The Commentariat -- May 9 & 10
All internal links removed.
Steven Erlanger of the New York Times: "Prime Minister David Cameron, having achieved a smashing and unexpected outright victory in Britain's general election, heads into his second term facing severe -- even existential -- challenges to his nation's identity and place in the world: how to keep the United Kingdom in the European Union and Scotland in the United Kingdom." ...
... Dan Balz, et al., of the Washington Post: "... if the [U.K.] election produced an unexpectedly clear outcome, it may only have heightened the degree to which the country faces a period of internal debate, inward-looking politics and potential instability, with questions about the durability of the United Kingdom and its place in both Europe and the world still to be answered." ...
... Patrick Wintour of the Guardian: "Britain's political landscape was left transformed as a triumphant David Cameron hailed the sweetest victory of his career after defying his critics by securing the first Conservative working majority since 1992 and forcing three of his vanquished rival party leaders to resign in the space of two hours. With the Conservatives winning an overall majority -- confounding all the opinion poll predictions -- Labour's Ed Miliband, the Liberal Democrats' Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage of Ukip all announced their resignations in quick succession on Friday morning."
Dan Roberts of the Guardian: President Obama expressed frustration yesterday with Democrats who are opposing the transpacific trade agreement:
Robert Pear of the New York Times: "The White House is moving to address two of the most common consumer complaints about the sale of health insurance under the Affordable Care Act: that doctor directories are inaccurate, and that patients are hit with unexpected bills for costs not covered by insurance. Federal health officials said this week that they would require insurers to update and correct 'provider directories' at least once a month, with financial penalties for insurers that failed to do so. In addition, they hope to provide an 'out-of-pocket cost calculator' to estimate the total annual cost under a given health insurance plan. The calculator would take account of premiums, subsidies, co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs, as well as a person's age and medical needs.
Julian Hattem of the Hill: "Director of National Intelligence Jim Clapper wasn't lying when he wrongly told Congress in 2013 that the government does not 'wittingly' collect information about millions of Americans, according to his top lawyer. He just forgot." The lawyer, Robert Litt, said Clapper had not reviewed the questions Sen. Ron Wyden had sent to him the prior day, so Clapper was "hit unaware" by the question. Litt added that he himself "also erred after the hearing by not sending a letter to the panel to correct the mistake." ...
... CW: I find the I-forgot excuse fairly credible in Clapper's case. He is not the brightest bulb, & his staff has a history of not briefing him timely on critical security matters.
Gail Collins on spineless Texas politicians who are encouraging crazy conspiracy theorists. CW: The one hope for Texas is that sane people -- maybe from someplace else -- take over the government. Or secession. I'm for that, too. Really, as far as Texas goes, I'm totally with the crazy.
NEW. Nicole Perlroth of the New York Times reports the strange case of Sherry Chen, whom federal prosecutors accused of spying for China -- until they didn't. "Mrs. Chen was caught in a much broader dragnet aimed at combating Chinese industrial espionage." CW: Their "evidence" against Chen sounds pretty flimsy to me. Of course they did ruin Chen's life. As of now, "Mrs. Chen's benefits and pay have been restored, but she is waiting to hear whether the Commerce Department will allow her to return to work."
NEW. Everything Is Obama's Fault, Ctd. Sahil Kapur of Bloomberg: "Representative Steve King was in his element at the South Carolina Freedom Summit on Saturday, saying after a speech to raucous conservatives that the fault for riots in Baltimore lies with President Barack Obama." Something about Obama "instinctively ... driving wedges people."
The Essential Rectitude of Nepotism. Elizabeth Bruenig of the New Republic: "Today, The New York Times' David Brooks gave family dynasties a hearty endorsement in one of his increasingly deranged fireside chats, suggesting that since some 'powerhouse families' regularly produce successful members, 'we should be grateful that in each field of endeavor there are certain families that are breeding grounds for achievement.... I bet you can trace ways your grandparents helped shape your career,' Brooks advises, proving once again he knows zero people who are not rich.... Combine a heavy emphasis on family values with an equally intense desire for money, and the outcome is what we from the South recognize as good ol' boy networks, wherein a hapless dweeb who can barely manage a baseball team stumbles into the presidency because his daddy made a good run of it."
NEW. Karoli of Crooks & Liars notices that Dylan Byer, Politico's media reporter, mentions -- almost as an aside -- that "the national media have never been more primed to take down Hillary Clinton (and, by the same token, elevate a Republican candidate)." ...
... NEW. digby: "I am always grateful when Village scribes are upfront with their agenda. 'Taking down' Clinton (either or both) is the Village's Holy Grail. And the young Village turks, eager to prove their manhood, are taking up the challenge and joining the crusade. Maybe they'll be the ones who'll finally get 'er done."
Presidential Race
NEW. Jeff Greenfield in the Daily Beast: "Throughout their public lives, Bill and Hillary Clinton have benefitted enormously from the fury of their ideological enemies. Making a case that will persuade Democrats to move away from Clinton on character grounds will be the political equivalent of defusing a ticking bomb." ...
... NEW. Steve M.: "The right just can't let go of any scandal, real or fake. This actually works for Republicans in non-presidential years, because it keeps the GOP voter base fired up and ready to turn out when Democratic voters won't. But it fails them in presidential elections -- as Greenfield says, the constant attacks on the Clintons actually boost their popularity, and help them downplay what might otherwise be legitimate scandals."
NEW. Friends of Marco, Part 1. Michael Barbaro & Steve Eder of the New York Times: "As [Marco] Rubio has ascended in the ranks of Republican politics, [billionaire Norman] Braman has emerged as a remarkable and unique patron. He has bankrolled Mr. Rubio's campaigns. He has financed Mr. Rubio's legislative agenda. And, at the same time, he has subsidized Mr. Rubio's personal finances, as the rising politician and his wife grappled with heavy debt and big swings in their income. Now..., Mr. Braman is ... expected [to contribute] ... approximately $10 million for the senator's pursuit of the White House." ...
... NEW. Friends of Marco, Part 2. Ben Terris of the Washington Post: David Rivera, whom Rubio calls his "most loyal friend and supporter," and "who won a U.S. House seat in 2010, the year of Rubio's come-from-behind Senate victory — has left politics under an ethics cloud. Rivera, who failed to win reelection, has been a target of state and federal investigations looking into his alleged failure to disclose income as well as his alleged role in support of a 2012 shadow campaign designed to undercut his chief Democratic rival for Congress." CW: I don't find this a big deal. While Charlie Rangel probably isn't Hillary Clinton's BFF, I doubt she would snub him because of his ethical lapses. Politics is shady & politicians have plenty of friends & supporters who are or should be "under an ethics cloud."
Alex Isenstadt of Politico: Jeb Bush's superPAC, "Right to Rise, is said to be on track for raising an historic $100 million by the end of May, and its budget is expected to dwarf that of Bush's official campaign many times over." ...
... Jeb Ditches the .1 Percent Solution. Laura Clawson of Daily Kos: "Jeb Bush didn't want to look like he was bought and paid for by one specific billionaire, so he limited donations to his super PAC to a puny $1 million per person. Bush wasn't going to be seen as the candidate of Sheldon Adelson or Foster Friess or Robert Mercer — he was going to be the candidate of the entire .1 percent, or at least as much of it as he could persuade to give him money. But screw that. Time is running short, other Republicans are raising more money than expected, and Bush is now ready to ditch his $1 million contribution cap." ...
... Digby in Salon: Jeb "Bush's recent comment about listening to Junior's advice on Israel was made to [a] group of potential big money donors, some of whom presumably had some of the same concerns as [Sheldon] Adelson. Considering how unpopular his brother remains with the public, it's a testament to just how important winning the donor primary is that he would evoke his name in any gathering other than George or Barbara's birthday parties." CW: I admire digby for consistently figuring out candidates' real motives. I think she's right on this one: Jeb pretends to be Bigger than Billionaires, but he's courting them all the same, if in a more oblique way than are some of his competitors.
Lauren French of Politico: "Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul will host a meeting with members of the Congressional Black Caucus next week to discuss criminal justice reform.... He's teaming up with Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), and other black lawmakers, to craft a strategy for advancing legislation as law enforcement issues have taken center stage following the death of several unarmed black men at the hands of police."
There are a few Republican ideologues up with which climate-change denier George Will will not put: one of them is a Bible-thumping, Constitution-nullifying presidential candidate from Hope, Arkansas (and of course he doesn't like those other "seedy" politicos from Hope, either).
Robert Costa of the Washington Post: "Mitt Romney ... will ... host GOP presidential hopefuls and some of the party's biggest donors in Utah ... June 11-13.... Confirmed speakers from the likely 2016 Republican field include Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.). Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, long seen as a Romney rival due to tensions between their camps, was invited but will not attend, per a Romney ally."
Beyond the Beltway
Abby Phillip of the Washington Post: "Delaware police have released the dashboard camera video of a 2013 incident in which an officer kicked a suspect in the face, knocking him unconscious and breaking his jaw. A grand jury initially declined to indict the officer, Dover Police Cpl. Thomas Webster, in March 2014, and Webster was allowed to return to full duty that June. But on Monday, Webster was arrested on felony second-degree assault charges after a second grand jury was convened to review the case. Days later, Dover police released the dashboard camera video after a federal judge ruled that it was no longer confidential." CW: Here's hoping this is another sign that prosecutors are beginning to get that the public won't put up with brutality as routine police procedure.
CBS Miami/AP: Florida Gov. Rick Scott first said he vehemently opposed ObamaCare, then -- after his mother's death in 2013 -- he said he favored the Medicaid expansion component of ObamaCare, then this week he said that was a ruse, now he says the AP reporter who reported his latest remark "incorrectly characterized" his admission. CW: Thank you, my fellow Floridians, for twice electing a guy you knew was a lying, crooked jerk.
Let Us Now Praise Small Businessmen. Tom Boggioni of the Raw Story: "The owner of a Colorado barbecue restaurant is beginning to feel the heat over plans for a 'White Appreciation Day,' where only white customers will receive a 10 percent discount on their orders.... The owners, both of whom are Hispanic and who recently purchased the restaurant, said the idea began as a joke, but now it has been scheduled for June 11." Because Black History Month & Hispanic Heritage Month. CW: As a promotional gimmick, this is superb. Look at the attention it's generating.
News Lede
New York Daily News: "Bernie Madoff's right-hand man -- who snitched to federal investigators about the historic Ponzi scheme -- has died before he could be sentenced for his crimes. Frank DiPascali was 58. He died Thursday of lung cancer, his lawyer, Marc Mukasey, said."
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Reader Comments (7)
Robert Litt's claim that Clapper wasn't lying but rather simply forgot when he told Wyden that the NSA wasn't "wittingly" collecting information on all Americans is preposterous. Shortly after that committee hearing, Andrea Miller asked him about that specific exchange. He told her it was "the most truthful, least untruthful" answer he could think of. He knew he was essentially lying; it was certainly not a problem of memory; and Wyden, his strongest critic on the committee, had listed this key question in advance. His exchange with Miller revealed no evidence that he was surprised by or unprepared the question. Stupid to admit maybe but otherwise a deftly hedged answer.
@Creegr: If you believe Litt's story, here's what happened. (1) The day before the hearing, Wyden sent Clapper's office the list of questions he intended to ask at the hearing. (2) Clapper's staff didn't give Clapper the list or brief him on it. This I find highly believable because Clapper's staff -- even though several hours had elapsed since the event -- previously had not briefed him on an important development in the capture of terrorists in the U.K. (Story linked above.) (3) Clapper ad-libbed his testimony. (4) Immediately after the hearing, Litt advised Clapper that his answer wasn't true. (5) Andrea Mitchell (or somebody) asked Clapper about his answer.* (6) Clapper said he responded with the answer you cite.* (7) My best recollection, from having read previous reporting, is that Wyden claimed he gave Clapper a chance to amend his testimony (this is pretty standard procedure in court cases; I don't know what the Senate's practice is, but Wyden knew Clapper had lied because Wyden had read classified reports on NSA programs). (8) Clapper did not do so. This is where Clapper's excuse goes in the crapper. (9) Litt now says he wishes he had advised Clapper to amend his testimony.
Litt is falling on his sword here. Whether Clapper knew at the time he spoke that he had given false testimony or whether he didn't know until shortly after the hearing is the question. If you believe Litt, Clapper's false statement & his failure to amend it was the fault of (a) staff & (b) Litt; if you don't believe Litt, then Clapper told a big fat lie & let it stand until Ed Snowden leaked incontrovertible evidence that Clapper's testimony was untrue.
I do think that Clapper's false statement should be Snowden's get-out-of-jail card, at least in regard to any leaked data that disproved Clapper's testimony.
Marie
*UPDATE: This is an error in my timeline. The exchange between Clapper & the NBC reporter did not take place until a couple of days after the first Snowden leaks.
Marie..
I don't believe Litt. Watching the exchange during the hearing - "No, (pause) ah.. not wittingly." -, I thought it was pretty clear he knew he was lying. Wyden's offer to let him correct his answer (which I didn't know about) plus his interview with Mitchell was just further evidence that Clapper et al. don't worry about Congressional oversight, especially not when it comes from known critics like Senator Wyden. Snowden's leaks were already leaked, no?
I'm wondering why I was getting emails from various and sundry asking me to sign a card wishing Michelle Obama a Happy Mother's Day. She is not my mother. She has daughters who will wish her that sentiment. Why would I want to wish her that? I guess in the UK they might do that for the Queen––certainly they do it on her birthday, but we have no royalty –-no sovereign entity to shower with gratuitous messages (so many wish we did). But here on THIS royal reality site I am happy to wish all you mothers a day of grateful acknowledgment from any kinder that might be hanging around. Have fun!
PD: I just received a Happy Mother's Day greeting from Elizabeth
Warren. I could never be a mother and I don't personally know her.
I'm wondering why she missed my birthday and Easter and April
fool day.
Here's the headline on google news from Fox:
"Exclusive: Jeb Bush says he, Hillary Clinton would have backed Iraq invasion."
So Jeb is not really a Bush man, but a woman named Hillary Clinton who would have backed the nifty idea of invading Iraq. Who knew? This opens up a whole can of worms, don't it? To think we now have to deal with gender disguises along with all the other pish-posh of current candidates. One wonders though: If Jeb is really Hillary, where does that leave us? Oh, woe betide.
@Creegr wrote, "Snowden's leaks were already leaked, no?"
No. Clapper testified March 12, 2013. Snowden's leaks were first published in early June of that year.
Marie