One of NewsBusters' classification categories is "Covert Liberal Activists," and my antennae immediately went up when Lauren Leader was introduced on today's Morning Joe as "co-founder and CEO of All In Together, "a non-partisan, women's civic and political organization."
It didn't take much digging to determine that "non-partisan" Leader and her All In Together sidekicks are liberals.
The topic of the opening segment was the chaotic border-crossing attempts yesterday, and President Trump's authorization to use force, lethal if necessary, to prevent illegal entry. Of all the panelists, including steadfast liberals like Mike Barnicle and John Heilemann, "non-partisan" Leader was the most impassioned in her condemnation of President Trump. Not surprising given that she had already, via tweet, accused Trump of an "atrocity" in the matter.
Leader then took matters an astounding step further, calling on the military, and in particular Defense Secretary Gen. James Mattis, to disobey the orders of the Commander-in-Chief:
"We are not a military dictatorship. And the military does have a certain level of independence. He is the Commander-in-Chief, but the military also does have authority to decide for themselves whether there are moral lines that they will or will not cross. And I hope [Mattis] will stand up and absolutely refuse to enforce these illegal actions."
Note: Leader earns her living advising Fortune 500 companies on "diversity" issues. One of her All Together co-founders is even more overtly political: Edda Collins Coleman worked for the DNC, and for Dem Virginia Governor Mark Warner. Courtney Emerson is also a "diversity" pro, who "advised Fortune 500 and global companies on the design and delivery of diversity and inclusion initiatives." She formerly worked for the ACLU.
And in a pre-election column urging women to get to the polls, Leader mentioned that her young daughter "canvassed with me in 2016, helped me set up lawn signs last year." It would be interesting to know which candidates the "non-partisan" Leader was supporting.
Another clue as to Leader's liberal leanings. Questioning whether the immigrants "actually threw rocks," she cites . . . NPR reporting that things were "relatively peaceful except that, obviously, they were trying to break through." When people are trying to illegally "break through" a border, there is nothing "relatively peaceful" about it.
Partial transcript below:
WILLIE GEIST: Also with us, author Lauren Leader, who's co-founder and CEO of 'All In Together', a non-partisan women's civic and political organization . . . So Lauren, you have a boiling, ugly situation at the border where the President has granted the authority to use lethal force, the border patrol yesterday showed willingness to use tear gas against people who were throwing rocks allegedly, and trying to come over the border. Where do we go from here in this situation? What if many of these migrants cross the border and there is a military confrontation?
LAUREN LEADER: First of all, it's illegal and it's immoral above all else. It's absolutely, profoundly immoral . . . And actually, Kirstjen Nielsen [Secretary of Homeland Security] could have resigned when the President asked her to ask ICE to rip children out of the arms of their parents in the last round of appalling, so-called border security...
The only question is whether or not anyone actually threw rocks yesterday. NPR is reporting that it was actually relatively peaceful except that, obviously, they were trying to break through and get through, because their waits are impossible: it's a nightmare situation.
. . .
GEIST: You have to wonder where James Mattis, again, is in this. The Defense Secretary, the decorated general. What does he think about soldiers with live ammunition being given lethal-force authority at the border.
LEADER: Well, my understanding is that he thinks it's absolutely unacceptable and it's not going to happen. . . We are not a military dictatorship. And the military does have a certain level of independence. He is the Commander-in-chief, but the military also does have the authority to decide for themselves where there are moral lines that they will or won't cross. And I hope he will stand up and absolutely refuse to enforce these illegal actions.
. . .
We're going to ask them to go shoot unarmed women and children at the border? I mean, it's a catastrophe on every level . . . I would be shocked if Mattis allowed this to happen.
