All the information coming from the news media in reference to the alleged scandals by Donald Trump has some calling for his impeachment and crying “obstruction of justice!”
While reviewing these headlines, a book I read some 10 years ago came to mind. Written by H.R. McMaster, it’s titled “Dereliction of Duty.” If you have any interest in failed government policies and the real cause for the failure of the Vietnam War, it is certainly a must-read.
This book came to mind because I couldn’t help but think the same term applies to former FBI Director James Comey—and The New York Times. If this alleged memo by Comey is real, offering it up three months after the fact seems to be a self-incriminating piece of information—this from a former FBI director who was supposedly serving the American people.
An Open Admission
All this says to me that Comey is openly admitting his dereliction of duty. Apparently, he did not feel it necessary to immediately report this conversation with the president—or Trump’s request—to the House Intelligence Committee.
Maybe the bigger question is: Could this be the first dereliction of duty for the ex-FBI director? Or is he so consumed with his own personal status and public standing that dereliction of duty was simply a part of his ethical fiber? Could it be that leaks from our intelligence agencies, which represent ethical challenges, started at the top as a result of such disregard for duty?
If this memo is accurate, should there not be an immediate investigation of the personal conduct of the former FBI director? Has his dereliction of duty created any other ethical issues for other investigations on his watch?
To take this further, is this just the tip of the iceberg? As a result of Comey’s leadership, is there a culture that says accountability to the people and supplying information to the congressional oversight committee are unnecessary?
Change of Stance
From 2003 to 2005, James Comey served as deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush. When Attorney General John Ashcroft took ill, Comey served as acting attorney general and presided over a similar incident in 2004. During that dispute, which concerned eavesdropping by the National Security Agency, Comey threatened to resign.
I find it hard to believe that one could so quickly lose that type of conviction over doing what is right and become perfectly OK with such a request (assuming there was a request like this) from President Trump.
This begs the question of whether we need to start a formal congressional investigation over changes in the culture of our intelligence agencies, and whether we must decide whether they are now worthy of a constitutional amendment so they can become a fourth branch governing our republic. Of course not.
In addition, the mainstream media continues to create the narrative that Republican congressional leaders that have no sense of loyalty or unity continue to buy into. This picture is helped along by people like Sen. Bob Corker and others who bought into the media’s narrative, without understanding there were no real facts backing up the headlines—only assumptions.
Upsetting the Agenda
If everyone agrees that we need an investigation, then we need lots of them. We should probe:
- The meeting between former President Bill Clinton and then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch
- Classified information on the private server of one-time Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
- Russian influence in both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns
- The leaks of classified information from intelligence agencies, as well as the selling and purchasing of influence for the benefit of the Clinton Foundation
Apparently, none of these seem quite as worthy of investigations as anything that might involve the Trump administration.
It would be in the best interest of America if there was a real two-party system, which has long been lost. In a real two-party system, Republicans would be fighting for investigations of all of these things and allow the chips to fall where they may.
That might, however, upset the agenda pushed by liberals in the media.
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