GOOD IDEA – AT 11:08 A.M. ET:  One of the major mistakes of this administration was the failure to clean house when it took office.  The White House should have been wiped clean of all Obama employees.  Appointments to key offices in agencies should have been made, putting loyal Republicans in charge.  When an assistant secretary of state position is vacant, those in that second do what they wish.  In too many cases, what they wish is what Obama wished.  From Fox:   

President Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski predicted Wednesday that the leakers driving coverage of Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting last year with a Russian lawyer will be fired, as the White House reportedly scrambles to find the source or sources.

“Anybody, and I mean anybody who is not on the president’s agenda that works in this administration should absolutely be removed immediately,” Lewandowski told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday morning.

“I don’t know who the leaker is but let me tell you this, if it were up to me, and somebody was speaking to the media [and leaking information detrimental to Trump], I would fire them on the spot, and Donald Trump will do the same,” he added.

Numerous accounts in the wake of the Trump Jr. revelations have described the White House as racked by internal drama and suspicion. In seeming reference to such stories, the president tweeted Wednesday morning: “Remember, when you hear the words ‘sources say’ from the Fake Media, often times those sources are made up and do not exist.” 

But there is little question the president’s inner circle would like to get to the bottom of the leaks.
The latest – and perhaps most serious – Russia-related controversy started when The New York Times began reporting on a meeting Donald Trump Jr., then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner had last summer with a Russian lawyer who apparently offered to provide dirt on Hillary Clinton.

Trump Jr. on Tuesday ultimately published the emails he exchanged with the contact who set up the meeting -- music publicist Rob Goldstone. Those emails describe the offer of incriminating information on Clinton as part of "Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump."

COMMENT:  Washington runs partly on leaks to reporters, but leaks can be carried to such an extreme that they paralyze the government.  Some portray leakers as heroes and heroines, and some are.  But most are not.  Most are partisans doing their bit for their side, or their little piece of the pie.  Some seek to ingratiate themselves with reporters.  It's an ugly business.

There are more leaks to come.  And if Trump should have a major success, you may be sure it will be followed by a leaked, unfavorable story.  That is the game.

July 12, 2017