The Commentariat -- Oct. 27, 2014
Internal links removed.
Paul Krugman: "... nowadays we simply won't invest [in public projects], even when the need is obvious and the timing couldn't be better. And don't tell me that the problem is 'political dysfunction' or some other weasel phrase that diffuses the blame. Our inability to invest ... reflects the destructive ideology that has taken over the Republican Party."
Azam Ahmed of the New York Times: "Combat operations in Helmand Province officially ended on Sunday for the United States Marines and British troops stationed there, bringing an end to a decade-long struggle to keep a major Taliban stronghold and the region's vast opium production in check. Officials commemorated the handover during simultaneous ceremonies at Camp Leatherneck for the Marines and Camp Bastion for the British forces, conjoined bases that made up the coalition headquarters for the region."
Matt Flegenheimer, et al., of the New York Times: "Facing fierce resistance from the White House and medical experts to a strict new mandatory quarantine policy, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Sunday night that medical workers who had contact with Ebola patients in West Africa but did not show symptoms of the disease would be allowed to remain at home and would receive compensation for lost income." This is a revision of the NYT story linked in yesterday's News Ledes. ...
This is government's job. We have taken this action, and I have no second thoughts about it. -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on quarantines of people who have come into contact with Ebola ...
... CW: Um, actually Christie did have second thoughts. This, from today's NYT piece by Flegenheimer, et al.: "After Mr. Cuomo's announcement, Mr. Christie issued a statement saying that, under protocols announced on Wednesday [??], New Jersey residents not displaying symptoms would also be allowed to quarantine in their homes." ...
... BUT. Jonathan Cohn: "Meanwhile, Hickox remains in her tent, at least as of this writing. Her presence could discourage health care workers from going overseas in the future. That would be tragic -- and dangerous." ...
... Steve M.: "Is Chris Christie being mean enough to Kari Hickox to win the Republican nomination in 2016?" ...
... Elizabeth Cohen, et al. of CNN: "Kaci Hickox, a nurse placed under mandatory quarantine in New Jersey, went on CNN on Sunday and criticized the 'knee-jerk reaction by politicians' to Ebola, saying 'to quarantine someone without a better plan in place, without more forethought, is just preposterous.' Hickox, an epidemiologist who was working to help treat Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, has tested negative twice for Ebola and does not have symptoms, she said." With video. ...
James Hambin of the Atlantic has a long piece on the U.S.'s response to Ebola, in which he cites the work of interviews Steven Hatfill, who "was very publicly, very falsely accused of killing several people with anthrax in 2001.... As he wrote....: 'The initial response to the outbreak of Ebola in the United States has been badly designed, and poorly and incompetently implemented.... The leading health authorities of the United States have made far over-reaching statements and assumptions that are not fully supported by the existing scientific literature.' For one objection, Hatfill wants it known that ... aerosol droplet transmission of Ebola virus has been shown in animal studies. 'It is therefore irresponsible for government health officials to emphatically state that aerosol transmission does not occur,' he writes. He also believes the argument against a national quarantine is 'inexcusable in light of the size of the current West African epidemic.' Hatfill's concerns are backed by some compelling evidence and the clout of a long, storied career." ...
Jonathan Chait: "If Republicans recapture the Senate majority, Mitch McConnell has a plan ... [to] restore the Senate to its glorious, dignified place in American political life ... [as it was] before Harry Reid degraded the institution.... It takes an exceptionally principled politician to elevate procedural fairness over his own political goals. That doesn't sound like a description of Mitch McConnell."
The New York Times has an extensive review of how the Affordable Care Act has performed: "After a year fully in place, the Affordable Care Act has largely succeeded in delivering on President Obama's main promises, an analysis by a team of reporters and data researchers shows. But it has also fallen short in some ways and given rise to a powerful conservative backlash." ...
... CW: I know for sure it's working. I had the TV on in the middle of the night, & some rip-off outfit was urging people to call in to get ACA health insurance. If the crooks have found it, it's working.
Today's History Lesson. Eric Lichtblau of the New York Times: "In the decades after World War II, the C.I.A. and other United States agencies employed at least a thousand Nazis as Cold War spies and informants and, as recently as the 1990s, concealed the government's ties to some still living in America, newly disclosed records and interviews show." ...
... CW: So here's a question for you. And for Congress. Should these ex-Nazis, who worked for the U.S., get Social Security benefits? See also this story.
Digby gives her take on Thomas Frank's essay (linked in the Commentariat yesterday) on the parallels between the Obama & Carter presidencies. ...
... Scott Lemieux writes the "Shorter Thomas Frank." ...
... Paul Waldman: "I'm not going to bother going through all the things that are wrong with Frank's argument (Bill Clinton was 'passionless'?), but one thing's for sure: There are no liberals left who think that the savagery of the right is best dealt with through some kind of mushy-headed post-partisanship. Frankly, I don't know how many of them there were to begin with, even those who were smitten by Barack Obama in 2008. They didn't love Obama because they thought he'd melt conservatives' icy hearts; one of the things that made him so compelling was the fact that not only was he inspiring and new, he was also obviously a shrewd tactician who knew how to wield the knife, as he showed in dispatching Hillary Clinton."
Kara Lankford of Ocean Conservancy in Politico Magazine: "Yes, BP did damage the Gulf." CW: This seems to be Politico's mea culpa. They used the same format for Lankford's piece as for BP exec Geoff Morrell's piece in the magazine last week. In an earlier opinion piece outlining damage to Gulf, Politico made abundantly clear that the work was "only the author's opinion."
Yishai Schwartz of the New Republic on the documentary film Citizenfour, by Laura Poitras about Ed Snowden: "Despite Poitras' best efforts, the movie confirms the views of [Snowden's] critics."
God News Follow-up. Mark Kleiman of the Reality-Base Community: "Shorter Ross Douthat: All Popes are infallible, but reactionary Popes are more infallible than others. Note especially two extraordinary claims: * That what Douthat admits is a traditionalist minority deserves deference because of its energy. Apparently Douthat wants his faction to dominate the Church the way the Tea Party dominates the GOP. * That it would be outrageous for Pope Francis to use the power of appointment to move the Church into the future in precisely the way his two predecessors used it to move the Church into the past."
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Charles Pierce reviews the Sunday shows.
November Elections
Nate Cohn of the New York Times: "Many of the governor's races remain exceedingly close, according to the latest round of data from The New York Times/CBS News/YouGov online panel of more than 80,000 respondents.... On balance, Democrats seem set to pick up two or three states, mainly because the Republicans enter the elections with twice as many Republican-held seats. But it is easy to imagine the Republicans holding their advantage -- there are 29 Republican governors and 21 Democratic ones -- or the Democrats picking up a half-dozen seats." ...
E. J. Dionne lists four "underappreciated facts" about the midterm Senate elections. "If Democrats upset expectations, these underappreciated factors will be the reason." ...
... Nate Silver reviews the lastest polls, noting that the GOP's Senate "advantage remains consistent but not decisive."
Maine. Steve Mistler of the Portland Press Herald: "Republican Gov. Paul LePage has opened a lead over Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud in the closing weeks of the gubernatorial campaign, according to a Maine Sunday Telegram/Portland Press Herald poll. The findings mark a significant shift from previous polls showing both candidates running in a virtual dead heat. LePage leads Michaud 45 percent to 35 percent, with independent Eliot Cutler at 16 percent and 4 percent undecided...." CW: If Cutler actually cares about Maine, he should drop out now & not make this the second gubernatorial race he's given to LePage.
Massachusetts. The Boston Globe editors endorse Republican Charlie Baker for governor.
New Hampshire. Marin Cogan of New York: Elizabeth Warren aims to defeat Scott Brown -- again. "... no matter how well Scott Brown does on election day, he is poised to make history: either as the first politician to be elected senator from two different states in nearly a century and a half, or, as [N.H. Sen. Jeanne] Shaheen hopes, as the first to run in two states and be defeated by two women." Shaheen, BTW, is "the first woman to serve as both governor and senator of a state in U.S. history."
Presidential Election
Arlette Saenz of ABC News: "In an interview in College Station, Texas, this week, George P. Bush told ABC News' Jonathan Karl he thinks his father, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, will 'more than likely' run for president in 2016." ...
... UPDATE. Charles Pierce reminds of Pee's youthful stalker days. Apparently, being the son of a wealthy Republican means having to do some illegal, creepy things to women.
... Peter Baker of the New York Times tells you just what all the members of the Bush family think about President Jeb." ...
... CW: I cannot think of how this country could better demonstrate to the world that it has become retrogressive, dynastic & dull than to have another Bush-Clinton race, starring two old fogies. A Romney-Clinton race would not be much better. I think either would be described by future historians as the endpoint of U.S. global leadership, although the pivotal point probably came in 2001, when the Supremes elected Dubya. An uninspiring presidential face-off would/will be another, significant event in the decline & fall.
News Ledes
Washington Post: "Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was reelected by a whisker in a second-round head-to-head vote, after one of the closest, most aggressive campaigns in the country's recent history."
Guardian: "Pro-Europe parties secured a big win in an election in Ukraine, a partial vote count suggested on Monday, with President Petro Poroshenko hailing people's support for his plan to end a separatist war and pursue democratic reforms sought by the west."
Seattle Times: "A second student has died after a freshman’s shooting rampage Friday at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. Gia Soriano, 14, died Sunday night at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, a hospital official announced at a news conference. She had been hospitalized in critical condition since the shooting."
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Reader Comments (18)
"If Cutler actually cares about Maine, he should drop out now & not make this the second gubernatorial race he's given to LePage."
If Jim Fallows actually cared about Maine he'd tell his good buddy Cutler to quit being an asshole.
And I forgot to add: I'm very skeptical of polls that show big swings. Everyone should be.
Like I said, creating a reasonable Ebola quarantine policy and procedure is easy. NY just did it. Polite, respectful, efficient, effective (and salary if necessary). Careful healthcare. Wow!
Now lets see if NJ will follow. The problem is that Christie would have to admit he got it wrong. To protect your health, don't hold your breath.
I am getting so depressed about the likelihood of a Republican takeover of the Senate that I have unsubscribed to all of my progressive fundraising pleas! They seem so desperate, and in denial. Wendy Davis' campaign is the worst. I like Wendy; I feel for Wendy; I would vote for Wendy--but I will NOT send her money. This is a spectacular waste of time, money and energy! Just ask the Supremes.
Our Neanderthal electorate are more than willing to spin further into societal regression. And to think it has worsened since the election of our first Black President! Let's please just admit that we are still fighting the Civil War and get back to our underground railroads.
And if Hillary and Jeb are on the menu for 2016, I may require Electro Shock Therapy.
I used to jokingly say this about England in the 70's but it seems to be true about us today: We are living in a third-world country. We just don't know it yet.
@Kate: from my depths of learned helplessness, I have fantasies that in some bright future our society will require that those seeking political office pass a professional examination, similar to what we require of doctors, nurses, lawyers, architects, civil engineers, heck...even accountants. Those who desire to serve the greater good by crafting legislation must prove that they have some base proficiency in public policy, and an understanding of macroeconomics, geography, college-level science, and history. Alas...having just completed my mail-in ballot, most on the docket in my district are unqualified, citing their veteran status or military service record (or married to one), membership in a church, blood donor, block watch committee service, service on various community boards, and, yes, that they were an eagle scout, as proof of being an electable decision maker. I think the idea of representative government needs some adjusting. I certainly wouldn't trust my health to someone who is well-meaning without credentials, or inhabit a building what was built without the engineering calculations to prove it can carry the necessary loads. Why do we expect great things from guessers and blowhards?
@James Singer: I wrote to Fallows & suggest he do just that.
Marie
@Jeff K. wrote, "I have fantasies that in some bright future our society will require that those seeking political office pass a professional examination...."
Sounds like a swell idea. However, it appears to be unconstitutional. The Constitution is very specific as to what qualifications members of the House & Senate must meet. (BTW, Sens. Mary Landrieu & Pat Roberts, one of them is that "when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.")
It isn't 100 percent clear to me that additional qualifications cannot be added, but it's about 98.5 percent clear. Per Wikipedia, "in 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned congressional term limits in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, ruling that state governments cannot limit the terms of members of the national government." In that decision, the Court "ruled that states cannot impose qualifications for prospective members of the U.S. Congress stricter than those specified in the Constitution." Stare decisis & all, I don't think other qualifications -- like proficiency exams -- would pass court scrutiny, either, even if the Congress itself imposed them -- which it wouldn't.
One thing our elected leadership is not is a meritocracy.
Marie
RE; Marie, You're the best. I don't know what I'd do without your site. But I must take exception; "Unless you're a scientist with specific knowledge about the benefits of ancient grains as opposed to say, oats, don't write in & bitch about my ignorance."
With my own scientific studies that span decades I state with specific knowledge; "the longer you keep those ancient grains in the barrel the more beneficial the spirit."
My Proof... A single ounce of Paddy's blended Irish whiskey in the morning on Cheerios, good. A single shot of ten year old Bushmill's blended Irish whiskey in the morning on cornflakes, better. A generous pour of thirty year old single malt Tillamore Dew Irish whiskey in the morning; no Cheerios, no cornflakes, in black coffee; priceless! Just trying to help. Cheers.
"John Barleycorn must die." Stevie Winwood
@JJG: Your point is well-taken. I stand corrected. Time for breakfast now.
Marie
John Dickerson in Slate:
“If you receive political fundraising emails, you know the end is near.”
And:
“There are hundreds… beseeching and screaming in my inbox. Many of them look like ransom letters, with highlighted passages, bold lettering, and SCATTERSHOT CAPITALIZATION. At the current trajectory of mushrooming calamity, I expect to receive a subject line soon that reads: ‘This email is coming from inside the house.’ Or maybe, ‘Donate to this campaign or the dog gets it.’”
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/10/political_fundraising_emails_are_insulting_and_deceitful_why_they_represent.html
@ James Singer & CW
Tried to find a way to write to James Fallows because that was my first thought of what to do, but couldn't find an e-mail for him. However, I did shoot one off to the Cutler campaign directly.
I see that Obama and George Mitchell will be here in Maine to support Michaud per the Press Herald.
"Republican voters like their candidates to be mean and pitiless toward those they consider to be the wrong kind of people. "
Steve M. (see Marie's link, above)
The idea that Chris Christie, bully, braggart extraordinaire, may be going too easy on Kari Hickox is discouraging enough, but it's just another right wing litmus test that prays for a result of acid, preferably of the hydrochloric variety.
So being quarantined and made to sleep outside in an unheated tent in late October constitutes treatment that is just too nice for Republicans? Maybe she can be denied food as well and made to pay her utility bills? She has electricity, right? Make her pay. Or maybe Christie can implement the sort of Ebola quarantine that Fox viewers can get behind: dragged out into the woods, chained to a tree, wrapped in black garbage bags with duct tape, and made to pray for mercy (oh, wait, that sounds like a job for Rand Paul).
I am so fucking fed up with these pompous, self-righteous assholes who call themselves god fearing Christians and wave their Bibles around but who will, at the drop of a hanging chad, turn into inhuman monsters.
Political differences are one thing. Philosophical disagreements are one thing. This is a completely different animal. This is the kind of thinking that informs the worst religious zealots who see anyone not from their tribe as something less than human. Something undeserving of the tiniest scintilla of human kindness, who can be spat upon and left for dead at the side of the road. And there is NO ONE--certainly not Mr. Hero, tough-talk Chris Christie to say "enough" to these savages. No one.
Mean and pitiless are not attributes one seeks in fellow citizens. They are conditions suggesting unqualified loathing and hatred.
The Republican Party is truly despicable.
This IS a fight to the death.
Full agreement with Marie on the soporific possibility of a 2016 White House fight between a Clinton and a Bush.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I don't know if we need a second Clinton but I am not at all sanguine about the possibility of surviving a third Bush.
As I've said before, with Bush One we got a small war and a big economic set back. With Bush Two, a huge war destroying millions of lives and costing trillions--a war now in its second decade, and economic disaster of historic proportions. Do we really want to see what's behind Bush Door Number Three? And leave us not forget the earlier Bush Debacle, the Savings and Loan scandal, created with the full "cooperation" of the Bush family, especially Neil Bush who left thousands in ruins and went on to a life of ease and luxury. Kind of a Bush trait.
Hell, I'd vote for a Borgia before a Bush. The Borgias were thieves, liars, and murderers too but at least they weren't incompetent.
But how about a Warren/Christie battle? Can you picture Christie trying to smirk and lie his way through a debate on the economy with Warren? (Maybe he could hire Racist Beefcake Boy Scott Brown as his debating coach. With any luck he'll still be out of a job by then.)
I don't know if the country is ready for a President Warren, but we should could use one.
Although no matter who the Republican candidate might be, Wall Street vampires would plow every nickel they've stolen from old ladies' pension funds and every billion they've mooched off the government into GOP campaign coffers to keep Senator Elizabeth Warren (aka Prof. Van Helsing), out of the White House.
Nurse Kaci Hickox was treated like an annoying piece of garbage. But since she lives in Maine she does not realize that she did not receive any unusual treatment. Chris Christie treats everyone like a piece of crap.
If we have to face the dynastic duos- Bush/Clinton, I'll be looking for the gas pipe.
It's like those horror movies where the monster is killed, I breathe a sigh of relief, and up he/she pops for another go. Ugh!
mae finch
1 hour Q and A on last days of Vietnam
Rory Kennedy's doc. Brian Lamb asks the questions.
http://www.c-span.org/video/?321380-1/qa-rory-kennedy
So much I didn't know.
mae finch
Mae
Thanks for the Brian Lamb/Kennedy link. Very moving to see all that history rerun.