How our Discourse becomes “Coarsened” — as illustrated in tweets:
NEW: At yesterday’s meeting of the White House comms team, a visibly upset and furious Sarah Sanders told the group: “I am sure this conversation is going to leak, too. And that’s just disgusting." Here's what happened next, per 5 sources in the room: https://t.co/RWVqgtXqpL
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) May 12, 2018
This is widely shared, because, yeah it’s nasty fun:
“Per 5 sources in the room” is the classiest dunk https://t.co/bt5gvYp9Yd
— Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) May 12, 2018
The meaty pull-quote:
At one point, per a source in the room, White House strategic communications director Mercedes Schlapp interjected with a word of support for Sadler:
“You can put this on the record… I stand with Kelly Sadler.”https://t.co/cM6WZbhyJl
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) May 12, 2018
A source close to Mercedes Schlapp confirms @jonathanvswan reporting … adding that Kelly Sadler's remark "was not the best choice of words" but that White House staffers "have to stop turning on each other" and leaking remarks made in private meetings. https://t.co/tdPDpXgaDW
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) May 12, 2018
So… one or more of Axios’ “five sources”, as Mr. Pierce would say, looked a lot like Mercedes Schlapp, and was wearing her shoes.
At least half a dozen prominent media tweeters get to point out:
Mercedes and her husband left the WHCD (10 minutes before it ended to go the NBC party) to protest that Michelle Wolf was Mean. https://t.co/mKxX3LjRFW
— andrew kaczynski?? (@KFILE) May 12, 2018
Jake Tapper, at least, is outraged (as well he might be)…
So:
* White House won’t apologize for @kellysadler45 “joking” about @SenJohnMcCain dying of brain cancer;
* Is seemingly more offended by the leak of the comment than by the comment itself;
* Is officially and affirmatively standing with @kellysadler45 https://t.co/XbdzXjwWOS— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 12, 2018
I'm starting to suspect these are bad people doing bad things, badly. https://t.co/BzMbxRdvIK
— Schooley (@Rschooley) May 12, 2018
But the Mad Bitcher, Chris Cillizza, spots a trend!!!
Cillizza cites 11 examples. 11 come from Republicans. Journalists bemoaning our "terrible new normal" should call it for what it is. Ascribing this to both sides gives the perpetrators the alibi they need to keep doing it. https://t.co/vh4SfAtt0O
— Eric Schultz (@EricSchultz) May 11, 2018
Ergo: Mercedes Schlap posturing to replace Hope Hicks — an ongoing series; savvy journalists have been mocking her desperation since the day Hicks’ resignation was announced — becomes “Our Media Is, Alas, Coarse.”
Why complain about Trump and the other Oval Office Occupants’ lewd mockery of every normal standard of governance and civility, when The Savvy Guys can tell you that everybody does it?
Repub Venality Open Thread: ‘Normalizing’ the MonstrousPost + Comments (184)