again I must re-iterate what I have already written before: Only Congress has the Constitutional power to decide what is "legitimate legislative purpose". Neither the Attorney General, nor the POTUS has that right, they are not of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government and therefore their opinion on this matter is worthless and illegitimate. Members of the Trump administration must turn over documents requested by the House to avoid being in conflict with the Constitution which they swore to uphold.
8
The need for release of the full Mueller report to Congress is absolutely clear, including grand jury testimony which should have a more limited release to Committee Chairs.
This is exactly analogous to the search for truth in my practice of medicine. I would order a variety of tests, do a thorough history, press and probe the body, all for answers to help guide my plans to improve a patient's condition. I would no more accept a redacted report for a patient's benefit than Congress should accept a redacted report for its Article I tasks including legislation.
Patients themselves would sometimes lie in their history, particularly about issues of sexuality and personal behavior. Politicians often lie about these same issues but also lie about anything which can show them in a bad light, especially about financial conflicts of interest or bribes or other corruption.
Both patients and the body politic suffer from such ignorance. If I do not know a man has sex with other men, I cannot properly test, treat or counsel him. If Congress does not know the financial entanglements of politicians, they have not completed oversight responsibilities.
Both such examples can literally lead to death, in my case to a patient and in Congress' case to the death of the very core of democracy.
The more loudly a patient denies excessive drinking or risky behavior, the more I would discount their answers. The more this Administration denies and hides, the more Congress should press on.
489
@Douglas McNeill, I love your analogy. It really is just this simple. I've taken the liberty of including some of your comment on FB, with attribution.
16
"This is exactly analogous to the search for truth in my practice of medicine."
Doctors and patients aren't politicians. In particular, doctors aren't elected to office and patients pay for the services of doctors.
"Patients themselves would sometimes lie in their history, ..."
Obviously, some patients don't trust doctors and their staffs. That is a problem for doctors to resolve. Don't blame patients.
3
@LCA
And some patients, like some voters, actively work against their own best interests.
5
The courts appear to be the only remedy for this presidents malfeasance. As in response to Nixon during watergate, the courts must fast track these hearings. Is it not obvious to all that no matter what the courts decide on Trumps dubious legal positions, they must decide with the utmost haste and timeliness.
6
This "stonewalling" narrative began the day the report was issued. Then it was quickly released. Critics played their hand too soon. The "full Mueller report" will not change the outcome. Time to move on.
27
@AACNY
"... it was quickly released …"
Mueller report has NOT been released.
"... Time to move on. …"
It's time to release Mueller's report, the underlying supporting evidence, and trump's taxes.
It's time for you to demand the release of these items.
81
@AACNY "Time to move on"? Surely you jest. The fate of the country is in play, and there's nothing to see here?
85
@AACNY: With impeachment proceedings! Hundreds of prosecutors wrote that anyone else than the president would be charged with obstruction of justice based on the evidence in the Mueller report. Dream on!
77
The unfortunate truth is that a hand full of a few thousand (at most) families and their Republican lobbyists/politicians are successfully implementing a plan to fill judicial seats with people who simply follow whatever directives they are given from HQ rather than exercising independent and ethical, critical and judicial thought.
It is my opinion and observation that the Republican approach to political and power warfare is, much like in military warfare, not to let things like morality, ethics, protocol, diplomacy or for that matter decency and commonsense interfere with their take no prisoners approach.
So, the Democratic party, if indeed it does represent the people who currently support it, must consider how one must engage such an enemy. I think we could likely take some advice from General Patton, who encountered and defeated those in World War II who fought with the same total warfare attitude that the GOP embraces. This is an excerpt from a poem Patton wrote during operation Cobra:
"So let us do real fighting,
Boring in and gouging, biting.
Let's take a chance now that we have the ball.
Let's forget those fine firm bases
In the dreary shell-raked spaces,
Let's shoot the works and win! Yes win it all. "
8
So what you're saying here is that Trump is STILL obstructing justice.
35
So this is what we've come to, after everything represented by the American Revolution, the Civil War, WWI, Korea and WWII? The fate of our young Democracy, one for which tons of people have fought and died for over two hundred years, is going to be up to Judge Kavanaugh?
24
Is anyone else tired of hearing how Trump is breaking the law and his administration is in contempt of court, but nothing happens??
22
@RCJCHC; Well, the Republican/Trump Party controls the Senate so of course nothing is happening to change what is going on. I'm surprised that you couldn't figure that out for yourself.
@RCJCHC
Elections have consequences.
A thousand pox on the Bernie Bros Stein Stupids and misogynist Democrats who stayed home on 2016 election day, because they didn't want a smart, overqualified woman president.
2
It's hard not to see this refusal to turn over the Mueller report as yet another in a series of obstructions to justice by the Trump administration. These manufactured legal maneuvers can not be done without the intent to hide information from the American public. And if there is something to hide, all the more reason Americans need to know what it is.
I would guess that the Trump team's legal plan is to try to tie up the process in the courts long enough so that Congress or America will tire of the issue, at least prolong the legalities long enough to last past the 2020 Elections. History would suggest that this is a sound tactic, insofar as the Democrats have a long history of abandoning the fight even when they have the Republicans on the ropes. The Democrats are likely once again to wimp out and let the issue drop, for the usual "political" reasons.
What a political system! It's truly a disgrace, not worthy of the principles on which this country was founded.
12
President Trumps and his inner circles stall tactics do not surprise we in the least. What continues to surprise me is the Republican Party continues to blindly follow his lead no matter how outrageous his actions are or what the cost. They are derelict in their duty to conduct oversight of this President. Party before country is Mitch McConnell's motto.
16
The title of this article needs to be amended from the word "puts" to "Has Put". We are in a crisis. If Trump has done no wrong, then give him the opportunity to prove it. Come on, Republicans, fight for your country and its democracy. Don't let the USA down.
16
"...the [Donald Trump] White House is robbing Congress of information vital to protecting our democracy and national security through the exercise of legislative powers."
There are, Mr. Goodman, many reasons for this. On its ugly surface, this administration--and by that I mean the president, his cabinet and his chief officers in regulatory agencies--actually realize the harm they are doing to the country. They simply do not care.
The Ebola virus of willful political ignorance escaped the laboratory with his election and now runs amok. It is rife with unintelligent, unthinking appointees with no grasp of either history or the morality that must play its part in any worthwhile democracy.
But Congress, as you make plain, is also responsible for discovering the underlying truths embedded in the Mueller report. The House seeks a release of the un-redacted version. The Senate is another matter entirely. As I wrote above, "they simply do not care." The upper chamber is peopled by those who represent not the interests of their constituents but of the administration. Would it be judgmental for a citizen to doubt the Senate's sincerity in uncovering potentially fatal threats to our government? Many of them are aware of the president's obfuscations and deliberate attempts to torpedo the Constitution for his personal ends. Yet, the Senate, and the Attorney General, have his back.
It seems, then, that the president's supporters are in determined alignment with Russia's sabotage.
14
We have to our credit our Founding Fathers. I think we should start honoring those who have put their political careers above their duty as citizens in support of trump as our liquidating fathers and mothers. Good bye Constitution and democracy and thank you republicans for all your support over the years will you please turn out the lights when you leave.
6
I believe that "robbing Congress of information vital to protecting our democracy" is the goal, not an unintended consequence of obstruction.
I further believe that Mitch McConnell knows all of what is in the report and has benefited from the actions of "foreign governments" both personally and on behalf of his fund raising for his party. The party members are beholding to him for money, so they cover from him as much as they cover for Trump.
I believe the whole Republican party is in this up to their eyeballs and are as corrupt as possible.
19
@nora m
Including 63 million Republican VOTERS.
"...the [Donald Trump] White House is robbing Congress of information vital to protecting our democracy and national security through the exercise of legislative powers."
There are, Mr. Goodman, many reasons for this. On its ugly surface, this administration--and by that I mean the president, his cabinet and his chief officers in regulatory agencies--actually realize the harm they are doing to the country. They simply do not care.
The Ebola virus of willful political ignorance escaped the laboratory with his election and now runs amok. It is rife with unintelligent, unthinking appointees with no grasp of either history or the morality that must play its part in any worthwhile democracy.
But Congress, as you make plain, is also responsible for discovering the underlying truths embedded in the Mueller report. The House seeks a release of the un-redacted version. The Senate is another matter entirely. As I wrote above, "they simply do not care." The upper chamber is peopled by those who represent not the interests of their constituents but of the administration. Would it be judgmental for a citizen to doubt the Senate's sincerity in uncovering potentially fatal threats to our government? Many of them are aware of the president's obfuscations and deliberate attempts to torpedo the Constitution for his personal ends. Yet, the Senate, and the Attorney General, have his back.
It seems, then, that the president's supporters are in determined alignment with Russia's sabotage.
2
The subtitle "congress needs the full report to protect our elections from foreign adversaries," is funny, because one thing it proved, is that we need protection from domestic adversaries more. Spying on a political campaign with no evidence of wrongdoing is treasonous. It was a coup attempt.
4
@PJ ABC You might want to double check that "no evidence of wrongdoing" bit, and then read the Mueller report. Even in the redacted version the public is allowed to see, there's plenty of solid evidence of obstruction.
5
@PJ ABC You might want to double check that "no evidence of wrongdoing" bit, and then read the Mueller report. Even in the redacted version the public is allowed to see, there's plenty of solid evidence of obstruction.
Also, when a president clearly sides with nondemocratic regimes and discredits the information of his own government's intelligence, there is sufficient reason to suspect the integrity of that president. The number and type of indictments people serving him have received is also indicative.
3
@PJ ABC Following up on reports that a political campaign has had multiple contacts with a hostile foreign adversary is not spying, it's investigating for the sake of American security. What's treasonous is to make excuses for those who welcomed Russia's interference with open arms (instead of alerting the FBI) and later lied about knowing about it, who want to pretend the Russian interference was a "hoax" and by doing so leave America vulnerable, and to accuse American intelligence agencies of attempting to overthrow the government.
1
When all this Russian interference was going on Donald Trump was a private citizen. Our government leaders, Obama, Biden, AG Lynch, Comey, Brennan, Clapper were in charge of our safety and security where were they? What did they know when did they know it and what steps if any were taken to protect us? Or were they all too busy watching Trump while doing their own "interfering" with the electoral process.
2
@Sophie Marie "Or were they all too busy watching Trump while doing their own "interfering" with the electoral process."
They were "watching trump" because that was the nexus of Russian interference. They did not interfere, with the election, they consciously tried to do the opposite.
Then they should have been watching Hillary Clinton because of the Clinton connections with Russia and the Clinton foundation and the GPS Fusion dossier she bought originated in Russia. And where is the FISA warrant on Senator Dianne Feinstein who had a driver spying for China for twenty years? This was selective prosecution. The Washington insiders wanted Hillary not Trump to win.
1
Stop fighting the last election because the cost will be a loss in the next election. The Democrats, rather than presenting a united front of policies, are seemingly destined to continue to fight the outcome of the 2016 election. Yes, Trump is dreadful and hopefully Biden is correct that Trump is an anomaly in the annuals of presidents. Yet the public is weary of the longest episode of sour grapes ever recorded. The Democrats have become the party of whiners and it detracts from the more important job ahead. The Democrats have 18 months to get their act together to defeat Trump and at this point, it is discouraging.
5
@dudley thompson
Joe Biden has been part and parcel of the problem since the 1970s. But, yes, the Democrats can maybe claw some sense of legality back into U.S. politics, but they also do not have clean hands. We've need a better class of voters and a better class of politicians.
1
The President is not above the law and has repeatedly broken it . This one is an autocrat supported by oligarchs both domestic and international. This is a nation doomed should the House hesitate. A Traffic Court can issue a bench warrant for a speeding ticket. Put that in perspective, the Commander in Chief sworn to uphold the Constitution is intent on violating and discarding the basic tenets of those papers.
5
@rhdelp
We have a theocracy, building since 1979, not yet an autocracy. Trump Inc. takes direction from McConnell Inc.
Whom and which corporate, religious, financial banking and/or foreign powers Mitch McConnell takes direction from is the taproot poison in America.
This is a power grab by the President and his Republican cronies; testing the limits of the legislative and judicial branches of government, and in the process, stall Trump's impeachment.
3
Democrats in the House should hold weekly committee meetings on the Mueller Report. It's loaded with details on obstruction of justice.
Hold press conferences. Invite experts such as Ryan Goodman, who penned this article.
Spotlight the failings of this president by public exposure of the document itself. And discuss every revelation, such as today's article on Deutsche Bank.
Stop waiting on Barr and Trump. Get this all out in the public eye. Teach the Mueller Report. And every investigative article on this administration!
4
‘If you want a search warrant you have to prove to the Mob’s satisfaction that you’ll find evidence against it’?
6
This article doesn't go anywhere near far enough.
Our tax dollars paid for the report, the branches of government and the personnel who did the investigation.
It's ours. WE the people have the right to see everything and anything about Trump and his cronies, from before the election to right now.
Secrecy is the enemy of democracy.
There are too many closed-door briefings and testimonies, too much redacted, too many FOIA requests taking forever, too much stonewalling.
Hundreds of millions of tax dollars are in the Pentagon and spy agency's black budgets where whose money it is have no idea what's being done.
Yes, Trump is a threat to democracy. But the system as it is now isn't a democracy. We the people have no real control, and there's no accountability, for government corruption at every level.
2
We can only hope someone on Speaker Pelosi's staff brings this column to her attention immediately! It is past time to move forward and quit playing nice with the Administration. Start the investigation today, please.
3
Sure. Trump has been investigated ad nauseam by everyone and his brother based on totally false allegations and other lies by the Democrats and their BFFs in the media 24/7 for 2 years or more and because the results didn't prove what they accused him of and the accusations were essentially determined not to be true and there was insufficient or no evidence that Trump committed a crime the Democrats are still sticking to their hoax and want to investigate him again. Let it go, it is over. If you want to remove Trump from office don't do it with lies and hoaxes do it at the ballot box. I know the Democrats will continue to try to lie their way all the way to the 2020 elections but that is par for their course and expected. Trump is not the one who is endangering our democracy, it is the people who tried to overturn a fair and proper election with false accusations and lies.
1
@NYChap What about the indictments of so many people who worked with him or for him? Is he simply so ignorant or gullible that he hires bad people? That in itself should be a concern, if you think him innocent.
The man lies, demonstrably, all the time. If you don't think he tells political lies, what do you think about his claim that Ted Cruz's father played a part in the assassination of JFK? His history of making derogatory comments about women, often based on their looks? (Or perhaps that's one of the things you like about him?) His vilification of McCain, especially considering his own avoidance of national service? His pretending that he didn't know who David Dukes is? The size of the crowd at his inauguration and at other rallies. The list goes on.
1
@NYChap: Gee, where was your same letter during the last 7 years of the Obama Administration when the Republicans shut down the Congress with their witch hunting? Need I remind you of "Benghazi? I bet you approved of it then
2
Commence an impeachment inquiry now! Stonewalling and ignoring subpoenas will not be sanctioned by the courts. Trump has truly self impeached. he is counting on getting a slap on the hand and playing the victim card like Bill Clinton.But Trump's offenses are not lies about infidelity and secret sex. They are much more serious than Andrew Johnson and Richard Nixon. Except that Trump has so far succeeded in keeping his party in line and closed off prosecution of his inner circle since inauguration.
Time for Robert Mueller and Don McGhan to be country first and for the impeachment inquiry to commence.Democrats need to be solidly behind the inquiry and not exhibit anger over the sordid state of the Presidency. This is about the future of our democracy.
4
isn't it treasonous to believe or advocate trump is stonewalling?
if not, it soon will be.
3
It's an epic battle between the perks of privilege and the perps of privilege.
Some say that Mueller didn't dig deep enough. My feeling is he want just far enough to let Trump and the GOP off the hook. Obama would have been in jail by now. Mueller failed
What the Trump Administration is doing is continuing to obstruct justice. Simple to understand.
7
For all intents and purposes, US ‘democracy’ is already dead. The US Constitution is little more than a piece of paper with very elegant words written on it and only as strong as the people who are expected to enforce it. The 2016 election of Trump represented a qualitative shift in US ‘democracy’ bringing to power the most reactionary/rightwing government in US history. Consider what Trump has ‘accomplished’ 2 years in office. He: passed a $700 billion military appropriation, a large tax cut primarily benefiting the wealthiest segments of the US population and appointed Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and thus, the Catholic Church is now playing a major role in the courts decisions. In addition, Trump has managed to attack immigrants, impose economic sanctions and tariffs and trade wars on virtually any country, and essentially declare war on Venezuela and Iran. We are also well on the way to criminalizing abortion. Equally troubling is that Trump has managed to mainstream/normalize fascism in US society- on vivid display at a recent Trump campaign rally in Florida, when an attendee suggested that migrants entering the US should be shot. Trump apparently responded with a ‘joke’. As we are seeing with trade, Democrats, like Mark Warner (net worth circa $250 million) are only too eager to jump on Trump’s China-bashing campaign. See- Toward an American Revolution: Exposing the Constitution and Other Illusions by Jerry Fresia (book)
2
The White House is robbing Congress of vital information needed to protect our democracy?
That could be called "colluding" with the perpetrators?
2
It's a welcome sign of the times that a Gen Y (aka Millennial) Republican Congressman, Justin Amash (from Michigan, one of Trump's winning states in 2016) has called for Donald Trump's impeachment. Will the full Mueller Report and underlying documents provide a stepping stone to the impeachment of president Trump? Look back 22 years and see that President Clinton was impeached for far less important reasons.
The beat goes on, but is slow to pick up adherents in the Congress who have read and understood the Mueller Report and its 4 page summary of conclusions (favoring the president "No collusion! No obstruction! Total exoneration!", DJT 4/19) by his Attorney General, Bill Barr.
Time is of the essence. The president and his administration are stonewalling all of Congress's demands for documentation from Trump appointees in the White House.
Congressional oversight is gone with the Trump wind. Democracy is at risk, but then it's been at risk since Trump ran for our presidency and won.
1
"... the White House is robbing Congress of information vital to protecting our democracy and national security through the exercise of legislative powers."
This White House is only interested in protecting Individual #1. Not democracy.
1
Time may be running short but it will never matter to Trump's supporters.
1
The full report, with the exception of legally restricted grand jury testimony, has been available for weeks for any member willing to go to the Dept. Of Justice to read it. Fact is, the Dems would rather beat everyone over the head about this than do anything.
1
Democrats are badly losing the PR battle to Trump and need to wake up. The top stories in today's NYT are about New York taxi drivers and 'Australia's China Challenge'. Over at the WAPO, it's 'States take on Climate'. Mueller, the Russia investigation and bringing Trump to justice are rapidly fading from public attention. If Democrats aren't going to pull the impeachment trigger, they need to at least have hearings and start holding people refusing subpoenas in contempt with real consequences in order to get in the news cycle.
2
"Mr. Goodman served as special counsel to the general counsel of the Department of Defense."
And yet he does not know that showing grand jury testimony, without a specific court order, is illegal. Shame on him!
Nadler doesn't want to ask a court for permission since he knows that his motives are flimsy and he is likely to be rejected, and that would be a political embarrassment. So he keeps asking for illegality, and isn't even interested to look at the 99.95% declassified report which is available to him in the same building. All he cares for is mindless harassment of the POTUS, which he believes is what he was elected to do, the whole point of his professional life.
Fortunately, right now the perpetrators of the Russia collusion hoax, Comey, Clapper and Brennan are in deep trouble and ratting on each other. Four or five agencies are coming after them.
Obama's incompetence in 2016 to counter the Russian interference is blatant. In 2018, Trump conducted a cyberattack on Russia to prevent interference. Which is why we hear about Russian interference in 2016, under Obama, and not in 2018, under Trump.
After the perps of the collusion hoax are put away, the House can impeach Trump for defending his innocence.
For comical effect.
2
Every time I read a report detailing yet another way in which Trump is endangering our democracy, I have the same response: anger at Trump, quickly followed by frustration that our political system has so much room for these kinds of things to happen. Seen that way, Trump is just a symptom -- a clear signal -- that somewhere along the way we all allowed the presidency to assume aspects of royalty. Trump will be gone soon enough; the real danger to democracy is if we don't use the Trump presidency as a spark to fix the gaping legal holes in our political system.
4
The world has had many examples of what a very bad leader looks like, and here we present the American representative to that group, Donald John Trump.
The fact that Trump is unhinged from reality doesn't surprise me, but the utter cowardice and almost inhuman greed of the Senate Republicans led by McConnell does turn my stomach.
Sure, let us see the full report. But I hold little hope it will do anything to turn the tide in the Senate, for we are in the worst of political wars, a racist civil war that is led by the slaver South to maintain minority white suppression of the poor and the powerless. They hated Obama because he was black, not because of his ideas.
Money laundering may one day "get"Trump, but until we have vote by mail for all states, for all elections, we will have little chance to defeat the gerrymandered South.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
2
I get congressional oversight and I also get Adam Schiff's personal and public loathing for Donald Trump. To me it's obvious. Perhaps if Adam had kept his mouth shut about it instead of using it as a shtick to book a regular spot on Rachel's show every night we wouldn't be confronted with constitutional crisis of TV personalities own making.
Republicans became more like a cult during the Reagan years. They separated themselves from the government for the people, by believing they are closer to some God and should have the power to control, not lead.
In not investigating the finances of Trump the "Mueller Report" is useless. Everyone knows 'follow the money' is usually where most of the answers are, Mueller followed everything that could not be impeachable with a solid case.
Integrity has a double meaning when you are a Republican working to solve the crimes in a Democrat investigation.
2
What is really interesting is all the behavior of the lawyers that Trump employs to continual his criminal activities. Don't the bar associations of states respond to criminal activity by lawyers? Lying under oath could end with the average American being charged with perjury but the top lawyer in the government lies under oath? It is a shrug of the shoulders. Lawyers on tape attempting to influence testimony of a witness and everyone shakes their head. The legal ridiculous of the Republicans' behavior is infecting all aspects of American life. It is especially undermining the legal profession as well as the Presidency. The lawyers involved in the Trump lies and cover ups need to be prosecuted - their behavior isn't zealous representation but criminal behavior.
5
Without Congress having the last word and access to all information the Republican Party has turned the US into a despotic state. A tyrant rules when there is no oversight and an agreeable SC will simply put the imprimatur on these despicable actions. It was a nice Republic while you had it.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Trump is not only a threat to our democracy but also our national security. However, the Senate Republicans who enable him are the real danger. If McConnell, Graham and other GOP toadies showed some spine and told Trump to respect congressional oversight or face impeachment, he would be forced to comply. Instead, they have put party over country to their lasting shame.
3
It's not Trump's position, or even the administration's position. It's the position of the Republican party and THAT's the problem.
They know full well they're supporting and enabling a felon and traitor, yet they do it anyway.
It's time to vote them ALL out. Support a Democrat in 2020 on both the federal and state level. Donations, phonebanks, texting, postcards all good ways to support a candidate (s). Vote like your liberty depends on it. It does.
1
Isn’t releasing grand jury testimony against the law? Isn’t that why it’s redacted? Isn’t the full report with only light redactions available in a secure location? Has chief investigator Nadler even read it?
I smell a rat with this.
he pretends doesnt know the law or the facts.
1. congress is not legally entitled to this report.
2. grand jury data and other data are not allowed, by law, to be published
3. 99% of the report can be viewed as we speak by congress
this is a farce and a circus. trump derangement syndrome.
1
Hundreds of innocent citizens will suffer ruin and character assassination if hostile Democrats ever get their hands on the entire report. The pursuit of justice is traditionally a sober undertaking, not an emotional free-for-all. Democrats aren't interested in justice. Its vengeance they want. They're furious that President Trump interrupted their globalist aspirations.
Its clear they're much more interested in an "undermine role" than an "oversight role."
1
Unfortunately the GOP, especially the Senate, is enabling Trump to flout the law, disregard ethics, and avoid any hint of accountability. IMO, they are equally guilty, guilty, guilty.
3
This is nothing new. Rich people are above the law and have been for quite some time. Trump simply makes it very obvious that our laws are fake. The purpose of the laws is to keep poor people down. Every cop, lawyer, judge and politician knows this truth about the laws and they willingly take part in the corrupt implementation of them. A criminal sits in the oval office. Our supposed system of justice will do nothing, because that is what they have always done when it is a wealthy person breaking the law.
Trump would have to embrace socialism in order to offend his wealthy comrades and his Russian mentor.
I'm sick to death hearing about the "red line" he's drawn around his family and his businesses as it's meaningless! Although he, his Attorney General and his army of sycophants (including most Republicans in Congress) are doing everything possible to protect him from impeachment and prosecution otherwise, that red line will disappear faster than a New York minute. Can't wait for that to happen!
1
Keep in mind that the Times is concurrently running an article that voters doing poorly in rust belt states are not abandoning Trump.
They like his message about China and immigration. And they’re not bothered by his habitual lying or petulant tantrums.
So what does this mean? It means that the Democrats (and I’m a member of the Party) are chasing their tails about Mueller.
In another article, I see a headline that Kamala Harris has a plan to close the gender gap. I laughed because THAT’S really going to attract the white middle class in flyover country!
1
Trump believes he is protected from prosecution by being president. He will say and do anything to protect this status. He has no moral compass and further, exhibits many characteristics of a sociopath. I believe he will, in time, serve as a clarion call to fundamentally change our fractured democracy for the better.
1
This article, like most of the partisan anti-Trump punditry on this issue, is both silly and disingenuous. Congress doesn't want the entire unredacted Mueller report (or Trump's financial records) for any legitimate oversight purpose. It wants to dig through confidential materials, and then illicitly disclose the contents it believes will hurt Trump to the public--through illegal leaking, or some other means. Should the courts grant Congress access to these materials, but impose an iron-clad gag order on redisclosure, Nadler et al will rapidly lose interest in the entire charade.
1
We has always claimed that we live in a land of laws. Trump has demonstrated to us that that we are simply inhabiting a land of conventions.
1
Well, gee, if only there was a Legislative Body that could change the Laws that are written now and thereby make it legal, and even mandatory, that Congress receive that un-redacted report. Hard to believe the Founders forgot to include that, oh wait, they didn't. Don't like the law that is being followed Congress CAN change it. This Congress protect against our adversaries? Didn't Obama tell Putin to 'knock it off'? What's left to do?
1
Trump's stonewalling isn't just about hiding his crimes.
It's also about ensuring Russian help in his re-election effort.
This is why he shows zero interest in stopping Russian manipulation of U.S. politics - he knows Russia is a key asset for his campaign.
Article III of Nixon's Articles of Impeachment was for failure to comply with Congressional subpoenas.
“Puts?” The past tense is “put.” American democracy is over, isn’t it? A dubiously elected usurper, half of Congress unwilling to uphold its oath of office and a population so divided that half of them don’t care. Democracy is not a default position. It has to be worked at, strived for. Half a country can’t do that on its own.
These days the neutered GOP party knows they CANNOT WIN elections without help..So, in that party "loyalty" submission, that Putin instilled, when he created and funded the Tea party insurgents, they look away from the train wreck their own desperation has created.
Truly, their fear is the only thing larger than their obedience to those that keep the party alive.......
They simply cannot let how deeply corrupted our system is become open knowledge. I believe their need to move on stems from the real fear of more attention to this issue could result in criminal prosecutions. On many levels of power.
Absolutely required reading for any American worthy of their citizenship.
Trump is not interested in anything but protecting Trump. For one thing the Congress has the power of impeachment and the necessity to to investigate whether the laws it passes and the constitution is followed. This should be the goal of all three branches, but it is especially necessary when it seems one of them has slipped off the rails. If and when the Justice Department controlled by a corrupt boss does not do its boss, Congress must do its job and see that laws passed by them are enforced. Republicans have applied this against Democrats countless times,and it is ridiculous for them to claim now that this vital Congressional function no longer applies when the corrupt Trump runs rough shod over our laws and constitution..
This democracy is at grave peril indeed, and Trump's stonewalling, to delay the confirmation of his crooked ways, is akin to fascism seen in dictatorships, ready and willing to trample on their people, by placing themselves above the law. This institutionalized violence must be fought against now, and not wait till the 2020 elections, as if this climate of intrigue and corruption were the 'new normal'.
The Mueller report & the White House response come from different 'rule books.' The report Is (apparently) a long account of events, in the considered language of an assessment.
The White House response is a Trump lead smear, where the bully grabs a black marker and wipes out whatever he doesn't like. We need to take away the power of the smear, and bring back the actual document. This way he is functioning like a dictator.
Let's face it. There is only one way to get the Trump administration to be forthcoming on all of this. The House committees must use the full force of "inherent contempt," which allows them to send the offending Trump administrators to jail. Nothing short of the threat of jail time will move this criminal administration.
It should go without saying that it's also the President's responsibility to protect our democratic processes from outside influences. In consistently denying Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, the President is seriously derelict in his duty. I agree with former CIA Director John Brennan: President Trump is committing treason, pure and simple.
1
Congress needs the FULL Mueller Report. Which would require Mr. Mueller to return to his investigation and determine how it came about that an opposition-paid "dossier" (paid through a cut-out) came to form the basis for the (ridiculous-on-its-face) proposition that the Trump campaign "colluded" with the Russians and President Putin.
That chapter in the report seems to be missing. Possibly it was redacted? Or more likely, simply ignored. Either way, it needs to be explained by Mr. Mueller.
The other part of the Mueller Report (which I have actually read, unlike most people) that is missing: the date on which Mr. Mueller concluded that there had been no collusion. From that date forward, every single day that he allowed the toxic over-hang of the collusion accusations to poison the political discourse in the USA is shameful. Shame on him for prolonging it.
Trump's obsequious behavior toward Putin; his pursuit of a major business deal in Russia throughout his campaign, and his consistent lies about that; his denial of Russian sabotage in his favor against the 2016 election; the over-100 contacts between Russian officials and business figures by members of Trump's campaign entourage; Trump's consistent fudging over the matter of sanctions against Russia for its various criminal behaviors; his secret discussions with Putin, which he still refuses to unveil and resists all attempts at even government review; and his clear attempts, regardless of Mueller's reserve, at obstructing all attempts to investigate his actions. There is, for instance, no other legitimate way to interpret his hundreds of denunciations of the Mueller probe as it was silently progressing as anything other than attempts to impede justice.
And this does not even get into what we already know about the irregularities and likely crimes of the Trump Organization, The Trump Foundation, the Trump Inaugural Committee and the corruption and dysfunction of the president's administration itself.
The point is: if it is true that where there's smoke, there's fire, then the Trump regime and all major figures in it are a perpetual funeral pyre for the last remains of good government in America.
Trump has always used bullying to get his way. Now he has a gang along with the Russians and the bully pulpit to enforce his personal rules and creative non-laws. He will do what ever he wants if it protects him and/or puffs up his ego.
Trampling our laws and the constitution is a byproduct of the Trump/Barr approach. They need all the protection they can get or we will all see these phonies for what they are. Members of the House need some spine stiffening or we will lose this battle. We should have been in court from the first sign of resistance. Impeachment now will probably not work because the election is too close and the Senate is a reflection of Trump.
“that Congress must demonstrate to the administration’s satisfaction that the information would serve a “legitimate legislative purpose.”
Incorrect.
The job of President is a “public service” job. In other words, “ a public servant.” Therefore, transparency is the key; the public has the right and obligation to know how their ‘servant’ is serving their interests.
Follow the money, follow the money, follow the money. Deutsche Bank is corrupt, Trump is corrupt, Kushner is corrupt, the GOP is corrupt, and Putin is corrupt.
Nothing more than a den of corruption. Fleece the populace, fleece the country, line your pockets, defer, deflect, deny. Both the motivation and the evasion are as old as time.
But what these immoral people always seem to forget is that the truth always comes out.
It always comes out...eventually.
1
This kind of obstructionism is an impeachable offence and the best way to deal with a president who has no respect for division of powers.
OK. So, aside from complaining, what do you propose to actually DO about it?
This is all being played out like a Tom Clancy novel. The president is immoral, illegal, incompetent and overreaching, and nothing stands in his way. Where's the Constitution? Where are the checks and balances? Where's the separation of powers? Where are the profiles in courage?
This morning, a Times article about the malfeasance of Deutsche Bank regarding the Trump/Kushner accounts topped the front page at 5:30 but dropped to third or fourth from the top in a couple of hours. We're no longer talking about Nadler or Barr or Schiff or Mueller. All that has been co-opted by tariffs and trade deals with China and whether or not the U.S. will go to war with Iran. Trump is manipulating the national conversation away from all his illegal and unconstitutional issues. That, apparently, is the true Art of the Deal. And everyone seems to follow the newest, brightest object, and away from the cancerous infection in the middle of it all.
Last night, I re-watched "Game Change." It was an extraordinary prelude to what has happened to the U.S. in the ensuing 10 years. All the things Palin was excoriated for - her lack of any depth of knowledge, her inexperience, her incoherence, her egocentricity, her dangerous rabble-rousing populism - have been appropriated by Trump. We thought we'd dodged a bullet in 2008. We forgot guns have more than one chamber.
Things Donald J Trump does NOT care about:
The United States
Women
People of color
LGBTQ
Anyone not very wealthy
Integrity of the presidency
Soldiers (except as photo-op props)
Health insurance
Allies
Our environment
Paying taxes
Laws
Constitution
Oath of Office
Reading
History
Honesty
Loyalty (except to him)
Christianity
Working people
Things Donald J Trump DOES care about:
Stealing
Cheating
Lying
Staying out of prison
His eggshell ego
He will never cooperate because he is a criminal. Criminals do not hand prosecutors the evidence of their crimes. He does not care how much damage it does to the country because he does not care about the country.
Its about time for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Trump probably doesn't know what truth is, has never experienced being truthful.
We might think more of him if he tried facing it and even being truthful himself. But like Jack Nicholson said in a movie and might say to him now, "You can't handle the truth."
We can. And we want to hear it.
Perhaps Congress needs to hire Mr. Mueller to prepare a similar type of report for them. Mr. Trump is even more of a risk to our country than we imagined. Aren't you glad you voted for Hillary, aren't you ashamed if you didn't.
'Legitimate legislative purpose'..more likey opportunity to continue what started with the Steele dossier salacious details 2 yrs ago, ie Russian misinformation pushed by Democrats and leaked by rogue FBI agents. Anyone who believes Nadlers motives are pure is being duped more than taxi drivers paying millions for medallions.
1
in Watkins v. United States (1957), the Supreme Court held that the power of Congress to conduct investigations is broad but not unlimited. According to Cornell Law School, the court found that “a congressional investigation into individual affairs is invalid if unrelated to any legislative purpose.”
What is the legislative purpose of the House Oversight Committee’s request for Trump’s financial records from years before he became president?
If the committee has reason to suspect Trump committed bank fraud or tax fraud, it should send a criminal referral to the FBI.
The purpose of the current congressional investigations into the possibility that the president obstructed justice are obviously not legislative. They are criminal investigations launched because congressional Democrats democrats are disappointed with the Mueller report.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/354/178
1
"If the committee has reason to suspect Trump committed bank fraud or tax fraud, it should send a criminal referral to the FBI."
Exactly. "Watkins" is very explicit:
"Nor is the Congress a law enforcement or trial agency."
Unfortunately, that is badly worded -- the Court should have said:
"Nor is the Congress a law enforcement _agency or a court of law_."
Mr. Goodman: you do realize that the Mueller Report is deader than a doornail, don't you? It's time to move on to a real scandal -- say, Joe Biden's interference in the Ukraine prosecutor's investigation of his son's "investments." Regardless, the more the Progressive candidates howl about the Mueller Report, the more voters will turn against them.
1
The major job of the U.S. Congress is to pass laws that serve the best interests of the majority of its citizens, not conduct endless investigative fishing expeditions for political gain. The Mueller investigation is just the latest of such wastes of time and money that began with the motive of proving that Donald Trump was a bad person, no matter what the facts would show. I believe that the primary reason Mr. Trump was elected is that the electorate was disgusted with the willingness of their elected legislators in both parties to participate in such nonsense at the expense of dealing with serious issues like immigration, healthcare reform, the economy, etc. The only solution appears to be complete replacement of the too-long serving congressional power mongers, many of them octogenarians who should long ago have retired, with new faces whose sole objective is to serve the country’s best interests.
1
Incomprehensible that the Dems aren’t powerful enough to have the report by now, and that the Repubs aren’t sincere enough to care about it.
And Mueller is floating off in space somewhere.
We don’t deserve any better, apparently.
72
@James
Well if Pelosi would stop dithering and showcase Trump's many criminal actions with an impeachment investigation, she would force a showdown in this battle.
Instead Pelosi is just letting Trump get away with his daily punch in Congress's gut as he boastful defies Congress and strips them of their power.
Pelosi is ENABLING Trump's egregious behaviors to be viewed as perfectly normal.
6
@James
What is incomprehensible is your belief that if only you see every word in the report you will find the 'truth' you are looking for, and if even one word is hidden from you that truth is forever denied to you.
1
@GregP
How do you explain the desperation in hiding the full Mueller report from the responsible body, the Congress?
12
I share Mr. Goodman's optimism about judicial reaction to the Administration's ludicrous arguments until this gets to the Supreme Court. Perhaps the Court will do the right thing, but the fact that one has to say "Perhaps...." pretty much describes the sad state of affairs in our country.
6
The article is great and the comments are intelligent. I have a question about distraction. While all this is going on, what is really happening to the environment, to energy, to American institutions? Once in a while we see that ball dropped in education. We read about Secretaries who ask their employees to do wrong things. Are those tips of the iceberg?
It's important to get to the bottom of the Mueller report, but I wonder what else we are destroying. How do we know?
3
I agree 100% with Mr. Goodman's analysis. But here's what so strange. I'm not an expert on the Constitution and I'm not even a lawyer.
We now need legal experts like Mr Goodman to say obvious common sense things like "Access to the Mueller report would inform policy-making and it is Congress' right (and duty!) to read it." There's nothing especially subtle or difficult here that would, before the Trump era, justify bringing out constitutional law experts to explain that. It just another way that the insanity of the White House is being normalized.
11
The tax records issue before Judge Mehta arises out of a specific statute on point, a statute that also includes a requirement that the information be held in confidence, i.e., in closed session. The other material concerning the Mueller report is of a different sort, and is not covered by the tax records statute. Mr. Goodman is blurring different issues. There is some but not entire overlap in the general arguments.
Generally speaking, the problem today is that there is an excess of distrust between the branches and the political parties exceeding traditional levels. This is not solely Trump's fault.
@Dave Oedel No, the problem today is that Trumpists and Republicons are encouraging other countries to meddle in our elections.
Trump and the Republicans are acting like they are expecting foreign help (don't call it interference or meddling) in the 2020 election. The way they've been running the country they need it.
3
The potential political gain to be had by Trump & the GOP via these stalling tactics is only one part of this.
More seriously this stalling keeps us from learning and preventing in 2020 a repeat of the tactics that corrupted the 2016 election so severely.
15
The Trump administration's behavior in this case has never been about protecting our democracy. It has only been about protecting Trump.
33
The Treasury Department has grafted the same three words-"legitimate legislative purpose" onto the statute that compels the Department to produce, without exception, Trump's tax returns. Solution; another provision of the tax code provides criminal penalties for those interfering in the code's administration. Jail Mnuchin. Sanction the DOJ lawyers under Rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Rules for advocating bad faith and frivolous positions - and impose fines on Trump and DOJ lawyers personally.
32
@bikegeezer. Who will enforce any order from Congress? William Barr is not going to surrender to the Sargent at Arms. He might very well defy federal court orders. Who else is Congress going to send to enforce their power? The Boy Scouts of America?
1
@Michael Judges have inherent authority to impose sanctions on lawyers appearing before them. If they impose fines those lawyers will pay or never appear in front of that judge again.
There never was any legitimate reason for this investigation. Some of those behind it are in danger of prosecution.
7
@Eugene Windchy.
Russians hacking into voting machines, Trumps lying about Russian contacts, thirty plus indictments doesn't raise an eyebrow?
And how can a guy who lost more money than probably any American tax payer in the span of a decade deal in real estate - in cash?
'never any legitimate reason'?
Even Matlock and Cannon beg to differ.
19
@Eugene Windchy.OK Eugene,it is fine if we just start letting Russians vote outright?
@Eugene Windchy.
Agreed. The Justice Department IG report, unlike the Mueller Report, will recommend many prosecutions.
As we used to say in NYCity when I was a kid, "What are the Democrats waiting for, a trolley car?"
There are three things that they can do NOW:
1. Quote in every subpoena the language of US Constitution, Article 1, last clause: "The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment." Then they should assert that the information requested bears on an investigation as to whether impeachment should or should not be initiated. Of course, they can also give other reasons why the information requested is needed. The administration is on thin ice, but make it explicit.
2. Start to authorize that the House Sergeant at Arms hire sufficient deputies needed to go out and arrest persons who fail to respond to subpoenas issued by the House. Then those persons should be held until they testify (or they can always assert their Fifth Amendment rights) and they should fine such people heavily, say $25,000 a day for every day they fail to testify, Sundays and holidays included.
3. Conduct televised hearings similar to those during Watergate, so that the American people can see what this administration has been up to, and how little regard they have for the US Constitution that they have sworn to uphold.
Then we need to make sure people are registered to vote, and do vote, on November 3, 2020.
Vote every Republican out. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
93
While all of your points are valid, the horrifying truth is that they don't make a difference. What America is slowly awakening to is that we've already lost our democracy. It was stolen from us over decades of behind the scenes power grabbing by an American-style oligarchy. Our elections are cover for what has already been decided, and the voters simply get to authenticate it. The Russian interference merely put an exclamation point on this.
Unless Congress and/or the courts go against the wishes of their donors and do what they haven't done for years by re-asserting the democratic principles of the Constitution, we may already be past the point where elections and democracy matter.
R.I.P. America.
40
@Kingfish52
This has NOT been slow. This has been openly unfolding in front us the American citizenry since 1979. Donald Trump is just another extreme tool in the Republican Party tool kit.
Trump is not that different from Mitch McConnell. Both are doing exactly what Reagan did in 1979+: Rile up the ignorant half of voters by fluffing up their religious egos, telling them it's okay to hate and take away the rights of the other half of the American citizenry. THIS is the very thing the Founders warned against and tried to protect the nascent U.S. against. For 40 years we've been arrogantly testing the limits of democracy vis-a-vis theocracy. We are not yet to autocracy, but only because Donald Trump is too narcissist and stupid to be an autocrat; he takes direction from Mitch McConnell, who very much always has been an autocrat. Shame on the GOP and shame on the Democratic Party, as well, for subjecting the nation and world to this poisonous version of governance for 40 years. All for power, elitist corporatism and ego.
2
After reading the Mueller Report, I couldn’t help wonder if the president ever did any presidential work. He seemed absorbed in covering up his misdeeds. And it seems to continue.
72
Amit Mehta has the power to set a precedent which other courts will likely follow. The Mueller report is obviously a little different because the report contains sensitive material. However, the central question at hand is whether the Trump administration is allowed to use frivolous and/or expansive legal claims to avoid answering subpoenas.
The answer should be a resounding: No. Their plan is to tie everything up in court until after the 2020 election thus defeating the purpose of oversight. Particularly with regard to national security and foreign interference. Mehta has the ability to put the kabash on this strategy. He simply needs to reject Trump's request for a stay on the subpoena while awaiting appeal.
The courts will eventually sort out whether Trump is indeed entitled to prevent third parties from releasing his financial documents. Maybe the courts will say it can't happen again. However, in the meantime, Congress can fulfill their Congressional oversight duties under the current understanding of the law. Congress is entitled to broad subpoena power under the constitution.
That precedent will carry right over into legal discussions concerning national security. The country can't wait.
35
Foreign intervention through social-media isn't the root-cause - an uninformed and non-critical thinking populace is at the root of the problem. While that isn't new (think back to the days of "Yellow Journalism) the problem is exacerbated by the speed of spread that is facilitated by social-media.
As to secrecy: Trump has always hated anyone investigating him. He loves having his opinion in the headlines but digging into his life or the operations of The Trump Organization triggers his malice. After all, he is superior to all other beings and all we are required to do is: do what we are told to do by Trump. As president he has no compunction about digging into your life, but don't mess with his business.
The issue for 2020 isn't beating Trump, it is taking back the reins of government and practicing compromise when drafting legislation.
27
The US is ruled by a tyranny of Trump supporters who do not want evidence that might shine light on the feet of clay that underpins their leader.
These supporters, both in and out of government have chafed under the rules of democracy for decades. The rigged system that Trump complained about was the system they created with their ongoing support for anti-government candidates. Trump represents the ultimate rule breaker and leads them all down the path with only one rule - break it all because these elites with their liberal views in Washington are holding back your success and interfering with your right to a society that reflects only your belief system.
The Trump supporters would rather believe in Trump than in any group of rule abiding democrats.
29
Mr Goodman your informed perspective advising why congress needs the full report and supporting documents is highly appreciated.
However given the obstinate and unyielding position of the administration I would respectfully suggest you need to now write a second piece as to exactly what options congress has to obtain the report in a timely manner and how they might play out.
36
"Time is running short: The electoral calendar won’t bend, and the full threat of foreign interference remains unaddressed."
Which is exactly the point, or rather, the goal of Trump's delay delay delay strategy.
Someone needs to say it plainly: Trump is trying as hard as he can to assist the Russians in attacking and interfering with our 2020 elections.
53
@TMSquared
You are exactly on point and this is what all dems need to be saying now. And whomever debates cadet club foot needs to also say exactly this at the debates over and over again.
3
One of the most disturbing aspects of Donald Trump's "stonewalling" is the way he has painted it as a Democrat-versus-Republican matter in order to whet the appetite of his support base -- when in reality, what he's doing has far more to do with upholding the U.S. Constitution and the laws that govern this country.
And then, there's the question of the impression he's giving that he's got something to hide.
Which undoubtedly, he does, which begs the question:
How are Americans supposed to trust a president who continues to hold himself above the laws, while shrouding himself in secrecy and acting in contempt of Congress?
Or to be more simplistic.
What would Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate and the Department of Justice do, if the preceding President and administration acted this way?
There.
You have your answer.
45
The only way forward, for the Democratic House, is through the courts. The Republican Senate will not convict, in an impeachment trial, unless Donald Trump's approvals fall into the mid twenties and about two thirds of voters favor impeachment. No one should be surprised if there are judges along the way who side with the White House attempt to sideline Congress and tear up the Constitution, in the process. This is a genuine Constitutional crisis. Trump and Barr are just as likely to defy court rulings along the way, using Andrew Jackson as an example. Don't be surprised by any of this. Donald Trump is not going to suddenly become a law abiding citizen and there is not going to be a quick clean resolution. As likely as not, it's going to go all the way to the 2020 elections and beyond.
20
And Congress must have the counter-intelligence report , that was tasked for the legislative body, as well. There are 2 federal judges ( Berman, Sullivan) who have ordered federal prosecutors serving in cases before them to turn over unreacted portions of the special report, not available to Congress and the public. If Barr refuses to have the Justice Department comply, where do we go from there?
16
"define what counts as a 'thing of value' when offered to a campaign by a foreign government agent" It is interesting to me that, obviously, the Trump campaign knew what Russia was offering was a thing of value or they wouldn't have offered polling data to assure that the Russian influence campaign targeted the exact people to get Trump elected (only 75,000 in PA, WI, MI). It is also obvious that the White House continues to 'obstruct justice' by not addressing the 'full threat of foreign interference' in our elections, because the Republicans in leadership and Trump know they benefited from it and it was definitely 'a thing of value' or they would be curbing it versus allowing it to 'remain unaddressed'. How much longer are these folks going to threaten our democracy by their selfish greed for power and wealth? How much longer are, we the people, going to tolerate a government by these oligarchs who don't represent our interests, saying they're not globalist but benefiting more from a global entity than we, as they allow foreign influence to destroy our democracy. We are going to strike, not work or shop for day(s) until they start 'addressing' Goodman's concerns of continued foreign influence. We are NOT going to take the destruction of our democracy sitting down. Justice must be served. The day of reckoning will come.
22
Let's be very clear:
(1) Even in redacted form the Mueller Report made clear Trump and associates engaged in serious felonies and obstruction of justice crimes.
(2) A redaction free report to Congress may provide valuable information on (1) and collusion- which while not proven is by no means precluded. Conspiracies are not easy to prove.
(3) Mueller was weak on the issue of actual charging obstruction against a President. He was weak on pursuing financial crimes that may bear on the issue of collusion. He was weak on proving collusion and conspiracy. It is unclear on which of the aforementioned Barr played a role- essentially circumscribing the conclusions and then presenting the Barr summarized falsification.
Given the above and the level of Administration cooperation in the on-going investigation, the Congressional committees should/must:
(1) Begin impeachment proceedings-intertwining this with on-going investigations. Trump, and the Republicans that are covering for him must pay a price. Our Constitution demands this.
(2) If the Administration will not adhere to subpoenas than officials must face arrest.
Finally, if none of the above takes place than the rule of law has been undermined and the system must be deemed illegitimate. The implications of this are far reaching to both the United States and the world. And those prevaricating politicians that fail to fulfill their responsibilities in these areas will be sorely judged by history.
34
We are facing extraordinary challenges, and it's time for Congress, our only marginally functional branch of government, the Supreme Court, which retains at least a fragment of a reputation, to act--and for our military to do it's job and stay rigorously out of it.
We need the assurances that no matter what Trump and his associates attempt, the Pentagon will not turn against civilian authorities in the name of a rogue "Commander in Chief," but will grant Congress the right of its own Constitutional Authority.
At which time it's necessary to start moving with power on those in contempt.
18
". . . The White House is robbing Congress of information vital to protecting our democracy and national security through the exercise of legislative powers."
Protecting our democracy and national security.
I don't see how a politician's agenda can be any more simpler than that and yet, our democracy and national security is being challenged and threatened on a daily basis.
It's pretty easy to see that the White House is only protecting the president and his overall job security.
42
Until we have representatives who have the courage to stand up for the American people instead of protecting power, we are at risk internally and externally, from foreign powers. They are complicit. This administration and the AG are doing this by abusing their power with the support of the whole Republican party. These people are willing to sell our Democracy and the people that they are sworn to serve down the river, with foreign help. How this plain language is not being used to describe the situation is beyond me. At what point will the press and brave politicians stand up and say these things in such plain terms for the public to hear?
38
@JDH
Sigh. Look behind the curtain at all of your defeats and you will find the same person standing there. Bush v Gore in 2000? Who stood to benefit if Gore was not elected? Who? Hillary that's who but SC get's the blame not the Clinton's who were luke warm to Gore during his campaign. She is defeated in 2008 by Mr. Obama and instead of leaving her on the trash heap of history what does he do? He makes her his SoS and defacto President-In-Waiting, a period of time she uses to sell her influence and get herself in trouble with her email server. Finally we arrive at 2016. Donald Trump is President for one reason and one reason only. Hillary Clinton wanted to be President herself and nothing and no one was going to stop her unless he did. That's why he get's re-elected in 2020 if you insist on someone as distasteful to the voters as she was in 2016.
@GregP
"Finally we arrive at 2016. Donald Trump is President for one reason and one reason only. Hillary Clinton wanted to be President herself and nothing and no one was going to stop her unless he did."
Yes he did. With help from a foreign power among other things....
Although my comment is focused on our current situation, I see equally poisonous politics with the current and past Democratic party. I am no fan of Hillary and am hoping that all can see my comments as calling out the problems on both sides. As well, ignoring the blatant power grab by the Republicans party for the last ten years and their complicit stance on the Russian interference and it's influence on the election, cannot be blamed on HC. She lost for many reasons. Even though she won the popular vote by millions of votes...
I am also not sure how anyone could even begin to see DT as anything but "distasteful". He and the R's are dismantling our Democracy. How you can blame that on anyone but them, is something I cannot fathom.
1
@JDH
When there was a primary and I had a better choice I voted for Rubio. When I did I knew Rubio was never going to be the Nominee and I knew who I was voting for in the General Right Then. Nothing Russia did influenced me and nothing I did to convince my democratic friends to vote for Bernie changed their minds. Bottom line is this: Hillary gave a very NICE concession speech where she stated clearly "Donald Trump deserves a chance to lead". He never got that chance from democrats despite that very nice speech. It was just talk after all, she didn't mean a word of it clearly. He gets my vote in 2020 for that reason alone.
And the entire Republican Party, other than perhaps one Michigan Congressman, is complicit, and is thus a threat to democracy and to national security. Yes, I mean that, and it is undeniably true.
75
@CitizenJ
Sadly, there are also opportunistic spineless Democrats who are complicit and who've played handsy go-along-to-get along careerism so much with the GOP since the 1980s that they might as well have switched party affiliation.
1
There hasn't been a single day in the entire tragic saga of this failed Presidency when Trump and his apparatchiks in the federal government haven't been in open violation of large portions of the Constitution.
All of us have known this virtually from the beginning, none of us better than Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham.
For me it hardly makes a difference anymore whether the Democrats can actually oust him from office by way of impeachment.
I just want them to try.
69
Whether you call it collusion or something else, a certain cadre of global billionaires are all on the same wavelength.
20
Well thought out analysis by Goodman. As we stay obsessed with the "collusion" or "no collusion" theme there are a myriad of concerns that need to be addressed in the wake of the Russian interference with the last presidential election. One would think the outline of necessary Congressional action proposed by Goodman would be taken seriously by an administration and the Republican Party with their reputation as being institutionalist. I thought along that a major purpose of Mueller's work was the guide the executive branch and Congress with designing a defense to foreign interference. Trump's all-about-me approach to this and the fact that the Republican Party enables this boorish behavior prevents the country from sensible responses. Sadly a common theme to most issues we face today.
39
Many people say that the best way for the US to rid itself of Trump would be for the public to vote him out of office overwhelmingly. They hold that the most fundamental layer of democracy, the voters, must reject this tyranny. But I disagree. Once a president is elected, for the next 4 years the voters are helpless to whatever abuses he wishes to perpetrate, which is a very dangerous situation. The power of Congress or the courts must kick in, but with the connivance of Barr, Trump has eviscerated Congress merely by refusing to comply with its orders and daring them to do anything about it. If the voters have to vote him out in 2020, with no definitive action from the courts or Congress that would reinforce Congressional power, the country will simply be open to more of the same abuse. You might get a Warren or Buttigieg or Biden for a short time, but sooner or later someone will get in who will exploit what Trump has shown us about how Congress may be flouted with impunity.
119
@Anne Sherrod. Precisely! This is what gives the lie to the idea that impeachment is a useless endeavor since we know Republicans in the Senate will not convict [although, we really don’t know that, do we—we just assume it]. If the impeachment case were brought strongly enough, would they dare not convict is the real question, and it can only be answered by doing what is called for and impeaching the man.
51
@Anne Sherrod: The three branches of the Federal Government are not co-equal. They are ranked Congress at the top, defined in Article I, the executive second, in defined in Article II, and the judiciary third, in Article III. The Congress can impeach and remove presidents and Article III judges.
The present Congress is a collection of fundraising drones parasitizing paralysis. But it still holds the reins.
27
@Anne Sherrod, Yes, may have one of the named people in for a "short time" but we, the voters, need to vote in people in 2020 who will enact laws so Trumpism doesn't happen again. As they did with Watergate. People let those norms go because Watergate was so long ago and thought it can't happen again. Not only did norm busting by a president happen again but it's MUCH worse this time.
22
Staying in office is the number one goal of Republicans in Congress. Putting our democracy at risk by stonewalling on full disclosure of the Mueller report means little or nothing to them. Only in America.
60
@Indigo
Not only in America, far from it.
Every democracy today has been and remains under some form of erosion and attack since the end of WWII, an unfortunate situation that Churchill warned of but FDR and Truman blithely ignored. The straight timeline from there to here, i.e. Trump, exits in other countries and at different boiling points but with the same genesis and basic plan.
And btw, Democrats in Congress play the same "anything to stay in office" game. That's how you end up with 76-year-olds there on the taxayer dole for most of their so-called adult life.
3
Do we need any more evidence of Obstruction of Justice? It is abundantly clear by now that the Republican legislators and team Trump have no intentions other than a permanent take-over of the U.S. government. Democracy is a precious and fragile thing. Even its inventors, the Greeks, couldn't keep it working 2500 years ago. We're not doing any better.
101
@Reed Erskine
A recent NPR interview with the CEO of The Heritage Foundation provided ample proof bearing out your concerns. The organization's plan since it began 50 years ago, has been a long game of eventual takeover of the country with one-party rule in perpetuity.
The combined legacy of Trump and McConnell will live on if the voters cannot remove this tumor of madness in 2020.
2
Trump wants to be an autocrat and his party essentially supports him, why should he care about Democracy?
54
@mjbarr
Yes, let's just try and guess how many of the Republicans will be on board for reforms and new laws.
". . . legislators would very likely benefit enormously by knowing more about a number of things from the pages that have been kept from Congress: how Moscow devised its attempts to penetrate the Trump campaign and the tactical benefits it expected to gain from different parts of the operation, what actions Americans took wittingly and unwittingly to support Kremlin front organizations and WikiLeaks, and why members of the Russian delegation at Trump Tower were not charged with violations of the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Those are just a few of the many pieces missing from the puzzle."
The shear fact that this information continues to be kept from Congress because of "Trump's stonewalling" speaks volumes. It is becoming pretty obvious that the Russian influence is no longer merely "barbarians at the gate". They have entered the premises and are in bed on so many levels.
What shocks and frightens me is that this partnership was allowed, continues to thrive and people like Barr and other Trump supporters don't find fault, criminally or ethically with the actions of Trump.
Congress is not required to show a "specific legislative purpose" in order to have unrestricted access to the full Mueller report, and yet the Trump dance continues.
It's always the missing material, whether it be pages from Mueller's report or the 18 1/2 minutes from the Nixon tapes, that tells the full and true story. If there is nothing to hide and no wrong doing occurred, why omit the intel?
98
The Republican party is complicit in the ending of constitutional democracy in America. The judicial branch has been reduced to a legal defense council for a president that commands the impunity of a totalitarian leader. As the public is still asleep as to what the gravity of our situation is, the final revelation of where we are at may very well be the 2020 election - when this administration is voted out and refuses to leave. It is not hard to surmise this given the bold arrogance of power displayed that now betrays American's constitution.
98
@1blueheron: Your comment raises the disturbing prospect that Donald Trump, in lockstep with the Republican Senate and the Department of Justice, will try to prevent the transfer of power to a victorious Democratic president-elect in 2020-21. The seeds for such a crisis were planted by Mitch McConnell's vow to ensure that Obama would be a one-term president, followed by the GOP's complete rejection of Obama's economic stimulus plan, healthcare overhaul, the government shutdown in 2013 and McConnell's refusal to proceed with the Garland Supreme Court nomination. Given Trump's continuing calls for further criminal investigations of Hillary Clinton, concealment of his tax returns, the firing of Comey and stonewalling over the Mueller Report, it is not far-fetched to imagine that, with the backing of McConnell and even Barr, Trump will refuse to leave office if America's voters deny him a second term.
26
@1blueheron
I doubt matters will be so blatant as refusal to leave office after losing an election. Instead, the election itself will be highly questionable. The counting and reporting of votes will be dubious, but Don the Con and his party will claim victory and refuse any attempts at verification.
One check on this has been that exit polls would report candidate choice as soon as voting closed. We don't see that any more. We get reports on how various sub-groups felt about the issues, but no straightforward "X said they voted for A, Y, said they voted for B." Such reporting is evidence of dodgy elections in places like Ukraine and Zimbabwe, but evidently Americans are no longer given this information.
If I am wrong and such exit poll information is available somewhere, please, anyone, provide the link.
4
@1blueheron. I am not afraid of him not leaving...i am truly afraid he will not be voted out. And even more afraid of how obtuse so many of our citizens are...
4
"In the meantime, the White House is robbing Congress of information vital to protecting our democracy and national security through the exercise of legislative powers."
Yes, it is. That's the whole point. It's abundantly clear even from the redacted report that Trump should be impeached. Once that ball gets rolling, it will be impossible to stop, so the ball must be kept from rolling at all. Hence Trump's current strategy.
The sad thing is that, because Mrs. Pelosi seems to have mislaid her spine, Trump's strategy may well work.
36
@Vesuviano Perhaps the impeachment needs to begin against "let's move on" Nancy. We might then learn a bit more about the war profiteers who lied us into a 9-year trillion dollar war against Iraq, and who are now salivating over the prospect of war against Iran.
1
@Vesuviano--Be patient. She and the rest of the Democrats are gathering evidence.
Like arguing with my wife. Good analysis falls short. Maddening. Hope springs eternal that the base of the gop can accept that there are facts underlying the feeling that Trump is less than a legitimate president. No matter how one slices it, this is at the heart of the Trump story.
7
Lacks legislative merit? Keeping foreign countries from illegal influencing our elections should be top priority for Republicans. For decades Americans have been warned about voting fraud by Republicans. Apparently their concern only applies to certain Americans they believe are fraudently voting or the redistricting of voting maps in certain areas of the country. It well past time to put country before party partisanship!
51
@Independent American The Republicans are fully aware that the Russians are interfering with our elections. Because it benefits them, they are actively in favor of that interference.
15
@Independent American Thank you. The Republican party must cheat to stay on power... They are a minority party, and the know it!
3
I do not blame Trump for putting democracy at risk--he is what he is--a low grade criminal, which, from recent polls the general public agrees with..What do you expect from an individual with no moral or ethical compass. No, the real culprits in this sad trashing of democracy is the Republican party. If Mitch McConnell and his lieutenants went over to the Oval Office and told Trump that he needs to comply with congressional subpoenas or else..that would restore the institutional integrity of Congress. But, no, McConnell, along with Graham and others, are the real culprits in putting democracy at risk.
594
@Amanda Jones
Integrity has left the Republican party. I'm afraid the saying about absolute power is being played out as we watch. Every river starts as a stream, and we need to make sure the obstruction we are seeing is not allowed to make it to the river.
Two years ago we could only imagine what the guy in the White House was capable of doing. My fears have only increased since he has taken office.
The packing of the Courts, issuing legally questionable executive orders, raising taxes on the poor and middle class by calling it tariffs, ignoring Congressional subpoenas, and failing to release the unredacted Mueller report leads one to believe the guy in the White House, since he only plays by his rules, will not leave office when defeated. There will be plenty of lemmings following him off the cliff. What shape will this country be in when they are finished?
55
@Amanda Jones
May the ghost of John Mccain rise from his grave and haunt Graham day and night.
25
@Amanda Jones
You are 100% correct. Trump's voting base consists of sheeple who would be just as happy to turn the USA into a dictatorship. Underlying it all are the Republican politicians who have not one speck of concern for the survival of American democracy. If they did, they could bring the enabling of this garden-variety demagogue to an end very quickly and carry the sheeple along with them. They're not stupid, they see Trump for what he is. But to them, he's a gift. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights? That's so yesterday.
The latest blip is an anomalous comment by Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) calling for impeachment. Crickets...I hear crickets.
17
The entire apparatus of government is being retooled to shield the president from congressional oversight and public scrutiny- the opposite of accountability. Donald Trump expects the attorney general to protect him; he expects the Supreme Court to protect him; and, based on his weekend tweet storm, he expects Fox News to cover only him. That republicans apparently endorse these initiatives, based on their deafening silence, demonstrates what little regard they have for our democracy. The situation is becoming untenable.
90
I love it when someone in the media opines that Trump and his administration are dangerous. Indeed they are and they have been since Inauguration Day 2017. Too many in the media have normalized Trump's dishonesty as a strategy and his law-breaking as a new unique presidential condition. And voila! Here we are with Trump and his administration stonewalling Congress at every turn. Here we are with AG Barr acting as Trump's defense lawyer and protector. Here we are not knowing what the full Mueller Report really says and under what conditions the investigation really ended. Here we are with Trump's cabinet defying Congress and denying it the opportunity to do its Constitutional oversight. Here we are on the edge of autocracy and dictatorship and experienced lawyers like Ryan Goodman are just starting to get worried that things are getting out of hand? Brother, I passed the worry milepost more than a year ago. Where have you been?
161
@Meg
...since even before inauguration day 2017. Trump is no more disgusting and different than he openly was in the 1970s and 1980s.
What's become clear since 2015 is that half of the American people no longer have any standards of intellect and character or much spine. We had loads of it in the 1960s and 1970s. Then it steadily leeched away with Reagan and the careless 1980s. The bad guys won and did so without much effort. Voters especially since 2000 paved the way for today's quagmire...of nearly 20 years. That's the very definition of blind stupid immature drunk on ego and power.
If nothing more, rid the U.S. voter psyche of the ignorant and dangerous concept of American exceptionalism. The only exceptionalism we possess is one of extreme myopic recklessness and arrogance over the last 40 years and certainly over the last 20. Yes, America, there is a cliff and we went over it willingly. There's no magic happy Disney movie ending, there's no one to get us out of it but ourselves.
5
@Maggie
Your post should be a widely broadcast PSA on TV Radio and local papers. Many of the people that would benefit from reading your post are no doubt proponents of tough love. I wonder how many would receive this wisdom with open minds?
Trump’s stonewalling on document production is a continuation of his efforts to obstruct the investigation into the 2016 election interference. And also is a continuation of his failure to fulfill his duty as Commander in Chief to protect and defend the country from foreign enemies.
The fact that he is doing this in plain sight and with the complicity of many of those whom he placed in government doesn’t make the actions innocent. It makes these acts brazen and calculated.
64
@Rita
The inmates are running the asylum.
2
Mueller probably never thought that Trump would hijack his report and keep it from Congress.. I wonder if he knew it before he turned in his report, the report would be more forceful in the obstruction of justice position. I also wonder what are Muller's regrets.
29
@Aurace Rengifo
Well, Mueller's regrets - to the extent that he has any - aren't causing him to declare his intention to testify in open session, are they?
How much has the adoration of Mueller been more wishful thinking by the mainstream press?
2
@Aurace Rengifo--You may be assured Mueller has a copy.
1
It appears that the Trump administration is not that concerned with the legal arguments for or against the release of the full Mueller Report.
The only thing that counts is whether a delay can be engineered until after the 2020 elections. This applies equally to any demand for information or any subpoena regarding anything that is likely to damage Trump's re-election chances.
This President has made it quite clear that he does not care about American democracy, the rule of law, precedent, conventions, the rights of the people or even the people themselves.
He will fall. It is inevitable but how long it will take is what really matters.
76
@RHR
Trump is well-versed in the art of autocracy and weaponizing the courts to stall and divert justice to suit his needs. And who was his personal trainer for this? The infamous Roy Cohn.
Now he has Roy Cohn incarnate with AG Barr. As one contributor noted, why would a lawyer with high credibility (at least among conservatives), working in the high-paying private legal sector, and so close to comfy retirement, expose himself to eventual ridicule, not to mention a less-than-honorable place in the history books?
2
The legislative justification for getting the full Mueller report is well stated. But in these legitimate arguments are exceptions that must oppose.
Over the last two administrations our government has become more and more secretive. The designation of routine documents as 'classified' has been vastly expanded, so much so that historians and even librarians have been frustrated in their efforts to compile basic information.
To expand federal laws against trafficking in stolen property to cover certain emails would erect another barrier to uncovering government malfeasance.
This would be a grave mistake and be more anti-democratic than anything the Russian's have done.
It would also threaten press freedom. By including Wikileaks in this scattershot approach it would force all media, including the NYTimes to choose between doing its job and reporting government wrongdoing at the risk of prosecution.
While today Wikileaks is in the governments sights, tomorrow it could be any media outlet that published information from "stolen emails" which the Times has done on numerous occasions.
Our government has hidden too much, too often and for too long behind the over classification of its work as national security matters.
As we debate these issues let's not forget that we the people are the ultimate check and balance against each branch of government.
Congress should respond to these issues with legislation that protects, not legislation that hides.
8
@Drspock
Wikileaks originally was performing journalistic functions.
But it became a propaganda arm of Putin.
We need to understand all that happened in 2016 before we can legislate wisely.
@Rita
Dear Rita, While Russia may have used some Wikileaks material for its own purposes, the material itself was quite damning regardless of who published it.
Without it would we have known that our ally, Saudi Arabia was funding the very ISIS fighters that were trying to kill American soldiers?
Some truths are enlightening and some teach us a very dark lesson about who we are.
The least democratic arm of government, the federal judiciary ruled over by the Supreme Court, is being run over by the federalist ideology. It is elitist. It protects property rights over all other rights, including the right to fair and free elections. It's in Trump's bag, in other words. I believe one federalist judge has already ruled that any social program is unconstitutional. Castrating Congress will be a piece of cake. Bye bye Democracy in the US.
28
So, we have a crisis. The Legislative branch must simply sue for the release of the full report ASAP, get the matter before the courts, and the Judiciary will either uphold democracy or it won't. Let's go. (My bet: Mitch and Don have stacked them enough that the result will be totally totalitarian.)
21
There is a law that stated when redacted materials can be disclosed to Congress. The proper way to argue for disclosure is to quote the law and to explain how it requires disclosure here. Any argument that doesn’t do that is either hiding the ball or unaware of the law or written by someone who thinks the law is too complicated for us to understand. Some sources approach the issue correctly. I don’t believe that the rest are helpful.
6
@michjas
There is a law that stated when redacted materials can be disclosed to Congress.
******
Democrats don't want their voters to know what the law actually is. Better to have everyone believe Trump is hiding something, which they claimed even before the report was even released.
Trump’s lawyers know their argument is weak to the point of being frivolous. None of these contentions are made in good faith. It’s all a stall tactic. Nothing more and nothing less.
Trump doesn’t think about balance of powers. He’s unconcerned about any constitutional issues. All he cares about is protecting himself.
353
@Demosthenes As a retired lawyer, I find most astonishing the fact that Trump has found lawyers who are willing to support - presumably with straight faces - entirely frivolous arguments. Every lawyer is an "officer of the court" and, as such, is expected to refuse to make such arguments. That is not to say that a lawyer cannot argue that precedent should be over-turned - but he/she must accurately discuss the precedent and lay out reasons why it was (supposedly) wrongly decided. These Trump attorneys mis-cite prior law and mischaracterize it entirely. It makes me wonder why in the over 30 years I practiced, I was so concerned about making sure that my briefs did not fall outside the boundaries of appropriate legal argument.
53
@Demosthenes
Trump is unconcerned with the balance of powers and the Constitution as a whole. He honestly feels that if I don't like a rule or a law, ignore it. It doesn't apply to Trump. (He is always referring to himself in the third person, part of his megalomania).
What we have on our hands is a wannabe dictator, who admires those who are evil dictators, and apparently pardoning those guilty of war crimes to humanity.
It's time to impeach.
17
@Rena
Those legal people doing trumps bidding are consigliere not honest lawyers. The bar should be investigating them.
10
There is one glaring weakness supporting Russia’s diversionary tactics that most seem willing to ignore, which has given us two recent minority presidents. It is the Electoral College. Congress could fix that while waiting for Trump to open the Mueller Report.
27
True, but don't forget that McConnel will prevent legislation that opposes anything that reduces absolute Republican power.
11
@Judith MacLaury
Republicans will never change the Electoral College because they would never win the presidency again. The only election they won was 2004, and then only because so many were so ill informed about the unfolding disaster in Iraq and still traumatized by 9/11
They are a minority party that has rigged our system to wield majority power. No chance they will surrender that willingly
3
@Judith MacLaury
But if we don't know what's in the report, we don't know completely or precisely what to fix, do we?
2
Trump in a weird way is an open book. He's a man who has marketed himself, a spoiled nouveau riche kid who's Father enabled him through much of his life. He's been an autocrat in business and has had some really bad and risky ideas, but never had a Board of Directors to tell him no. He latched himself onto the least politically astute part of our electorate and essentially told them he'd make them rich, put them back to work in dying industries and frankly has not lived up to his promise. He made a devil's pact with the evangelical preachers to put right wing judges and justices on every court to overturn Roe v. Wade, he has fulfilled those promises with a desperate Republican Senate who was willing to make the same pact as the preachers to fulfill this mission with someone they would not have followed previously. They are now held in check with Twitter and his willingness to say the most abhorrent things about anyone who stands in his way. The question is, will the courts stand in his way and quickly? We are in uncharted territory and it is not good and if they do not act, even if Trump is removed in 2020, it is green light for future Presidents to trample the Constitution.
267
@Bill, that is why autocrats shut down the court systems and jail judges on trumped up charges early on in the takeover (pardon the Presidential pun). The NY Southern District and other Attorneys General May be our only hope, in collaboration with fact-based journalism like the NYT.
7
I believe every Democratic candidate should make the recommendations Mr. Goodman included in this piece part of their platform.
The Democrats should also put forward newly formulated responses to Russia’s attack on our country by explaining how every resource available to them, agency by agency, armed services and diplomatic, will be brought to bear against the Russian state and personally against the people, including Vladimir Putin, who were involved in the attacks on our election.
That unified message should be held up in contrast to Trumps stated friendship with Putin and his administration’s efforts to neutralize our nations security by attacking our government from within.
It could also indicate to the many heads of the Russian snake that some individual and possibly life saving entrepreneurship might be in order.
Who knows, some grainy, poorly lit but highly controversial super 8 footage shot in a hotel in Moscow might show up on someone’s doorstep.
26
Every day Barr confirms our worst suspicions. It's hard to fathom why someone with a reputation for probity and on the verge of retirement, would put it all in jeopardy for the likes of the Trumps, but here we are. Eventually, Barr too will cross Trump on some point of order and then he will endure the same fate as every stooge who preceded him. It will be delicious to watch.
110
@stan continople
Barr is a particularly dangerous man, in my opinion. I'm not sure he has any devotion to Trump. In fact, I suspect he despises Trump. But, if true, then how do we make sense of Barr's energetic defense of the President?
Here's my guess. I think Barr is something of a religious fanatic when it comes to the idea that the Constitution creates a unitary executive whose power in the executive sphere is absolute. Barr is so committed to this idea that he chose to put aside a comfortable semi-retirement and join the administration precisely to make his legacy the preservation of the imperial presidency.
I don't know Barr. But my view is informed by a reading of his 19-page memo and a review of his career where he's consistently protected presidential power. Barr deeply believes that the only Constitutional checks on the president's executive powers are the next election and impeachment. He is skeptical of Congressional oversight if it touches on any legitimate executive power. And he believes the president has full control over anything the executive branch does including over any investigations DOJ conducts into his own potential wrongdoing.
Basically he believes the Constitution creates an elected king who holds all executive power. Since most governmental power is executive, the president's powers are extensive, stopping only at the writing of laws and the duties of the judiciary. This is extreme, but the Constitution leaves too much to interpretation.
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@617to416 You forgot to note that Barr's belief in the unitary power of the president magically evaporates if the president is a Democrat.
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@stan continople
I fear that such a point may not exist for William Barr. So far, he seems more shameless than Trump, if that's possible.
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This is a preview of Trump’s plan for the election.
If he loses, he will claim election fraud and send the DOJ to stop certification of the results.
He will get legal support from his conservative stacked courts right up to the Supremes.
Meanwhile red states where he lost the electoral college vote, if indeed there are any, will join the fray.
In close blue states, the DOJ will intervene. All this will be ignored by the Senate which of course will still be in Republican hands until January. Trump’s rallies will fire up his base. The Dems will be forced to play defense,and we see how well that has worked with the Mueller report.
So this is a practice run for Trump to assert his power and maintain it for another four years and beyond.
This is scary stuff, but no longer unimaginable.
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@Grey
We may be able to avoid your scenario.
My state, NJ, is considering a law that bars candidates for president who refuse to disclose their tax returns from appearing on the ballot.
If such a measure could pass here, and also in other states which would consider such a measure, then Trump would have to choose between two alternatives he deems unacceptable. And if he still refused to release his tax returns, and ended up off the ballot except as a possible write-in, it would be hard for him to claim voter fraud (though he'd probably try).
It's not as farfetched as it sounds, when we remember that a presidential election isn't one national election, but 50 separate state elections.
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@D Price
Um, did Trump win NJ in 2016? Does he need the Electoral Votes in 2020 from your State? Any chance at all he gets them if you Don't pass this law? So what effect do you think this law will have other than to prove your State is un-democratic?
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@GregP Other states have passed such a law. I don't see how it's "undemocratic" to require financial transparency from our elected officials.
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If I break the law and then tell a police office that he can't investigate this even though he has seen me break the law in plain sight, how long do you think it will take me to get arrested? About 3 seconds probably.
Trump gets away with 460 pages with detailed descriptions of criminal behaviour and with stonewalling legitimate oversight of congress.
This assault on the constitution is possible because the GOP gives him cover. And Fox State Television cheers him on.
Ms Pelosi and congress need to put maximum pressure on the administration. And at the same time pass laws to protect people's health care, jobs, voting rights and equality.
And in 2020 voters need to get out there and vote every GOP candidate, president included, out of office.
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@Dutchie. It is almost funny that people still think that the 2020 election will make any difference. You really think a President and an AG who deny the Congress access to the entire findings of a report paid for by the American people will not find an election “faulty?” I’ll bet there are no “do overs” on a Presidential election.
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@Dutchie
The Muller report was a white wash from the get go, by the way it was rolled out. Trump, immediately said he was exonerated, huge parts was redacted, much to this day is hidden from public view by the people that have the most to gain from it’s hiding. Everyone in the White House knew what was in the report well before the unveiling. Everything since has been carefully staged. Mueller, is a staunch Republican, if he could keep the Republicans in power he will hold his nose and support Trump. He’s, “covered," by the letter to Barr, the report itself, no one can say he didn’t do his job, but alas, a big waste of time for the country.
When Bill Clinton was investigated for Whitewater, he was up against a Republican pit-bull, 100% partisan, investigation. All the dirty laundry was put out there for political gain, (And George W. Bush was elected). Big difference.
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@B. Rothman I'm guessing that if the Democrats win "bigly" it is simply unsustainable for Trump and his cronies to claim the elections are faulty.
If the results are close, of course Trump will do anything he can to put the blame on fraud and "claim" victory.
Best to go out and vote!
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This article makes no mention of the other interests and values to be considered. It is written as if such interests don't exist.
NSA intercepts and CIA in place agent reports are highly secret for very good reasons. Full disclosure to all members in such a highly charged partisan atmosphere is near certain to result in leaks.
Grand Jury transcripts are protected by law, a law passed by Congress, and for very good reasons. This makes no mention of such concerns.
Negative information that did not result in criminal charges is normally not spread around by the government, for very good reasons. Those reasons are exactly why partisans want to use it now, to use the government's investigation to slime people not charged.
Such other concerns need to be discussed. Pretending they don't exist is misleading.
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@Mark Thomason I don't believe that he is referring to public release of the unredacted report, but release to Congress.
Since members of Congress have security clearance and are bound by the laws protecting classified information, this (in theory) should not be a problem.
But then, again, you have a president who disclosed classified information to the Russians and a relative who has both clearance and business ties to countries hostile to US interests, so who knows?
But the fact is that even the agencies that you mention are accountable to the Congress and those of us with a knowledge of history know what happens when they try to shield information from Congress. Hint: It doesn't go well.
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@Mark Thomason: NSA intercepts and CIA in place agents are highly secret because disclosing them could endanger individuals. You don't know if that is what's in the report. And if so, Mueller himself can point that out to congress and have individuals' names redacted and mentioned as "Individual X". For any other non-disclosed information that will be disclosed to Congress under full disclosure: Legislation resulting from it to thwart Russian or other foreign interference in USA elections makes it known that Congress knows anyway, and it informs and prepares the public what to watch out for. Knowledge is power.
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@Mark Thomason
The Dems was fully supportive of the Muller investigating. In fact they were giddy about it.
Now they want to change the rules when it doesn't show what they want it to? Cry me a river.
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This is where the years long pernicious lie that the President conspired with Russia to win the election has inevitably led us.
Had the investigation not been wielded so effectively as a partisan weapon, there would now be more administration support for election interference countermeasures. Now every effort to reveal more of the "underlying materials" just looks like a continuation of the ongoing bad faith effort to smear the President.
Can you really blame Trump for not leading on Russia interference mitigation when half the troops have been slinging arrows at his back for two years?
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@Lawrence Linn You begin with an assertion that is untrue. The Mueller investigation was not a "bad faith effort to smear the President" but an investigation into allegations of Russian interference with the election.
There were a number of indictments of former Trump aids and mountains of evidence that the Russians tried to and, in some cases, did interfere with the election (no one has said that this changed the outome) and that Trump and his associates were aware of it and encouraged it (including a public request that the Russians hack Clinton's email).
So tell us, again, where was the "bad faith"?
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@Lawrence Linn: How often does it need repetition that Mueller is a Republican, as is Rod Rosenstein, as are the majority of FBI agents. The investigation itstelf was focused on Russian interference in USA elections, not on whether Trump personally conspired with Russia, although his behavior certainly would justify suspicion. During that investigation, Trump repeatedly obstructed justice, not exactly the behavior of someone innocent. He was not charged by Mueller for the sole reason that a sitting president cannot be indicted per DoJ guidelines, but he left it to congress. Hundreds of former prosecutor have written that anyone other than the president would be charged of obstruction of justice on the evidence presented by Mueller.
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@SeanMcL
" … mountains of evidence that the Russians tried to and, in some cases, did interfere with the election (no one has said that this changed the outome) and that Trump and his associates were aware of it and encouraged it …"
Yes, Russia interfered, and trump was aware of it. This qualifies by itself as collaboration and collusion in my view. Actual meetings and communication between the 'conspiracy' participants is not required.
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It is up to the republicans in Congress. This is not a conservative, liberal thing. It is the difference between the greatest democracy in 2,500 or a banana republic or worse.
It is up to them to do something about it. Do nothing and it is dereliction of duty.
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@Paul
"Do nothing and it is dereliction of duty."
To which the GOP replies, so what? What are you going to do about? Nada.
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Just one compound question, could the action of the administration be considered impeding an investigation, and is that an impeachable offense?
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@Marc
Read Article III of Nixon's Articles of Impeachment
(Spoiler - impeding congressional oversight, and specifically defying subpoenas was the basis of the charge)
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A resounding "yes"! it's another form of obstruction of justice.
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@Marc
Yes. Morfeover a pattern implicating RICO.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racketeer_Influenced_and_Corrupt_Organizations_Act
E.G. The conduct of the AG, the Treasury Secretary and the Director of IRS is not a failure of reading comprehension.
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The legislative solutions suggested here respond positively to the interference in our 2016 election by Russia. They are numerous, diverse, and thoughtful. The WH response is simplistic thoughtless, expresses either ignorance or arrogance towards the findings of the Mueller report, and autocratic and thus ultimately subversive. The house is on fire and Congress tries to get the first responders to the fire and the WH not only blocks their path, but in addition pours accelerants on the fire; and suggests next time rake the lawns and gardens better.
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It seems to me that wanting the full report solely for oversight purposes is entirely constitutional, and that wanting it just to decide whether or not to it impeach Trump would also be entirely constitutional. Article 1 gives Congress more powers than simply the power to pass legislation. Congress could probably demand the full report on budgetary grounds, after all Trump did complain that money was wasted on it.
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There is legislation passed by the Congress and signed into law that governs how the Department of Justice is bound to handle a Special Prosecutor's report. Attorney General Barr made the most-sweeping disclosure of that report within the context of that law.
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@rcrigazio: AG Barr did not. He refused to request a judge to allow release of Grand Jury testimony, after the House Judiciary Committee asked him to do so in cooperation with them.
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What evidence do you have to support the idea that Barr gave the fullest report allowed by law? Surely, you must be joking! In any case, most reasonable people doubt it.
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@rcrigazio
Barr followed the law and has acted professionally. Meanwhile, democrats have alleged everything from cover-up to perjury. They want to change the rules every time they don't prevail.
Mr. Goodman sheds critical light on the multiple fronts where legally dubious and politically self-serving arguments are being trotted out by the current administration concerning constitutional powers and appropriate accommodation between Congress and the Executive branch. The weight of evidence in previous contests of this kind clearly establishes Congress's broad powers to conduct oversight without being required to state specific legislative purposes. Indeed, even though Mr. Goodman scans a dozen categories of "purposes," one wonders what legislative purposes would satisfy this Executive branch, which is so thoroughly oriented toward unabashed, sustained obstruction. I hope each of the courts where these blockades are being attempted will expedite consideration and rulings, and that this unprecedented level of contemptuous--and almost certainly criminal--behavior will be decisively exposed. Decisively!
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@BB: You write "Indeed, even though Mr. Goodman scans a dozen categories of "purposes," one wonders what legislative purposes would satisfy this Executive branch, which is so thoroughly oriented toward unabashed, sustained obstruction."
The answer, obviously, is "absolutely none". Demanding that there be legislative purpose is simply a stall tactic, used to justify stonewalling. As they have no intention of handing anything over to Congress, there can never be sufficient legislative purpose.
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@Cwnidog
Absolutely none, indeed!
Which is why it is absolutely imperative for Congress to push forward, in every possible way.
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@BB
Agreed--Goodman does a service in actually detailing the reasons that Congress has a perfect right to this material under the exercise of its Article I powers, and why it is unlikely that even a Trump influenced judiciary would side with him on this issue.
Of course, none of us with even an iota of Constitutional knowledge ever thought that the Trumpian arguments held any water; they are rightly viewed as "I don't wanna because the stuff is embarrassing and threaten my sinecure" claims.
One does hope, though, that this provides further impetus for the idea that Trump is deserving of impeachment hearings, even if a trial might not lead anywhere.
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