His nose grows by the day

***

I try to put myself in the position of an informed Republican, one who reads The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and does not get his or her news from Breitbart or Fox. I am pleased that my party holds all the seats of power in D.C. That we have a Republican president who will carry out some of my high priorities, lower taxes for the rich, reduce regulations, appoint conservative judges and be pro-life. I have to weigh these priorities against my revulsion at his behavior. Especially now that he has fired the FBI chief to stop or hinder an investigation into him and his associates. I remember Watergate and shudder.

***

No matter how much Democrats scream and holler, the ball is in the Republicans’ court. Will there be Republicans like Howard Baker, Republican senator from Tennessee, who was determined to find the “smoking gun?” Even if there is an FBI agent like Mark Felt, “Deep Throat” who will reveal all to The New York Times or The Washington Post, will that make any difference to the Republicans in power or the majority of Republican voters? Already a few seem willing to break ranks. But what about the others who have to answer to independents and Democrats in their states. And the Republican leadership? That’s the constitutional crisis. If checks and balances do not hold. If our representatives in Congress fail to do the right thing. What would Washington, Jefferson, Adams and Hamilton say now.

***

It’s interesting that when D.T. tells his stories he often gives a clue. He teases that the White House may have taped his dinner conversation with Comey. D.T. is really worried that Comey may have had a tape on him which reveals what was said at that infamous dinner where D.T. summoned the FBI chief to demand his loyalty. Now we have Comey’s notes instead. D.T. writes in his firing letter that Comey assured him three times that he was not the subject of an FBI investigation. In truth, he asked Comey three times whether he was the subject of an FBI investigation. He calls the FBI director a show boater who loves publicity. It’s D.T. who is the show boater who loves publicity.

He denies any business dealings with Russians but refuses to release his tax returns which might show otherwise. Meanwhile, his sons talk up their connections with Russian oligarchs and no one can explain why D.T. is so fond of Putin. In this tragedy of errors in the midst of the firing and investigations into the Trump-Russians connections, the president meets with the Russian ambassador in the Oval Office, closed to the American press but open to Russian media, where Trump is shown hugging representatives of America’s enemy and giving away classified secrets. Some fear that the unknowing D.T. may have given the Russians an opportunity to bug the Oval Office. Who knows, maybe they will provide the smoking gun. It’s a farce. It’s unreal. But it is all too true.

Dov Zakheim, a former Defense Department official in George W. Bush’s administration: “Should the administration be perceived as trying to influence, stall or undermine the investigation, there will be Justice lawyers and/or FBI agents or both who will see it as their patriotic duty and ethical imperative to leak to the press.” Now that Robert Mueller, former FBI director, has been appointed to investigate this mess, there will be fewer leaks. His process will be slow and behind closed doors. That’s why it is so important for Congress to also investigate in both private and public hearings. Are the Republicans up to it?

Sue Lempert is the former mayor of San Mateo. Her column runs every Monday. She can be reached at sue@smdailyjournal.com.