THE GOP SEEMS TO BE LACKING BASIC JOB SKILLS THESE DAYS

Talk about a made for TV moment. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) v Jack Smith. With a TKO by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). There was a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. Where GOP Senators got to use their protection under the Constitution to insult, malign, and misinform with impunity. And they had a field day. Testifying under oath was Jack Smith. We all know who he is by now. Our president has all but declared him Public Enemy #1. Why? Because Smith did the job he was appointed to do. In June 2023 a grand jury indicted Trump on 37 “felony violations of our national security laws” and “participating in a conspiracy to obstruct justice,” for document hoarding at Mar-A-Lago. But this is the case that prompted the latest senatorial grilling… On August 1, 2023, a federal grand jury in DC charged Trump with four felony offenses “arising from his efforts to unlawfully retain power by using fraud and deceit to overturn the 2020 election results.” Trump challenged the indictment on the grounds that a president has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions performed as part of his official duties. And that his actions trying to overturn the election were part of his official duties. On July 1, 2024, SCOTUS largely agreed with Trump. Their decision sent Smith back to strip the case of anything that could fall under “official duties,” before review by another grand jury. Tellingly, that grand jury returned an indictment for the same offenses. But after Trump was reelected, Smith dismissed the case because of the long-standing DOJ position that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted. However, the case can be resumed once Trump is no longer president. So this is the case that brought Smith before the Senators yesterday. It’s perplexing why Senate Republicans thought it was a good idea to remind us of the presidential attempt to overthrow an election with the midterms less than 40 days away. But it illustrated so much. It showed the utter descent into conspiracy. A disregard for truth-telling. And a sloppiness of research and fact-checking that is unbelievable to witness in a procedure of this sort. You all know the story by now. Schmitt made a bogus claim against Smith hoping for a perjury-gotcha moment. And even when everyone in the room realized he had screwed the pooch, he kept going. Sen. Klobuchar smacked him down with a smile. And facts. Wrong sports team. Wrong city. Wrong accusation. Just wrong. But no matter. After the hearing, Schmitt appeared on The Charlie Kirk Show, where the host cheered his attack on Smith. “Jack Smith is a total dirtbag and you caught him out on this NBA game…in Atlanta.” “It was a great moment. Good for you on that.” So the Senator got his right-wing media hit from a completely BS storyline. As one newscaster noted: “When a witness lies under oath before Congress, he can face prison. When a senator gets it wrong, he says he was just ‘asking questions’.” And isn’t even required to acknowledge he was wrong. Because in the echo chamber, he is not. If the GOP was ever honest, you would acknowledge that Jack Smith is exactly the face of America you always profess to admire. Truthful. Honest. Dogged in the pursuit of justice. And totally loyal to the country he serves. “As I appear before you today, it is my belief that the rule of law faces challenges unlike any we have experienced in our lifetime. Individuals are threatened with criminal investigation because they are perceived to have opposed the President. Predetermined outcomes increasingly seem to take precedence over the Justice Department’s long-standing core values, traditions, and norms. History teaches that the rule of law is rarely destroyed all at once. It is often weakened by attacks on the institutions and public servants sworn to uphold it. Since January 2025, we have witnessed precisely such an effort, including the vilification of the career prosecutors, FBI agents, and support staff who served on my team, simply because of their unwavering commitment to the fair and impartial administration of justice without regard for any personal costs. “I myself have been threatened with jail by the President of the United States. “I remain confident, however, that the rule of law will endure because so many continue to uphold it faithfully each day. Throughout our legal system, public servants have remained faithful to their oaths despite extraordinary pressure to do otherwise. Their example demonstrates that while fear may be contagious, courage is as well.” He did the job he was expected to do. The Republican Senators raking a public servant over the coals for doing a job that they themselves refuse to do, did not. And for this he was labelled a ‘dirt bag.’ For shame.