Max Bergmann is a senior fellow at American Progress, where he focuses on European security and U.S.-Russia policy. From 2011 to 2017, he served in the U.S. Department of State in a number of different positions, including as a member of the secretary of state’s policy planning staff, where he focused on political-military affairs and nonproliferation; special assistant to the undersecretary for arms control and international security; speechwriter to then-Secretary of State John Kerry; and senior adviser to the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. Prior to serving in the State Department, he worked at American Progress as a military and nonproliferation policy analyst and at the National Security Network as the deputy policy director. Bergmann received his master’s degree from the London School of Economics in comparative politics and his bachelor’s degree from Bates College.
In the following Twitter Thread, rendered into paragraphs by the Thread Reader App, Max Bergmann, a Senior Fellow at The Center for American Progress argues that Democratic elected officials and candidates for office must speak out more forcefully to counter the BS alternate fact narrative concocted by the drumpf White House in consort with Faux News and Talk Radio.
I don’t think he counsels calls for impeachment Ala Reps Green and Waters (though a couple of voices singing that chorus doesn’t hurt) but laying out the facts…. who Bob Mueller is and his service to our country, what his probe has uncovered and accomplished already, and the breadth and depths of drumpf’s corruption.
He also makes the point that Republicans anticipate a thoroughly scathing report from Mueller (probably informed by drumpf’s knowledge of his perfidies) and are expending much effort to preemptively discredit the probe.
Democrats with a public profile should do the same to defend it.
No garden thrives untended.
(I have lengthened some of Bergmann’s Twitter abbreviations for clarity)
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“Democrats are unbelievably losing the political fight over the Russia scandal. This is of their own doing. They've ceded the field and aren't fighting the fight. They want this to be bipartisan but the GOP has decided to go on offense - "witch hunt!"/deep state/liberal FBI
Meanwhile the public have lost the plot and are lost. They don't know basic facts - twenty + indictments, for Trump campaign officials indicted, a suspected Russian agent on the campaign -because no one is hammering home these facts.
Reminding the public of known facts is not the media’s job. That is the job of politicians. But Dems have no message on the Russia investigation. Instead they are scared to talk about it and think it’s too confusing.
Instead, Democrats want to talk about process – the need for an investigation! And are literally on the defensive “defending the investigation” or “protecting Mueller,” while the GOP is on offense attacking Mueller.
But by focusing on the process, the public has forgotten what the investigation is all about! And the GOP effort is working. The public now generally views the investigation along partisan lines, despite Dems deliberately trying to avoid being seen as partisan.
However, when the public is reminded of key facts – people have pleaded guilty! - or reminded of why this investigation happened – they had these sketchy meetings they lied about! - it has a real impact.
So for Dems this situation is solvable!
But to solve it you need a clear message.
But this is where the political consultant industrial complex says don’t talk about Russia! Polls say talk about Health care and puppies! Yes talk about that!
But it is possible to walk and chew gum.
First, Trump scandals are having an impact on his approvals. Without them Dems in a tough spot - with 4% unemployment, Trump is drafting off of the Obama economy. So talk about cleaning up Washington, stopping corruption and holding Trump accountable.
Lastly, Dems need to shape the coming battlefield over the outcome of the Mueller investigation. Do you not think Mueller will find evidence of serious of crimes by the POTUS and his associates? If not, I have some land to sell you…
So knowing what’s coming – perhaps it makes sense to spend time NOW working to shape public opinion.
Imagine it is May 2008 and you know the financial crash is coming in September 2008 – what would be the politically smart thing to do? Talk about Wall Street! Subprime mortgages, financial regulations, etc. But pollsters would tell you you’re crazy! No one cares…
So knowing what's coming, Dems should get ahead of the curve. Convey to the public what the investigation is about, hammer key facts, and make the public question the president's behavior.
There is so much to work with.”