Deputy atty general appoints special counsel to oversee probe of Russian interference in election

[milestogo]

Source: Washington Post

The Justice Department appointed a special counsel Wednesday to investigate possible coordination between President Trump’s associates and Russian officials — a clear signal to the White House that federal investigators will aggressively pursue the matter despite the president’s insistence that there was no “collusion’’ with the Kremlin.

Robert S. Mueller III, a former prosecutor who served as the FBI director from 2001 to 2013, has agreed to take over the investigation as a special counsel, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein announced. The move marks a concession by the Trump administration to Democratic demands for the investigation to be run independently of the Justice Department. Calls for a special counsel intensified after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey last week.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/deputy-attorney-general-appoints-special-counsel-to-oversee-probe-of-russian-interference-in-election/2017/05/17/302c1774-3b49-11e7-8854-21f359183e8c_story.html

[colbertforpresident]

1. Game on!

Mitch McConnell looked worried today.

[L. Coyote]

2. I'm cautious, Republican appointing Republican to investigate Republican Fitzmas.

Almost everyone got suckered once before, and no one listened when I warned them that you can't trust the Republicans to investigate themselves.

So, I'm in wait and see mode, and I encourage a lot of Congressional oversight because we need people like Wyden making sure what goes on in secret isn't a massive cover-up. I have low expectations with regard to getting to the bottom of the criminal conduct, especially with regard to crimes that altered the election outcome.

[Tiggeroshii]

6. The Plame incident was nothing compared to

What this is likely to turn into. And it's been said like a broken record, but neither is watergate.

[Equinox Moon]

3. Apparently, Nixon's Watergate landed 48 people in jail.

Just something to compare to.

[OriginalGeek]

4. Let trump know that

Hell turn some in himself just to break the record.

[SergeStorms]

5. Bingo!

Yeah, all you have to do his challenge this mutton-head's ego and WHAM! Off to the races. He can't stand being second to anyone, no matter WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

[blue-wave]

7. We are not.....

This is not Russia. This is not some 3rd world quasi-democratic country. This is not a dictatorship. We are not for sale on some late night home shopping network.

This is the United States of America, "to form a more perfect union."

Our country was founded on principles that underline the above statement. There are more of us than not that still firmly believe in these principles.

[DallasNE]

8. The Best I Can Say

Is that this is probably the best we can expect under the circumstances. Indeed, I'm reminded of Nixon releasing highly edited transcripts of the secret tapes he made.

Mueller had issues with independence during his tenure. He was seated right behind Colin Powell at the UN as he helped lie our way into Iraq. No push-back. He also signed off on Bush's SOTU speech where Bush claimed that Saddam was seeking to buy yellowcake from Africa when the FBI doubted the source for that claim was not reliable.