A remarkable verdict today has etched the lesson on the price for trickery, intimidation and wanton disregard for US laws for personal gain is now etched in (on?) Stone. Roger Stone's criminal verdict by the jury should be a warning to Trump's accomplices that in the end the truth will come out, and sooner they come clean lesser will be their punishment. This was the fate of Nixon's accomplices in hiding the truth. Haldeman and Erlichman (White House staff), jailed; John Dean (White House legal counsel), jailed; John Mitchell, Attorney-General, jailed; Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy (ex-White House staff), both jailed; Charles Colson, special counsel to the President, jailed. All of them thought they were invincible.
73
The (R)ats are leaving the SS GoodBrain!
To paraphrase what Colbert said about Sondland; "He 'amended' his testimony to Congress when he suddenly remembered that he didn't want to go to prison."
We're watching Bigly History unfold here in the US of A! Fascinating stuff!
11
So Bolton can’t make moral choices unless the courts tell him to? Perhaps hiding behind a lawsuit has something to do with that book deal. He is a truly disgusting human being for choosing a money pot over saving democracy.
11
Perfect? Yup, perfectly insane!
3
So many backs to stab, so little time left.
11
Absolutely NO ONE should buy Bolton’s book, he will go down in history as being nothing more than another self serving sycophant of this administration.
6
Lies and backstabbing, rats abandoning a sinking ship. But perhaps that not a surprise, with a Republican party that has no moral North Star except for greed and self-promotion.
How can anyone with a modicum of intelligence and morality even consider voting for the Republicans? Especially those who consider themselves "Christian"? Giving more to the rich, shutting the door in the face of refugees, cutting back on assistance to the neediest in society--is this what the Republicans' Christ teaches? You pick and choose from biblical quotes to support your homophobic and xenophobic actions, but it seems to me you ignore the most important teaching of Christ: "What you do to the least of my brethren, you do to me".
8
There must be a Shakespeare play for this?
4
Guiliani in bracelets is worth global warming.
1
This is a sign of the complete moral bankruptcy of the Republican Party. They are perfectly willing to look the other way as Trump allows them to kick more money back to the 1%, to sit conservative Federal justices, and to roll back environmental regulations. Trump is a Koch Brothers dream. Too bad he's a repugnant bigot. But the Neo-Confederate Republicans don't care about that at all. Trump's all white to them.
5
I never have and never will vote for any member of the republican party. Not that I think members of the opposing party are saints. Just that Nixon, RayGun and trump and their lackeys taught me a long time ago what bags of dirt they are.
8
When you work for a crook, you also become a crook, if you weren't already.
5
Two million bucks for a "memoir" for hardest of hard liners, a Goldwater neo-con, a war-monger who avoided service in Vietnam, a spokesman for right-wing crazies.
You may have enjoyed his last book, The Crimes of the Obama Administration, or be a fan of his work with anti-Muslim groups, or support his advocacy for bombing just about everyone from the Palestinians to the Iranians to the North Koreans. His work on FOX, at the American Enterprise Institute, and the on the anti-UN blab circuit have made him a rich man.
Bless all of you out there who do an honest day's work: teachers, nurses, firefighters, cops, and State Department professionals. Maybe someday your turn will come and instead of rewarding the crooks we will take care of those who take care of us.
7
Great column but what about Ken and Barbie, I’m sure they have their empty heads and filthy hands in this whole fiasco!
4
A swamp. Let the Dems drain it.
2
Trump channeling Roy Cohn: What would you do next? I think we're in new territory here.
3
We're gonna need a bigger bus...
2
Couldn't happen to a nicer group of people.
2
Just as an aside: How come every time you show a picture of John Bolton, he’s grabbing his glasses? It does make the press appear biased.
It's never a good idea to make a deal with the devil.
4
Everything Trump Touches Dies
6
What a sorry bunch of folks!
Criminals and disloyal to the country is what I would call them.
Yes, the WH occupant and everyone in his group.
3
This is just so darned funny! I remember 2016 when trump said he only hired "the best people". ROFL! I also remember his supporters, when told that trump had zero government experience, claiming the same thing: "He's an excellent manager, a successful businessman (now there's a lie, er, joke) and he'll hire "the best people" and let them do their thing. It turns out that trump is, and always has been, an incompetent micro-manager who listens to NO ONE!
A partial list of trump failures:
Trump Steaks (he sold ‘em in clothing stores!)
Trump University (a proven fraud)
Trump Network (vitamins fraudulently sold based on the results of an expensive urine test)
Trump Shuttle (airline failure)
NJ Generals and the USFL (Donald killed the USFL)
Trump Taj Mahal (he failed in the gambling biz!)
Trump Vodka (he’s a teetotaler)
Trump Magazine
Trump Mortgage (he got in at the height of the housing craze)
Trump Water
Trump: The Game
GoTrump.com
Six bankruptcies
Stiffed contractors
Stiffed investors
Trump Tower Tampa (and numerous other real estate projects that never came to fruition)
Over four thousand lawsuits
The Polish Brigade
Successful businessman my fanny.
7
Bill Taylor was fourth in his West Point class. Pompeo in his class was first. I guess that status can mean almost anything. Taylor is a patriot, Pompeo is a swine.
8
I don't pretend to grasp why the GOP and sycophants continue to support a man blatantly guilty of criminal wrongdoing. It seems to be lost on them that we have these handy gadgets called microphones and cameras. When exactly will it dawn on them that their decision to defend the indefensible is being recorded for posterity?
Or have they all adopted Giuliani's charming stance, "I don't give a damn about the future because I'll be dead."
Between the bookends of Steve Bannon's braggadocio about "blowing the whole thing up" and Giuliani's morbid calculus. also rooted in death and mayhem, lie other charmers like Steven Miller, he, that "devout" espouser of the White Nationalist bible. When did we become a nation of anarchists, thugs, criminals and nihilists?
Criminals and creeps surround us. Thank gods for the State Department, whistleblower, resistance groups and protesters. Without them, I couldn't stomach looking at what this nation has become.
2
Like a snake eating its own tail. May they suffer in the ninth circle of hell which is reserved for traitors.
4
Superbly written. The best review of the clowns, jugglers and unicycle riders in the Trump circus show in town.
25
This administration is one defection away from blowing up. Who will it be? Rudy Giuliani? Mulvaney? Bolton (not really a defection at this point)? The level of corruption and incompetency within the Trump circle is mind boggling.
20
Methinks Mr Sondland will need to amend his testimony some more to include the middle of the night phone call. Apparently in all likely hood, most of our enemies would have been listening in as well as certain witnesses. You just can't make this stuff up.
8
If trump had a shred of decency he would cut this charade and resign rather than tear this country further apart.
Expect a long divisive fight.
140
Ask not for whom the bus stops.
The bus stops for you.
Stay tuned.
13
When I see this kind of behavior in action, I have to wonder how Trump's supporters, both in the public at large and in the Republican sphere of politics, can continue to believe in him. He turns on everyone, eventually, if they don't turn on each other first. He doesn't keep faith with anyone but himself. But I think the answer is that they are like the audience in a magic show. They don't go to the show because they actually believe it's real... they go because they want to be entertained by the fantasy... they actually want to be fooled, because it's better than the reality they are faced with day in, day out.
In their own way, the liberal Democrats are doing something very similar. They are offering fantasy that can not be achieved by simply waving a magic wand. It's time someone takes the time to think about offering an achievable reality that actually addresses the problems that face people in their every day lives.
There are too many lies told for the sake of gaining power. Trump and his cohorts have been dealing heavily in this. But it also includes the pipe dreams of people who should know full well that they can't keep their promises. Reality TV isn't real. Let's get real.
5
All of this goes with the territory. The man in the Oval Office relishes the sight of sycophants falling all over themselves to curry favor with him. The infighting and backstabbing is just part of the show. Surely this is how it has been with similarly erratic, narcissistic dictators of not. I doubt all was sweetness and light, ‘all for one and one for all’ among the members of Stalin’s inner circle.
Nobody is singing ‘It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2019.
9
Interesting to watch how Trump went after the female diplomat, and not the men. Coincidence?
29
From what I've read in books and seen in movies, mobsters show more loyalty, even to their adversaries, than this crowd of miscreants surrounding our incompetent and corrupt president.
Problem is, they're in the White House, not in a movie. This is not fun to watch at all. Spoiler alert: they all wind up destroying each other.
8
Under appreciated as an enabler of Trump is the New York Times and its relentless coverage of the President's Twitter ramblings. This isn't journalism—it's lazy, and by treating Trump's eruptions as policy statements, the Times (and WaPo) have actually made it easier for the administration to operate without the institutional restraints previous administrations have lived under. Trump's tweets should never have been dignified with the inflammatory coverage they've received in this paper; had they been ignored, and the paper devoted all of its resources (and its readers' attention) to real reporting on real decisions, the nation would be better served. True, we might not have the outrage turned up as high as it is, and perhaps some of Trump's critics experience a kind of euphoria from the ramped up adrenaline rush that comes with each new outrageous tweet, but like all addictions, the stimulus is fleeting and empty, and American's aren't nearly as well informed about this president and administration as they think they are.
11
The swamp described here is uninviting. But impeachment is a long shot if we don’t venture in.
We learned at law school that extortion is a specific intent crime. And while impeachment is not a criminal matter, it is very close.
Proving Trump pressured Zelensky to investigate Biden is not enough. You also have to prove corrupt intent — that is that the investigation was for Trump’s personal benefit and he knew that. To many that is obvious. But if Trump thought the investigation was legit — as he claimed to Zelensky — there was no extortion. Trump’s defense is that he thought Biden was crooked, that he was ignorant of the truth. (Contrary to popular belief, ignorance is indeed a defense where proof of specific intent is required). So Trump will claim ignorance, which is hardly shocking.
This is where the swamp comes in. Trump hasn’t confided in those who have testified to date. So none of them knows what he thinks about Biden. For sure, Giuliani knows. And the swamp is probably full of folks who have heard Biden jokes and insults.
One swamp dweller is probably enough. Giuliani, in particular, probably holds Trump’s fate in his hands. But getting him to talk will be a monumental effort. And probably a successful one. Giuliani has heaped praise on Trump and surely believes that Trump knows what he’s doing. And, ironically, that’s the evidence that will sink Trump into the swamp, along with all the others.
12
Oh nice. Trump’s defense is that he is ignorant and incompetent? This may possibly save him from impeachment. But it will not get him reelected. And it will cast a long shadow over any senator that votes to acquit. It may just break the Republican party.
2
Corrupt governments are remarkably stable and difficult to bring to justice because corrupt officials are vulnerable to blackmail and exposure. The Trump administration has successfully corrupted the departments of Justice, DHS, Commerce, State and even the federal judiciary. An experienced trial lawyer can reliably determine judges’ political views by noting their rulings and which laws they choose to enforce. Conservative Republican judges are the worst; they don’t hesitate to make up laws to promote their conservative Republican agenda. The administration and Republican controlled Senate have stocked the judiciary with judges who subscribe to right wing ideology, from the Supreme Court on down. Look for some seriously dubious rulings from this partisan crowd because the Trump judges were appointed with the clear expectation that their rulings would be politically biased.
9
I've never understood his enablers. They have to know that he will throw any one of them under the bus at any time and with little or no provocation and will then continue to smear their character. The real question should be what do they get during their ridiculously short tenure in favor that makes it all worth it?
12
Yes, it is a den of thieves. Yet, it's too easy to forget when reading articles like this one that within the great midsection of America, the perception is about how the media and the Democrats are trying to harm President Trump and those who have worked with him.
3
America had suddenly jumped in to join developing countries in terms of maturity of discipline in politics.
3
“Mr. Bolton has information about “many relevant meetings and conversations” concerning Ukraine that he might be willing to share if ...“ [it is worth his while].
4
I always suspected that Nikki Haley was the character in Veep, a TV show that allowed a candidate to become President despite few personal qualities, educational background, talent, etc. Her recent comments reflect her lack of qualifications for any kind of higher office. Perhaps she should have been perusing an advanced degree lately to widen her intellectual ability to help form policy.
11
There is an amazing series of scenes in the move Downfall, dramatizing the German central command after it is clear that they are surrounded by the allies and that their fortress around Berlin has fallen to the Russians.
Some of the generals try to scream to maintain order and save as many lives as possible through a negotiated surrender, others delusionally plot a hopeless counter-attack, others commit suicide mid-conversation, others scream in uncontrolled fury, while still others start attacking each other and blaming everyone around them for incompetence and betrayal.
No relation to the current situation at the White House.... Just thought it was an interesting movie.
17
People in this administration should ask themselves how corrupted they are by the behavior of the current occupant of the WH. Ten years from now when this has all been hashed over, I suspect a lot of them aren't going to be looking good for supporting him when American democracy was under threat. If they're not in jail for abetting criminal acts and perjury. It is time to step up and defend the US against this travesty of an administration. I wonder if 45 will win for most officials to go to jail/resign? Think so.
8
If Bolton has information relevant to the impeachment inquiry, as his attorney says, there is no reason he can't come forward and give it. Regardless of the opinion of the White House, he no longer works there. Instead of doing the patriotic thing, however, he chooses to monetize what he knows in a book deal. Disgraceful.
22
As much as I’d enjoy watching this administration and Republican Senate go down in a fireball of back-stabbing chaos I’d much rather watch the Republican Senate stand up for America and our Constitution and acknowledge that Trump’s behavior is impeachable and vote to remove Trump. So much better for the country if both parties agree in principle on the value of the Constitution, Democracy and the rule of law. Not holding my breath but contemplating making some popcorn.
26
This makes me thinks of the hold the Russian KGB had over people. People were expected to "tell" on others, and were scared that they would be "told on".
7
There must be a reason for Trump’s enablers turning on one another. When things are going well, everyone is friendly and daggers are safely kept in their sheaths. It is only when dark clouds appear on the horizon that daggers come out.
We know that both Republicans and Democrats are constantly polling the US public. Apparently, some recent private polls all consistently indicate that Mr. Trump's re-election chances are next to zero. This is why daggers are now coming out.
Democrat's polls can provide an explanation to why there are new Democrat candidates rushing in to throw their hats in the ring. Mr. Trump chances are said to be so slim that it is even rumored that Hillary Clinton could enter the race.
These individuals are no fools and neither are these events accidental.
8
These guys remind me of what an executive once told me. “No one leaves without a knife in their back” the travesty of this administration will dog us for years.
8
Has anyone who has had close personal interactions with Donald Trump come away better for it? The man has no friends, only "associates". Everything with him is a transaction designed to benefit him. Mulvaney, Sondland, Haley, et al, should realize that in Trump's eyes they are completely expendable. Sucking up to him is only a temporary palliative.
As I listen to the impeachment hearings, I'm left with the thought that all those drawn into the Trump administration and the Ukraine machinations are there because of blind ambition, but sadly the blindness is willful.
7
What is really troubling these Republicans is the fact that as more evidence is being revealed the issue of TREASON becomes more viable. Some are petrified they will be implicated.
9
Wait a minute. John Bolton accepts a two million dollar advance to write a book about what happened but won’t answer a subpoena? America, where money apparently talks louder than the rule of law. Who knew? Oh, wait. Donald Trump is president. Everybody knows.
22
John: forget the courts. Take the money and run!
2
In 1775, the Second Virginia Convention was convened to discuss how to respond to colonial oppression.
As he spoke at the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry, a prominent lawyer, held his wrists together as though they were manacled and raised them toward the heavens.
“Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty”—Henry burst from his imaginary chains and grasped an ivory letter opener—“or give me death!”
As he uttered these final words, he plunged the letter opener toward his chest, mimicking a knife blow to the heart.
Henry’s call to arms came at a pivotal moment. Less than a month later, battles between British troops and colonial minutemen at Lexington and Concord resulted in “the shot heard round the world” and the first casualties of the Revolutionary War. In Virginia, scores of colonials—many of whom had embroidered the words “Liberty or Death” onto their shirts—flocked to join local militias.
My friends, we are at a moment when like the brave women and men in our federal government who are risking everything by coming forward to take up the fight against tyranny begun by our Founders and codified in the Impeachment Clause, to a President who behaves like King George and his loyalist supporters, to proclaim again to all, "Give me liberty or give me death!"
12
I doubled down on buying stock in companies that make popcorn.
Good Lord.
Even Mack Sennett couldn’t film this.
6
Make no mistake, the greatest number of people being thrown under the bus are the Trump supporters, the Republican Party and its leaders and our Democracy. Truth and Democracy are incompatible with one man or one party rule.
7
Better to be the slogan of the citizens of our democratic republic!
1
Roger Stone ...”where are your jibes now”...
5
John Bolton showing some integrity? Who'd a thunk?
2
A very high-profile basket of deplorables. Gosh, turns out HRC was right about juuuust about everything, no? #MAGA
11
Nikki Haley was on with Wolf Blitzer tonight pushing her book, what a fraud, the Trump she knew never lied, up front guy. Who knew?
9
@I'e the B'y
Isn't it amazing what potential book sales will do the honesty and integrity meter?
9
How many staffers can dance atop a high ledge?
2
"For his part, Mr. Giuliani is contemplating starting an impeachment-themed podcast, which should terrify everyone concerned."
Petrified in hilarity. Delirious in deliciousness. Heck, yeah.
6
Sorry, I thought everybody except Donald already knew. MikePence still has the whistle. He is impatient to get his knees under the Oval Office desk and have an office beside his for his spiritual director. We can expect another impeachment before the next election. I hear that MacBeth is Mike’s favorite Shakespeare play. God help us
Christopher Slevin
6
sell your soul to the devil, payment eventually comes due.
9
Like so many predators, they will eat there own young. Fair warning for fence sitting potential adherents.
8
Speaking of watching one’s back in this back-stabbing White House environment, what do these bottom-feeders make of Trump releasing another “more perfect transcript”—as opposed to a “more perfect union”—now that it’s been revealed that Putin and Russia intercepted/reviewed/cleared his less-than-perfect bribery/extortion call with Ukraine’s President?
4
Live in the swamp, die in the swamp. It's MAGA time!
6
Hark back to Bolton and WMD lies in 2003 when, in collusion with Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz et al, he help block UN weapons inspectors, launch the invasion of Iraq, and cascade the Middle East into its present tragic mess. How can he now be a reliable witness to treason in the White House?
Beware of all things Bolton.
7
It looks like the MOb unraveling ratting each other out running for the exits and writing books on how sleazy Trump is , this we know.
2
They knew what he was before they picked him up. To clasp the asp to your bosom, then exclaim shock when bitten is ludicrous. A den of thieves, scoundrels and overly ambitious, second tier sycophants.
Seriously.
8
How I long for ‘No Drama Obama’...
9
Isn’t “Me First” the unofficial motto of the Conservative/Libertarian movement?
“E pluribus pluribus!”
4
Game of Thorns.
2
Just imagine if the big shots are required to testify under oath. Oh, my! Which lie to tell then? The one that covers for the President, the one that covers yourself or - God forbid! - tell the truth! Ooooooo....and I'm rubbing my hands together like an evil scientist....imagine if Trump has to testify! Oh, please, please, please let it happen! Please!
5
Well sure he took a shot at him but look he missed and everybody is ok.
3
Acting Chief of Staff nick Milveaney says he knows too much to be fired? How did that belief work for trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen?
6
This administration is looking more and more like a bunch of Death Eaters from the Harry Potter books. They, too, eventually turned on He Who Must Not Be Named and each other in order to save themselves. Malfoy, indeed.
5
Sondland paid way too much for his ambasadorship.
7
That graphic looks like pieces of prosciutto. Pieces of meat that expired. All the presidents men ... and women.
3
I guess when you work for Trump, you become just like him. And that is the opposite of a compliment. Back stabbing egotists are in vogue at the WH.
2
"He is among the most promising scapegoats..."
Ooh! Michelle, maybe you can follow-up Gail Collins' "Worst Cabinet Member" contest with one of your own for "Most Promising Scapegoat."
I'll play!
3
One possible unintended consequence of this electoral megafiasco could be a new level of sympathy for the very wealthy; some of whom, as it turns out, are complete idiots.
3
Republicans: the truth will come out. Thank goodness we are not a dictatorship (yet).
3
I'll never understand why so many otherwise (apparently) normal people are intimidated and/or fooled by someone as nasty and ridiculous as what's-his-name in the White House. It's depressing to see it, but hopefully it serves as a reality check for parents and teachers. Critical thinking is not an automatic skill. It has to be learned as we grow up. I still remember a tenth grade history teacher who did a lot to open my mind to the concept of "question authority." My parents taught me about right from wrong.
7
well everyone gloats at the turn of fortunes but we still have to see how all of this turns out. Will Trump be removed? Likely not. Will any of his underlings go to jail? some will as some already have. Some won't. Will Trump be the nominee after he is impeached by the House? Probably? Maybe? Is there a critical threshold of public opinion wherein Trump is rejected publicly not under the breath by his base or by the GOP Establishment? Nobody knows. And finally will trump be re-elected? I am going to a campaign meeting tonight. 2020 has been in motion since the start of 2019.
1
Just one point. This piece begins with the paragraph, "There’s no honor among thieves nor, apparently, among anxious political hacks who bound themselves to a president with a penchant for subordinating the national interest to his own."
Those last 3 words are important, but in my mind they don't fully capture the true treasonous nature of the relationship. I appreciate the editor's careful wording, but were it my newspaper the final sentence would end this way, "...for subordinating the national interest to his own, and by proxy, Vladimir Putin."
Let's not lose sight of ALL the beneficiaries of Trump's corrupt and criminal activities.
Trump and Family
The Republican Party and corrupt enterprises
Vladimir Putin and Russia.
6
@CA John
And let's not forget Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Was it a coincidence that Erdogan showed up in Washington just weeks after being given the green light attack Syria and what had been our allies, the Kurds? Does anyone else wonder what kind of payback that Erdogan was delivering to Donnie?
5
I’m waiting for Mitch McConnell’s name to turn up - surely he must have been in on the WH plots. He’s rubber stamped the appointees, allowed the gutting of the State Dept., and turned a blind eye to the Trump family excesses. Maybe there are no tapes but the WH phone conversations are recorded. Congress needs these too - all of them. To quote Bernstein “reporters need to get to work and talk to those involved” - not wait around for The Guardian to do their work.
9
Trump promised a cabinet filled with the best and brightest advisors available. Instead he surrounded himself with worshipful mindless sycophants. The occasional independent appointee either was fired or quit in total frustration. The Trump White House is shaking on a very wobbly foundation.
6
These people are depending on our terrible state of affairs to be ongoing, to remain viable themselves. Otherwise their careers go up in smoke. Who other than Trump and family would ever hire them again for anything. Their survival depends on keeping the House of Cards standing.
5
Mr. Bolton, you need to come forward to testify with no conditions. After this mess is over, there will be two columns of participants in the history books. One will be those who have ethics and the other with no ethics. I don't think you want to be known forever as a member of the latter. We can't forget Watergate. However, for me, this is much worse. Watergate involved crimes internal to the U.S. This Ukraine-gate is treason involving an enemy, Russia .
5
This is the inevitable result of what happens when people get close to tRump; They become either corrupted or repulsed.
4
Certainly Republicans throughout the government have reason to be profiles in cowardice. Trump's penchant for retaliation against anyone who he views as disloyal is legendary. He has tried to erase Obama's legacy in retaliation for making fun of him at the correspondent's dinner. There do seem to be pockets of resistance though. Many of Trump's most heinous acts have landed him in court, House Democrats have finally had enough and, oddly, the NFL has lifted the Kaepernick ban apparently signaling that they are no longer scared stiff of Trump.
2
It's such a snake pit. And, each Trump enabler has to wake up to the reality that what he/she is doing is undermining our values and damaging this country into the future.
Your career will eventually come to an end as will your life. Even if you don't believe in God or that there is a soul, what kind of legacy are you leaving? Stand up for our values. Honor your oath. Do it asap, before it's too late.
Please ...
4
What was done to Ambassador Yovanovitch, a very intelligent, upstanding and dedicated public servant, by a twisted cabal of thoroughly dishonorable, soulless individuals will forever remain the quintessential tale of Washington politics at its ugliest.
9
Mr. Bolton is not a hero, but a coward.
He should agree to testify as his patriotic duty, rather than be compelled to by the courts so he can still remain a conservative in good standing.
Why is it the people who yell, "Country First!" the loudest are always the last to honor those words.
7
Trump must have a
confidentiality clause in her
contract with Donald Trump
for his post-presidency.
1
Backbiting and butt-covering have always been a staple of Washington politics, there is so nothing new there. The real story is the fact that incompetence, lying and corruption became the new Republican (not just Trump) brand, to be lauded and defended at all costs. For example, Nikki Haley, who is not someone I generally agree with on policy but a person I thought had some sense of integrity and decency, defends all of this behavior. Apparently, pandering to Trump’s southern evangelical base, the main consumers of the Republican brand, ahead of her 2024 run for president is now the most important thing to her.
5
I always enjoy the comments, but come on, where are the Trumpist fantasists (sorry great minds) All a bit one-sided... quite disappointed, we need a laugh.
1
It’s pitiful, but understandable, that someone who has sold their soul to the devil, keeps “playing with fire” versus “coming clean”.
A hard decision for those in the not-so-White House.
3
It now becomes crystal clear how Trump's entire business empire is built on a house of cards with only Russian money holding the fragile structures up. He surrounds himself with yes men and women who know nothing about the jobs they hold and are led by a man who spends most of his day combing his hair, tanning himself, and ordering out to McDonald's--not exactly a recipe for a successful business empire.
3
It is time for anyone with a shred of sense to cut and run from working on the staff of the Trump White House.
Ignominy is all that remains for those who stay.
3
Funniest line ever delivered by an elderly lady who is a core Trump supporter; "He's a unifier".
Trump will turn on people on a dime. It is only fitting that his own hand picked people do the same to each other.
3
@Babel Another female Trump supporter declared that he never lies.
How healthy of a workplace! Watch your back....
2
Trump is what Trump does, and so it goes with his minions. I'm fascinated with and appalled by the sheer stupidity of people who think it's in their own best interests to join the disorganized crime syndicate the White House has become. What were thinking?
2
"Get over it" Mulvaney and Bolton are examples of deplorable. Bolton especially should be before Congress living up to his claim of having a great deal of useful information to share. Mulvaney should simply be fired.
Three years of this disastrous Trump free-for-all have left America in tatters.
2
And yet half of America is unfazed by all this. That’s the scariest part.
9
It isn't just the White House that is broken. This presidency has revealed a number of disturbing symptoms of a diseased and dying nation:
-a corrupt despot with a large enough Twitter feed, an obligated judiciary, and a stacked deck in Congress cannot be restrained let alone removed from office.
-political aspirations have trumped duty to serve the national interest
-critical thinking is deemed un-American
-patriots are considered traitors and traitors patriots
-a disturbingly large portion (40% give or take) do not possess the moral character to look beyond their self-interests and are not enlightened enough to see that "the emperor has no clothes"
-propaganda has replaced objective journalism in one of the most watched news services.
-greed is rewarded and championed
-the electoral system is rigged, racist and prejudicial
This presidency has exposed fatal flaws in the US constitution and the US government.
America's delusions of grandeur are being exposed.
My prayer is that there are enough sober-minded Americans left to not just remove the stain in the Oval Office but to address the kinks in the armour of your union. If not, a united state will be destroyed.
4
“John Bolton (...) has a deal worth around $2 million to write a book about his time in the administration”
So that’s why all these people join Trumps administration. Hang out for a few months and write a book for 2 mill. Even scaramucci has a book.
2
“The buck stops somewhere down there. Who can we pin this on?”
A Trumpian presidential decision.
2
Mr. Cottle’s pointed observations are beginning to sound so much like our friend Gail Collins. With such a gravely serious topic sometimes humor is the only tool we can find to express our thoughts. To paraphrase $2 million John Bolton, our President has become a “hand grenade!”
2
When it comes to White House catfights, imagine that many of these people will not be ABLE TO BEAR watching ambassador Marie Yovanovich's opening statement this morning.
I was brought to near tears as Yovanovich began by listing her “hardship” assignments in Somalia, Pakistan, in Moscow (dodging crossfire bullets in 1993 coup attempt), etc etc
— All Americans should listen to her opening statement — it’s extremely informative, powerful and historically significant !!!!!
She is honest, dignified, classy and concerned about doing what is right.
5
The trump WH is like a viper pit and one can hear the snakes hissing at one another. You are the company you keep. The smarter ones will get out, get a lucrative book deal and generate the funds they may need to mount a legal defense. The rest will be ground up like trumps unpaid subcontractors and stiffed "university" students.
1
Perhaps Mr. Trump’s title should be, ‘Acting President’
3
If they were "smart", they should take Sondland's lead and come forward. Otherwise they will go down with Trump. That includes his lackey's in the House.
2
You must not be following wsj/fox. If you did you’d know trump has done nothing wrong and all the furor is a deep state liberal plot to steal money from rich people who SHOULD control what’s going on
1
And Satan said to Christ, "I will give you everything as far as your eyes can see, if you will bow down before me."
What have the Republicans reaped from the devil? Poorly chosen Judicial appointments, rollbacks of financial protections, rollbacks of environmental protections, a tax breaks for the very wealthy that will damage us for decades, appointments of shady dealers in cabinet positions, migrant children in internment camps, and a soft landing for those that hate.
When dealing with the devil, it always comes at a cost. And he has paid us back with leader that is a brazen liar, cheater, thief. What more could the Republican Party ask for?
Oh, then the Evangelical Christians who have supported Trump all this time? They've gotten virtually nothing out of the deal, but to have sold their souls.
2
@Toto_Ly_Insane
And may they pay the price!!!
All of the people currently circling the President are grifters themselves, of the same ilk, who got where they got by hook or by crook, including lots of shady deals and midnight maneuvers. These are the type of men and women a con man like Donald Trump attracts. They are moths who like to fly close to the flame, and don't really care if their mates' wings get burned.
1
When you accept a job in the white house under the present administration, you are dealt a hand of aces and eights.
1
Yep, it’s “All for One and All for One” over there in the White House.
2
Mr Bolton. You should be standing up for ambassador Yovanovitch. She’s the last dam protecting the USA from the huge dangers posed by our enemies. Don’t fail our diplomats now.
2
Nancy is giving this den of snakes the time and catalysts they need to turn on each other.
2
The world needs fewer dictatorial, autocratic or authoritarian men. Lot of men have to be removed from power. Look at Ji Xiping shouting "law & order", "law & order"...in his three piece suit while HK burns.
In a patriarchal corporate
or government heirarchy people run on fear, uncertainity, and placating or flattering power while kicking or exploiting those below them. It is a digusting feudal system from the days of monarchy and fascism.
Half the male world, if you ask me, is not going to enlighten or evolve with education, information or counseling. Egotistical men, or men with rigid minds, are not going to go for counselling to gain self awareness. Being macho tough is all these male monkeys know.
We need more educated smart self aware women in power...all over the world urgently.
More than 50% of global problems, in all countries, are created by macho arrogant unevolved men.
3
All of the talk about the chaos, mismanagement and changing lies sets up a very believable dementia defense for trump, one that a jury would believe.
Unfit to stand trial because of Kuru.
This whole thing is so incredibly sad. Watching adults destroy our way of life and the future of our children and grandchildren, because they are driven by self-interest and don't even give a dam about the rest of us AND don't know how to even behave in their own self-interest - and we wonder why people are so unhappy and depression is rampant and anger is the soup of the day. The people who are supposed to leading us in the pursuit of happiness are uncaring, inept, and now chewing each other to bits. It's all so incredibly sad and pathetic and all the media wants out of the impeachment hearings is a circus. We're not happy about any of this, and we shouldn't be. It's necessary but so pathetic and sad.
1
Not fast enough.
1
Bolton wants to testify and Mulvaney is willing to, but both want to be legally compelled as a cover. They will nail down Trump’s abuse of power, bribery, and extortion in Ukraine. Why don’t Pelosi and Schiff issue both of them citations of contempt of Congress for refusing to testify and threaten prosecution in Federal Court?
Barr and Pompeo chased a Trump fantasy of a Ukraine-Hillary connection, proving they identify Trump’s personal interest with the national interest. Because the Senate will not remove Trump from office, the sole point of impeachment is not to reveal the truth—been there, done that with the Mueller Report—but to force Trump’s staff to follow the law instead of him.
When faced with hard time in Leavenworth after Trump leaves office, some White House staff are going to talk. When Nixon realized he not only faced impeachment but prison for criminal offenses for the Watergate cover-up, he released the damning tapes that sank him.
If all impeachment does is reveal what we already know, that Trump tried to trade military aid for an investigation into Biden, articles of impeachment are sent to the Senate, and they exonerate him, Trump rouses his base and tightens his grip on the Republican Party. House Democrats look weak and irrelevant. Trump wants one-man rule—threaten prison to break his hold on his minions.
2
A parade of cowards who all claim to be patriotic Americans. If we relied on their of idea of American democracy, it would be a sad day indeed.
1
I will feel some hint of joy when the Congressional henchman (Meadows, Jordan, Gaetz, McCarthy...) show up on indictments.
2
If Bolton had any courage he would testify and get what he know off his chest. But for all his swaggering about how tough he thinks re foreign policy, he is a wimp when it comes to personal courage.
1
Remember "Law and Order?"
"first one to roll gets a Get out of Jail free card."
3
Let us pray they ALL take each other out so we can start fresh.
2
I say let them rat on each other. No group deserves to eat it's own more than the Republican party. They own this mess. Let them have their own circular firing squad. I will enjoy this comeuppance. Let the Republican Hunger Games begin!
3
“A man is known by the company he keeps.”
- Aesop
People who keep company with Donald Trump should be ashamed of themselves....although it's obvious they are incapable of shame, which would require a human conscience...or something resembling a conscience.
"Only the worst possible people !"
Trump 2016 - 2019
6
Circular firing squad? Sounds like a Second Amendment--I mean, second thoughts issue.
1
From what I can see of these geniuses, “back,” is around, oh, 3 inches to 20 inches different, eh?
Trump's Presidency has often been compared to an organized crime family. When things start going south, the mobsters flip and turn on each other.
2
If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.
2
The fact that so many of these bumbling idiots are multi-millionaires and even billionaires tells you all you need to know about the ultra-wealthy’s firmly-held belief that their success is solely the result of sheer intelligence and hard work. Indeed; here we are.
1
This administration perfectly describes the term “a nest of vipers.”
2
Soon, you'll need a bourbon drip just to work in that White House. I'm reminded of Alfred E. Neuman "What me worry?"
2
The most astonishing flunky is Nikki Haley, who had left the administration without losing her integrity--or so it seemed--and has now providing devastating soundbites in which she asserts Trump's honesty (!) and his mental competency (!!). Why would she tie herself to a sinking ship?
3
@Susannah
Thank you Susannah!!!
Well, they all deserve one another don’t they?
2
Portrait of a den of thieves...
2
Ok, we all know DJT was unfairly denied the Nobel Peace prize. Can he please be nominated at least for the White House Peace prize? For which he will practically be a shoo in? Or is America so venal and unjust to deny him this one too?
2
Mr Bolton: who cares what he court decides. I don't think you want to be seen as weak like the Senate's Republicans who fear losing their jobs. You are smart. You are a patriot. Show your character and testify.
1
What a crew! My gosh, Ms. Cottle--what a crew!
Compared with these guys, the Watergate burglars were miracles of cold-blooded efficiency. Even the Keystone Kops--
--but no. I find myself echoing (of all things) Mr. Lindsay Graham's backhanded defense.
These guys are too DUMB to have arranged any sort of quid pro quo.
I find myself believing it.
Still leaves me wondering: if they're THAT dumb--
--what are they doing running the federal government?
But I suppose (right now) it's a case of sauve qui peut! "Every man for himself, guys! Jump overboard--
"--while the jumping's good!"
As RMS Trump Administration slowly settles in the frigid waters of outraged public opinion--
--and the few, the not-so-proud grapple angrily with each other, trying to secure one of the few remaining life jackets--
--and the Captain of this miserable craft (scowling, red-faced as usual) stands on the bridge, thinking--
--well, gosh--what IS he thinking?
Dumb question!
He's NOT thinking.
He's TWEETING.
2
Who’s bringing the popcorn?
1
Sneaky bosses create sneaky employees.
125
@MIMA At least he tries to be sneaky!
2
There's something very karmic when people who play games with the lives of others eventually realize they're the next fall guy or gal. What a way to live. Throw people under the bus happily and with no compunction...until it's your turn. A sad way to live. Something about gaining the world but losing your soul...
241
@Anne Your words remind me of Hobbes's description of "Man in the State of Nature" (no civil law): "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
2
The internal tensions within the Trump administration described by Cottle illustrate why the president should be judged an individual of low cunning rather than a clever strategist. Webster defines a cunning man as one who is wily and practices trickery. Trump's treatment of his subordinates exemplifies the attitude of someone who believes that his hold on power requires him to sow discord among his advisers. He demands personal loyalty to himself but does not hesitate to betray the people around him and to pit them against each other.
A leader who understood people (clever strategist) would instinctively know that any short term advantage derived from this approach would backfire in the long run. But Trump, convinced of his own brilliance, cannot grasp the possibility that even his supporters might respond in kind if he tries to save himself at their expense.
Like the coyote in the roadrunner cartoons, Trump lacks the intelligence and the temperament to understand the consequences of his own behavior.
215
@James Lee
I am not sure that's correct. Trump's understanding of the consequences of his own behavior is shaped by long experience, i.e. that he has gotten away with it for his entire life, so why should it end now?
As long as he is not running out of pawns he can sacrifice, this will continue. What I don't understand is why they are flocking to him.
I am most disappointed by Niki Haley. I thought she had more integrity. That scratches her off my list of possible electable Republican candidates.
15
@James Lee
If only your fellow Texans would demonstrate their integrity and vote against Trump....or just not vote...
1
Thanksgiving dinner is going to be so much fun this year!
9
Unspoken in all of this is the likelihood that the Senate is apt to pass on any attempt to follow through with an impeachment of the President, or to hold him accountable for his actions. In this, McConnell and his party are likely to be accomplices for the President's behavior and "high crimes and misdemeanors."
11
I agree. I have to say that Moscow Mitch and his colleagues in the Senate will probably not convict regardless of the evidence. They fear Trump’s unfathomable hold over his base, and his concomitant ability to use that to ‘primary’ those who displease him.
One can only hope for the American public to finally lose patience with this president as they did with Nixon. That eroded public approval for a much more popular president to the point where his party felt compelled to remove him.
Fingers crossed.
2
It may have been naive of me, but I always thought there was some dignity and diplomacy in our government. This looks more like someone has thrown a carcass into a nest of sharks. It is sad. What do people teach their children about citizenship now? How do you tell a child not to lie, or cheat or steal? This situation is so much more than the news or politicians would have us believe. The disillusionment and dysphoria this is causing will radically change how people live in this country.
6
None of it will really matter because Trump isn’t going anywhere. The Senate won’t remove him from office and his voters won’t switch their votes. Even if he loses the election he will still have Twitter and a huge fan base of voters he can roil up to create havoc in future elections. Out of office he will refuse to fade away as long as he can get the publicity and blind adulation he craves. The only real hope is for the economy to completely tank and nobody wants that.
4
@Alexandra Hamilton
Or for the SDNY to convict him and throw him into federal prison for the rest of his miserable life.
In fact the full motto should be:
Watch your back and get a good lawyer.
PS To pay for the lawyer try to get a $2 millions book deal.
6
Republicans are turning a blind eye toward bribing foreign governments for political gain, and I hope they suffer the same fate as California Republicans who tried to turn teachers like me into de facto immigration agents 25 years ago. Our nation was built on the premise of the public good not private greed. Anti-federalists insisted our new government include a bill of rights to put a "legal check into the hands of the Judiciary" as Thomas Jefferson wrote. It was our Bill of Rights that overturned the mob demand that teachers like me turn over our students to the police. Pelosi and other patriotic Americans want to ensure no one will ever sell out our interests to a foreign power the way Trump did in Ukraine and Syria.
8
Hopefully, the sinking Trump ship will take those who voluntarily on board down with it.
It's the best hope for survival of this country.
9
The Congressional impeachment hearings have ignited ugly scenes of infighting and cannibalistic battles among the White House’s current and former staff that resembles the most horrific spectacles of the Roman Coliseum. The cast of characters is huge, the dynamics for blood-letting is gory and the potential for ruined careers will be legendary.
Meanwhile, the Ring Leader in Chief of this circus spectacle is in full denial of everything that resembles malfeasance and abuse of power. To save himself, he will abandon any sentiment of loyalty to his current and former staff while the ship of government and law and order wallows in stormy seas of who said what, did what, when and why. This will end badly for the Denier in Chief. The Republican Party will suffer for its reticence and abandonment of what is good for the U.S.
The objective for Congress in its impeachment hearings is to arrive at truth in its proceedings and for a return to stability and sanity for the U.S. I hope Congress will prevail.
6
Class tells when there is no class.
11
This is THE story, folks. The swamp has more moccasins than ever.
14
Indeed the circular firing squad will eventually self-destruct if they continue on this category 5 hurricane path. RIP Republican Party.
15
This whole crowd is taking up air good people could be using.
20
Talk about watching one's back: in the Guardian today, Giuliani stated that "..he has a very good insurance" in case Trump should try to throw him under he bus to blame the Ukraine bribery dealings on him to deflect guilt. Giuliani's lawyer quickly interjected to save the statement by saying "He's joking."
Well, as far as I can see, when it comes to these swamp creatures, nobody is laughing, never was.
But it is interesting that he finds it necessary to give a warning shot in this regard to the stable genius.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/14/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-insurance-loyal
24
Please don't buy any of these people's books. They deserve no profit from enabling the worst president in US history.
38
Did he bat his eyes when he hinted that he might be wooed into sharing what he says he knows?
It out-Lindseys Lindsey.
6
Republicans feel bad for Trump, but because he got caught trying to pull off exactly the kind of dumb scam they spend their whole lives cooking up. It's pity among thieves.
16
Trump administration logo: In a pickle take the nickel.
3
When your boss demands loyalty, give him integrity. When he demands integrity, give him loyalty.
Neither of those apply in this inept White House.
11
It's simply glorious, isn't it?
10
A pat on the back can precede a knife in the back.
13
This administration is a living documentary of the corruption and debasement of the men and a couple of disoriented women who compose the Republican Party. The fact that there are so many commenters at the NYT and the WP still wanting to defend Republicans is a sign of the truly sick society we live in.
14
Nikki Haley??? Surely, you jest. Nikki Haley or Elizabeth Warren? My God.
3
The Relentlessly Unscrupulous Mavens of Pandemonium - T.R.U.M.P. administration officials.
3
Republicans are protecting their President’s willful appeasement to the former head of the KGB.
17
Now that the Russians have added trump's cell phone chat with Sondland to their stash of hotel tapes, they should be in a good position to extort just about anything they want. This elevates the problem for congressional repubs like jordan and nuns, who are already scraping the bottom of the pr barrel to contrive "defenses" for the criminal president. With Putin now in full control of the White House, perhaps the only talking point left is: "Russia? Never heard of it."
21
You should expect a Reality TV show when you elect a Reality TV President. But there is too much at stake here ...
8
All the Republicans, including Haley, are flunkies. They have proven this through their comments, which appear to be more Hollywood than REAL. “Sad”.
6
honor and valor are two words that never apply
to Trumpists and their camp followers
8
" As the impeachment inquiry grinds on, the circular firing squad is likely to grow still larger — and potentially armed with higher-caliber ammunition." What a delightful visual.
4
Swampy!
2
This is a cat and mouse game. You do not know who is who at the WH. They are all shooting at each other. Each one claiming better than the other in their loyalty to the Boss. In the process, it is all about individual power.
4
Trump has burned the lifeboats. His staffers know few prospects await them if his listing ship of state goes down. GOP elected officials are lashed to the mast as well. They face being primaried by Trump's rabid base -- or losing to a Democrat in a general election. So, despite having little love or respect for a vulgar and vindictive buffoon who has led them to the brink of ruin, they will fight fiercely to save their professional lives.
People of conscience will need to battle equally hard to rid ourselves of this lawless president.
12
I bet most of the people in Trumps orbit are aware that he tends to dump those no longer useful to him and I bet most of them thinks that they are so smart it won't happen to them...
10
How much easier to just tell the truth. There's so much less to keep tract.
7
I predict there will soon be a lot of entrails in the undercarriage of the bus, starting with those of Rudy and Mick.
Here's a relevant quote from The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (Chapter 7):
>...And because he knew that the past severity had caused some hatred against himself, so, to clear himself in the minds of the people, and gain them entirely to himself, he desired to show that, if any cruelty had been practised, it had not originated with him, but in the natural sternness of the minister. Under this pretense he took Ramiro, and one morning caused him to be executed and left on the piazza at Cesena with the block and a bloody knife at his side. The barbarity of this spectacle caused the people to be at once satisfied and dismayed….
11
Is there a word for a rat fight? Where they all turn on each other during some time of stress, and snarling and biting, try to be the last survivor?
The Guardian is reporting today:
"Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, has said he is confident the president will remain loyal to him as an impeachment inquiry unfolds in which the former New York mayor has become a central figure.
But Giuliani joked that he had good “insurance” in case Trump did turn on him, amid speculation Republicans will seek to frame him as a rogue actor.
In a telephone interview with the Guardian, in response to a question about whether he was nervous that Trump might “throw him under a bus” in the impeachment crisis, Giuliani said, with a slight laugh: “I’m not, but I do have very, very good insurance, so if he does, all my hospital bills will be paid.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/14/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-insurance-loyal
6
Welcome to The Apprentice: The White House Edition.
10
This piece looks like a simple attempt to demean and insult everyone in the White House since Pres. Trump has come along.
Things like this make me glad I don't have to write for publications.
Nikki Haley is the most clueless of them all. She has put herself into the middle of a frying pan on a stove that was already on fire. All she had to do was stay out of the kitchen for a while.
8
Not a single republican has clean hands with this administration. Not one!
7
@Oliver
Always keep in mind that there are decent ex-Republicans even if I don't agree with their "trickle down theory of economic profit" for America's working class. But those Republicans like Rick Wilson or Max Boot left the party because the Republican Party politicians like Moscow Mitch and sleazy Graham work for Donald J. Trump and not the American People.
5
Present and former White House Officials, please circle up! Ready! Take aim! Fire!
But please wait for the lights, cameras, and microphones.
4
Character will out.
1
Because they all are amoral, soulless, empty vessels of the human race, they deserve each other. May the forever twist in the wind, wondering when and whom will knife them in the back. They are ruining the nation. Have no allegiance to the nation, and, hopeful will pay the price for years to come.
8
This is MAGA. This is what MAGA stands for. Complete corruption. Criminals running the government. Total surrender to Russia. It is happening.
15
One thing is certain - they all deserve each other. Bolton could certainly cause Trump a lot of problems, and I do not doubt he could be pretty vengeful. I hope he spills his guts. Unlike Haley, he isn't angling to run for President, so he might decide to unload in order to reestablish himself with the neo-cons who might want to try and have a future in government. Haley proved herself to be just another sycophant who is willing to do anything to preserve her 2024 Presidential ambition. Pompeo is perhaps the most odious of the bunch, (if you don't indclude Giuliani who did not have an official government role). Pompeo knew exactly what was going on and threw his career staff under the Trump bus.
10
I'm waiting for the additional connection between Trumps 2 towers in Turkey and who in the Turkish government has part ownership. It's all about the money
10
Why are so many people siding with Donald Trump and against what is best for our nation? They took an oath to uphold the constitution, not be loyal to the Don. If many of them end up behind bars, I say yahoo!
8
A complete list of those that will escape the Trump Stain:
I GOT NOTHIN.
Seriously.
9
Could you imagine if those 70,000 votes in those three battleground states had gone the other way and Hilary Clinton had won what a better world we would live in! Or if the Supreme Court had allowed Al Gore's recount in Florida in 2000? No war in Iraq. No Trump! How strange life is! How truly strange! If there is a God it must have a very strange sense of humour.
7
The recount was finished and confirmed Gore lost.
Barry. Can you imagine if the DNC did not stack the primaries against Bernie and we now had President Sanders instead of the only candidate as flawed as the current occupant of the oval. Bernie owes the Dems nothing and if he is not the candidate he should run as a third party candidate. Maybe then the Dems will get their act together
It takes one to know one, the old motto says. POTUS has lots of goody-goody-two-shoes around him. They will not help him next time.
1
DJT - I hire all the best....
1
Rats fighting each other aboard a sinking ship. What fun!
2
The trump era will make for great reading and studies in corruption and abuse. Historians will judge this era as a dark stain in American history fraught with self-serving politicians, lobbyists and business leaders. It will be used to illustrate the phrase ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’. This era will become the gold standard for a government run amok and leaders feasting on themselves to rise above the pack and to try and stay in the boss’ good graces; much like a mob boss’ minions that thwart each other to rise in the ranks, trump’s minions distrust each other and feast on the remains of the fallen. His administration and behavior reminds me of the scene from the movie about the Chicago mob boss Al Capone: he ruled with fear and once clubbed to death a lieutenant that fell from his graces while all of his other lieutenants watched. Imagine what it must be like to work for a mobster like trump and the sheer terror that you would feel every day in the West Wing. It is no wonder that the turnover in the White House is unprecedented and the brave write ‘anonymous’ articles and books about his psyche and poor management style.
4
Anyone who "got over" Trump being elected president has abdicated their responsibilities as citizens of the US. Calling truth to power has never been more urgently called for after the Republicans allowed such incompetence and corruption to pass their incredibly low threshold for the presidency. This debasement and subsequent impeachment is squarely on the Republican party. It is far past time for those people like Mattis and Bolton to take a public stand against the greatest threat to our national security. All they have to do is tell truth to power. This ain't politics anymore. Trump is the red flashing light, the missile squarely aimed on the tower of democracy.
9
HOPE SO.
It's time to realize that the so-called president is in it for the money, not for the PEOPLE.
Trump fans of common sense, if there are any, beware of the ramifications of their vote for this despicable man.
He has been never perfect except in his eyes.
5
"To be fair, with so many people having been pulled — willingly or otherwise — into Mr. Trump’s Ukraine scheme, it can be hard for the lackeys to keep their stories straight and avoid incriminating even themselves."
This is a genuinely breathtaking statement because:
1) it shows how Americans have no expectation that those who govern them will act with truth and honesty.
2) it shows how completely self-preservation, whatever it takes, regardless of any moral standards, has become normalised in American society.
This revelation is most alarming.
7
"As the impeachment inquiry grinds on, the circular firing squad is likely to grow still larger — and potentially armed with higher-caliber ammunition."
One hopes that Republican Senators, Republican House members and the gang of five on the Supreme Court eventually put our Country and Constitution before Party and political beliefs.
5
I don't believe that any of this backstabbing orgy underway troubles Trump all that much - it serves him well. The 'dagger between the shoulder blades' approach to problem solving in the President's entourage removes potential threats and gives him plausible deniability when accused of wrongdoing.
In Trump's armory - insult, mendacity and creating doubt are his weapons of choice - and the biggest liar wins.
As Michelle Cottle well describes it (Trump's) 'circular firing squad is likely to grow larger still' the more their hidden truths and dirty secrets are exposed.
3
Not even Shakespeare could have created such a cast of characters in his epic tragedies. History would look on us the citizens with horror and bewildered
1
"Once-eager presidential enablers have turned on one another with feral abandon as the facts of what Mr. Trump’s flunkies were doing in Ukraine have become clear and the impeachment investigation moves into its public phase."
..so why don't these selfish cowards have the courage to come forward and testify? I hope they spend a lot of time in Hades for the evil and discord they have brought my country (and that is putting it nicely bc I feel rage).
8
Anybody who went to work for Trump self deported themselves under the bus. Haley deserves special mention. Think back on all the nasty ways that Thump has inflicted pain across the globe yet Haley willingly promoted his interests on the global stage. My guess is that her book will be first to hit the remainder bin.
9
Is there no one in the gop, aside from those turning tail and running out the door, who will stand up for our country? Who will uphold their solemn oath to protect our constitution? Not one? They have no shame, no decency, no morals no love for out country. What a pathetic bunch.
7
Cohen then offers a remarkable warning to the Republicans on the committee as to what happens to those who stand by Trump.
“I did the same thing that you’re doing now for ten years. I protected Mr. Trump for ten years,” Cohen says.
“Look what’s happened to me.”
Cohen adds: “The more people that suffer Donald Trump, as I did blindly, are going to suffer the same consequences that I did.”
Need I say more?
6
On a more mundane level, if you work in the WH you should ask yourself, "Can I afford all the lawyers I will probably need to keep me out of the dock and jail?"
If the answer is "No" then it's probably time to exit the circus merry-go-round.
You've already lost your dignity and reputation, no sense losing your kids' college tuition.
4
At the rate all of this is going this Inquiry should last until February. There are so many more possibilities of testimony by enforcing the Subpoenas served to those in the Administration.
What a farce this President and his cronies have turned out to be.
3
"All this should serve as a warning for the president’s many apologists."
So in view of "all this", Ms. Cottle, how do you explain all those apologists for Mr. Trump still out there?
2
Remember when Trump promised to hire only the "best" people to staff his Administration? Seems he brings out the "worst" in them; as he does with everything he touches.
What is Nikki Haley angling for -- VP in a second Trump term? Throwing Pence under one of the multiple buses Trump will stoop to is not amazing, but amusing. First, there is no honor among thieves a concept well-explained in The Godfather saga. Second, there is no principle among these political animals, just power and money grabbing. Oh, Mother Pence what a tangled knitting you have begotten.
2
“The White House Motto: Watch Your Back”. Hasn’t that mantra always been an active warning? The war on truth here in the impeachment tribunal will continue unabated with the GOP active in truth’s demise. If you presume falsehoods with the Republicans, you will never be mistaken in your outlook. Their whole process is about lying and twisting the facts because the facts about their unremitting corruption in our government are true.
3
Nikki Haley was protecting the president, not going along with their attempt to undermine the Trump’s policies. A couple of questions for Haley, whose book is a setup for her 2020 run. Which policy were Tillerson and Kelly trying to “undermine”; was it Trump’s idea to nuke the hurricane, or buying Greenland, or attending Russia’s May Day Parade- the one celebrating world communism, or destroying North Korea? Once she found out about this court intrigue, did Haley go public with this go to Trump or just tuck it away for her book? There are a lot of people in and around the White House who are looking for an elegant exit door.
The first warnings of the winner take all strategy of the GOP were in the prescient words of former Speaker of the House, Boehner, who said of the Freedom Caucus: “They can’t tell you what they’re for. They can tell you everything they’re against. They’re anarchists. They want total chaos. Tear it all down and start over. That’s where their mindset is.”
The staunchest supporters of Trump are former Freedom Caucus members including founding member, Mick Mulvaney, Jim Jordan, Kevin McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, Mark Meadows, Ron DeSantis (now Florida Governor) and Andy Biggs. They used to project themselves as ideologically pure freedom fighters who were doing the American people's business, although now seem to just represent Trump Inc. in his quest to enrich himself & consolidate power.
They deny climate change science & defend fossil fuel interests at all costs given that Koch Industries fueled their rise to power in Congress. They pretended to care about fiscal conservatism & religious values although aligning themselves & serving as Trump's bulldog protectors blew that myth to pieces.
The difference between the religious zealots within the White House with the old school ideologues is telling. Barr, Pompeo & Pence are evangelical Christian warriors who cling to Trump as their Christian savior even though he embodies everything that Christians frown upon. To evangelicals, the culture war is paramount to everything else. Bolton refusing to engage in a "drug deal" is different.
5
Pitcher Satchel Paige had a different take on where to watch, saying, “Don’t look back. Something may be gaining on you.” That’s what Republicans are really afraid of: a well-deserved Democrat landslide in 2020.
1
The Fifth Amendment Bridge is going to need a whole lot of extra unplanned infrastructure investment to support all the heavy traffic that will soon be streaming across.
There appears to be something like political karma out there, and all these who climbed on board the train need to simply ask themselves whose karma they want: Haldeman and Erlichman? Whitehouse Plumbers? Spiro Agnew? - or John Dean, Daniel Ellsberg and others who spoke out. The sad thing is the way that all the 'early adopters' like Henry Kissinger, Chris Christie and Rupert Murdoch manage to walk away from the trainwreck quietly stage right.
2
Jared Kushner has manipulated this disgraceful appeasement of a political tyrant because of his connections with dirty money in Turkey. More and more we see Trump for what he is - a pathetic con man who has run out of rope, easily bribed and manhandled by autocrats and despots who know best how to use his shocking ignorance to their advantage.
But here we are talking about Biden when Jared and his wife are making deals with foreign countries, raking in a stunning income without any oversight. What are they really doing, New York Times, and why are we not hunting this story down?
12
for staff
What did I do wrong?
Was it criminal?
How can trade up if it was?
Do I have contemporaneous notes, corroborating conversations, to back up my story?
Many shortly will openly volunteer to testify if subpoenaed, some out of patriotism, some to save their skin.
1
These now obvious shills for DJT have it coming to them as soon they will want to save their own souls from imprisonment and huge fines. At the very least, none of them will ever again hold a respected or responsible position. After the mud slinging book sales, the carnage will be complete. As the investigations deepen, more and political and moral bloodshed appears. How the mighty have fallen, and now none can get up again. Shame will stick to them like tar and feathers for the rest of their lives.
3
Give me a break. The Democrats have done NOTHING for the American people since they got the house. They should reimburse us all their salaries and pay for this impeachment t caprice out of their own funds, in their own time.
While Mr. Bolton is portrayed as having at least somewhat of a spine, how can we forget the tantalizing bits that he has information on many more meetings but isn't going to tell, at least until his book is published! Spine indeed!
1
There are now two sides. One side prefers the rule of law. The other prefers mobsters.
1
Bolton's willingness to sell his story but not tell his story for the sake of protecting our constitutional system speaks volumes about who Bolton is.
Thanks for nothing, Bolton.
6
I once worked in a place like that. I was high enough in the hierarchy (ran a department) to observe what was going on but not high enough to be directly involved. I did learn one thing from the experience to share: no actually work is currently being done at the White House. Everyone is too busy protecting themselves, or looking for an exit, or trying to keep their staff safe. Even if your department is still functional, you can't coordinated with others because they are too busy dealing with the latest crazy crisis. Everything is postponed, everything is put off. Opportunities arise, pass by, and vanish because everyone's focus is elsewhere. The White House is drifting towards the rocks and there is no hand on the wheel.
10
Doesn’t it seem odd that while there is tremendous scrutiny of what was or wasn’t the Presidents Ukraine Policy, the Secretary of State, the man charged with carrying out that policy is conspicuously silent? Mike Pompeo rose to be a Trump favorite because he had the ability to brief the President in a clear and easy to digest manner. With this unique ability, why has Mike Pompeo been silent for the last couple of weeks? Surely the agile wordsmith, could clear up any confusion about Ukraine policy with a fact based explanation in a matter of minutes. With the GOP, riffing on the inordinate amount of 2nd, and 3rd knowledge of the now infamous phone call, Pompeo who actually heard the call would logically be the Republicans premier star witness. So again, why would someone who is a “Forever Trumper” not willingly and eagerly put forth as the Presidents best defense against Impeachment?
7
It strikes me that the Democrats do not need Mulvaney's testimony. They have the video of his press conference, which is in the public domain. That could be entered into the record of the inquiry as it stands. However, in the interests of justice and fairness, Mr Mulvaney could be asked to attend the inquiry, to clarify and elaborate on his public statements. If Mulvaney refuses - because of presidential direction - that can also be noted.
Mr Bolton could also be asked to attend to comment on Mulvaney's public statements. No personal testimony, just: "do you agree with Mr Mulvaney's statements"?
10
The reason why they need Mulvaney’s official testimony is because there is no law against lying to the public and press on TV, or anywhere else, so his podium lies don’t count. It is, however, a crime to lie to Congress.
4
The Republicans could stop this right now if they wanted to. If the Republicans had any moral values at all they'd step up to the plate and fight for American values and for democracy.
54
@Sophia It is precisely what constitutes "American values" that this fight is all about.
1
@Sophia
Please list the Republicans and Democrats, with moral values?
It's a big question, really. Why do people who know the difference between right and wrong align themselves with the latter? Why do seemingly sensible people choose evil consciously? I always puzzle over the genius founder Jefferson in this regard. He wrote "all men are created equal" and YET, look at him - he owned over 600 human beings in his lifetime, practicing the opposite of what he preached. So I think Jefferson set a precedent and you could say that our country was founded on just this sort of moral ambiguity.
38
One casualty of the Trump Era will be the Phrase: "Thrown Under The Bus..."
There will be so many bodies laying in the street, someone would need to get one of the old 1960's NYC Transit buses out of retirement to do the trick-- They had at close to a 3 foot clearance under the front fender...and the Wheels were bigger too!
Modern day 'kneeling buses' would choke after the second body.
24
@Lonnie
I vote for ‘Perfect Call’, unheard of, until the unstable genius took office!
1
Regardless of whether they are keeping a higher or lower profile,, the question that each one of these administration officials needs to ask on their own in the presence of their maker is: do they want to allow as a standard operating procedure a President requesting bribery from a foreign country in exchange of favors investigating political opponents? If Republicans somehow feel that this is OK and comfortable for them to except this behavior in the future , they are going to pay a price for generations. They need to think about this carefully before they become the great catalyst for the down fall of our American experiment. This is not a game, and these Republicans need to behave as adults rather than children having temper tantrum‘s in these impeachment hearings. The fate of our democracy us as a stake, and Republicans need to act as statesman who have been faithful to the oath they took to protect the Constitution not as statesman who have taken an oath to protect Donald Trump!
639
@RD I agree that if we determine (or the GOP determines) the all of this is OK, perfectly acceptable, then it is OK for every future president. Even a democrat!!
28
@RD
I believe Republicans have already signaled Trump's behavior is okay with them. The entire lot of them in congress.
91
@RD
The Republicans have displayed again and again that they
will accept anything from this President as long as they can stay in power. They have demonstrated that their oath to protect the Constitution is meaningless. They have joined together to discredit Mueller, to defend Kavanaugh and Trump every time.
153
I wouldn't count John Bolton in with the rest of these pure political hacks. You may disagree with his policy positions, but at least he seemed to have a firm understanding of how U.S. foreign policy is supposed to be conducted, and for whose benefit. And he didn't go along to get along. It's so unusual to see a spine in Trump's orbit.
474
@ED
But he refuses to testify when asked by Congress in order to protect his $2 million book. He is motivated by greed and not by patriotism.
259
@ED
So why doesn't he come forwarding already? Others have come forward with no "pending" issues.
110
@ED
Yeah, as much as I don't like Bolton's worldview, I don't think he's one to suffer fools gladly or to kowtow to Trump or anyone else. I have a feeling he's actually itching to speak up, but wants the Courts to bless his appearance so there's no controversy about whether his testifying might violate executive privilege.
61
The snipping behavior in the WH is what happens when you have inept, controlling leadership. It is as much an indictment of his leadership ability as it is anything else.
617
@nora m Or lack of inspirational moral leadership. Pray for Jimmy Carter, the last certifiably upright president. May his presence, the heroism of John McCain and the devotion we all had to JFK last and help us regain our civic and political moral compass.
20
I would include Obama in that list as well!
27
A couple of thoughts here:
1. It's sad that the staff in the White House need to take the attitude of 'me first' and 'watch your back' to survive working for a president of the United States of America. Working in the White House used to be coveted job that formerly high-paid professionals gladly worked long hours and for less money to help shape history. Not any more.
2. Those same people that now work at the White House will be tarred by the Trump brush and will likely find themselves in the difficult spot of having to downplay the time that they spent in his employ in order to find their place in the private sector after the ruins of the Trump administration have settled to the ground.
When the same people that set national security policy have to consult lawyers and judges to help them do the right and honourable thing (or to help them avoid it); well, that says volumes about the integrity of those same people and the president that they work for.
Not a good day for America.
920
@Lew
I disagree with #2. The billionaire class has resources to employ these people as consultants, "experts", staff at their institutes and foundations, etc. (Krugman has written about this: the soft landing available to those who support the billionaire class.)
68
@Lew "Working in the White House used to be coveted job that formerly high-paid professionals gladly worked long hours and for less money to help shape history. Not any more." I'm not sure if it was ever this way. Just a myth we choose to believe. Much like the "good old days" when Father Know Best represented the typical American family.
18
@Sandy - I agree that historical opportunists such as Cheney exploited the trust of Americans to enrich themselves. Now we have billionaires like Wilbur Ross & Betsy DeVoss using their position to further their personal financial interests. Millionaires like Mnuchin & Elaine Chao use their appointments to create opportunities for financial gain for either themselves or their family in Chao's case. The 2017 tax legislation helped enrich all of Trump's millionaire cabinet. The nepotistic appointment of Trump's daughter & son-in-law allowed her to advertise her fashion line on TV, negotiate Chinese trademarks & arrange for property deals & loans by Kushner.
The good old days are definitely now an anachronism exemplified by Rep. Michael R. Turner's insinuation that diplomats such as Taylor & Kent “deal in words of understanding. Words of beliefs & feelings, because in your profession, that’s what you work with to try to pull together policy.” He was almost mocking them as exemplifying a belief in what Jon Meacham noted in an op-ed was "naively in which one trusted what one was told, assumed the fundamental truthfulness of, say, a presidentially appointed ambassador, and believed that a president himself meant what he said." Now the "greed is good" crowd is mocking the good guys who uphold ethics, education, moral standing, military service & exemplary service for their country's values.
42
Congratulations to Donald Trump who has made the worst aspects of human nature the most important ones.
If we haven’t reached the bottom of the barrel, we should be pretty close.
It is the Republican Party that has brought us here, and continues on this path in search of power.
1372
@Grove
Do we have any real Republicans like Abraham Lincoln or Dwight Eisenhower waiting in the wings to restore the Grand Old Party? Or are they waiting in the wings to start a new party that is truly conservative as in conserving resources and in being thoughtful before acting?
79
@Grove Didn't someone say you have to reach the bottom in order to change? That's the only positive spin I have for all this horribleness.
62
@Melvyn Magree - Do the Democrats have an FDR or a JFK? Both parties have seen better times.
For Republicans, I have been pretty impressed with Adam Kinzinger. I still love Bernie and have come to be impressed with Elizabeth.
But both parties need to bump their game up.
20
The GOP has no one to blame but themselves for this mess. Trump made no secret of who or what he was during the campaign. If they are surprised they weren't paying attention. They own this mess.
106
House Republicans are looking for someone else to blame other than Mr. Trump for the Ukraine mess.
It's time for the House Republicans to heed resident Truman's words about the presidency, "The Buck Stops Here."
They can let Trump go down alone for his own actions, or they can all go down together on the Trump sinking ship.
37
@Linda - If we look back at Watergate, Nixon's men went to prison and he didn't even get impeached. So far, a lot of Trump's men have gone to prison while the party still supports him.
Am I the only person who watches the History Channel?
15
What we are witnessing is the fallout that comes naturally when an organization is filled with dishonest and unprincipled individuals. When trouble comes, and it always does, they struggle to keep track of their lies and dishonest deeds and become obsessed with wondering whether or not they can trust those who share in their lies to keep secret. Backstabbing and self-preservation are the norm.
Given the rudderless nature and "Z-list" quality of people in Trumps inner circle, I'd wager that the odds are high that the swamp creatures will start to feed on one another sooner or later.
29
A portrait of the swamp as a "den of vipers." They're as toxic to one another as they and their erstwhile leader are to our democracy. The truth is rapidly closing in on them and they're all looking to engage in Trump's favorite defense or escape--the blame game. They're all too dirty to even come clean. Let them do as Trump does and throw each under the bus. It will be good riddance to bad news as they finally are drained out of the swamp. And if the Congressional Republicans still contemplating defending the indefensible are watching this and TV the net is about to catch them up as well.
16
If the good old US of A survives this unseemly constitutional meltdown, it will be because the massive idiocy and backstabbing of Trump and his cronies finally overwhelmed the half-hearted opportunism and cowardice of his defenders.
Dare one hope that there may be a point where the Christian fundamentalists could finally decide that the boring but reliable piety of Pence is preferable to the constant embarrassment of having to uphold the enthralling but fervently indefensible Trump? If they break ranks, the edifice will begin to crumble.
Even the fundamentalists must now realize that their clever but phony Biblical narrative is being stretched to the limits. Poor old King Cyrus of Persia may have been an unreconstructed heathen, but even he was a true warrior and deserves a better fate than to be lumped with Trump.
Not too long ago perhaps the argument that the beleaguered nation would be better served by simply waiting for the next election made good sense. But as we contemplate the horror of wading through the pervasive stench of Trumpism on a daily basis for months on end, the need to put an end to the suffering seems about to become a basic requirement for communal sanity.
When a sewer line breaks and your basement is rapidly filling with reeking sludge, you have to fix the problem now. You don't have the luxury of waiting for the next scheduled official inspection.
35
"Watch your back" indeed!! My husband's uncle is an odd character and he had 2 piranha fish as pets. He had to keep them in separate tanks, but he kept the tanks almost adjacent. He went away for the weekend and forgot to feed the fish before he left. The tanks were open on top. When he came back, one tank was empty and there was only 1 piranha left. The moral of the story is: When there is nothing else to devour, piranhas will eat each other!!
19
The flow of events reminds me of the escape scene in "The Fugitive." The bus crashes. Then the bus gets hit by a freight train. Then the train derails, chasing the unfortunate Harrison Ford, whose legs are still in shackles. In a movie theater one watches the inevitability of this sequence of disasters in open-mouthed astonishment.
4
I'm waiting for the sergeant-at-arms to arrest those who ignored subpoenas. If any of us did that in a county court, we would be so in trouble. Rather than getting an opinion from a court as to whom they should follow orders, they should be jailed first and then see what the outcome is.
We shouldn't be playing rope a dope but rather tell your tale or go to jail.
31
I would like to remind everyone that you don't need the explicit words "Quid pro Quo" to have quid pro quo.
12
I have no hope left that any of this matters. Jordan on NPR tonight screeching and interrupting and antagonizing just as he did during the hearing. And Trump & Co. LOVE IT. That tough guy attitude looks way more powerful than anything the dems are offering and people on the fence will say “Wow, that guy knows what he’s talking about. This must be a scam!” Trump and his fans completely dominate the talking points, the framing of the stories, the energy, the spin. Everyday people can’t keep up, can’t parse out the truth, and can’t miss Trump’s witch hunt mantra. We are in an age of sound bytes and 30 second attention spans. And the ever changing players in Trump’s universe? Perfectly played. How can we remember them all and their incompetencies? We can’t. How can so many players ever know the full story of Trump corruption? They can’t. Revolving doors where the truth slips through the cracks and the only constant is Trump’s song and dance about how we’ve been after him since day one. I’m afraid the democrats don’t have it in them to match the Trump team’s vigor. At our peril. Most Americans are tuned out, checked out, with minds made up. Trump 2020? Yeah, I think it’s happening.
10
I am ready to declare war on this constant negativity and defeatism which soon turns to self-fulfilling prophecy. You complain about the Democrats, but what you are doing is far more pernicious. Then again, I have my doubts about which side you are playing for.
1
@Chuck Burton Help me, Chuck! Trust I’m on the right (blue) side! I just helped get Bevin out of KY. I just feel so beaten down. So hopeless. How do we keep the faith??
None of these characters care about the country. It is all about themselves. It is amazing that the divide is so wide. Not one GOP cares about democracy. People are dying across the world attempting to be free and we are just throwing our democracy away. The under the leadership of Trump are traitors to America.
22
Quoted a TV pundit who wrote a book about him, "Everything that gets close to Trump dies."
He wasn't kidding. And, he was correct.
26
Administration officials wouldn't have to watch their backs if they had considered that a destructive, unethical and disgraceful fool offered them the jobs and declined.
23
Excellent recap of the WH gang that can’t shoot or get its stories straight. I don’t have a favorite prevaricating character in this show, but am partial to Rudy. I think he’s got really compromising stuff on the president and will quickly spill it if he sees a bus coming in his direction.
17
In the midst of all the grave seriousness, I'm sorry but some aspects of this are just too funny. Those parts I'm enjoying a lot.
5
I used to think that the US was strong enough to survive any president, the laws would hold and eventually there would be change for the better. But the founding fathers never in their wildest dreams considered that the general public would be downtrodden enough to elect a con man president that is so mentally damaged and challenged that his chaos would spread to the whole world and bring the US to its knees in the process.You cannot reason with or change this kind of person. This is what happens when fear, ignorance and confusion reign and the constant chaos around this president wounds everyone who comes in contact with it and him. Those who gave their conscience and their awareness away when faced with Trump have not fully reckoned with the aftermath that always happens. Granted, the tea party started this, and here we are. Far better to have remained a patriot, the suffering is less when you can still hold your head high. These hangers on will be pariahs. And they have brought this on all by themselves.
23
"Mr. Mulvaney, who subsequently insisted he hadn’t said what he said..."
It's worse. He claimed what he actually said was just mainstream media spin. Apparently we now have Republican t.v. cameras and Democrat t.v. cameras.
23
Trump needed to fill his Cabinet and advisory staff with loyalists, who tended to be the dullest bulbs, because the really smart people would argue too much with him and reject wrong decisions---and Trump gets angry whenever someone points out his mistakes. Suggest to him that he is not a stable genius, and he starts an incoherent, repetitive rant , and eventually fires the critic.
6
The list of toadies, hacks, and mediocrities (Mulvaney et al.) listed in this article is formidable but would also be pathetic and comical if the current political stakes in the US were not so high. But there is nothing laughable about the looming menace of Nikki Haley.
As I read this column, I'm listening to her being interviewed on TV and I'm getting a sinking feeling in my stomach. Haley has the glib dishonesty of Kellyanne Conway, the slippery self-righteousness of Mike Pence, and the brazen hypocrisy of both. All in a more 'marketable' package.
Heads up, America.
62
@Dunstan Ramsay Thank you for your perfect description of Nikki Haley, to which I would only add that she also has the unscrupulous ambition of Lady Macbeth. She is laser-focused on one day occupying the White House and that idea makes my skin crawl.
3
Perhaps we should not be so surprised that a White House lead by a reality show actor has evolved into a must-watch season of 'Survivor'.
16
You'd think that telling the truth would be something people would want to do.
8
And I've seen news reports that Kremlin propaganda is eating this all up. They love seeing the fruits of their labor in the deep rifts of our Divided States. Wake up, America, and ask yourselves "Who is truly benefiting?" Dems v Reps is not a sport. We need government that works for We The People, not Him The Donald.
10
So many co-conspirators, so many profiles in cowardice. Beyond the White House, the Senate GOP enablers make this nightmare work. Without Senate collusion, this criminal administration would be dead in the water.
13
Bolton should stop making excuses. Either come now and join the brave, patriotic and ethical people who have come forward, or don't bother and hide behind Trump. There is no fence-sitting in this particular game.
17
But ... But ... If he reveals what he knows in committee before his book comes out that will undercut sales!
Maybe we will get extremely lucky and Trump will resign.
4
Before this is over, the wheels of the bus that some of them are going to be thrown under will be up to their hubcaps in blood.
Trump will not give an inch about his part in all of this. Everything is "perfect" as he is "perfect".
So, those who are NOT "perfect" are going to find out what Trump's definition of loyalty is. All for him, none for them.
Haley is planning on running for president in probably 2024. Her book will cement her credentials with some of Trump's base.
Rudy joked about having "insurance" and believes he won't be under that bus wheel. Michael Cohen also thought he had "insurance" -- we know how well THAT turned out.
39
It's delightful to hear Haley, Mulvaney, and Bolton called out as "political hacks," a perfect description of who they are, but there is much more to spotlight. When will those congressmen, e.g., Graham, Jordan, Meadows, and McCarthy, who fall into the same category, realize the awful deal with the devil they have made and become patriotic statesmen for the country, leading the other lemmings in their party to vote to impeach Trump? When will McConnell stop lying low when the going gets tough, as he has so often in the past, and call on his membership to disavow this president?
If they stand their ground, the GOP "leadership" may find solace with some good old boys at their clubs over the next few years. But barring a change of heart, a few decades from now they will be viewed not as defenders of the Constitution but as feckless enablers of criminality in the White House.
90
@Robbbb
McConnell is from Kentucky. That state ranks in the lower 10% in poverty, lack of healthcare, lack of education and unemployment. Moscow Mitch is telling the other states "welcome to my world".
Don't hold your breath waiting for Jordan and Meadows to become "statesmen." Rats like that will go down with the ship. (Graham will say whatever he must to save his precious, cushy Senate seat.)
1
I hope if John Bolton does have important information to contribute to these hearings that we do indeed hear it. I haven’t agreed with a number of his plans and ideas, but he has always appeared to be a man of integrity who works very hard.
As for a number of trumps inner circle, good luck. The chum and blood
Is in the water and the sharks are moving fast.
19
@Fred
A man of integrity stands up to be counted when things become desperate for their country. They don't sign $2 billion book deals and refuse to speak to Congress. Our definitions of "integrity" evidently differ.
34
@Fred
If Bolton is a patriot as he declares, then he should testify no matter what the personal cost to him.
The problem is Bolton wants to remain relevant in the republican party and if he testifies, the base will turn on him. So he hides behind trump saying no one should testify.
21
@Fred If Bolton had an ounce of integrity, he would voluntarily testify, as have a number of administration officials. Instead, he shuffles around and suggests that he has important information. To me, he looks like a guy who likes to feel important, but he acts just like yet another gutless Trump sell-out promoting a book deal.
How is that all of these people, Guliani, Mulvaney and many others are not jailed for ignoring subpoenas issued by the United States Congress? Does Congress have no legal authority to enforce subpoenas? Any lawyers who can answer this?
76
@JD - I'm not a lawyer but Congress can hold you in contempt for ignoring a subpoena. You can be jailed and fined. But no one in Congress is about to challenge the status quo and start holding each other in contempt. So, they wring their hands in front of the cameras instead. "Well, we issued a subpoena, what else can we do?"
16
@JD
I have been saying this since the Mueller investigation There was some brief talk about penalties which appears to have gone nowhere.
It also makes the Democrats look very weak.
26
@JD, Nancy needs to jail just a couple of the scofflaws to get the rest to comply. Jail Mulvaney or Rudy and scare the rest--I bet they'll start talking then.
3
Among some questions I have is whether anyone, apart from Giuliani, is likely to face criminal charges for their actions, whether regarding the Ukraine directly or lying under oath about it. Is refusal to obey a Congressional subpoena itself a criminal offense? If not, why would anyone comply, except out of a sense of duty and respect for government institutions (which many in the current administration not only lack, but display overt contempt for).
The more people face indictments for their wrongdoing, the less likely this kind of behavior will be tolerated in the future. As a great recent President once said, "there have to be consequences!"
81
Americans see what is plain and that is that the witnesses coming forward have described a crime.
Trump has already thrown his Ambassador, Walter Sondland under the bus, and he even said he doesn't know the man who gave him $1million, and who he praised in speeches and met with many, many times.
And yet Sondland has Trumps private cell number in his phone and will be describing yet another "perfect" Trump phone call.
A call so perfect that Trump claimed " I don't remember it,... not even a little bit".
131
@rich
Big brain, the best memory!
12
Stable genius. !
3
Is it possible that tiny cracks are now noticeable in Trump's world and that they appear to be getting bigger.
I have a feeling that if it ever reaches the point where it can no longer survive, the end will be very swift and thorough.
84
@Richard Phelps If it goes that way, and I hope it does, the only good thing to come from the Trump years will be his move from New York to Florida. While I pity the Floridians I am happy his vile persona will be absent from the city of my birth.
2
@Richard Phelps Sorry to say, I bet Trump will be re-elected (Senate won't go for impeachment), probably serve even a 3rd term (why not, he has the Supreme Court in his pocket, along with the Senate?) And even if he dies in office, there are many like-minded/ethical-lacking/heartless individuals to take up his cause. Trump is a symptom of the demise of this country and the world, and of course, the sickening of our environment. We have a whole lot more of hell to go through--or rather our children/grandchildren do.
Remember when House of Cards provided the most unlikely sounding account of inside-baseball Washington DC drama?
At this point, murder, blackmail, prostitution, and bribery only sound half absurd, and fiction can hardly beat the real thing.
59
I came to House of Cards late, but once I caught up, and Trump was elected,, I realized that House of Cards had gone from being a nightmare look at a crazed fiction of “what might possibly be” , to a Saturday evening with a glass of wine respite from the REAL craziness that had beset our nation under trump.
3
Mulvaney is toast, he very well could be indicted for misappropriation of funds if he ordered the OMB to hold up payment to the Ukraine. It might not happen until the next administration, but regardless, he'll be dogged for years. Hope he has lots of $'s for attorney fees.
Sondland now knows he made a grave error with his activity on the Ukraine irregular channel. My guess is, next week, there will be a mea culpa on his part during the hearings, and soon after he'll resign.
Bolton is clean will write his book, and pull in a pretty good penny.
Haley is not a credible player as a Presidential candidate anymore, tainted by this President.
Before this is over, they'll be a few/lot more wishing they never took the assignment their currently in.
Looking forward to Friday's testimony by Marie Yavanovitch. Another patriotic diplomat.
348
It's more like "catch me if you can".
11
There’s no honor among thieves and there’s less in the Republican-laden Senate. They’re all waiting to vote “not guilty” at the president’s trial. Yet, before that historic call of the roll, the feeding frenzy in the White House and Cabinet will surely reveal the gaping fissures that many will wish to avoid falling into; being swallowed whole by the minnow that was once Ukraine now grown into a frightening monster of unheard-of proportions.
Mick Mulvaney may have some trump cards in his soiled deck (sorry, it just came up). Pat Cipollone may know of indiscretions that may keep him up late while he wonders what present and former White House personnel know that he, perhaps, doesn’t know. Or doesn’t want known.
People are going to have to decide if defending a wounded president is worth it. And the Senate watches. And waits.
130
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18
Heard some rather interesting news about the Red Sox today. No honor among thieves indeed.
1
This administration has been lawless since the campaign, through transition and today. Corruption, self dealing, emoluments, bribery, extortion, money laundering, pay to play, election tampering, misappropriation of funds, sharing top secret information with adversaries and everyone. The crimes go on and on and on.
How could anyone in this administration think this will end any other way but with indictments?
118
@Deirdre
Dozens have indeed already been caught. But there seems to be no dearth of new recruits. Why? My answer:
(1) The justice system is overloaded.
(2) People may think that they can make a fast buck and can get out quickly next.
(3) Everybody is doing it!
(4) The higher you get, the less touchable you become. Billionaire Trump is almost untouchable, as he has declared in his Fifth Avenue argument. Giuliani and Barr: they try to reach that level too. Others may work very hard to reach that high level too. Mulvaney like others may think he can protect himself with some dirt.
(5) Fox will always defend you.
(6) People expect to be pardoned. Trump may pardon himself.
4
@Deirdre -
“How could anyone in this administration think this will end any other way but with indictments?”
Well, I bet a number of them are hoping that if they stay loyal and Trump does goes down (either through impeachment or election), he will issue preemptive, blanket pardons right before he leaves. Although, anyone that disconnected from reality should not be in any position of trust in our government. But, then again, that seems to be a personnel requirement to accept a political appointment in Trump’s administration.
1
So sometime between now and when the Senate votes to convict or not Mr Trump, the courts will support the subpoenas. When that happens, think of who will be forced to testify or to plead the 5th.
Mick Mulvaney, Rudy Giuliani, Lev Parnas, John Bolton, Charles Kupperman, Gordon Sondland, and others.
Donald Trump will be impeached.
If the Senate does not convict him, then it's up to the American people to vote him out of office.
Or not.
If not, then we have zero right to declare ourselves a nation of laws.
219
@TDurk The courts will not vote on the subpoenas between now and the time that the Senate decides. Not sure why you think that the courts WON'T side with Trump. The SCOTUS is dominated by a 5 man majority of Trump lovers. Maybe Roberts would do the right thing. Maybe.
27
@TDurk It will also be up to the US people to vote the enabling Republican senators out of office.
11
Ditch the baggage GOP.
You made some gains now cut your losses.
This is the Republican Party, after all.
Show some self-respect, fellows.
2
Don't these people know, yet, that the closer they get to Trump, the closer they get to the underside of his bus (Trump Motor's motto...you're in for a bumpy ride)? Who, besides family, is secure in their job? Even Eric has been reduced to "acting" son. How could they think they are on the side of the angels when Trump's most trusted confidants are Steven Miller, Rudy Guiliani and, of course, Frederick Douglas. Listen up gang, if he can send a hurricane to Alabama, he won't think twice about raining on your parade.
211
This White House is a den of vipers. Even now there is constant backbiting among staffers and no coherent plan to combat the impeachment process.
Nikki Haley is hissing at Rex Tillerson and John Kelly because of their disloyalty to the president and John Bolton has a bone to pick with Mick Mulvaney. All this chaos is a reflection of the president. To paraphrase a venerable Republican president, this current president's own House is deeply divided.
62
@silver vibes
Nice imagery in your opening sentence! Remember how Trump said that he would run the White House like his own business? Any company that had this much dysfunction from within would be shuttered. Just like the Trump White House should be put out of business.
Thanks for what you wrote. Take care.
6
“We must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Ben Franklin
The Republicans In Congress are hanging together in despicable desperation, having gone all-in with a morally reprehensible president long ago. They are Americans in name only.
107
Trump’s motto is from The Godfather.
“And now, I’m gonna have to turn my back.”
6
That quote is from "Goodfellas." It was uttered by the Paul Sorvino character.
17
@Phil R.
"Take the cannoli."
4
@db2 Would that not be the Republican Senators' motto?
Why yes. Producer of WH is none other than The Apprentice's Mr. Trump. Backstabbing is the name of the game.
30
This administration is such an awful example of how we are an individualistic society. Oh how I wish we were a collectivistic society!
13
@BSR
As they are proving, everyone for themselves doesn't work for a country.
Unfortunately the rest of us will pay the price for this disaster.
This country has always done better when we work together, but since reagan, we decided that greed is good and that making money is all that counts.
7
Would love to see Tough guy Bolton,put country instead of a Book Deal first.Like in his day taking that right wing fury and join the USMC instead of hiding in some reserve outfit.Testify.
59
What happened to the good old days when Scaramucci would front-stab you like a gentleman?
35
when the rats run out of food they eat one another. Law of nature
287
@Nate
[it's a rat-eat-rat world]
But the survivors leave the coconuts alone, according to the _Skyfall_ villain Silva.
1
@Nate I'm surprised there are any rats left on the ship.
Of this band of apologists, perhaps the most surprising and disappointing is Nikki Haley -- who has cashed out her reputation in a blatant attempt to flatter President Trump and be named his running mate in 2020.
Ms. Haley had a laundry list of criticisms about Mr Trump in 2016, including the following:
“We saw and looked at true hate in the eyes last year in Charleston,” she added. “I will not stop until we fight a man that chooses not to disavow the K.K.K. That is not a part of our party. That is not who we are.”
68
@Mark Keller
I think you've got Haley's ambitions wrong.
She doesn't see herself as replacing Pence on Trump's reelection ticket next year. She sees herself as _Pence's running mate_ on a post-Trump ticket.
Think of it — if the GOP comes to its senses and either urges Trump to resign or the Senate votes to convict/remove him, Pence becomes President & de facto nominee in 2020. He'll need a running mate; that could be Haley.
And if Pence serves the final year (or less) of Trump's current term, he'd be eligible to run for election in 2020 and, perhaps, reelection in 2024. Unless they blunder, she'd be the odds-on-favorite for the GOP nomination in 2028.
10
@A. Reader
Hadn't thought of that... intriguing idea!
@Mark Keller
Cue Nikki in her best Emily Litella voice: “Never mind!”
The is one redeeming trait in egoists who have no qualms about breaking the law, lying, cheating, philandering share.
That is their total lack of loyalty, so if you enjoy Super Bowl and World Series pools, this is a great time to start one based on who caves first. Sadly, I feel that the egoist in chief should not be included since we all know he's going to feed everyone else to the wolves---or Rep. Shiff as soon as the first repub speaks out in favor of impeachment.
I keep expecting to see a shot of Lady Liberty with a bag over her head; we are all tainted by this farce.
13
When Barack Obama was elected many of us, myself included, engaged in congratulations about how far we’d come as a nation.
Donald Trump’s election reminds us that we are a mile wide yet an inch deep in our “progress.” Trump could not have been elected if the progress we imagined were grounded in reality.
Instead, we took the easy path of patting ourselves on the back and Trump (in essence, just a narcissistic grifter with long-held racist/fascist views) stepped into the opportunity we libs created in our hubris.
We remain a country not much different, technology aside, from the early 1860’s and the run-up to the Civil War. Trump is the cheerleader but hardly the cause alone.
76
@Robert
So it's not all Trump's fault. Don't forget the hubris of Obama voters!
Strangely enough, I find infinitely more fault with the people who voted for the current President.
7
The White House has some dismay,
per what Yovanovitch's going to say,
It's no doubt she'll reveal
Giuliani's "drug deal"
And people are going away.
46
Mr. Sondland probably didn't know what "quid pro quo" means---someone filled him in and then he said...."uhhhh, wait, I remember now."
14
The Emperor’s mouth has no close.
174
@Melvyn Magree Splendid,Melvyn!
6
@Melvyn Magree:... Superb! You have coined a new metaphor! A new pun! You deserve to be awarded the Ironic Cross!
8
So let me get this straight...
Bolton has the goods on Trump, Mulvaney and Sondland.
Mulvaney has the goods on Trump and Giuliani.
Cipollone is clashing with Mulvaney.
Kupperman is waiting for permission to testify against Trump and Mulvaney.
Mulvaney's worried WH staff will blame him for Ukraine mess.
Sondland has the goods on Trump, Giuliani, and Mulvaney.
Giuliani has the goods ("insurance") on Trump, Parnas and Furman.
Parnas is spilling the beans on Trump.
Pompeo has the goods on everyone and is just waiting for an attack from everyone, especially McKinley.
Meanwhile WH alums, Tillerson, Kelly and Haley are going at it from afar.
So nice to see the Trump WH staff play so well together.
348
@JM
That's simultaneously incredibly funny and immensely sad.
28
JM- Your synopsis reads like a Mozart Opera. I used to think they were complicated.
18
@JM
What you just wrote sounds like the Master's version of the Prisoner's Dilemma.
15
Ick.
May they feel the paranoia and misery they have inspired.
37
Like so much emerging from the White House, this sounds like a mob family undergoing internecine warfare. Except that the Mafia had the solidarity of Omertà. There is nothing honorable about Trump or his henchmen and henchwomen; every one of them looks out for himself or herself. I predict that when this administration is history, many of them will be prosecuted, and I hope they all inhabit a wing of a federal penitentiary.
78
Isn't this what happens when any governing body does not respect rules and norms? Facing the Prisoners' Dilemma, the incentive is to defect, not cooperate. Having a leader that just believe in transaction, the shadow of the future is darker by mistrust. Attention to Jacobins!
7
If any Trump veterans have anything to say about the guy, they should just say it. All this coquetry is unbecoming.
Nikki fell off the wrong side of the Fence. Bolton is showing a little ankle. The military types are hiding behind political shades.
The patriotic thing to do is to divulge what you know to be true, and politics be damned.
45
@Occupy Government: Bravo! But, did you say "honorable"? This appears to be a concept completely unknown to those who huddle together in the White House.
3
It’s commonly known as “a circular firing squad.”
28
Billionaire Sondland is a real mystery. A dilettante, who donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural, he thought he'd be going for a joy ride and instead has revealed himself to the world as a bumbling perjurer and suck-up. The latest revelation by Taylor about Trump's phone call will force Sondland to once again "refresh" his memory. Mulvaney might have a point; he knows too much, same with Giuliani, but Sondland looks like the perfect patsy. Ambassador Sondland, your bus is waiting.
162
@stan continople Boy, Sondland must have a great big box of regret. He deserves the mess he is in, of course. What I hope is that he realizes he can live a very comfortable and quiet life if he can get himself out of this jam. He should just tell all he knows, maybe even make a deal for immunity. What we know from past performances of the impeachment follies is that it is very hard to predict ahead of time who will be the NOE to bring it all crashing down. I think Sondy has a good shot.
12
@stan continople As someone once said "Politics ain't bean-bag". Th dilettantes like Sondland, De Dos and others who thought that a contribution would lead to an easy, no work job are learning a hard lesson. In. Trumpworld, it's all about The Donald and you either do what he wants or you end up a Twitter punching bag. Or if you do what he wants, you end up on the wrong side of a Congressional hearing.
2
Attitudes trickle down from the top. No manager worth their weight in salt would allow, let alone encourage, infighting, dishonesty and sabotage from their own team. The behavior that Trump inspires in our highest office is far beneath what any supervisor would find acceptable.
31
Trump has no oversight, to date, It is coming.
3
@NM Many people are saying, including Trump's friend, Jim, that Trump enjoys the chaos around him.
5
@NM -- esteemed daughter,
an excellent comment! A hostile work environment is exactly what managers and supervisors go out of their way to prevent and avoid. If quality production is contaminated by petty office politics, that organization has no future. What we all see now is a White House under siege from within and without.
3
As if all of this would make any difference to Trump's base voters.
I have to give him credit for understanding just how much of the country is either gullible enough or corrupt enough to vote for him.
I would never have guessed that the state of our union is THAT bad.
140
@Captain Nemo
His understanding is that of a snake oil salesman. They know their marks.
52
And this is the saddest part of all .
6
Your presidential vote is not for just one person. The people brought into positions of power matter too, and we rarely ask candidates who will be chosen to affect our lives.
Trump has chosen only the worst.
22
@David Henry Unfortunately we don't all have an equal vote. Otherwise we'd have President Clinton in office now.
25
@Paul Smith If you are referring to the Electoral College, it's not going away any time soon.
If voters really cared about clean air, then they would vote accordingly, then the Electoral College wouldn't matter.
1
The administration insiders with damaging knowledge of Trump's actions have more to worry about than being cast as scapegoats. Putin's enemies have had a way of meeting untimely deaths. How far would the Russians go to protect their asset in the White House?
16
@Solon Rhode One can only hope very far.
2
The president may be right when he calls his phone call "perfect." But in this case, to paraphrase Voltaire, perfect is definitely the enemy of good. His phone call is inimical toward the Constitution, toward our allies, toward national security, and of course toward all the cronies who subjugate their ethical and moral selves to Trump.
16
Take some time to ponder the fate of Gordon Sondland, the guy who gave Trump $1M so he could be an ambassador - to a European country. Why would Trump try to "operationalize" someone with no experience in diplomacy and probably not much in this kind of graft? After all, this isn't leaving out the mints on the pillows kind of corruption. Mr. Sondland is about to get the experience of a lifetime, trying to avoid jail time for his part in Trump's dumbest plan. Not a great return on his $1M ambassador investment...
I can't seem to summon any sympathy for Trump's GOP congressional enablers. Perhaps forty years in the wilderness in deference to the party's evangelicals?
121
@John
Make that forty years and for life so they never see the “promised land” of freedom.
3
@John Sondland seems to have been manipulated by little fat donnie. Maybe not the brightest bulb, but one with a big needy ego just like the donald.
2
The more that this exposes those culpable as accessories to Trump and his GOP co-conspirators the better.
Loyalty only goes so far.
8
Sure, they should ameliorate their guilt to some extent and do the honorable thing: describe truthfully what happened.
It is probably unlikely that many, if any, of the high-ranking Trumpers will do any such thing, or anything else showing integrity or character. And that includes Tillerson, Kelly, Mattis, McMaster, Spicer, Priebus, Perry, Haley, and Sessions, as well as the more obvious crooks: Barr, Pompeo, Pence, Mnuchin, Ross, Mulvaney, Conway, Pruitt, Sanders, etc.
We all knew before the election that Trump was a liar and a con man. He always has been. He still is. He has many other odious characteristics and countless examples of his bad behavior, but his absolute lack of any integrity, honor, or truthfulness, and his corruption, divisiveness, self-indulgence, racism, incompetence, clownishness, and narcissism, should have caused any and all competent "public servants" to refuse to join in his criminal cabal from the outset.
We are dealing here with a truly immoral bunch.
66
@AM
Sadly, your third paragraph is the most accurate and succinct account of Trump's deeply flawed and immoral character that I have read in weeks. Thank you!
If only there weren't so many suckers in America who cannot see it.
5
@AM And let's not forget that Trump stipulated to his own dishonesty in using his charitable foundation as little more than a piggy bank used to further his own business and political interests. Never mind about reading the "transcript." Read the stipulations! They tell you everything you need to know about Trump corruption.
3
No one should be surprised that so many people who work for Trump are potential fall guys (or gals)(by the way, Kellyanne Conway should be listed for not putting the kabosh on her husband's ongoing anti-Trump campaign). After all, they're working for a stable genius who has never been wrong in his life about anything, so if something goes wrong, by definition it must be someone else's fault.
7
That's the problem for a corrupt, incompetent boss surrounded with nothing but stooges and yes-men. When things start to go wrong they will turn on each other and you to save themselves.
Anyone with any knowledge of history and human nature would know that, but fortunately for the rest of us Trump does not.
11
Nikki Haley's image accompanies the online piece. Her recent interviews, marketing her book, suggest she is trying to have it both ways, distancing herself from Trump while also attesting to his ...truthfulness. All part of jockeying for a place on some future GOP ticket. She is either full of ...(wait for it) self-promotion, too clever by half, or both.
22
That it has come to this is no surprise. That a two-bit amoral ignoramus would win a US election for the GOP was always sadly a toss up. Corruption feeding on graft ,swimming in Citizens United Corporate bribe money has reduce the GOP to a mob racketeering operation. This started with SAINT Ronnie bringing in Merrill CEO Don Regan as Treasury Secretary. It use to be that people in Government serve the people and the country . Now we have people that mainly serve themselves . Ross, DeVose, Carson, the criminals that have already resigned. We look more and more like a Russian Eastern European Kleptocrat State.
Trump excels at one thing, CORRUPTION.
50
A note to the inner circle: the first of you that comes forward with the most complete story will get the shortest sentence.
210
I am drawn to wax poetical and psychological (the latter because I'm a psychologist). Poetical, you guessed it:
Oh, what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive! (Scott)
And psychological because how such a pattern as outlined here by Ms. Cottle is so familiar to behavioral health professionals as pathological. At the center of a system, a person may manipulate others into acting out his internal, psychological mess--even his conflicting notions--so as to distance himself from the stress of having such a self-contradicting mentality, as well as profit by it, literally or by ego-enhancement. As Ms. Cottle observes, manipulated people end up running into each other and suffer as a consequence, while the source goes seemingly blithely onward. (Gatsby's Buchanans also come to mind, as I get literary now, too.) Some people don't get manipulated or have a limit--like Mr. Bolton (and "bolt"? sorry). They recognize the rot at the center and/or have always had better things to do with their lives. Other people might have pecuniary motives all along (book deals?)--clever and seemingly amoral, but such is our culture of cash. We won't weep to much for them, as they (Liberace-style) cry all the way to the bank.
15
NYT: Your graphic artists deserve a shout-out for this fantastic piece.
14
This wretched saga of two bit grifters and bloated egos stabbing each other in the back suggests that all are anticipating the day when the administration finally crumbles, leaving the blame to be absorbed by those not quick enough to know when to get out. When that day approaches, watch for the stampede.
16
Several dozen of Nixon's buddies ended up in jail. It could happen again, given the many who are likely to be involved with the Ukraine business if it eventually proves to be criminal. But don't forget Pence. Trump may have linked him to the scandal by having him meet with the Ukrainians on Sept. 1. Pence is next in line for President if the unlikely conviction of Trump occurs in the senate. This provides Pence motivation turn on Trump. Pence understands that if Trump goes, he will not be impeached, because the Senate will not remove both Pence and Trump, leaving Pelosi as president. So Pence is torn between becoming President by telling what he knows about Trump, or supporting Trump as a true believer while taking the risk that Trump will dump the blame on Pence along with whoever else he can rope in (Giuliani?, Mulvaney?, Pompeo?) to take the fall for him.
8
Well, if Pence and/or Giuliani don't figure out a deal with the feds soon, when the music stops, either one or both could find themselves without a chair when the music stops.
Giuliani especially - Trump won't think twice about finding the biggest bus he find to toss his lawyer under, just like Cohen.
It wasn't me, it was all Giuliani ! Giuliani's idea, I didn't realize that he had set all this up?!
.
.
10
@SMcStormy
And "I hardly know the man..."
Play it like Machiavelli would advise. Every little piranha needs to be given good cause to bite the others before they get bitten themselves. Bolton’s got one eye on his book, and the other on his future as a conservative pundit. The little ones are not so fortunate. Start there.
10
This is like, "Who's on first?" How can one man reek so much havoc. It would be hilarious if it were a series, like Veep. Unfortunately it is all too real and a National nightmare.
11
@Dominique not just one man. Include all who voted for him and all those who continue to support & defend him
2
@Dominique To answer your question, one man can only wreak (not reek, that means to smell) because so many others are as depraved (morally corrupt) as he is. And this extends far, far beyond those in a position to join an administration. It extend to the millions of Trump supporters who cheer him because they enjoy seeing him "own" (ie viciously attack) the liberals.
“All this should serve as a warning for the president’s many apologists. “
Expect that whisper of a scurrying sound to amplify to the great din a herd of buffalo make when they sense that it’s time to run.
7
Rats + Sinking Ship = Chaos.
This is the short term problem. The long term problem for the United States as a nation is dealing with immoral and corrupt politicians like D. Nunes, J. Jordan, and L. Graham.
These men are unfit for office.
237
@Avenue B : The Republican Party is a cesspool, devoid of any form of ethics. They have proved it. For decades I have been independent and vote for mixed tickets, especially at the local level. Now I can't bear to vote for any Republican, ever. I still vote for many third party candidates, but Trump actually made me "Never Republican."
7
This entire regime is the definition of evil.
The people who support this wannabe dictator certainly must believe that this will somehow make their lives better.
They certainly don’t care about anyone else.
22
“ As the impeachment inquiry grinds on, the circular firing squad is likely to grow still larger — and potentially armed with higher-caliber ammunition.”
The circular firing squad is growing into concentric rings, much likes those inside a tree grows. So who is going to be on the outside looking in?
5
Great column...I laughed out loud after each paragraph...we need more of this, really...
8
Members of the Republican Congress, to ensure re-election have turned to personal survival over principle. It recalls the adage “It is hard to look up to leaders who have their ears to the ground.”
Those in the White House, the word feral seems appropriate.
12
Public servants who are honest, informed, trustworthy and place national well-being above self-promotion have no place whatsoever in this administration. Does this tawdry group of schemers plan to re-float Trump University as an encore?
6
The good news is that Dancing With the Stars won't have to look too hard for future contestants.
51
@RNS Thanks for the laugh!
I've said this before and I'll say it again ( not that any of Trump's sycophants are reading ... but hey )
READ Trump's history since his inception into the public eye in the 70's . He has a long and storied history of thawing those close to him under the bus in order to save his own skin .
And guaranteed current TrumpAzoid Androids . He'll do it again ... even to a family member without even thinking twice
And then there is the reality of Richard M. Nixon's fall from grace . Thought ole Tricky managed to stay out of jail ( due to Ford's misguidedly pardoning him ) but the majority of those surrounding him did not . Most ending up in the federal pen for extended periods of time
But hey ... why listen to the likes of me ... a former NYC'er having witnessed first hand Donald Trump's M/O sing eat 70's . What do I know . " Let ME know how that works out for you " ... not listening to me that is
6
In any dysfunctional, rigid, top-down - and in this case pathologically autocratic - organization this is what predictably happens. The loyal minion sycophants start going after one another in an effort to save their skins. No one, save rat Rudy, is safe in the Trump hall of shame.
1
Sow the wind. Reap the whirlwind. Or flying ordure in this case.
10
Didn't any of these people have mothers who taught them the old adage "lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas"?
14
@Danielle Or fathers, or teachers, etc
1
I understand the metaphor of watch your back, but in dysfunctional political, bureaucratic organizations, the corrupt leader surrounds himself with human flak jackets. The more corrupt, the deeper the layers.
Unfortunately, in Trump’s administration, the human flak jackets have no concern about being in the midst of evil, lapses in ethics, so long as they feel close to power.
The slew of tell all books indicates these prostitutes reckoned one day they would need armor and ammunition to save themselves from external attack, or in the worst case scenario, have a trove of material to convert into a lucrative story.
Thus, Trump’s dysfunctional band of thieves only had one goal upon joining his administration - the goal of “what’s in it for me.” Thus, it never had a chance for the ethos: ‘Ask not what you country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.”
11
This is starting to resemble an episode of the Three Stooges, or a Coen Bros. movie. I am going to enjoy watching the circular firing squad.
7
@Portland without a P Fargo!
Intent is usually very difficult to prove, but prosecutors often win cases of arguable criminal intent by establishing the perpetrator's and/or perpetrators efforts to cover it up.
23
I read a piece on healing/bridging the savage divide in America right now, and I was moved to critically self-examine, and attempt to see things, compassionately, from the other side.
The thing is that we have great neighbors (over 10 yrs now) some of whom are pretty different, socio-politically. But for my part, they are my neighbors first, fellow American’s second, and their socio-political beliefs don't even get a step on the podium.
A number of Trump’s initial policy positions prior to 2016, I actually agreed with, and I had fostered serious reservations about “politics-as-usual” for many years now; Shaking things up sounded pretty good. Getting out of policing the world sounded pretty good too, both from the terrible cost to our young soldiers, and financially. A strong border wasn’t a deal-breaker either, especially if there were path’s to citizenship and ICE targeted gang members and violent criminals, not hard-working, established community members.
Alas, it appeared that Trump’s dislike, ignorance and disregard of rules included the rule of law, and his wrecking ball wasn’t even capable of discriminating - decorated war heroes, Gold-star families; he mocked the disabled, disrespected the dead, and has lied outright, or misled over 13,000 times?! :-O
But I did find some softness and compassion for those who hoped for something different in Trump, even those who find it difficult to admit that they made a terrible mistake, even his fellow Reps, right now...
.
25
@SMcStormy At least 2 of your 3 areas of agreement, "Getting out of policing the world sounded pretty good too, both from the terrible cost to our young soldiers, and financially. A strong border wasn’t a deal-breaker either, especially if there were path’s to citizenship and ICE targeted gang members and violent criminals, not hard-working, established community members." were Obama policies.
39
@SMcStormy As David Sears says "getting out of policing the world" (which, let's face it was mostly done to access resources for US benefit) and a reasonable & humane approach to border issues (tho I never quite got that impression from electioneering Trump) are appealing.
But while I honestly admire you willingness to see things from the other side (and I honestly do...or used to try to do that), I cannot find softness or compassion for those who continue to (many even passionately) support all that he says & does. At times I feel physically sickened by all this. And even ashamed to be a member of the human race.
Still, thank you for your post.
9
Light snow fell in northern Vermont this afternoon.
It gave me the idea that some of the folks in DC should invest in an avalanche awareness course.
13
@Wood Chopper The jokes just keep coming....!
1
Now Nikki Haley asserts that everything about Giuliani's opposition research project in Ukraine would have been been legit if he had been appointed a special ambassador, so professional ambassadors would have understood his role.
The whole Republican Party is void of ethics.
306
@Steve Bolger wonder what Nikki Haley would say once she finds out trump is working for Putin and not “we the American people”.
42
What doesn’t Haley understand about the illegality of bribery and extortion for personal gain as practiced by the formerly great Unites States of America?
50
@Steve Bolger
If ifs and buts were candied nuts, we’d all have a marvelous Christmas, Nix.
Law does not permit back channel diplomacy, let alone extortion.
5
Basically, isn’t this vicious behavior in Donald’s D.C. clubhouse similar to what occurs when the titular Don becomes vulnerable? Only the Don’s “made men” fire bullets at one another, not verbal salvos. Either way however, it’s every person for themselves. Such an effective way to run a country. MAGA!
34
For those who have been employed under the very worst management it is to be expected that the organization will ultimately self-destruct. While this is especially true in the White House where nobody is in charge the implosion has ripple effects around the world.
Remember all the chatter for years by Republicans that we need a businessman, a CEO who gets things done as President ? Now remember all the derision aimed at Barrack Obama. He's a "community organizer" ! How can he lead the nation ? Mr. Obama was an excellent manager leading our country out of the great recession. Presidents in many ways are the ultimate community organizers .
471
@Frank Heneghan
I think it bears mentioning that Trump has not been a very successful businessman.
70
@Frank Heneghan Agreed, there may be no better preparation for leading a people than organizing. Look at the President's signature accomplishment, the ACA--a textbook example of the power of political organizing.
13
@Frank Heneghan
All the more reason why a "businessman" should NEVER be President of the United States. Anyone who has spent his entire life in pursuit of personal profit and self interest cannot truly understand what PUBLIC SERVICE really means.
Please, no more corporate tycoons for President.
44
It’s truly amazing to see so many people debase themselves out of loyalty to this shell of a man when he would throw any and all of them under the bus the second it becomes convenient for him to do so.
672
@JDH It's either to protect themselves or because they believe they can still gain from this loyalty.
9
@JDH : They are only like the man they follow.
4
@JDH
Yes, we still don't have enough understanding of the cult of personality and what drives people to do things to benefit someone who cares nothing for them.
9
Great article. I'd love to know what John Kelly thinks now.
70
A lot of those folks have significant criminal exposure and will need to tap into their savings to hire experienced criminal counsel, assuming all the good ones are not already retained.
49
@Gone Coastal: Exposure to costly frivolous litigation is a fact of life in the US. A lawsuit is believed to be well-founded until proven otherwise here. Proof can also be mysteriously elusive.
6
@Steve Bolger
Not with these people it won't be hard to prove. They keep lying so much and trip themselves up with their lies.
This is why the wise will not work for people who will fire them for showing any independent signs of wisdom. When they give you an integrity test you have to flunk to pass, look for some other work.
384
@Steve Bolger
They still do.
That’s the worst part.
6
@Steve Bolger
There's an old Yiddish adage befitting this striation that goes something like this ;
" The best way to judge a person is by those he/she choses to surround themselves with "
@Steve Bolger Exactly. Jobs come and go, but you always have yourself.
Michael Bloomberg in July 2016: "I know a con when I see one." Need any more of an accurate prediction than that?? We are watching in real-time a pseudo-businessman con artist at work destroying this country, one chaotic and incoherently destructive day, tweet and incomplete sentence and redundancy at a time. The con has sucked in nearly the entire Republican party.
879
@JCX
How could it possibly be that he still has a chance in 2020?
How could it possibly be even close? Please discuss.
215
@Stephen Csiszar
Trump has more than just a chance because the election will be decided not by popular vote, but in the Electoral College by a handful of swing states--just like 2016.
120
@Stephen Csiszar As I understand it, his base will vote for him as long as the economy remains generally favorable before the election. And Dems so far have failed to present a moderate candidate who could woo the undecided voters. Add in gerrymandering of red states & the electoral college. These make it a real possibility that trump could be re-elected. This is just my understanding. Another horrible & likely possibility is that trump will never be impeached by republican Senate no matter how damming the evidence uncovered by House Dems.
41
“Mr. Bolton is awaiting the outcome of a lawsuit brought by his former deputy, Charles Kupperman, asking the courts to decide whether a congressional subpoena outweighs the president’s order to ignore it.”
Congressional subpoena outweighs Executive Order. It is absolutely necessary and required that Mr. Bolton appear before Congress and testify.
It matters not what story or substance Mr. Bolton has to say except that it be the entire truth so that The Public has a full accounting of events.
The greater amount of truthful accounting, the greater the veracity of judgement.
409
@PC I fear no matter what anyone testifies, the Senate will never vote to impeach trump. And his base will remain loyal. It is heartening to read of the courage of these civil servants, I fear it is for nought.
22
@PC Obstruction of Congress is a charge that is easier to deal with than perjury.
16
@PC Of course Congressional Subpoena outweighs Executive Order, especially when investigating the man who gives the Executive Order!!
31
Great. Now we have a "most promising scapegoat". What a career goal for young people to aspire to; and "knows too much to be fired" is what people think before they go the wrong way on a one-way street. Babylon, indeed.
134
It’s high irony that John Bolton may end up wearing the laurels of the hero. Might be that his acute sense of right and wrong, which made him so strident, might now be put to productive use.
218
@RjW
Dunno about that. To the extent he actually has an "acute sense of right and wrong" and is as independent-minded as we have been led to believe, he would have obeyed that subpoena. Methinks he cares more about shilling for his forthcoming book. It seems that, for Republicans, $$$ > duty, loyalty and integrity, every time.
45
@J
Right... I may have given him too much credit. Thanks for commenting.
16
@RjW Maybe, but right now Bolton is waiting for a court to tell him what his principles are.
23