slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

By Randy A. Riddle...Independent v**er, trained in US History

I’ve re-read the anonymous op-ed in the New York Times several times yesterday, and have come away with three basic conclusions.

First, and most importantly, I do not believe the op-ed was authored by a single person. The piece notes that many individuals in the administration have “vowed” to do what they can to thwart Trump’s most destructive impulses. While the piece was likely offered to the Times by a single “front”, it was probably written in agreement with and with input from more than one of those individuals.

Going public with the “behind the scenes” discussions that, in essence, the President is nuts and incapable of doing his job, is something that probably wouldn’t be done by a lone individual - if you believe the premise that a group within the White House is working to “protect” the country from Trump, then that person would have likely gotten some kind of agreement from members of the group to make this op-ed public.

Second, the op-ed’s intended audience isn’t so much the general public as it is GOP members of Congress.

The authors take pains to remind the reader that they support Trump’s agenda, which they feel has made the country “safer” and “more prosperous” and that those in the administration “protecting” us from Trump have considered using the 25th amendment as an option, but did not want to set off a “crisis”.

The only “crisis” that would be set off by such an option, would be an unwillingness by members of Trump’s own party in Congress to follow through. The op-ed encourages the reader to think of themselves as “Americans” and “reach across the aisle”.

Basically, the author is saying that if the political pressure gets to be too much for Congress and they have to do something, senior officials in the administration will cooperate on getting Trump out of office.

Finally, I think this is basically a warning to GOP members of Congress that the group can’t continue operating like this - the problems are spilling out into the public arena.

The op-ed was purposely timed to coincide with the release of Bob Woodward’s book and implies that when the book is actually released in a couple of weeks, the revelations in the book will start a conversation about the mental health and fitness of Donald Trump to remain in office. Remember that Woodward’s book was assembled from tape recorded interviews of current members of the administration. It cannot be dismissed as rumor or rumblings of disgruntled former staffers and puts Donald Trump’s mental state front and center in the national conversation.

The op-ed also doesn’t explicitly mention the “elephant in the room” for the administration - the Mueller investigation and the Russia scandal. The piece does say this group of official will continue to “protect” us until Trump is out of office “one way or another”.

That implies that the officials surrounding the President know that the Russia scandal, along with the revelations in the Woodward book, will heat up and present additional questions about Trump’s fitness for office. All of this will combine into a “perfect storm” that GOP members of Congress will be unable to continue ignoring.

My third takeaway from this is that it creates a legal mess for the administration.

By having a senior official come forward to admit that the President is unable to govern and most of his staff knows it - even going so far as discussing a 25th amendment option - it brings into question any kind of decision that Trump has personally been involved with.

Trump’s executive orders, appointments, or negotiations and agreements with foreign leaders can be legally questioned, particularly if Trump is forced out of office.

Are executive orders and appointments legally valid if the President is found to be incapable of serving?

Overall, the impression I have is that the author isn’t trying to reassure the public that the group of “resistance” in the White House is protecting the republic - the op-ed is really designed to assure wavering GOP members that they’re protecting the GOP extremist agenda, no matter how Trump may screw it up with his increasingly erratic behavior. And they’re willing to work with Congress if the need arises to get Trump out of the way to protect that agenda.

proud republican Loc: RED CALIFORNIA

Come on,Slat...Everybody who was mentioned in this Op-Ed denied everything!!!!All of them denied it!!!

Trooper745 Loc: Carolina

Crapola! A few cowardly anti-Trump liars, telling their lies to a dishonest Trump-h**er, ... and he writes a book of false BS to sell to the Tide-pod eating "useful fools" of the whacko left.

It must be horrible to have such a severe case of TDS, that you'd buy, much less read it, but I'm sure the "useful fools" will have their ignorant impeachment hopes bolstered by this fictional book of silly BS.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

As with many of my posts, this is an opinion piece put forth for comment...that's all. Besides, P-R, no individual (as I recall) was mentioned in the op-ed by name or position...except to say they occupied a high position in the administration.

proud republican Loc: RED CALIFORNIA

Yes,but on FOX they showed their pics...I thinks 36 of them...

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

I believe those were photos of all possible suspects in the administration...not necessarily suggested by the op-ed letter itself. There are even those who suggest President Trump wrote or dictated it to be sent to the NY Times. One could guess all day, but who really knows?

proud republican Loc: RED CALIFORNIA

I know you dont like President,but even you have yo admit there is not 1 boring day in this WH!!!.....Good or bad, for sure this is the Presidency unlike any other!!!

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

We can agree on that, young lady

pafret Loc: Northeast

The only elephant in the room is that Hillary Clinton, the DNC, the DOJ and the FBI as well as the CIA have been invoved in an illegal attempt to subvert an American P**********l e******n. They have subsequently been involved in attempting to thwart the government's operations and to illegally remove a Constitutionally Elected president. This is conspracy of a grand scale, probably involving the previous President who has stated that has 30,000 sycophants in government positions, capable of "resisting" any p**********l orders.

This constant drumfire of calumny and spurious accusations of insanity are all orchestrated. It is time to drop the axe on these miscreant's necks.

Peewee Loc: San Antonio, TX

I would prefer h*****g, but an ax or a bullet will do. Lethal injection drugs are getting hard to acquire. Every time I think of all those graves at Arlington and Normandy any mercy I had, vanished.

padremike Loc: Phenix City, Al

My personal observation is that I am stunned by President Trump's resilience. He is immune to the incessant Alinsky style attacks and continues to march forward. If Mr. Trump is eventually brought down for naught but his personality; if Kavinaugh is brought down by spurious 11th hour accusations, the same tactics used by Democrats on many other occasions, then to prevent extreme widespread civil unrest and violence, Congress needs to recodify the ability of elected officials to challenge a political opponent in a duel. Let's see who is willing to die for their beliefs. (Said with a little bit of tongue in cheek.)

nwtk2007 Loc: Texas

Trump is a damn energizer bunny!

And if you meant lets see who is willing to sacrifice everything, I's find it interesting the similarity in the names; Kavanaugh and Kaepernick.

Peewee Loc: San Antonio, TX

Well, Padre, we're both human and both want to take out the trash ourselves. But we have a government that is supposed to be doing that stuff for us. They (Congress) aren't living up to their duties and responsibilities while continuing to cash the checks we give them.

If r**ts and civil unrest breaks out, I've got my trash pile picked out. If the Congress won't do their job, I'm taking back my full rights. Judge, jury, and executioner. Time to cull the political herd and a few others. There are no sanctuary cities in TX.

padremike Loc: Phenix City, Al

If our politicians are not working for us then before we start another civil war let them duel it out before citizens get involved in violence. Eventually both parties will not elect cowards but only those who are intellectually honest and fearless in defense of supporting their constituents. I already know it won't work; progressives always c***t. Obama told them, "if they bring a knife we'll bring a gun."

Peewee Loc: San Antonio, TX

Sounds good to me, and I said "if" r**ts break out. I will protect those with no knife or guns and their property. Would love to see people with integrity run and win political office but then the left hires bimbos to tarnish and trash them and their reputations.

I keep having this bad dream, all the bad guys get tried and locked up, then we get raptured and they all get released. Even if they are only free 3.5 or 7 years it irks me to no end, guess I just want what I consider swift justice and I keep getting a cheap imitation of the real thing. Too many rules and regulations, lawyers, DAs, and judges playing games with the rule of law.

O'Keefe of Project Veritas just released a video of a State Dept. employee on camera saying he can't be fired and is only there to screw stuff up and slow things down. That's the kind of trash I'm talking about. Kind of like roofers who take your money, rip your shingles off and skip town.