Thursday
Jun282018
The Commentariat -- June 29, 2018
Afternoon Update:
Trump Admin Practiced Separating Families but Not Reuniting Them. Lisa Seville & Hannah Rappleye of NBC News: "The government was separating migrant parents from their kids for months prior to the official introduction of zero tolerance, running what a U.S. official called a 'pilot program' for widespread prosecutions in Texas, but apparently did not create a clear system for parents to track or reunite with their kids. Officials have said that at least 2,342 children were separated from their parents after being apprehended crossing the border unlawfully since May 5, when the Trump administration's 'zero tolerance' policy towards migrants went into effect. But numbers provided to NBC News by the Department of Homeland Security show that another 1,768 were separated from their parents between October 2016 and February 2018, bringing the total number of separated kids to more than 4,100." ...
... Dara Lind of Vox: "The Department of Justice, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is drafting a plan that would totally overhaul asylum policy in the United States. Under the plan, people would be barred from getting asylum if they came into the US between ports of entry and were prosecuted for illegal entry. It would also add presumptions that would make it extremely difficult for Central Americans to qualify for asylum, and codify -- in an even more restrictive form -- an opinion written by Sessions in June that attempted to restrict asylum for victims of domestic and gang violence.... When the regulation is ready, it will be published in the Federal Register as a notice of proposed rulemaking, with 90 days for the public to comment before it's enacted as a final regulation."
Elise Labott of CNN: "The UN migration agency on Friday voted down Ken Isaacs, the Trump administration's candidate to lead the International Organization for Migration, a US official told CNN, leaving it without an American at the helm since 1951. Isaacs once wrote on Twitter that Austria and Switzerland should consider building a wall in the Alps to keep refugees out.... The tweet is one of more than 140 previously unreported tweets from before Isaacs was nominated reviewed by CNN's KFile. The migration agency coordinates assistance to migrants worldwide. CNN's KFile previously reported on tweets from Isaacs that revealed an extensive history of sharing anti-Muslim sentiment. The screenshots provide the most robust picture of his social media activity and a wider window into his views of refugees, Islam and climate change -- issues that would have been central to the position with IOM. In several of the recently unearthed tweets, Isaacs shared a post that called climate change a 'hoax,' shared a story from the conspiracy-peddling website InfoWars about the 'Clinton body count,' and wrote'"#Islam is not peaceful.'"
*****
This Russia Thing, Etc., Ctd.
Natasha Bertrand of the Atlantic: "Just weeks before his back-to-back summits with NATO members in Belgium and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland, President Trump is legitimizing Russia's claim that it did not interfere in the 2016 election, contradicting the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies. 'Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election!” Trump tweeted on Thursday morning, before launching a diatribe against former FBI Director James Comey and his 'disgraced' agents. 'Where is the DNC Server, and why didn't Shady James Comey and the now disgraced FBI agents take and closely examine it? Why isn't Hillary/Russia being looked at? So many questions, so much corruption!' The outburst is the latest instance of Trump effectively shunning the conclusions of U.S. intelligence and national-security officials.... The timing of the president's tweet makes it even more significant: The remark came amid increasing anxiety about next month's NATO summit in Brussels, which will be immediately followed by Trump's one-on-one meeting with Putin in Helsinki."
Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein squared off Thursday with Republican lawmakers who accused him of misconduct and stonewalling -- claims he angrily denied -- in an ongoing feud over the FBI's investigations into Hillary Clinton and President Trump. The tense exchanges at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee were interrupted by a House vote on a resolution meant to publicly rebuke Rosenstein over what lawmakers characterize as his failure to turn over investigative documents related to both cases. The measure, which passed 226 to 183, calls on the Justice Department to 'comply with requests including subpoenas' by July 6. Thursday' hearing featuring Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray was billed as an examination of an inspector general's report that found serious failings in how federal law enforcement handled a high-profile investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. But it mostly centered on Rosenstein -- and Republican accusations that he has withheld key details about the politically sensitive investigations." ...
... Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "On the House floor, Republicans voted in lock step to give the Justice Department seven days to produce sensitive documents related to the Russia inquiry and the F.B.I.'s investigation of Hillary Clinton' private email use. Though nonbinding, the measure was intended to put Mr. Rosenstein on notice that House lawmakers were willing to take punitive action ... if their demands were not met." ...
... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: I would note that one of those seven days is a national holiday to remember the "Birth of a Nation," which -- come to think of it -- is probably some GOP House members' favorite movie.
... Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is Republicans' designated attack dog on the House Judiciary Committee.... And he's the guy whose push for a second special counsel based on [conspiracy] theories earned a sharp rebuke from Attorney General Jeff Sessions. On Thursday, Jordan again found himself getting shut down by one of the embattled leaders of the Justice Department -- this time in somewhat embarrassing fashion. In a tense exchange, Jordan suggested that Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein ... was withholding key information from Congress about the probe. Jordan badgered Rosenstein for several minutes.... But then things fell apart for Jordan.... After Rosenstein rebuked Jordan's use of anonymous media reports, Jordan read from a quote that one anonymous House committee staffer gave to Fox. 'This is what they said: "Having the nation's No. 1 law enforcement officer threaten to subpoena your calls and emails is downright chilling,'" Jordan said. 'Did you threaten to subpoena their calls and emails?' 'No, sir, and there's no way to subpoena phone calls,' Rosenstein said.... Rosenstein flatly denied that he had ever said it and noted that he was under oath." ...
... Amber Phillips of the Washington Post: "... on Thursday, the various arguments Trump and his Republican allies have leaned on to suggest or outright claim FBI bias against the president got knocked down, one by one, by the top of the bureau's chain of command. What's more, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray categorically denied these characterizations of the FBI's work while under oath. Wray and Rosenstein ... testified Thursday for hours to the House's Judiciary Committee." Read on; Wray & Rosenstein made the House Republicans look pretty silly, which is probably the nicest thing one could say about most House Republicans.
Richard Shelby's Novel Rationale for Russian Election-Meddling. Andrew Desiderio & Spencer Ackerman of the Daily Beast: "Shortly before traveling to Moscow with several colleagues, a senior Republican senator all but gave Russia a green light for future interference in U.S. elections. 'Most countries would meddle and play in our domestic elections if they could, and some of them have,' the Washington Examiner quoted Sen. Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican and chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, as saying. 'We have to be realistic nations are going to do what is in their next [sic] interest; we've done a lot of things too.'... Shelby's comments echoed Trump's infamous 'you think our country's so innocent?' line after Bill O'Reilly called Vladimir Putin a killer."
Manuel Roig-Franzia, et al., of the Washington Post: Arron "Banks/s journey from a lavish meal with a Russian diplomat in London to the raucous heart of Trump country was part of an unusual intercontinental charm offensive by the wealthy British donor and his associates, a hard-partying lot who dubbed themselves the 'Bad Boys of Brexit.' Their efforts to simultaneously cultivate ties to Russian officials and Trump's campaign have captured the interest of investigators in the United Kingdom and the United States, including special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.... In Britain, recent revelations about Banks's Russian contacts have triggered scrutiny of whether the Russians sought to bolster the Brexit effort. In the U.S., congressional Democrats who recently obtained a trove of Banks's communications have begun exploring a different question: Did the Brexit leaders serve as a conduit between the Kremlin and Trump's operation?" Mrs. McC: If so, Steve Bannon -- who has said he doesn't know any Russians -- would be a key piece of the pipeline.
Matthew Mosk & John Santucci of ABC News: "Several billionaires with deep ties to Russia attended exclusive, invitation-only receptions during Donald Trump's inauguration festivities, guest lists obtained by ABC News show. These powerful businessmen, who amassed their fortunes following the collapse of the Soviet Union -- including one who has since been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department -- were ushered into events typically reserved for top donors and close political allies and were given unprecedented access to Trump's inner circle. Their presence has attracted the interest of federal investigators probing Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election, three sources with knowledge of the matter said. Matthew Olsen, a former senior national security official who now serves as an ABC News consultant, said their presence at inaugural events is 'very concerning.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "A former aide to Roger J. Stone Jr., the longtime Trump adviser and self-described 'dirty trickster,' was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury hearing evidence in the Russia investigation and to hand over documents, and his lawyer said he planned to move on Thursday to quash it in court. The aide, Andrew Miller, has not been mentioned before publicly in the investigation by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Mr. Miller, a registered Libertarian, worked briefly for Mr. Stone around the Republican convention in 2016, helping to arrange media interviews and conducting other tasks, according to a person close to Mr. Stone." Miller's lawyer plans to argue that Mueller's appointment is unconstitutional. Mrs. McC: Because that's what these nuts do. But don't worry; pretty soon the Supremes will be green-lighting the nuts' arguments. (Also linked yesterday.)
Somewhat Amazing. Ron Nixon of the New York Times: "At least 19 Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators are seeking to dissolve the agency, concerned that the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal migrants has limited their ability to pursue national security threats, child pornography and transnational crime. In a letter sent last week to Kirstjen Nielsen, the homeland security secretary, the special agents proposed creating a stand-alone investigations unit and another agency to handle immigration detention and deportation. The request was sent as a growing number of Democrats and immigration-rights advocates have called for eliminating ICE. Investigations 'have been perceived as targeting undocumented aliens, instead of the transnational criminal organizations that facilitate cross border crimes impacting our communities and national security,' wrote the agents from Homeland Security Investigations, which is a branch of ICE. The Texas Observer first reported the letter." ...
... Ed Pilkington of the Guardian & News Agencies: "More than 600 protesters, mostly women, were arrested on Thursday after they staged a non-violent action in the heart of the US senate office building in Washington against Donald Trump's 'zero tolerance' policy towards immigrants and separation of families at the border. The mass protest was one of several demonstrations that erupted across the country, providing a taste of what is expected to be much larger demonstrations on Saturday called by the Women's March and the Center for Popular Democracy." ...
... Feckless. David Badash of RawStory: "Melania Trump for the second time has traveled to Trump migrant concentration camp for children in Tucson, Arizona. 'I'm here to support you,' the First Lady said at the televised event speaking to the agents of the federal Customs and Border Patrol, 'and to give my help whatever I can, for, behalf of children and the families.' 'I know how dangerous and difficult your daily jobs are so I really appreciate all you do on behalf of the country' the First Lady told the Customs and Border Patrol agents. There was no discussion of the thousands of children the Trump administration has forcibly separated from their parents and families." --safari ...
... Simon Romero of the New York Times: "Local governments around the United States are starting to sever lucrative ties with federal immigration entities amid growing discomfort with the Trump administration's immigration policies. Fueled largely by alarm over the separation of migrant children from their parents, the cancellations suggest an attempt to disengage from federal policies seen as harmful to immigrant families -- even when those policies could be pouring millions of dollars into local government budgets. 'It just felt inherently unjust for Sacramento to make money from dealing with ICE,' said Phil Serna, a Sacramento County supervisor who joined two colleagues in canceling the contract. 'For me, it came down to an administration that is extremely hostile to immigrants. I didn't feel we should be part of that.'" ...
... Feds Interrupt Whistleblower Interview. CBS News: "In his first television interview, former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson James Schwab has opened up about why he abruptly resigned in March. But his interview with CBS News' Jamie Yuccas on Wednesday was unexpectedly interrupted by agents identifying themselves as agents from the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's Office. 'They just said that they wanted to talk to me about the leak with the Oakland mayor,' Schwab said of his conversation with the agents.... He said he felt compelled to resign after the current administration told him to lie about an incident that pitted the government against Oakland's mayor." He said that after Jeff Sessions "told a flat-out lie" about the incident, officials wanted Schwab to back up Sessions' lie to the public. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Adam Liptak & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times on how Trump & the Trumpettes encouraged Anthony Kennedy to quit his day job. And wouldn't you know it, there's a Deutsche Bank connection. ...
... Atlantic: "In a recent interview at the Aspen Ideas Festival, The Atlantic contributing editor Jeffrey Rosen reveals that before Justice Stevens retired, '[Stevens] told me ... he thought Roe would be overturned if Justice Kennedy retired.'" Video. Mrs. McC: Stevens oughta know. ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Say, what would the public reaction be if we all found out about now that in 2017 Trump saw to it that one of his lovers got an abortion, then covered up the whole thing by asking Elliot Broidy to take the fall, as Paul Campos has credibly speculated? Could Trump still get away with nominating an anti-abortion justice? ...
... McConnell Is Trump. Alec MacGillis of ProPublica: "It is becoming increasingly clear that Mitch McConnell is creating a legacy for himself, and it's a mighty grand one. McConnell has created the world in which we are now living. Donald Trump dominates our universe -- and now has the power to fill the second Supreme Court seat in two years. McConnell, who has promised a vote on whomever the president nominates 'this fall,' is the figure who was quietly making it all possible, all along." --safari ...
... Charles Pierce: "It is not possible to imagine an emptier suit than Jeff Flake, soon to be former Republican senator from Arizona.... From AZCentral: 'The outgoing Arizona Republican and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee said he will evaluate the person nominated to replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy separately.... Flake has recently stalled at least some federal appeals court nominations by withholding his support on the Judiciary Committee in an effort to pressure the Senate to vote on President Donald Trump's tariff changes, which Flake opposes....' Except that, yeah, you did take that position on the subject of judges and, indeed, you acted upon it. But now, with the balance of the Supreme Court at issue for the next 20 or 30 years, you're willing to hand that decision over to a president* who actually is under investigation by the FBI, and with the tariffs that so bothered you still in place.... Anyway, and this obvious poltroon aside, I was thinking on Tuesday night, while preparing to depart for Mars until this all blows over, that the empty Supreme Court seat may well solve the Democratic Party's self-induced dither about whether its candidates should run 'against Trump' or not. This is a way to do so without directly attacking the exaltation of goobers who throng his rallies." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Obviously, Pierce has forgotten all about Marco Rubio. ...
... Josh Marshall of TPM: "There's been a lot of criticism of Democrats pounding the so-called 'McConnell Rule' for Supreme Court picks. I fully subscribe to this criticism as far as it goes. There is no such thing as the McConnell Rule. It was always transparent bullshit. It was simply about power. Moreover, Republicans are fully double-jointed when it comes to hypocrisy. They will not miss a beat saying this was critical in 2016 and meaningless in 2018.... If a vote on the next Supreme Court Justice is delayed past election day that will likely become a potent weapon to mobilize base Republicans. Overturning Roe v Wade would truly be on the ballot.... Should Democrats really go to war over this SCOTUS nomination when its success is all but assured and delaying may perversely help the GOP? This is a real and significant question that both of the below voices address. But I believe the answer is yes. Here/s why." --safari ...
... Jedediah Purdy in a New York Times op-ed: "Recent [Supreme Court] decisions ... are unhappy reminders that for much of American history, the Supreme Court has been a deeply conservative institution, preserving racial hierarchy and the prerogatives of employers. When it comes to economic inequality, today's Supreme Court is not only failing to help but is also aggressively making itself part of the problem in a time when inequality and insecurity are damaging the country and endangering our democracy. Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the court has consistently issued bold, partisan decisions that have been terrible for working people. Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, decided on Wednesday, was one of them.... These cases are part of a longer historical arc: the dismantling of the legal legacy of the New Deal and the creation of law for a new Gilded Age."
Trade Wars Are Easy to Win, Ctd. Jonathan Swan of Axios: "President Trump has repeatedly told top White House officials he wants& to withdraw the United States from the World Trade Organization, a move that would throw global trade into wild disarray, people involved in the talks tell Axios.... 'He's [threatened to withdraw] 100 times. It would totally [screw] us as a country,' said a source who's discussed the subject with Trump. The source added that Trump has frequently told advisers, 'We always get fucked by them [the WTO]. I don't know why we're in it. The WTO is designed by the rest of the world to screw the United States.'... A U.S. withdrawal from the WTO would send global markets into a spiral and cast trillions of dollars of trade into doubt.... As head of state, Trump under international law could make the notification at the WTO. But the U.S. law implementing the WTO agreements states quite plainly that withdrawal from the WTO requires an act of Congress." Thanks to MAG for the lead. ...
... Axios Update: "Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo Friday that it's an 'exaggeration' to say President Trump wants to withdraw the United States from the World Trade Organization, as Axios reported this morning."
Reuters: "... Donald Trump praised Taiwanese high-tech company Foxconn and vaguely threatened U.S. motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson on a campaign-style trip on Thursday to Wisconsin, a state that supported him in the 2016 election. Against a backdrop of a growing trade conflict between the United States and China, Trump helped Foxconn, the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer, to break ground on a 13,000-employee U.S. plant." ...
... Haidee Chu of the New Republic: The FoxxConn site is "just 30 miles south of the motorcycle production company.... Trump also tweeted on Thursday morning that the Foxconn deal would bring 15,000 jobs into Wisconsin. Critics of the Foxconn plant hype have long been skeptical of these sorts of stats. At a 2.9 percent unemployment rate, the Badger state might not have enough workers to reap the economic benefits the new high-tech plant promises. Republican Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has already admitted that Wisconsin 'need[s] more bodies.' In February he signed a bill to fund a $6.8 million advertising campaign to lure young workers into Wisconsin, precisely for the purpose of filling jobs at projects like Foxconn.... The incentive package for Foxconn will cost Wisconsin taxpayers $3 billion." ...
... Paul Krugman: "I think the Harley story is one of those anecdotes that tells us a lot. It's an early example of the incentives created by the looming Trumpian trade war, which will hurt many more American companies and workers than Trump or the people around him seem to realize. It's an indication of the hysterical reactions we can expect from the Trump crew as the downsides of their policies start to become apparent -- hysteria that other countries will surely see as evidence of Trump's fundamental weakness. And what Trump's alleged experts have to say about the controversy offers fresh confirmation that nobody in the administration has the slightest idea what he or she is doing."
Derek Kravitz, et al. of ProPublica: "Since Donald Trump declared his candidacy for president in late 2015, at least $16.1 million has poured into Trump Organization-managed and branded hotels, golf courses and restaurants from his campaign, Republican organizations, and government agencies.... The vast majority of the money -- at least $13.5 million, or more than 84 percent of what we tracked -- was spent by Trump's presidential campaign." --safari ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Remember way back when Trump boasted he was probably the only person who could run for president & make money at it? However, as Philip Bump of the WashPo pointed out a year ago, "Trump himself put about $66 million into the race -- a bit shy of the $100 million he pledged to spend, but more than five times what his companies took in [up to that point]." Well, I'll bet he & the family are making up the difference now.
Jonathan Karl, et al., of ABC News: "Nearly a year after ... Donald Trump picked General John Kelly to be his chief of staff, the president has once again started contemplating his possible replacements, sources familiar with the discussions tell ABC News. Those conversations raise the prospect that he may make a change very soon, around Kelly's one-year anniversary on the job in July. The leading candidates to replace Kelly are Nick Ayers, current chief of staff for Vice President Mike Pence, and former congressman Mick Mulvaney, currently Director of the Office of Management and Budget, according to sources with knowledge of the search. Both men are known to have a positive personal rapport with Trump. The Wall Street Journal first reported Kelly's potential replacements."
Gardiner Harris of the New York Times: "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised on Wednesday to impose additional sanctions on Venezuela, predicted that the United States would again fund schools for Palestinian refugees in Jordan and said that President Trump viewed Russia's return to the Group of 7 as inevitable. Mr. Pompeo's remarks came during a hearing in the Senate that was intended to discuss his department's budget. But there was little said about the Trump administration's plans to slash the State Department's funding, and Mr. Pompeo did not try to defend proposals to cut spending on such things as the battle against H.I.V. and AIDS in Africa." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Lachlan Markay & Asawin Suebsaeng of the Daily Beast: "Though [Scott] Pruitt demands loyalty among those in his inner circle, he has not reciprocated it to his aides, even as they face a legal and public-relations backlash stemming from his conduct at the agency. Sources say he's actively undermined the reputations of former and current staffers, with campaigns that former senior EPA officials have described as 'ratfucking.'... Knowledgeable sources also told The Daily Beast that Pruitt instructed staff to pitch 'oppo hits' to media outlets on ... officials who departed on bad terms or were sidelined.... Pruitt's vindictiveness doesn't put him out of place within the administration. In many respects, it reflects some of the trademark impulses of his boss, Donald J. Trump." The reporters cite some tacky examples of Pruitt's ratfucking projects. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Gabriel Sandoval of ProPublica: "Before accepting a position at the U.S. Department of the Interior last October, Benjamin Cassidy championed gun rights for nearly seven years as a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, collecting a peak annual salary of $288,333 for his work on Capitol Hill. The public wouldn't know that by looking at Cassidy's government financial disclosure report.... In the space allotted to show his income, it incorrectly stated 'None.'... Four Interior staffers ultimately had to re-submit their disclosure reports following ProPublica's inquiry.... Many of the problems and omissions were easy to spot." --safari ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: The gist of the story suggests Zinke is hiring hacks, & these hacks aren't required to even complete federal financial disclosure forms. Sandoval: "After we asked the Interior Department about the failure of Cassidy and at least three other staffers to disclose their work histories and finances, the agency responded with a bullet-pointed assessment that acknowledged ongoing problems while also noting that they 'predated the current administration.'" Say what? These are all Zinke hires. I understand "It's all Obama's fault" is the knee-jerk response to any Trumpy failure, but this is ridiculous. Oh, & this is funny: even when the disclosure forms submittedwere completely blank, the Department's only "admission" was that the employee had "inadvertently omitted certain information." This is your taxpayer dollars at work.
Kevin Rector of the Baltimore Sun: "At least five people were killed and several others were 'gravely injured' in a shooting Thursday afternoon at the Capital Gazette in Anne Arundel County, authorities said. A shooter is in custody, police said. Police would not name the suspect or say what type of weapon he used. A law enforcement official said the suspect had mutilated his fingers in a possible effort to thwart identification. Anne Arundel County Police initially confirmed about 3:15 p.m. that they were responding to an 'active shooter' at 888 Bestgate Road, where the newspaper's offices are located.... The Capital Gazette is owned by The Baltimore Sun. Police said a 'long gun' was used in the incident. They said officers did not exchange gunfire with the suspect, who was now being interrogated. They said officers had recovered what appeared to be an 'explosive device,' and had 'tactically secured' the building. About 170 people were inside at the time of the shooting, police said. Phil Davis, a Capital Gazette crime reporter who was in the building at the time of the shooting, said multiple people were shot, as others -- himself included -- hid under their desks. He said there was a lone male gunman." (An earlier version of this story was linked yesterday.) ...
... The story has been updated to identify the victims. It also IDs the killer, who has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder. ...
... The front page of the Baltimore Sun links to obituaries for the murdered journalists. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel also has as obituary of Rob Hiaasen. ...
... ** The front page of the Capital Gazette is here. Yeah, they put out a paper.
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Remarkably, I heard a Maryland EMS manager, speaking on MSNBC, cite Trump's attacks on the press as "not helpful"; i.e., a contributing factor in this kind of violence. ...
... Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. Of Course He Did. Matt Willstein of the Daily Beast: "Within seconds of learning Thursday about a shooting inside the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, Fox News host Sean Hannity laid blame at the feet of Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters.... 'You know, as I've always said, I mean honestly -- I've been saying now for days that something horrible was going to happen because of the rhetoric. Really, Maxine?' he asked, referring to Waters. 'You want people to create -- "call your friends, get in their faces," and Obama said that too.'" Mrs. McC: Hey, thanks. Rep. Waters; at least now it's not all Obama's fault. ...
... MEANWHILE. Ashley Killough of CNN: "Rep. Maxine Waters said Thursday she's seen an increase in threats since she made controversial comments last week encouraging protesters to heckle and harass members of Trump's Cabinet in public spaces. The California Democrat canceled two scheduled appearances in Alabama and Texas this weekend after saying she got threatening messages and 'hostile mail' at her office, including 'one very serious death threat' on Monday from an individual in Texas. 'As the President has continued to lie and falsely claim that I encouraged people to assault his supporters, while also offering a veiled threat that I should "be careful", even more individuals are leaving (threatening) messages and sending hostile mail to my office,; she said in a statement. 'There was one very serious death threat made against me on Monday from an individual in Texas which is why my planned speaking engagements in Texas and Alabama were cancelled (sic) this weekend,' she continued. 'This is just one in several very serious threats the United States Capitol Police are investigating in which individuals threatened to shoot, lynch, or cause me serious bodily harm.'" Mrs. McC BTW: Yo, Ashley; no need to (sic) "cancelled." It's an accepted spelling.
Congressional Races
Jonathan Martin & Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "The stunning defeat on Tuesday of Representative Joseph Crowley, the fourth-ranking House Democrat and a potential future speaker, threw the future of the septuagenarian-led caucus into chaos, opening the door to a new generation of leadership and a push leftward. As shock in the capital over Mr. Crowley's New York primary loss to a 28-year-old first-time candidate, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave way to calculation, House Democrats began floating challengers to Representative Nancy Pelosi, their leader. The current leadership slate reacted defensively to the threat of a purge, while a handful of other lawmakers braced for their own primary challenges from the left.... Rank-and-file House Democrats made clear in dozens of interviews that whether the party takes back the majority or not in November, there would be a push to depose Ms. Pelosi, the 78-year-old former speaker." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: As some wag pointed out a while back, the combined ages of Pelosi (78), Hoyer (79) & Clyburn (77) (= 234 )-- the top three House Democrats -- are older than the U.S. Constitution (229). ...
... Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.:
... Lloyd Grove of the Daily Beast: "'Kind of pisses me off that @ nytimes is still asking Who Is Ocasio-Cortez? when it should have covered her campaign,' Jill Abramson erupted on Twitter on Wednesday morning -- a biting reference to the newspaper's original headline concerning the 28-year-old socialist's shocking Democratic primary upset, a landslide actually, over incumbent Joe Crowley in New York's 14th Congressional District. Indeed, a quick review of the Times' coverage of the primary race turned up mention of and quotes from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in two news stories prior to Election Night, and a few name-checks in editorials -- one of which, published in the June 20 print edition, noted that she's 'a challenger [Crowley] is heavily favored to beat. Missing her rise [is] akin to not seeing Trump's win coming in 2016,' Abramson added in her tweet -- an even more biting reference to the Times' self-acknowledged failings in the paper's reporting of the presidential campaign. In response to Abramson's critique -- which she elaborated in several emailed comments shared with the Times -- Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy told The Daily Beast: '... we just disagree with Jill.' A few hours after Abramson's tweet, the headline phrase that pissed her off, 'Who is Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez?' was changed online to 'Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: A 28-Year-Old Democratic Giant Slayer.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Margaret Sullivan of the Washington Post: "On Tuesday night, many major news organizations were caught flat-footed as 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pulled off one of the biggest political upsets in years, unseating powerhouse Joseph Crowley in the Democratic primary in a New York City congressional district. Not only was media coverage sparse at her jubilant headquarters, but many national newsrooms struggled to tell the stunning story even from a distance. 'Incredibly,' wrote Harry Siegel of the Daily Beast on Twitter, some wire services had 'zero pictures of her as of Election Day.'"
Mrs. McCrabbie: I don't know if Democrat M.J. Hegar will win her election bid, but it is stories like hers that make the political careers like those of her opponent look as craven & meaningless as they are. Thanks to PD Pepe for the link:
Mainstream GOP. Christie Massie, et al. of CNN: "A top aide to Virginia GOP Senate nominee Corey Stewart has shared a number of conspiracy theories on social media, including tweets about 'Pizzagate' and Facebook posts parroting the popular far-right theory that top Democrats were responsible for the death of a Democratic National Committee staffer, a KFile review has found. The aide, Noel Fritsch, also shared anti-Muslim sentiments, calling gun-free zones and Muslims 'a deadly combination,' and objected to LGBT people being discussed on National Public Radio." --safari
Abbie Bennett of the Raleigh News & Observer: "A website tied to a candidate for the North Carolina General Assembly says God is a racist white supremacist and that Jews are descended from Satan. Russell Walker is a Republican candidate running for state House District 48 which includes Scotland and Hoke counties. On Tuesday, the North Carolina Republican Party withdrew its support for Walker." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Jeremy Hance of the Guardian: "Let's be honest, the global community's response to the rising evidence of mass extinction and ecological degradation has been largely to throw crumbs at it.... The problem is such actions -- while laudable and important -- in no way match the scope and size of the problem.... But a few scientists are beginning to call for more ambition -- much more — and they want to see it enshrined in a new global agreement similar to the Paris Climate Accord. They also say that the bill shouldn't just fall on nations, but the private sector too." --safari
Way Beyond the Beltway
AFT: "A total of 133 politicians have been murdered in the run-up to Mexico's elections on Sunday, the consulting firm Etellekt said, as the violence gripping the country exploded into politics on a record scale" --safari
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Reader Comments (17)
The toddler in the WH is acting up again!
Axios is reporting that Trump has told several top White House officials he wants to withdraw the United States from the WTO.
“He’s [threatened to withdraw] 100 times. It would totally [screw] us as a country,” one source told the media outlet. The same source said Trump has told his advisors, "We always get f---ed by them [the WTO]. I don’t know why we’re in it. The WTO is designed by the rest of the world to screw the United States."
Trump is increasingly despicabale "Can he get any worse? " He continually comes up with still more outrageous and insulting behaviors on a daily basis.
CRUELITY & DICKISHNESS:
Jon Stewart comes out and lashes out and what a treat to have his voice heard once again. I miss this man!
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jon-stewart-calls-out-trump_us_5b35c231e4b08c3a8f69039f
@PD: You are so right. I miss Jon Stewart, too.
He sez it best:
“I just want to say if there’s one hallmark to your presidency that I think we’re finding the most difficult is that no matter what you do, it always comes with an extra layer of gleeful cruelty and dickishness, ” Stewart said.
P.S. despicable, NOT despicabale! (in my earlier post) Agggh!
I stayed up late last night to watch the repeat of the Rosenstein/ Wray hearing. The display by the Republicans, especially Jordan and Cowdy, was so outrageous it took your breath away–-their anger was at the boiling point and I wondered whether we'd see them both collapse under that fury like the Wicked Witch in a puddle of their own making. Looks to me that Rosenstein is being set up for Trump to finally fire him and thus try and stop Mueller and if not this I find it very strange that the hearing yesterday was STILL on Hillary's damn emails when any hearing should be on the myriad number of calamities that we are dealing with. Trey Cowdy is, thankfully leaving congress, but Jim Jordan will be with us for ever and a day and this is a man (Steve Schmitt calls him a clown) that is constantly wrestling with false facts (He used to be a wrestling champion and actually taught the sport) and has the DNA of a rabid skunk.
The retirement of Kennedy––we knew this was coming, didn't we? We democrats can no longer rely on judges for social progress. A functioning liberal democracy requires a liberal populace that will vote for the policies it wants and needs. And shaming Merciless Mitch ain't gonna work cuz he and "they" don't care. I sometimes wonder if they ever think about how they will go down in history.
Revolution right around the corner?
"Most countries would meddle and play in our domestic elections if they could.... We have to be realistic. Nations are going to do what is in their next [sic] interest; we’ve done a lot of things too." -- Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)
If Shelby's remarks are any indication, it appears that one of the arguments Trump's toadies will put forward when Mueller's report comes out is that Russian interference in U.S. elections is "normal," so there's nothing wrong with or remarkable about Trump's egging them on. Hey, everybody does it; we do it, too. It's just international relations. Thus, the whole "collusion" case is meaningless. It isn't even a "witch hunt" 'cause there ain't no witches flying around out there. And Trump's cooperation with a major nuclear power is making America great again. Woo-hoo!
Too much frightening news for a healthy psyche to long survive, but in the grip of masochism I keep gulping it down.
Last night's serving reminded me of Scott Walker's caught on tape admission that he was out to "divide and conquer" Wisconsin, because it does seem such a perfect summary of the Repugnant playbook. It's certainly the closest thing to a perceptible Pretender "strategery," in that it makes neat sense of what many are prone to dismiss as mere chaos.
The immigration policies and practices that are based on obvious distinctions between religions and skin color, forwarding the belief that American exceptionalism is white, Christian, separate and superior. The America First elements of the trade war we're engaged in is cut from the same cloth. Witness the recent news that the Pretender lobbied Macron to drop out of the EU, promising France a great trade deal as a bribe, a proposal perfectly in line with the Pretender's preference for bi-lateral agreements, where we can use the our gargantuan economy to overwhelm any nation dumb enough to enter into such a foolish arrangement. The general effort to break up NATO and withdraw from the WTO. Even the Janus decision the Pretender applauded that pits one worker against the next, making each one weaker.
Each time out, in domestic and foreign affairs both, the pattern is the same divide, divide, divide and conquer.
The Repug's actions toward Rosenstein and the Mueller should be seen as more of the same. Isolate and weaken, then pounce and stomp.
The standard modus operandi of the bully, and coincidentally? all behaviors that strengthen Putin's hand.
All that is clear. What I can't figure out is why the Pretender is so eager to do Putin's bidding. Is it just emulation of a real strong man whose admiration he craves, or is it something else?
Maybe Mueller already knows.
Musica Universalis and the Rough Beast
I finally had a chance to watch the James Corden/Paul McCartney Carpool Karaoke clip. Man, was that good. At one point, Corden gets a bit choked up, saying that he didn't expect to get so emotional. McCartney says, without thinking about it (because why would he, he's the master), "That's the power of music".
You said it, Paul.
This morning, rather in line with Ken's thinking about all the horrible stuff we ingest every day being just too much sometimes, I turned off the news on the drive to work. I put in a Black 47 CD, a live recording of one of their famously raucous (and overtly political) shows.
The first cut is a cover of the great Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds", a song I dare anyone to listen to, who is not already dead, and make it through without smiling broadly and singing along at the top of your voice.
Even though I can't be sure that "every little thing's gonna be alright", it got me thinking of some of Black 47's other music. The name of the band comes from the year 1847, the worst year of the Irish famine. Larry Kirwan, the band's founder is a Wexford lad so he comes by his politics naturally. The band put out a scathing album at the start of the Iraq War, deriding Bush's War of Choice.
Recently, Kirwan released a musical response to Trump, based on Yeats's (still startling) poem "The Second Coming".
In the Middle Ages, philosophers often pondered the power of the musical spheres in the heavens. They called it Musica Universalis. The idea was that there was often a very low or nearly soundless music all around us coming from the great astronomical bodies in the sky, from mathematics, and from our own beings, a music that permeated everything and, in essence, could provide balance, could make every little thing alright, or at least point the way to our being alright. Pretty powerful stuff, that.
In this respect music has always been able to operate politically. Mozart's and Da Ponte's decision to operaticize a highly political play, Beaumarchais' "Le Mariage de Figaro", was controversial to say the least. The king of France banned the play. I mean, what do you expect? Commoners taking the mickey out of the nobility? The idea! But Mozart helped popularize this idea. Three years later, commoners stormed the Bastille. Then, they chopped off the king's head.
Anyone above a certain age remembers the vital, central role music played (still plays) in the Civil Rights struggles.
Sometimes the music's political stance is misunderstood. Sometimes absurdly so. I still laugh at the idea of Lyin' Paul Ryan proclaiming Rage Against the Machine as his favorite band. The entire raison d'etre of a band like Rage was to protest the rapacious, corporate culture promoted and politically supported by schemers like Ryan.
And now Trump.
Kirwan's song, "Second Coming Blues" (listen to it, it's a good one) draws inspiration from Yeats's vision of evil gripping the world, darkening the skies, creating a widening gyre in which "things fall apart" because "the centre cannot hold", giving us, in his concluding lines, the frightening image of a monster, the rough beast in the wasteland, slouching toward Bethlehem to be born.
And here's Kirwan on Trump:
So he wants to make
America great again
But ain’t that code for
“Let’s all be white” and then
Things fall apart
The center cannot hold
The tides, ah they rise
When the clowns take control...
...Ah, he troubles my sight
His gaze is pitiless,
Supercilious
Self-centered as the sun
With his losers and choosers
And one percent users
The winners are chosen
Before the race is even run
The rough beast is here. But so is the music.
Three little birds told me so.
Treason for Everyone!
The effort by Confederates to normalize election rigging and ratfucking by Russia is exhibit one in demonstrating the cynical, hypocritical positions they have long laid claim to.
If it seems unthinkable that a Republican leader would be not just okay with Russian meddling to fix the outcome of an American election, but inviting such meddling and shrugging off the consequences with a "Oh well, what can you do?" it's because you've bought into their propaganda that they are true blue patriots of the You Ess of Ay. They are not. Not in any imaginable universe.
They are only interested in power and expedience. Whatever it takes, they're on board, even if it involves treason.
Reagan made racism safe again, but there were plenty of racists before the Great Communicator.
Trump makes treason safe. But there was no one who thought it was cool to be a traitor before him. Now it's the hip thing on the right. Pretty soon they'll all be brandishing little buttons right next to their phony flag pins, with the Russian flag on them that say "I betrayed my country today. What have you done?"
Treason has been, for all the history we are privy to, the single biggest political sin imaginable. There were only two crimes liable for capital punishment in Rome (for citizens). Treason was one. In Nero's day, traitors were stripped naked, bound to a stake and whipped to death.
The idea of all those naked Confederates is enough to bring up one's lunch, but the idea of so many traitors is more than sufficient to wish for some sort of serious repercussions for betraying one's country then bragging about it on Fox.
Hell, here we come.
You may not know it, but there will be a new element added to the confirmation process for Trump's next Nuremberg Trials defendant.
After confirmation (a lead pipe cinch for whatever mouthbreather he selects), there is the swearing in. After that, the loyalty oath. Little Jeffbo will haul out a stack of Bibles and, with the little dictator seated on a cheap, gaudy, gilded throne, the new rubber stamp will be instructed to swear lifelong fealty and loyalty to the Trump Monster. After that, he (sorry kids, no chance of a she) will be required to kneel and kiss the ring. The new guy will not be swearing an oath to uphold the Constitution or the country, but one to praise, serve, and protect Trump.
In fact, I'm thinking the Loyalty Oath will be added to the accession rites of all new Trumpy hires. Maybe he can add the burning paper in the palm like they do when crooks are initiated into the Mafia. "May I burn in hell, if I betray my king".
It's more than implied, so might as well make it a real thing.
Trump America
A white woman, Stephanie Sebby-Strempel of Summerville, South Carolina, at a community pool, assaulted a 15 year old black boy, striking him three times, screaming at him to get out, calling him a little punk and worse. The boy and his friends, who were invited there, left without incident. Watch the video. She really smacks this kid hard. This Trump supporter (does anyone think she voted for Clinton?) was later arrested, an act she resisted by punching one cop and biting another. A real 'merican.
But here's the thing.
I'm sure we'll hear complete radio silence from the Trump Media echo chamber about this assault (either that, or it will be the boy's fault). But think of this. Just think of the absolute outrage had this boy reacted in kind and struck back. Black boys have been lynched for far less in areas that are now Trump America. Trump would tweet that he should be thrown in a cage for years. Hannity would scream that "they're all alike".
The white supremacists are emboldened by the hour by the Racist in Chief who has normalized all manner of horrible behavior, including an ever increasing level of violence directed at his perceived enemies, violence he encourages gleefully even as his media sycophants point fingers at those he seeks to attack as the source of the violence he promotes.
This is going to continue to get worse and we'll be lucky to have a country left when it's done.
One other thing about this Trump lady in South Carolina. Just imagine what would have happened, when she attacked the arresting officers, had she been black.
Think she'd be conscious yet? Or alive? But she's white, so she was escorted to a cruiser.
Trump America.
@Ken: To me Walker's "Divide & conquer Wisconsin" is just another phrase to describe the gerrymandering which has been approved by SCOTUS. Speaking of which.
The modus operandi of a successful dictatorship is not to hire idiots but to seek out and appoint intelligent, self motivated sociopaths of your own ilk. Far more effective to have unguided toadies destroying society for their own self-agrandizement than attempting central control. Trump can't control the whitehouse let alone the hundreds of judges he will appoint during his administration. Best to appoint the worst available and let them all sell their services to the highest bidder.
Someone pretty smart speculated that if Mueller has Eric Prince's stuff, he probably has substantive material on the Mercers, La Pierre,McConnell, Ryan, Nunes, Guilliani, and maybe Pruitt. Also the likely considerable ratfucking of Stone's little minions and dudes like Gates. These guys don't know about electronic trails, I guess.
I can't find it now but I read something about McGahn, the WH counsel, and a casual observation that T's judicial nomination process has been "outsourced" to the Federalist society. Stated as a fact. The ABA's vetting is irrelevant as long as the nominee meets with the approval of the most regressive tories in the land.
But I found a twitter account that is my soothing place, called #travel the world. Lovely pictures of our amazing planet, and lots of them.
@Cowichan
Good to hear from my neighbor to the north.
A favor please. Are you saying that the Pretender does not qualify as a successful dictator because he appoints/hires "unguided toadies" rather than intelligent sociopaths? That he's just screwing things up, like the spoiled rich boy he is?
Or does it have to be one or the other?
And thanks for the point about gerrymandering.
@Fleeting Expletive: the McGahn part was in the Shear/Haberman piece linked above: "Intermediaries pressed the point with Justice Kennedy privately, telling him that Donald F. McGahn II, Mr. Trump’s White House counsel, would in all probability leave after the midterms. Mr. McGahn has been a key architect of Mr. Trump’s successful efforts to appoint wave after wave of conservative judges, they said, and his absence would complicate a Supreme Court confirmation."
I've read in numerous places that Trump "outsourced" his judiciary picks to the Federalist Society; I do think that's a well-established fact; or at the very least, a well-established assumption. A year or so ago, I was driving a long distance & I heard an interview, by Terry Gross, I think, of Jeff Toobin of the New Yorker & CNN. As I recall, he went into great detail about how the Federalist Society had a very-well-organized operation for selecting judges, & they were the ones who brought us John Roberts & Sam Alito. Update: just found the interview transcript.
@AK: Scared, uptight Stephanie Sebby-Strempel of South Carolina is also now out of a job. She was an "independent contractor" (I'm not even going to go there) for a cosmetic firm, Rodan + Fields. R+F severed ties with SSS.
At the bottom of the related article at theroot.com there was a GIF of people shaking their heads and the text "Got Damn. U got to be a stupid motherfucker to get fired on your day off!"
@Marie: Here is the excellent interview with John Kerry and Andrea Mitchell at Aspen. Perhaps you could put this on for tomorrow.
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/watch-andrea-mitchells-full-interview-with-john-kerry-484143683560