"Kids! I told you to clean up this mess before you go to bed, and I meant it!" That common parental complaint is a perfect example of someone who is down to their last frayed nerve. And it might just mean that John Kelly may not be the only senior White House official that the media might be talking about His Lowness looking for a replacement for in the near future.
When the person you pay solely for the purpose of lying her ass off on your behalf screams "Nada Mas!" you've got problems. And according to reporting in Politico, Sarah Huckabee Sanders has reached her breaking point. When pressed at the podium for her multitude of answers with questionable relationships to the truth, Sanders is fond of reminding everyone that she "speaks directly for the President." But, apparently she's reached the decision that this doesn't include covering for liars like john Kelly and Don McGahn.
Sanders is apparently sick of having to answer for the sins of staff, she is pushing, and pushing hard for central characters in the Rob Porter security clearance debacle to take to the podium in a briefing, and explain for themselves what they knew, and when they knew, it, and face the heat for their own lies for a change. And according to the report, she may get her wish;
“I think the president is going to side with her,” this person said. “I think the president is going to want them to clear it up.”
I was watching yesterday, and it was pointed out on MSNBC that the daily press briefing had been pushed back at least twice before ultimately being cancelled due to the Florida school shooting. The report indicates that the delays were due to two meetings in which Sanders pushed for the logistics of at least Kelly taking the podium to lay out his own case, and face the music directly. Former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer even advocated that the situation had devolved to the point where McGahn and Kelly needed to speak side by side with their explanations.
I've noticed myself recently that Sanders has backed down on some issues from her aggressive defense of obvious false statements to more of a "Hey, don't shoot the messenger" response. And so did the article;
At Tuesday’s briefing, Sanders repeatedly made a point of highlighting the fact that she was not fully briefed on every element of the White House’s handling of the crisis, saying, “I can only give you the best information I have.”
Mark my words, if this is going to become a pattern, where Sanders continues to rebel against having to carry the water for the entire army instead of just the general, this will be trouble. Kelly and McGahn aren't the only lying sacks of shit that have been hiding behind Huckabee Sanders skirts, and forcing them to appear in front of cameras and expose themselves to ridicule and scorn on TV to a man who makes life and death staffing decisions on the basis of media perception of him and his staff is a disaster waiting to happen. And if Trump fires Sanders for insubordination, who can he get to replace her, Raj Shah? Not bloody likely when Shah sees how Sanders blind loyalty was abused and rewarded. Hell, Shah got sliced up like a deli corned beef in his last appearance behind the podium as it was.
I'd like to think that Sanders pushing back is due to the shame of having to attack respectable women accusing administration figures of assault has finally reached its limit. But it may well be that whatever sliver of self respect she has is finally rebelling. But as any father can tell you, if he lets the kids misbehave for too long without stepping in, he ain't getting lucky tonight with mama. Watcha gonna do Donnie?
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Cross posted on The Trump Impeachment.