Steve Bannon.

[Dill]

(04-09-2017, 09:57 AM)hollodero Wrote: Sure that crossed my mind, I just can't quite believe that someone who managed to be a respected and powerful man like a Congressional Committee Chairman would willingly flush his whole reputation and probably career down the toilet just to give a Donald Trump a short, non-lasting break.
First in principle (I mean, there is loyalty and there is too much of that) - and because if that was indeed the plan, that would immediately make Nunes one of the dumbest politicians ever, and I have seen some gruesome stuff before. This doesn't sound right.

Since it's a Bannon thread (and only for that reason), maybe Bannon planned to further deconstruct things like trust in politics and Intelligence Committees and hence whispered something deceptive into Nunes' ear. Not that that sounds right.

Not an either/or. Of course Bannon was moving this. Walnick was his man.

And about "dumb" politicians. Remember that the US is a democracy, and votes, not intelligence or degrees or whatever are the final arbiter of who gets into office. We have many politicians even at the national level who may know some things (e.g., be good businessmen), but still don't have much statecraft. Bush knew how to leverage taxpayer money into a baseball stadium which enabled him to sell his team at great profit. Then he broke Iraq with no intention to "nation build." If you followed Trey Gowdy and the Benghazi witch hunt, you know that rational, non-partisan behavior is a risk for many Congressmen.

Doubtful Nunes et al. thought they were giving Trump a "break."  They were continuing a permanent, doubt-based narrative in which Trump would continue appear credible for his supporters as the Obama deep state continues its quest to destroy him.  They live by alternative facts/narratives. Outside Trump world, few grasp that this has worked so far or that it is intentional--though this tactic, amplified by Fox, won him the election. People like you see consequences, and so think--"No one could intend to do that"--but Trumpsters do not see consequences.

 At the moment the State Department is vastly understaffed and will soon be massively defunded, unable to maintain normal diplomatic functioning. Competent people in the foreign policy establishment refuse to work for Trump, fearing career damage. Trumpsters applaud the successful "deconstruction" of government--at the very moment the US faces crises in the Middle East and East Asia. Many of Trump's cabinet appointments are time bombs (e.g. education, EPA). We will be hearing about them this summer and fall. Congress still has the FREEDOM CAUCUS which will disrupt any calculus involving compromise with Democrats on even on a potentially unifying infrastructure bill. Trump and Trumpsters have responded to the healthcare defeat by blaming their most important ally, the Speaker of the House, and threatening people whose votes they need. We have not seen the last of career-risking "dumbness."

I continue to present this all as hypothesis. It will be somewhat confirmed if this time next week, we will are all talking about utterly new unforced errors and baffling diplomatic moves with unforeseeable consequences, which no one can quite believe.