So, the Right Wing apparently thinks it knows who the whistleblower is.

[MineralMan]

Several people, including Trump and Rand Paul have called for the media to print that person's name. So, why haven't those who "know" the name said it? Why don't the Right-Wing media publish that name? Why are they calling for the rest of the media to publish it?

If they know who the whistleblower is, they can simply tell us, right? But, no, they want us to say it. Hmm...

Speak up, you proud boys. You're the ones who want it publicized, so you can be the ones to tell us who it is, OK?

We'll wait right here, OK?

[tblue37]

1. Outing him is illegal. They don't want to take the blame for it. nt

[MineralMan]

2. Aha! Just as I thought.

[C_U_L8R]

6. Since it's illegal...

isn't it also illegal to ask others to do this illegal act?

[Delphinus]

22. One would think.

Just like it should be illegal for certain folks to ignore rightful subpoenas.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. I thought Rush L. already knew the WB's name too. What it is with these guys? Trying to ...

up their viewership numbers and goose their ratings I guess...

[Mike Nelson]

4. They are cowards...

... I have seen the Whistle-blower's name and photo on Twitter and Facebook... the posts are removed quickly. I don't recognize the name - not a familiar one, to me. This may be the name Rand Paul and others have... it may not be accurate.

[MineralMan]

5. I've seen the name you're talking about.

I've also seen denials that the name is that of the whistleblower. Perhaps they're wrong about that, eh? Perhaps they don't know what the Hell they're talking about. Do you suppose?

[Mike Nelson]

10. Rand, Donald and the Republicans...

... want the name said for confirmation, I'm guessing... and, if the name is not correct, they can scream "fake media!" I don't think they know, for sure... if they said the name, it could be wrong - or illegal. In the end, it's a deflection... the whistle-lower is, irrelevant, now. I guess deplorables don't see the illogical... Rand, Rush et al are playing politics.

[MineralMan]

13. Yes. It's a diversion, plain and simple.

That's all they have left, really - diversions. The truth will not set them free. Rather, it will make their fates unpleasant in the extreme. So, they're trying to pull a sleight of hand move to fool the audience while they try to make the impossible magic trick work.

[PJMcK]

15. Perhaps Republicans don't know what the Hell they're talking about?!

Of course, you're correct.

[unitedwethrive]

7. None of this makes sense...since when do you punish a witness for reporting a crime?

There is really no conceivable way that the repubs are innocent.

[MineralMan]

9. Exactly. It doesn't make sense.

Whistleblowers' names are kept a secret, to avoid retribution by the wrong-doers. There's a law protecting them. So, Trump and the rest of his merry band won't say who they think it is, because that would be illegal. But, then, they call for others to divulge the name. The irony is thick.

[ScratchCat]

11. But didn't you read Paul's tweet?

Rand says he "worked for Joe Biden" when Hunter was "taking money from corrupt oligarchs". Don't you see? Its all a scam!! The WB is just a "Democrat operative", some person who worked for the very same person Trump is trying to bring to justice for his corruption!! Its all a deep state conspiracy!!

(for the record, if the WB previously worked for Joe Biden, I will throw my hands in the air and shake my head at Adam Schiff)

[unitedwethrive]

14. It makes no difference. The WB could have been Hillary herself, and we would still have all the

firsthand testimony from those who were directly involved the the extortion. Are their people just stupid? Do they think that if a witness to a bank robbery - who then called police - has a criminal record themselves, that the bank robbery didn't happen?

[ScratchCat]

16. That's the plan, I guess

Just keep throwing out more and more nonsense to confuse the stupid. Its their MO - "fake news, I'm the victim!!"

[Cirque du So-What]

8. None of them want to blamed if it engenders a violent reaction

The 'revealer' would be remembered in perpetuity as having the whistleblower's blood on his/her hands.

[MineralMan]

12. The essential contradiction is obvious, isn't it?

Clearly, the identity will become public at some point, I have no doubt. If I were the whistleblower, I believe I'd make preparations in advance to protect myself, and then go public in the media in a massive way, spilling all the beans I had available. Then, I'd make myself impossible to find. In fact, I would be nowhere anyone would ever look for me.

Since it's unlikely that the name will remain unknown, better to get a jump on all of it and blow the entire whistle until it stops whistling, and then beat a retreat until it appears to be safe to return.

[crickets]

17. It's another distraction.

As others have pointed out, Republicans and RW pundits know not to out the whistleblower themselves because it's illegal. They know the press won't do it for the same reason. It's just something to make a lot of noise about to distract from the impeachment goings-on, especially as the damning testimony transcripts are released.

It's the same reason they're screeching about legal representation at the closed sessions. They know all of the people testifying have their own counsel present and are represented just fine. They also know that Trump has no reason or right to have representation there during this phase. It's in the rules, there's nothing unfair going on, but they can make a lot of noise all the same.

No way to refute the findings so far, no way to stop the oncoming impeachment train, so blather on about the process. It's all they've got.

[MineralMan]

18. The thing is that the right-wing knows that most people have no idea

what the laws are, what the Constitution says, or much of anything else having to do with this impeachment business. They know that to be an absolute fact, so they can say anything they want and their followers will eat it up like ice cream.

The bulk of Trump's base is ignorant of almost everything. They're unschooled, uncaring, and unconcerned about either thing. So, they're an ideal audience for propaganda and plausible-sounding lies.

That makes diversions like this far too easy to pull off, at least with the base of ignorant people they count on.

[crickets]

23. You're right, and they like it that way. They exploit it at every turn.

Edit to add: The thing that irritates me is that the press knows all of this too, and often repeats RW complaints unexplained and unadorned, not bothering to point out when the Republicans are being unreasonable. That really bothers me. Part of the responsibility of journalism is to point out these details, and often this does not happen when it should. This makes journalists mouthpieces for propaganda rather than disseminators of useful information.

[yellowcanine]

19. No facts or law on their side so they are pounding the table.

[MineralMan]

20. Yup. I'm waiting for Trump to take his shoe off and pound the podium

with it. America's Khrushchev.

[rusty fender]

21. Here, I'll publish it. It is

Donalday Trumpay

[spanone]

24. It's illegal to out a whistleblower. I'm sure their cadre of lawyers have explained that...

taunting the media is so American....