Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Load the Weasel Wagons (if they have any) and Dropoff at 1600 PA Ave

Base of Power: Investigate Flynn Yes or No
(Read Our Lips - Hell No...!!!) 

Resignation was correct

WASHINGTON (USA Today) — As Democrats called for further investigations following the resignation of Gen. Michael Flynn over conversations he had with the Russian ambassador, House Republicans refused to commit with Speaker Ryan saying: “I think we need to get all of that information before we prejudge anything.”
Memo for reluctant GOPers: That is the sole purpose of any and all investigations – to get all the information leading to the truth one way or the other.
You know the junkyard dog GOP type investigative approach you used against Hillary Clinton (for political gain mostly) vis-à-vis “her supposed failure about the Benghazi consulate attack and her “illegal” email server” and even the GOP desire to investigate the Clinton foundation. Or, have you lost your total capacity to remember – wait I just answered my own question – never mind.
Contrasting GOPer views are all over the place within their own ranks:
The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) also gave no indication that further investigations would follow the resignation, saying: “Mike Flynn served his country with distinction. The President needs a National Security Advisor whom he can trust and I defer to him to decide who best fills that role.” (Note: That committee is conducting an investigation of allegations of Russian tampering in the 2016 election).

On the other hand, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), a member of that same said on KTRS radio: “I think everybody needs that investigation to happen. I would think that we should talk to Gen. Flynn very soon and that should answer a lot of questions like: What did he know? What did he do? And is there any reason to believe that anybody else knew that and didn't take the kind of action they should have taken?”

Other GOP positions:

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has never hesitated to criticize the Trump administration’s relationship with Russia was not yet ready to call for a separate probe of Flynn, saying: “It’s too early yet to draw conclusions except that there are serious questions that need to be answered.”

House Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID), leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus that Rep. Meadows chairs said: “I want the Intelligence Committee to look into it,” adding that if Rep. Nunes is not pursuing an investigation, then “maybe he’s already looked at the transcripts of Flynn's calls and realized there is no there, there.” (Note: Bill Clinton phrase in Lewinsky case).
Various DEM stances:
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and ranking member on the House Judiciary 
Committee, and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) ranking member on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, called for full classified briefings this week, saying in a joint statement: “We in Congress need to know who authorized his actions, permitted them, and continued to let him have access to our most sensitive national security information despite knowing these risks. We need to know who else within the White House is a current and ongoing risk to our national security.”

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security committee, said: “Now more than ever, we need an independent commission to fully investigate Russia's interference with the election and any potential Trump campaign ties to the Kremlin.”
Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) chair of the Democratic caucus said: “Flynn’s resignation is not the end of our investigation into Russia’s influence over President Trump, but the beginning. This is much larger than Flynn… the real question is, what did President Trump know and when did he know it? Did the president order Flynn to call the Russians for example?”
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair said in a statement: “Nothing about this resignation, or resignations that could occur in the future, precludes the Senate Intelligence Committee from continuing to investigate Gen. Flynn, or any other campaign official who may have had inappropriate and improper contacts with Russian officials prior to the election.”
My final words on the overall GOP reluctance to pursue this like they did Benghazi and email server issue with Hillary Clinton like a junkyard dog is simple: CYA and hypocritical. Shameful…!!!
Note that Melissa, I mean Sean Spicer’s Press Conference seen here about Flynn resignation – it is about 10-minutes – seen below and note: There are many links on the side page at this sites that are related to this story … good stuff.

Finally, this regarding the Russian reaction which is enlightening and kind of funny in a sick ironic sort of way at the same time regarding their “outrage” about Michael Flynn’s resignation from ABC News.  

Many in Russia are calling it the result of American paranoia towards Moscow and a campaign by Trump’s opponents to damage relations between Russia and the United States. The Kremlin has confirmed the calls but denied the sanctions were mentioned. A series of senior lawmakers in Moscow came to Flynn’s defense on Tuesday, saying he had been forced out for seeking dialogue with Russia.  

Prominent Russian government officials have celebrated Trump's election victory as a chance to rebuild relations and have derided the accusations of interference as a “red scare” effort to weaken Trump.

Across the board, top Russian official are saying things like:

“Even a readiness for dialogue is perceived by the hawks in Washington as thought-crime.

To force a national security adviser to resign for contacts with the Russian ambassador (a usual diplomatic practice) -— it’s not even paranoia but something immeasurably worse.

Paranoia and a witch-hunt. Either Trump has not acquired the sought-for independence. Russophobia has already permeated the new administration from top to bottom.”

So, get ready to rumble ... yeah, sure... just don't count on the majority party to step up or step forward ... 
Stay tuned.

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