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White House Bans Use of Personal Devices From West Wing (cbsnews.com)
In the wake of damaging reports of a chaotic Trump administration detailed in a new book from Michael Wolff, the White House is instituting new policies on the use of personal cellphones in the West Wing. CBS News reports: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released the following statement on the policy change: "The security and integrity of the technology systems at the White House is a top priority for the Trump administration and therefore starting next week the use of all personal devices for both guests and staff will no longer be allowed in the West Wing. Staff will be able to conduct business on their government-issued devices and continue working hard on behalf of the American people."
Wolff reportedly gained access to the White House where he conducted numerous interviews with staffers on the inner-workings of the Trump campaign and West Wing operations. Sanders told reporters Wednesday that there were about "a dozen" interactions between Wolff and White House officials, which she said took place at Bannon's request. The White House swiftly slammed the book and those who cooperated with Wolff.
Wolff reportedly gained access to the White House where he conducted numerous interviews with staffers on the inner-workings of the Trump campaign and West Wing operations. Sanders told reporters Wednesday that there were about "a dozen" interactions between Wolff and White House officials, which she said took place at Bannon's request. The White House swiftly slammed the book and those who cooperated with Wolff.
I just wish they'd go ahead and say "live it's saturday night" and end the skit. The joke has gone on long enough. It's old.
Seriously. The thing today where Trump videoconferenced into a WH press briefing when he literally sits 100 feet away from the room was surreal. I was expecting Alec Baldwin to show up at any moment.
Cheeto himself carries a Samsung phone. He mostly tweets in the relatively early morning and late in the evening. During the day, a staffer with an iphone does his tweeting, which is why those tweets tend to be better composed but also sometimes get contradicted by later statements. Most of the media seems to only consider his late night/early morning tweets as significant.
When Obama took office, he was described as a Blackberry addict but was ultimately given a specially secured Android phone that had been vetted by appropriate agencies. As far as I'm aware, his Orangeness has never given up his personal phone.
-- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
Every government on Earth is composed entirely of humans. There is no God or Aliens or any kind of higher power that is in any way involved at all.
That means that human nature is the dominating force. All our concepts of justice and what-not are only as good as our implementation of them, because there is no magical force ensuring their strength.
And...human nature is still primarily composed of inclinations towards selfishness, domination, and exploitation. We evolved this nature because we needed it to survive in a violent world. The world has changed a bit, but our instincts have not.
What does this mean? Every single government, without exception, is corrupt. Always has been, always will be. It is *impossible* to purge the corruption, because it is the direct manifestation of our basic instincts.
This does not mean that anarchy is preferable. Governance remains a necessary evil. But the necessity does not in any way mitigate the evil.
The shadow government you speak of doesn't actually lurk in the shadows. It has always been operating in plain daylight. Many people don't know about it just because they don't bother paying attention to such goings-on as industry lobbyists making campaign contributions, industry moguls becoming politicians themselves, politicians being promised lucrative positions once their term is up (inciting them to favor specific industry interests) etc. Our sloth, and our inclination to delude ourselves with optimism about human nature, prompt us to ignore such behavior. So, they don't have to hide it. They get away with it, despite brazen public displays.
You can't take money out of politics. You can't purge the government of corruption. The only thing you can do is keep as bright a spotlight on their behaviors as possible, as that will influence the public's receptivity to their dictates, and hence the level of power they actually hold.
Public accountability is *all we've got*, all we ever will have, and it will never be perfect.
Those are the facts. Now, adapt to them.
It's even worse; Bannon was officially part of the National Security Council.
Which means he had a security clearance.
Which means he very likely lied to the FBI during vetoing about the Don Jr. / Russia meeting he now acknowledges.
Yes he sure did. However when Comey called for Trump to release these recordings, he said, oh wait nevermind. There aren't any recordings after all. So either he was blowing smoke (read: lying) with his boast, or the recordings bear out Comey's side of the story. Either possibility is equally probable.
"Which surprises a lot of people who assume the executive can just dictate orders and have it done."
It might surprise you that this is just the case.
They are called Executive Orders logically enough, a scalpel best used when Congressional action is unlikely to dull it. Trump railed against Obama for signing so many... during the same period he has issued nearly twice as many. (49 vs. 26 by October.) Only such a divided Congress could allow such an Executive Power Grab. Democrats don't have the votes to overturn them, and Republicans are just fine with this... as long it is a Republican Administration. But even Republicans couldn't muster enough collusion to overturn even one of Obama's Orders. (Boehner tried, for Obama not pursuing "Obamacare" as quickly and decisively as he could. This was provocation, not Legislation. Republicans were very much opposed to any implementation. Obama did not take the bait; he would not descend to Republican levels of modern Fascism.)
Although not explicitly permitted in the Constitution, Executive Orders generally fall under the broad and loosely defined Powers of the Executive, and Lincoln is assigned Order #`1, (A dull thing regarding establishing a Court, and the Salary of the Judge.).
They can be overturned by Legislation or Court; five of those by FDR were, and a sixth was overturned under Truman. But in general, Executive Orders can be revoked easiest by succeeding Presidents. Trump is trying just that, moving to revoke any Order that came from Obama, regardless of nature or worth.
"Because in reality the white house doesn't have a lot of power independent of Congress."
You are very naive. So are most Democrats. If this was a one-person one-vote Country, Democrats would overwhelmingly hold the House, and Clinton would be President. But it isn't; as Republicans like to smugly remind us when it suits them, the US is a Republic, and some votes have more value than others.
It won't be the Democrats who oust Trump, it will be disgusted Republicans. Principled Republicans are what got Nixon to resign, so there is precedent. But the Republican Party of 1973 isn't the Republican Party of 2018. Every time one finds a possible Principled Republican, like McCain, turn him over and expose his belly to the Sun, and they _always_ end up showing their true cowardice, and end up voting the Party Line.
That's what people don't quite grasp; there is a Deep State, its roots are deep and go right back to the writing of the Constitution, and its current Figurehead occupies the throne at 1600 Pennsylvania. When Trump & Co. divert suspicion away, it's very much like the kiddie-fiddler Minister preaching against Planned Parenthood. "Here's the Gasoline, there is the Clinic. I'll look after your Children while you do God's Work."