The difference between the Nixon situation and now is that there were government employees who thought doing the right, civil, just, Constitutional thing was more important than a job, and the pay that came with it. That is no longer true.
I have suggested many times that people read JFK's "Profiles in Courage." All but Bork had courage then. Nixon resigned because he knew that Republican Congressmembers had courage. Few have courage now.
In the latest “Hacks on Tap” podcast from Axelrod and Mike Murphy, Murphy (a friend of Cassidy’s) was audibly deeply disappointed by Cassidy’s vote to confirm: Murphy’s of the opinion (shared, he says, by other current or former GOP consultants like himself) that Cassidy will most likely lose his seat in ‘26 regardless, making Cassidy’s transparent attempt to save his skin both disheartening and futile.
Consultants can of course be wrong, and Cassidy would no doubt beg to differ with them, but the point is that, if ever there were a time to put principles (and the health of the country) before one’s own interests, it would be now.
Cassidy, as I’m sure you know, had been one of the few conservatives to push back on Trump, making this outcome even more regrettable. The old GOP is well and truly dead.
Yes, I do know Cassidy voted to convict. Yes, in order to get reelected, he put that interest above the health of the country. I was responding to Fred's "Cassidy should have known better." If he thinks that because Cassidy voted to convict, I just wanted to point out that that was then, this is now: He wasn't up for reelection then.
I am a Hacks regular and love them. If Murphy's right that he'll likely lose his seat regardless of this vote, it's even more pathetic.
SandyG, regrettably this is not the first time I have seen you take a snarky, illiberal tone with people unprovoked, and I must finally call you out on it. Do try to be respectful. This should be a safe space for all, and each of us here should be advocating to protect it.
Yes, it can be difficult in these challenging times, but if you feel the need to be curt again, please take a moment to breathe, pause, and reflect: in this broad cultural moment of widespread Trumpian incivility, ask yourself, “Would I rather add to the foment—or challenge it?”
Wishing you the best either way, with love in these darkest of days,
There are 2.2 million government employees, give or take, who are loyal to the Constitution. President Musk and VP Trump wouldn’t want them gone so badly otherwise.
I take exception to the statement that there no longer are government employees who do the right thing. It's the most uninformed statement I've seen. So I guess some of the "good guys" are buying into the rhetoric of Lies. Look around. Pay attention.
Once there were good guys on both sides. Now the good guys are only on one side. Once we had courageous news agencies. Now we have these former giants kow towing and paying obeisance (and large financial settlement) bribes to the bullies.
There are many unsung heros. In their small numbers are doing the work of the masses, against overwhelming odds.
Find a grass roots group and get involved, put your money where your mouth is! Support those on the front line.
curiOus, I agree with you. I myself am "curious" as to why you liked a comment with which you "take exception," and find yourself admonishing the person who made the comment, and scolding him to "look around" and "pay attention." But you're certainly right that there are still "good guys," if fewer and clustered on one side of the aisle. I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. In fact, I said Nixon resigned because some of his own (Republican) staff wouldn't do the wrong thing for him, and because "he knew that Republican Congressmembers had courage." I apologize for having omitted, and left unsaid, that Democrats generally have more courage, and glaringly so now. Not every one of them, but far more of them than of the Republicans.
This is the most substantive and helpful piece I've read yet. I am now getting way too many substack emails. This one looks like it will be one of the most valuable. Thank you!
Trump is already disregarding court orders. Some federal funding has not been restarted. Bessent already lied to Congress about “read only” access. Even though court has now ordered that, how do we know the order is being followed? in other words, if administration defies court orders, then what?
Thank you for this post and all of the valuable links! Any insight on risks/threats to the military? How will(or will he?) Trump go after high-level officers or pentagon officials? How likely is it that Trump will try to call retired generals back to service in order to court-marshall them or call for a military tribunal?
Trump has always had a weird disgust for the military, and I don’t see him not exerting power over the military while making sure those in high-rank positions have “bent the knee”.
Also, Hegseth is a scary, unbalanced and violent man who has dark religious obsessions and he’s now in a position to cause a lot of damage.
Thanks again for this post, and for being a steady hand!
Yes. We should be calling, but not only us. Everyone we *know* should call. Every "normie voter" who figures we will get them in 2026, or who told themselves and us that Trump would "calm down". All the people who voted to cut a little red tape but not for Musk, need to act now.
I think the biggest difference between the Nixon situation and now is the voters' support for the president. Nixon's approval rating was plunging. He broke below 4O in July '73, and below 3O in Dec '73, never to recover. He was at 24 two months before he resigned.
That was the source of their courage.
The politicians today are not different, the voters are.
If Americans on both sides, Trump, Pelosi, Schumer, etc., keep pushing this demonisation of the other side it is as if the two side joined forces to destroy the US. All China has to do to take over the World is do nothing that may distract Americans from their suicidal infighting. Perhaps Trump has the necessary and amazing temperament to win the electoral battle against all odds, but not the temperament to realize he won. It is as if the Americans after defeating the Germans and Japanese continued taking no punish and humiliate them after their defeat. Trumo has crushed the Democrsts, the smart thing to do to make America great is reach out to moderate patriotic Democrat leaders and voters to unite the country and further discredit Democrats like Schumer and Pelosi and many others. Otherwise, he weakens his mandate and the country. Both sides in the US seem engaged in an irrational fight. Remind me of the twi gazelles locking horns for a lion to pounce on them and devour both.
The difference between the Nixon situation and now is that there were government employees who thought doing the right, civil, just, Constitutional thing was more important than a job, and the pay that came with it. That is no longer true.
I have suggested many times that people read JFK's "Profiles in Courage." All but Bork had courage then. Nixon resigned because he knew that Republican Congressmembers had courage. Few have courage now.
Good point. Just look at bill Cassidy rolling over for RFK
Sort of as pathetic as humanly possible. And of all people, Cassidy should have known better.
He's up for reelection in '26. In a red state.
In the latest “Hacks on Tap” podcast from Axelrod and Mike Murphy, Murphy (a friend of Cassidy’s) was audibly deeply disappointed by Cassidy’s vote to confirm: Murphy’s of the opinion (shared, he says, by other current or former GOP consultants like himself) that Cassidy will most likely lose his seat in ‘26 regardless, making Cassidy’s transparent attempt to save his skin both disheartening and futile.
Consultants can of course be wrong, and Cassidy would no doubt beg to differ with them, but the point is that, if ever there were a time to put principles (and the health of the country) before one’s own interests, it would be now.
Cassidy, as I’m sure you know, had been one of the few conservatives to push back on Trump, making this outcome even more regrettable. The old GOP is well and truly dead.
Yes, I do know Cassidy voted to convict. Yes, in order to get reelected, he put that interest above the health of the country. I was responding to Fred's "Cassidy should have known better." If he thinks that because Cassidy voted to convict, I just wanted to point out that that was then, this is now: He wasn't up for reelection then.
I am a Hacks regular and love them. If Murphy's right that he'll likely lose his seat regardless of this vote, it's even more pathetic.
SandyG, regrettably this is not the first time I have seen you take a snarky, illiberal tone with people unprovoked, and I must finally call you out on it. Do try to be respectful. This should be a safe space for all, and each of us here should be advocating to protect it.
Yes, it can be difficult in these challenging times, but if you feel the need to be curt again, please take a moment to breathe, pause, and reflect: in this broad cultural moment of widespread Trumpian incivility, ask yourself, “Would I rather add to the foment—or challenge it?”
Wishing you the best either way, with love in these darkest of days,
Joyful x
There are 2.2 million government employees, give or take, who are loyal to the Constitution. President Musk and VP Trump wouldn’t want them gone so badly otherwise.
I take exception to the statement that there no longer are government employees who do the right thing. It's the most uninformed statement I've seen. So I guess some of the "good guys" are buying into the rhetoric of Lies. Look around. Pay attention.
Once there were good guys on both sides. Now the good guys are only on one side. Once we had courageous news agencies. Now we have these former giants kow towing and paying obeisance (and large financial settlement) bribes to the bullies.
There are many unsung heros. In their small numbers are doing the work of the masses, against overwhelming odds.
Find a grass roots group and get involved, put your money where your mouth is! Support those on the front line.
Cockroaches and rats do their work in the night.
curiOus, I agree with you. I myself am "curious" as to why you liked a comment with which you "take exception," and find yourself admonishing the person who made the comment, and scolding him to "look around" and "pay attention." But you're certainly right that there are still "good guys," if fewer and clustered on one side of the aisle. I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. In fact, I said Nixon resigned because some of his own (Republican) staff wouldn't do the wrong thing for him, and because "he knew that Republican Congressmembers had courage." I apologize for having omitted, and left unsaid, that Democrats generally have more courage, and glaringly so now. Not every one of them, but far more of them than of the Republicans.
Fight back with your dollars. Boycott businesses that support trump and are getting rid of DEI.
Support stores that are supporting our democracy
This is the most substantive and helpful piece I've read yet. I am now getting way too many substack emails. This one looks like it will be one of the most valuable. Thank you!
Superb article and advice. Thank you. Sincerely.
Trump is already disregarding court orders. Some federal funding has not been restarted. Bessent already lied to Congress about “read only” access. Even though court has now ordered that, how do we know the order is being followed? in other words, if administration defies court orders, then what?
Thank you for this post and all of the valuable links! Any insight on risks/threats to the military? How will(or will he?) Trump go after high-level officers or pentagon officials? How likely is it that Trump will try to call retired generals back to service in order to court-marshall them or call for a military tribunal?
Trump has always had a weird disgust for the military, and I don’t see him not exerting power over the military while making sure those in high-rank positions have “bent the knee”.
Also, Hegseth is a scary, unbalanced and violent man who has dark religious obsessions and he’s now in a position to cause a lot of damage.
Thanks again for this post, and for being a steady hand!
Yes. We should be calling, but not only us. Everyone we *know* should call. Every "normie voter" who figures we will get them in 2026, or who told themselves and us that Trump would "calm down". All the people who voted to cut a little red tape but not for Musk, need to act now.
https://open.substack.com/pub/publis324843/p/focus-on-the-normies?r=7av8t&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
This is the most sane,
intelligent, powerful
and constructive strategic analysis
of our constitutional crisis
I have seen yet.
Thank you greatly for your guidance.
We can DO this.
I think the biggest difference between the Nixon situation and now is the voters' support for the president. Nixon's approval rating was plunging. He broke below 4O in July '73, and below 3O in Dec '73, never to recover. He was at 24 two months before he resigned.
That was the source of their courage.
The politicians today are not different, the voters are.
If Americans on both sides, Trump, Pelosi, Schumer, etc., keep pushing this demonisation of the other side it is as if the two side joined forces to destroy the US. All China has to do to take over the World is do nothing that may distract Americans from their suicidal infighting. Perhaps Trump has the necessary and amazing temperament to win the electoral battle against all odds, but not the temperament to realize he won. It is as if the Americans after defeating the Germans and Japanese continued taking no punish and humiliate them after their defeat. Trumo has crushed the Democrsts, the smart thing to do to make America great is reach out to moderate patriotic Democrat leaders and voters to unite the country and further discredit Democrats like Schumer and Pelosi and many others. Otherwise, he weakens his mandate and the country. Both sides in the US seem engaged in an irrational fight. Remind me of the twi gazelles locking horns for a lion to pounce on them and devour both.