In Case There Were Doubts about the Politics of the McCabe Firing…
Less than 24 hours after the McCabe firing, the president's attorney explicitly connects the move to the Mueller probe.
Via CNN: Trump lawyer calls for end of Mueller probe.
President Donald Trump’s attorney John Dowd is calling for the end of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election meddling.
“I pray that Acting Attorney General Rosenstein will follow the brilliant and courageous example of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility and Attorney General Jeff Sessions and bring an end to alleged Russia collusion investigation manufactured by McCabe’s boss James Comey based upon a fraudulent and corrupt dossier,” Dowd told CNN in a statement, reacting to the news of former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe’s firing.
Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, is overseeing the Russia investigation after Sessions recused himself from the probe last year.
Dowd told CNN he was speaking on his own behalf, although he had earlier told the Daily Beast, which first reported the statement, that he was speaking on behalf of the President. Dowd’s comment wasn’t authorized by the President, a person close to the Trump told CNN.
I must say: it strains credulity to suggest that this is just Dowd’s off-the-cuff opinion and that he is not speaking, in some way, for his client.
Beyond that: McCabe was ostensibly fired for behavior related to the Clinton e-mail probe, not the Russia investigation. The only reason to make these statements, in my opinion, is to further muddy the political waters on the Mueller probe. Because, after all, the judgement over whatever Mueller eventually discloses to the public is going to political more than it will be legal. Therefore, the Trump camp has every incentive to build a political defense. Trump’s attorney would certainly understand this fact.
And, of course, this kind of behavior (as well as the president’s own behavior on Twitter immediately following the firing) suggests a lot of politics behind the timing of the action against McCabe.
Update: In preparing another post, I see that the President is also making the connection (albeit somewhat obliquely):
As the House Intelligence Committee has concluded, there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump Campaign. As many are now finding out, however, there was tremendous leaking, lying and corruption at the highest levels of the FBI, Justice & State. #DrainTheSwamp
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2018
So, the statements of a porn star’s lawyer are to be taken at face value but not the words of the President’s lawyer?
And it was the Office of the Inspector General and the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility that came down on McCabe. Did Trump’s lawyer blackmail them into going along with his nefarious plan?
Mike
… and Trump gloats about the “great news” just hours after McCabe’s firing.
If I believed in God, I’d be certain Trump was God’s punishment on America.
@MBunge: You realize the OIG investigation that led to McCabe’s firing has nothing to do with the Mueller probe, right?
And that both Dowd’s statement and Trump’s tweets support McCabe’s contention he was fired when he was because he was a witness to events that ARE a subject of the Mueller probe?
Anyway, I hope Dowd and Trump just keep on talking, because every lame-brained statement and idiotic tweet is just more proof of how twisted and politicized the process of firing McCabe actually was.
Of course McCabe’s firing was political. The investigations –into Clinton’s e-mails and now the Mueller probe– were/are political.
But it’s like the Republicans recognize that and embrace it shamelessly, doing all they can to win the day, and the Democrats don’t even want to admit it.
And I feel like if we can just admit it, acknowledge that Adam Schiff’s investigation is, in fact, political and he’s just terrible at it, we can position ourselves in a spot where we can crush these fools.
@James Pearce:
All of this is broadly political, yes. Who is claiming otherwise? Of course, not all political actions are equal. There is a difference between the politics of congressional committee members (whether Nunes or Schiff) and the way the President is approaching McCabe (and the DoJ/FBI in general).
I am not sure of your point.
@Steven L. Taylor:
I think it’s “both sides do it but/and the Democrats suck.”
@MBunge:
Wow, a conservative defending a lawyer?
So, may I now count on you for regular contributions to your local ACLU chapter?
By the way, as you know, a porn star literally and existentially has nothing to hide, therefore no reason to lie. Contrast that to our president (Trump aka ‘Dennison’), who has every reason to lie and does so quite often.
“I think it’s “both sides do it but/and the Democrats suck at it.”
FTFY
@MBunge: the porn star does appear to be more honest. Donald Trump aka Denny Dennison claimed there was no relationship and no payouts, and this has been false.
Other than a poor taste in wealthy clients/patrons/boyfriends/euphemisms Stormy Daniels seems like a fine, honest woman who works a hard job. I have no similar vague praise for Mr Dennison (if that is his real name)
@MBunge: “So, the statements of a porn star’s lawyer are to be taken at face value but not the words of the President’s lawyer?”
This would be the lawyer who set up a $130K payment to said porn star?
@James Pearce:
First off, Schiff isn’t running an investigation, Nunes was. 2nd of all, if you can’t even get that much right, I doubt very much anything else you might say about the various investigations underway is any less clueless.