Pence is a savvy manipulator, more sinister than the people who buy his cornpone persona could ever imagine. He is patient and opportunistic... His guiding principle is not anything one will find in a religious text; it's Do Anything to Be President.

It’s not Kellyanne. She’s been so two faced for so long, I don’t think the NYT would have run with it. She just is always a background source for reporters so they “know” that she doesn’t really believe in any of this. It’s not Haley, she gets to hide out in NY. Sessions has never been the sharpest tool in the shed.

I hadn’t really thought about Coats, but that isn’t a bad guess. I wouldn’t entirely rule out Pompeo either - this smacks of a politician who is generally doing a decent job but just can’t square their job with keeping their mouths shut and their egos won’t let them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:My guess is that the author is Mike Pence and he wrote it in order to have evidence in the future showing that he didn't mindlessly go along with Trump. The author is clearly a right-winger who wants to be associated with Trump's actions that are popular with establishment Republicans, but wants to disassociate from Trump's crazier actions.

I hope not, this is OP and I thought it was Kellyanne. The way anchors on the news networks keep talking to her and an exchange she had with Cuomo about 'why do you think I'm doing this?' from a week or two ago made me think of her.

My first thought was Kellyanne. Something about the way it's written. She's a smart cookie and she's articulate when she wants to be. This op ed was very well written. I'm voting for Kellyanne.

That”s a good guess, but the letter was focused more on national security than she typically is. That’s why I’m leaning towards it being Coats. The letter’s mention of amorality rules outs out a lot of Trump associates.

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:My guess is that the author is Mike Pence and he wrote it in order to have evidence in the future showing that he didn't mindlessly go along with Trump. The author is clearly a right-winger who wants to be associated with Trump's actions that are popular with establishment Republicans, but wants to disassociate from Trump's crazier actions.

I hope not, this is OP and I thought it was Kellyanne. The way anchors on the news networks keep talking to her and an exchange she had with Cuomo about 'why do you think I'm doing this?' from a week or two ago made me think of her.

My first thought was Kellyanne. Something about the way it's written. She's a smart cookie and she's articulate when she wants to be. This op ed was very well written. I'm voting for Kellyanne.

Anonymous wrote:It was the ethics lawyer who just quit.

That’s a good one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:My guess is that the author is Mike Pence and he wrote it in order to have evidence in the future showing that he didn't mindlessly go along with Trump. The author is clearly a right-winger who wants to be associated with Trump's actions that are popular with establishment Republicans, but wants to disassociate from Trump's crazier actions.

That's a possibility. Pence has the luxury of being the only guy in the administration who can't be fired by Trump. But the author seems too grim and realistic to be Pence.

This is an extraordinary action, whoever it is. It's hard to imagine Trump surviving much longer after this.

No, Trump won the election. He won’t be “gotten rid of” because the NYT publishes anonymous op-Ed’s.
If this person actually exists, the should resign and not hide behind anonymous screeds.

The Deep state is a very real thing. And they're mad. They are too "smart" to let a little thing like an election get in the way. Their judgment rules....

It’s looking increasingly likely that Trump only won the election by a criminal conspiracy with a foreign power. This is no Deep State insider. The op-ed writer was put in place by Trump himself. One of his own is betraying him because of how serious a threat to the country the insider considers Trump to be.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:My guess is that the author is Mike Pence and he wrote it in order to have evidence in the future showing that he didn't mindlessly go along with Trump. The author is clearly a right-winger who wants to be associated with Trump's actions that are popular with establishment Republicans, but wants to disassociate from Trump's crazier actions.

That's a possibility. Pence has the luxury of being the only guy in the administration who can't be fired by Trump. But the author seems too grim and realistic to be Pence.

This is an extraordinary action, whoever it is. It's hard to imagine Trump surviving much longer after this.

No, Trump won the election. He won’t be “gotten rid of” because the NYT publishes anonymous op-Ed’s.
If this person actually exists, the should resign and not hide behind anonymous screeds.

The Deep state is a very real thing. And they're mad. They are too "smart" to let a little thing like an election get in the way. Their judgment rules....

Trump's Cabinet is not the "Deep State". You sound silly when you say it is.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:My guess is that the author is Mike Pence and he wrote it in order to have evidence in the future showing that he didn't mindlessly go along with Trump. The author is clearly a right-winger who wants to be associated with Trump's actions that are popular with establishment Republicans, but wants to disassociate from Trump's crazier actions.

That's a possibility. Pence has the luxury of being the only guy in the administration who can't be fired by Trump. But the author seems too grim and realistic to be Pence.

This is an extraordinary action, whoever it is. It's hard to imagine Trump surviving much longer after this.

No, Trump won the election. He won’t be “gotten rid of” because the NYT publishes anonymous op-Ed’s.
If this person actually exists, the should resign and not hide behind anonymous screeds.

The Deep state is a very real thing. And they're mad. They are too "smart" to let a little thing like an election get in the way. Their judgment rules....

Trump is just as clueless as we are about who the culprit is. That’s really gotta be stoking his paranoia. It could be anybody except Ivanka.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Related development?

White House is looking for possible Mattis replacements.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/405229-white-house-discussing-replacements-if-mattis-leaves-report

I think it's Mattis. Smart enough, national security bent and has been vocally opposing his boss on occasion. And if the White House is indeed pushing him out, no reason not to burn down master's house at the same time.

The essay seemed too political for Mattis.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Related development?

White House is looking for possible Mattis replacements.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/405229-white-house-discussing-replacements-if-mattis-leaves-report

I think it's Mattis. Smart enough, national security bent and has been vocally opposing his boss on occasion. And if the White House is indeed pushing him out, no reason not to burn down master's house at the same time.

Javanka did it.

Seriously, I think it's Mattis too.

Anonymous wrote:It was the ethics lawyer who just quit.

I don’t think so. The author showed a pretty limited understanding of constitutional law.

Anonymous wrote:Related development?

White House is looking for possible Mattis replacements.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/405229-white-house-discussing-replacements-if-mattis-leaves-report

I think it's Mattis. Smart enough, national security bent and has been vocally opposing his boss on occasion. And if the White House is indeed pushing him out, no reason not to burn down master's house at the same time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe it's Kushner. Lol

This would actually be my guess. He's too chicken to put his name to the piece for obvious reasons, and probably thinks he'll be able to emerge unscathed from the ruins even if his FIL crashes and burns. He's also dumb enough to think he's qualified to make policy decisions.

No way, not smart enough. Nor is SHS. And certainly not Ivanka.

It was the ethics lawyer who just quit.