Montini: Nunes memo sends Rep. Paul Gosar off the rails

I’m beginning to wonder if Rep. Paul Gosar has a medical degree or if “dentist” is a nickname, since everything coming out of his mouth makes our teeth grind.

This time, Gosar went goofy on the Republican smear campaign memo produced by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes.

The memo alleges the FBI improperly used information about a former campaign adviser of Donald Trump that was collected by an investigator connected to the Hillary Clinton campaign.

FBI had 'grave concerns,' but not Gosar

FBI Director Chistopher Wray – who was appointed by Trump, worked for George W. Bush and has been a major Republican donor – condemned the release of the partisan memo, saying, “As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy.”

Democrats on the Intelligence Committee put together their own memo, disputing the one by Nunes, but the Republican-controlled committee hasn’t released it.

As Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, pointed out. The Nunes’ memo wasn’t about accuracy or transparency (After all, if it was, the Democratic memo would be public as well.)

This is about fear of what special counsel Robert Mueller might have on Trump.

"The president's decision to publicly release a misleading memo attacking DOJ & FBI is a transparent attempt to discredit these institutions and undermine Mueller's probe," Shiff said.

Still, Gosar went off the grid – with reality.

The congressman said the Trumped-up memo not only described “illegal misconduct” but “constitutes treason.” He said he would urge “criminal prosecution of these traitors to our nation.”

Maybe they call Gosar a “dentist” because his hyperbolic pronouncements have the same effect of dental office nitrous oxide – laughing gas.

After all, this was the politician who wanted to have immigration officials arrest and deport the “dreamers” invited by members of Congress to the State of the Union address.

Firmly held belief ... or laughing gas?

He is one of the Republicans who voted against the aid package to Puerto Rico.

He boycotted the speech to Congress by Pope Francis, calling him a “leftist politician,” while rushing to support the radical, law-defying rancher Cliven Bundy, who said “the negro” might have been “better off as slaves.”

He also pushed the disgustingly kooky conspiracy theory that the neo-Nazi violence in Charlottesville was actually “created by the left,” and that billionaire George Soros might have financed the violence, saying Soros “is one of those individuals that helps back these individuals.”

Soros managed to live through the Holocaust. When the war ended he was 14.

Soros’ office said, “Such baseless allegations are insulting to the victims of the Holocaust, to all Jewish people, and to anyone who honors the truth."

That, sadly, would not include Gosar. 

Reach Montini at 602-444-8978 or ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com or @ejmontini on Twitter.

READ MORE FROM MONTINI:

Reasons to be McSkeptical of Martha McSally

Randall Margraves, father who rushed Larry Nassar, is my hero

Rep. Don Shooter was NOT expelled for bad character