No ‘Mistake’ From This Administration* Can Be Presumed Innocent, Charlie Pierce

We are at the point now where no mistake is considered to be innocent. Every mistake is presumed guilty until proven guilty. This is why I was more reluctant than I should have been to believe uncritically the story of this woman who allegedly sent ricin to the White House, nor am I convinced that Iran is suddenly so close to building a nuclear weapon that unilateral sanctions are called for. I believe that pack o’bastids at Camp Runamuck to be capable of almost anything, and that’s not a healthy way for a citizen to behave, especially during the time of a massive public-health emergency that already has killed more than 200,000 Americans.

Nevertheless, when the Centers for Disease Control tied itself in knots on Monday, it was not hard to see the long fingers of the White House political apparatus at work on the ropes.