Mueller Screwed Up by Staying Silent So Long

[LiberalLovinLug]

The United States is experiencing a cognitive dissonance heretofore familiar only to those living under authoritarian regimes. Despite Robert Mueller’s catalogue of President Trump’s abuses of power that dwarf Richard Nixon’s in culpability, the nation remains locked in a debate over whether the Trump did anything wrong.

Some claim that Mueller is to partially blame for this allowing this dissonance to develop, because he did not expressly label the president a felon. Mueller did err, but not in that decision; in fact expressly assigning criminal liability to Trump in the absence of an indictment could have subjected Mueller to damning accusations of bias. Rather, Mueller erred in failing to anticipate the sheer willingness of Trump and his minions to brazenly lie about his report. As a consequence, he remained silent for two months after his investigation concluded, allowing the presidential mendacity to fester.

It may be the singular mistake of Mueller’s otherwise exemplary, indeed historically successful, investigation.


https://www.thedailybeast.com/mueller-screwed-up-by-staying-silent-so-long?ref=wrap




I only hope he realizes his mistake, and has the cohone's to correct the record, but his reluctance to publicly testify does not make his corner look any prettier for painting himself into it.

[doc03]

1. If he would have come out with the report

first instead of Barr, we would have impeachment
hearings already.

[shockey80]

2. I agree 100%.

[Jakes Progress]

3. And by staying silent. He has sidestepped his call to history.

Some are heroes. Some are reluctant heroes. Some just don't want the job. Messes with their schedule.

[Hoyt]

4. As David Ignatius said: "Mueller went out like a lamb when the country needed a lion."

He wimped out in his report, and by simply repeating the report’s non-conclusions last Wednesday almost verbatim.

[Xipe Totec]

5. I don't think I would question Muller's cojones.

Military Awards:

Bronze Star
Purple Heart Medal
Navy Commendation Medal
Combat Action Ribbon
South Vietnam Gallantry Cross

Muller is a by-the-book proceduralist.

The problem is the perps are not.

To preserve the constitution we must stay within the rules as Muller is doing.

[LiberalLovinLug]

8. Where in the rule book does it say

that Mueller had to sit on his hands for 2 months watching Barr lie and misrepresent his conclusions?

And I'm not talking about those kinds of cojones. I think sometimes its more frightening to face peers that think you betrayed them, than facing physical threats. Many Democrats fought in wars, many did not. Same on the R side. Those credentials have not much to do with every day politics in Washington.

[Xipe Totec]

9. I'm sure your web posting skills have done more for America than Muller ever could. nt

[LiberalLovinLug]

12. Okay, I was resisting being a grammar nazi

And skipping over it. But you set yourself up for this one. If you are on about "web posting skills"

" I'm sure your web posting skills have done more for America than Muller ever could."

(It's Mueller)

[JonLP24]

13. I don't remember much by the book when Jose Padilla was locked up without charges

Bush was ultimately responsible but Mueller was a loyal foot soldier.

With that said I do believe the Special Counsel should be free to do its job free from political pressure from all sides.

[LiberalLovinLug]

6. I always wondered why the top Republican leaders like Graham etc...defended the SC investigation

Trump is Trump. He will always be a whiny snowflake. He anticipated losing in 2016 and so pre-whined that it would be rigged if he lost. He can't help but think everyone is against him, who doesn't swear a loyalty oath. He's a paranoid delusional.

But the smarter Republicans knew that

1. there was no avoiding an investigation into Russian interference after all intelligence agencies confirmed it.

and 2. It would involve looking into the Trump campaign staff as there was already evidence of their ties to Russia.


So they made sure that if they coudn't prevent it, they'd firstly pretend that they were all in favour, but that the appointee would be someone like Mueller, a life long Republican, who already had the distinction of misrepresenting the truth for another Republican president, W Bush. And also knew of his personality, that he just was not one to cause waves. I wouldn't say that top GOP members were communicating with Mueller during his investigation, to get all their ducks lined up, but I can't say that I would completely dismiss it. Either way, Graham and others were comfortable with Mueller leading the investigation, and were continually calling out their support for continuing it. The alternative is the unknown. Maybe a new investigation with a new head who was not so easily understood or predicable.

[struggle4progress]

7. Mueller did his job. Now we must do ours. Attacking him is a cowardly diversion.

[LiberalLovinLug]

11. I guess technically he has done his job

So you would be okay if he'd never even spoken up at all? If he never agrees to testify for the House? If he just disappears to some tropical island for a well deserved vacation?

Leaving Barr to finish interpreting his report for him?

You see no problem, with such an important national security issue, of him staying mum for two months while Barr shaped public opinion with a false narrative?

Bob punched in. And now he's punched out. We're on our own. que sera sera.

[shockey80]

14. That's true, the majority of the American people are the main problem.

Most Americans do not want to impeach a criminal which is completely insane. A large number of Americans don't even know about the investigation. They don't even know what day it is.