MEDIA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The unnamed insiders who claim to be working clandestinely to resist Donald Trump are not heroes. As a State Department whistleblower who lost his career to tell the truth about the Iraq war, I am burdened by how the interviewees in Bob Woodward’s new book, ‘Fear,’ and the anonymous writer of that New York Times ‘resistance’ Op-Ed are hailed as patriots holding back the U.S. president’s worst impulses through fibs and bureaucratic tricks. Having faced similar choices, I know their approach is neither honorable, nor effective. No one should join the government to do only things they think are personally right; one serves the United States, and takes an oath to a Constitution. There is no addendum saying, ‘but if you REALLY disagree with the president it’s OK to do what you want.’ This is not to support robotic bureaucrats. But ideas, no matter how vigorously opposed, at some point change from being Trump’s or Barack Obama’s policies to those of the United States. Implementing them on a global scale, whether on a battlefield or across a negotiating table, is a team sport. Any other way is to bring on the chaos Anonymous claims to be pushing back against.”
–Peter Van Buren, “Commentary: Insider Trump resisters are not heroes,” Reuters, September 12, 2018 12:16 am