Thursday
Mar142019
Ides of March 2019
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
You know what I am? I'm a nationalist, O.K.? I'm a nationalist. Nationalist! Use that word! Use that word! -- Donald Trump, at a rally in October 2018
In Wake of Mass Murder, Trump Fails to Condemn White Nationalism. Shannon Vavra of Axios: "Following the fatal mosque shootings in New Zealand, President Trump said Friday he thinks white nationalists make up just 'a small group of people,' when asked if he believes white nationalism is a 'rising threat.' 'I don't really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems, I guess. If you look what happened in New Zealand, perhaps that's the case. I don't know enough about it yet ... But it's certainly a terrible thing.'" ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Once again, when it was especially necessary, Trump was unwilling to condemn white nationalism. And why would he? He is one. ...
... Nick Confessore of the NYT, appearing on MSNBC, noted that Trump uses the same language avowed white nationalists do; for instance, both speak of the "invasion" of non-whites.
Bill Barr Overtly Politicized the DOJ. Michael Tackett of the New York Times: "President Trump on Friday issued first veto of his presidency, rejecting legislation that opposed his declaration of a national emergency to fund a wall along the southern border. The bill blocking Mr. Trump's emergency declaration had attracted significant Republican support in Congress.... The president called the resolution 'dangerous' and 'reckless.' The president was flanked by Vice President Mike Pence, Attorney General William P. Barr and Kirstjen Nielsen, the homeland security secretary. Mr. Barr said that the president's emergency order was 'clearly authorized under the law' and 'solidly grounded in law.' The president's veto, which was expected, will send the legislation back to Congress, which most likely does not have enough votes for an override, meaning that Mr. Trump's declaration will remain in effect."
David Jackson of USA Today: "... Donald Trump appeared to use Twitter around midnight Thursday to promote a website with an interview in which he explained how 'tough' his supporters could get -- but the tweet had disappeared as of Friday morning. In his chat with the Breitbart News Network, Trump said: 'I can tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump -- I have the tough people, but they don't play it tough -- until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad.'... 'I think it sounds very much to me like he's encouraging them to engage in something that's probably illegal such as assaulting people, you know behave in a dangerous way,' said Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, speaking on MSNBC. 'That sounds like a threat to me. I think it's appalling.' Social media users criticized Trump for posting the article as news was breaking about the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that left 49 people dead. On Friday morning, Trump tweeted a condemnation of the the attacks."
... Mrs. McCrabbie: It appears to me that Trump -- or a staff member -- realized it was "bad optics" to favoriably tweet about violence against "the left" right after one of his admirers murdered dozens of Muslim worshippers & posted the killing spree on social media. Bad timing, sure, but I doubt Trump's sentiment has changed. ...
... John Wagner of the Washington Post: "President Trump put in another plug Friday for a group that seeks to lure Jews from the Democratic Party, writing that 'Republicans are waiting with open arms' in a tweet sent shortly after he used Twitter to condemn deadly attacks on New Zealand mosques.... 'The "Jexodus" movement encourages Jewish people to leave the Democrat Party,' Trump wrote. 'Total disrespect! Republicans are waiting with open arms. Remember Jerusalem (U.S. Embassy) and the horrible Iran Nuclear Deal!'... The timing of Trump's latest tweet was panned by many pundits on Twitter.... 'Trump is now stoking religious division immediately after tweeting out a post-#ChristchurchMosqueAttack condolence message. Add it to the pile,' wrote Kevin Baron, executive editor of Defense One, a publication devoted to national security." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Maybe it's just me, but I do find the term "Jexodus" to be anti-Semitic.
... Margaret Sullivan of the Washington Post: "Right from the twisted start, those who plotted to kill worshipers at two New Zealand mosques depended on the passive incompetence of Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms. They depended on the longtime priorities of the tech giants who, for years, have concentrated on maximizing revenue, not protecting safety or decency.... Many hours after the massacre, a horrific 17-minute video -- showing a man in black shooting with a semiautomatic rifle at those running from mosques and shooting into piles of bodies -- could still be easily accessed on YouTube.... As violence goes more and more viral, tech companies need to deal with the crisis that they have helped create." ...
The attackers' civilized, European response to living among people not like them is barbarism. -- Tom Sullivan of Hullabaloo
... C.J. Werleman of the Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald: The New Zealand mosque murderer "represents the dangerous convergence between broken white men and extreme right-wing media, bearing in mind that 100 per cent of all terrorist attacks carried out on US soil in 2018 were carried out by right-wing extremists, with the Southern Poverty Law Centre crediting a' toxic combination of political polarisation, anti-immigrant sentiment and modern technologies that help spread propaganda online'. These kind of attacks are being carried out in increased frequency and ferocity in mosques, synagogues, and black churches throughout the Western world, with a notable common denominator: the gunmen are always white, male and fuelled by consumption of right-wing media.... Whereas anti-Semitism, anti-black and anti-Asian racism are rightfully and routinely condemned, Islamophobia remains the only form of racism that remains within socially acceptable limits. Last week, for instance, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro suggested America's first elected black Muslim congresswoman would not be loyal to the US constitution because she wears a hijab...."
Matthew Lee of the AP: "The United States will revoke or deny visas to International Criminal Court personnel who attempt to investigate or prosecute alleged abuses committed by U.S. forces in Afghanistan or elsewhere and may do the same with those who try to take action against Israel, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday. Pompeo, making good on a threat delivered last September by national security adviser John Bolton, said the U.S. had already moved against some employees of The Hague-based court, but declined to say how many or what cases they may have been investigating."
A "Charity" in Name Only. Kim Barker of the New York Times: Southwest Key is best known for its substandard migrant shelters, but "the operations of ... charter schools, serving about 1,000 students, show how Southwest Key profits off public money, boosting compensation for charity leaders and stockpiling tens of millions of dollars.... The charity has been awarded almost $1.8 billion to run migrant shelters over the last decade, but is now under federal investigation for possible financial improprieties, prompted by an article last December in The New York Times. Two top officials, including the founder, Juan Sanchez, have stepped down. And a complaint about mismanagement at the schools, which have received more than $65 million in government money over the last decade, is under review by the Texas Education Agency."
Natalie Kitroeff, et al., of the New York Times: "Weeks after a deadly crash involving a Boeing plane last October, company officials met separately with the pilot unions at Southwest Airlines and American Airlines. The officials said they planned to update the software for their 737 Max jets, the plane involved in the disaster, by around the end of 2018. It was the last time the Southwest pilots union heard from Boeing.... After a second 737 Max crashed, on Sunday in Ethiopia, United States regulators said the software update would be ready by April. This delay is now part of the intense scrutiny over Boeing's response after the first air disaster, a Lion Air accident that killed 189 people in Indonesia."
Chad Day of the AP: "Rick Gates, a former Trump campaign aide and key cooperator in the special counsel's Russia probe, is not ready to be sentenced because he continues to help with 'several ongoing investigations,' prosecutors said in a court filing Friday.... The [joint] filing [by prosecutors & Gates' attorneys] asks for another 60 days to update U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson on whether Gates can proceed to sentencing."
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Emily Cochrane & Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "A dozen Republicans joined Senate Democrats on Thursday to overturn President Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the southwestern border, arguing that the president had exceeded his powers in trying to build a border wall over Congress's objections. The 59-to-41 vote on a measure already approved by the House set up the first veto of Mr. Trump's presidency. It was not a big enough margin to override his promised veto, but Congress has now voted for the first time to block a presidential emergency declaration -- and on one of the core promises that animated Mr. Trump's political rise.... The president tweeted that he was looking 'forward to VETOING the just passed Democrat inspired Resolution which would OPEN BORDERS while increasing Crime, Drugs, and Trafficking in our Country.'" ...
... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: The vote shows the weakness of both Trump & 3/4ths of Republican senators. Those who voted against the bill voted didn't have the guts to stand up for their own Constitutional powers. It should be obvious to the dimmest bulb that if these lily-livered senators won't stand up for themselves, they sure as hell aren't going to stand up for their constituents. ...
... To-wit. Steven Shepard of Politico: "On the eve of Congress’ unprecedented rebuke of ... Donald Trump, a majority of voters continue to oppose his declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll.... [Eighty] percent [of Republicans] support the declaration and only 13 percent oppos[e] it."
... James Arkin & John Bresnahan of Politico: "Two weeks ago, Sen. Thom Tillis said ... Donald Trump's national emergency declaration violated the separation of powers and created a dangerous precedent, stating in an op-ed that he would vote to reverse it. On Thursday, the North Carolina Republican flipped and sided with Trump on the border vote. Tillis [R-N.C.] and all but one other Republican up for reelection in 2020 -- Sen. Susan Collins of Maine -- stuck with the president.... The vote underscores how little Republicans on the ballot in 2020 want to break with the president, even on an issue that divided the party and in states where Trump's approval rating is low.... 'Beware the fury of Trump,' said Dan Eberhart, a Republican donor, who added he thought Republican senators could have faced primary challenges for opposing Trump on the issue. 'Trump's grip on the party is strong.'" ...
... Tillis Dances the Trumpy Chicken Walk-back. Jonathan Chait: A few weeks ago, "North Carolina senator Thom Tillis wrote an op-ed calling for Congress to deny Trump's authority. 'Conservatives rightfully cried foul when President Barack Obama used executive action to completely bypass Congress and unilaterally provide deferred action to undocumented adults who had knowingly violated the nation's immigration laws...,' he wrote, 'There is no intellectual honesty in now turning around and arguing that there's an imaginary asterisk attached to executive overreach -- that it's acceptable for my party but not thy party.' But then Trump started looking into supporting a primary challenger against Tillis. And lo and behold, Tillis abandoned the sacred principle. Republicans could have mustered a veto-proof majority to join with Democrats and block Trump, but failed. If Republicans are too frightened to defend what they themselves regard as a vital principle of the Constitution, what confidence should we have that they'll stand in the way of Trump's continued assaults on the Republic?" Mrs. McC: That would be a rhetorical question. ...
... Denver Post Editors Admit to Making Stupid Mistake: "We endorsed Sen. Cory Gardner in 2014 because we believed he'd be a statesman. We knew he'd be a conservative voice in Congress, to be certain, but we thought his voice would bring 'fresh leadership, energy and ideas.' We see now that was a mistake -- consider this our resolution of disapproval. Gardner has been too busy walking a political tight rope to be a leader.... Gardner was not among the 12 Republicans who joined Democrats in rejecting President Donald Trump's use of a national emergency declaration to allocate funds to a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.... This is a constitutional crisis and one of Colorado's two senators has failed the test.... We no longer know what principles guide the senator and regret giving him our support in a close race against Mark Udall." ...
... True to Form, Trump Made the Vote All about Himself. Seung Min Kim & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "In numerous calls with Republican senators in recent days, the president spoke of the battle [over his fake emergency] almost exclusively in personal terms -- telling them they would be voting against him while brushing aside constitutional concerns over his attempt to reroute billions of federal dollars for a border wall. He argued that a vote against the emergency would be seen by GOP supporters as being against border security and the wall and would hurt their own political fortunes, according to a person with direct knowledge of some of the calls.... And White House aides made it clear to undecided Republicans that was noticing those who chose to oppose him -- particularly if they were up for reelection in 2020."
... Stupid Republican Tricks. Erica Werner, et al., of the Washington Post: "A trio of GOP senators crashed the White House to plead with President Trump to compromise with congressional critics of his border emergency declaration, but the president rejected their entreaties as the Senate headed toward a showdown vote Thursday.... Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he showed up at the White House on Wednesday night with Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), interrupting Trump as he dined with first lady Melania Trump. They discussed how to satisfy GOP concerns on the emergency declaration but reached no agreement.... 'With Trump everything is possible,' Graham said. 'Rabbits being pulled out of a hat are just everyday business.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Andrew Desiderio of Politico: "The House on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling on the Justice Department to make special counsel Robert Mueller's findings and full report public and available to Congress. The 420-0 vote came after a fiery debate on the House floor, during which some Democratic lawmakers were admonished for their criticisms of ... Donald Trump.... Four Republicans -- Reps. Justin Amash of Michigan, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Paul Gosar of Arizona, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted 'present.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Matt Stieb of New York: "On Thursday, Lindsey Graham made clear another roadblock to the public's access to the report: the Republican-controlled Senate. In the morning, Democrats passed a House resolution 420 to zero support of releasing the probe to the public.... In the afternoon, Graham promptly shut down the symbolic gesture, blocking Chuck Schumer's request to pass the House resolution. Graham, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, went a step further, requesting that AG William Barr should appoint a second special counsel to investigate 'misconduct' in the Department of Justice over the handling of Hillary Clinton's emails, and the government surveillance of Trump campaign staffer Carter Page."
The Trump Scandals, Ctd.
Dear Bob (Mueller): It's Friday. It's the Ides of March. So today would be a good day to drop some major indictments in your secret Russia probe. And make sure they finger Individual 1. Regards, Mrs. Bea McCrabbie
Michael Sisak of the AP: "Insider testimony, emails and other evidence show ... Donald Trump turned his charitable foundation into a wing of his White House campaign, New York's attorney general said in a new court filing Thursday. State Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, detailed her case against the foundation in a 37-page court filing in a lawsuit that seeks $2.8 million in restitution and an order banning Trump and his three eldest children from running any New York charities for 10 years."
Brent Griffiths of Politico: "The House Oversight Committee on Thursday formally requested documents from Diana Falzone, a former Fox News correspondent who reportedly was working on a story about a possible affair involving Donald Trump before the 2016 presidential election but allegedly was told to lay off because the network wanted Trump to win. Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), is asking that Falzone turn over to his panel any documents 'relating to women alleging extramarital affairs with Donald Trump, payments by the President or anyone on his behalf to silence them, or any potential campaign finance violation.'... Nancy Erika Smith, Falzone's attorney, told Politico on Thursday night that her client would comply with Cummings' request. 'A government inquiry also trumps an NDA [non-disclosure agreement],' Erika Smith said, going further than her comments on MSNBC earlier this wee when she told Ari Melber that a subpoena would be necessary for Falzone to share what she knows."
Felicia Sonmez & David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post: "A New York appellate court ruled Thursday that President Trump must face a defamation lawsuit filed by former' Apprentice' contestant Summer Zervos, one of about a dozen women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct shortly before the 2016 election. The ruling, which Trump's lawyers plan to appeal, means that attorneys for Zervos may have the opportunity to question Trump under oath in the coming months..... Trump called Zervos and the other women who made accusations against him 'liars,' prompting Zervos to file the lawsuit in 2017. Trump's attorneys have tried unsuccessfully to block the suit, arguing that the president is immune from such lawsuits in state court."
Another Aspect of the Steele Dossier Is Partially Confirmed. Matthew Rosenberg of the New York Times: "Aleksej Gubarev is a Russian technology entrepreneur who ... is best known for his appearance in 2016
Lydia Wheeler of the Hill: "The federal judge presiding over Roger Stone&'s criminal case has scheduled his trial to begin on Nov. 5.
John Amato of Crooks & Liars: "During a visit to the White House Thursday, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar openly disagreed with Trump's views on Brexit saying, 'we've a different opinion at present - I regret that Brexit's happening.' During their presser, Trump said he only predicted Brexit would pass, 'and I was right,' and brought up his wacky Turnberry presser from 2016 [during which he expressed his support for Brexit]. Trump lied, of course. Trump then blamed Teresa May for not listening to the worst negotiator on the planet. All of her deals with the EU have failed in Parliament. 'I'm surprised at how badly it has all gone from the standpoint of a negotiation. But I gave the prime minister my ideas how to negotiate it and I think you would have been successful. She didn't listen to that and that's fine. She gotta do what she's gotta do,' Trump said. Then Trump continued his support of the Brexit vote saying, 'I don't think another vote would be possible because it would be very unfair to the people who voted in that one.'... After the Irish PM spoke out against Brexit, Trump then attacked the EU, threatening severe stuff economically against them." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Since Ireland is an EU member, Trump was threatening his guest, though in Trump's defense, it's possible Trump has no idea Ireland is even in Europe, much less in the EU. Happy St. Patrick's Day & all that. ...
... Wait, Wait. The Taoiseach Wasn't Through. Luke O'Neil of the Guardian: "The Irish prime minister, Leo Varadkar, who is gay, brought his partner to a meeting on Thursday with the US vice-president, Mike Pence, a conservative Christian once dubbed 'the face of anti-LGBTQ hate in America'. Varadkar, who is in Washington this week to reaffirm the longstanding shared history between the two countries, brought his partner, Matt Barrett, to a St Patrick's Day breakfast at the vice-presidential residence at the Naval Observatory. Varadkar tweeted that he and Barrett had received a 'warm reception' at Pence's home, but in pointed remarks..., he also called out various forms of discrimination. 'I lived in a country where if I'd tried to be myself at the time, it would have ended up breaking laws,' he said. 'But today, that is all changed. I stand here, leader of my country, flawed and human, but judged by my political actions, and not by my sexual orientation, my skin tone, gender or religious beliefs.'" Mrs. McC: Varadkar is one cool guy.
I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump -- I have the tough people, but they don't play it tough -- until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad. -- Donald Trump, to Breitbart "News," Monday ...
... So It Begins. Daniel Dale of the Toronto Star: "... Donald Trump has issued what seems to be a warning of armed pushback against his political opponents, telling a right-wing website on Monday that 'it would be very bad, very bad' if his supporters in the military, police and a motorcycle group were provoked into getting 'tough.' Trump uttered the remark in an interview with Breitbart News, a right-wing website that supports him. It came, according to Breitbart, as Trump was arguing that 'the left' plays politics in a 'tougher' and more 'vicious' manner than the pro-Trump right even though 'the tough people' are on Trump's side." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Rafi Schwartz of Splinter: "It says a lot about the state of the country when the President of the United States can make a laudatory, if oblique, reference to having fascist goon squads commit violence on his behalf, and it’s not the biggest headline of the day. Nevertheless, that’s evidently where we are...." ...
... Greg Sargent of the Washington Post writes about the plausible deniability inherent in Trump's remark. This is not specifically a call to arms; Trump doesn't say the military, police & bikers should rise up & defend him but that they might, if Democrats provoke them. Mrs. McC: At this point, Trump isn't stupid enough to openly call for revolution. As Michael Cohen testified, Trump knows he doesn't have to do so. Just as his paid henchmen understand Trump's coded instructions, so some of Trump's most violent supporters get it, too. Remember that QAnon adherents think they're hearing from Trump via radio signals coming through their teeth. Trump made this remark to Breitbart. You can bet many Breitbart mouthbreathers are among those who will get the secret message. Trump knows what he's doing. ...
... ** Juan Cole: "One of the tactics of the so-called 'Islamic State group' or ISIL had been to put out calls on the internet and social media for people to engage in random acts of violence.... Some have called this random, one-off violence, which is almost impossible to forestall, 'stochastic' terrorism.... The good news is that the military defeat of the ISIL's phony 'caliphate' in eastern Syria and western and northern Iraq appears to have reduced the amount of stochastic terrorism associated with that group.... The bad news is that Trump's promotion of key themes of white supremacism, in conjunction with the billionaire Mercers and bizarre ideologues like Steve Bannon, have clearly produced a new wave of stochastic white nationalist terrorism.... A whole series of acts of terrorism have now demonstrated significant links to Donald J. Trump's resurgent white nationalism, a key component of which is hatred for Muslims.... Today, almost all terrorism in the United States has a white nationalist character, and the person promoting stochastic terrorism by the Far Right is the president of the United States." --s
Where's the Love? Joyce Lee & Josh Smith of Reuters: "North Korea is considering suspending talks with the United States and may rethink a ban on missile and nuclear tests unless Washington makes concessions, news reports from the North's capital on Friday quoted a senior diplomat as saying." --s
Luke Barnes of ThinkProgress: "The deputy director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has launched a broadside against President Donald Trump's 2020 budget proposal, saying it would severely diminish the agency's ability to help investigate and combat gun violence. The proposal, rolled out earlier this week, would cut the Department of Justice budget, which oversees the ATF, by 2 percent, to $29.2 billion.... Despite its important role, the ATF remains one of the smallest federal law enforcement agencies, currently employing roughly 5,000 people." --s
Jason Lange of Reuters: "U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday that he would shield ... Donald Trump's tax returns from Congress, during remarks that could signal the administration's approach to an expected request from congressional Democrats. During testimony in the House of Representatives, Mnuchin told the House tax committee that he would follow the law upon receiving a request for tax returns but would also protect Trump's privacy rights.... Committee Chairman Richard Neal, the only member of the House authorized by law to request the president's returns, is expected to ask Mnuchin for the documents." ...
... Alan Rappeport & Ana Swanson of the New York Times: "'Wonder Woman,' the 2017 film that Steven Mnuchin helped produce before becoming Treasury secretary, hauled in about $90 million at the box office in China.... But because of China's strict laws for foreign films, the studio behind the movie, Warner Bros., received just a small fraction of those revenues. Now, as Treasury secretary and one of the lead negotiators in trade talks with China, Mr. Mnuchin has been personally pushing Beijing to give the American film industry greater access to its markets.... While Mr. Mnuchin divested from his Hollywood film production company after joining the Trump administration..., in 2017 Mr. Mnuchin sold his interest in the company StormChaser ... to [Louise] Linton, who at the time was his fiancée. In his 2018 disclosure..., StormChaser is listed as one of Ms. Linton's assets. Since they are now married, government ethics rules consider the asset to be owned by Mr. Mnuchin. Mr. Mnuchin's remaining ties to the film industry are raising questions among ethics officials and lawmakers about whether a conflict of interest exists. At a congressional hearing on Thursday, Mr. Mnuchin was questioned by a top Senate Democrat about those continuing financial ties. The Office of Government Ethics still has not certified his 2018 financial disclosure, which is the first since his marriage to Ms. Linton.
Dartunorro Clark of NBC News: "Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross faced tough questioning Thursday from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee about whether he lied to Congress about his decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.... Ross' highly anticipated appearance before the committee on Thursday comes just days after a second federal judge said he had violated federal law and the Constitution by hastily adding the question to the survey.... Ross testified before the House Ways and Means Committee last March that the question was added at his direction after he received the DOJ request. But documents released as a part of a multistate lawsuit against Ross showed that the secretary had inquired about adding the question much earlier."
Eric Lipton & Julie Turkewitz of the New York Times: "Facing billions of dollars in cleanup costs, the Pentagon is pushing the Trump administration to adopt a weaker standard for groundwater pollution caused by chemicals that have commonly been used at military bases and that contaminate drinking water consumed by millions of Americans. The Pentagon's position pits it against the Environmental Protection Agency, which is seeking White House signoff for standards that would most likely require expensive cleanup programs at scores of military bases, as well as at NASA launch sites, airports and some manufacturing facilities. Despite its deregulatory record under President Trump, the E.P.A. has been seeking to stick with a tougher standard for the presence of the chemicals in question in the face of the pressure from the military to adopt a far looser framework. How the administration resolves the fight has potentially enormous consequences for how the United States is going to confront what a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called' one of the most seminal public health challenges' of the coming decades."
The Great Tax Con. Maria Caspani of Reuters: "Only one in five U.S. taxpayers expect [Mrs. McC: expects!] to pay less income tax this year as a result of the tax reform law passed in 2017 by Republicans who promised big savings for everyday Americans, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Friday." --safari: This abject failure is the only major legislative "achievement" of Trump's entire presidency. ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Not sure how much good an opinion poll does, since taxpayers' "opinions" about their tax bills are not consistent with reality. Indeed, the poll shows that more Republican voters than Democrats believe their incomes taxes have decreased. The poll shows perceptions of income taxes, which I guess will help politicians' messaging.
Adam Peck of ThinkProgress: "Republicans are trying to lure Jewish voters from the Democratic Party by using Israel and anti-Semitism as wedge issues and by creating a campaign -- that turns the story of Jewish slavery into something of a quip -- to target millennials.... The 'Jexodus' that Trump promoted to his 59 million followers?... [T]he entire 'Jexodus' operation is the brainchild of Jeff Ballabon, a far-right Trump campaign adviser in his mid 50s.... [T]he Republican fixation on Omar [Ilhan]'s comments appear to have little to do with combating anti-Semitism. If anything, the party has spent the last three years demonstrating a willingness to tolerate or even openly embrace anti-Semites and engage in anti-Semitism themselves when politically expedient." --s
Presidential Race 2020
David Siders of Politico: "In the first and earliest test of ... [Beto O'Rourke]'s appeal outside his home state, O'Rourke chewed through the news cycle, attracting crowds and a deluge of media attention that followed him from coffee shops to town halls to sidewalks in southeastern Iowa.... The celebrity splash that marked his first day as a presidential candidate -- his visit was preceded the evening before by a Vanity Fair cover story -- generated a backlash among some Democrats frustrated by the fanfare surrounding his launch, and by what they viewed as a double standard applied to O'Rourke in a field flush with women and candidates of color.
Graph Massara of Politico: "Sen. Kamala Harris on Thursday called out Vice President Mike Pence for limiting his one-on-one meetings with women, saying the practice is' outrageous.' Pence told The Hill in 2002 that he 'never eats alone with a woman other than his wife,' according to a profile of his wife Karen Pence in The Washington Post.... 'I disagree with most of what the vice president stands for, when he makes decisions about our LGBTQ community in a way that doesn't understand that they should be entitled to full equality and all rights under the law as any other American,' Harris said.... Harris' comments came on the heels of a condemnation of Pence by fellow 2020 Democratic contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), which was itself a response to possible candidate and former vice president Joe Biden calling Pence 'a decent guy.'... Biden has since walked back his 'decent' comment, clarifying that 'there is nothing decent about being anti-LGBTQ rights.'"
Sergeant Schultz Is Still Running for President. Rebecca Morin of Politico: “Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO who is exploring a run for the presidency as an independent, apologized to two Democratic candidates after claiming he had spent more time with the military than anyone else in the 2020 field. 'I apologize to @PeteButtigieg and @TulsiGabbard who served our country honorably,' Schultz tweeted. 'In that moment I made something that should unite us all, about me. I made a mistake and I apologize.'" Both Buttigieg & Gabbard have served in combat zones, & Buttigieg is still in the Naval Reserve. "Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and a veteran of the Afghanistan War, called out Schultz on Twitter, saying he did not see a Starbucks when he was deployed in Afghanistan." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: On the other hand, Schultz had a great excuse: “Schultz noted during his interview that 'Starbucks has built 50 stores that are adjacent and close to military installations.'” Also too, Schultz said he had become "great friends" with some military brass. (To be fair, "In 2013, when Schultz was still CEO, Starbucks pledged to hire a total of 10,000 veterans and military spouses by 2018. The company has hired over 21,000 veterans and military spouses since the pledge." Hiring vets as baristas, IMO, is not "spending time with the military.") As far as I can tell, Schultz has not served in the military at all.
Rick Rojas & Kristin Hussey of the New York Times: "The Connecticut Supreme Court dealt a major blow to the firearms industry on Thursday, clearing the way for a lawsuit against the companies that manufactured and sold the semiautomatic rifle used by the gunman in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The lawsuit mounted a direct challenge to the immunity that Congress granted gun companies to shield them from litigation when their weapons are used in a crime. The ruling allows the case, brought by victims' families, to maneuver around the federal shield, creating a potential opening to bring claims to trial and hold the companies, including Remington, which made the rifle, liable for the attack. The decision represents a significant development in the long-running battle between gun control advocates and the gun lobby."
SPLC Fires Dees for ... Something. Melissa Brown & Brian Edwards of the Montgomery (Alabama) Advertiser: "The Southern Poverty Law Center fired Morris Dees, the nonprofit civil rights organization's co-founder and former chief litigator. SPLC President Richard Cohen said in a statement Dees' dismissal over his misconduct was effective on Wednesday, March 13. When pressed for details on what led to the termination, the organization declined to elaborate.... Dees, 82, co-founded the Montgomery-based organization in 1971.... Dees' biography appeared scrubbed from the SPLC's website as news broke of his termination on Thursday afternoon."
The Guardian is live blogging the global students strike for action on climate change. --s
Adam Clymer of the New York Times: "Birch Bayh, the liberal former senator from Indiana whose work in Congress had an enduring impact on American life -- in protecting women from sex discrimination in education, guaranteeing 18-year-olds the right to vote and providing for the removal of a sitting president -- died on Thursday at his home in Easton, Md. He was 91.... Mr. Bayh, a Democrat who served in the Senate from 1963 to 1981, drove some of the most historic legislation of his era. He was the principal architect of two constitutional amendments: the 25th, which dealt with presidential disability and vice-presidential vacancies, and the 26th, which gave 18-year-olds the vote in both state and federal elections. He was a chief Senate sponsor of the failed Equal Rights Amendment, which would enshrine in the Constitution protections against discrimination on the basis of sex.... And he championed Title IX, drafting the language for that landmark federal legislation, which barred sex discrimination at schools and colleges and greatly expanded sports programs for women."
Sam Roberts of the New York Times: "Harry R. Hughes, a Democrat whose landslide victory in the 1978 election for governor of Maryland delivered a decisive rebuke to the culture of corruption epitomized by two of his predecessors, Spiro T. Agnew and Marvin Mandel, died on Wednesday at his home in Denton, Md. He was 92."
Way Beyond the Beltway
Britain. Heather Stewart, et al., of the Guardian: "Brexit is set to be delayed by at least three months, after parliament opted overwhelmingly to request an extension to article 50 on another day of divisive votes that exposed the split in Theresa May's fractured cabinet. The prime minister is now expected to bring her twice-defeated Brexit deal back to parliament on Tuesday, after she narrowly retained control of the next steps of the process. The votes, the last in a series of vital parliamentary decisions on Brexit over several days, mean that Britain's departure from the EU should not now take place before 30 June and gave the prime minister a window to resuscitate her plan."
New Zealand. Charlotte Graham-McLay, et al., of the New York Times: "A gunman opened fire on two mosques in central Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday, killing multiple people in what the country's prime minister called 'an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence.' The police said one person was in custody, but they were unsure if there were other people involved. The country's police commissioner, Mike Bush, warned residents of central Christchurch to stay indoors and the police asked mosques to close." ...
... New Lede: "Forty-nine people were killed in shootings at two mosques in central Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday, in a terrorist attack that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described as 'an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence.'" Also: "Before the shooting, someone appearing to be the gunman posted links to a white-nationalist manifesto on Twitter and 8chan, an online forum known for extremist right-wing discussions. The 8chan post included a link to what appeared to be the gunman's Facebook page, where he said he would also broadcast live video of the attack.... In his manifesto, he identified himself as a 28-year-old man born in Australia and listed his white nationalist heroes. Writing that he had purposely used guns to stir discord in the United States over the Second Amendment's provision on the right to bear arms, he also declared himself a fascist. Writing that he had purposely used guns to stir discord in the United States over the Second Amendment's provision on the right to bear arms, he also declared himself a fascist.&"
... The New York Times is posting updates here. ...
... Al Jazeera: "The Australian-born suspect who shot dead dozens of Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand, has published a manifesto citing ... Donald Trump and Anders Breivik, the Norwegian white supremacist who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011. The 74-page dossier by Brenton Tarrant, which has been described by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a 'work of hate', praised Trump as 'a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose'."
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Reader Comments (13)
It's not a surprise, nor is it some sort of case of misunderstanding, that the mass murderer in New Zealand gave a nod to Donald Trump in his white supremacist manifesto. Violence has always been a part of Trump's appeal. Just the other day he gave an interview to the far, far-right Breitbart site declaring that he's ready to call up armed supporters if Democrats continue to refuse to bow down to him.
Hints at armed insurrection, calling Nazis good people, a sustained attack on immigrants, the entire Muslim community, and people of color in general are the sort of benchmarks sought by violent bigots. And in Trump, they've got plenty to cheer about.
I've been going back and forth on the impeachment thing. I think Pelosi's position is measured and probably correct--at this time. But there is already far more than enough to kick this guy out of office. The immediate problem is the cowardice of a supine political party. Had it been a Democrat guilty of all these things, they'd have called for an express impeachment process. Hold a hearing one day, out the next. But he's one of theirs, so impeachment is an impossibility.
This doesn't mean that we shouldn't try. Okay, wait for the Mueller report. But if it comes in with a thumbs down, and proof of malfeasance and collusion, there will be no reason not to start the ball rolling.
The whole thing could take months, maybe a year or more, given the intransigence of the Republican Party, which brings us closer to the 2020 election. And make no mistake, if impeachment proceedings are brought to bear, Trump will turn this into an all-hands-on-deck call to his minions, perhaps even his armed supporters. Of course, he won't directly say "Get out the guns, boys", he'll use his Mafia don-speak to let them know his desires, then deny it all later. Maybe Rudy can sing them a Garth Brooks song.
And if he loses in 2020, despite help from Russia and Fox, who knows what he might do?
In the meantime, he's a hero to white supremacists and at least one mass murderer.
There's a lot of speculation and talk of cracks appearing between Trump and GOP senators. I'm enough of a pessimist to wonder if these are truly structural cracks or more like paint flaking off an old barn.
@AK: It's sickening. Today I was thinking of all the people who have lost credibility––their reputation in tatters. Some, actually most, associated with Trump in some way, but others, like the men who have been accused of sexual harassment, or people like Felicity Hoffman and her husband William Macy--their careers are probably kaput. And then we have someone like Kathleen Manafort: In the ubiquitous video loops of Manafort and his wife going in and out of court buildings we see Kathleen at first fresh as a daisy with a smile and a quick step; now she looks positively drained–-as though everything she ever believed in has been shattered. And in describing her I don't mean to diminish her part in it all but I did read somewhere that she wasn't aware of everything. So given all these house of cards being destroyed, the one who holds the King, the one whose crimes are triple to some others who have gone down, is the president* of the United States––plus, as you, Ak, ended your comment––" In the meantime, he's a hero to white supremacists and at least one mass murderer."
"What's madness but nobility of soul
At odds with circumstances? The day's on fire!
I know the purity of pure despair.
My shadow pinned against a sweating wall
That place among the rocks––is it a cave,
Or winding path? The edge is what I have."
–––from "In a Dark Time" by Theodore Roethke
One day after Beto's announcement that he is running for president we not only have Trump commenting on Beto's hand gestures ––is Trump not aware of his own weird hand displays?––but we have critics miffed at how Beto's wife is being portrayed–-a fair assessment I fear, but so soon out of the ball park? In this age of instant feedback and video enhancement no stone goes unturned.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/us/politics/beto-orourke-wife-amy.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
Birch Bayh––here we had a real hero–-a man whose fealty was to his country and he served us well. The fact that he was finally replaced by Dan Quayle was head scratching at the time but understandable now. GOP power ––-or as Hillary once coined it–-"the right-wing" conspiracy.
A superior piece in the Atlantic by Adam Serwer:
WHITE NATIONALISM'S DEEP AMERICAN ROOTS:
A long over-due excavation of the book that Hitler called his "bible' and the man who wrote it: Madison Grant, author of a 1916 book called "The Passing of the Great Race."
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/04/adam-serwer-madison-grant-white-nationalism/583258/
I'll admit I had avocado toast for breakfast (brunch, actually), but I still think the sick feeling in my stomach derives from the wrenching knowledge that my fellow countrymen elected a President* who inspires a xenophobic, racist mass murderer.
It is with great reluctance that I have come to the conclusion that sales of semi-automatic weapons, both rifles and handguns, should be restricted to non-whites.
The media is always going on and on about how Trump has an 80-90% approval rating among Republicans. I wish that someone would take a poll of people who identified as Republican in 2015 or 2016 and see what the approval rating would look like now. That would give the public and the media a better understanding of his support among conservatives. It would also make it clear that a diminishing minority is not all powerful.
Cheeto Veeto
It seems like every time Trump signs some bill in the Oval Office, surrounded by selected members of the press and a passel of obsequious toadies, he holds up the document, freshly scribbled gigantic John Hancock down below, to show it off to the assembled group. As if he's a five year old showing mom and dad that he can too write his name. I cannot, for the life of me, recall any other president going through this same embarrassing ritual whereat they sign a bill then hold it up and waggle it around in this fashion.
I did a Google search for comparison. You can too. Google "Reagan signs a bill", "Bush signs a bill", "Clinton signs a bill", hell, "Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act". None of these image searches, and I mean not a one, shows a past president holding up the document to show off like a good little boy who has just finished his homework and now, can he please go back to his room and watch Fox? No one. Then search "Trump signs a bill". Dozens of pictures of him showing off his yuuuggeee signature.
Likewise the just signed veto, designed to allow him to swipe money for a ridiculous, incredibly expensive, and unnecessary vanity project, funding rejected by Congress, which means he's stealing money from other sources. Trump is always bellowing about how he's the first to do this and the best to do that. Mostly it's a lie. But in this case, he truly is the first president to ever declare an emergency to purloin money that was denied to him via the Constitutional powers given to Congress.
He must be very proud of himself.
RAS - another interesting stat would be the percentage of the population that identifies as Republican. 80% sounds like a lot of people - but 80% of 20% of the population is a much smaller number.
On Trump's fake national emergency, I have two predictions. One, the Supremes will allow it if the suits get there: the right-wing majority will argue that Congress is the remedy, & since Congress (as anticipated) did not override Trump's veto, then the "sense of the Congress" is that the wall "emergency" is good. Two, the wall is never going to happen, unless Americans elect another white nationalist: Trump may move around money, but he won't be able to break ground in two years, and probably not even in six; the whole project will be held up in the courts as various groups sue & landowners fight eminent domain.
@Rocky Girl: The number of voters who self-identify as Republicans is ticking up. It was at 30% in February, same as Democrats. So Trumpbots are still only 24 percent of voters, by that calculation. However, a big chunk of self-IDed independents are really Republicans, which partly explains why Trump's approval rating remains steadfastly in the low 40s.
@Bea - Ugh. But you are right - many "independents" are really Republicans who are too embarassed to admit it.
Dear children: a sick feeling in the stomach does not half describe what I feel every day when I see that man sitting up there not doing anything good, supporting white supremacists, and just in general making me want to absolutely barf or do something violent. There is no one on earth that has ever made me feel that way, and I resent it. How I hate that abhorent shithead and everyone in his rallies, and that b**** in my own company, whom I will never look at in the same way when I see her coming in from smoking, smelling like an ashtray. I used to think most people were good. I don't think that anymore. He really deserves nothing good to happen to him and I am still waiting. Not enough alcohol in the world helps with this...