Sources of truth are off the table

Mark Sumner of the Daily Kos staff wrote a post about the nasty guy and asymmetrical information. This is similar to asymmetrical warfare except it is being waged with words rather than bullets.

To explain a little more… The nasty guy has information and is making sure nobody else has it. Congress is feeling suffocated by the lack of data. The administration has produced nothing that Congress has subpoenaed. Congress issues contempt citations and the nasty guy’s Department of Justice ignores them.

Yet, the nasty guy has told his Attorney General William Barr he has free access to classified info and do with it as he pleases. Which includes passing tidbits to GOP Congresscritters. We can be sure it it helps the nasty guy it will be passed along. If it will be damaging it will be hidden. Sumner explains:

The ability to selectively release any information out of context is indistinguishable from the ability to simply make things up. Trump, Barr, or anyone they are feeding information to can make *any claim* without being disputed. Against anyone. … Where would anyone turn for the truth?

In addition, because of the DoJ policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted, the nasty guy has no reason pay any attention to a Supreme Court that orders him to release documents. And if an underling is ordered to release documents the nasty guy has a way around that too – a presidential pardon.

The result of Trump's actions, in concert with Barr and McConnell, is that the United States is extraordinary vulnerable to misinformation, propaganda, and plain old lies. Because the sources of truth are off the table.

It leaves impeachment as the only possible option. But it also means that any impeachment inquiry is also likely to face a repeat of the stonewall. There seems to be no force left that can move Barr to take any step to help in such a proceeding, and no threat from the judiciary that they can’t simply shrug off.

How an autocrat in absolute control of the sources of information and the ability to mete out justice is dislodged is anyone’s guess.

I see that there is a way around the problem that Sumner poses. Treat the refusal to produce the requested documents as an impeachable offense.