Judiciary Dem calls for hearing on Trump's FBI attacks

[laserhaas]

Source: The HILL

Link to tweet

.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold an oversight hearing on the Trump administration's attacks on the FBI and Justice Department.

Leahy, a senior member on the committee, expressed his concern in a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the panel's chairman, on Saturday about what he called the "attempted politicization of the FBI."

"Never has our Committee's oversight authority of the Justice Department been more critical than now," Leahy wrote.

"I fear the damage being done to the FBI, and to our nation's institutions more broadly, will far outlast any current crises unless we take decisive, bipartisan action."

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/378947-judiciary-dem-calls-for-hearing-on-trumps-fbi-attacks?amp&__twitter_impression=true

[procon]

1. Unless the Republican majority agrees, he might as well go spit into the wind.

Republicans have abdicated the critical, and independent, oversight responsibilities of the legislative branch of govt. They are nothing more than Trump's fawning lapdogs, and we can't expect any of them to remember their oath to duty.

At best, we can only hope that the Democrats will still be belaboring this issue when a wave of new congress members shifts the balance of power. That's the only way to bring Trump to justice and see that he spends his life a nice suite at a Maximum Security Club Fed.

[laserhaas]

2. Number of Republicans speaking out against Trump - is growing

[BumRushDaShow]

3. And the number resigning or not running for re-election is growing too. nt

[laserhaas]

4. Can't blame them.

Could you imagine trying to explain to your grandkids, a legacy of being part of Trump era?

eecckk

[Ligyron]

7. One of them in the know may actually do the right thing too.

But I ain't holding my breath.

[Mc Mike]

5. Go, Sen. Leahy! rec, nt

[Honeycombe8]

6. Leahy has some weight in the Senate, but Grassley seems to be part of "the fix."

So I don't hold out much hope for anything to happen from the Republicans.

[BigmanPigman]

8. I wonder if rhe Dems can pull something out from their sleeve

since Feinstein seems to get pissed off at Grassley and has been known to go around him somehow.

[Honeycombe8]

9. I don't see how, since the Repubs have such a large majority and all the power.

They're doing what they can. And they're making a historical record so that future generations will have the full story...a counter report to the Nunes report, for example (altho the Dem report was redacted heavily, leaving it without any substance not already a matter of public record).

They're issuing request after request for this and that. They're doing something. But they just don't have any power.

We're a little better off because of the recent special elections. We won several, and though I don't remember how many were national, we did cut the Repub's majority slightly.

[BigmanPigman]

10. How many do we have to flip in Nov.? 26?

[Honeycombe8]

11. I forget. I have to look that up again. A lot. nt

[Honeycombe8]

12. 24 to recapture the House.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/20/politics/house-elections-2018-midterms-control-gop-democrats/index.html
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/02/23/2018-election-analysis-politics-217073

What I read is that this is doable. But because of various factors, including gerrymandering, it's far from in the bag. Still, it's doable.

The Senate doesn't look great for Dems. There are 34 Senate seats up this year. 26 are already held by Dems, 8 by Repubs.

There are 44 Dems in the Senate, 54 Repubs, 2 Independents. If the Dems won 5 of the Repub seats and didn't lose any of its own seats, it would have 49, the Repubs would have 49, and the 2 Independents (Sanders & Angus King of Maine) caucus with the Dems which would help the Dems with power in the Senate. So the Senate is a problem.

[BigmanPigman]

13. That makes the House a must WIN!

GOTV and Swing Left!
https://swingleft.org/