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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis Isn't Smoke. It's Fire. - Josh Marshall
By JOSH MARSHALL Published MAY 16, 2017 5:59 PM
With the latest revelation that President Trump straight up asked James Comey to end the Flynn investigation this is starting to feel like a prize fight where one boxer just took three straight punches to the head. Its hard to know how much longer this can go on. But I suspect the answer is this: a lot longer.
We talk a lot about smoke and fire. But this isnt smoke. This is the fire. Its not clear to me what more we need to know. The only question is whether we decide to put it out or just let it keep burning. As I said above, I bet were going to let it burn for quite a while longer.
President Trump fired the FBI Director by his own account because he was upset about the investigation into his and his associates ties to Russia. We now learn he straight out asked the FBI Director to end the investigation into Michael Flynn three months ago. Last week he decided in the spur of the moment to share highly classified information with the Russian Foreign Minister.
Each of these revelations are startling, shocking, albeit at this point simply not that surprising. There are all sorts of safeguards and norms we have created to prevent or limit a Presidents ability to transform the law into an instrument of his or her own personal prerogative, his or her own weapon. It is actually better to say that we have set up all sorts of metaphoric fences around such an act or transformation to prevent someone in authority from even getting close to doing something like this there are policies, taboos, norms, all there to keep a President or other executives from getting close.
Firing an FBI Director while such an investigation like this is afoot is something like that, breaking a fence. In theory, the President has every right to fire an FBI Director. But doing so while such an investigation is underway has the look of trying to end the investigation. But in this case, asking Comey to end the probe itself doesnt break one of the fences. Its the thing itself. Theres no question of intent or misunderstandings. Its the hand in the register. Theres just nothing more to know. Its the thing itself.
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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/this-isnt-smoke-its-fire
Stuart G
(38,419 posts)...is against the law... ..........period, end discussion, no more..etc... k and r..
Pachamama
(16,887 posts)lostnfound
(16,173 posts)In the Shock Doctrine, it's a tactic. Take the most outrageous actions until everyone is stunned into confusion and shock, then you can rewrite the government structure or the economic structure.
I'm not saying that it's all going according to plan, but we shouldn't underestimate the willingness of certain elements to create their preferrred new world order, no matter the cost.
kentuck
(111,079 posts)Response to DonViejo (Original post)
miss-nasty This message was self-deleted by its author.