GOP rep forced to admit rebuttal to Nunes' anti-FBI smears should be released

In yet another step toward banana republichood, Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee voted Monday night to release chairman Devin Nunes’ conspiracy theory “memo” about an evil FBI plot against Trump, while simultaneously suppressing a memo from the Democratic minority responding to Nunes’ talking points.

Republicans claim this was done in the interest of public transparency, but have no response when asked why they are only demanding transparency for their own reports.

When New York GOP Rep. Chris Collins appeared on CNN’s “New Day” Tuesday morning, he clearly could not defend his party’s actions in the face of Alisyn Camerota’s questioning.

“How can we trust [Nunes’] take on this?” Camerota asked. “He’s not an objective person. He’s not impartial.”

“It is the Intelligence Committee and they have connected certain dots that, perhaps, have been rumored,” said Collins. “And again, I just can’t go into the details.”

“But it’s the Republicans connecting the dots. It’s Devin Nunes connecting the dots.”

“Well, you wanna talk about what didn’t happen?” said Collins, desperately trying to change the direction of the debate. “The Democrats have refused to even read the memo … they haven’t read the memo.”

Camerota quickly corrected him. “The Democrats obviously know what’s in it, since they wrote a 10-page rebuttal, point by point, to it.”

As Collins quickly tried to backpedal, Camerota said, “Let’s talk about the committee. The House Intel Committee votes to release the Republican memo. They vote to not release the Democratic rebuttal to the Republican memo. How’s that fair?”

Collins spent nearly a minute trying to tap-dance around the question, saying he has “complete confidence” in Nunes and that he doesn’t know what the Democrats wrote. But after Camerota asked him again whether Democrats should be allowed to release their own memo, Collins finally conceded, “I would say they should.”

Rep. Chris Collins: “I wish I could tell you what’s in the memo … They are not (House Intel Chairman) Devin Nunes’ ‘Cliff Notes.'” https://t.co/aVR0igzSMW pic.twitter.com/ZT3dYFTpaS

— New Day (@NewDay) January 30, 2018

Even Collins, one of the biggest Trump flacks in Congress, could not justify the committee’s decision to block any analysis or criticism of Nunes’ memo from being released. Republicans are plainly talking from both sides of their mouth on transparency, and it is indefensible.