True Authoritarian Moves

Last week's firings were nothing compared to this.  The firing of Andrew McCabe from the FBI on Friday night was a true authoritarian move.  A review process that normally takes a year or more was rushed through in days, primarily it seems to deny McCabe his pension.  He had already given up his position, and he was on leave until the moment he could retire with full pension, which was twenty-six hours away at the time he was fired.

So to the usual bullying and thugery there is added vengeance and attempted intimidation.  A message presumably for anyone else who dared to cross the antipresident, the Homegrown Hitler in the making.

Obviously the antipresident and his craven minions are attacking the legitimacy of the FBI and special prosecutor Robert Mueller.  While attempting to intimidate anyone in Washington who doesn't fall in line, it seems designed to feed the political frenzy of the extreme right.

What is the end game?  The most immediately goal is to escape the consequences of various criminal acts by the antipresident and his family members.  With that out of the way, and with the ongoing purge of the federal government, and intimidation of Congress, the authoritarian presidency can truly begin.

What is the next move?  Jonathan Chiat is among those who remain convinced that it's firing Mueller and shutting down his investigations.  Another possibility is that the antipresident will issue preemptive pardons for himself and his family members now being investigated.   Having beaten the drum of calling the FBI and this investigation politically biased and out to get him, he can justify these pardons as justice.

Then after either (or both) of those, precipitating crisis in the world would be a big enough distraction, and war would be even better since it always consolidates the leader's power.  It's a series of huge risks, but the antipresident seems in the mood for them.  Only he and maybe Mueller know how close to nothing he has to lose by risking the country and the world.

Last week's firings were center ring shows in the tragic circus we're getting way too used to.  The House Republican "intelligence" committee report officially makes the Republican Party the equivalent of the Soviet Communist Party in the days of the Soviet Union: whatever the "chief executive" says is true, and has always been true.

But now the serious stuff involved in the Russia investigation is coming faster and faster, with McCabe free to go public, Comey's book coming out, and new revelations by the hour. And if Mueller sees what Chait does, there could be news from him soon, too.

Even an aspect of the investigations that seemed dormant (Cambridge Analytica and the targeting of voters) has exploded with two revelations, illegal harvesting of voter information and a very suspicious link to Russian meddling. The account of the oil company asking about targeting voters rather than customers is as chilling to read as the accounts of the 9/11 terrorists taking flying lessons, but no need to learn how to land.

Sunday Update: After the antipresident's internet invective, Chiat's prediction looks stronger.  Congressional Republicans didn't flinch at the apparent abuse of power in the McCabe firing, and their reactions to the prospect of the special prosecutor being fired seemed mixed, with some news outlets emphasizing their warnings against it, others their reluctance to act, and others split the different.

With the latest polling showing the Dems with a 10 point lead in generic ballot for 2018, the pressure on the antipresident may be to make his move sooner rather than after the elections.