Due to the growing chorus of those calling for a special counsel to look for a Trump-Russia connection in the 2016 presidential election, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to investigate the matter. This is wrong, but everyone, it seems, has a stake in this.
For the media, it is more fuel to feed the 24-hour news cycle.
For Democrats, it keeps the idea alive that something beyond their control caused their candidate to lose. It couldn’t be because Hillary Clinton was deeply flawed, universally disliked and couldn’t be trusted. It couldn’t be that their message of higher taxes, bigger government and gender-neutral restrooms just fell flat. It had to be something more sinister.
And for Republicans, it’s the need to simply move on.
The payoffs are endless. The media have a feeding frenzy. The Republicans now have a ready answer for everything: “It’s under investigation. Therefore, I can’t discuss it.” Lastly, Democrats are able to assert that this administration must be dirty. If that were not the case, there would be no need for an investigation.
As this scenario plays out, one thing is missing: a crime.
Let’s look into some of our more recent political scandals:
With Watergate, which led to the first special prosecutor, there was the break-in.
With Iran-Contra, which was investigated by the Tower Commission and the Democrat-controlled Congress, there was the secret sale of arms to a country that was under an embargo.
With the Whitewater investigation, led by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, who replaced Robert Fiske, there were illegal loans made to finance a real estate venture of the Clintons from a failed federally backed savings and loan. This led to a string of other investigations that included, but were not limited to: the death of Vince Foster, the firing of the White House Travel Office staff and Monica Lewinsky.
Nevertheless, these investigations – and there have been many others of various government officials that received a lot less attention – were all launched because a crime was committed. However, in this case the interested parties are calling for an independent counsel to simply look for a crime.
This is not only nonsense, it is expensive nonsense. Before the Independent Counsel Act was allowed to expire in 1999, these investigations had cost American taxpayers over $180 million. And bear in mind, that $180 million would be well over a quarter of a billion in today’s dollars.
If you think these investigations were expensive, just imagine how much more one will cost when there is no defined crime, just a mandate to look for one. Staggers the imagination!
Independent investigators and independent counsels have no time limit and no spending limits. What a deal! It’s welfare for lawyers, and it’s welfare we can ill afford.
Meanwhile, many members of Congress are telling us they can’t afford to give us a tax cut. How can they when they are so cavalier about spending our money this way!
If you don’t like the way the election came out, then just work a little harder toward the next election. It’s as simple as that. Meanwhile, let Trump do his best to make this country great again. All of us, regardless of our political affiliation, will win if he does well. If he doesn’t, we’ll have a chance to replace him in 2020.
Meanwhile, it’s time members of Congress get to work. Democrats are trying to make a career out of being obstructionists. That doesn’t help anyone.
The No. 1 job of Congress is to provide for our defense and pass a balanced budget. That requires discipline. All this nonsense about appointing an independent counsel to look for a crime is just a symptom of a much larger problem.
The nation’s fiscal year begins Oct. 1. The nation’s budget is made up of 12 separate appropriations bills. How long has it been since Congress actually passed all 12 on time? It was 20 years ago, in 1997. How long has it been since we had a balanced budget? It was 19 years ago, in 1998. However, it was not a result of Bill Clinton or spending discipline as some have suggested, but an aggressive Republican Congress, an usually strong economy and a shrinking military.
At that time we still had a national debt of $5.5 trillion. Since that time we have added another $14.5 trillion to the nation’s credit card because of this lack of discipline. This is hardly a time to spend money on an independent counsel in search of a crime.
Message to Congress: Just do your job, and let Trump do his.
Media wishing to interview Jane Chastain, please contact [email protected].
|
