It’s quiet out there … so quiet …
Charlie Rose just said CBS This Morning asked 20 Republicans and White House on air to speak to Comey memo today; all declined.
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It’s only a matter of time—probably minutes—before a new revelation roils the nation. So it’s a good time to take a quick look back and see just what it was that caused Republicans to go out and buy a whole new collection of comfy rocks under which to hide.
Tuesday started with the White House still trying to bat away the problems brought on by discovering that Donald Trump’s loose lips had spilled highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador at a White House meeting. A meeting arranged as a special favor to Vladimir Putin. A meeting where the United States press was banned, but Russian state media was given free rein. In one briefing after another, Trump surrogates sallied forth to try and explain why it was no big deal that the president had given up information sourced from Israeli intelligence, endangering alliances, nation’s strategy against ISIS, and putting sources on the ground in danger. The final argument from the White House? The president was too ignorant to know better.
And incredibly, by the end of the day, that would be the second worst story off the day.
In the afternoon, it emerged that former FBI director James Comey had kept notes on some of his meetings with Donald Trump. Among the instances captured by Comey was a request from Trump that he kill the investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s connection with Russia.
If firing Comey didn’t already put Trump in the “directly interfering into an investigation into his own campaign” box, Comey’s memo added a string of exclamation points. In a single day, the average position among Washington republicans went from “gee, a special prosecutor seems like overkill” to “I’m not sure we’re ready to talk impeachment.”
This is the week impeachment went from a marginal dream, to front and center possibility.
The most amazing thing about the storm that’s descended on the Trump regime this week is just how thoroughly the troubles have all been authored by Donald Trump. It’s not just that he couldn’t help opening his mouth to brag about his great (the greatest) intelligence information to the Russians, it’s that he couldn’t stop himself from contradicting his own staff about why Comey was fired, destroying every possible excuse.
Many people in Congress are still shy about the i-word, but a lot of people are ready to talk impeachment. As every possible contender runs from the offer of being Donald Trump’s personal Hand at the FBI, and Trump prepares to flee the country on his first overseas trip, the nation is poised on the brink of
- May 8 — Sally Yates testimony
- May 9 — Trump fires FBI Director James Comey
- May 10 — White House staff declares Comey fired because of Rosenstein memo, Clinton’s emails … plus Sean Spicer hides in the bushes
- May 11 — Trump contradicts his own staff, says he planned to fire Comey over Russia investigation
- May 12 — Comey reveals that Trump asked him to take a personal loyalty oath to keep his job
- May 12 — Trump threatens Comey over speaking out, suggesting he taped their conversations
- May 15 — Trump declares that he sees nothing wrong with asking federal officials to make a pledge of personal loyalty to the president
- May 15 — News emerges that Trump revealed classified information directly to Russian officials
- May 16 — White House denies Trump leak
- May 16 — White House reverses direction, admits leak, provides excuses
- May 16 — Comey reveals that he has memos of meetings with Trump which include pressure from Trump to end investigation into Michael Flynn’s connection to Russia
On Tuesday morning, Mitch McConnell was still willing to walk over this list and declare that Trump–Russia was just a lot of “drama” that was getting in the way of his efforts to allow billionaires to drive to unregulated banks and deposit their massive tax cuts on roads paved with poor people. By Tuesday afternoon, Republicans had been driven deep into their bunkers to contemplate whether going along with Trump is really the best way to reach a pure market paradise.
How bad was Trump’s Tuesday? Bad enough that the options of a special prosecutor or independent commission to investigate collusion with Russia—options that the Republicans categorically rejected over the weekend—now look like safe bets. Republicans are increasingly willing to sign off on a special prosecutor just so they have something to say to the folks back home about how they didn’t allow Trump to run roughshod over the country.
Next up: Republicans decide whether it’s better to drag the process out with Trump, or just impeach him now and get on with Pence.