If a bank robber approaches a bank teller with a weapon and politely says, “Please give me all the money,” is that actually a request because of the word, “please?” Or it is still an order in spite of the civility? An order, if ignored, that has consequences implied by the presence of the weapon.

So if a President of the United States, whose power exceeds the bank robber in many ways, politely asks the FBI Director for personal loyalty or the Directors job may not be secure, is that not a bank robbers hero? For implying the same force as the bank robber but without the need for the gun, is it not the same threat, just more powerful?

If that president asks that an FBI investigation into Russian interference be swiftly concluded to eliminate a “cloud” over his presidency, is that too not a gunless robbery of what has been, until now, an independent FBI?

And if a president asks that General Michael Flynn not be investigated because the President thinks him a “good guy” is that not an obstruction of justice by interfering in a criminal investigation?

President Trump, who has oddly shown absolutely no concern over the Russian interference in the U.S. election in their attempt to help Trump win the presidency, was interested in firing the FBI Director to de-rail the investigation into collusion with the Russians. Trump said as much to the Russian Ambassador and spy chief in the Oval Office.

So is all this Russian stuff about nothing?

The FBI seems to think the Russian interference and the possible American collusion is worthy of a criminal investigation, and General Clapper, recent head of all US Intel agencies, said this week that the Russian investigation and collaboration is, “bigger than Watergate,” which brought down a U.S. President.

But many questions remain. President Trump has expressed that he is not a subject of the investigation, and that is true, unless and until it is not true. The FBI case will go where the evidence leads, and if the evidence leads to the President then it will no longer remain true that President Trump is not under investigation.

Is there a “cloud” over this presidency? Of course there is. For the nation has never before had to consider even the possibility of U.S. citizens collaborating with enemies of our nation to sway a presidential election. And if any of those citizens were part of the Trump campaign, then this will become a constitutional crisis of a magnitude never before approached.

President Trump told the Russian Ambassador that firing Comey released himself from, “great pressure.” Why would that be so if the president had nothing to do with the Russian interference in the election?

Americans and our elected representatives must have patience and allow the FBI and Special Prosecutor Mueller time to investigate and, if necessary, charge and prosecute any American found to have colluded with the Russians. The investigation may still last for many months and should be conducted out of the public spotlight.

But this week director Comey shined a bright light upon the Bank Robber’s Hero, a man who can threaten without gun in hand. Even more significant, the President did not even wear a mask. Perhaps at the end of the day that will be a problem…without masks every robber can be identified.

 

Jim Crawford is a retired educator and political enthusiast living here in the Tri-State.