Friday, June 9, 2017

Maybe a position on being a nation of laws?

Another week, another call to John Faso's office in D.C. (202 225-5614).

I asked if Mr. Faso had a position on yesterday's testimony by former FBI director Comey.

Not yet.

I asked if he had a position on Comey's allegation that Trump asked for loyalty to him personally.

Not yet.

I suggested that a request like that showed a complete lack of understanding of the concept that we are a nation of laws; people's loyalty should be to the law, not to a particular person.

I mentioned Paul Ryan's defense that Trump didn't know what he was doing because he's new at this, and pointed out that this defense is ludicrous, given that Trump allegedly cleared the room before asking for loyalty.

I suggested that if Mr. Faso doesn't see a problem with asking loyalty to a person rather than to the law, then he is fundamentally unqualified to be an elected representative in a democracy.

There was the usual "I'll see that he gets the message."

I responded that I'd really like an answer. "I ask a fair number of questions. I rarely get answers. I'd really like an answer on this one."

(To be fair, I sometimes get answers, but usually in the form of the standard "letter on issue X" that doesn't really address what I was actually asking.)

So now I have a clear issue to call about on Monday.

As usual, if you are in NY-19 and feel like keeping a young office staffer busy, please call Faso's office. In addition to Comey's testimony, there's yesterday's vote to rip up protections for small investors and set up the next financial crash by undoing parts of Dodd-Frank (and Faso's disrespectful behavior toward Nancy Peolosi in the course of debate over that), or the tax cut masquerading as a health-insurance bill which is likely to come back to the House, given how Mitch McConnell is moving things around in the Senate.

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