A scorching analysis of the unprecedented last few days in America from Joshua Marshall of Talking Points Memo, following the Russia-clouded resignation of Trump national security Michael Flynn, who follows the Russia-scandal resignation of Paul Manafort, and other advisors who’ve stepped aside under various clouds of suspicion.
What do all these disgraced dudes have in common?
They answered to Donald J. Trump.
Who does he answer to?
Snip from Josh Marshall’s piece today:
For all we’ve learned over recent days about retired General Michael Flynn and his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, it’s overshadowed by much more that we do not know. Indeed, based on the current evidence we don’t know whether Flynn’s actions were just wildly inappropriate (undermining the current president’s actions with a foreign adversary weeks before taking office) or part of a larger, darker design. Whether Flynn lied to the FBI (we don’t know) or lied to his colleagues is an interesting legal and possibly political question. But again, they are relatively straightforward matters which only become truly significant in terms of the bigger picture, if there is one. The truth is Michael Flynn does not matter. We have before us a question that has stood before us, centerstage, for something like a year, brazen and shameless and yet too baffling and incredible to believe: Donald Trump’s bizarre and unexplained relationship with Russia and its strongman Vladimir Putin.
It is almost beyond imagining that a National Security Advisor could be forced to resign amidst a counter-intelligence investigation into his communications and ties to a foreign adversary. The National Security Advisor is unique in the national security apparatus. He or she is the organizer, synthesizer and conduit to the President for information from all the various agencies and departments with a role in national security. This person must be able to know everything. The power and trust accorded this person are immeasurable. It is only really comparable to the President. And yet, we are talking about the President. A staffer or appointee can be dismissed. The President is the ultimate constitutional officer.
TPM EDBLOG: Flynn Doesn’t Matter. This Is About Trump
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