Are the investigations going too slow?

[kentuck]

With the threat that may be facing our country, are the House and Senate Intelligence committees going too slow?

Is the FBI going too slow or is Comey trying to get all the evidence he can for as many convictions as possible?

We truly don't know whether or not we have a Russian asset in the White House? And we don't know how much damage he might do? We do not know how widespread it might be?

So, should not this issue be on the front burner, ahead of healthcare and every other issue?

It doesn't help when one of the political Parties do not believe there is enough evidence to even investigate.

[old guy]

1. At the risk of sounding like a raging cynic (which I am),

I'm not at all convinced there are serious investigations underway. A lot of bobbing and weaving but no real substance, be nice if I were wrong but...

[kentuck]

4. You may be right.

It took two weeks for them to admit that there was no evidence that Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower.

[femmocrat]

2. They have hardly begun.

I remember Watergate took quite awhile for all the shoes to drop. We are all eager to see the end of drumpf, but if they are being slow and methodical, that's a good thing.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Patience, Grasshopper.

This isn't CSI where it gets solved before the evening news. Watergate took more than two years. The burglary of the DNC offices was in June of 1972 and resulted in the convictions of the burglars in January, 1973. Evidence that came out at these trials as well as information from Deep Throat finally led the Senate in February of 1973 to appoint a committee and hold hearings, which didn't start until May of 1973. During these hearings the existence of the secret tapes was revealed. Nixon refused to disclose them, which led to the Saturday Night Massacre in October, 1973. In March of 1974 a grand jury indicted Haldeman and Ehrlichman and several others for obstruction of justice and other offenses, and named Nixon as an "unindicted co-conspirator." In the meantime Nixon was litigating the release of the secret tapes, and the Supreme Court ruled against Nixon's claims of executive privilege in July of 1974 and ordered their release.

On August 5, 1974, the White House released a tape from June 23, 1972, right after the break-in, which documented the initial stages of the cover-up and revealed that Nixon and Haldeman had discussed how they would stop the FBI from continuing their investigation of the break-in. This was the "smoking gun" tape. After this tape was released several GOP leaders went to Nixon and told him they would not oppose impeachment; Nixon then realized he would have to resign, and did so on August 8.

My point is that when you have a situation that is extremely complex, involves a lot of actors, procedures, politics and attempts at cover-ups, it can't be done quickly, as much as we'd like Trump to be gone tomorrow at the latest. It will take relentless pressure and relentless investigations over many months. The Watergate investigators didn't give up and the media didn't give up. At first the GOP stood by Nixon and insisted the burglary was no big deal - they didn't bail on him until it became obvious that he was involved from the beginning. The Trump mess will be at least as difficult because it involves a foreign government on top of everything else. It will not be over quickly.

[kentuck]

5. Are you saying that this is on a par with Watergate?

The only difference I can see is that with Nixon we had a leader of a political Party stealing the files of the other Party, and in this instance, we have another country stealing the files of a political Party.

I think it might be advantageous to do whatever we can do or say that might make them move a little quicker, simply because of the potential severity of the crime.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. It is not *just like* Watergate, obviously, but

there seem to be many similarities: an authoritarian, paranoid president fearful of losing power; loyal minions willing to commit crimes to keep said president (and themselves) in power; an attempt by someone affiliated with the president to obtain information from the opposing party's records in order to affect an election; an extremely complex web of associations and co-conspirators; money surreptitiously changing hands and being laundered to prevent the discovery of the underlying conspiracy... lots of things.

[kentuck]

8. Do you think Russia might also be involved?

Would that make it more serious than Watergate, if that were the case?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. Of course Russia is involved. That's at the heart of the scandal.

We already know Russia hacked the DNC; the only thing still to be proved is whether Trump's campaign actively colluded with the Russian hackers. Trump's and his associates' many and mysterious connections with Russian agents and entities are the dots that must be connected. I am as certain as I can be that there were dirty deeds involving Russia; what I don't know is if and when they can be proved.

[kentuck]

11. Should we put that on the front burner?

As urgent?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Have you not been paying attention? It IS on the front burner.

It's all over the news and congresscritters (at least Democrats) are demanding investigations. This won't go away.

[kentuck]

13. Yes. I have been paying attention.

I am trying to push them to do it faster. I don't sense that it is on the front burner, like the ACA, for example. It is being talked about but I don't know that the investigative effort equals the desire of some to get to the bottom of it.

We can't let it go away.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

15. It can't go faster. As I was trying to point out above,

the situation is extremely complicated involving many people and many financial dealings. Any investigation has to be done carefully and methodically and with patience. IT. CAN'T. BE. COMPLETED. TOMORROW! This isn't a TV show.

[kentuck]

17. It isn't a TV show.

You made your point. If done at all, it must be done "carefully and methodically and with patience".

[LisaL]

6. What investigations? Did Comey ever admitted there were any investigations?

[kentuck]

9. I don't know what Comey is investigating?

But, supposedly the House and Senate Intelligence committees are investigating the Russian interference in our elections?

Other than that, who knows? They need an independent investigation, in my opinion.

[jmg257]

14. If there are NO warrants, just how are they investigating?

Are they using foreign intelligence and Russian tapped sources only?

[Mister Ed]

16. To quote a great DU'er:

"The wheels of justice grind slowly, but they grind exceeding fine."

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