Mixed Up Signs

[H2O Man]

There are times I wish I were a “fly on the wall” in the White House. Today would not be one of them, because I think the stench of decay is attracting hundreds of real flies ….the type that insert maggots into decomposing organic materials. I am willing to wager that when the autopsy of the Trump administration is completed, sections will remind readers of the 1961 novel by Leonard Kessler – considered the greatest Greek tragedy of an era – “Mr. Pine's Mixed-Up Signs.”

Who could have predicted that Rick Gates would grow a beard? J. Edgar Hoover. He hated beards. They reminded him of communism. No FBI agent was allowed to wear a beard, unless they were infiltrating suspected commie front groups. If only Trump had a man of Hoover's character to warn him that Gates was surely a potential pawn of Russia.

In the recent past, White House spokespersons Kelly Ann Conway and Sarah Huckabee Sanders swore that Gates and Manafort played but minor roles in the Trump campaign. Temporary hires, they were. Yet Gates was #2 right through the campaign, and played an important role in the transition. And Manafort was attempting to trade a White House position to a banker for a $16 million “loan.” It must have been a Russian temp-agency that sent them to Trump. Maybe its local office was in Manafort's space in Trump Towers.

In more recent weeks, Kelly Ann and Sarah were unhappily trying to avoid questions about two other administration members: Jared Kushner and Rob Porter. They lied when asked, of course, which they agreed to do for cash and career. But they got tired of being laughing stocks. Sarah wanted General Kelly to face the press – which he was scheduled to do on Valentine's Day, until what someone in the White House called a “reprieve” – and take the blame for Trump's decision to allow Porter to work closely with him, without being able to pass his background check.

No one in the White House grasps the connections between domestic violence and gun violence. Hence, while Kelly was willing to take the blame for Trump's decision publicly, in private he did not want to be forced to resign. He felt a responsibility to stay put and protect the abusers in the White House. He reminds me of a snapping turtle, though I am admittedly unaware of any other snapping turtle with moral rabies.

Kelly also reminds me of Perry, in the book/movie “In Cold Blood.” Perry was an angry man, who hooked up with Dick, a sociopath. Dick groomed Perry's violent streak. Kelly's bottled hostility is being released by Trump, in much the same manner. Which is curious, since the Constitution intended for civilian control of the military, but not in that sense. More, some of us hoped Kelly would actually protect the nation from Trump's insanity.

Like you, I was shocked to learn that Team Mueller was focused on Jared's finances. Shocked, I tell you! Here this divine profit was but inches away from achieving peace in the Middle East. Still, he will look good in orange. Might inspire a new clothing line for his wife. And I look forward to Sarah telling the media that Jared had little-to-nothing to do with the Trump campaign.

Attorney Alex Van Der Zwaan pleaded guilty earlier this week, though his lawyer made an effort to note this did not mean he was cooperating with Mr. Mueller. Considering that his father-in-law is a Russian mobster, it was necessary to announce that, although the lawyer did not say that Alex is definitely not considering making a deal. One suspects that Paul Manafort is hesitating to roll over, largely because he knows he will be safer in federal prison, than if he gets out soon. Still, steps are being taken to assure he does not enter the Russian embassy, seeking asylum.

But perhaps the most toxic mix-up came when Donald Trump said that had he been near the high school when the mass murder was taking place, even if unarmed, he'd have rushed in to assure a different outcome. This from a coward who doesn't dare cross Putin. A punk who doesn't dare to answer questions posed by Mr. Mueller, even with his legal team seated next to him. But in his fantasy, he is Clint Eastwood, growling, “Go ahead, make my day.”

Think about that. Even in the case of a tragic national event, in his warped mind, it's all about him. It always is, unless it involves the Trump-Russian scandal.

[ProfessorGAC]

1. Nice Work, MM

Good read, sir.

[H2O Man]

5. Thank you.

You couldn't make this shit up.

[Me.]

2. KR

"It must have been a Russian temp-agency that sent them to Trump"...

[H2O Man]

6. There really isn't

any other explanation -- except that the Trump outfit has been totally corrupted by the Russian mob/government.

[Me.]

13. EXactly

traitors to the bone

[underpants]

3. Manafort, Chairman of the Campaign...minor role

That's the one that cracks me up

[H2O Man]

7. Right.

The guy was trying to sell positions in the administration during the transition. Obviously, that proves he was but a minor figure.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My dear H20 Man...

I'm reading your incredibly detailed prose and suddenly it hits me: This is one horrifying horrible mess. I cannot see it any other way.

How do we end this? This is not normal.

I am sick at heart.

Thank you for your always great writing.

[H2O Man]

8. It's absolutely not normal.

And not normalizing it is important. Preparing for the mid-term elections is urgent. And I think that must include winning state elections, since that is likely to be where sane regulations on weapons will potentially take place.

In the larger crisis, I have a lot of faith in Team Mueller.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. You are so correct, on all these points.

I especially agree about Team Mueller!

[GeorgeGist]

9. Amen

[H2O Man]

10. Thank you!

[grantcart]

12. You got me on "Mr. Pines mixed up signs"

When they do the autopsy of this vulgarian buffet I believe that the go to literary reference will be "Lord of the Flies".

There will be an avalanche of these comments by Republicans after the blue Tsunami:

"How could we know that he would alienate women and Hispanics?". (they won't even try with AA)

"How could we know that there would be more mass shootings?"

but most of all "Why didn't anyone yell us that we would become so despised that we couldn't even get a third level lobbying job?".

Finally "what do you mean that there is no more Obama care? How do I get health insurance as a Uber driver?

Thanks once again.

[H2O Man]

18. Lord of the Flies

I think I used that on an earlier essay on Trump. I believe it was here on DU. It is certainly a better fit.

In the small rural community that I live near, many of those who supported Trump now realize that they have been had. Rubin used to tell me there ain't nothing madder than a taxpayer who realizes they were played for a chump!

[grantcart]

21. We don't even need them to flip for a blue wave

Just 20% of the Republicans who are so conflicted that they don't go an vote.

[gademocrat7]

14. K&R

Treasonous bastards.

[H2O Man]

19. You are correct.

That's exactly what they are. Scum.

[malthaussen]

15. I suspect they'd deny Mr Trump had anything to do with his campaign...

... if they thought it expedient. Come to think, many of us have suspected just that thing.

Good luck trying to sell that Mr Putin had nothing to do with it, though.

-- Mal

[H2O Man]

20. Great point.

"The president had nothing to do with his campaign. I love it. Sad thing, they would say this for a minute's rest.

[Eyeball_Kid]

16. Manafort seeks asylum in Russian embassy? Why would Paulie stick his head in the mouth of a lion?

If Paulie Walnuts goes to Russia, he'll vanish. He owes Deripaska millions and has no way to pay it back. His only recourse is the best witness protection program ever devised. He's not safe in prison.

[H2O Man]

23. It's be that temp agency

is located inside the embassy?

My kids tell me to never attempt a joke. Not in person, not on the phone, not on the internet. "You aren't funny, Dad," they often tell me.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. In reference to this -

And Manafort was attempting to trade a White House position to a banker for a $16 million “loan.” It must have been a Russian temp-agency that sent them to Trump. Maybe its local office was in Manafort's space in Trump Towers.

Note that Manafort was the one who brought us Pence -

How Donald Trump Finally Settled on Mike Pence

By ALEXANDER BURNS and MAGGIE HABERMAN JULY 15, 2016

<...>

But Mr. Trump wrestled on Thursday with the final arrangements for a rollout. He expressed fury to campaign aides over news reports that his advisers were informing political allies of the Indiana governor’s selection, and bristled at the idea that he was locked into the choice.

In a phone call with members of the campaign leadership, Mr. Trump questioned whether Mr. Pence really was the right choice, and Paul Manafort, the campaign chairman, reiterated the case for choosing Mr. Pence, according to a person briefed on the call.

Reached by phone on Friday, Mr. Manafort said Mr. Trump had never wavered on Mr. Pence once the decision was made. Any queries about Mr. Pence as a political choice, he added, simply reflected Mr. Trump’s loose conversational style.

“Once he made the decision, nothing changed,” Mr. Manafort said. “Last night, the only issue from the time of the Nice tragedy to the time he got on a plane at around midnight was the details of how we rescheduled things.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/16/us/politics/mike-pence-donald-trump-vice-president.html

[H2O Man]

24. Thanks for this!

Very interesting.

[coeur_de_lion]

22. I hardly ever watch the news

But tonight I was sitting in a restaurant bar waiting for my takeout dinner. My reward for going to the dentist.

All this Russia stuff is all over the news. 2 stations with the same thing, Russia Russia Russia. I live in a very red area of Florida. I expected to see Faux News but it was only MSNBC and CNN.

And I'm sitting there thinking, WHY THE FUCK IS HE STILL IN OFFICE? EVERYONE KNOWS.

Sending Ivanka Tramp to negotiate with foreign powers as if he took office by legitimate means. The whole world knows he didn't. He's acting most of the time as if he is actually the president.

He bloody well isn't.

I feel like we're living in an endless nightmare.

[H2O Man]

25. Right.

It is a nightmare. And it just gets worse every day.

Why is he still in office? I think it is because the republicans in Congress refuse to honor their oath of office. Clearly, if a democratic president were guilty of the same things, he/she would be impeached, and tried in the Senate. No question about it. But the tensions between the "regular" republicans and the alt-right republicans has prevented the "regulars" from doing what they know must be done to protect the country. Indeed, as Joe Biden has said, President Obama and he approached the republican leadership and asked them to make a joint statement about the Russian efforts -- but cowards like Mitch McTurtle refused.