FWIW, Pompeo, Pence, and Coats have all issued official statements denying that they were the authors of the piece.
Which is what they’d do…
Thing about paranoids is, sooner or later folks really do start plotting against you.
I think it’s Kelly. He’s in a position to take stuff off of Donald’s desk and he has the requisite self-righteousness. It wouldn’t surprise me if he picked up the lodestar language from Pence - or if he wanted to shank Pence due to constant exposure.
They didn’t say anything about “well known”, just that he is known to them.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s someone in a deputy secretary position. That’s more where a deep state, sorry “steady state” guy would be.
Ah that’s right - I misread it yesterday.
As others noted, he is the only one who can’t lose his job if his name is revealed. I don’t think the NY Times would risk its credibility when they know that, in all likelihood, the author’s name will be revealed at some point, possibly by the author himself. It’s not Pence. I don’t think it’s anyone on Pence’s staff.
I don’t think so. She’s, uhm, closely aligned with McConnell, who is an unabashed Trumpet.
I don’t see what about this action is “outside the scope of the Constitution.” He (The NYT tweeted that the author was a “he” so I am using that pronoun here) did not reveal classified information. Otherwise, people in the administration have the right under the Constitution to say what they will about the country’s leader.
We don’t know that Conway never took Bernstein’s interview offer to Trump. We know that Trump claimed Conway never told him about the interview but - news flash! - Trump often lies to people. He was lying to Bernstein when he said that the interview offer never made it to him. He effectively acknowledged on the same call that Sen. Graham told him Bernstein wanted to interview him. Trump likes friendly, ignorant interviewers, like those on Fox news. Trump knew that Bernstein would be informed and dogged. Trump never would have agreed to talk with Bernstein. He can better protect the idea that the book is a misinformed hatchet job if he can claim he was never even given the opportunity to correct Bernstein’s reporting.
The NY Times makes it really easy to file confidential tips with them and it is the most influential newspaper in the country. Anyone who is anyone in DC has at least a few contacts at the Times. Anyone could have submitted this anonymously. You wouldn’t submit such an editorial to a right-leaning outlet because it is more likely that there is some partisan hack on the staff who will learn learn your identity and leak it to a Republican friend.
It smells to me like a military or intelligence officer. I like Coats, as others have suggested.
My vote is Mattis; especially since he’s been known to toss around the phrase “first principles.” I see Pence or Sessions as unlikely. They have too much to lose by turning against Trump.
Woodward, not Bernstein.
Bernward? Woodstein? I knew it was something like that. Thanks.
For what it’s worth, Pompeo and Pence’s denials included strong criticism of the person who wrote it. Coats’ denial didn’t.
And in a bid to stay relevant, Carson also announced it wasn’t him. In that vein, I’d like to formally say it wasn’t me either.
Actually, I’m starting to consider the possibility that it was the Donald.
Well, Kellyanne, but at Trump’s direction.
Given that all three are functionally illiterate, I’d eliminate them from any accusation of having written anything. 
I agree. I don’t know enough about Dan Coats to consider if he might be a good #2 contender, but Kelly (a) hates his job, (b) considers Trump a dangerous idiot, and (c) appears to be sticking to the job out of a sense of duty to protect the nation. If he’s not the one who wrote the thing, I’d be willing to bet that he concurs with every word of it.
I’m sure it’s not Pence. He has cast himself in the role of consummate gentleman (even though behind his calm demeanor he’s madder than a March hare), and besides, the second in line to the presidency can’t risk being seen as torpedoing the incumbent.
I note that Kelly is not on the list of people who’ve issued denials …
(Ben Carson, lol)
I start with the hypothesis that everything the Times says is true; they have too much to lose if not (and nothing to gain by lying). So it is a high-ranking official who is in danger of losing their job. That let’s Pence out. Also I don’t think Pence is in the loop enough for it to be him. It would seem to be someone right in the middle of things enough that not following orders can make a difference. The Votemaster (q.v.) seems to think it is someone in the military. I am going to place me bets on 1. Mattis, and 2. Kelly.
He should tell the whole class, er I mean government, that nobody’s going home until someone fesses up.
I’ll assume until proven otherwise that the NYT wrote it themselves. After all, they haven’t denied it, and even if they have, that just proves they did.
Regards,
Shodan
The NYT is a professional organization, quite unlike the White House. I’d like to see the original. If in crayon, then maybe it’s Eric T.
Aren’t they dead?
It was Burt Reynolds.