The Washington Post offers tips on how to keep your EV battery running in frigid temperatures. The link at the end of this graf is supposed to be a "gift link" (from me, Marie Burns, the giftor!), meaning that non-subscribers can read the article. Hope it works: https://wapo.st/3u8Z705
Tuesday
Jul302019
The Commentariat -- July 31, 2019
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
Jeff Cox of CNBC: "The Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark rate by a quarter point Wednesday as an insurance policy not against what's wrong with the economy now, but what could go wrong in the future. It was the first rate cut by the central bank in more than a decade. Amid ... Donald Trump's intense political pressure and persistent market expectations, the policymaking Federal Open Market Committee dropped the target range for its overnight lending rate to 2% to 2.25%, or 25 basis points from the previous level." ...
... Fed Tries to Protect Economy from Trump. Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: "The widely expected quarter-point move, the Fed's first since it cut rates to near zero in 2008, is meant to protect the economy against the potentially harmful effects of a growth slowdown in China and Europe and uncertainty from President Trump's trade war." ...
... Fred Imbert of CNBC: "Stocks fell to their lows of the day on Wednesday as the top Federal Reserve official dampened hopes for further rate cuts later this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 245 points lower, or 0.9%. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite slid 0.8% and 0.8%, respectively. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters the central bank's rate cut was a mid-cycle adjustment,' hinting that further rate cuts later this year are not a sure thing."
Moscow Mitch's Minions. Natasha Bertrand & Theodoric Meyer of Politico: "Two former top staffers to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have lobbied Congress and the Treasury Department on the development of a new Kentucky aluminum mill backed by the Russian aluminum giant Rusal, according to a new lobbying disclosure. The disclosure comes as Democrats are pushing the Trump administration to review Rusal's $200 million investment in the Kentucky project -- concerned that the mill will supply the Defense Department -- and as McConnell weathers criticism for helping block a congressional effort to stop the investment.... The Russian firm was only able to make the investment after it won sanctions relief from penalties the Treasury Department initially imposed in April 2018 on Rusal and other companies owned by Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch and Kremlin ally accused of facilitating Moscow's nefarious activities, such as seizing land in Ukraine, supplying arms for the Syrian regime and meddling in other countries' elections. Attention over the sanctions relief deal have specifically focused on McConnell, given his role in halting a bipartisan congressional effort to stop the penalties rollback. McConnell told reporters in May that his support for lifting the sanctions was 'completely unrelated to anything that might happen in my home state.'"
Frances Robles & Patricia Mazzei of the New York Times: "The ousted governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo A. Rosselló, chose his successor on Wednesday, nominating Pedro R. Pierluisi, who formerly represented the island in Congress, to serve as secretary of state. The move positions Mr. Pierluisi to take over as governor when Mr. Rosselló's resignation becomes effective later this week.... If he is confirmed by the territory's House and Senate, Mr. Pierluisi's nomination would settle the complicated succession question that has thrown the island into uncertainty in the days since Mr. Rosselló's unprecedented resignation.... But Mr. Pierluisi's confirmation seems far from certain, as a tense power struggle continues inside the ruling New Progressive Party, which supports Puerto Rican statehood. The powerful Senate president, Thomas Rivera Schatz, a contender for the secretary of state job himself, let it be known before the nomination was even official -- by calling a well-known local radio host -- that Mr. Pierluisi would not have enough votes to win confirmation in the Senate."
~~~~~~~~~~
2020 Presidential Race
CNN will host the second of two Democratic presidential debates tonight. New York: "Airing from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., [the debates tonight & Wednesday] will be available to stream online at CNN.com for free, no cable login required." Candidates debating tonight are Bennet, Biden, Booker, Castro, de Blasio, Gabbard, Gillibrand, Harris, Inslee & Yang.
... Click thru to Part 2.
Alexander Burns & Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "The leading liberals in the Democratic presidential primary, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, strenuously fought back on Tuesday against accusations of making fanciful promises and imperiling the party's prospects against President Trump, as a group of moderate underdogs sought to slow their momentum in the second round of debates.... Both [Bernie Sanders] and [Elizabeth] Warren depicted skeptics of single-payer health care as being in league with the G.O.P.: Mr. Sanders accused a CNN moderator, Jake Tapper, of using a 'Republican talking point' when raising questions about his plan, and noted that 'the health care industry will be advertising tonight on this program.' In a similar complaint, Ms. Warren urged Democrats to 'stop using Republican talking points' on the issue."
Bridget Read of New York: “The debate was plagued by unidentifiable moderate Guys -- John Hickenlooper, John Delaney, Steve Bullock, Tim Ryan, like the roll call at a Rotary Club meeting -- who came ready to pontificate vaguely about the dangers of socialism and 'radical politics' and, if you're Bullock, how you want to create a 'Machinery Officer' and 'dominate the battery market.' This left the politicians with visions beyond 'I'm not Trump,' like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, to respond to their squabbling instead of focusing solely on where they stand on actual issues. And with moderators like Jake Tapper interrupting with curt 'Thank you's like an RA, even substantive discussions were largely cut off."
"Elizabeth Warren's Big Night." David Graham of the Atlantic: "As [Jake] Tapper noted, Democratic voters have told pollsters they prefer a candidate who will beat Donald Trump to a candidate they agree with ideologically. Warren argued that was a false choice":
I know how to fight and I know how to win.... I took on giant banks and I beat them. I took on Wall Street, and CEOs, and their lobbyists and their lawyers, and I beat them. I took on a popular Republican incumbent senator, and I beat him. I remember when people said Barack Obama couldn't get elected. Shoot, I remember when people said Donald Trump couldn't get elected.... There is a lot at stake, and people are scared. But we can't choose a candidate we don't believe in just because we're too scared to do anything else. And we can't ask other people to vote for a candidate we don't believe in. Democrats win when we figure out what is right and we get out there and fight for it. I am not afraid, and for Democrats to win, you can't be afraid either.
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Ashley Feinberg of Slate: "CNN, being the enterprising cable network that it is, wasn't about to let [the cumbersome debate format] stop it from actively making the night as dumb as humanly possible. And so the moderators peppered the candidates with questions that were evidently designed to produce bad answers in the short format. Question after question was framed up from the ideological perspective of a Heritage Foundation intern or otherwise crafted as a gotcha to generate a 15-second clip for Republican attack ads down the line." Feinberg "translates" some of the question, many of which boil down to "Why are you so far-left?"
New York Times reporters are liveblogging Tuesday's Democratic presidential debates.
Adam Raymond of New York: "Democratic presidential candidate and billionaire activist Tom Steyer will not be onstage at either of this week's primary debates. But that won't stop him from making sure his pet issue of impeachment gets attention. Need to Impeach, a group Steyer started before getting into the race, has purchased airtime on CNN and MSNBC before and after the debates, Politico reports. It will air a 30-second ad cut together from Robert Mueller's testimony to Congress last week. The ad shows Mueller providing quick answers (his hesitation was edited out) to a series of questions from Democratic House members": ...
Catherine Kim of Vox: "... Donald Trump is now required to release his tax records if he wants to be on the California primary ballot -- a regulation he'll most likely fight in court. California Gov. Gavin Newson signed a law on Tuesday that requires all presidential candidates to turn over five years' worth of income tax filings by November in order to secure a spot in the March 3 primary. The financial documents will then be posted online with sensitive, personal information redacted. One catch: The law technically does not bar a candidate from appearing on the general election ballot in 2020. (So Trump could theoretically avoid disclosing them or fighting a court battle over the law by forsaking California's delegates in an uncontested primary, knowing he'd still get the GOP's nomination.)... Although the bill doesn't specifically name Trump, lawmakers have made it clear that he's the target."
"Trade Wars Are Easy to Win." Ana Swanson & Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: "As trade talks between the United States and China resumed on Tuesday in Shanghai, President Trump began playing down the likelihood of a deal before the 2020 election. The president's comments, which came as top negotiators from the two countries were sitting down to dinner at the Fairmont Peace Hotel, underscored the diminishing prospects for a transformative trade deal anytime soon and the extent to which the bilateral relationship has not unfolded in the way that Mr. Trump expected.... [Trump] seemed to veer between goading China to quickly accede to America's demands and suggesting the country could get a better deal if it waits and a Democrat wins the 2020 presidential election." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: The contrast between Trump's boasts & his failures would be comical if those crashing failures did not hurt millions of Americans & others around the world.
Peter Baker & Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Trump resumed his attacks on Baltimore and its congressman on Tuesday as African-American state lawmakers from Virginia planned to boycott his scheduled speech commemorating the 400th anniversary of representative democracy in the Western Hemisphere. Mr. Trump again disparaged Representative Elijah E. Cummings.... 'Baltimore is an example of what corrupt government leads to,' Mr. Trump told reporters as he left the White House for the event in Virginia. 'I feel so sorry for the people of Baltimore, and if they ask me, we will get involved.' Mr. Trump offered no evidence of corruption nor did he explain on what he based such an accusation.... Facing questions about his apparent willingness to divide his supporters and opponents along racial lines in recent days, Mr. Trump insisted that he was the 'the least racist person there is anywhere in the world.' Then he called the Rev. Al Sharpton, another recent adversary, 'a racist.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Describing oneself (or someone else) as "the least racist person there is anywhere in the world" is, simply by the construction of the boast, a lie. ...
... All the African-Americans Are Calling the White House to Thank Trump. Steve Benen of MSNBC: President Trump said during a Q&A outside the White House Tuesday, "'What I've done for African Americans, no president, I would say, has done.' Unfortunately, Abraham Lincoln was unavailable for comment.... '... They are so happy, because I get the calls. They are so happy at what I've been able to do in Baltimore and other Democratic run corrupt cities. The money has been stolen.... And the African-American community is so thankful. They call me and they say, "Finally, somebody is telling the truth."'... This is, of course, the same president who recently denied the existence of 'racial tension' in the United States, adding that he has 'fantastic relationships with the African-American community' -- despite a 13% approval rating among black voters.... It's a safe bet that Trump was describing made-up conversations." ...
... Washington Cathedral: "This week, President Trump crossed another threshold. Not only did he insult a leader in the fight for racial justice and equality for all persons; not only did he savage the nations from which immigrants to this country have come; but now he has condemned the residents of an entire American city.... When such violent dehumanizing words come from the President of the United States, they are a clarion call, and give cover, to white supremacists who consider people of color a sub-human 'infestation' in America. They serve as a call to action from those people to keep America great by ridding it of such infestation. Violent words lead to violent actions. When does silence become complicity? What will it take for us all to say, with one voice, that we have had enough? The question is less about the president's sense of decency, but of ours.... We must boldly stand witness against the bigotry, hatred, intolerance, and xenophobia that is hurled at us, especially when it comes from the highest offices of this nation." ...
... Jamil Smith of Rolling Stone: "A white-nationalist presidency is untenable. Having to endure one while the man in the office has committed obvious crimes, such as obstruction of justice, is even worse.... The president reminded us that we are governed in part by a cable channel.... One of the high crimes and misdemeanors listed in the Constitution is 'dereliction of duty.' In his attack on Cummings, the president made it clear that, in violation of his oath of office, he doesn't want to be the president of Baltimore. Nor, one can presume, would he be the president of any urban area that was populated by people who didn't vote primarily for him." ...
... ** Our Racist Presidents. Tim Naftali in the Atlantic: "The day after the United Nations voted to recognize the People's Republic of China, then-California Governor Ronald Reagan phoned President Richard Nixon at the White House and vented his frustration at the delegates who had sided against the United States. 'Last night, I tell you, to watch that thing on television as I did,' Reagan said. 'Yeah,' Nixon interjected. Reagan forged ahead...: 'To see those, those monkeys from those African countries -- damn them, they're still uncomfortable wearing shoes!' Nixon gave a huge laugh.... [Later, Nixon called his Secretary of State William Rogers (twice) to relay Reagan's message:] '... he is, of course, outraged. And I found out what outraged him, and I find this is typical of a lot of people: They saw it on television and, he said, "These cannibals jumping up and down and all that."'... Reagan's comment about African leaders resonated with Nixon, because it reflected his warped thinking about African Americans." Includes audio. Read on. Naftali's point is that Nixon tried, unsuccessfully, to hide his own racist beliefs behind Reagan's, while Trump doesn't try to hide his.
Caleb Ecarma of Mediaite: "On Tuesday, Donald Trumppromoted two of his supporters on Twitter who are actively perpetuating the QAnon conspiracy -- a theory that alleges the president is secretly working with the military to unfurl a multinational cabal of elite, ritualistic pedophiles -- including one account that accused the Clintons of consuming the fluids of dead children. Shortly after Trump shared the Twitter handle of one crackpot supporter, he retweeted a post by user @LYNNTHO06607841 -- calling Democrats 'THE TRUE ENEMIES OF AMERICA' -- which is an account that has promoted QAnon and adjacent theories, including the belief that the Clintons are slowing their aging process by 'sacrificing children' and drinking from their adrenal glands." ...
... Betsy Woodruff & Kevin Poulsen of the Daily Beast: "Twitter has suspended a conspiracy-peddling account amplified by ... Donald Trump.... Trump retweeted the account, which used the display name 'LYNN THOMAS' and the handle @LYNNTHO06607841, on Tuesday afternoon. By early Tuesday evening, the account had been suspended. A source familiar with the matter told The Daily Beast that the account was suspended for violating the Twitter rule that bars users from using multiple accounts to artificially amplify or disrupt conversations.... Before the suspension, the account enthusiastically pushed Qanon conspiracy memes and bizarre theories about prominent Democrats murdering children to harvest their pineal glands.... Though Twitter recently announced it will affix warning labels to tweets from public figures that violate its rules, it didn't use that option on Trump's tweets about Cummings."
Sylvan Lane of the Hill: "President Trump on Tuesday boosted pressure on the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates this week, calling for a 'large cut' to counter a series of hikes in 2018. Trump continued his assault ahead of the independent central bank's policymaking meeting in Washington, which will start Tuesday. The Fed is expected to announce at least a modest reduction of interest rates Wednesday amid slowing global growth and fading U.S. business investment. Trump again accused the Fed and its chairman, Jerome Powell, [Mrs. McC: whom Trump appointed,] of hindering his economic agenda by raising rates seven times under his watch. 'The Fed moved, in my opinion, far too early and for too severely. It puts me at a somewhat of a disadvantage,' Trump said. 'Fortunately I've made the economy so strong that nothing's going to stop us. But the Fed could have made it much easier.' Trump has been quick to blame a recent slowdown in U.S. growth on the Fed while calling on the bank to cut rates. Even so, some of the Fed's rationale for cutting rates is based in economic threats exacerbated by Trump's trade agenda." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Another Remarkably Stupid Trump Trick: Jari Tanner of the AP: "American rapper A$AP Rocky pleaded not guilty to assault as his trial in Sweden opened Tuesday, a month after a street fight that landed him in jail and became a topic of U.S.-Swedish diplomacy. Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is accused with two others of beating a 19-year-old man in Stockholm on June 30. Prosecutors played video footage in court that showed Mayers throwing a young man to the ground.... The Grammy-nominated artist's extended detention prompted ... Donald Trump to personally intervene on his behalf earlier this month Mayers nevertheless remained behind bars, angering Trump. Swedish news agency TT said Trump sent the U.S. special presidential envoy for hostage affairs [Robert O'Brien] to Stockholm to monitor the court proceedings and to show support for Mayers." Emphasis added. ...
... Mrs. McC: That Trump would send the envoy for hostage affairs to monitor a trial conducted in Sweden is beyond appalling. Unlike the U.S., Sweden has no recent history of human rights abuses, & there has been no suggestion that Mayers was treated differently from Swedish defendants accused of violent crimes. Sweden certainly was not holding him hostage. Trump's point was to offend another ally. Congrats, Donnie. You succeeded.
Presidunt* Snowflake. Asawin Suebsaeng & Maxwell Tani of The Daily Beast: "In recent weeks, those close to Donald Trump have noticed him routinely asking media figures, longtime friends, and his political advisers a new, very leading question, often asked in the exact same way: 'What the hell is going on at Fox?' According to three people who have independently spoken to Trump about Fox News over the past four weeks, the president has repeatedly asked that question.... The president ... sounded surprised and frustrated that he was seeing too many people to his liking on the network treating him 'unfairly' on their shows." --s
Miriam Jordan of the New York Times: "In the year since President Trump officially ended family separations at the southern border, immigration authorities have removed more than 900 migrant children from their families, sometimes for reasons as minor as a parent not changing a baby's diaper or having a traffic citation for driving without a license, according to new documents filed Tuesday in federal court.... Earlier this month, the acting Homeland Security secretary, Kevin McAleenan, said in testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee that separations were 'rare' and made only 'in the interest of the child.'... The new numbers were filed [by the ACLU] with Judge Dana M. Sabraw of the Federal District Court in San Diego as part of the court's continuing supervision of the family separation issue."
Ted Hesson & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A decision issued Monday by Attorney General William Barr will restrict the ability of migrants to claim asylum based on their family relations. In a precedent-setting immigration court opinion, Barr said that simply being part of a nuclear family targeted for persecution doesn't qualify as a 'particular social group' eligible for asylum in the United States. 'The fact that a criminal group -- such as a drug cartel, gang, or guerrilla force -- targets a group of people does not, standing alone, transform those people into a particular social group,' the attorney general wrote.... To receive asylum in the U.S., applicants must prove they faced persecution in their home countries based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Barr's decision Monday will limit the ability of a familial relationship to qualify as 'membership in a particular social group.'" --s (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Here's Why Sexual Assault Victims Don't Come Forward. Helene Cooper of the New York Times: "With the female accuser looking on, two prominent women on Tuesday exerted their considerable influence on matters relating to sexual assault and the military, saying that they do not believe that President Trump's nominee for vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff sexually assaulted a subordinate multiple times in 2017. Both Heather A. Wilson, the former Air Force secretary, and Senator Martha McSally, Republican of Arizona and a self-described survivor of sexual assault in the military, strongly and unequivocally defended Gen. John E. Hyten of the Air Force during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Seated several rows behind the general was Col. Kathryn A. Spletstoser, a 28-year Army officer with four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In an interview last week with The New York Times, she described numerous instances of unwanted touching by the general, culminating in what she described as an assault in her hotel room in December 2017."
Alexander Mallin, et al., of ABC News: "... Donald Trump's pick for the next director of national intelligence, Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, has misrepresented his role in an anti-terrorism case that he's repeatedly cited among his credentials related to national security issues. The apparent embellishment is related to two anti-terrorism financing trials in a case known as the U.S. v. Holy Land Foundation, the second of which resulted in convictions for several individuals found to have illegally funneled charity money to the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas. In a 2015 press release, Ratcliffe's House website stated, 'When serving by special appointment in U.S. v. Holy Land Foundation, he convicted individuals who were funneling money to Hamas behind the front of a charitable organization.' His official campaign website, in a February 2016 post, also touted his 'special appointment as the prosecutor in U.S. v. Holy Land Foundation, one of the nation's largest terrorism financing cases.' But ABC News could find no public court records that connect Ratcliffe to either of the two trials for the case. Former officials directly involved in the decade-long Holy Land Foundation investigation could not recall Ratcliffe having any role, and four former defense attorneys who served on the cases told ABC News on Monday they had no recollection of Ratcliffe being involved with any of the proceedings that resulted in the convictions of their clients." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Will Sommer of the Daily Beast: John Ratcliffe "played a role last year in popularizing what briefly became one of the right's most easily debunked conspiracy theories about the investigation into the president and Russia, offering what he presented as evidence of an anti-Trump 'secret society' operating within the FBI.... One of Ratcliffe's biggest contributions to the Republican pushback on the investigation came in January 2018, when he claimed he had seen text messages between [FBI officials Lisa] Page and [Peter] Strzok that suggested the existence of a 'secret society' working against Trump. But Ratcliffe's claims, which were subsequently amplified by pro-Trump media outlets, fell apart when the fuller text exchanges became public.... ABC News published the full text message two days after Ratcliffe made his viral Fox appearance, revealing that the 'secret society' text referenced calendars of a 'beefcake' Vladimir Putin that Strzok was giving out as gifts to people who worked on the Russia investigation." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: So if you were wondering if Ratcliffe really would cherry-pick intelligence information to skew the facts, there's you're answer. This lie alone renders him unfit to serve as White House intelligence chief. Now that we know Ratcliffe lied about his supposed "intelligence experience" acquired while serving as a U.S. prosecutor, his only intelligence experience is sitting for 6 months or so on the House Intelligence Committee, an experience he used to lie about intelligence. All the best people, etc. ...
... David Priess of Lawfare: "The nomination-by-tweet of Republican Representative John Ratcliffe of Texas as Director of National Intelligence to replace outgoing DNI Dan Coats has drawn rapid and harsh condemnation from many political observers and even former intelligence officers for his apparent partisanship and lack of experience.... Ratcliffe ... came right out of central casting for Trump. But he looks quite differently when compared to the men and women who have led the nation's intelligence efforts for more than seven decades. Should his nomination go forward, senators have many valid questions to ask not only about his political tirades, but also about how he plans to overcome his relative lack of intelligence exposure and senior management experience."
Ben Tobin of the Louisville Courier Journal (July 29): "Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor Monday to blast the 'hyperventilating hacks' who have accused him a being a Russian sympathizer. The Kentucky Republican compared the attacks to 'modern-day McCarthyism.'" ...
... Carl Hulse of the New York Times: Mitch McConnell “is incensed by the name 'Moscow Mitch,' and even more miffed that he has been called a 'Russian asset' by critics who accuse him of single-handedly blocking stronger election security measures after Russia's interference in 2016.... Mr. McConnell said Monday that he would not be intimidated into acting on election interference.... The hashtag #MoscowMitchMcTraitor was trending on Twitter, and Senate Republicans of all stripes were being asked about the blockade.... With the focus on the issue intensifying, Mr. McConnell and Senate Republicans will face more pressure to act."
Sarah Fitzpatrick, et al., of NBC News: "The organizations that should have protected young female gymnasts from sexual abuse by former Olympic gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, including the U.S. Olympic Committee and the FBI, 'fundamentally failed' to do so for years, according to a new congressional report. In an interview with NBC News, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the ranking member of the Senate subcommittee overseeing the Olympics, described the actions of the organizations as a 'cover-up.'" (Also linked yesterday.)
Kevin Drum of Mother Jones: "Conservatives have been trying to enact a stealth cut in the capital gains tax via inflation indexing for as long as I can remember, but they've never been able to get it passed by Congress. So now, encouraged by President Trump's belief that the executive can do anything he wants, [Republican senators] decided to skip the whole tedious lawmaking thing and just ask Mnuchin to do it by fiat.... Only 21 Republican senators signed [a letter to Mnuchin urging him to eliminate inflationary gains]. This means that 32 Republicans declined to sign a letter in support of a tax cut. That probably shows just how bad an idea this is.... CBPP estimates that indexing capital gains would cut taxes on the rich by $100-200 billion over ten years. This actually isn't a huge sum, but in a way that makes this even worse. Are Republicans really this desperate to pander to the rich?"
Congressional Elections 2020
Al Weaver & Julia Manchester of the Hill: "The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) saw a mass departure of senior staff late Monday amid outcry over the lack of diversity within the committee's top ranks under Chairwoman Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.).... The exits come on the heels of the resignation of the committee's executive director, Allison Jaslow, which she announced at an all-staff meeting earlier on Monday." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Adiós. Melanie Zanona & Jake Sherman of Politico: "Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas will not seek reelection in 2020, according to multiple GOP sources, becoming the fifth Republican to announce their retirement over the past two weeks.... Conaway has served in Congress for 15 years, but stepped into the national spotlight in 2017 when he was tasked with leading the House Intelligence Committee's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election." --s
Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit the Democratic National Committee filed against the Trump campaign, the Russian government, WikiLeaks and various Trump campaign officials over alleged involvement in the hacking of Democratic Party email accounts during the 2016 presidential race. U.S. District Judge John Koeltl rejected the central theory of the racketeering suit: that the Trump campaign, campaign aides and Trump allies abetted the theft of the emails by encouraging WikiLeaks to publish the messages and by urging they be released when they would be of maximum political benefit to then-candidate Donald Trump." Mrs. McC: Koeltl is a Clinton appointee. Koeltl said such actions were protected by the First Amendment when taken by people not involved in the actual hacking."
Emily Flitter & Karen Weise of the New York Times: "A software engineer in Seattle hacked into a server holding customer information for Capital One and obtained the personal data of over 100 million people, federal prosecutors said on Monday, in one of the largest thefts of data from a bank. The suspect, Paige Thompson, 33, left a trail online for investigators to follow as she boasted about the hacking, according to court documents in Seattle, where she was arrested and charged with one count of computer fraud and abuse." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Beyond the Beltway
Michigan. Jonathan Oosting of the Detroit News: "Republicans are suing to stop Michigan's new citizen redistricting commission before it begins, alleging the voter-approved amendment is 'blatantly unconstitutional' and discriminates against participants based on political service or family ties. The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday morning with the U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, seeks to invalidate Proposal 2, block implementation and prevent the independent commission from drawing new legislative and congressional district maps for the 2022 election cycle. Instead, whichever political party wins control of the state Legislature next year would lead that process in 2021. Republicans drew existing lines in 2011 and currently hold majorities in the Michigan House and Senate." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Mississippi. Michael Braga, et al. of GateHouse Media: "More than half of all rural hospitals in Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia and Oklahoma lost money from 2011 through 2017.... What these states also have in common is that legislators voted against expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which would have provided coverage for hundreds of thousands of uninsured residents and bolstered rural hospital bottom lines.... In the meantime, residents of deep red rural America -- farmers and farm workers, small business owners and their employees, the old and infirm -- are seeing their hospitals founder and close." --s (Also linked yesterday.)
Way Beyond
Reuters: "North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast less than a week after a similar test launch, the South Korean military's joint chiefs of staff (JCS) said.... North Korea test-fired two new short-range ballistic missiles on 25 July, its first missile tests since Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump met in late June and agreed to revive stalled denuclearisation talks." --s
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Reader Comments (12)
Yeah! I see I was not alone! Had to turn off the debate because I couldn't stand the CNN moderators cuting off the debaters as evidenced by intemperate interruptus .
Did get to see Warren's great put down response to John Delaney. And had to chuckle at white-haired, grumpy old man Sanders and his tirade how younger people are important and needed for this election. Uh huh!
My reaction to Tuesday night's presidential debate was "none of the above," although Buttigieg acquitted himself well. I turned off the debate 15 minutes in because what I heard to that point was so depressing, but I heard the highlights later when I listened to a couple of hours of cable TV analysis. I was surprised at how good the so-called moderates made Warren & Sanders look.
But every time I hear Warren speak, I am convinced that American voters would rather listen to four more years of an anti-American, racist, corrupt, despotic ignoramus than to a humorless schoolmarm lecturing them in a whiny voice & know-it-all demeanor. When it comes to whom Americans want in their living room, it's style over substance every time.
Hmmmm––interesting comments from MAG and Marie re: the debates. I watched the whole thing and if one wants to rate a high score for style over substance, it's Mayor Pete all the way, although in his case there was some substance in his coherent and very pretty way of talking. Bernie, Warren, and even my boy Beto, need coaching from speech advisors––I fail to mention the others because there is no chance in hell any of them will get to that mountain top, although Amy just might make it half way. So if we ignore the styles and concentrate on the substance Warren has a lot of nifty plans and she tells you how she'll pay for them and boy, oh, boy does she have energy––she reminded me of a dog on a leash eager to romp in the grass but held in check BY that leash––she's utterly convinced her way is the right way. Bottom line: Who can beat the bastard!
The case of John Hyten makes my blood boil. Once again we have a woman, Kathryn Spletstoser, making an accusation of sexual assault and being dismissed as not being credible. The details in this case make it clear it's another con job–-something the military carries out quite successfully given their history of sexual assault cases. Too bad Kathryn didn't save her semen stained sweat pants taking a clue from Monica and her blue dress. Hyten's missus mentions his lie detector test didn't go well–-perhaps he could be asked about that? And an inferior to his superior, rank wise, was in charge of the investigation is like having Michael Cohen investigating Trump when he was still willing to take that bullet.
And then there's John Ratcliffe––you look at that name and immediately imagine rats jumping off cliffs––what a guy! I am so looking forward to his confirmation hearing if it ever comes to that. He's gotten this far with his good looks and lies but me thinks he's left too many pellets in his path ––stepping on those suckers are most unpleasant ––no one wants to be in those shoes.
Wanna break? Have a Kit Kat and watch Noah, Kimmel and Colbert having a great time with the debate––-really good belly laughs here.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democratic-debate-late-night-television-hosts-react_n_5d413249e4b01d8c97835754
An interesting piece about "The Danger of John Ratcliffe" by Garrett Graff on Wired.
"The biggest danger Ratcliffe poses is to the integrity of the job of director of national intelligence in the first place; the core principle of the intelligence professional is to speak truth to power."
"A bunch of crazy socialists..." Mayor Pete says, referring to one of the Right's go-to talking points.
And it has proven to be an effective meme in this land of ours.
But how about this counter, which I don't have time time AM to elaborate?
Would you rather a bunch of crazy capitalists? (Which is what you have..)
Those people who destroy unions, deny workers their rights to bargain, won't raise the minimum wage, take all the money, deny health insurance to millions, destroy the environment, support outright racists with their vast wealth, cozy up to dictators, and now work hand in glove (Moscow Mitch) with Russia to tip our elections in their favor?
Take your pick.
Egghead v Meathead
I'm of two minds about Elizabeth Warren.
As her campaign has progressed, I've been impressed that she doesn't simply rely on bumper sticker solutions; she proffers well thought out plans to achieve specific goals. This is rare in the political world. Just look at who's in the White House. Look at his entire party!
I love the idea of a smart person in charge. But I'm someone who is more attuned to logical, practical ideas. I'm also more likely to back someone who has more than a passing familiarity with reason. Rational ideas appeal to me, so even her teacherly mannerisms don't necessarily bother me outright. Part of my interest in seeing Elizabeth Warren as president is the vast appeal of replacing a hateful ignoramus with someone for whom basic math, English, and humanitarian concerns are not impossible to navigate. Remember what a relief it was to listen to Obama speak in complete sentences after eight years of a stumbling, stuttering Mr. Malaprop? Also, having a president who wasn't a conniving, lying creep helped as well.
But politics is not necessarily (sometimes not even fundamentally) rational. Again, look at who's in the White House. A successful leader has got to be inspirational. Obama was both smart and inspirational. Trump is inspirational (to a certain type of voter) and tells everyone he's a genius even as he'd lose at Jeopardy to a reasonably smart fifth grader. But many people (too many) confuse money (or the appearance of money) with smarts. A terrible idea, as we're finding out.
Is Warren inspirational? I dunno. I'm sure she is to certain people and in certain settings. I've seen videos of her kitchen/living room discussions with voters when she was running for the Senate in Massachusetts. She was great! Honest, authentic, smart, caring, even funny. And I'm sure in the classroom, her ability to parse out thorny issues and encourage students to follow along and buy into her thinking is probably stellar. We've all been in classrooms with great teachers. But I can't think of too many of the best teachers I've had who would appeal to my blue collar friends. They didn't train for that. Their thinking (even great philosophy professors) goes in a different direction and has been refined for a specific audience. I mean, look at Socrates. In small settings, the guy was unbeatable. But his routine didn't do him any favors with a larger audience. Hemlock anyone?
I think Warren might suffer from that problem. She seems to be able to overcome it in small settings and if she could transfer that talent to larger audiences, maybe she'd have a shot. But she has several things working against her. First, she's a woman. This shouldn't be a problem, but we all know it still is. And coming on the heels of Hillary's campaign, many voters could write her off as just another shrill lady. Second, the right has been wailing about her for years now. Trump is still running on that Pocahontas smear and Fox loves it. I certainly don't expect that any Trumpist would vote for Warren, but those smears travel.
But most importantly, I'm not sure about the inspirational part. While I might happily follow her into the thick underbrush of consumer finance protection regulation, can she count on leading enough voters through the deep muck of what is sure to be the enormous undertaking of cleaning up after the Orange Menace? (Why are Democrats always, always, always having to clean up after these fucking disastrous Confederate administrations?!)
I love many of her ideas, I admire her passion and her persistence, and I happily acknowledge her capacity as a serious thinker and someone who truly cares about those less fortunate among us (I remember her going after Tim Geithner for sucking up to the big banks while he let the little guys rot by the side of the road). If it came down to it, I'd vote for her in a heartbeat against the Evil Racist Baby, but can she beat him? Can she inspire the various and varied communities whose wholehearted (i.e., ballot box) support any Democrat will need to throw Trump's ignorant meathead act out on the street?
I don't know. I get what Marie is saying about the impression many people will have of a finger wagging schoolmarm and it's very much not a good look. And looks are (more than) half the battle, sorry to say. Look at Adlai Stevenson. The guy was one of most erudite, thoughtful candidates we've ever had. But he got his ass kicked. Americans have a built-in distrust of "eggheads" and to too many people, Warren comes off as Mrs. Humpty Dumpty. Just ask Richard Hofstadter.
So, sorry as I am to say it, because I think she has brains and heart to burn, I just don't see her going that far. That being said, she's a great senator. She'd be an excellent choice for some other position (a revived consumer protection agency?). But I just don't see her as president. More importantly, I think too many others don't see her that way either.
More on the econ front:
Zombie companies for a zombie presidency.
https://www.businessinsider.com/federal-reserve-rate-cut-could-worsen-zombie-company-debt-phenomenon-2019-7
Reagan was a racist prick? Nixon TOO?
Unpossible! But they seemed so nice!
Oh, and Moscow Mitch looks perfectly natural in his Red Army uniform. Can’t you just see him leading a pogrom, or whacking off the heads of dissidents? A natural. He’d have made a great right hand man for Stalin. Until Stalin had him shot, of course.
Tick-tick, Mcturtle, your turn may come.
Well, well. Little Rocket Man’s been a busy little thermonuclear warhead rocket tester of late. I wonder what Fat Rocket Man has to say about that? Kissy-kissy-kissy?
Any Democratic president who boasted about how he single handedly put a stop to North Korean missile tests but sat on his (or her) fat ass while rockets were blasting off with the regularity of the Grand Central shuttle would be pilloried by the right wing (and most of the mainstream) media.
It’s Trump? Meh. “Can we blame this on Obama and Hillary?”
If it takes a truly sick mind to see a distinct similarity between these two stories, I’ll cop to having one.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/30/jeffrey-epstein-received-rape-claim-file-day-before-jail-injury.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/world/middleeast/israel-west-bank-palestinians.html
Again, the powerful taking advantage of the weak with seeming impunity.
Ken,
"...the powerful taking advantage of the weak with seeming impunity" is not an hallucination of a sick, or in any other way damaged or on-the-fritz, mind.
That's how it is.
Especially in the Age of Trump.