August 21, 2018 02:15 PM UTC

Scott Tipton Sides With Trump Against Mueller

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• by: Colorado Pols

Some revealing comments from the Montrose County Republicans Women’s Luncheon last Friday by Rep. Scott Tipton about his view of the investigation into President Donald Trump’s dealings with the Russian government to gain leverage in the 2016 elections–as the Daily Press’ Katharhynn Heidelberg reports:

United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions should not have fully recused himself from oversight of the investigation into Russian election interference, U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton said Friday…

“I think at the time, he (Sessions) should have had a limited recusal,” Tipton later told the Montrose Daily Press. “It has probably inhibited his ability to be as effective as he could as attorney general.” [Pols emphasis]

During the event, Tipton also was asked whether the president was within his rights to end the Mueller probe, which was characterized as a “witch hunt.”

“He probably could,” Tipton said. “We’ve yet to see one bit of evidence it (interference) impacted the election, in terms of the outcome. Were the Russians playing? You bet they were. Nobody disputes that.”

Of course that’s not true, since President Donald Trump disputed it as recently as last month–in between sort of admitting it and the usual refrain downplaying its significance. Having made statements pretty much all over the map about this issue allows Republicans defending Trump to say anything they want. But the one thing Republicans can’t be honest about regarding Russian meddling in the 2016 elections is the most basic of facts–why they did it:

However, their goal was to create discord and division, Tipton added, calling for more of “something we used to call civility.” [Pols emphasis]

This too is simply not an accurate statement, since it is the conclusion of every impartial investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 elections that they were working very deliberately to boost Donald Trump at Hillary Clinton’s expense. The only people who don’t admit this today are Republicans who cannot admit it because they are members of Trump’s political party–for whom the admission would be a devastating indictment.

Yes, there are some Republicans speaking out against Trump. They have courage transcendent of the politics of the moment, and a conscience that will not allow them to remain silent while Trump does lasting harm to the nation and their party.

Scott Tipton is not, and does not have the capacity to be, one of those Republicans.