Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy; it is democracy. Trump no. 94.

[TheClaws]

Quote from Walter Cronkite.

Previous thread here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3345873-Trump-has-a-Pecker-problem-and-there-is-a-blue-pill-to-make-it-grow-bigger-midterms-Trump-threads-contd

That’s just hilarious isn’t it Claws, based on what the exactly?!

To quote the great Mrs Landingham “Give me numbers.”

Well Sneersh, I think even my cat of very little brain could make quite a good argument.

*Sneerah

I love that part in The West Wing, CaveMum.

Greybeard speaks:

O'Donnell guesses:

KH v BK

Seth v Sneerah

Treason?

Well actually...

Jeet Heer @heerjeet
1. So. That New York Times op-ed from the anonymous Senior White House official. It's high-grade seagull guano. A perfect example of how Decency Resistance is designed to shield the elite. Let me explain.

2. If you have someone who is mentally unfit to be president (as Trump seems to be) there is remedy: the 25th amendment. Instead, according to the op-ed & to Woodward's book, we have something far worse: an administrative coup.

3. The virtue of 25th amendment solution is that it keeps everything in the open: unfit president is evaluated, cabinet & congress take responsibility. Everyone can be judged by their public actions. That's vastly superior to a secret coup.

4. What we now have is a two-tier government: Trump tweeting and ranting & his staff executing separate policy. This undermines democratic legitimacy & ability of other countries to trust USA as much as actually executing Trump's policies would.

5. Part of the intent here seems to be to shield GOP including feckless congress from responsibility for the Trump fiasco. "It's not true that we were complicit -- we tried to stop him!"

6. We have remedies for Trump: not just 25th amendment but congress could investigate & rebuke, staff could quit. The op-ed is a justification for why these remedies are not being applied.

7. What is really masterful about the op-ed is how it co-opts the language of the opposition to defend working for Trump: civility, resistance, McCain.

8. Of course, it's easy to use the language of the part of the opposition (what I call the Decency Resistance) because that language is itself a form of elite self-defense from being held accountable for Trump. See Heer here:
t.co/5o8bzXpije

9. This should be a reminder that the real resistance is not among White House officials writing anonymous op-eds or even at John McCain's funeral. The real resistance is in popular organization protests, strikes, and electioneering aimed at changing the status quo

10. For more thoughts on this see here:
newrepublic.com/minutes/151068/anonymous-white-house-official-admits-times-op-ed-administrative-coup

Lindsey 💘 Brett:

www.weeklystandard.com/michael-warren/these-are-the-four-people-most-likely-to-be-behind-the-anonymous-new-york-times-op-ed-from-the-resistance-inside-the-trump-administration?_amp=true

Bill Kristol
@BillKristol
Good rundown of possibilities by ⁦*@MichaelRWarren*⁩. I’d add Nikki Haley as a candidate, but I’m still inclined to Kevin Hassett.
Here are the four Trump staffers most likely behind the anonymous New York Times op-ed.
weeklystandard.com
mobile.twitter.com/BillKristol/status/1037504598276272128

'Anonymous' NYT byline quite rare, often given for reasons of safety'

'A GOP media analyst and Trump critic, Rick Wilson, told the leaker that she or he is going to get caught. "You need to go public, fast," Wilson tweeted. "Your only value now is in pulling down the entire system." '

amp.poynter.org/news/anonymous-nyt-byline-quite-rare-often-given-reasons-safety?__twitter_impression=true

Rick Wilson
@TheRickWilson
1/ A quick memo for #DeepStateThroat, the WH NYT Op-Ed writer.
First, golf clap. Half marks. You know what you're doing in service to Trump is morally indefensible, but you're trying to "But Gorsuch!" yourself out of the ethical hole.
2/ This tells me you at least have some vague survival instinct and know that you need a marker on the board for when the walls close in for the last time.
I want you to apply that survival instinct and look to the near future.
3/ Three things are coming, two of which you're sure. A) You know the system of subverting Trump you boasted about is marginal and unstable. Your wins were small, and now they're utterly over. B) You know Mueller is coming, November is coming, and all the easy days are over.
4/ C) Most importantly, you're going to get caught. I know. You were careful. The burner phone. The off-campus only contact. The careful opsec.

You're still going to be caught. It's ok. You should welcome it. It's your chance to do the actual right thing, finally.
5/ Before they bust you out, you need to build an exit message plan. You need to have a stack of stories. I know you do.
You need to go public, fast. Get into the daylight as quick as you can, not like Omarosa, but like a true whistleblower.
Now, here's the hard part.
6/ Your only value now is in pulling down the entire system.
First movers? Book deal. Last? "Welcome to Arby's."
The value of the tenth asshole from the WH who says, "I saw all this crazy, terrible, illegal, dangerous stuff and still tried to help" is exactly zero.
7/ No one in the WH will help you. No one there can help you.
The edifice is crumbling, the King is mad, and no amount of tweeting, no rally, no Fox filibuster will save it.
Run before they catch you. Tell it all. Save yourself, and help save the country. /end
mobile.twitter.com/TheRickWilson/status/1037512349488492546

Have to say I'm feeling a little cheerier this morning.

Now Lindsey knows that 'someone' knows what is 'wrong' with Lindsey:
Aaron Blake
@AaronBlake
Lindsey Graham in Feb. 2016: “I think he's a kook. I think he's crazy. I think he's unfit for office.”
Quote Tweet
John Harwood
@JohnJHarwood
Lindsey Graham says people who think there’s something wrong w/Donald Trump “don’t know what they’re talking about”
mobile.twitter.com/AaronBlake/status/1037471333947461632

‘It’s open season on the president’: Anonymous op-ed unleashes fresh West Wing meltdown.
The New York Times op-ed came as the president was already struggling with fallout from Bob Woodward's forthcoming book.'
www.politico.com/story/2018/09/05/trump-official-comes-out-against-the-president-in-anonymous-times-op-ed-808714

'Kavanaugh dodges debates that could touch Trump.
The president's Supreme Court nominee appears to flounder in late questioning over who he spoke to about special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.'
www.politico.com/story/2018/09/05/kavanaugh-hearings-abortion-supreme-court-806568

'Kavanaugh stumbles when grilled on whether he discussed Mueller probe.'
www.politico.com/story/2018/09/05/kavanaugh-mueller-probe-hearings-809115

'Duncan Hunter Spent Campaign Cash On 5 Affairs, Prosecutors Allege.
Hunter and his wife, Margaret, were indicted on 60 charges last month for allegedly misusing $250,000 in campaign funds on lavish vacations and dinners.'
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/duncan-hunter-affairs-charged_us_5b902451e4b0162f472961b7

'Parkland Dad Says Brett Kavanaugh Winked At Him Just Before He Was Detained.
Fred Guttenberg tried to introduce himself to Judge Kavanaugh. He was rebuffed, then questioned by Capitol police.'
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/parkland-dad-fred-guttenberg-brett-kavanaugh-wink_us_5b90193fe4b0162f472950a7

'Sen. Leahy: Withheld Emails Show Brett Kavanaugh May Have Perjured Himself.
“There is simply no reason they can't be made public,” Leahy said.'
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/pat-leahy-brett-kavanaugh_us_5b9019bfe4b0162f472951ee

'The Times’ Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman reported that a list of about six names had been crafted by aides, who suspected the writer worked in the administration but not at the White House specifically. Others told The Washington Post that some believe the author may work on national security issues or at the Department of Justice, although there are no clear leads just yet.'
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/trump-white-house-nyt-op-ed_us_5b9080dee4b0511db3ded849

mimi.** Your Graham tweet made me think of the 100 compromising photos of some people the Oaf claims to have. No idea why. whistles

Oh yes.

Ginny Canter
@VirginiaRCanter
I am so pleased that @waltshaub has joined the @CREWcrew team led by @NormEisen and @NoahBookbinder!!!
Quote Tweet
Norm Eisen
@NormEisen
NEWS: I am thrilled to report that @CREWcrew’s all-star ethics line up including ED @NoahBookbinder & Chief Ethics Counsel @VirginiaRCanter is adding my friend & American hero @waltshaub as Senior Advisor. Welcome Walt!
mobile.twitter.com/VirginiaRCanter/status/1037488236564807680