The Mankato Free Press

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency

At a time when boiling passions and partisanship seem to reign, Sen. Amy Klobuchar remains an elected official who has been successful in building relationships across party lines and who has resisted bomb throwing comments.

That makes the Minnesota Democrat the perfect person to push for an independent investigation into possible ties between Russia and the Trump administration.

The Star Tribune reports that Klobuchar wants to leverage her GOP alliances to find out why the administration has seemed so intent on placating our ruthless rival.

Questions continue to swirl after Trump’s national security adviser resigned after it was learned he talked with Russian officials and lied about it to the vice president and after reports of frequent contact between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.

Some Republican leaders are already suggesting a congressional investigation is needed, although most say it should be done by the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. But that would keep the investigation classified and not available to the public.

Klobuchar prefers an independent commission, similar to the 9/11 commission. That would still allow for certain sensitive evidence and testimony to be kept secret but would make the proceedings much more open to the public.

Such an investigation would also give Congress the opportunity to require that they review Trump’s tax returns, something that would show the extent of the Trump family’s financial ties to Russian figures.

President Trump denies any inappropriate ties to Russian officials and continues to promote that line he used in the campaign that “Only stupid people or fools” would dismiss closer ties with Russia.

Americans understand that better relations with any rival country is fine, so long as its leaders show they are truly committed to better behavior. Better behavior is not anything former KGB official Vladimir Putin has shown any interest in. Until his actions prove otherwise, Trump’s inclination to praise and mollify the Russian leader are inappropriate and even dangerous.