Pondering the Pundits” is an Open Thread. It is a selection of editorials and opinions from> around the news medium and the internet blogs. The intent is to provide a forum for your reactions and opinions, not just to the opinions presented, but to what ever you find important.
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Charles M. Blow: Opera of Demons
Donald Trump has warped reality.
He has turned porn star Stormy Daniels into Joan of Arc.
He has brought Robert Mueller’s protectors to the defense of the horrid Jeff Sessions, who may well be a racist and is definitely a monster for conducting the policy of family separations at our southern border.
He has made foul-mouthed, bullying Michael Cohen, Trump’s “fixer,” emerge as an antihero.
He has made Senators Bob Corker and the Tea Party darling Jeff Flake appear as valiant crusaders for integrity, unafraid to put principle above party.
In this dramatic opera of demons, the lesser evils are part of the phalanx standing between us and the greater evils: Trump’s corruption, possible criminality, and definite rage, racism and cruelty.
They are also what has helped to buy time for Mueller to complete his investigation before Trump can end it.
Peter Wehner: The Full-Spectrum Corruption of Donald Trump
There’s never been any confusion about the character defects of Donald Trump. The question has always been just how far he would go and whether other individuals and institutions would stand up to him or become complicit in his corruption.
When I first took to these pages three summers ago to write about Mr. Trump, I warned my fellow Republicans to just say no both to him and his candidacy. One of my concerns was that if Mr. Trump were to succeed, he would redefine the Republican Party in his image. That’s already happened in areas like free trade, free markets and the size of government; in attitudes toward ethnic nationalism and white identity politics; in America’s commitment to its traditional allies, in how Republicans view Russia and in their willingness to call out leaders of evil governments like North Korea rather than lavish praise on them. But in no area has Mr. Trump more fundamentally changed the Republican Party than in its attitude toward ethics and political leadership.
Robert Kuttner: Republicans Can Honor John McCain By Putting America Before Trump
The death of Senator John McCain throws into relief a new and even more alarming phase of the crisis facing American democracy. McCain was one of the few Republican senators willing to publicly warn Donald Trump of the bright lines that he must not cross.
Last week, as the latest successful prosecutions of Trump associates connected more dots between the criminal misconduct of his underlings and the president personally, we all waited for Republican leaders to distance themselves from Trump and to repeat warnings that Trump must not attempt to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions or his deputy Rod Rosenstein, much less special counsel Robert Mueller.
But few such declarations were forthcoming. On the contrary, Sen. Chuck Grassley actually walked back a previous red line warning.
Grassley, as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, declared last summer, seconded by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, that he would not hold hearings to confirm a new attorney general if Sessions were fired. [..]
As the waters keep rising around Trump and he becomes even more unhinged, he will be more and more tempted to fire Sessions, then Rosenstein and then Mueller.
To head off a Saturday Night Massacre, those Republicans who have been contributing an outpouring of fatuous tributes to the integrity and courage of John McCain should draw on his example.
They should intensify their warnings to Trump to stop trashing the American system of criminal justice, and to keep his hands off the Mueller investigation. Perhaps the memory of McCain will give the Republicans a moment of pause and shame.
Kurt Bardella: Donald Trump’s Worst Nightmare May Come In The Form Of Rep. Elijah Cummings
An agenda is taking shape that could have a paralyzing effect on the Trump administration, as Democrats on the House oversight committee begin to take decisive action in response to recent revelations and the conduct of the president.
In the last week, the panel’s top Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), has requested documents to investigate how and why President Donald Trump revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan. Cummings also wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to express concern over the appointment of Brian Hook to the State Department’s Iran Action Group despite Hook’s hostile relationship with employees in the department.
On Wednesday, Cummings wrote to oversight committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) requesting that he convene “a hearing with President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to multiple federal crimes and implicated President Trump in directing these crimes.” [..]
Come November, however, the Trump administration may face a situation where there’s no Republican majority there to protect the president. For the first time, it could be facing legitimate scrutiny and oversight from the legislative branch and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (OGR).
The thing you should know about OGR is that unlike all of the other congressional committees, this one exists to serve as the watchdog of the federal government. OGR’s mandate is to investigate, not legislate. The chairman wields a tremendous amount of power, with unlimited jurisdiction and the unilateral authority to issue subpoenas and compel testimony for public congressional hearings.
Michelangelo Signorile: If You Confirm Brett Kavanaugh, You’re Complicit In Trump’s Federal Crime
Donald Trump is an illegitimate president. He cheated and stole the election, and the man is now implicated in a federal crime. He simply can’t be allowed to continue with his presidential duties.
And any senator who votes to confirm his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh ― scheduled for confirmation hearings in two weeks ― is complicit in the president’s stolen election and his alleged federal crime.
That may sound unrealistic and extreme; however, we’re in a massive national political crisis unlike anything many of us have ever seen. And it calls for speaking boldly and demanding strong action.
Let’s look at the facts.
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