The Grand Collusion

By Bill Maher

Let's all stop saying, "collusion." Collusion is not a crime. It was a nice broad, vague word to throw around when we wanted to be careful and didn't know what the hell was going on. But now we're seeing widespread, specific reporting of evidence of actual, verifiable and, in some cases, admitted crimes. It's like the difference between saying, "Something smells" and actually finding the dog poop on your shoe.

Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti told Politico Magazine, "Although 'collusion' is a word that has been thrown around a lot lately, it doesn't have any specific legal meaning. What matters legally is whether someone in the Trump campaign joined a conspiracy, aided and abetted a crime, or actively concealed a crime."

So now, we're past "collusion" and talking about actual crimes - the conspiracy, the obstruction of justice, the wire fraud, the money laundering. It seems like there's a lot there that, like dog poop on your shoe, will stick.

And while we're talking about conspiracy and obstruction of justice, why in the hell aren't Congressional Democrats out on every talk show accusing their Republican counterparts of actively taking part in the conspiracy, the obstruction and the cover-up?  

I'm no lawyer but I have to say when powerful politicians are actively abusing their authority to openly block and delegitimize an ongoing Justice Department and special prosecutor investigation into a foreign adversary attack, that sounds to me like a conspiracy, obstruction and - dare I say it? - treason. Let me give you your talking point: "The Republican Party has become a criminal enterprise." If the dog-pooped shoe were on the other foot and it was the Democrats behaving in this manner, do you have any doubt Republicans would call it criminal?