Here's the former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, appearing on one of the Sunday shows with the rather dramatic declaration that the sitting president is engaged in an "assault" against our democratic institutions.
"I think in many ways our institutions are under assault both externally -- and that's the big news here is the Russian interference in our election system -- and I think as well our institutions are under assault internally," Clapper said on CNN's "State of the Union."
Pressed by anchor Jake Tapper if he meant US institutions were under assault internally from the President, Clapper responded, "Exactly." [...]
"The founding fathers, in their genius, created a system of three co-equal branches of government and a built-in system of checks and balances," Clapper said. "I feel as though that is under assault and is eroding."
Blaming that on Donald Trump would be a mistake, however. Republican leaders Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are in perfect charge of whether or not our democratic institutions provide check and balance; they have both been ostentatiously absent.
Elsewhere, former Director of the CIA Michael Hayden was making grumpy noises as to whether or not to turn the Russia investigation over to a special prosecutor. He is not a fan, but:
“They lose control, they lose focus but I have to tell you: after the events of the past week I really have an open mind as to whether or not we need some extraordinary structure,” Hayden said on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS." [...]
“[I]t appears as though the administration is doing everything it can to either slow or discredit the various investigations with regards to the Russian interference in the American presidential election. So I think that’s a fair assessment as to what’s going on,” Hayden added.
Just another Sunday in America, with the nation's former top intelligence officers accusing a sitting presidential administration of attempting to obstruct justice in an assault on our nation's democratic institutions. And now, a word from our sponsors.
