Self-serving and delusional

In an interview with CNN, [Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck] Grassley said he did not believe Trump would actually fire Mueller, despite reports Thursday night that the President took steps last June to dismiss the special counsel and later backed off after White House Counsel Don McGahn threatened to quit.

Grassley said the reports show Trump listens to his staff.

"I just don't think the President -- as unpredictable as he is -- would fire Mueller, and I take the view, and I said so maybe not directly to the President, but indirectly to the President: Just let this work its course," Grassley said.

Asked if he would be OK if Trump fired Mueller, Grassley said: "Heavens no."

  CNN

Would he do anything about it or would he spend his considerable influence and energy trying to sidestep it? I think the answer to that is obvious from the Judiciary hearings Grassley has been conducting.

Democrats are trying to renew efforts to push bipartisan legislation in the Senate to give Mueller and future special counsels protection from political pressure from the White House. There are two competing bills at the moment.

"I'm surely open to considering those bills," Grassley said, adding that the two approaches should be reconciled and then he would focus on whether they raise any constitutional concerns about the separation of powers between the branches of government.

He'll consider them. And then he'll figure out why he won't back them.

Tillis spokesman Daniel Keylin said some members have raised constitutionality concerns about the bills, and they currently do not have the support needed to move them through Congress. Keylin said Friday that the talk about removing Mueller since last August when the measures were introduced have "completely come to a halt" as the President's team has shown signs of cooperation with the special counsel.

But they haven't. They've paid cooperation lip service.

The Tillis and Coons bill would give a special counsel the chance to challenge the firing in court before a panel of three federal judges. It also would only allow an attorney general who has been confirmed by the Senate — or senior non-recused, Senate-confirmed DOJ official— to fire the special counsel.

A bill from Booker and South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham instead would require the attorney general to first get approval from a three-judge panel before the special counsel could be fired. In their measure, a special counsel would only be fired "after the court has issued an order finding misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause."

Although the latter is a better bill, I'm not at all certain either would really do anything but make a bigger circus out of the situation than already exists. It should simply be non-contested that Trump firing Mueller at this point is an impeachable offense. Better yet, upon being fired from the special prosecution, Mueller should be immediately installed as prosecutor to try the case against Trump in federal court.

And of course, this old bastard stands squarely in the way:

McConnell was asked about the Mueller protection bills in the fall, and he said that the Senate was working on other priorities through the end of the year, adding that the chamber should be focused on its own Russia meddling investigation.

"We're going to concentrate on what we're doing here in the Senate," McConnell said.

Him and Paul Ryan in the House.  There are too many corrupt, self-dealing Republicans in Congress who are determined to hold onto their power, and there are too many corrupt, self-dealing but ineffectual Democrats there who'll help them.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE 9:40 pm

You would think that we would see the wheels turning now. You would think that Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell would find some slivers of patriotism between the cushions of their sofas and step up to fulfill the constitutional obligations of their respective offices. There is a genuine crisis on their doorsteps right now, and, next week, the president* is supposed to give his State of the Union address, and god alone knows what he’s going to say. They have not moved. They have given no indication that they will move. History will brand them as cowards and as traitors to the country’s best ideals. History’s not going to be kind to a lot of people who are living through these insane times.

  Charles P Pierce