TPM - "Very Important House GOPers Likely Agreed to Presidents Demands"

[NRaleighLiberal]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/very-important-house-gopers-like-agreed-to-presidents-demands

By JOSH MARSHALL Published DECEMBER 15, 2017 4:30 PM

A few moments ago, Rep. Adam Schiff made a point on MSNBC which I think is critical and has been too little noted.

This is critical. Will follow up with a post about why shortly. pic.twitter.com/VdrMaJOwYQ

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 15, 2017

This is a very basic point. The President has leaned hard on GOP Senators who run the Senate intel committee to shut the Russia investigation down. There have been a number of reports here and there that President Trump has approached Senators and pressed them to end the investigation. There was a detailed report on this in the Times on November 30th. My understanding is that the most troubling actions by the President with respect to the Senate pressure did not make their way into the Times article.

However that may be, we know that just as he did with James Comey and other law enforcement officials, President Trump has been very direct and indiscreet about pressing Republican members of Congress to shut down the investigation and protect him. They’ve told us he’s done that. By and large, they seem to have refused and resisted. The Times story and particularly how candidly Sen. Burr spoke was itself a sort of brush back to the President, I suspect.

And yet, we’ve heard nothing similar from the top Republicans running things on the House side. Chairman Devin Nunes has directly intervened and assisted in Mike Flynn’s effort to disrupt the investigation into Flynn himself. And as Schiff notes, his Republican colleagues seem to be taking rapid steps to end the probe. Clearly, Schiff has some adversarial or partisan reasons for saying that. But the facts seem to bear him out.

So here’s the question, is it really remotely plausible that the President, having personally pressed Senators repeatedly to shut down their investigation hasn’t done the same on the House side? Of course he has. It seems very much like we haven’t heard anything about it because they’ve agreed to do just as he asked. With Chairman Nunes his direct and open role as essentially a pro-Trump operative is right there in the open.


snip - more at the link above

[RVInit]

1. This renewed attack follows Jr's marathon questioning

where he refused to answer questions based on supposed client-lawyer privilege because a lawyer might have been present while he spoke with his dad. I have no doubt Jr and DOTUS are checking in and discussing strategy every time Jr has to answer questions.

I hope #TheResistance will bring this country to a halt if either the Congressional Committees get shut down or if Mueller's investigation gets shut down.

[NastyRiffraff]

2. I don't understand why they want to please Trump

I understand he's technically the head of the Party, but after Virginia and Alabama, he's badly weakened politically. Their best bet would be to politely ignore him for their own sakes if nothing else. They're eventually going to have to shake off the stench of Trump; they might as well start now.

[Scarsdale]

7. It all boils down to

$$$$. Specifically Russian money. He knows who took the money, and they know he knows. The gop is transparent. We all know they will do anything for money.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Did not Paul Ryan

said he would kill any type of committee hearings on the 28th?

[pecosbob]

4. If these reports are substantiated

they constitute obstruction of justice pure and simple. Just the news that these charges were to be filed was what finally convinced the GOPers in Washington that the Dickster had to go.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Obstruction of Justice. . . . nt

[Kablooie]

6. Those that follow Trump's orders need to be held responsible for obstruction of justice.

I can't imagine why someone would be foolish enough to give in to this imbecile's demands but it seems they are.

This can't be allowed to succeed without consequences.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. I am very confident that Mueller has been taking notes

the more the Repubs push against the investigation, the more they incriminate themselves.
And they WILL,, because they seem to have no concerns about the law.