Rep. Adam Schiff Delivers a 21st Century “Have You No Sense of Decency?” Moment
The Mueller report, or any version thereof, remains under seal. Despite overwhelming public sentiment for its release, the Republican leadership in the Senate and a political appointee in the Justice Department are stonewalling.
President Trump and his advocates have seized on a four page summary (of the reportedly more than 300 page report) to claim vindication and as the basis of an all out assault on those they perceive as their political enemies.
At a campaign style rally in Michigan on Thursday night, a fired-up Trump called it “the greatest hoax in the history of our country,” warning those behind the probe “would be held accountable,” and aired his grievances about the “unfair” media coverage.
His allies in Congress have been echoing this vindictiveness as shown in this snip from CBS News:
Every Republican on the House Intelligence Committee is calling on Chairman Adam Schiff to resign Thursday, accusing the California Democrat of weaving a "demonstrably false" narrative of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia and "undermining" the credibility of the panel.
At a hearing Thursday, Republican Rep. Mike Conaway read a letter arguing Schiff has been "at the center of a well-orchestrated media campaign claiming, among other things, the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government."
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Thus the stage was set for what should be remembered as a history making response from Congressman Adam Schiff, one reminiscent of the tongue lashing given by Special Counsel for Joseph N. Welch at the Army-McCarthy Hearings on June 9, 1954.
Mr. Welch: You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?
The hearings were called in response to the Army’s refusal to intercede on behalf of McCarthy’s chief consultant, G. David Schine, who had been drafted. ABC-TV broadcast the hearings live, giving the American people a first hand experience with the Wisconsin Senator’s vindictiveness.
His power declined sharply following the hearings and the Senate voted to condemn him a few months later, bringing to a close one of the darker chapters of American history.
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Back to the CBS coverage:
A visibly emotional Schiff, who did not know this broadside from Republicans was coming, had a strident response. At times raising his voice, he listed a litany of known and controversial interactions between the Trump campaign and Russia — including Donald Trump Jr.'s involvement in the Trump Tower meeting and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort's sharing of polling data with a Russian associate.
Congressman Schiff’s response in the video below is absolutely compelling:
https://youtu.be/enzzj1RO6bw
Here’s a transcript of what he said (emphases mine):
Schiff: My colleagues may think it's okay that the Russians offered dirt on a democratic candidate for president as part of what was described as the Russian government's effort to help the Trump campaign.
You might think that's okay.
My colleagues might think it's okay that when that was offered to the son of the president, who had a pivotal role in the campaign, that the president's son did not call the FBI. He did not adamantly refuse that foreign help. No, instead that son said that he would love the help of the Russians.
You might think it's okay that he took that meeting.
You might think it's okay that Paul Manafort the campaign chair, someone with great experience in running campaigns also took that meeting. You might think it's okay that the president's son-in-law also took that meeting. You might think it's okay that they concealed it from the public. You might think it's okay that they're only disappointment after that meeting was that the dirt they received on Hillary Clinton wasn't better.
You might think that's okay.
You might think it's okay that when it was discovered a year later that they lied about that meeting and said it was about a adoptions. You might think it's okay that the president has reported to have helped dictate that lie.
You might think that's okay.
I don't.
You might think it's okay that the campaign chairman of a presidential campaign would offer information about that campaign to a Russian oligarch in exchange for money or debt forgiveness.
I don't.
You might think it's okay that that campaign chairman offered polling data, campaign polling date to someone linked to Russian intelligence.
I don't think that's okay.
You might think it's okay that the president himself called on Russia to hack his opponent's emails if they were listening. You might think it's okay that later that day, in fact, the Russians attempted to hack a server affiliated with that campaign.
I don't think that's okay.
You might think that it's okay that the president's son-in-law sought to establish a secret back channel of communications with the Russians through a Russian diplomatic facility.
I don't think that's okay.
You might think it's okay that an associate of the president made direct contact with the GRU through guccifer2 and Wikileaks and that's considered a hostile intelligence agency. You might think that it's okay a senior campaign official was instructed to reach that associate and find out what that hostile intelligence agency had to say in terms of dirt on his opponent.
You might think it's okay that the national security adviser designated, secretly conferred with a Russian ambassador about undermining U.S. sanctions and you might think it's okay he lied about it to the FBI.
You might say that's all okay. You might say that's just what you need to do to win. But i don't think it's okay.
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Republicans weren’t content to stop with a demand for the House Intelligence Committee Chair’s resignation.
Marc Sumner at Daily Kos explained:
But waylaying Schiff on the House floor was just one part of the brilliant plan. Since before the Barr letter appeared, Republicans have also had a brilliant scheme in mind to undermine Democratic House members by … taking away their security clearance. Because, as a thousand articles have said when discussing Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the White House has absolute, unfettered ability to control security clearances. They can give top secret clearance to a dilettante who lied over a hundred times on his security form and rushed off to share a hit list with his buddy the prince. They can take it away from a national security expert who had the bad grace to point out the emperor was naked. Disgustingly naked.
So, the theory goes, all Trump has to do is snatch away the security clearance from Schiff and other Democrats in the House or Senate who have positions requiring them to examine classified material, and they will have to resign, because they won’t be able to do the job. Boom! Yeah. Boom. But … not the way they think. Because that’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works.
National Security lawyer Bradley P. Moss, came back from his previously scheduled Twitter hiatus to explain:
https://twitter.com/BradMossEsq/status/1111288095247355904
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Finally, I’ve found a Democratic candidate for President who I absolutely cannot support.
https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1111386620698083329
Pssst! Mueller hasn't reported anything to the American people.
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Email me at DougPorter@WordsAndDeedsBlog.com