Congress has no right to 'do-over' of Russia probe: White House counsel

The Mueller report described numerous links between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and various Russians.

In other words, it was NOT a hoax, no matter how it's spun by Trump's (and Putin's) global propaganda purveyors.

"This is the White House claiming that the president is king ... No president, no person in the United States is above the law."

This a thousand times. The best way to ensure that the president - regardless party affiliation - doesn't become an autocrat, the best way to limit the powers of the corporations so they don't have total control, the best way to limit the power of the elite is to ensure the democratic principles of the republic, those defined in the US Constitution, are upheld.

The separation and balance of powers must be maintained to keep the US from becoming a totalitarian state.

Okay. Congress had the responsibility of oversight, which is why the Founding Fathers created it and give it responsibilities in the Constitution.

In other words, it was NOT a hoax, no matter how it's spun by Trump's (and Putin's) global propaganda purveyors.

Yeah the report clearly showed collusion, just not to the degree of criminal conspiracy. Trump was smart at the start of the investigation to drum the world 'collusion' into the American consciousness, when collusion isn't a crime, and wasn't what was being investigated (criminal conspiracy and obstruction were the targets). That allowed him to clear exoneration, but he wasn't exonerated of collusion, rather that collusion was clearly proven. He was cleared of criminal conspiracy.

The Trumpets are willing to allow a leader who would collude with their enemy, as long as it allows their team to retain power. They have clearly sold out the American people for their party. Which is entirely un-American.

They have clearly sold out the American people for their party. Which is entirely un-American.

Additionally, pro open border and anti-Constitution.

correct. Gave Mueller 22 months and unlimited money and resources. You don’t get to try again because you don’t like the results.

Wow, even better!

 He was cleared of criminal conspiracy.

Nobody is asking for a "do-over". We want the unredacted report, and to have Mueller testify to discuss his findings and interpretations.

Mueller explicitly stated that he would not indict and therefore would not accuse the president but neither could he exonerate him. That leaves Congress and their article one powers to investigate which is exactly what they're attempting to do. The White House is full of it and giving the house every reason to begin formal impeachment hearings.

correct. Gave Mueller 22 months and unlimited money and resources. You don’t get to try again because you don’t like the results.

Was this your mantra when you guys launched the tenth investigation into Hillary?

Keep kicking that dead horse, Democrats.

Keep kicking that dead horse, Democrats.

We learned it by watching republicans.

The Russia thing and the britexit thing are wasting to much paper, electricity and internet speed.

No president, no person in the United States is above the law."

And the Presumption of Innocence, one of the sacred principles of the American judicial system, holds that "a person is innocent until proven guilty" also applies to the President (even if his name is Trump).

But the Trump-haters don't believe "Presumption of Innocence" rule applies to Trump. Instead, in their zealous efforts to prosecute Trump for any crime, has proclaimed Trump is guilty, guilty, guilty! absence of proof of guilt beyond doubt notwithstanding.

The Mueller report found insufficient evidence to establish that Trump engaged in a criminal conspiracy.

So, the Democrats, not politically satisfied with the report findings, has gone back to dig into the minutiae, to find anything, ANYTHING, that can be construed as GUILTY of questionable criminal action to use as a basis for impeachment.

So, the Democrats, not politically satisfied with the report findings, has gone back to dig into the minutiae, to find anything, ANYTHING, that can be construed as GUILTY of questionable criminal action to use as a basis for impeachment.

Like all the obstruction that was evidenced in Mueller's report and Donny's lapdog Barr decided not to pursue?

Keep kicking that dead horse, Democrats.

We learned it by watching republicans.

So, you admit you're kicking a dead horse! Tee hee!

you know who isn’t kicking a dead horse?

The new prosecutor assigned to the IG investigation.

Notice Brennan, Clapper, Baker and Comey all finger pointing each other suddenly. Baker said he felt Comey was trying to blackmail the president. All hands abandon ship it’s gonna get rough!

we had an IG who had no ability to prosecute anyone or take any action against anyone who wasnt an active employee. This was after everyone had been fired or resigned.

Not anymore. This prosecutor specializes in crooked law enforcement personnel.

Oh sorry, Comey appeared to be blackmailing Trump. If even partisan Trump haters thought that, then he definitely was.

He founds lots of things wrong, but had no ability to take any action other than to point them out.

Remember, he said FBI agents got sports tickets from news reporters? etc etc

Nobody floundering here, just all your FBI and CIA buddies blaming each other for doing illegal things they previously claim werent even done. Its not even a matter of what was done or if it was illegal, its simply which one of them did it.

I didnt say to brief Trump, it was Comey. I told him not to, I knew it would look like blackmail!

I didnt say to add the dossier to the Intelligence Brief, it was Brennan!

Great to see the rats deserting the ship and each other.

Congress has every right.

Im not your Google search sorry. You can find numerous articles with comments from James Baker who appears to have flipped on everyone else and is preparing us for what we will find.

Didnt do anything "wrong" really just some mistakes, says Baker.

Both Comey and former FBI General Counsel James Baker have said they are confident the bureau did nothing wrong in obtaining the warrants, although Baker admitted the DOJ inspector general's FISA abuse investigation will find "mistakes."

Brennan and Comey arguing over which one of them pushed the fake dossier. “Comey told [FBI] subordinates that … Brennan insisted the dossier be included” in the assessment, while a former CIA official “put the blame squarely on Comey.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/blame-game-pits-john-brennan-against-james-comey-over-support-for-steele-dossier

Then its Brennan AND Clapper and the whole CIA against Comey and the FBI.

Get your popcorn

A former CIA official countered this position, saying it was actually the CIA that pushed back against the FBI: “Former Director Brennan, along with former [Director of National Intelligence] James Clapper, are the ones who opposed James Comey’s recommendation that the Steele Dossier be included in the intelligence report … They opposed this because the dossier was in no way used to develop the ICA,” the unnamed source said. This individual said because the dossier was uncorroborated, “Brennan and Clapper prevented it from being added into the official assessment” and “Comey then decided on his own to brief Trump about the document.”

He has. To the brand new prosecutor who was just assigned (but who has been working on this for over one year according to court transcripts).

Prior to this there wasnt a prosecutor for the IG to refer the charges to. Now there is, for both the last investigation last year and the new one that is finishing within a month :-)

The IG could have referred any criminal cases to prosecutors. You're really holding on to this idea for dear life.

I gave you plenty of quotes. Nothing made up here. Nice try though.

So whats your story once people start getting indicted by this prosecutor?

We know McCabe and Comey lied, we know FBI agents accepted sporting event tickets, we know the contents of the Strzok/Page emails. We know about Clapper and Brennan, we know Baker leaked. Do you really think this prosecutor isnt going to indict anyone?

The trumpets are right obnoxious trying to claim that the Democrats shouldn’t have multiple investigations after their 48 Hillary investigations. Yeah right. Sorry, we got lots lined up, and that still won’t catch us up to your collosal failure. Especially since trump actually is a criminal.

The trumpets are right obnoxious trying to claim that the Democrats shouldn’t have multiple investigations after their 48 Hillary investigations.

No serious investigations though, obviously, or she would have been indicted, sentenced and locked up by now.

trump actually is a criminal

Not according to Mueller. And Mueller is no fan of Trump's.

I keep hearing the same hyper-partisan rhetoric BS spouted by the Trumpophiles.   As an AMERICAN CITIZEN, not as a Democrat, not as a Republican (of which I am neither), not as a liberal, not as a conservative (also of which I am neither),  I am extremely concerned of the behavior that Trump's administration AND the GOP has enabled in order to destroy the basic foundations of stability in this country.

When I see Trump advocate putting his relatives in positions of control in this country, I am concerned.

When I see Trump demand loyalty to himself, and not the citizens of this country (looking at you Barr) as a PUBLIC SERVANT, I am concerned.

When I see Trump elect big business/Corporate associates to positions in government so they can twist the "rules" to corporate America benefits, I am concerned.

Betsy DeVos in the Department of Education:

https://www.npr.org/2019/05/16/723568597/cfpb-chief-says-education-department-is-blocking-student-loan-oversight 

She has also gone out of her way to reduce proper investigations and oversight on for profit privately owned corporate colleges.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2018/10/17/betsy-devos-puts-protecting-for-profit-schools-ahead-of-students/

Ajit Pai for big ISP corporate interests as acting head of the FCC:

https://www.pcmag.com/news/361243/senate-democrats-will-vote-to-reverse-net-neutrality-rollbac

https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/11/17438638/net-neutrality-violation-history-restoring-internet-freedom-order

Making sure ISP giants can keep charging outrageous prices for throttled and directly manipulated internet and trying to allowing them to TAKE (not make) more money from consumers and service companies that use the internet to run their business (streaming, gaming, etc..).   And yet many other countries (that have faster and CHEAPER ISPs) outclass the US services and DON'T throttle the internet.  Come June 11th, watch the $#!+ hit the fan.

Patrick Shanahan for Department of Defense:

https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/23/boeing-pentagon-takeover-defense-department-mattis-shanahan/

Serving corporate interests over American Citizens much???  As I said, the United States of CORPORATE AMERICA.

If you wonder WHY the younger generations are leaning hard to blind SOCIALISM, it is because of the amount of CORPORATE CAPITALIST GREED that has been allowed to run rampant with this current administration!

IMHO, good capitalism with PROPER planning and oversight promotes prosperity to ALL in the country and not just a select few (the 1% compared to a much more reasonable 50-100%).   Prosperity for all equates to less poverty!  It also equates to a better economy, because you'll have more people who aren't poverty level capable of SPENDING MORE, creating a much more robust economic foundation!

So all of the actions and choices that Trump has been instigating has never every been for the American people and has violated the oath of office that he took upon becoming POTUS. This isn't about "do-overs", it's about protecting this country and its people before a corrupt, selfish, arrogant, conceited wanna be dictator. Because that is EXACTLY his attitude. "I can do anything I want because as president I believe I'm a KING!"

Like all the obstruction that was evidenced in Mueller's report and Donny's lapdog Barr decided not to pursue?

If there was collusion then recommendation for indictment would have been in it, but since they couldn’t find No collusion, it’s over for the President...however for a bunch of people at the FBI and DOJ they’re starting to pucker up and with good reason. That boomerang is coming. Love how Barr told Pelosi if she had her handcuffs for him ready. Cracked up!

"The White House will not participate in the committee's'investigation' that brushes aside the conclusions of the Department of Justice after a two-year-long effort in favor of political theater pre-ordained to reach a preconceived and false result," said the 12-page letter from Cipollone.

It looks like time is running out for the elected Democrats who spent over two years trying to overturn Trump's election. Tick, tock. Now at least four of the pro-Hillary investigators/agitators involved in the fishing expedition/witch hunt against Trump are under investigation by the DOJ and Congress. (Any congressional investigation will have to take a back seat to a DOJ investigation.) Comey has a lot of s'plainin' to do. So do the FBI personel who claimed that the Steele dossier had been verified. Tick, tock. Elected Democrats are desperate to quickly find something/anything that will take the heat off their "investigators" before the 2020 election. Tick, tock.

HonestDictator - So all of the actions and choices that Trump has been instigating has never every been for the American people and has violated the oath of office that he took upon becoming POTUS. This isn't about "do-overs", it's about protecting this country and its people before a corrupt, selfish, arrogant, conceited wanna be dictator. Because that is EXACTLY his attitude. "I can do anything I want because as president I believe I'm a KING!"

Elected Democrats failed (again) to overturn Trump's election, and now they're desperately hoping to reuse the same tainted, fraudulent, politicized, information to keep their "resist", and "impeachment" goals alive. Unfortunately for Democrats, the results of the current "investigations of the investigators" will probably turn off more potential Democrat Party voters than any other single issue.

If there was collusion then recommendation for indictment would have been in it, but since they couldn’t find

Faulty logic, which just shows you haven’t bothered to read the report. It did find collusion, but as you guys pointed out, collusion isn’t a crime.

Do you think the collusion they found is ethically appropriate behaviour for a president?

It looks like time is running out for the elected Democrats who spent over two years trying to overturn Trump's election.

Nah, we still have at least 23 more investigations to go to catch up to you guys.

And let's look at history. You guys freaked out and tried to impeach Clinton. Then won. You guys did 94 Hillary investigations - then won.

Our path to winning is to obstruct, to investigate Trump, and to impeach him. You guys have shown us the path to victory!

I think the Democrats should collude (but stay shy of criminal conspiracy) with China to beat Trump. Another winning strategy!

Elected Democrats failed (again) to overturn Trump's election, and now they're desperately hoping to reuse the same tainted, fraudulent, politicized, information to keep their "resist", and "impeachment" goals alive.

Nope. We're following a regimented strategy of obstruct, over-investigate, and collude, as this has been proven to be the path to power in America!

Strangerland - Faulty logic, which just shows you haven’t bothered to read the report. It did find collusion, but as you guys pointed out, collusion isn’t a crime.

Do you think the collusion they found is ethically appropriate behaviour for a president?

What collusion are you referring to?

Not one of the elected Democrats could be bothered to take the time to read the Mueller report, but some of them are demanding that Barr be arrested, impeached, abused for failing to release a fully un-redacted Mueller report which would actually make Barr to be in clear violation of federal law. This is beyond faulty logic. These Democrats are desperate to find something that might prove to the voters that these rabid Democrats aren't simply suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Strangerland - Nope. We're following a regimented strategy of obstruct, over-investigate, and collude,

This has been obvious since Hillary lost her 2nd attempt to become POTUS in 2016. Democrats were shocked to find out that even Democrats wouldn't vote for Hillary.

The Left: I's unacceptable that Russians were interfering win our elections.

Also The Left: It is unconstitutional that the U.S. government is spying on its citizens. It's positively Orwellian!

Also The Left: I don't care that the U.S. government used unconstitutional power to interfere with an election and try to unseat a duly elected president. ORANGE MAN BAD!!!

It's unacceptable to Democrats that Russians were interfering with U.S. elections, but it's OK that Democrats were funding the Steele dossier which used Russian supplied information to interfere with U.S. elections.