Keller @ Large: Robert Mueller Statement Helps Push For Trump Impeachment
BOSTON (CBS) - Remember Joe Isuzu, the fictional TV car salesman of the 1980s whose oleaginous pitches were accompanied by graphics explaining what the real truth was? Special counsel Robert Mueller is no Joe Isuzu. But his careful legalese lends itself to some more-blunt accompanying analysis.
• Mueller began and ended his first and only public remarks on the Russia investigation Wednesday by stressing the importance of what he investigated – Russian efforts to manipulate our electoral process. He described their "concerted attack" on our election system, and said their "multiple, systematic efforts" to interfere deserves the attention" of every American.
• Analysis: when the President and his sycophants wave off the Russian meddling as no big deal, that's a giant red flag.
• Mueller said obstruction of an investigation and lying to investigators is a serious offense that "strikes at the heart" of the justice system.
• Analysis: the Mueller report documents at least ten acts of obstruction by the President. No wonder he made a point Wednesday of repeating what he said in the report, that if the evidence they gathered had exonerated Mr. Trump as he claims, "we would have said so."
• Mueller said charging the president with a crime was "not an option" because of Department of Justice policy; "unconstitutional," he called it. And he emphasized that it is Congress to whom the burden of prosecution falls.
• Analysis: this was a clap-back at Attorney General Barr's insinuation that Mueller could have chosen to file charges but didn't, thus exonerating Mr. Trump. And his closing remarks praising the integrity of his fellow investigators was a response to the ceaseless slandering of them by the president, his sycophants, and the AG himself with his remarks about "spying."
• And finally, Mueller says he won't testify before Congress, that his report "speaks for itself."
• Translation: you have what you need. Let the impeachment-related investigation – which, you may recall, was where crucial information leading to the resignation of President Nixon was unearthed back in the Watergate era – begin.
What's the bottom line? The movement to impeach just got a boost of rocket fuel.