海角大神

Dear readers:
听
It was pretty much a given that special counsel Robert Mueller鈥檚 account of his two-year investigation would be spun by partisans on both sides.
听
Still, in the run-up to the report鈥檚 release, there was hope that the meticulously documented, 448-page tome would finally provide us with at least a common set of facts. That it might stand as an impartial, evidence-based delineation of Trump campaign officials鈥� awareness of and involvement in the Russian interference campaign during the 2016 election, as well as the president鈥檚 subsequent efforts to impede the investigation.
听
Nope.
听
One of the most striking things about the report has been the diametrically different readings of it.听Democrats see the report as providing ample evidence of obstruction of justice as well as various other unethical actions by the president. Many Republicans see an unfounded, Inspector Javert-like pursuit.
听
To The Wall Street Journal鈥檚 Kimberly Strassel, the report consisted of 鈥渢ens of thousands of words describing trivial interactions between Trump officials and various Russians.鈥澨齋he writes: 鈥淭he sheer quantity and banality of details highlights the degree to which these contacts were random, haphazard and peripheral,鈥� making it utterly clear that 鈥渢he notion that the Trump campaign engaged in some grand plot with Russia is a joke.鈥�
听
Over at New York magazine, however, Jonathan Chait saw the report as documenting a 鈥渉istoric scandal.鈥澨鼿e writes: 鈥淢ueller鈥檚 report shows in excruciating detail the moral culpability that oozed out of the candidate and covered everybody beneath him.鈥� While the report 鈥渇ailed to听establish听鈥榗oordination鈥欌�� between the Trump campaign and Russia, Mr. Chait notes that that does not mean there was no evidence suggesting such coordination might have occurred. And had investigators been able to obtain additional evidence, their conclusions might have been different. He concludes flatly: 鈥淭he Mueller report is the story of a crime that succeeded and a cover-up that quite possibly did too.鈥�
听
House Democrats are picking up where the report leaves off, planning hearings with Mr. Mueller himself, and pressing for access to redacted sections and underlying documents.
听
Yet Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she sees no benefit to pursuing impeachment as a purely partisan exercise. And it鈥檚 clear that that鈥檚 what it would be.
听
At this point, it seems nothing is likely to change anyone鈥檚 view of the matter.
听
Let us know what you鈥檙e thinking at听csmpolitics@csmonitor.com.