Rosenstein obliged, with a shallow, poorly reasoned memo that relied heavily on op-ed columns written by former federal prosecutors and read like the manifestoes created by President George W. Bush’s legal team to justify torture, warrantless wiretapping and other illegal activity.

About the only artful thing in that memo was the way Rosenstein managed to imply that Comey should be fired without actually saying so. Sessions, who is supposed to have recused himself from anything to do with the Russia investigation, was the one who said it directly in his own letter to Trump.

Any prosecutor worthy of the public trust is going to call both Sessions and Rosenstein to testify about their meeting with the president, which has since been reported by other news organizations. Among the hundreds of questions that need to be asked are these: Did Rosenstein tell Sessions (despite his supposed recusal on the Kremlin Kaper) about Comey’s request for more investigative resources on Russia? Did either of them tell Trump?

Rosenstein was either a witness to or a participant in the decision to fire Comey and cover up the true reason with the laughable claim that Comey was being dismissed because of his handling of Hillary Clinton’s emails. For him to appoint the prosecutor would make an even greater mockery of the justice system and the balance of powers than Trump has managed to create on his own.

Senator Charles Schumer of New York was right when he said that the Russia prosecutor should be appointed by the Justice Department’s senior career official, not Rosenstein. Moreover, the Russia investigation should be part of a larger inquiry into the firing of Comey.

So far, most of the Republicans in Congress are standing with Trump. Trump’s loyal toady, Senator Mitch McConnell, has ruled out an independent investigation of the Russia connection, never mind these latest events.

Schumer and the other Democrats in Congress will, I hope, keep up the pressure. At this point, the firing of James Comey certainly looks like it’s heating up to be a scandal of Watergate dimensions.