Put Up Or Shut Up

Appearing as usual on "AM Joy," Malcolm Nance on Saturday maintained

Russia has never been deterred. They put a man into the White House. Let’s just say that bluntly here, okay? They now have a working partner in the President of the United States. He is covering for their activities and that the national security establishment had to come out and do a cover-your-butt press conference just before this, shows the ineffectiveness that they have.  The president will not lead on this. Whatever his oath is sworn to, it is not sworn to the Constitution of the United States.

At first, there was a statement from Donald Trump; Jr. that the meeting was about Russian adoptions. Next, it was an offer of "vague, ambiguous" claims  of damaging information on Hillary Clinton. Later, we were told that the President had no involvement in drafting his son's statement but thereafter that he helped draft it, but with no involvement in the meeting. The line changed to Throughout, we repeatedly heard and read "no collusion," until we were informed "collusion" may not be a crime.

And now Dear Leader, almost as if to confirm Nance's claim that the Kremlin "put a man into  the White House," has conceded

Fake News reporting, a complete fabrication, that I am concerned about the meeting my wonderful son, Donald, had in Trump Tower. This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics - and it went nowhere. I did not know about it!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2018

At this rate, in another year, Trump; might be bragging that he requested and coordinated the meeting. Although comment on Trump's tweet has focused on his first admission of collusion (though not necessarily "conspiracy,"as the law requires) with Russians, a slightly different take has been offered:

Sir, I was a lawyer for the Obama campaign, transition and White House. This does not happen all the time. In fact, it never happened on our watch and if it had our reaction would have been “call the FBI,” not “if it’s what you say it is, I love it.” https://t.co/C9d7HkHS80

— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) August 5, 2018

This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics. The caginess of this remark has been largely overlooked. Elected president railing against "the swamp" (whatever that is), Trump has effectively employed bothsiderism with a claim that "they" all do it.

As Eisen evidently understands, this cannot stand. The Administration, whether represented by Sarah H. Sanders, a television surrogate, or the President himself, must be called on to cite chapter and verse.  We need to know who has taken such meetings, when they were taken, for what purpose, and to what effect.

The remark was made not only to excuse Trump's behavior. It goes to the heart of what he always has contended, thoroughly dishonestly, to do once he got to Washington: to expose the self-serving, double-dealing politicians he implied saturate the government of the USA. 

Donald Trump and his lackeys deserve the chance to expose the politicians who have taken the kind of meeting attended by his son and others, while the American people deserve to know who in this manner has jeopardized national security. And if the Trump camp can't come up with anybody, voters have a little more information to judge the man, his campaign, and his presidency.

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