“Once the party of law and order,” screamed the Washington Post’s top-of-the-front-page Sunday headline, “Republicans are now challenging it.”
The story’s lede: “Republican leaders’ open defiance last week of the FBI over the release of a hotly disputed memo revealed how the GOP, which has long positioned itself as the party of law and order, has become an adversary of federal law enforcement as the party continues its quest to protect President Trump from the Russia investigation.”
Huh?
Defiance,* by definition, is “bold disobedience.” But the Constitution tasks Congress with control (by oversight and purse string) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice. Because subservient, it is the FBI and DoJ that can disobey. Not Congress.
While some Republicans seemingly switched sides on the appropriateness of criticizing the FBI over the Nunes memo release — congratulations are in order! — the same point, reversed, can be made (even humorously) about some on the Left now condemning such criticism.
Criticizing the government — including law enforcement agencies — has always been as American as apple pie.
The Post supports an ever-increasing role for the federal government, favoring Democrats. But now, Trump Derangement Syndrome has apparently pushed the company-town paper over the edge … to Media Madness (the title of Howard Kurtz’s new book, which the paper sophomorically savaged).
How ridiculous to characterize Republicans as enemies of “federal law enforcement” because they believe some within the FBI acted improperly, perhaps unlawfully.**
The Post should remember that its journalistic street cred didn’t come from reporting partisan spin as fact, but from what some saw as “defying” the president and publishing “national secrets” in search of the truth
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
* The Post wasn’t alone. Politico echoed the message in its story, “GOP defies FBI, releases secret Russia memo to partisan fury,” and so did other media outlets.
** Moreover, Republican leaders have been clear that the memo does not impact Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
4 replies on “Defiance?”
Yes, the FBI and DoJ are subservient to Congressional oversight, and the Congress is subservient and subject to the oversight of the electorate.
The voters are the shareholders and revenue source and have a right to know, and a duty to understand, what their “representatives” are up to, or allowing in their name.
If democracy dies in darkness it would appear that more, not less, disclosure is required to strengthen and preserve the Republic.
Had there been no unscrupulous behavior, there would never have been any criticism.
We’ve lost track of he origin of the memo. Was it the writer’s recall of what he heard and saw at the Congressional hearing? If so, I guess that the Democrats are entitled to their own recollection of what they saw and heard at the hearing. Where is the official report from the Congressional Committee that called this inquiry?
It used to be that the Washington Post was only fit to wrap fish in. Now it seems that they are not even fit to do that.