Re:

and in keeping with the conversation from yesterday, those who put you in your job are supposed to get loyalty in return? loyalty often comes with a beating

At the very least, you are not supposed to trash the person who put you in your job. Loyalty is the expectation, but not stabbing in the back is the bare minimum.

when Ken Starr pulled me aside and said if you follow the advice of some of your other attnys and "just give up one of your friends and this will all quickly go away." you will be giving up your principles and hence your true self. I immediately knew he was special

One of my colleagues described the relationship this way: like a race car driver to a fan belt. The fan belt is critical to the race car driver's needs and he can't exist as a race car driver without it. But, eventually, every fan belt gets worn out and breaks, and the driver throws it out, replaces it with a new fan belt, and gets back in the car.

Cold---your "colleagues" ignore the fact most fan belts are indistinguishable from one another - not appropriate in this case

The choice:

(1) I decline the job soon and the press will report that I was his first choice but I declined for personal/timing reasons.

(2). I say I will do it knowing that there will be significant personal/financial/reputational costs because I like a good fight, I am loyal, and I am the best person for the job.

Timing?

I think it will be resolved one way or the other by the end of the week. If I choose option 2, then I have to go into formal vet and that generally takes 3 days.

Can we speak around 2?