#DoYourJob

This letter is cross-posted to Daily Kos.

I have three words for Republicans in Congress and the White House: Do Your Job.

In the past year, the line defining what is out of bounds for the president has been crossed so many times it has practically faded from memory.  To reinforce and brighten it, let's recall when recent presidents have crossed that line, and compare their transgressions with Trump's.

In 1998, Bill Clinton was impeached for obstruction of justice, for attempting to cover up an extramarital affair.  Trump's obstruction of justice is far more obvious and more serious.  Trump openly admitted that he fired FBI Director James Comey because of 'the Russia thing', and he and his supporters attack the integrity of Robert Mueller, the FBI and Justice Department almost daily.  Trump's obstruction of an investigation into foreign influence at the highest levels of government is far more damaging to our country than concealing a personal infidelity.

Congress, do your job.

In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach Richard Nixon for abuse of power, claiming he "repeatedly engaged in conduct violating the constitutional rights of citizens, impairing the due and proper administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, or contravening the laws governing agencies of the executive branch and the purpose of these agencies".

Trump's abuses of power are as numerous as they are brazen, including (but not limited to):

1. Publicly calling a group of Americans who peacefully protest "sons of bitches" who should be fired.
2. Lying with unprecedented regularity and volume, including the thoroughly debunked claim that his predecessor illegally surveilled him.
3. Daily attacks on the credibility of the media, and suggesting to the FBI Director that journalists who publish leaked information should be jailed.
4. Encouraging police officers to abuse their power.
5. Claiming the 'absolute right' to use the Department of Justice as he sees fit, including politically-motivated investigations of his opponents.
6. Flagrant and repeated violations of the Constitution's emoluments clause, using the presidency to enrich himself and his family.

Congress, do your job.

In 1987, Ronald Reagan's newly-appointed Chief of Staff Howard Baker considered invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove Reagan from office, because early-onset Alzheimer's had left him unfit for the presidency.  Aides said "He was lazy; he wasn't interested in the job" and that he was "inattentive" and "inept".  Trump's recent, rambling interview with Michael Schmidt reveals that he cannot focus or articulate ideas.  There have been numerous reports that those around him call him "idiot," "moron" and worse, even before the book Fire and Fury was released.  And he clearly doesn't understand his own supposed policy positions.

Mr. Kelly and Mr. Pence, do your job.

The Congresses that decided to impeach Clinton or Nixon would certainly impeach Trump, and would have done so months ago.  Reports from inside Trump's White House paint a picture of a president far more inattentive and inept than Reagan.  Trump has traveled further across the line, and done so more often and more flagrantly than any president before him.

And this is before one considers that Trump's former campaign manager accused Trump's campaign of treason, or the fact that former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper considers Trump to be a Russian asset.

Mr. Ryan, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Kelly and Mr. Pence: All of you, along with every other member of Congress, swore an oath to protect the Constitution.  This is far more important than partisan loyalty.

Do your job.

This letter has been sent via the Post Office to Vice President Mike Pence and Chief of Staff John F. Kelly.  I need your help to make sure it gets to all 538 members of Congress.  If you agree with this letter, please link to this post, and send this letter (verbatim, please) to your representative and senators.

Politicizing the Law

Senators Charles Grassley and Lindsey Graham have done something which I believe they should resign for:

A pair of GOP senators sent a letter to the Justice Department on Friday urging an investigation into Christopher Steele, the intelligence agent behind that famous dossier from the Russia investigation.

And the whole thing is rather strange.

. . .

As Devlin Barrett and Tom Hamburger note in their piece, that rubs some legal experts the wrong way. One former federal prosecutor, Peter Zeidenberg, called it “nonsense.” He suggested it was a political effort intended to impact the Russia investigation — in which Steele's dossier has become the focus of GOP allegations of improper conduct by federal law enforcement — rather than a serious letter. He said that he had never heard of such a letter being released.

This is a clear attempt to misuse the Justice Department's legal authority to punish and discredit Trump's political opponents.  Of course, Trump himself is doing this, just adding to the running total of his impeachable offenses.  But this is the first malfeasance of this sort to come oozing out of either Grassley or Graham.

The Republican party as a whole has pretty pushed in all of its chips on defending Donald Trump from the rising tide of revelations of indefensible acts.  But 'when you politicize the law, you're putting the country at risk'.

Before clicking the link, can you guess who said that, and the context?

Why, it was none other than former House impeachment manager, and current Senator Lindsey Graham, speaking on the need to impeach president Bill Clinton.

How times have changed.