Although many public Democrats have backed him, the Democratic National Committee made clear Wednesday that it considers the appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election to be inadequate.
An email sent out by DNC chair Tom Perez said that Mueller's appointment "underscored the seriousness of the investigation." It insisted that, "Donald Trump didn't want this. The White House didn't want this. Republicans didn't want this," and called on readers to add their names to a petition calling to "demand an independent investigation into Trump and Russia."
Many notable Democrats have lauded the appointment of Mueller. For example, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) and Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.) both lauded the appointment on Twitter almost immediately after it was announced.
This is a victory for all Americans who believe in the integrity of the rule of law. https://t.co/WZhuWDBKF2
— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) May 17, 2017
Special counsel appointment is a welcome development - now must ensure resources and independence.
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) May 17, 2017
But while Blumenthal, Merkley, and many of their colleagues expressed their pleasure, Mueller was not good enough for the DNC.
In spite of the appointment of a special counsel, "this fight isn't over," the email said. "Donald Trump has alrady [sic] made it his mission to end this investigation."
"To be sure the facts come out, we still need a truly independent commission," the email continued, "so the American people can get the answers we deserve about Russia's attack on our democracy, the potential collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, and Trump's own interference in this investigation."
Perez repeated in a tweet the claim that "The White House didn't want this. Republicans didn't want this."
The White House didn't want this. Republicans didn't want this. Americans who spoke out made this happen. https://t.co/fvZJvyMLmV
— Tom Perez (@TomPerez) May 17, 2017