How to Help Make Sure Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein Isn’t Fired
Today the week’s big political story got a lot bigger.
MSNBC host Chris Matthews calls it a “slow-motion Saturday Night Massacre.”
And it’s only Friday!
Over the objection of Democrats, the Justice Department, and the FBI, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes - with the Trump White House's exuberant blessing - released a partisan memo that critics fear could undermine the Russia investigation.
In a nutshell: The memo (full text here) accuses the FBI of serious missteps in its investigation into Trump/Russia ties, and particularly in its surveillance of Trump campaign staffer Carter Page.
After so much suspense, the memo has a surprise ending.
In its last paragraph, its authors seem to contradict their own argument, explaining that the FBI had begun surveillance of another former Trump campaign staffer – George Papadopoulos - long before existence of the Steele dossier.
Or, as James Comey tweeted: "That's it?"
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Why this still matters: Many fans of democracy are concerned that the memo’s release could be a pretext for Trump to try to remove Robert Mueller, Special Counsel for the Russia investigation.
There's one person standing between Trump and Mueller: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller to the role.
Today a reporter asked Trump whether the memo could lead him to fire Rosenstein. He replied: "You figure that one out."
How to help stop a slow-motion Saturday Night Massacre
Call your Senator and your Representative (202.224.3121) to urge them to vocalize their support for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's job security.
While you have them on the phone, express your support for immediate passage of legislation protecting Mueller's investigation. There are two Senate bills (S. 1735 and S. 1741) and one House bill (H.R. 3771). Indivisible has a great phone script.
Visit www.trumpisnotabovethelaw.org, which may soon be getting a lot more traffic. The website was set up by a bunch of progressive groups (like Public Citizen, Common Cause, Indivisible, and MoveOn) to organize the rapid response in case Trump fires Mueller. Hundreds of emergency events are already planned for that possibility.
BTW: If you could you have sworn you heard last year that Rep. Nunes recused himself from the Russia investigation, find out here why that didn't happen.
