October 30, 2017 01:46 PM UTC

Mike Coffman's Manafort Make-Believe

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• by: Colorado Pols

A statement from Rep. Mike Coffman a short while ago on the indictment of former Donald Trump presidential campaign chairman Paul Manafort along with two other Trump campaign figures in the ongoing investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 elections is…well, it’s so silly that it deserves its own mention:

The American people are tired of corruption in Washington, which is why I’ve supported an independent counsel from the beginning. Whether it is millions in foreign dollars going to Paul Manafort or the Clintons, the American people are just sick of it. [Pols emphasis]

The obvious problem being here that the Clintons have not been charged with any crime and Manafort has–a fact no matter how hard the FOX News Channel tries to wish otherwise. Coffman’s barefaced pivot to the deflections that have kept conservative media functional in the last few days show clearly where he’s getting his talking points.

Today’s indictment further reinforces my view that the use of an independent counsel is the most appropriate forum for this ongoing investigation. My focus and that of Congress should be on the American’s people’s priorities–not partisan posturing.

To recap, Mike Coffman’s whole statement on the indictment of Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman consists of four sentences–two of which restate that Coffman supports an independent counsel without explaining how that’s relevant. We assume that means Coffman would object to Trump firing special counsel Robert Mueller, who unlike an independent counsel could more easily be fired, but it’s still an oddly minor point to devote half the statement to. The other two sentences consist of, respectively, rank partisan posturing…and then a call to reject “partisan posturing.”

And of course, Coffman doesn’t mention Trump even once.

It’s possible a more worthless contribution to the news cycle could be made, but he’d really have to work at it.

We assume that’s the point.