Is It Okay or Not Okay?

The Founding Fathers had a fear of foreign interference in the affairs of the new republic and addressed that fear during the summer of 1787. They took appropriate steps to guard against such interference in the Constitution.  The president of the United States had to be a “natural born citizen.”  They also provided an impeachment article and the Emoluments Clause.  

Back in June of this year, when asked by George Stephanopoulos, if he would accept negative information from a foreign entity about an opposing candidate, Trump responded, “I think I’d take it,” and that he probably would not tell the FBI about it.  Senator Lindsey Graham admonished the president:  “I believe that it should be the practice of all public officials who are contacted by a foreign government with an offer of assistance to their campaign—either directly or indirectly—to inform the FBI  and reject the offer.”  Trump responded:  “I think you might want to listen…There isn’t anything wrong with listening.”  When Christopher Wray, the FBI director  responded saying the FBI should be contacted in such a circumstance, Trump said, “The head of the FBI is wrong.”

Lindsey Graham was quick to respond to Trump’s reaction to the FBI Director:  “That’s not the right answer.  It should be the practice of all public officials who are contacted by a foreign government with an offer of assistance…to inform the FBI and reject the offer.

Fast-forward to the present and the aftermath of the president’s call to the new president of Ukraine—the so-called “perfect call.”  Lindsey Graham commented on the call and on the impeachment process by the House Intelligence Committee:  “What can I tell you about the Trump policy toward Ukraine:  It was incoherent, it depends on who you talk to, they seem to be incapable of forming a quid pro quo, so no, I find the whole process to be a sham and I’m not going to legitimize it.”  He has kept his word and told reporters during the Impeachment hearings he would not bother to read the findings or the evidence provided by the committee.

On Saturday, Lindsey spoke again:  “This thing will come to the Senate, and it will die quickly, and I will do everything I can to make it die quickly.”  Is this the same fellow who said in 1999:  “You don’t even have to be convicted of a crime to lose your job in this constitutional republic if this body determines that your conduct as a public official is clearly out of bounds in your role. Impeachment is not about punishment.  Impeachment is about cleansing the office.  Impeachment is about restoring honor and integrity to the office.”

Is it okay or not okay?