Donald Trump’s hand-picked Attorney General William Barr, his Roy Cohenesque protect the president at all costs AG, said that he would release the Mueller report in the middle of the Congress’ two-week holiday. Most members of the House take this opportunity to work in their districts or go on work-related trips abroad. Still, even Barr cannot keep the Congress and the public from seeing the Mueller report, because there are steely-eyed Democrats in positions of substantial power who will foil him.
Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) has been one of those people. The Newsweek Magazine featured Schiff on its cover this week with one of the chair’s quotes:
‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.’
Newsweek sent out a tweet featuring Schiff with the ominous words “Donald Trump should be prosecuted:”
‘NEW COVER STORY:
@REPADAMSCHIFF SAYS “INDIVIDUAL 1” DONALD TRUMP SHOULD BE PROSECUTED—AND HE’S NOT GIVING UP HTTPS://TRIB.AL/QCRT27M‘
Right after AG Barr released his bizarre slanted summary of the “special counsel’s Russiagate report,” Schiff was angry. The California representative has been one of the “president’s fiercest critics:”
”MY COLLEAGUES MAY THINK IT’S OK THAT THE RUSSIANS OFFERED DIRT ON A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT AS PART OF WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT’S EFFORT TO HELP THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN. YOU MIGHT THINK THAT’S OK. MY COLLEAGUES MIGHT THINK IT’S OK THAT WHEN THAT WAS OFFERED TO THE SON OF THE PRESIDENT, WHO HAD A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE CAMPAIGN, THAT THE PRESIDENT’S SON DID NOT CALL THE FBI, HE DID NOT ADAMANTLY REFUSE THAT FOREIGN HELP.’
The former federal prosecutor continued later:
‘I THINK THE KEY TO LEADERSHIP IN THE ERA OF DONALD TRUMP IS NOT TO ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE PULLED DOWN INTO THE MUD WITH HIM, TO STAND YOUR GROUND, TO DEFEND OUR DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND THE RULE OF LAW AND TAKE WHATEVER IS INCOMING AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PERIOD—TO REALIZE THE COUNTRY IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR AND THAT WE NEED TO SOLDIER ON AS LONG AS OUR DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS ARE UNDER SUCH ASSAULT.’
Schiff had an indictment of his own about Trump firing FBI Director James Comey:
‘YOU MIGHT SAY THAT’S ALL OK. YOU MIGHT SAY THAT’S JUST WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN. BUT I DON’T THINK IT’S OK. THINK IT’S IMMORAL, I THINK IT’S UNETHICAL, I THINK IT’S UNPATRIOTIC, AND, YES, I THINK IT’S CORRUPT. I DO NOT THINK THAT CONDUCT, CRIMINAL OR NOT, IS OK. AND THE DAY WE DO THINK THAT’S OK IS THE DAY WE WILL LOOK BACK AND SAY, “THAT IS THE DAY AMERICA LOST ITS WAY.”‘
Newsweek asked Schiff why he would continue to pursue Trump at all. He responded:
‘WE HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION TO DO OVERSIGHT, AND IN THE AREA OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL MANDATE TO PROTECT THE COUNTRY IF THERE WAS A COMPROMISE OF THE PRESIDENT OR PEOPLE AROUND HIM BY A HOSTILE FOREIGN POWER THAT SHOULD BE EXPOSED. WHEN YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO, LIKE THIS ONE, LACKS CHARACTER AND A COMMITMENT TO TRUTH, THE NEED FOR OVERSIGHT IS GREATER. THERE IS ALWAYS THE RISK THAT YOUR OVERSIGHT OVERSHADOWS YOUR POSITIVE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, BUT THERE IS ALSO THE GRAVE RISK, WITH A PRESIDENT LACKING CHARACTER, OF DOING TOO LITTLE OVERSIGHT.’
Twitter world went crazy. Check out some of the most interesting responses below:
