Senator’s challenge

Lawmakers have reached an impasse over legislation to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. On one side are those who see no need to defend the probe from President Trump. On the other is the obvious truth.

It doesn’t take a team of FBI agents to divine the president’s intentions toward Mueller’s inquiry into his campaign’s relationship with Russia. The House’s decimated Republican majority was still smoldering when Trump fired Jeff Sessions the day after last week’s midterm elections. The attorney general’s original sin, in his boss’ view, was following ethics rules and recusing himself from the Russia investigation, precipitating Mueller’s appointment by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Trump then bypassed Rosenstein and the rest of the Justice Department’s Senate-confirmed line of succession to install an acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, best known for publicly attacking the special counsel’s investigation.

Just in case any doubt remained, Trump posted his latest Twitter tirade on the probe Wednesday, accusing Mueller’s team, in a classic case of psychological projection, of “going nuts” and “screaming and shouting at people.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell nonetheless blocked a vote on bipartisan legislation passed by the Judiciary Committee that would shield special counsels from presidential whims. Outgoing Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a champion of the bill, vowed to oppose all judicial confirmations until a vote is held.

Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, Flake wondered whether the chamber retains any “institutional pride.” If no other Republican joins him, we will have an answer.