1/ A quick memo for #DeepStateThroat, the WH NYT Op-Ed writer.

First, golf clap. Half marks. You know what you're doing in service to Trump is morally indefensible, but you're trying to "But Gorsuch!" yourself out of the ethical hole. 2/ This tells me you at least have some vague survival instinct and know that you need a marker on the board for when the walls close in for the last time.

I want you to apply that survival instinct and look to the near future.

1/ Super excited today for the "conservative" media excuses for "Why Bannon isn't a great guy but the MSM is so much worse for pointing out that Bannon isn't a great guy and the New Yorker was wrong not to destroy their conference by throwing him over the cliff." 2/ Bannon is, as I've written here, in the Beast, and in my #1 NYT best-selling book (ha!), is an actively evil player who seeks to use the rules-based society and "everyone deserves to have their truth heard" philosophy extant today in order to hack and destroy that same system.

1/ After 30 years of political, government, advertising, and crisis management experience for politicians, corporations, political parties, PACs (Super and otherwise) and associations I've internalized some hard and fast rules. 2/ Good leaders react to a crisis swiftly and honestly. Bad leaders blameshift, like, cover, and lawyer up.

Terrible leaders pretend there is no crisis, lie to their stakeholders, the press, and the public. They are frequently shocked how bad it really looks from the outside.

1/ Watch the "Cohen is _____" attacks ramping HARD from both Trump's legal team, media boosters, et al.

This is a Known Phase of Trumpism. Everyone one of you working for him will reach this spot. 2/ And of course, they'll be amplified and boosted by the bot army of a Russia, as well as organic MAGAe.

But there's a problem.

Two problems, really.

The first problem is that Cohen has paper. He has emails. He has contemporaneous notes. He has contacts. He has NDAs.

1/ It's an administration full of self-described unsung heroes, always with their own heroic narrative of how they're doing the right, smart thing, then cowering in anonymity, and oh, never resigning in protest and telling the truth.

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1020586953841004544

2/ After the fall, you'll see a wave of articles and books about how hard they fought against the madness. Many of them play this game with reporters every day. "I hate him, he's crazy, but *I'm* trying to save the world."

1/ The Mueller indictments today should serve as a reminder. He is doing the slow methodical, grinding, work of this investigation. He deals in facts, he deals in indictments, he deals in the realities of Russia's interference. 2/ The underlying predicate of yesterday's hearing was to "prove" that the entire cloud of suspicion that hangs on Trump like the reek of a dumpster full of dead rats is just the evil Killary Deep State trying to deny Trump the WH.

1/ The reaction to my CNN appearance today is perfectly telling.

The whole "politically-incorrect tough-talking-dick-swinging-fuck-your feelings-snowflake-melter" crowd is really comprised of the most brittle, fragile, insecure, weak-ass punks imaginable. 2/ The overt racial animus in many of Trump's base is virulent, widespread, readily detectable in surveys, and manifested through their orange avatar when he calls for restrictions on immigration from shithole countries, etc.

1/ Other people are mocking the lame clickservative trope that it was the *coverage* of Pruitt that's at fault here.

Let Daddy say a few words about why this is such a bad look for you, kids. 2/ First, I get it. You've abandoned every shred of conservative principles in favor of a statist, nationalist, bullying, shitbird president, so your left clean to the thin reed of - say it with me! - "Duh librul media!"

1/ Let's review the arc of the Scott Pruitt story.

Phase One: Scott Pruitt is a true conservative, a national hero, and a fine American.

Talking Point: "ALL WE DO IS WIN. Shut up, libtard Deep State Swamp RINOS shill." 2/ Phase Two: Scott Pruitt is showing some signs of adjusting to the job. What? Don't YOU need a $43,000 Cone of Silence?

Talking Point: "LA LA LA LA I'm not listening. We need a conservative warrior so coal companies can dump slurry into nursery schools so we can MAGA."

1/ I get how thrilled y'all are about the Ocasio-Cortez victory. It's interesting, but try not to outrun your coverage, Democrats.

It's a PVI of D+29. 2/ You should be happy about a young, articulate face, but I'm not sure a far-far-left socialist (not an aspersion, just a description) of O-C's stripe scales outside major metros.

1/ Look, I *expect* a 70-year old dipshit with an indifferent education and understanding of the world not to understand trade. Global supply chains, low-friction trade systems, JIT, and modern manufacturing alignment is for nerds, right? 2/ This whole zero-sum idiocy makes sense if your knowledge of trade is importing Eastern European brides and bellowing "MOAR GOLD LEAF" in your low-rent, dank casinos.

1/ On this beautiful hot first day of summer as Americans prepare for the long, sweet, season of picnics, family vacations, slow days at the beach, starlit nights full of lightning bugs dancing over the meadow, and July 4th fireworks, a few reminders... 2/ First, in the struggle to overcome Trump's outrages, evils, and rejection of American values, optimism is your friend. Hard fights are good fights and good fights are hard fights.

1/ This is what I love.

Trump knew how bad this was. He sensed it from the start, not for any moral reason, but because he has a kind of low, animal cunning for the media.

It didn't take a genius to see this coming. And yet, every Member who said nothing, every one of the... 2/ ...so called-conservatives in the Trump-right media complex who spent days defending this, days screaming about MS-13 blah blah blah and duh law now have to flip like a trained chimp to say, "Trump was right all along! His reversal shows his mercy and love!"

1/ Busy week last week, lovely weekend with our daughter, some fine meals in Nashville. With that, let's get on with the matter at hand, since Team Stupid thinks this phony "infiltration" panic is their killer app and now require a solid scourging. 2/ You know what the Trump fluffers are ignoring, yes?

They don't want to ask the first causes question, and it's pretty clear why.

The origins of so, so, so many counterintelligence operations start with SIGINT. This wasn't some political hack job. This was a rising wave...

1/ RIP Tom Wolfe, an American great, a man of letters, a deeply insightful writer with a keen observational sense of both the glories and absurdities of this last century. 2/ I devoured his nonfiction works as a young kid in the late 60s and early 70s. He had such a phenomenal ear for the cadences and characters of the 50s 60s 70s and 80s

1/ You know, I wonder if there is even a glimmer of self-awareness in the minds of my Republican friends that the Cohen story is only at about in the beginning of its first act. 2/ You know after Stormy, it'll be a long chain of other women, and you'll be stuck defending every...single...story.

None of you have the balls to go to him and tell him to confess and get it all out there.

1/ In their mind's Rudy's show this morning was fine; cementing his role as forward-facing steam valve for Trump's volcanic, psychotic temper. Flood et al will work the back channels stuff, Rudy will detonate things, Flood will quietly work the paper, the PR side will continue... 2/ ... to try to grind down Mueller, and all opposition to the probe.

The fundamental, haunting question for everyone on Trump's legal team is simple: "Can I do this while my client lies to me?"

Because through omission and commission, Trump lies to everyone.

1/ The crisis is upon us. Right now, Ryan and McConnell are convinced this is another Trump bluff, an exercise in his game of media baiting.

They. are. wrong. 2/ They're both worried that their caucus won't push to protect Mueller, and they're right...unless both men choose the answer the call of history and *lead*

1/ What with the Looming Deadline, I'm kind of head-down on a couple things, but I want to reflect a couple quick notes on the rising panic in the House GOP. 2/ The pre-game crapfest on Saccone will focus on his poor fundraising (true), his weak campaign (true), and his lackluster personal performance. They will ignore that outside groups have put $10 million into the race.

Ten. Million.

1/ The SCENE: late at night, the Allenwood Federal Correctional Facility. No heavily-barred cells here at Club Fed. Instead, the dorm room accommodations are college-dorm spartan, but not grim.

The corridor lights are dim, in keeping with the AFC's commitment to a green world. 2/ A man walks quietly down the hall, his Chacos flapping a staccato rhythm as he shuffles down the corridor. He stops before a door with a small plastic nameplate in a metal frame to one side. He breathes in, smelling sandalwood from an essential oil dispenser within.

1/ Here's why Paul Manafort doesn't flip and squeal: there's a tiny % chance Trump pardons him for the Federal crimes. (Doesn't fix state charges that can hit in NY, VA, FL) 2/ But if Manafort rolls and starts talking about the Trump campaign, Russia, Russian oligarchs and Vladimir Putin, there's close to a 100% he dies a painful death by polonium poisoning.