Donald J. Trump is parting ways with his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, a move that comes as the presumptive Republican nominee faces challenges as it moves toward the general election.
“The Donald J. Trump Campaign for President, which has set a historic record in the Republican primary having received almost 14 million votes [Ed.: had to get in a little self- promotion, eh?], has today announced that Corey Lewandowski will no longer be working with the campaign,” the campaign spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said in a statement. “The campaign is grateful to Corey for his hard work and dedication and we wish him the best in the future.”Rump's sputtering, chaotic "campaign" apparatus has been embroiled in a power struggle between Lewandowski and Rump's eminence greasy Paul Manafort for months, with Lewandowski disappearing further into the weeds in recent weeks. Another rival to Manafort, national political director Paul Wiley, was canned less than a month ago.
The "Conscience Clause" Last Resort
Completing the picture of a Republican sh*tstorm blowing up around Rump's "campaign" are the rifts between the "campaign" and the Republican National Committee and, the perhaps quixotic "Anybody- But- Trump" movement's desperation plan to enact a "conscience clause" in the convention rules that would allow delegates to abandon Rump:
There will be 2,472 Republican delegates going to Cleveland for the national convention, with 1,237 needed for a candidate to secure the nomination — but those intent on blocking Donald Trump are focused on a much more manageable number: 57
That figure is 50 percent plus one of the 112-member Convention Rules Committee, the group with the power to end Trump’s grip on the GOP nomination. A victory there, said the leader of the “Free the Delegates” group on a Sunday night conference call, and it would be all downhill.
“Once it passes Rules … it’s just kind of an easy sell,” said Kendal Unruh, a delegate from Colorado, who predicted that with the committee’s approval, winning over a majority of the full convention would be easy. “They’re not going to be putting up strong resistance to this.” [snip]
Unruh specifically will be asking the Convention Rules Committee, of which she is a member, to pass a “conscience” clause to let delegates out of their obligation to vote for the winner of their state or congressional district. She said that because many Republicans are by their nature “rule-followers,” they would be grateful for “a permission slip” to let them off the hook. She said she was heartened by House Speaker Paul Ryan’s remarks to NBC on Sunday that he wouldn’t be telling delegates what to do. (our emphasis)The fact that spineless convention chair Rep. Paul "Lyin'" Ryan has signaled he won't oppose whatever rules the committee approves doesn't mean he's capable of standing up to Rump; that he isn't has already been demonstrated. It also relies on enough of these hardcore Republicans having a "conscience" when it comes to Rump; that they don't has also already been demonstrated.
It should make for an entertaining four days in July, though.
BONUS: Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog has a good perspective.
UPDATE: Apparently the firing did not go smoothly:
Earlier Monday morning, Donald Trump and his adult children gathered for a regular strategy meeting at Trump Tower. Also present was Corey Lewandowski, the campaign's embattled manager. According to one senior Trump staffer briefed on the meeting, "things went south for Lewandowski, and he was fired." Shortly after, he was escorted out by security. Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign manager, is now fully in charge. (our emphasis)UPDATE II: Another incompetent goes for mocking Lewandowski (glad we don't have that problem).
