What is this "compartmentalization" you speak of?
by digby
When President Clinton was impeached he continued with the job of president and worked with a House and Senate majority which had been relentlessly investigating him for everything under the sun for more than six years. It was often said that he was a master at "compartmentalization."
Here he is explaining that in 1998. (C-Span embed doesn't work ... here's the link.)
Dan Rather: When you talk to members of Congress about impeachment, what do you tell them?
Clinton: First of all I have received a large number of calls from House members and I have tried to return those calls. I haven't been able to return them all because we have other things to do. But I'll try to return the rest of them today.
But I think the vote should be a vote of principle. It's up to others to decide what happens to me. And ultimately it's going to be up to the American people to make a clear statement there.
What I am more concerned about today by far is that they cast some votes necessary to advance the cause of our people. The most important votes they have to cast are on the funding of the International Monetary Fund so we can continue our economic prosperity. On the budget, so we don't raid social security, on the surplus until we fix social security. They still have a chance to do something for education. This Congress has killed campaign finance reform, the minimum wage and tobacco legislation, even killed the patient's bill of rights. But they can still do something on education, they can still help save social security, they can still help keep our economy going, they can still stop the war on the environment that's hidden in so many of these bills.
That's got to be my focus in these closing days. What happens to me I think ultimately will be for the American people to decide. I owe them my best efforts to work for them, and that's what I'm going to do.
And then there's Trump:
Trump's stunt walking away from the infrastructure talks today was premeditated. He thinks he'll win by holding his breath until he turns blue. And I suppose his people will think it makes him look strong. But I'd guess at least a few swing voters will find this juvenile behavior less than appealing. At best it looks like crude blackmail. At worst, it makes the charge of cover-up all the more obvious.
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