From Jon Perr at PERRspectives:
When it comes to defending their party against scandals, no one gets in line like Republicans. That’s why it’s no surprise that GOP leaders in Congress are doing their best to head off any independent probe into President Trump’s rapidly propagating Putin problems. Last week, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus called allegation of Team Trump contacts with Russian officials “complete garbage,” a claim he said he was authorized to make “by the top levels of the intelligence community.” Meanwhile, White House press secretary Sean Spicer deployed House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) to make the case that “there’s nothing there.” It’s wonder that former CIA and Pentagon spokesman George Little warned:
“It’s doubtful that Congress can conduct an objective and independent investigation into ties between this White House and the Russian government if it is collaborating so closely on media pushback with the White House press secretary.”
If these developments seem hauntingly familiar, they should.