Schumer to Trump: Refusing to release Dems' countermemo would confirm Americans' 'worst fears'

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill

BY OLIVIA BEAVERS - 02/04/18 11:16 AM EST

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday called on President Trump to release the Democratic House Intelligence Committee memo, a classified document that is said to counter the recently released GOP memo, saying it is a matter of "fundamental fairness."

Not releasing the memo "will confirm the American people’s worst fears" that the release of the GOP memo was motivated by partisan politics, Schumer wrote in a letter to Trump.

-snip-

"A refusal to release the Schiff memo in light of the fact that Chairman Devin Nunes’ memo was released and is based on the same underlying documents will confirm the American people’s worst fears that the release of Chairman Nunes’ memo was only intended to undermine Special Counsel Bob Mueller’s investigation," Schumer wrote.

"I strongly urge you to sanction the public release of Ranking Member Adam Schiff’s memorandum that was recently made available to all members of the House of Representatives as soon as possible. I believe it is a matter of fundamental fairness that the American people be allowed to see both sides of the argument and make their own judgements," he continued.



Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/372224-schumer-to-trump-refusing-to-release-dems-countermemo-would-confirm-americans

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Link to tweet

[OhNo-Really]

1. Dems are smart enough we hope

To respond to the NothingBurger Nunes memo written by his staff, in a manner that won't taint any of Mueller's many investigations into Trump Et Al.

Sadly, even if Jesus Himself appeared on Fox news and told the Trump followers that the memo is stupid and false, Hannity Et Al and the blind followers would immediately smear Jesus.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Just don't know if we should go there

Hannity will tear our side apart. It might be good enough that their version was already laughed out of town.

[groundloop]

5. But their version WASN'T laughed out of town, at least not by voters

I've heard quite a few people (who don't have a clue but nonetheless vote) say that the memo proves that 45* is being unfairly picked on by the FBI. I get it that these are uninformed people, but they vote. The Democratic party needs to get in front of this NOW, but I'm afraid this could well turn into the 2018 version of the Swift Boat lies.

[C Moon]

11. +1

[Efilroft Sul]

14. Hannity's going to smear the Democrats anyway, so fuck him.

[C_U_L8R]

3. After Trump's memo fiasco...

I don't think we really need to release the honest Democratic memo....
everyone with eyes can see that Trump's memo is just more obstruction and nonsense.
Let Trump wallow in the spotlight of his own failure.

[FreepFryer]

4. This play makes clear it's Trump's decision. If he refuses, it's on him as much as Nunes. (n/t)

[shanny]

6. Any congress critter

could read the D memo into the congressional record at any time.

[RandomAccess]

7. Utterly pointless -- and possibly counterroductive

TRUMP. DOESN'T. CARE.

He doesn't care about fairness.

He doesn't care what Schumer thinks of him.

He doesn't care how ANYone but his base sees him.

Period.

End of discussion.

Schumer is wasting his time and energy. He needs to be figuring out how to get the Republicans to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution.

Or maybe how to save the Dreamers.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. he's doing it

Not quite the "end of discussion".

Schumer and others are doing what they can to uphold and protect the Constitution.
They are reporting to "the boss", which is us.

Beyond that, they try to make deals. Politicians are much maligned, but they are necessary to arrange for compromises amongst a multitude of competing views and agendas. A lot of the criticism against politicians is due to the fact that so many in office now are not qualified for the job. (IMO, the worst of them are the teabaggers and similar ignorant GOPers whose election is the result of gerrymandering, voter suppression, electronic voting tampering, propaganda and Putin). You can't deal with ideological idiots.

[RandomAccess]

16. Do you really think I don't know that they're trying to uphold and

protect the Constitution? Are you really trying to insult me like that?

You make my point for me:

You can't deal with ideological idiots.


MY POINT, perhaps not all that well made, was that those of us who are NOT Trump's base mostly already know there's plenty of there there (in the investigation). The rest will not be convinced.

His words do NOTHING. Not even that well done for PR purposes. They're USELESS. Poor messaging: FAIR?????? It's waaaaay beyond an issue of fairness. It's an existential threat to our whole democratic republic. It's an attack on our rule of law. It's not about fairness to the Democrats.

The Democrats need to unhook from any and all partisan labeling of these things. The Republicans have succeeded in making it partisan, linking the whole damn investigation, in fact the whole "corrupt" (in their words) FBI to Democrats. The Democrats are doing NOTHING to un-hook themselves from that, and therefore will ultimately lose this fight. And maybe a lot more.

The Democrats DID NOT INITIATE this investigation or the FISA warrant. The non-partisan FBI did. The happened to use a piece that ended up having a Democratic tie -- a weak one, frankly. And Schumer is letting them propagndize that the whole damn thing is Democratic boondoggle, and a crime or several to boot.

THAT MAKES HIS WHOLE ARGUMENT COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. Fairness? Who the F cares? Full blown fascism or not is more like it.

[Eyeball_Kid]

13. No one should expect Trumpy to "care".

Schumer is framing the issue as one of fairness. He can claim that frame and disparage Trumpy in the eyes of the public if Trumpy refuses to release the counter-memo. It's the court of public opinion that counts.

Besides, Trumpy already blew it. He should have fired Rosenstein immediately after the release of the Nunes memo, when he had the most political capital regarding this mess. Now, the public has caught on, thanks in large part to the MSM and the Dems. Trumpy can only play the con game. Once substance catches up to him, he loses. Now, when he fires Rosenstein (and he will), he'll have a diminished support base, and he'll look panicky and despotic. AND he'll be playing into the hands of the Dems.

[RandomAccess]

17. It's not an issue of fairness -- or shouldn't be.

I'll repeat what I answered above:

His words do NOTHING. Not even that well done for PR purposes. They're USELESS. Poor messaging: FAIR?????? It's waaaaay beyond an issue of fairness. It's an existential threat to our whole democratic republic. It's an attack on our rule of law. It's not about fairness to the Democrats.

The Democrats need to unhook from any and all partisan labeling of these things. The Republicans have succeeded in making it partisan, linking the whole damn investigation, in fact the whole "corrupt" (in their words) FBI to Democrats. The Democrats are doing NOTHING to un-hook themselves from that, and therefore will ultimately lose this fight. And maybe a lot more.

The Democrats DID NOT INITIATE this investigation or the FISA warrant. The non-partisan FBI did. The happened to use a piece that ended up having a Democratic tie -- a weak one, frankly. And Schumer is letting them propagandize that the whole damn thing is Democratic boondoggle, and a crime or several to boot.

THAT MAKES HIS WHOLE ARGUMENT COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. Fairness? Who the F cares? Truth and accuracy, perhaps. Saving the rule of law and the republic definitely.

[LiberalLovinLug]

9. Can't there be a convenient leak?

Even if Republicans scream bloody murder, at least it's out there.

[Brother Buzz]

10. For us old farts with bum eyes:

[SHRED]

12. Fears confirmed a year ago.

[thesquanderer]

15. Though releasing the rebuttal will confirm those same worst fears! (n/t)