Now that “The Donald” (scratch that: let’s call him 45, to be more respectful)  admits there is a possibility that Russia was meddling in US electoral politics (after receiving a classified consensus three agency briefing on it), one might expect that he — or at least his better educated surrogates (like the Dartmouth man Hinderaker)  might take a moment to reflect on what that means for the legitimacy of his claims to a mandate.

After all, the nation already knows that HRC won the popular vote by a margin of nearly  three million votes. 45’s technical win rests on razor thin margins in only three “winner take all” states — Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.  So some humility would be appropriate.

One might expect that there would be a moment’s pause, by at least the Dartmouth man, to consider whether Vladimir Putin — and a foreign power — had tipped the scales.

Nope. Not a chance. Like 45, Mr. Hinderaker tonight jumps immediately to blaming the three US agencies — for uncovering a truth. And then (in an immediately following post) Mr. Hinderaker quibbles that he hasn’t been allowed to see the top secret sources and methods. In short, no John, you can’t see a classified report, in full. So also in short — John has nothing of substance to say, about perhaps the most important development in foreign intelligence/espionage, in at least a pair of decades’ time.

For his part, 45 (like a loon!) is calling for a Congressional inquiry into how the Washington Post and New York Times came to report this truth, and do so quickly.

Confidential to Mr. Trump and Mr. Hinderaker: this is how a free press works. It is a check upon the excesses of tyrants and despots. Just read the Federalist Papers, sons.

Full stop. The two of you boys ought to buckle up for lots more of this. Four years worth — if Mr. Trump is not impeached by his own party at two, that is.