Democrats are probing a mess. If they’re not careful, they’ll join it
OPINION — Only President Donald Trump could announce the parameters of his relationship with the newly Democratic House with a bite-sized limerick in his State of the Union address. “If there is going to be peace and legislation … there cannot be war and investigation,” Trump said with a did-you-see-what-I-did-there smile on his face. “It just doesn’t work that way.”
Was it a threat? Was it a poem? Is there a war happening that we don’t know about? Whatever Trump meant with his rhyme, it illustrated the very real challenge Democrats have on their hands, with a fleet of committee chairmen eager to investigate the president, a progressive base hungry for results, and a president who has never played by (and has often broken) the rules in his personal life, in his business affairs, and as president — right down to that little ditty in the State of the Union.
Unlike some past Congresses, which used to have to dig for years to find an area where they could effectively investigate the White House, Trump’s life and administration almost present more conflicts, curiosities and potential crimes than any Congress could digest. From the Russia conspiracy to the Trump family finances to the Trump hotel’s guest lists, it’s a target-rich environment. But the challenge for Democrats will be to not become part of the mess in the process.
View the complete February 26 commentary by Patricia Murphy on The Roll Call website here.