“Nothing says “drain the swamp” like implementing a pure political patronage system.... Banana republic stuff.”
True, but we are in a banana republic. That makes this tricky. You can’t leave assassins and insurgents in their place. Trump’s failure was that he was always merely responding and trying to minimize damage. No coronavirus testing kits? You’re fired Deborah Brix. You lied about masking policy? You’re fired Anthony Fauci.
What IDIOT asks for Comey’s loyalty? Either he upholds the law or he doesn’t. Comey didn’t. Fire him. If Comey HAD pledged his loyalty to Trump, Trump couldn’t trust him any more than a mistress could trust her lover (and for the SAME REASON!)
And I don’t reserve this only for villains. I actually think Sessions was a very decent man. But he was utterly the wrong man for the job at AG. Trump should have told him, “can you be my AG, or not? If you feel you’re too compromised, resign. I’ll regret having to do it, but I’ll find a new AG. But you’re not going to wear the crown while you let Rosenstein run the Justice Department.”
In the end, he didn’t choose altar boys... or even decent people. He picked suck-ups. And suck-ups are ALWAYS going to but it off when they can. And he still doesn’t get it.
“but it off” = “bite it off.”
Actually, come to think of it, Sessions should’ve fired Comey. There were two high-ranking Senators in Trump’s power circle, Sessions and Pence. Both were sincere Christians. But both were confrontation-averse. More Mister Rogers Christians than St. Peter “Well, then hang me upside-down!” type Christians. Given the wars he recklessly flew off into battle, he needed warriors, and he got diplomats. He got lambs when he needed men as cunning as wolves. He needed someone to point out his enemies, and he got hand-holders.
DECENT MEN! These aren’t evil traits! We need people to tame the wolves, but when wolves are plotting to tear your flock apart, you look downright sinister if you’re found petting them!