The many twists and turns of the Russia probe

>>> WELCOME BACK.
LET'S CLOSE AS WE ALWAYS DO,
HEAD AROUND THE TABLE AND
REPORTERS SHARE SOMETHING FROM
THEIR NOTEBOOKS.
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON?
>> JOHN THOMPSON ANNOUNCED HE'LL
STEP DOWN AT THE END OF JUNE.
HE DOESN'T HAVE A DEPUTY NOR
ANYONE TO REPORT TO AT THE
CENSUS.
THESE VACANCIES COME AS THE
CENSUS PREPARES FOR A BIG CENSUS
IN 2020 AND THE PREP WORK TO DO
THAT REALLY EXTENDS THE PROJECT
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
WHY IS THE CENSUS IMPORTANT?
IT'S CONNECTED TO FEDERAL
FUNDING.
IT'S ALSO CONNECTED TO
CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES.
ONE OF THE THINGS TO LOOK FOR,
WHO GETS THIS SLOT AND WHAT THE
BUDGETING IS FOR THE CENSUS
GOING TO WORK.
IT IS IMPORTANT HISTORICALLY
IMPORTANT TO RAMP UP THE
SPENDING IN THIS CENSUS IN
ADVANCE OF THE 2020 AND THOSE
DECADE CENSUS COUNTS.
>> YET ANOTHER HELP WANTED
VACANCY SIGN IN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
CARL?
>> I'M DOING A PIECE ON
REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE TO
WATCH ON THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION.
THE INTEL COMMITTEE A GROUP OF
FOUR REPUBLICAN SENATORS WHO
HAVE REALLY SHOWN DETERMINATION,
THEY WANT TO SEE THIS THROUGH.
ROY BLUNT IS ONE OF THEM, SUSAN
COLLINS.
ROY BLUNT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE
WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW PEOPLE
THAT WE TALKED TO EVERYONE THAT
WE SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO AND
WE'VE SEEN EVERY DOCUMENT WE
SHOULD HAVE SEEN, SO HOW THESE
REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO BE
WORKING IN THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT.
>> KEEP AN EYE ON THAT.
MANU?
>> FRIDAY THE SENATE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE SAID
THEY'D HEAR FROM JAMES COMEY IN
OPEN SESSION MEMBERS WERE ANGRY,
CHUCK GRASSLEY, DIANNE
FEINSTEIN, RANKING DEMOCRATS,
THIS IS PART OF AN INCREASINGLY
TENSE TURF WAR BETWEEN THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE AND
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE GETTING
ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND
DOCUMENTS, THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE HAS OVERSIGHT OVER THE
FBI AND SOME OF THE MEMBERS ARE
NOT HAPPY THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN
SOME INFORMATION.
ONE OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE LINDSEY GRAHAM STARTED
TO ASSERT HIMSELF ON THE RUSSIA
PROBE, HEARD FROM SALLY YATES IN
A HEARING THAT ACTUALLY UNDERCUT
THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE'S EFFORT TO HEAR FROM
SALLY YATES.
THIS IS NOT JUST EGOS AND
PERSONALITY.
IT HAS IMPACT.
THE KEY COMMITTEES ARE THE ONES
WHO WRITE THE REPORTS AND TELL
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE EXACTLY WHAT
HAPPENED.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF EGO AND
PERSONALITIES THERE.
KAREN?
>> ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS
RAISED WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL IS WHAT THAT
WOULD DO TO ALL OF THESE
INVESTIGATIONS ON CAPITOL HILL.
IT WAS INTERESTING ON FRIDAY
WHEN THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
ROD ROSENTYN WAS UP THERE, HE
WAS PRESSED ON THIS ISSUE.
WHAT'S INTERESTING HE ENCOURAGED
THEM TO GO FULL SPEED AHEAD.
HE SAID AS LONG AS YOU'VE GOT A
POINT OF CONTACT IN THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, GO FOR IT.
THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO
ENDANGERED REPUBLICANS.
THEY FEEL THEY CANNOT BE SEEN AS
PUTTING THE BRAKES ON THIS.
>> WE'LL SEE IF IT CONTINUES.
WORDS OUT OF THE LOOP RETURNED
TO OUR POLITICAL CONVERSATION
THIS PAST WEEKEND.
IT STIRRED A LITTLE SENSE OF
DEJA VU.
THE PHRASE FOUND PEOPLE CLOSE TO
MIKE PENCE SAYING THE VICE
PRESIDENT FEELS MORE FRUSTRATED
WITH ALL THIS CONTROVERSY
SWIRLING AROUND THE TRUMP WHITE
HOUSE AND HIS ROLE IN SELLING
IT, SELLING THE EXPLANATIONS.
HISTORY TELLS US THIS SUBPLOT IS
WORTH WATCHING.
BIG INVESTIGATIONS HAVE A WAY OF
STRAINING THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
NUMBER TWO.
IT HAPPENED IN THE IRAN-
IRAN-CONTRA INVESTIGATION,
GEORGE H.W. BUSH FAMOUSLY
CLAIMED TO BE OUT OF THE LOOP.
SPECIAL COUNSEL INVESTIGATION
THAT LED TO CHARGES AGAINST
SCOOTER LIBBY CAUSED MAJOR
TENSIONS BETWEEN GEORGE W. BUSH
AND VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY.
IT'S ONE OF THE MANY INTERESTING
SUBPLOTS TO KEEP AN EYE ON.
THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR SUNDAY.
HOPE TO SEE YOU AT NOON
WEEKDAYS.
NEXT, LIVE COVERAGE OF THE
PRESIDENT'S SPEECH TO THE BIG
ISLAMIC SUMMIT IN SAUDI ARABIA.
ENJOY YOUR SUNDAY.

The many twists and turns of the Russia probe

Latest Posts