Sunday
May052019
The Commentariat -- May 6, 2019
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
** Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "More than 370 former federal prosecutors who worked in Republican and Democratic administrations have signed on to a statement asserting special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's findings would have produced obstruction charges against President Trump -- if not for the office he held. The statement -- signed by myriad former career government employees as well as high-profile political appointees -- offers a rebuttal to Attorney General William P. Barr's determination that the evidence Mueller uncovered was 'not sufficient' to establish that Trump committed a crime.... 'We emphasize that these are not matters of close professional judgment,' they [wrote].... To look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice -- the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution -- runs counter to logic and our experience.' The statement is notable for the number of people who signed it -- 375 as of Monday afternoon -- and the positions and political affiliations of some on the list.... Among the high-profile signers are Bill Weld, a former U.S. attorney and Justice Department official in the Reagan administration who is running against Trump as a Republican; Donald Ayer, a former deputy attorney general in the George H.W. Bush Administration; John S. Martin, a former U.S. attorney and federal judge appointed to his posts by two Republican presidents; Paul Rosenzweig, who served as senior counsel to independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr; and Jeffrey Harris, who worked as the principal assistant to Rudolph W. Giuliani when he was at the Justice Department in the Reagan administration. The list also includes more than 20 former U.S. attorneys and more than 100 people with at least 20 years of service at the Justice Department -- most of them former career officials. The signers worked in every presidential administration since that of Dwight D. Eisenhower."
Nicholas Fandos & Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The House Judiciary Committee will vote Wednesday to hold Attorney General William P. Barr in contempt of Congress, after the Justice Department appeared to miss a Monday deadline to negotiate the delivery of Robert S. Mueller III's full report, along with key evidence collected by the special counsel. Democrats said the vote could still be avoided if the Justice Department changes course, but Monday's announcement sets up another dramatic escalation in a growing dispute between the legislative and executive branches. If the full House follows suit and votes to hold Mr. Barr in contempt of Congress, it would be only the second time in American history that a sitting member of a president's cabinet has been sanctioned by lawmakers that way. The Judiciary Committee's chairman, Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, said the vote would occur t 10 a.m. A 27-page report accompanying the vote notice on Monday recommends that Mr. Barr 'shall be found to be in contempt of Congress for failure to comply with a congressional subpoena.'" The report includes a good summary of the Republican House's holding former AG Eric Holder in contempt.
Jordyn Hermani of Politico: "Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen said Monday that 'there still remains much to be told' about the president, as his feud with his ex-boss continues. Cohen ... did not elaborate. He heads to federal prison in Otisville, N.Y., Monday to begin a three-year sentence for a series of tax fraud and lying charges."
CNBC: "Stocks fell on Monday after ... Donald Trump said that the U.S. will hike tariffs on goods imported from China, but managed to recover a good chunk of those losses around late-morning trading. At 11:13 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 235 points while the S&P 500 traded 0.9% lower. The Nasdaq Composite pulled back 1%. The Dow was down as much as 471 points, while the S&P 500 traded down 1.2% at its lows. The Nasdaq was briefly down 2.2%."
Isabel Kershner of the New York Times: "A tentative cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in Gaza appeared to have taken hold Monday morning, bringing a short but deadly bout of cross-border fighting to an end as abruptly as it had started. At least 22 Palestinians including militants and children, were killed in Gaza over the weekend, and four Israeli civilians died in the fighting."
~~~~~~~~~~
Brad Plumer of the New York Times: "Humans are transforming Earth's natural landscapes so dramatically that as many as one million plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction, posing a dire threat to ecosystems that people all over the world depend on for their survival, a sweeping new United Nations assessment has concluded. The 1,500-page report, compiled by hundreds of international experts and based on thousands of scientific studies, is the most exhaustive look yet at the decline in biodiversity across the globe and the dangers that creates for human civilization. A summary of its findings, which was approved by representatives from the United States and 131 other countries, was released Monday in Paris." Mrs. McC: And Donald Trump is President* of the United States.
The Trump Scandals., Ctd.
So the Coup Begins, Not with a Bang but a Fruitcake. Quint Forgey of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Sunday floated the idea of extending his constitutionally limited time in office, complaining online that two years of his first White House term were 'stollen' as a result of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. 'I now support reparations -- Trump should have 2 yrs added to his 1st term as pay back for time stolen by this corrupt failed coup,' Jerry Falwell Jr., a conservative religious leader and Trump ally, tweeted in a message reposted by the president. Trump echoed Falwell's sentiment in a pair of tweets an hour later, writing online: 'Despite the tremendous success that I have had as President, including perhaps the greatest ECONOMY and most successful first two years of any President in history, they have stollen two years of my (our) Presidency (Collusion Delusion) that we will never be able to get back.'" ...
... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: What with Müeller & Drumpf & Stollen, this is a particularly Germanic moment in American history. And it won't be over till ..
Michael Tackett of the New York Times: "President Trump said on Sunday that the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, should not testify before Congress, setting up another confrontation with Democrats over presidential authority and the separation of powers. On Twitter, he argued that Mr. Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, which found no conspiracy between Moscow and Mr. Trump's campaign but did not exonerate the president on possible obstruction of justice, was conclusive and that Congress and the American people did not need to hear from Mr. Mueller. 'Bob Mueller should not testify,' he said. 'No redos for the Dems!' That puts the president at odds ... with his own attorney general, William P. Barr." ...
... As Jonathan Chait notes, isn't it odd that Trump doesn't want to hear the testimony of the man who "totally exonerated" him?
Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Inquirer: "... the most significant development for Trump's 2020 reelection bid is something ... that came into clear focus over the course of the week: The president has a plan for survival. It involves essentially shredding the Constitution, demolishing the government of 'checks and balances' that was envisioned by the Founders, and promoting a crisis that will leave Americans angry and, at least psychologically, poised for a civil war. That sounds scary but the scariest part is: It just might work: Not for the nation, of course, but for Trump, which in Trumpland is the only outcome that matters.... Phase 1 -- Barr's slow and clearly Trump-biased rollout of Mueller's findings like they were Russian nesting dolls, which gave the president room to claim 'total exoneration' by a report that explicitly stated he was not exonerated -- is over and was largely a success. Phase 2 -- that massive retaliation, doubling down on the very concept of 'obstruction' -- is underway."
James Reston, Jr., in a New York Times op-ed: "On July 30, 1974, nine days before President Richard Nixon resigned, the House Judiciary Committee added a third article to its impeachment charges against the president. The first two had dealt with obstruction of justice and abuse of power; Article III charged that Nixon had failed to comply with eight congressional subpoenas related to the Watergate investigation. Now, with President Trump and William Barr, his attorney general, refusing to cooperate with congressional investigations, the Democrats in the House should take yet another lesson from Watergate. They are reportedly already preparing impeachment articles on obstruction of justice; they should add failure to comply with Congress to the list.... Nancy Pelosi ... recognized [this] on Thursday. 'Ignoring subpoenas of Congress, not honoring subpoenas of Congress -- that was Article III of the Nixon impeachment,' she said.... President Trump's assertion that there is nothing left to learn from congressional hearings -- which, unlike the Mueller investigation, would be televised -- may be correct. But that is beside the point; it is up to Congress, not him, to decide."
Michael Conway, who served as counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in the impeachment inquiry of Richard Nixon, in an NBC opinion piece: "The House Judiciary Committee grappled 45 years ago with the same thorny issue that it faces this week: how to respond to an executive branch defiantly refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas.... Because the current Congress has not authorized an impeachment inquiry, the ability of the House to enforce its subpoenas or to punish [AG William] Barr is sharply circumscribed.... Only by instituting an impeachment proceeding will Congress be equipped to act on the evidence that [Robert] Mueller intended to convey to it. And by not acting, a dangerous precedent will be set, relegating Congress to subservience to the president as a forever-unequal branch of government.... House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and today's congressional leaders can find guidance from the actions of Congress during Watergate." ...
... House of Cards. digby: "The Republicans cheapened impeachment in the Clinton case, probably for a reason. They knew that if they could demonstrate it as a rank partisan act it would lose much of its 'nuclear' power. It probably succeeded in doing that to some extent. But impeachment over a cover-up of a betrayal of the country, criminal or not, is very different than impeaching someone over a lie in a civil case about a personal sexual matter. The first is the very definition of a high crime or misdemeanor. The second isn't. The Democrats are making themselves appear to be as nakedly partisan as the Republicans were in 1998, by doing the opposite. They are going on television and giving interviews in which they wring their hands and express their fears that impeaching the president will harm them politically. Why they think it's a good look to show themselves as self-serving pols in light of this assault on the constitution is beyond me.... The only reason one can say that Trump shouldn't be impeached on the basis of the Mueller Report, as well as his rank corruption and unfitness, is that you believe the citizens of this country have no sense of ethics and morality and will punish you for doing it." Mrs. McC: Nancy Pelosi, take note.
"Peak Trump." Matt Ford of the New Republic: "... Trump seems more eager than ever to test the electric fences of American democracy. His predilections will take root in more favorable soil than ever. Attorney General Bill Barr has made clear over the past few weeks that he will be the loyal functionary whom Trump has long sought to install atop the Justice Department. White House advisor Stephen Miller oversaw a similar purge of the Department of Homeland Security last month, ousting Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and other top officials in favor of more hardline figures who could execute the president's legally dubious vision for border security. And with the threat of special counsel Robert Mueller now receding, even Trump's personal lawyers are eager for a Thermidorian response.... Trump's behavior toward the prospect of electoral defeat was already troubling when he was a candidate. It's far more worrying now that he commands the federal government and routinely describes the Russia investigation as an 'attempted coup.' Trump is notoriously unpredictable; he's as likely to make an empty threat as to indulge his most dangerous impulses. But his presidency is trending in the wrong direction."
Ana Swanson of the New York Times: "President Trump, emboldened by a strong American economy and wary of criticism that an evolving trade deal with China would not adequately benefit the United States, threatened on Sunday to impose more punishing tariffs on Chinese goods in an attempt to force additional concessions in a final agreement. Mr. Trump, in a tweet, warned that he would increase tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods at the end of this week and 'shortly' impose levies on hundreds of billions of dollars of additional imports. Dozens of high-level Chinese officials are arriving in Washington this week for what was expected to be a final round of negotiations toward a trade agreement, at least in principle. It was a familiar pattern for Mr. Trump, who has routinely turned to tariffs to help speed negotiations and win concessions from America's trading partners." ...
... Chas Danner of New York provides an essential translation of the Times report: "President Trump threatened China with an almost hilariously dramatic trade war escalation on Sunday, days before a Chinese delegation of more than a hundred people arrive in Washington to iron out a final deal. Signaling his impatience with what he claimed was a slowdown caused China's efforts to renegotiate the plan, Trump tweeted that he will more than double the current U.S. tariffs on some $200 billion of Chinese goods (from 10 to 25 percent), as well as add a new 25 percent tariff on another $325 billion worth of Chinese goods -- and it will all happen on Friday, unless China does the deal. (The trade talks don't even start until Wednesday.) Regarding any efforts to renegotiate the deal, Trump insisted 'No!' He also falsely claimed that the higher tariffs his administration enacted -- which are paid by the U.S. companies importing Chinese goods and then usually passed along as higher costs to U.S. customers -- were paid by China directly to the U.S., incurred little cost to Americans, and were 'partially responsible for our great economic results.'"
All the Nastiest People, Ctd. Zolan Kanno-Youngs & Michael Tackett of the New York Times: "President Trump on Sunday named a former Obama administration official who has embraced some of Mr. Trump's hard-line positions on border security as the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of a broad effort to force federal agencies into a more aggressive crackdown on migrants. The pick, Mark Morgan, served as the Border Patrol chief the last three months of the Obama administration, and was previously the head of internal affairs at United States Customs and Border Protection. He will lead the agency that arrests, detains and deports people who are in the United States illegally, after Mr. Trump last month withdrew his previous nominee, Ronald D. Vitiello, saying he wanted the agency to go in a 'tougher direction.' 'I am pleased to inform all of those that believe in a strong, fair and sound Immigration Policy that Mark Morgan will be joining the Trump Administration as the head of our hard working men and women of ICE,' Mr. Trump said in a tweet. ...
"... Matthew T. Albence, who became the acting director last month after the departure of Mr. Vitiello, who had been serving in that role, will stay on pending Mr. Morgan's confirmation. In a tweet Sunday night, Mr. Trump wrote, 'Matt is tough and dedicated and has my full support to deploy ICE to the maximum extent of the law!"
... Matt Stieb of New York: "Despite the rare prospect of a Trump administration official who has served under a Democratic president, Morgan's recent comments on immigration certainly line up with the president's impression of the border crisis. In an interview with Fox News on April 15, Morgan rejected the notion that Trump manufactured the crisis on the border and agreed with his proposal to release migrants in Democratic sanctuary cities.... The decision to nominate Morgan as ICE director was — like so many maneuvers by the president -- a surprise to those closest to him.... Albence is known for an August 2018 quote comparing ICE detention to 'summer camp.'" ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Once again Trump proves he does not understand the difference between "impulsive" & "decisive." Also, he thinks pushing people around like so many cheap chess pieces reflects power when in fact his "staffing" decisions are functions of his essential cruelty & narcissism.
Karoun Demirjian & Paul Sonne of the Washington Post: "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday confirmed that the Trump administration is making contingency plans for U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, but he refused to say whether the administration would seek congressional authorization first. When asked directly on ABC's 'This Week' whether President Trump believes he has the power to intervene without seeking approval from Congress, Pompeo declined to answer." ...
... BUT What if Putie Doesn't Like It? Aidan McLaughlin of Mediaite: "Fox News anchor Chris Wallace confronted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday over ... Donald Trump's defense of Russia's involvement in Venezuela.... Trump told reporters this week that the Russian president is 'not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela.' 'For weeks, you and [John] Bolton have talked about -- and called out Russian interference in Venezuela,' Wallace said. 'So which is it? Is Putin propping up a dictator in our own backyard or is Putin looking for something positive in Venezuela?' '[The] President's been very clear on this,' Pompeo replied.... 'He said -- I think it was in a tweet several weeks back. The Russians have to get out. That remains our view.' Wallace followed up," & Pompeo stuck to his story that "the president told the world, that every country must get out, including the Russians." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Pompeo is merely reconfirming what we already know: that when those who confront or disagree with Trump are in positions to stand up to a bully, he leaves his tin saber on the mantel & abandons even his own threats, showing not the slightest hint of strength. Whatever you think of Juan Guaido's efforts to unseat Maduro, you can bet Guaido has figured out Trump is a paper tiger & the U.S. a wholly unreliable ally. ...
... Matt Stieb: "On Sunday, the Russian Embassy stated on Facebook that the hour and a half conversation between [Putin & Trump] was initiated by President Trump.... Assuming the Russian Embassy's information is true, it now appears that the president is actively seeking out the advice of Putin, preferring the word of the autocrat to that of his own intelligence community and their briefs that he doesn't read."
Quint Forgey: "The U.S. military is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the Central Command region in the Middle East to send a 'clear and unmistakable message' to Iran, national security adviser John Bolton said in a statement Sunday. The action, confirmed by the Defense Department, comes 'in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings,' Bolton said, and is intended to convey 'to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.'"
Medlar's Sports Report
Trump to Award Tiger Woods Presidential* Medal of Emoluments. Annie Karni & Kevin Draper of the New York Times: "Ever since Tiger Woods arrived on the public stage as a golf phenom at the age of 21, Donald J. Trump has been cultivating him as a celebrity who could add a sheen to his properties around the globe.... Mr. Trump has named a villa after him at the Trump National Doral Miami. He has also gone into business abroad with Mr. Woods, announcing in 2014 that the golfer would design a course in Dubai as part of a luxury residential megaproject that would be managed by the Trump Organization. On Monday, Mr. Trump ... will present Mr. Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in honor of his Masters victory last month.... The medal, which is considered the nation's highest civilian honor, is typically given near the end of the recipient's career to honor a lifetime of achievement.... By honoring him, the president leaves the appearance of using his office to reward a business partner.... [Trump] He prides himself on having stuck with Mr. Woods through a serial philandering scandal that derailed his professional and personal life." Mrs. McC: Well, that wouldn't bother Trump, would it?
Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Sunday blamed the result of the Kentucky Derby on 'political correctness,' arguing that the horse that crossed the wire first should not have been disqualified. 'The Kentuky Derby decision was not a good one,' Trump said in a tweet, misspelling the word 'Kentucky.' 'It was a rough and tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch. Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby - not even close!'... Maximum Security appeared to win Saturday's race by 1¾ lengths. But then two jockeys objected, and after stewards reviewed video of the race, they disqualified the apparent winner in a unanimous ruling, handing the victory to Country House, a 65-1 shot. The review focused on a moment when Maximum Security barged to his right and impeded the paths of two other horses at the top of the backstretch." ...
... Mr. McCrabbie: Maybe His Majesty enjoys the sport of kings, or maybe he just prefers a "tough" sounding-name like "Maximum Security" over the pastoral, gentle name "Country House." Bea thinks Kentuky stollen is made with burbun.
Thanks to Aunt Hattie for finding the headline of the week, on Sunday, no less: "Donald & Melania Trump Wish a 'Feliz Cinco de Mayo' After Threatening More Troops to Mexico Border." Subhead: "Hours later, Trump also announced the new head of ICE."
No Honor Among Grifters. Trump Ally Rips off Trump. Alayna Treene, et al., of Axios: "A political organization run by David Bossie, President Trump's former deputy campaign manager, has raised millions of dollars by saying it's supporting Trump-aligned conservative candidates -- but has spent only a tiny fraction of that money supporting candidates.... There's a vast difference between what the Presidential Coalition is telling its donors and how it actually spends their money. And as [the campaign watchdog Campaign Legal Center] writes, 'Not only do these dubious practices mislead and potentially even prey upon vulnerable populations, but they also drain resources away from more effective political groups' -- including Trump's campaign." Mrs. McC: Bossie has had a long, infamous career as an anti-Clinton activist; probably his most lasting -- and odious -- legacy will be the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling supporting Bossie's hit job "Hillary: the Movie." ...
Bossie Specializes in Scamming the Elderly. Alayna Treene, et al., of Axios: "About two-thirds of the contributions made to David Bossie's Presidential Coalition in 2017 and 2018 came from donors giving less than $200 in a single year. And of the donors identified in its tax forms, most said they were retired.... Axios reached out to more than a dozen of these donors, most of whom were retired. They all said they thought their money was going toward supporting the president."
Presidential Race 2020. AP: "Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, joined the large crowd at former President Jimmy Carter' Sunday school class in rural South Georgia. At Carter's invitation Buttigieg stood and read from the Bible as part of the lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. Carter told the audience that two other Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, had previously attended his classes."
Way Beyond the Beltway
Israel/Palestine. David Halbfinger & Isabel Kershner of the New York Times: "Fighting between Israel and Gaza escalated rapidly on Sunday in the worst combat since the last full-blown war in 2014, with Palestinian rocket and missile attacks killing four Israeli civilians and Israeli forces taking aim at individual Gaza militants. Gaza officials said the two-day death toll for Palestinians had reached 22. At least nine militants and as many civilians were killed on Sunday alone. The civilians included a pregnant woman, a 12-year-old boy and 4-month-old girl, health officials said. The outbreak of violence appears to have begun on Friday, when a sniper wounded two Israeli soldiers, a violent but localized expression of Palestinian impatience with Israel's failure to alleviate dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. By Sunday, it had mushroomed into an all-out display of firepower by both sides. The Israel army said Gazans had launched 600 projectiles in two days, with the territory's secretive armed factions letting loose hundreds of rockets that had long been hidden away in arsenals."
Share Article
Comments for this entry have been disabled. Additional comments may not be added to this entry at this time.
Reader Comments (19)
Interesting to hear of a gay married couple attending Sunday School in Georgia-- generally, that might not be a receptive place for them, but, in my opinion, the more gay-haters/denyers see couples together, the more they will come to realize that these people are just like any other couple-- same hope, dreams, love, arguments, etc. I hope they campaign in Utah-- which is undergoing some change of its own...
I will be stunned into silence (not a usual thing!) if Barr complies with turning over Mueller 3.0 to Congress...
Also thanks for the reminder about Bossie's damn movie...the country is so much better off now since CU...s/
SCHNECKEN BECKONS
My mother made Stollen as did my grandmother on holidays–it's a traditional German fruitcake mit nuts. They both made delicious scheneckens –-yeast type sweetbreads formed into a twist like form. Possibly Der Gropenfuher, given his language barriers and spelling problems misspelled "stolen" because being a fruitcake himself makes him totally nuts and totally twisted–– and this I say with certainty–-most uneatable!!!!!
One of the incentives for getting involved with Venezuela, as least by Bolton's standards, is that country's oil reserves–-the largest in the world. "Who is in control of the oil fields––the United States or Russia?" he asked. Heck, Trump wanted to take Iraq's oil, why not Venezuela's.
As far as Pompeo goes––so goes––except when it doesn't. Word has it that Pompeo is really interested not in foreign policy but what is good for Trump. One diplomat said:
"When you are out of the Trump field, he has nothing to say. When you meet Bolton, [on the other hand] it's a real conversation on any issue, no matter how obscure."
Let's keep in mind that with Trump's national-security team depleted–-no permanent Sec. of Defense, no Ambassador to the U.N., No Homeland SecuritySec. until today, so they say, Bolton would have extraordinary latitude in a crisis. He has unrivaled proximity to whats=his=name who as we know laps up information like a thirsty slug on a tomato leaf.
The national security advisor is supposed to facilitate the President's directives and coordinate national policy among the various government agencies. That process, according to one W.H. official, has completely broken down.
"Bolton hasn't set any priorities. No one knows what the policies are–- what's important, what's less important. Crucial meetings are rare–-I don't remember the last time there was a fucking principles' meeting. THE HEAD IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE BODY."
Oh, by the way, over on the Wash-Po is a story about Germany's way of dealing with all those refugees: They are helping boost the economy, by working jobs that they had been trained to do or being trained for jobs they wish to do.
Happy Monday!
P.S. I have been reading awful things about ICE–-they seem to have become a militant entity without any sense of humanity.
Stollen. I think DiJiT meant to say that his first two years were a piece of cake.
Wait. I forgot. When he speaks it just means that air is passing out his larynx. When he he tweets it just means that someone's fingers are moving.
Sorry to anthropomorphize the bolus.
@PD Pepe: An iconic moment in the history of ICE occurred before it was ICE, AND the moment is fictional. In the old TV show "Frasier," Niles & Frasier decide to become restaurateurs & of course mayhem ensues. Frasier, who is serving as maitre de on opening night, rushes into the kitchen to demand something for a table of VIPs, including, he boasts, the head of Immigration & Naturalization Services, whereupon the entire kitchen staff drops everything & flees. Sadly, that clip doesn't seem to be available on YouTube, but here's a clip of the follow-up in the same episode, which had me roaring with laughter all over again. ("Research" can be fun.) What a shame Kelsey Grammer is such an ass (a trait that the writers exploited to great effect); the show was hilarious.
Yum, stollen with coffee in the morning...so good. I did have something even better last spring in Finland-- cardamom rolls. Dee-lightful. Those people across the pond sure can bake. Unlike someone here who is half-baked.
Trump is forever touting the many "firsts" of his administration. There are plenty that he doesn't tout--most involving corruption, treason, blatant lying, and greed--but Saturday came another first, of sorts.
With all the problems in America (many caused by Trump and his party), he has nothing to do but insert himself and his typically ignorant, hog-wild opinions into a horse race? I don't begrudge him the time (about two and half minutes) it takes to watch the Kentucky Derby, but then spending time tearing into an officiating decision and spewing, in his own inimitable (and inimical) idiom, ever more dissension and mean spiritedness into the ether, and finding, ridiculously, a way to inject his favorite phantom whipping boy, the concept of political correctness, which he sees everywhere things happen that don't agree with his bullying and intellectually and morally sterile view of the world.
And while we're on the subject of Trump and sports (he considers himself a world-class sportsman, doncha know?) I can just picture this award ceremony today with Tiger Woods. How much will you bet me that most of Trump's off the cuff remarks will be about his own prowess as a golfer. Will Tiger mention that picking your ball up and dropping it in a much better spot and kicking your opponent's ball into a sand trap do not a great golfer make?
Prob'ly not.
The Kentucky Derby
I recommend the following hour-long documentary to those for whom it may be of interest.
Among the many, I find “The Path of The Horse” an exceptionally moving - and honest - narrative of equine abuse, as it is revealed to a life-long rider, trainer and “soulmate” of these majestic beings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQUMAJCh1fA
@Marie: Bless you–-I so needed those laughs–-always loved Frasier.
"I hope you're satisfied! You thinned my brown sauce!"
While I'm here again meant to comment on a bit of nature's mysteries:
Those that study the Everglades were puzzled as to how on earth birds were able to leave their nestlings while forging for food since the Everglades are fraught with predators who could gobble up baby birds in a nano second. Turns out alligators figured how these predators operated and slid underneath the trees to gobble THEM up. So I was thinking if alligators could figure out how to get their next meal that easily and birds figured out that their babies were being protected couldn't we humans figure out the dilemma of Impeach or Not to impeach? Predators galore around this question, no?
PD,
Animals (the non-human kind) operate logically in terms of what's best for their survival. If we operated that way, someone would have eaten Trump a long time ago.
And speaking of animals, Aunt Hattie's post about the abuse of horses brought to mind another problem with the Derby, one that Great Sportsman The Donald, neglected (because he's a fan of abuse, most likely), or simply doesn't know about.
If you want to see jostling for position, watch the first 10 seconds of the race. Twenty horses. Twenty. On a muddy track. All going at top speed crashing down on the rail. How horses and riders aren't severely injured or killed in a field that large is a minor miracle. This is far too many horses for a race. Churchill Downs encourages a big field, of course, because those extra six horses make them a lot more money.
Now that I think of it, it wouldn't make a bit of difference to Trump if riders or horses were killed or injured as long there was more money to be had.
Another reason he should be devoured. Preferably by something with large, sharp teeth. Well, think of all that fat and gristle that would need to be gotten through.
I totally agree that trump should get 2 more years. Just not in the
White House. Those 2 more years could be spent with his friend
Michael Cohen in that Catskills resort where they could do all those
sports thing that trump is so good at and play scrabble, because,
dontcha know he has all the best words.
And his replacement should be the person who got the most votes
in the last election, but then, there's all those lost emails. Oh well.
Forrest's comment made me think: imagine how the Cohen family has depended upon Michael and the boss for all their largesse the last ten or so years-- I hope he was a good financial manager as well as second-chair grifter-- no more trips abroad, dinners at the Golden Tower of Greed, no one fixing/funding their day-to-day lives... For Cohen, it was easy to turn informant on the man not standing by him, but I would think for his family, it must be hard. Their whole social setup might be broken. (Well, until the book deal--) I'm sure trumpanzee is smugly happy with ruining innocents-- wouldn't want him/it to suffer in the wake of Cohen's new fate.../s
A vote WEDNESDAY to cite Barr for contempt? MORE dithering??
Why not today? This afternoon. Right fucking now!
This is why Democrats are so easily screwed over. Not only do they go waaaaay out of their way to play fair with people who can't spell the word, but they telegraph their every move, moves which will take place some time in the future, but don't worry, we'll get to it one of these days.
I am so fucking sick of this. In the meantime, Barr and his cohort of winger lawyers will come up with some precedent from the War of 1812 that prohibits blah, blah, blah...and the DOJ makes a determination that Barr doesn't have to, so there. Nyah, nyah.
Sick of it.
Meanwhile the clock is ticking until election day 2020. Some time around October of that year, Democrats will make a special announcement. "Impeachment is off. Like, officially. The White House has successfully resisted all attempts to get so much as the phone bill for the guard house and election ratfucking has been going great guns. We're all very sorry."
@Akhilleus: Congress isn't in session today. Not sure why they can't vote tomorrow, but maybe they allow a day for informing members of a newly-scheduled committee meeting.
Brad Plumer understated the problem.
Marie,
Thanks for the update on the congressional schedule. Are they always off on Monday or is this some weird congressional day off?
In any event, the larger point is that Democrats are still dragging their feet. Patrick O'Brian's rough and ready fictional sea captain, Jack Aubrey, always primed for action, had a saying that appears in one form or another (often several times) in all twenty Aubrey-Maturin novels: "There's not a moment to be lost!" a phrase that told the reader that shit was about to get real. But Democrats are acting as if they have all the time in the world.
"There'll be plenty of moments after we blow this chance!" seems to be their rallying cry.
Nancy Pelosi is rightfully known for her skill at the inside baseball of political maneuvering (see: Trump-McConnell shutdown fail), but here she may be overthinking things. They need to strike hard. Now. Every day lost brings us closer to the brink. Trump and Barr and McConnell and their Supreme Court are on the verge of complete defenestration of the Constitution and hastening our descent into authoritarianism and moral and legal anarchy.
There really is not a moment to be lost.
So let's wait til Wednesday. Or maybe Friday. We'll get around to it.
Jesus.
@Akhilleus: Here's the Congressional schedule for the year. I thought they were almost always off on Mondays, but actually, there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to the schedules, which are different for the House & Senate.
Today is the beginning of Ramadan, but that didn't stop the Senate from convening.
I still think it's possible -- but I wouldn't bet on it -- that Pelosi is playing Trump & will finally evah-so-reluctantly be absolutely forced to okay an impeachment inquiry against Trump. If so, Trump is certainly playing into that hand by obstructing everything.
And what is the Judiciary Committee going to do if Mueller doesn't show up, either because he doesn't want to (apparently he is agreeable to appearing), or because Barr, via Trump, orders him to keep his long-shut mouth shut? Are they going to hold Mueller in contempt? That would be a political catastrophe (I think).
Marie,
Thanks for the schedule. This gives me even more agita. According to the calendar, the House is in session only 25 days from July 26 until November 11(!), almost three and a half months, and only 13 days from July 26 until October 14. This is not a lot of time. I certainly hope you're right about Nancy Pelosi's master plan, but I'd feel a helluva lot better about things if she was "absolutely forced to okay an impeachment inquiry" sooner rather than later. You know Trump will be banging out the Tweet attacks and un-American idiots like Falwell Jr. will be pushing Trump as king for life.
The Democrats should tell the electorate to get the hell out and vote the Democratic Party into power or they will stop protecting them from the Republicans. If the voters re-elect Trump then Democrats should promise to allow the Republican agenda to go forward. Goodbye health care. They will get out of the way of the Republicans' health care bill and repeal of the ACA. Let the voters know that if they vote for Republicans then they can deal with the consequences of those actions. Let them have their fill of right wing policy. Food stamps, gone, go starve poor people. Social Security and Medicare, cut. For infrastructure they will be handing out lucky rabbits' feet. Make sure you keep it with you when you drive over that rotting bridge. Sick from the factory smog, too bad. Your kid has developmental disorders because of the pesticides and iron in the water, too bad. Need housing after the next hurricane hits, too bad. Your car gets ten mpg and you can't afford to keep the tank full, too bad. Getting heatstroke during the next massive heatwave caused by global warming, too bad. Some business rips you off, too bad sucker. It would be nice to single out all the people who vote for Trump so they could get exactly what they are asking for. Unfortunately the rest of us would be swept away along with them. I sincerely hope that the only way for these morons to realize how bad conservative policy is isn't to make us all live in it. Use your imagination morons!
RAS,
Unfortunately, too many of these Trumpbots don't care if some of the backwash from the Trump-Republican "policies" clog their drains as long as those they hate, liberals, minorities, LGBTQ communities, immigrants, etc. get it in the neck. In effect, anyone who won't knuckle under to Trump.