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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America discuss Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s public statement that is only going to inflame the political tensions in Washington. President Trump and Don Jr. are both throwing cold water on another possible Roy Moore run for U.S. Senate. And Jim and Greg examine the Democratic Party’s tightening of the rules for presidential candidates to qualify for the primary debates.
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Trump was only for Moore after he’d won the primary. In the primaries, he backed Luther Strange.
It is not clear at all that firing Mueller would constitute Obstruction of Justice. Nor would shutting down the entire investigation clearly constitute Obstruction of Justice. It might have led to impeachment, but these would have been facially lawful acts (the Constitution does not limit Presidential power to direct the Executive branch) and the burden of proof would have been with the prosecution to prove corrupt motive beyond a reasonable doubt. Absent evidence of illegal conspiracy, he has no imaginable corrupt motive.
I think you’re on the right track, but it goes even further – if there was no predicate crime, there can be no obstruction. Also, a legally permissible act, is not obstruction.
I found this quote recently on the “bookworm room” blog:
Bookworm Room – Progressives Collude
AG Barr made the point (which had already occurred to me) that firing Mueller and replacing him would have been difficult to construe as obstruction.
Mueller should have been replaced as soon as his bias became obvious; i.e., after he selected a team of Trump-hating Democrats. Unfortunately Trump’s advisers talked him out of it.
On the other hand, I think you can have obstruction (of an investigation) even if the alleged crime is not proven.
Mueller should never have been appointed in the first place, being close friends with both Comey and Rosenstein he was disqualified under the special prosecutor act. Trump should have fired him the day he was appointed, along with Rosenstein.