House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes has been under fire for about a week now over his decision to reveal that some members of Trump’s transition team and possibly Trump himself had been “incidentally” caught up in electronic surveillance of intelligence targets who were not Russian or linked to Russia. This has caused Chuck Schumer (I understand he had to take time out from screaming at random restaurant customers in order to do it), Nancy Pelosi, and the unctuous little twit Adam Schiff to demand that he recuse himself. Apparently, talking to the White House about what is increasingly looking like inappropriate if not outright illegal surveillance of the Trump transition team (not the campaign, the transition) means that Nunes is no longer capable of investigating the activities of Russian agents in the 2016 election.

The reason for the calls is pretty transparent. Everyone knows the Russia probe is nonsense. What the Democrats want to do is dirty up Nunes so they can continue to push the story for fundraising and to throw red meat to their base. They also know that the only crimes or misconduct even alleged in the investigation is by the leakers who revealed that Mike Flynn had been “incidentally” caught in FISA surveillance of a Russian diplomat.

Today Nunes has responded to the calls today by saying he will not step aside.

Paul Ryan agrees.

BREAKING: House Speaker Paul Ryan stands by Intelligence chairman Devin Nunes, says no need for him to step aside in Russia probe.

— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) March 28, 2017

This is by no means the end of the calls for Nunes to step aside but, unless something substantive happens, it shows Nunes has the House leadership behind him and so it doesn’t matter what Pelosi or Schiff want.