Partisan tensions rise as Mueller bill delayed

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill






BY JORDAIN CARNEY - 04/15/18 06:24 PM EDT

Legislation protecting special counsel Robert Mueller is running into steep political headwinds even as President Trump is weighing cracking down on the Russia investigation.

The bill got a boost of momentum when GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said it would get a committee vote, but the legislation almost immediately got bogged down in partisan finger pointing and entrenched skepticism among most Republicans.

A blame game has broken out among Judiciary Committee members about why the bill is being punted until days before the next recess. Grassley, in a whirlwind move, tried to get the panel to take up the bill late last week; instead, a vote isn’t expected until April 26. The legislation would limit Trump’s ability to fire Mueller and let him be reinstated if a court determines he wasn’t fired for “good cause.” In a sign of Republicans’ anxiety that Trump could try to interfere with the Russia probe months before the midterm elections, a small but growing number of Republicans are signaling they are open to the idea of the bill.

But Democrats are deeply worried that Republicans will try to weaken the bill or attach “poison pill” amendments.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/383120-partisan-tensions-rise-as-mueller-bill-delayed

[old guy]

1. The Congress is unable to govern.

[Eliot Rosewater]

3. Patriotism means nothing to modern day GOP

[Cosmocat]

9. None, zip, nada ...

they are completely, absolutely devoid of souls.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. Of course they are unable - they hate that of which they are a part. Drown government in a tub, yes?

Traitors all.

[erronis]

10. As long as they'll go under themselves and breathe their last breaths of swamp water.

There's not a single repuglicon "patriot" who'll take a bullet for the country.

They're always willing to waterboard and kill others to service their masters. (Not saying that all are under kompromat or blackmail, but most/all are under financial thumbs.)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. A truer statement (this is DU!) is "Republicans are unable to govern". They have the majorities & WH

[Ccarmona]

14. Repubs Only Know How to Cut Taxes & Start Wars n/t

[lastlib]

15. and harm poor people.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Sadly the way this is going, they wouldn't be able to override an expected veto.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. If they succeed at stonewalling this and firing Mueller

the outrage will only increase, as will Democrats' House and Senate prospects.

i would bet this would cost them at least an additional 7-10 House seats

[Mr. Ected]

6. Not sure what would be worse for Trump and the GOP

Protecting Mueller and his investigation and allow the truth to eventually seep out....or to watch Trump fire Rosenstein and Mueller, unleashing a tsunami of legal and political consequences that would probably boggle our minds....not to mention that our IC may seek retribution by leaking information that otherwise would have remained under cover until Mueller's reports were unveiled.

I think Mueller may have a lot of this on autopilot if Trump is foolish enough to dump him midstream.

[erronis]

11. I hope and think you are right. If the investigation is quashed

There will be a lot of semi-automatic disclosures of findings.

My hopes that these findings will dig deep into the swamp. Executive, Congress, perhaps Judiciary.

I hope that the documents are strong enough to make a lot of so-called representatives lose their licenses to do any business other than pest-terminator (oh, wait.)

I hope that so many foreign influencers in the US policial process will be exposed that all other countries (that give-a-shit) band together to take retaliation.

[briv1016]

8. If by some miracle this bill passes both the Senate and House,

what prevents Donald from firing Rosenstein/Mueller while the bill sits on his desk waiting for a veto?

[djacq]

12. Mueller is going to get to Jarred

Best to get done before that happens.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

13. Do your job GrASSley

[BobTheSubgenius]

16. Regardless of possible consequences,

maybe even making things way worse for 45, I still want to see RMs investigation play out. I am never going to underestimate the lengths and depths to which the GOP will go, or sink, to try to weather this.

If this investigation is derailed, who knows how long it will take to get another one going, and what might happen in the meantime?