Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Mueller’s Questions for Trump Show the Folly of Special-Counsel Appointments
National Review ^ | May 2, 2018 | ANDREW C. MCCARTHY

Posted on 05/03/2018 7:37:11 AM PDT by reaganaut1

I am assuming the authenticity of the questions that Special Counsel Robert Mueller reportedly wants to ask President Trump. The questions indicate that, after a year of his own investigation and two years of FBI investigation, the prosecutor lacks evidence of a crime. Yet he seeks to probe the chief executive’s motives and thought processes regarding exercises of presidential power that were lawful, regardless of one’s view of their wisdom.

If Bob Mueller wants that kind of control over the executive branch, he should run for president. Otherwise, he is an inferior executive official who has been given a limited license — ultimately, by the chief executive — to investigate crime. If he doesn’t have an obvious crime, he has no business inventing one, much less probing his superior’s judgment. He should stand down.

The questions, reported by the New York Times, underscore that the special counsel is a pernicious institution. Trump should decline the interview. More to the point, the Justice Department should not permit Mueller to seek to interrogate the president on so paltry and presumptuous a showing.

When should a president be subject to criminal investigation? It is a bedrock principle that no one is above the law. The Framers made clear that this includes the president. But, like everything else, bedrock principles do not exist in a vacuum. They vie with other principles.

Two competing considerations are especially significant here. First, our law-enforcement system is based on prosecutorial discretion. Under this principle, the desirability of prosecuting even a palpable violation of law must be balanced against other societal needs and desires. We trust prosecutors to perform this cost-benefit analysis with modesty about their mission and sensitivity to the disruption their investigations cause.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: andymccarthy; jamescomey; lisapage; mueller; muelleroutofcontrol; muellerquestions; peterstrzok; robertmueller; trump
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last
To: McGavin999
Its not a question of separation of powers. The DOaj is part of the executive branch.

I was referring the the threat Mueller has made to subpoena Trump to appear before a grand jury.

21 posted on 05/03/2018 8:54:00 AM PDT by pepsi_junkie (Russians couldnt have done a better job destroying sacred American institutions than Democrats have)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Steely Tom

Isn’t that pompous self righteousness disgusting?

And people of all backgrounds are beginning to see it.


22 posted on 05/03/2018 8:54:27 AM PDT by dp0622 (The Left should know if Trump is kicked out of office, it is WAR!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: pepsi_junkie
"what were you thinking"

You know, that was a long time ago and I did not take notes. So I cannot possibly accurately recall my thoughts nor would I care to speculate for fear of being inaccurate. Next question.
23 posted on 05/03/2018 8:55:55 AM PDT by JoSixChip (He is Batman!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1
Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel for two reasons: (1) ostensibly to take over a counterintelligence probe; (2) in reality, as a cave-in to (mostly) Democratic caviling over Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey

So Rosenstein was a Democrat - who knew?

Actually I would argue that Mueller was appointed special counsel for two reasons:

First, Comey is an extraordinarily thin-skinned prima donna with an unbelievably giant self-regard. Rudy Giuliani acknowledged last night that it was a mistake to have ever hired him into the Justice Department. Comey's effort to get a special counsel appointed was plain and simple revenge on Trump for the insult to Comey's amour propre from the firing. No one with that kind of psychological make-up should ever have had the enormous power of directorship over the national police agency.

Second, Rosenstein calculated that his own future if he ever wanted to be Attorney General or a circuit court judge or even a Supreme Court Justice, lay with mollifying the Dems and the GOPe establishment in order to survive a Senate confirmation vote. Rosenstein held his finger up to the wind and judged that given the attitude in Washington in the months immediately after Trump's inauguration, the uniparty was determining to engineer Trump's removal and Rosenstein could be rewarded for his role in that.

I strongly suspect the interview of Mueller by Trump for FBI Director immediately before Rosenstein appointed Mueller special counsel was engineered by Rosenstein and Mueller in order to give Mueller an opportunity to evaluate Trump in person before agreeing to investigate and prosecute Trump.

24 posted on 05/03/2018 8:55:57 AM PDT by Meet the New Boss
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cheerio

Republican Leaders lack any authority to tell the President what he can do with firing anybody and if they obstruct him we will punish them come the election.


25 posted on 05/03/2018 9:00:37 AM PDT by Mechanicos
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: originalbuckeye

“Trump is brilliant.”

Indeed. I won’t hazard a guess about who leaked the questions or whether they are real. I won’t hazard a guess as to why Rosenstein would make such an arrogant comment. I won’t hazard a guess as to why Giuliani contradicted Trump’s earlier statement regarding the Stormy Daniels hush money. I won’t hazard a guess why both Trump and Guiliani left it open whether he would agree to a sit down with Mueller.

I will say this:

Everything in the recent news cycle works in Trump’s favor. By having these silly questions leaked, the American people are getting a taste of how petty and hollow this witch hunt is. By hearing Rosenstien characterize congressional oversight as extortion, the American public gets a nice sound bite and video clip of a slimey deep state unelected bureaucrat who believes he is above the law. By discussing Stormy Daniels, the American public can revisit the issue of breech of attorney/client privilege. By appearing open to talking with Mueller, the American people can learn all about what a perjury trap is, and see Mueller depicted as the bad guy, with Trump presumed innocent. Guiliani can educate the public about objectivity and in so doing openly raise doubts as to whether Mueller can be objective.

Now, what if Trump had reacted differently to each of these stories? For example, expressed outrage and terse denials regarding Stormy Daniels, or had quickly refused to meet with Mueller?

No, these news stories were either engineered by Trump and his team, or deftly leveraged to his advantage. Either way, brilliant.

Trump is well on his way to successfully branding the Mueller investigation as a witch hunt, and himself as the innocent victim.

Truth is on his side in both cases, but with the MSM working night and day to sell lies, getting a true story out is an epic achievement.

Go Trump


26 posted on 05/03/2018 9:08:17 AM PDT by enumerated
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: pepsi_junkie

Trump should order the Marshal’s Service to yank their deputies from courts that make unconstitutional rulings.


27 posted on 05/03/2018 9:21:54 AM PDT by chesley (What is life but a long dialog with imbeciles? - Pierre Ryckmans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: pepsi_junkie

“What were you thinking” is to establish intent.

Remember, under Comey law, if the suspect doesn’t INTEND to break the law, by whatever criteria they use to establish that, then there is no crime.


28 posted on 05/03/2018 9:42:10 AM PDT by Fido969 (In!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Great article!

Well worth reading if one is stuck with CNN (as I am on travel)


29 posted on 05/03/2018 9:43:00 AM PDT by SteveH
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: originalbuckeye

Yep - bringing Rudy on board is also a super move - I like the way he’s defining the debacle as it really is - zero proof of a civil case that shouldn’t even be going on.


30 posted on 05/03/2018 9:48:57 AM PDT by trebb (I stopped picking on the mentally ill hypocrites who pose as conservatives...mostly ;-})
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Especially when the criteria for a Special Counsel requires a crime to have been committed. However, in this case no crime was committed and more importantly, what is being alleged, isn’t criminal.


31 posted on 05/03/2018 10:07:19 AM PDT by qaz123
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Powerful stuff.


32 posted on 05/03/2018 10:34:35 AM PDT by Basket_of_Deplorables (President Trump: Please Fire Sessions!!! You have nothing to lose.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mechanicos
.....and if they obstruct him we will punish them come the election.

Been hearing that for decades and it never comes to fruition. Incumbents almost are always re-elected.
33 posted on 05/03/2018 10:48:06 AM PDT by Cheerio (#44, The unknown President)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Cheerio

Yes, shouldn’t they be vigorously defending their POTUS?


34 posted on 05/03/2018 11:34:02 AM PDT by Sam Gamgee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Yeh, Mueller wants to get him on a process crime.


35 posted on 05/03/2018 12:17:34 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Andy is Comeys BEST FRIEND!! YUK...I don’t even read his crap anymore.


36 posted on 05/03/2018 12:55:12 PM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Why does reading about Mueller make me feel like taking an Obama?


37 posted on 05/03/2018 9:54:58 PM PDT by jospehm20
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: enumerated; All
From CTH:

conservativedriver says:

May 4, 2018 at 5:38 am

………………….. why did Trump meet with Mueller and Rosenstein for four hours under the guise of an interview for the director of the FBI POSITION the DAY BEFORE Mueller is appointed special council? Mueller was not eligible for the position due to term limits from his previous service? Something bigger is going on here!

38 posted on 05/04/2018 4:01:00 AM PDT by a little elbow grease (Zip ties and duct tape are far more productive than pussy hats and #metoo tweets)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: originalbuckeye
IF Trump goes before Mueller, he should demand the the same deal Hillary got to interview with the FIB.

No question........Hillary's deal also included Huma, Cheryl Mills and other co-conspirators. They all got off scot-free.

Mueller has been programmed to drag on this atrocity at least til midterms to hurt Trump b/c power-mad Democrats are desperate.

In point of fact, never-say-die Mueller's Energizer Bunny act could continue indefinitely.

More reasons why other Trump associates should be included in any deal.

39 posted on 05/04/2018 4:15:54 AM PDT by Liz ((Our side has 8 trillion bullets;the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: All
Mueller and the Democrats' huge mistake is handling Trump like he was some "Joe Schmo from Kokomo."

Donald has gone head to head with some pretty tough customers, and not only survived, he triumphed.

<><> He triumphed in the rough and tumble real estate business;

<><> He killed off all competitors in the TV ratings game, holding sway on the tube for 14 years;

<><> He made his mark in the dog-eat-dog gaming industry.

As to the latter, Playboy's Hugh Hefner and Baron Trump of Hilton hotel fame COULD NOT get coveted A/C gaming licenses.

Trump had four A/C casinos operating at the same time.

40 posted on 05/04/2018 4:25:16 AM PDT by Liz ((Our side has 8 trillion bullets;the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson