A group of House Republicans dropped a bombshell on Washington, D.C. Wednesday night when they introduced articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. They allege Rosenstein had been stonewalling the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees in not turning over documents they requested for months. But those facts be damned on MSNBC’s All In where Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin declared they were the ones “obstructing justice”.
As MSNBC host Chris Hayes was coming back from a commercial break, he emphatically announced an impeachment resolution was submitted in the House, but had to shatter the dreams of his liberal audience since it wasn’t against President Trump.
“Tonight, articles of impeachment have been introduced in the United States House of Representatives, no, not against Donald Trump. Against Rod Rosenstein, deputy attorney general,” he declared. Hayes proclaimed the impeachment resolution was an “obvious effort to sandbag the Mueller investigation” and never informed his viewers of Rosenstein’s alleged stonewalling of House committees.
After being introduced, Rubin ironically suggested it was Ohio Republican Jim Jordan who was the one “losing it” for confronting Rosenstein in a recent hearing. She went on to mock Republicans for suggesting it was the Democrats who were impeachment crazy.
“It’s funny that the Republicans have been saying, ‘Oh, you put the Democrats in charge they’re going to be running impeachment hearing, they’re going to be disrupting business,’” she screeched. “The only ones talking about impeachment and impeachment without a scintilla of justification are, in fact, the Republicans.” Rubin clearly had missed the all the Democrats that were running on the impeachment of President Trump with no evidence of collusion.
Rubin was disheartened because these Republicans in question couldn’t be charged as criminals for daring to impeach Rosenstein. “So, unfortunately, there is something called the speech and debate clause which protects these gentlemen from liabilities criminal or otherwise because of actions they take in their official capacity. So they can't be sued or they can't be investigated.” he pouted.
“They can’t be investigated for obstruction of justice, but make no mistake that is what they are doing. They are obstructing the investigation. And it just shows you which side is on the side of the rule of law and which side is not,” she bitterly spat.
Hayes was also adamant that the impeachment move was bad for Republicans. “The politics of this are bad for the Republican Party, I think, and the reason that [Speaker] Paul Ryan basically really went to war, went to the mat not to have a privileged resolution,” he explained. “He thinks, and I think he’s correct, that doesn't look good coming into the midterms.”
“He may be weak and spineless, but he is not stupid. And I think he realizes this is the kind of floor show that the Republicans probably don’t need,” Rubin responded. According to Rubin, Republicans had bought into “this nonsense” about the collusion aspect of the investigation being a witch hunt and the American people didn’t. “[T]his is not a good look for the Republicans [going into the midterms],” she argued.
With each passing day, Jennifer Rubin’s Trump Derangement Syndrome seems to be getting worse.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
MSNBC's All In with Chris Hayes
July 25, 2018
8:17 p.m EasternCHRIS HAYES: Tonight articles of impeachment have been introduced in the United States House of Representatives, no, not against Donald Trump. Against Rod Rosenstein, deputy attorney general. Republican members of Congress led by Mark Meadows of North Carolina, Jim Jordan of Ohio have filed the articles in what appears to be an obvious effort to sandbag the Mueller investigation, which Rosenstein overseas. According to records kept by the House of Representatives, the successful impeachment of a Justice Department official would be unprecedented.
(…)
Jennifer this action today was preceded by an internal fight about whether they were going to do this. And they threaten to file it as a privileged resolution, which would force a vote on it. They didn’t do that so Ryan doesn’t have to deal with it. But it’s still somewhat shocking and remarkable that they have filed articles of impeachment against the deputy attorney general of the United States.
JENNIFER RUBIN: Yeah, a few weeks ago we thought it was remarkable that Jim Jordan was losing it in a hearing, ranting and raving, interrupting poor Rod Rosenstein. But now they have gone the extra mile. It’s funny that the Republicans have been saying, “Oh, you put the Democrats in charge they’re going to be running impeachment hearing, they’re going to be disrupting business.” The only ones talking about impeachment and impeachment without a scintilla of justification are, in fact, the Republicans.
So, unfortunately, there is something called the speech and debate clause which protects these gentlemen from liabilities criminal or otherwise because of actions they take in their official capacity. So they can't be sued or they can't be investigated. They can’t be investigated for obstruction of justice, but make no mistake that is what they are doing. They are obstructing the investigation. And it just shows you which side is on the side of the rule of law and which side is not.
(…)
HAYES: Here’s what’s interesting about it to me also. The politics of this are bad for the Republican Party, I think, and the reason that Paul Ryan basically really went to war, went to the mat not to have a privileged resolution. Paul Ryan, Jennifer, does not want to vote on impeaching the deputy attorney general of the United States. He thinks, and I think he’s correct, that doesn't look good coming into the midterms.
RUBIN: He may be weak and spineless, but he is not stupid. And I think he realizes this is the kind of floor show that the Republicans probably don’t need. It is interesting that it comes up in the midst of a slew of polls showing that while Republicans have bought all of this nonsense that the FBI is out to get him and it’s a hoax. That the American people overwhelmingly do not believe this. And I think going into midterm elections when there is going to be a lot of swing states up for grabs, when there are going to be independents and Democrats who are just fed up with the noise, this is not a good look for the Republicans. I gotta say.
(…)
