“For the past two and a half years of Donald Trump’s Presidency, I have consoled myself with the argument that, despite all the chaos and narcissism and racial incitement and norm-shattering, the American system of government is holding itself together. When Trump attempted to introduce a ban on Muslims entering the country and sought to add a citizenship question to the census, the courts restrained him. When he railed at nato and loyal allies like Germany’s Angela Merkel, other members of his Administration issued quiet reassurances that it was just bluster. When the American people had the chance to issue a verdict on Trump’s first two years in office, they turned the House of Representatives over to the opposition party.

”All of this was reassuring. But, while watching what happened on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, when Robert Mueller, the former special counsel, testified before two House committees, I struggled to contain a rising sense of dread about where the country is heading. With Republicans united behind the President, Democrats uncertain about how to proceed, and Mueller reluctant to the last to come straight out and say that the President committed impeachable offenses, it looks like Trump's blitzkrieg tactics of demonizing anyone who challenges him, terrorizing potential dissidents on his own side, and relentlessly spouting propaganda over social media may have worked. If so, he will have recorded a historic victory over the bedrock American principles of congressional oversight and equality before the law.“

— John Cassidy, ”Why the Mueller Hearings Were So Alarming,“ The New Yorker

Can't agree more. I listened to the hearings this morning as I was making coffee and unloading the dishwasher (I'm on the west coast), and the Republicans kept attacking and spinning, the Democrats didn't attack at all, and Mueller remained as tight-lipped as possible.

I go back to Ben Bradlee via William Goldman: ”Goddamnit, when is someone going to go on the record on fucking story!?!"

Or, in the case of anyone in the GOP, wake the fuck up and try to save what's left of this country.