Trump's Russia scandal reaches a political tipping point

[DonViejo]

By Jennifer Rubin February 23 at 12:30 PM

Until this week, the Russia connections of President Trump, his advisers and his campaign were “only” a media story, a trigger for international intelligence investigations (foreign intelligence services, like ours, are running down leads, no doubt) and a foreign policy nightmare (Will he betray Europe? Will he relax sanctions?). Now it is a political nightmare for Republicans.

The intrigue surrounding Michael T. Flynn put the story front and center. The Senate Intelligence Committee’s renewed vigor suggests that there is something to be found.

Consider this report on town hall meetings:

A USA TODAY analysis of local news coverage from Montana to Virginia found several incidences of voters pressing Republican lawmakers on Russia, in addition to hot topics such as Obamacare and immigration restrictions.

Rep. Tom Reed, who represents a rural, working-class district on the southwest tip of New York, was peppered by a number of constituents during his first town hall at a senior center, with one exchange in particular turning testy as Reed said he hadn’t seen enough evidence to merit a formal probe. Some in the crowd yelled “What are you covering up?” and “Russia!” as the woman called the issue “embarrassing” for the nation.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/02/23/trumps-russia-scandal-reaches-a-political-tipping-point/?utm_term=.988d8d1075ed&wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1

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White House gives plenty of ammunition to travel ban’s opponents

By Jennifer Rubin February 23 at 11:45 AM

Opponents of President Trump’s travel ban have one big advantage — the Trump White House. If not for the confusion, lack of staffing (nary a deputy, let alone an undersecretary or assistant secretary, has been named in national security-related departments), organizational disarray, policy differences or all of the above, the administration might have put together on its first try a legally enforceable executive order. It might by now even have come up with a new executive order, thanks to a road map provided by the 9th Circuit. However, the rollout has been pushed back to next week.

Understand that if this is such a matter of urgent concern, the president would have had his advisers working around the clock on this (not transgender bathroom assignments, plans to deport non-criminal illegal immigrants or haggling with Mexican officials over a wall that Trump insists they pay for). In fact, since the point of the ban is to initiate a review of our vetting procedures, you’d think that the Homeland Security Department would already have come up with its proposed “extreme vetting” recommendations.

Meanwhile, the president and his staff continue to provide legal ammunition to opponents of the ban. On Tuesday, senior adviser Stephen Miller in a Fox News interview boldly declared, “Fundamentally, you’re still going to have the same basic policy outcome for the country, but you’re going to be responsive to a lot of very technical issues that were brought up by the court.” Just to remind the courts of the administration’s arrogance, Miller proclaimed that there was nothing wrong with the first order.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/02/23/white-house-gives-plenty-of-ammunition-to-travel-bans-opponents/?utm_term=.5c58e0f0d02a&wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1

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GOP lawmakers cling to Trump at their peril

By Jennifer Rubin February 23 at 1:30 PM

The latest Quinnipiac and CBS News polls should serve as a flashing red light for Republicans who have chosen to sidle up to President Trump, ignoring past beliefs and eschewing constituents’ concerns.

The CBS poll shows that 39 percent pf Americans approve of Trump’s performance, while 51 percent disapprove. (This is one of many polls showing that a majority of Americans disapprove of his performance.) Pluralities disapprove of his performance on foreign policy, immigration and terrorism, while a plurality approve of his performance on the economy. Americans’ views on illegal immigration differ sharply from the president’s:

Six in ten Americans think that illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S. should be allowed to stay and apply for citizenship. Another 13 percent think they should be permitted to stay but not apply for citizenship, and 23 percent would require them to leave the U.S. These percentages have changed little over the past few years.

Forty-three percent of Republicans support requiring illegal immigrants to leave the country; Seventy-nine percent of Democrats think they should be allowed to apply for citizenship, as do 60 percent of independents.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/02/23/gop-lawmakers-cling-to-trump-at-their-peril/?utm_term=.b34fda9c4e33&wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1