Just Isn’t
The new Dem majority hasn’t even been sworn in and the White House is already threatening to investigate the investigators. “The White House’s top lawyer is threatening a criminal investigation of Democrats for conducting what he alleges are illegitimate investigations into the executive branch — a stark escalation from the Trump administration as congressional Democrats prepare to launch an oversight onslaught when they assume the majority in January.” So the lawbreakers are threatening to go after the lawmakers. That doesn’t seem like the way it’s supposed to work, especially after an election when voters made it pretty clear that they are tired of the corruption. But while the Congress has the backing of a massive election win, the White House has something in its gold-leafed corner. A thoroughly decimated and corrupted Justice Department. And sadly, that’s a pretty big card to be able to play. “When the Justice Department has inserted itself between citizens denied their equal rights and the forces denying those rights, it has been a potent use of the U.S. government. Equally, though, when the Justice Department has inserted itself on the side of those denying others their rights, it has been a force multiplier for powerful interests. Short of the U.S. military, there is no greater coercive power that is brought to bear by the government against its citizens.” Rachel Maddow in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Collapse of America’s Most Consequential Institution. “Over the course of its century and a half of existence, the Justice Department has been noble; it has been feckless; it has been corrupt. But now, in the midst of a full-fledged authoritarian challenge to the constitutional republic, the Justice Department has entered a whole new phase it has not been through before. It’s a phase you might call ‘gone’: missing, presumed dead.” Of course, a little more than a week ago, we could have made the same pronouncement about Congress.
+ The White House and the Justice Department will make it as difficult as possible to investigate the nefarious behavior that took place in broad daylight. Jim Himes is the point person when it comes to uncovering what took place (way) behind the scenes. NYT (Gift Article): Top Democrat Vows Oversight of C.I.A.’s Use of Covert Action. “The incoming Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is promising to scrutinize the C.I.A.’s ‘extremely aggressive’ use of covert actions since President Trump returned to office, part of a broader effort to conduct renewed oversight of American spy agencies next year … His committee, he added, will also examine donations to Mr. Trump’s various construction projects in Washington from defense and intelligence contractors, and investigate whether intelligence analysts have been pressured to write reports that align with the objectives of senior officials in the Trump administration.” In other words, Jim Himes and his committee are going to be awfully busy digging through what could be a sea of awfulness. (Full disclosure: I know Jim Himes. He’s exactly the person you want on the job.)
