On Special Counsel Appointment, Democrats Played Republicans For Fools

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SOURCE: THE FEDERALIST

URL: http://thefederalist.com/2017/05/18/special-counsel-appointment-democrats-played-republicans-fools/

by Buck Sexton

After an avalanche of bad press this week, the Trump White House finally caved. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller is now special counsel for the investigation into Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. The decision will shape the Trump presidency in unforeseeable ways. Right now, considering the ongoing political siege against the administration, this looks like an unnecessary risk that could turn into a major blunder.

Yes, there are clear, thoughtful reasons for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to appoint a special counsel (the replacement position for the better-known “special prosecutor” role, which expired under statute in 1999). Many Americans right now are skeptical of the effectiveness and impartiality of our core law enforcement institutions to handle the Trump-Russia case under the standard Department of Justice chain of command. It’s one thing to laugh at the waste and incompetence at the Department of Motor Vehicles, but if the DOJ isn’t trusted, there’s a real problem. Getting this right is important.

To be sure, the special counsel appointment will restore some confidence in federal law enforcement’s ability to handle this politically charged case, at least in the short term. It also will take some heat off of a White House press operation that has lately been a circular firing squad of loose cannons. For those who believe the only way forward for Trump is to put a man of Mueller’s stature at the head of the most momentous—and contentious—presidential investigation since the Monica Lewinsky affair, this may not just seem like a good option, but the only option.

That’s assuming the Democrats and assorted Trump critics in media are actually interested in reestablishing respect for our justice system, and getting to the truth of the outrageous accusations (of treason, no less) that beleaguer the president and his administration. Unfortunately, the Democrats likely have other plans, and will capitalize on the investigation itself for partisan ends irrespective of the eventual outcome. Thus the GOP’s tendency to concede to notions of fair play becomes a political liability.

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