Out Like Flynn

The always exciting and rarely predictable Trump presidency continues.  National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, only confirmed 3 weeks ago, is already out the door.  It is strange that one of Trump's least controversial picks - he's a Democrat - should be the first to go.  The news so far is that he was under investigation for a conversations with Russian officials in which he talked about the sanctions that President Obama imposed in the wake of Russian hacking during the election.  Interestingly, it was Acting Attorney General Yates - whom Trump fired - that informed the administration of his talks.  The problem was not that he conversed with Russian officials but that he failed to report the scope of the conversations.

 

Will Trump have a higher than usual turnover rate?  How many of the current cabinet members and advisors will still be in the administration next year?

"You're Fired!"

Acting Attorney General Sally Yates refused to defend President Trump's executive order that imposed a 90 day entry ban from several countries.

"You're fired!"

Until Jeff Sessions gets confirmed, Dana Boente is the new acting A.G.

Yates will be a liberal hero for the rest of her life and I suspect this will be equated with the Saturday Night Massacre before long.  However, the president is the chief executive.  He's the decider, as George W Bush put it.  If you don't like his decisions, resign.

 

As a political move, this only serves to escalate the current outcry.  Of course, with Trump's everything at once approach, this may be forgotten history tomorrow night when the Supreme Court nomination battle begins.  Trump is generating so much outrage in such a short period of time that the outraged will become exhausted.  Of note, this is a strategy from the Obama playbook.  Before the Republicans could move against Obama's latest outrage, he rolled out a new outrage.  Fast and Furious, IRS targeting scandal, Bowe Bergdahl prisoner swap, Iran ransom payment, 'flexibility' for Vladimir after the election, ISIL is the JV team, undeclared war in Libya, etc.  There was always new bad news to make everyone forget the old bad news.  However, Obama usually waited a week or two before rolling out the latest disaster.  Trump is rolling them out daily.  Hourly!

 

Trump should call a dozen or so bureaucrats to the White House every week, sit them around a big table, and fire one or more of them.  On camera!  It would be a ratings monster!  I never watched The Apprentice but I would watch that.

 

"Assistant Undersecretary of Fiji Trade Relations Smith, you're fired!"

 

"Executive Assistant Secretary of Fiji Trade Relations Johnson, you're fired!"

 

"Superfluous Supreme Fiji Trade Representative Harris, you're fired!"

 

Might Trump deliver on the eternal Republican promise of shrinking government?  That would be unexpected and marvelous.