Lesson learned: If you’re writing a piece on how fast a secret can get blown in Washington, move quickly. I sat down last night and wrote a piece that began with this:

Just wondering: Given how obvious Anonymous’s column was, from the left’s perspective, could it be a fake?

It would topple The Times if it were found out to be. At least as much as CBS News got toppled by Dan Rather’s falsehoods, at any rate. 

Now there’s this, as of this morning:

1) LMFAO. #NYTOpEd, well, #fudgerule is officially happening.

The big scoop on it?

It was 'done through an intermediary.' As in, the racist @nytimes NEVER HAD DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE WRITER. No, the INTERMEDIARY is someone "who I trust and I know well." https://t.co/jYqBVJgP2t

— Kyle (@HNIJohnMiller) September 6, 2018

Still I doubt the scandal could ever have sticking power. There’s too much working against it. “Timesgate” just doesn’t have that ring to it, and “Sulzbergergate” is too hard to spell.

But we still don’t know who Anonymous is. Tucker Carlson thinks he knows who it is. Folks are placing bets on who they think it is. Assorted establishment Republicans in the White House are racing to say “We’re not who it is!”

Meanwhile, I’m worried: Will the word “anonymous” survive this? I mean, will the word ever really mean anonymous again, once we know who Anonymous is? Or will “anonymous” just become “synonymous” with “coward”?

Tough Times Ahead for the Poor Perp

Of course I’m even more concerned about how this will affect the White House. Assuming Anonymous is still somewhat anonymous by the time this gets published — and assuming it’s a real Administration insider — you can bet the president’s Cabinet is split among those who know, those who don’t know, and those who think they can make a good guess. I never thought of Cabinet hallway confabs as gossip sessions before. It’s hard not to now, though. “Hey, did you hear how long Betsy DeVos had her door closed the other day? What was she doing in there?” 

And what would you do if you were Trump? He’s not given to cowering under a siege mentality. Sure, he’s complains about attacks from the media, but it seems more like he enjoys the game than he’s threatened by it. But this, now — this is different. This is internal betrayal and treachery at the highest levels. (As one ex-White House aide told the Washington Post, “It’s like the horror movies where everyone realizes the call is coming from inside the house.”)

No need to stand and wait for “You’re fired!” — for this will certainly turn out to be a seriously career-limiting move for the writer. Other than the book deal, that is, and the speaking gigs, the on-air consulting jobs, and the JFK School of Government professorship. I see tough times ahead for the perp.

Unless it’s a fake. I doubt it is. In fact I predict we’ll know who’s responsible inside of a week. This secret won’t last like Deep Throat. The pool of possible suspects is too small and too prominent. Still, knowing how much people love to tell juicy insider tales, I’d say the longer Anonymous’s identity remains unknown, the more I’m going to suspect it’s not real after all.

Some Questions

Which leads to a few follow-up questions:

First, am I right to expect the writer, if real, is going to have a hard time staying hidden — even before the CNN gig goes public? 

Second, how many people would agree with me that if the writer isn’t revealed soon, the thing may not be real? What effect might that public perception have on the op-ed’s credibility? I mean among people who are willing actually to think about it. Not liberals, in other words.

Not meaning to impugn their willingness actually to think, mind you; it’s just that, well, Why should they even care who wrote it? They believed it with all their hearts long before it was published. For them it was an exercise in needless redundancy in needless redundancy. 

Third, if this really was written by a cabinet member, how stupid was he or she not to see these kinds of questions and possibilities coming? 

Probably not that stupid. Here’s a final question. Assuming this really was written by a high Administration official, how much good is it likely to accomplish politically? Not much, as just about anyone with sense could see. As I’ve said, there’s no real news in it. How much is it likely to make the person in book sales? Gazillions, as even liberals could see.

Follow the money, as they say. The book will be published under someone’s real name. So worry not: It won’t be long before we learn who Anonymous is.