Wednesday, July 24, 2019

“By our people, through our franchise, and not by some hostile foreign power”

House Intelligence Committeee chair Adam Schiff (D, California-18), in his opening statement this afternoon, addressing Robert Mueller:

Your report laid out multiple offers of Russian help to the Trump campaign, the campaign’s acceptance of that help, and overt acts in furtherance of Russian help. To most Americans, that is the very definition of collusion, whether it is a crime or not.

They say your report found no evidence of obstruction, though you outline numerous actions by the President intended to obstruct the investigation.

They say the President has been fully exonerated, though you specifically declare you could not exonerate him.

In fact, they say your whole investigation was nothing more than a witch hunt, that the Russians didn’t interfere in our election, that it’s all a terrible hoax. The real crime, they say, is not that the Russians intervened to help Donald Trump, but that the FBI had the temerity to investigate it when they did.

But worst of all, worse than all the lies and the greed, is the disloyalty to country, for that too, continues. When asked, if the Russians intervene again, will you take their help, Mr. President? Why not, was the essence of his answer. Everyone does it.

No, Mr. President, they don’t. Not in the America envisioned by Jefferson, Madison and Hamilton. Not for those who believe in the idea that Lincoln labored until his dying day to preserve, the idea animating our great national experiment, so unique then, so precious still — that our government is chosen by our people, through our franchise, and not by some hostile foreign power.

This is what is at stake. Our next election, and the one after that, for generations to come. Our democracy.

This is why your work matters, Mr. Mueller. This is why our investigation matters. To bring these dangers to light.

comments: 4

The Crow said...

We need to change the launch codes and not give it to anyone in government who supports Trump. He is too much like the brutal and violent husband who, when his wife says she is filing divorce and taking the children to a safe place, goes berserk and kills his family. If he can't have them, then nobody can. And there are too many others, sworn to protect and defend the United States, who cannot be trusted to safe-keep our security...not anymore.

Thank Universe-Cosmos-Whatever we still have patriots and people loyal to the American Ideal such as Robert Mueller!

Michael Leddy said...

I think we’re really seeing people on the other side who would happily sell out anything even resembling democracy in favor of an authoritarian cult of personality.

Anonymous said...

And that is partly why Mueller's "performance" (Trump's term--for him it is always theater) struck many as weak and too subdued: we've become so used to screaming, shouting, and cheap emotionalism that level simplicity now seems like fatigue, old age, a let-down. We want Personality! We want big and brash! Well, we got it.

Michael Leddy said...

I think the Republicans meant to addle him with prolix questions and ultra-fast speech (maybe with a chemical assist?). And I can’t imagine how Mueller or anyone else could be expected to have every detail of a 448-page document available for recall. I think Mueller had some faltering moments, but not nearly as bad as reported.