The Commentariat -- July 10, 2016
Darlene Superville & Kathleen Hennessey of the AP: President Obama has arrived in Madrid for a shortened visit, his first to Spain. "Obama noted the 'difficult week' as he made small talk Sunday with King Felipe VI after arriving at Spain's Royal Palace for a meeting." -- CW ...
... Mark Landler & Rick Lyman of the New York Times: "President Obama, acknowledging that the trans-Atlantic alliance faces an unprecedented array of threats from terrorism, migrant flows and an aggressive Russia, said on Saturday that 'in good times and in bad, Europe can count on the United States -- always.... We haven't simply reaffirmed' the alliance, Mr. Obama said at a news conference. 'We're moving forward with the most significant reinforcement of collective defense any time since the Cold War.' Mr. Obama spoke in Warsaw at the end of a NATO summit meeting that illustrated how radically the global security situation has changed since he took office in 2009." -- CW ...
... Evelyn Rupert of the Hill: "President Obama said Saturday that he is 'concerned' by the FBI assessment that the State Department has acted carelessly in handling classified information.... But he cast the problem as a government-wide struggle to keep up technology and the fast-paced flow of information." -- CW
... Greg Jaffe & Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: President Obama, "speaking on Saturday at the NATO summit here, suggested that the licensed gun in the car of Philando Castile, who was shot by police in Minnesota during a routine traffic stop, had contributed to the tragedy there.... On the gun issue, he said the polarization in the country pitted 'a very intense minority' against the 'majority of Americans who actually think we could be doing better when it comes to gun safety.'... Obama said some of the protesters in Dallas, a large city in a state where people can openly carry weapons with a license, were armed during the march. 'Imagine if you are a police officer and you are trying to sort out who is shooting at you and there are a bunch of people who have got guns on them,' he added." -- CW ...
... Michael Barbaro & Yamiche Alcindor of the New York Times: "Black Lives Matter now faces perhaps the biggest crisis in its short history: It is both scrambling to distance itself from an African-American sniper in Dallas who set out to murder white police officers and trying to rebut a chorus of detractors who blame the movement for inspiring his deadly attack." CW: The "chorus of detractors" is stupid. Peaceful protest is an American institution, & that's what most protesters in Dallas & elsewhere were doing -- protesting peacefully against grave injustice. ...
... Steve Kenny of the New York Times: "DeRay Mckesson, who has become a national voice for the Black Lives Matter movement, was arrested Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La., while protesting the death of Alton Sterling. Mr. Mckesson filmed his own arrest while broadcasting the protest on Periscope." -- CW ...
... Brian Murphy & Ashley Cusick of the Washington Post: "Across the country, more than 120 people have been arrested since Friday in protest marches and rallies in more than a dozen cities following a week of searing images: videos stemming from the deaths of two black men fatally shot by police -- in Baton Rouge and Minnesota -- and later downtown Dallas streets erupting in sniper gunfire that would leave five police officer dead." -- CW ...
... Jon Swaine & Tom Dart of the Guardian: "Dallas police searched in vain for a suspicious man spotted in its headquarters on Saturday evening amid fresh threats to the city's officers and renewed anti-police violence protests across the country. Amid heightened security in Dallas, Swat team officers and dog units scoured a multi-level parking garage connected to the police force's building. An explosive device and a shotgun were used to gain entry to locked passages, according to police." -- CW ...
... Jon Swaine: "The Dallas police department has defended its decision to use a robot to kill the gunman who fatally shot five of its officers, saying the controversial method was used only 'as a last resort'. Amid disquiet about the potential legal implications of the killing, the department also gave the first public details of the model of robot and type of explosive device they used against Micah Johnson, a 25-year-old army reserve veteran." -- CW ...
... Mitch Smith of the New York Times: "A lawyer for the suburban police officer who fatally shot a black man during a traffic stop said on Saturday that the race of the driver, Philando Castile, played no role in how his client responded, and that the officer 'was reacting to the presence of a gun' when he opened fire. The comments from the lawyer, Thomas Kelly, provided the fullest accounting yet of Officer Jeronimo Yanez's version of the shooting Wednesday night, even as many details remain unclear.... Officer Yanez is Latino." -- CW ...
... Carla Johnson & Steve Karnowski of the AP: "Philando Castile ... had been pulled over at least 52 times in recent years in and around the Twin Cities and given citations for minor offenses including speeding, driving without a muffler and not wearing a seat belt. He was assessed at least $6,588 in fines and fees, although more than half of the total 86 violations were dismissed, court records show.... The records show no convictions for more serious crimes." -- CW ...
... Reese Dunklin & Juliet Linderman of the AP: "The gunman who killed five police officers at a protest march had practiced military-style drills in his yard and trained at a private self-defense school that teaches special tactics, including 'shooting on the move,' a maneuver in which an attacker fires and changes position before firing again. Micah Johnson, an Army veteran, received instruction at the Academy of Combative Warrior Arts in the Dallas suburb of Richardson about two years ago, said the school's founder and chief instructor...." -- CW ...
... Brian Fung of the Washington Post: "The NRA is facing internal division as its members argue that the group did not do enough to defend gun owners' rights by speaking out on behalf of Philando Castile of Falcon Heights, Minn., who was shot to death during a traffic stop.... Castile had a valid permit to carry a gun. He also reportedly informed the officer who shot him that he was armed in an attempt to head off a misunderstanding. The NRA appeared to drag its feet on the Falcon Heights shooting, taking more than a day and a half to address it publicly. When a statement was posted on the NRA Facebook page, the group obliquely referred to 'reports from Minnesota.' It neither named Castile directly nor took a position on the shooting." CW: I can't imagine why. ...
It took me a long time, and a number of people talking to me through the years to get a sense of this. If you are a normal, white American, the truth is you don't understand being black in America and you instinctively under-estimate the level of discrimination and the level of additional risk. -- Newt Gingrich, Friday ...
... Leon Neyfakh of Slate: "Gingrich wasn't the only conservative who was moved on Friday to break the rules of conservative discourse.... It is surprising and intriguing to see such rhetoric from the right, especially on the day after the murder of five police officers. It's enough to make you think even the most sturdy-seeming ideologies can be dislodged in times of crisis -- and that, as horrendously sad as this week has been, it may end up being some sort of turning point." -- CW
Mike Zapler of Politico: "Longtime Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown will step down from her role as ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee until a federal corruption case filed against her Friday is resolved, Democrats said. The Florida congresswoman and her chief of staff were charged with 24 counts of wrongdoing. Federal prosecutors say she used her position in Congress to solicit money to a phony education group and spent the money on car repairs, vacations, and lavish events." -- CW
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.
Poland stands and needs to continue stand as an example for democratic practices around the world. -- President Obama
Poland is and will be an example of democracy for the whole world. -- "Translation" by the nation's top public broadcast station
... Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: Polish television, which is effectively controlled by the government, censored President Obama even as he was obliquely criticizing the government for, um, censoring the media: "'More work needs to be done,' Obama said [at a press conference]. 'And as your friend and ally, we've urged all parties to work together to sustain Poland's democratic institutions.' But viewers of Telewizja Polska, the main public broadcaster..., [heard] 'Concerning the issue of the constitutional tribunal, [Obama] said he is sure that spreading democratic values in Poland will not stop.'... More than 100 journalists have been dismissed or have resigned from Poland's public broadcaster this year.... Shortly after the [Polish Law & Justice] party took office, it changed laws giving Poland's Finance Ministry the direct power to appoint the head of the broadcaster." -- CW
Gabriel Sherman of New York: "In my 2014 biography of [Roger Ailes]..., I included interviews with four women who told me Ailes had used his position of power to make either unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate sexual comments in the office.... In recent days, more than a dozen women have contacted [Gretchen] Carlson's New Jersey-based attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, and made detailed allegations of sexual harassment by Ailes over a 25-year period dating back to the 1960s when he was a producer on The Mike Douglas Show.... Taken together, these stories portray Ailes as a boss who spoke openly of expecting women to perform sexual favors in exchange for job opportunities.... Six of the women agreed to speak with New York publicly for the first time." -- CW ...
... Erik Wemple of the Washington Post: Roger Ailes is a chicken-shit slimebag. (Or words to that effect.) -- CW
Presidential Race
Maureen Dowd, who certainly reinforced my sense of Billary Clinton back in the day, nails them again: "... the Clintons, who are staying true to their reputation as the Tom and Daisy Buchanan of American politics. Their vast carelessness drags down everyone around them, but they persevere, and even thrive. In a mere 11 days, arrogant, selfish actions by the Clintons contaminated three of the purest brands in Washington -- Barack Obama, James Comey and Loretta Lynch -- and jeopardized the futures of Hillary's most loyal aides.... The Clintons work hard but don't play by the rules. Imagine them in the White House with the benefit of low expectations." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... CW: And why would they change? Back in the White House, they will again be the most powerful couple in the world. Their methods of shady dealings, parsing the truth down to the meaning of the word "is," & naked arrogance have got them where they are. And where we're not. ...
... The Wages of Clinton Connections. Evan Halper of the Los Angeles Times: Democrats on the House's Benghaaazi! committee accidentally released a document which revealed, in redacted testimony that was easily cut & pasted into readable text, that Clinton consigliere Sidney Blumenthal received "about $200,000 a year" for occasional advice to organizations controlled by Clinton supporter David Brock. The transcript "shows that Republicans did, indeed, leverage their subpoena of Blumenthal for political gain.... And for Democrats, the exchange exposes once again the absurd amounts of money people in the orbit of the Clintons sometimes seem to rake in just for, well, being in the orbit of the Clintons." -- CW
John Wagner & Dave Weigel of the Washington Post: "Hillary Clinton, in moves aimed at securing an endorsement from Bernie Sanders, on Saturday highlighted her support for a 'public option' in health insurance and proposed additional funding for community-based centers championed by her rival for the Democratic nomination." -- CW ...
... Andrew Prokop of Vox: "On Saturday morning, Hillary Clinton released a new health care policy proposal that emphasized several major progressive priorities, including a public option and increased funding for community health centers.... In a press call after Clinton's announcement, [Bernie] Sanders described her health care proposal as an 'extremely important initiative' and 'an important step forward' -- and emphasized that it was made 'after discussions with our campaign.' Sanders also praised Clinton's new plan to encourage free tuition at public universities, which she announced Wednesday." -- CW ...
... Patrick Healy of the New York Times: "Amid boos from the sidelines, allies of Hillary Clinton and President Obama on Saturday beat back an effort by the Bernie Sanders campaign to have the Democratic Party officially oppose a congressional vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal." -- CW ...
... Dave Weigel: "The Democratic Party endorsed a 'reasoned pathway to future legalization' of marijuana and called for the drug to be downgraded in the Controlled Substances Act, in a tense and unexpected victory for supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders." -- CW
Nightmare Scenario. Oliver Milman of the Guardian (July 8): "Bernie Sanders has been invited to continue his underdog bid for the White House by the Green party's probable presidential candidate, who has offered to step aside to let him run. Jill Stein, who is expected to be endorsed at the party's August convention in Houston, told Guardian US that 'overwhelming' numbers of Sanders supporters are flocking to the Greens rather than Hillary Clinton." CW: I swear to god, if you do this, Bernie, I'm going to stop recycling, start eating nothing but methane-producing beef & tuna from dolphin-snaring nets, & buy a '58 DeSoto or a humungus Winnebago to drive on unnecessary trips every damned day.
Robert Costa of the Washington Post: "After weeks of focusing on a group of current and former elected officials in his search for a running mate, Donald Trump is increasingly intrigued by the idea of tapping retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn to project strength and know-how on national security, according to four people familiar with the vetting process. Flynn, a registered Democrat but fierce critic of President Obama, previously ran the Defense Intelligence Agency." -- CW ...
... Might Not Matter Whom Trump Chooses. Rosie Gray of BuzzFeed: "Anti-Trump delegates are preparing a rules change proposal that would chart a path for delegates to choose their own vice presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention, instead of voting for Donald Trump's choice." -- CW
Way Beyond the Beltway
Dana Priest of the Washington Post: "American war correspondent Marie Colvin was deliberately targeted and killed by artillery fire in 2012 at the direction of senior Syrian military officers seeking to silence her reporting on civilian casualties in the besieged city of Homs, according to a civil lawsuit filed Saturday on behalf of her sister and other heirs." The allegations in the suit are "based on information from high-level defectors and captured government documents...." -- CW
Nicola Slawson of the Guardian: "The hopes of more than 4.1 million people who signed a petition calling for a second referendum on the EU have faded, after a response from the government saying it was a once in a generation vote'." -- CW
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Reader Comments (5)
"It’s enough to make you think even the most sturdy-seeming ideologies can be dislodged in times of crisis — and that, as horrendously sad as this week has been, it may end up being some sort of turning point."
This hopeful note from Slate's Leon Neyfakh. Could we see Congress doing something about guns? Could we see those conservatives that Neyfakh thinks are finally coming around to the realization that indeed black lives along with brown lives along with all lives matter a great deal have a sea change? Imagine what this country would look like if hearts and minds could expand and develop and really work to change the system. So with Lennon's "Imagine" playing in the background let's segue to Maureen's imaginings.
But first I must have my breakfast. Responding to a Dowd column on an empty stomach is not a good idea.
Dowd comes up with Fitzgerald's legendary couple who drank, danced, and destroyed many in their way and compares them with the Clintons when she could have been more topical and gone for Claire and Frank Underwood. I find it an interesting choice.
"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy––they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, of whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made."
But I can see why Maureen might have found this couple compatible given that she sees the Clinton's as smarmy money grubbers.
"Imagine them in the White House with the benefit of low expectations."
We don't need to imagine them in the White House since they have already been there for eight years. And before Bill got his willy wrongly involved, his administration, although flawed, was not bad. He fought hard for the Brady bill which guaranteed him the hostility of the most powerful grass- roots lobbies in the country–-our favorite NRA as well as enmity in even Democratic rural areas. And because of this along with tax increases and NAFTA, he lost control of the House and the Senate setting him up for having to move to the center. And all the while Hillary was a player but she was kept on the sidelines.
So let's imagine a different scenario since it will BE a different scenario. Hillary is president––under her belt lives those other lives–-lawyer, First Lady, Senator, SOS. Bill will be the First Gentleman and fingers crossed he remains as such. Low expectations? From two people like this? I have, as Frank,–– Sinatra, not Underwood––high hopes. But in the end it really comes down to who best would serve this country––Clinton or Trump? Come on, Maureen, give us your best shot here.
Sometime one of the Clintons must have slighted Maureen Dowd. Perhaps they thought she was just a columnist and not too good at it. A reasonable view. However Maureen has the power of the NY Times. She and Frank Rich gave Hillary a going over for several months in "08 and Maureen has been hacking away for months this year.
"Hell has no fury like a woman spurned".:
"And why would they change?" - CW. If you're wrestling alligators, it's best to have a thick skin. Hill & Bill have been attacked for so long by the likes of Ailes and his amoral kin in the political/media arena, they are now much more like their enemies than their friends. We as citizens are left to hope that their reflex reaction to the circumstances of their jobs leads to the betterment of others. Trump, Cruz, Ailes don't strike me as having one iota of betterment of others in their characters. And really, how many of us have made more than one questionable decision based on getting sex or money? Hill & Bill have sex and money/power issues; welcome to the human race. One important thing about Hill and Bill is that their successes started earlier in life and they have the sense of entitlement that comes with it; Bernie wasn't elected mayor until he was 40. Suffering prior to success is like climbing the mountain; the view is even sweeter when you arrive at the top. As for "naked arrogance", I blame us - we built the arena where victory, and the use of naked arrogance to attain it, is the only measure widely lauded. If we had true democratic tendencies, we in the masses would never put up with the shit from the few.
Haven't often found Dowd worth my time since 2008, when her snark, so appropriate to Bush the Feckless, was turned on Barry. Barry! for goodness' sake, and that was pretty much the best she could do. Since then she isuffering from desperate and maybe terminal dyspepsia, a sometimes mirror image of the equally irrelevant George Will.
As some of my earlier comments testify, I won't bury my head in the sand and ignore what I see as HRC's real shortcomings, but as of now and through November at least, HRC has my total support.
In that regard, thanks for the laugh of the week.
" I swear to god, if you do this, Bernie, I'm going to stop recycling, start eating nothing but methane-producing beef & tuna from dolphin-snaring nets, & buy a '58 DeSoto or a humungus Winnebago to drive on unnecessary trips every damned day."
So says the CW and I couldn't smile or agree more.
We have to believe that Sanders' ratio of intellect to ego is higher than Nader's was in 2000.