Mueller’s Testimony: No One Cares
By
Leonard Zwelling
It is now beyond apparent that the way to get the American public focused on an issue is not to have a two-year investigation of that issue followed by the publication of a thick redacted report that comes to no meaningful conclusions.
Throughout the hearings on Wednesday, July 24, members of the two House committees interviewing Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller lauded his service to the country. I agree, but perhaps his last major service to the country was not his finest hour.
In the end, people like stories to have endings. The story about the potential conspiracy of the current President of the United States and the allegations that he obstructed justice has no ending. The Mueller Report is a whimper. In sum it says that the Russians played a bunch of dirty tricks to influence the 2016 Presidential election in Donald Trump’s favor and that the Trump campaign welcomed the help. However, Mr. Mueller concluded that this did not rise to the level of a criminal conspiracy.
As to whether or not the President obstructed justice, Mueller neither exonerated him nor indicted him. He did not even draw a conclusion as to whether there was obstruction. He just laid out the facts. Each American will have to draw his own conclusion. That’s not a satisfying ending. Either the shark exploded or Father Damien died a believer or not. We need an ending. This book and this movie didn’t have one.
To make matters worse, Mr. Mueller refused to answer hundreds of questions, had trouble hearing the questions he got, and did a great job stalling for time by asking that questions be repeated. No offense, he seemed off his game. He seemed to be his age (almost 75). It was not an impressive performance. It will change no minds. I doubt that anyone really cares.
There has never been any doubt as to where the responsibility lies when answering the question of whether or not Mr. Trump broke the law or abused power. That lies with Congress according to the Constitution. We shouldn’t be asking a former FBI Director to bear the weight of the accountability that belongs to Congress. If Mrs. Pelosi does not want to do her job and launch an investigation based on the Mueller Report, fine. Just shut up and move on.
The actions of the Democrats in Congress to obfuscate rather than clarify for the American people are exactly why Mr. Trump got elected in the first place and he may well get re-elected. Congress is viewed as inept and today, for the most part, Congress proved it by taking a distinguished but reluctant witness through the testimony he told them he would give them. What was in the Report was all he was going to talk about. And it was.
It is now up to the Democrats in the House to decide whether or not they wish to take the Constitutionally determined action available to them to probe into whether or not a crime was committed by this White House. If they don’t have the stomach for it or if the political calculus is, to their assessment, too risky, then can we no longer dwell on this?
Like it or not, Mr. Mueller did the job he thought he was asked to do. That Democrats and Republicans alike tried to score points during the hearing is both expected and disappointing. I learned nothing. Did you?
The ball is in Mrs. Pelosi’s court. Either she starts hearings in the fall or she doesn’t. Frankly, I don’t even care any more. I think Mr. Trump is the worst president we have had since Jimmy Carter and given what has come in between them, that’s saying something.
Congress has a potential job. Do it or keep quiet. Please.
Probably the best solution is to let the people decide. They will. In November 2020, we vote and it will be a referendum on the Trump Presidency, BUT, it will also be an assessment of how well the Democrats can select a viable opponent. Give the people a choice, and they may well change horses. Give them more of the same–like Pelosi and Congress and Mr. Trump has it won.
