Game Over for Mueller

Well, this is bad news:

The Senate confirmed President Trump's nominee to lead the Justice Department's Criminal Division despite concerns about his ties to a bank that has come under scrutiny by the FBI.

. . .

"I cannot believe the Republican Party just rubber-stamped a nominee to head the Justice Department’s Criminal Division who has no prosecutorial experience, who chose to represent a Russian bank with deep ties to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, and who would not commit to recuse himself from Russia-related matters if confirmed.This could prove to be a historic mistake," said Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), the No. 2 Senate Democrat. 

 Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, also questioned if Benczkowski would give Attorney General Jeff Sessions insight into the investigation, from which he recused himself from last year. 

Actually, there's a bigger problem than the possibility that Benczkowski might share information with Attorney General Sessions, a man who, despite his many faults, at least seems to have sufficient integrity to really recuse himself from an investigation when he says he will.

No, the bigger problem is this.  If Trump decides to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, then Benczkowski would take his place.  And considering Benczkowski's ties to the Russians, I have no doubt he will end Robert Mueller's investigation if Trump tells him to.

For months now, pundits have been chattering about what the 'red line' is that Trump must not cross, lest the Republican Congress decides to retaliate.  I think this move makes it crystal clear that no such line exists.

After all, if Republicans in the Senate had any desire to protect Mueller, don't you think that at least one or two of them might have voted against a nominee like Benczkowski, who is obviously underqualified and having his own ties with the Russians?

The question now is pretty clearly not whether Trump will fire Mueller, but when.  Senate Republicans have just shown him that he will pay no price for doing so.