The Commentariat -- Sept. 30, 2015

Internal links & defunct video removed.

Peter Baker of the New York Times:"... to Secretary of State John Kerry, the mushrooming crisis [in Syria] cries out for American attention. No less aware of the challenge, he seems willing to go anywhere, anytime, and meet with anyone in pursuit of a resolution. The idea that it may be elusive, or even impossible, is no deterrent." ...

... Neil MacFarquhar of the New York Times: "President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia suddenly escalated the stakes in his contest with the West over influence in the Middle East on Wednesday, as Russian pilots carried out their first airstrikes in Syria. Russian warplanes dropped bombs near the central city of Homs, according to American officials in Washington.... Russian officials and analysts portrayed the move as an attempt both to fight Islamic State militants and to try to ensure the survival of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Russia's main ally in the Middle East. But Homs is not under the control of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL."

Tom Hamburger of the Washington Post: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren, stepping up her crusade against the power of wealthy interests, accused a Brookings Institution scholar of writing a research paper to benefit his corporate patrons. Warren's charge prompted a swift response, with Brookings seeking and receiving the resignation of the economist, Robert Litan, whose report criticized a Warren-backed consumer protection rule targeting the financial services industry."

Your Taxpayer Dollars Wasted on Grandstanding & Lies. Dana Milbank: The House Oversight Committee holds an oversight hearing on videos it hasn't seen. But of course the real purpose was to hector Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, using other false "evidence" they produced. "A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds that Americans have a more favorable view of Planned Parenthood than of any other entity tested, including the Republican Party and presidential candidates. The group's favorable/unfavorable impression, 47 percent to 31 percent, is actually up slightly from July. What's more, 61 percent oppose eliminating federal funding of Planned Parenthood. Even among the 35 percent who support defunding, only 9 percent favor shutting down the government to do it."...

... CW: I listened to a good part of the hearing, & I am happy to say I did not throw my laptop out the window when I heard heard for the 100th time that Planned Parenthood was "selling baby parts," no matter how many times Richards patiently reiterated that PP does not "sell baby parts"; it transfers donated fetal tissue to research facilities. ...

... Kevin Drum corrects the fake chart House Oversight Committee chair Jason Chaffitz (RTP-Utah) produced at the hearing, claiming it was based on Planned Parenthood's own figures. It wasn't. As Dana Milbank writes in the column linked above: "In fact, the chart said the source was the antiabortion group Americans United for Life -- which [Cecille] Richards pointed out to Chaffetz." Drum: "I'm sure it was an honest mistake, probably due to poor math skills from a lifetime spent in the liberal public education system. So as a public service, I've replotted the data using conventional 'numbers' and 'slopes.' You're welcome":

     ... Planned Parenthood has performed fewer cancer screenings because "some of the services, like pap smears, dropped in frequency because of changing medical standards about who should be screened and how often," Richards said in the hearing. ...

... Timothy Lee of Vox also is appalled by the chart, & provides an honest one that shows the correct "slope" of the increase in abortions provided (2 percent) & the actual "slopes" for other services PP provides.

I had a bit of fun today and made a donation to Planned Parenthood in honor of Jason Chaffitz and asked that they notify him of my donation at the House of Representatives. I thought some of you might also think that was a fun thing to do. -- Haley S., in yesterday's Comments

... Christine Hauser of the New York Times: "As Planned Parenthood called on their supporters to rally on Tuesday, a state report found no evidence that a Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri illegally handled fetal tissue. The report by the Missouri attorney general [Chris Koster (D)] was the latest to announce results of an investigation arising from secretly recorded videos claiming that Planned Parenthood was 'profiteering in baby parts.'... In addition to Missouri, officials in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Indiana, South Dakota and Massachusetts have found, after investigations, that Planned Parenthood was in compliance with state laws.Investigations have also been opened in about nine states, including Arizona, where fetal tissue donation is not an option." ...

... Sandhya Somashekhar of the Washington Post: "Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards on Tuesday for the first time directly addressed members of Congress about undercover videos purporting to show that the women's health organization illegally sells fetal tissue for profit, telling members of the House Oversight committee that the allegations are 'offensive and categorically untrue.' At a hearing centering on whether federal funding should continue for the group, Richards forcefully defended her organization, calling it a critical source for cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, contraception care and other services for millions of women, particularly those who are low-income." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

.... Jennifer Haberkorn of Politico: "House Republicans during a combative hearing on Tuesday said that Planned Parenthood doesn't deserve federal funding, citing the group's political activities, travel expenses and salaries. [Planned Parenthood President Cecile] Richards defended the organization's federal support, pointing out that federal funds are not spent on abortion. She also strongly rejected accusations that her organization illegally profits from fetal tissue and organ donation, as alleged by the undercover videos." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... An "Investigation" Where Answers Are Not Allowed. Sara Jerde of TPM: "Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) repeatedly interrupted Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards as she tried to answer his questions Tuesday in front of the House Oversight Committee." ...

... Brian Beutler: "The anti-abortion movement's weapons: shock, lies and Carly Fiorina." ...

... See also Michael Scherer's report under Presidential Race linked below.

House Majority Leader Says Purpose of Benghaaazi! Investigations Was to Hurt Hillary Clinton's Presidential Aspirations. Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she's untrustable. But no one would have known any of that had happened, had we not. [Sean Hannity interrupts] -- Kevin McCarthy, yesterday ...

... Greg Sargent: "Congress is supposed to exercise oversight" of public officials. BUT "The problem comes in the linking of this directly to Clinton's 'dropping numbers.' It suggests that the probes are less about genuine accountability than about driving up her negatives...." ...

... Steve Benen: "Note, McCarthy sees the committee as a legitimate accomplishment of the Republican Congress, not because it's uncovered relevant details about an act of terrorism, but because Hillary Clinton's 'numbers are dropping.' This, in his mind, is evidence of the GOP majority using its power effectively -- by using a supposedly non-partisan investigatory vehicle to embarrass a Democrat with dubious allegations. There was no real reason to create this committee, and the panel itself no longer serves any legitimate purpose. McCarthy's unexpected candor ... served as a timely reminder that the Benghazi investigation that no longer focuses on Benghazi is now little more than a taxpayer-financed farce."

Your Taxpayer Dollars Wasted, Ctd. Stephen Ohlmacher of the AP: "House Republicans advanced legislation Tuesday to dismantle President Barack Obama's health law that could actually reach the president's desk. The House GOP has voted more than 50 times to repeal all or parts of the health law. Almost all the bills died in the Senate. But this time, Republicans are using a special process that prevents Senate Democrats from blocking the legislation. Obama can still veto it, but the vote could provide a blueprint for dismantling the law if Republicans retake the White House in 2016."

Mike DeBonis & Robert Costa of the Washington Post: "A generation of House Republicans who have spent the past five years trying to shake up Washington spent Tuesday trying to shake up their party's leadership contests that have moved coolly toward reinforcing the status quo. They had little success. A campaign to draft one prominent, relatively young conservative, Rep. Trey Gowdy (S.C.), into the race for majority leader was extinguished before day's end, leaving restless conservatives to continue their search for a standard-bearer. Meanwhile, the sitting majority leader, Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), moved to tighten his grip on the speaker's chair being vacated next month by John A. Boehner (Ohio), pledging in a series of public appearances to 'change the culture' of the Republican conference in a bid to address the right flank's long-running frustrations with Boehner." ...

... Apparently Boehner & Mitch McConnell have no illusions about the future of the House. Reuters: "U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that he and departing House Speaker John Boehner will soon launch negotiations with the White House to try to reach a two-year budget deal that covers the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years." ...

>... Seung Min Kim of Politico: "As President Barack Obama and top congressional leaders prepare to launch negotiations on a two-year budget deal, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is maneuvering to cut key Democrats out of the talks...."

New York Times Editors: "In the days he has left, [John Boehner] can revive immigration reform. He can pass the large-scale, comprehensive overhaul that lawmakers had worked on for years, a bill that passed the Senate in 2013 with strong bipartisan support and could have been sent to President Obama's desk but for the obduracy of the nativist right in the House and Mr. Boehner's unwillingness to call a vote." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Calla Wahlquist of the Guardian: "Kim Davis, the Kentucky county court clerk who spent five days in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, is reported to have had a private meeting with the pope during his historic US tour. According to a statement posted on the website of Christian lobby group the Liberty Council, Pope Francis met Davis and her husband, Joe, at the Vatican's Washington DC embassy on Thursday. The statement carries the stamp of the Liberty Council's founder and chairman, Matt Staver, who is acting as Davis's lawyer in her dispute with the court. The statement, which is based on a report from Inside The Vatican, says that the pope thanked Davis for her 'courage' and told her to 'stay strong'.... The Vatican has not responded to the reports." CW: Disgusting, if remotely true. ...

... David Gilbson of Religion News Service, in a straight news report: "Throughout his six-day visit to the U.S., Pope Francis was careful to avoid or downplay many of the hot-button social issues that have roiled American society, and he repeatedly exhorted his own bishops to take a more positive approach and not pick fights that would turn more people off than they would attract. Yet it turns out that even as he was preaching that message the pope met secretly with an icon of the culture wars: Kim Davis...." CW: I guess Francis was following Jesus's admonition to "Do as I say, not as I do." Well, okay, not Jesus. ...

... This report by Jack Jenkins of Think Progress, dated Sept. 28, suggests Francis does support Kim Davis's right to "conscientious objection."

Presidential Race

Eric Bradner of CNN: "Bill Clinton hit ... Donald Trump for running a 'fact-free' campaign, defending his wife Hillary Clinton in an interview Tuesday. The former president touted his wife's accomplishments as President Barack Obama's first secretary of state -- starting with sanctions against Iran -- as he lashed out at Trump for calling his wife's four-year tenure a failure in an interview with CNN's Erin Burnett."

Eliza Collins of Politico: "If Bernie Sanders were president, he wouldn't be as naive about compromise as President Barack Obama. At least that's what the Vermont senator told David Axelrod on the former Obama adviser's first episode of his podcast 'The Axe Files with David Axelrod.' Sanders said that after a 'brilliant campaign,' Obama made a mistake by expecting that he could easily negotiate with the other party."

Politics is a fact-free zone. People just say things. -- Carly Fiorina, distancing herself from dirty politicians

GOP Voters Thrill to Candidate's Lies. Philip Rucker of the Washington Post: "On the facts, Carly Fiorina has been proved wrong. But on the politics, her impassioned condemnation of a Planned Parenthood video has turned her into a champion of the antiabortion movement and given her outsider candidacy new momentum." ...

... Michael Scherer of Time: "The video that Carly Fiorina graphically described at the last Republican presidential debate, depicting a moving fetus on a table following an apparent abortion, was released online in its entirety Tuesday morning, according to Gregg Cunningham, the founder of the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, who collected the footage. Cunningham, an anti-abortion activist, declined to identify the date, location or authors of the video.... He also made no claim that the images shown in the video had anything to do with Planned Parenthood.... At times the fetus appears to move, and at other times it appears to have a pulse. There are no images on the full video of any attempt to harvest the brain of the fetus, and there is no sound." ...

... CW: The video -- & even Cunningham -- dispute Fiorina's assertions. According to Fiorina, the tapes show "As regards [to] Planned Parenthood..., a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking while someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain." (I'm not sure what a "fully-formed fetus" is.) Since there's no sound, Fiorina didn't hear "someone say[ing] we have to keep it alive." Further, Cunningham can't confirm that the fetus in the clip was aborted but not miscarried, but he told Time "he is confident the procedure was an abortion, and not a miscarriage, owing to the lack of medical treatment offered to the fetus." So, the opposite of Fiorina's claim that there was an effort to "save" the fetus to harvest its brain. ...

... Update: Sarah Kliff of Vox has more. Kliff also links to an opinion by obstetrician Jen Gunner, who says the clip most likely shows a premature spontaneous delivery, not an abortion. ...

... Jen Gunter: Cunningham's "statement [that the clip must be of an abortion because no one tends to the fetus] underscores the fact that Cunningham has no idea what he is talking about as the fetus is 17-18 weeks and hence pre viable so no one would render care. It is highly atypical to offer neonatal care before 23 weeks. A neonatologist who attempt to resuscitate a 17 week delivery would be considered unethical." Gunner outlines several reasons for her conclusion that the clip does not show an abortion.

Ted [Cruz] has chosen to make this really personal and chosen to call people dishonest in leadership and call them names which really goes against the decorum and also against the rules of the Senate, and as a consequence he can't get anything done legislatively.... He is pretty much done for [in the Senate] and stifled, and it's really because of personal relationships, or lack of personal relationships, and it is a problem. -- Rand Paul, on Fox "News," Tuesday

... Alex Isenstadt of Politico: "One of the three super PACs supporting Rand Paul's presidential campaign has stopped raising money, dealing a damaging blow to an already cash-starved campaign. In a Tuesday telephone interview, Ed Crane, who oversees the group, PurplePAC, accused Paul of abandoning his libertarian views -- and suggested it was a primary reason the Kentucky senator had plummeted in the polls."

Beyond the Beltway

Guardian: "The Georgia board of pardons and paroles has denied clemency for the lone woman on the state's death row after hearing requests to spare her life from her children and from the Vatican. Kelly Renee Gissendaner was scheduled to die by lethal injection sometime after 7pm at the state prison in Jackson. Gissendaner, 47, was convicted of murder in the February 1997 slaying of her husband. She conspired with her lover, who stabbed Douglas Gissendaner to death." ...

... Atlanta Journal-Constitution Update: "The Associated Press reported at 11:31 p.m. that the U.S. Supreme Court has denied a third appeal to halt the execution of Kelly Gissendaner, the lone woman on Georgia's death row." ...

    ... Updated Lede: "Kelly Gissendaner was executed early Wednesday morning for her role in the murder of her husband in 1997. The Georgia Department of corrections said her death by lethal injection came at 12:21 a.m."

Tony Cook & Chelsea Schneider of the Indianapolis Star: "Rep. Jud McMillin, a rising star in the state's Republican Party, abruptly resigned Tuesday. The Indianapolis Star has learned that the surprise resignation came after a sexually explicit video was sent via text message from McMillin's cell phone. It's unclear who sent the text or how broadly it was distributed.... In 2005, his career as an assistant county prosecutor in Ohio came to an end amid questions about his sexual conduct." McMillin claimed that his cellphone was stolen for 24 hours.

News Ledes

Washington Post: "Hurricane Joaquin rapidly intensified overnight and is now a Category 1 tracking west toward the Bahamas. Though there continues to be a high amount of uncertainty in the forecast, Hurricane Joaquin could track toward the East Coast this weekend, which is now in the cone of the National Hurricane Center forecast."

Washington Post: "Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday said his government no longer considers itself bound by the Oslo agreements in effect for two decades, charging that Israel has failed to live up to its obligations. In an address to the U.N. General Assembly, where the Palestinians have observer status, Abbas said Israel has not followed through on its commitments in the Oslo accords to accept a Palestinian state and to curtail settlement growth on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem."

New York Times: "A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld on Wednesday a federal judge's finding last year that the N.C.A.A. 'is not above antitrust laws' and that its rules have been too restrictive in maintaining amateurism. But the panel threw out the judge's proposal that N.C.A.A. members should pay athletes $5,000 per year in deferred compensation, stating that compensation for the cost of attendance was sufficient."

New York Times: "American warplanes bombarded Taliban-held territory around the Kunduz airport overnight, and Afghan officials said American Special Forces were rushed toward the fighting. But by Wednesday morning, the crisis in northern Afghanistan had deepened, as the Taliban continued to surge outward from Kunduz, the major city that the militants captured on Monday."

The Commentariat -- Sept. 29, 2015

Internal links removed.

Afternoon Update:

Sandhya Somashekhar of the Washington Post: "Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards on Tuesday for the first time directly addressed members of Congress about undercover videos purporting to show that the women's health organization illegally sells fetal tissue for profit, telling members of the House Oversight committee that the allegations are 'offensive and categorically untrue.' At a hearing centering on whether federal funding should continue for the group, Richards forcefully defended her organization, calling it a critical source for cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, contraception care and other services for millions of women, particularly those who are low-income." ...

.... Jennifer Haberkorn of Politico: "House Republicans during a combative hearing on Tuesday said that Planned Parenthood doesn't deserve federal funding, citing the group's political activities, travel expenses and salaries. [Planned Parenthood President Cecile] Richards defended the organization's federal support, pointing out that federal funds are not spent on abortion. She also strongly rejected accusations that her organization illegally profits from fetal tissue and organ donation, as alleged by the undercover videos."

New York Times Editors: "In the days he has left, [John Boehner] can revive immigration reform. He can pass the large-scale, comprehensive overhaul that lawmakers had worked on for years, a bill that passed the Senate in 2013 with strong bipartisan support and could have been sent to President Obama's desk but for the obduracy of the nativist right in the House and Mr. Boehner's unwillingness to call a vote."

*****

Julian Borger of the Guardian: "Vladimir Putin emerged from a rare face-to-face meeting with Barack Obama on Monday night, saying Russia and the US could find a way to work together on Syria, despite deep differences over the country's leadership. The US-Russian summit lasted 94 minutes, more than half an hour longer than planned, on the sidelines of the United Nations general assembly where the two leaders had traded barbs only hours before, particularly over the future of the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad." ...

... Michael Gordon & Gardiner Harris of the New York Times: "After circling each other for the past year, President Obama and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia squared off on Monday at the United Nations in dueling speeches that presented starkly different views on the Syrian crisis and how to bring stability to the Middle East." ...

... Julie Pace & Vladimir Isachenkov of the AP: "U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin clashed Monday over their competing visions for Syria, with Obama urging a political transition to replace the Syrian president but Putin warning it would be a mistake to abandon the current government." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Everett Rosenfeld of CNBC: "Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday admonished those who supported democratic revolutions in the Middle East, telling the United Nations they led to the rise of a globally ambitious Islamic State." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Jane Perlez of the New York Times: "In one of the more surprising announcements during his visit to the United States, President Xi Jinping of China announced on Monday during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly that his country would offer more money and more troops to aid United Nations peacekeeping efforts. China, he said, planned to set up a United Nations permanent peacekeeping force of 8,000 troops and would provide $100 million to the African Union to create an immediate response unit capable of responding to emergencies."

Clifford Krauss & Stanley Reed of the New York Times: "On Monday, Royal Dutch Shell ended its expensive and fruitless nine-year effort to explore for oil in the Alaskan Arctic -- a $7 billion investment -- in another sign that the entire industry is trimming its ambitions in the wake of collapsing oil prices. The announcement was hailed as a major victory by environmentalists, who had fought the project for years, only to be stymied by pressure inside and outside the industry to increase domestic oil production."

U.S. Senate Will Not Shut Down Government over Fake Videos Targeting an Organization that Receives 20 Cents/$1,000 of Federal Funding. Infidels! Kelsey Snell & Katie Zezima of the Washington Post: "A stop-gap spending bill that would fund the government at current levels through Dec. 11 cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate Monday on a 77 to 19 vote -- and the upper chamber is expected to pass the measure as soon as Tuesday. If all goes according to the plan hatched by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the House could clear the stop-gap funding bill on Wednesday, averting a shutdown with hours to spare before the Oct. 1 deadline. The only potential speed bump standing in the way of quick consideration of the bill in the Senate was Sen. Ted Cruz, but Senate leaders took procedural steps to limit the Texas Republican's options." ...

... Burgess Everett of Politico: "On Monday night, [Sen. Ted] Cruz's colleagues ignored his attempt to disrupt Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's efforts to fund the government without attacking Planned Parenthood. In an unusual rebuke, even fellow Republicans denied him a 'sufficient second' that would have allowed him a roll call vote. Then, his Republican colleagues loudly bellowed 'no' when Cruz sought a voice vote, a second repudiation that showed how little support Cruz has: Just one other GOP senator -- Utah's Mike Lee -- joined with Cruz as he was overruled by McConnell and his deputies. It was the second time that Cruz had been denied a procedural courtesy that's routinely granted to senators in both parties. The first came after he called McConnell a liar this summer." ...

... Day of the Jackass. Margaret Hartmann: After John Boehner surreptitiously called Ted Cruz a jackass Sunday on "Face the Nation," Ted Cruz, on the Senate floor, accused Boehner of conspiring with Nancy Pelosi to keep the government running. Fellow senators from both parties were remarkably unimpressed. "Despite his losses in the Senate on Monday, Cruz still sees a shutdown over Planned Parenthood as a winning issue. The continuing resolution will only push off the shutdown issue to December, and Boehner's replacement may not be as willing or able to reach a resolution."

Sarah Ferris of the Hill: "Republicans on the House Oversight Committee did not [CW: refused to] invite the creator of the secretly recorded Planned Parenthood videos to testify at Tuesday's hearing, ignoring repeated calls from Democrats. The House Oversight Committee will hold its first hearing on Planned Parenthood Tuesday, marking the first time that an official from Planned Parenthood will testify since it was hurled into the national spotlight in July."

Benghaazi! Forever. Julian Hattem of the Hill: "The House's committee investigating the 2012 terror attack on a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, has been running longer than any other special congressional inquiry in the nation's history. As of Monday, the committee has been in existence for a total of 72 weeks, surpassing the 1970s effort to investigate the Watergate scandal -- the previous longest special investigatory committee, which ran for just less than one year and five months." CW: Expect it to run right up to November 8, 2016, if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic presidential nominee. One teeny difference between the two longest-running committee trips: in Watergate, there was plenty to investigate; in Benghaazi!, the usefulness of the investigation is long-past; in fact, it was an independent committee appointed by the State Department -- that effected changes in the department's security operations.

Jake Sherman of Politico: "Speaker John Boehner resigned less than a week ago, but frenzied campaigns have broken out already to replace him and fill the party's other top leadership slots. Four positions could open up, and the House Republican Conference is filled with courtship, intrigue and one-upmanship."

Ryan Cooper of the Week: "The GOP is the true party of 'free stuff.'... Overall, welfare benefits for the top income quintile -- largely a result of conservative policymaking -- cost roughly $355 billion yearly. Meanwhile, what passes for new policy in Republican circles -- a child tax credit -- is a government benefit for middle- and upper-class parents that carefully and deliberately excludes the poor.... the problem with [Jeb] Bush's logrolling -- and Republican policy in general -- is mainly that it directs almost all the benefits to people who don't need it."

Remember the Supremes! -- Kate Madison

... Rick Hasen, in TPM: "The future composition of the Supreme Court is the most important civil rights cause of our time. It is more important than racial justice, marriage equality, voting rights, money in politics, abortion rights, gun rights, or managing climate change. It matters more because the ability to move forward in these other civil rights struggles depends first and foremost upon control of the Court.... Constitutional change can come only from Supreme Court personnel change."

Josh Gerstein of Politico: "Sen. Robert Menendez scored a modest victory in his battle against federal corruption charges Monday as a federal judge tossed out two bribery counts against the New Jersey Democrat. However, U.S. District Judge William Walls rejected a flurry of defense challenges to the other 12 felony counts against Menendez, leaving enough of the indictment in place that the senator could draw a substantial prison term if he is convicted on some or all of the remaining charges. No trial is expected in the case until next fall."

Rachel Feltman of the Washington Post: "NASA on Monday announced the strongest evidence yet for liquid water on [Mars], increasing the possibility that astronauts journeying to Mars could someday rely on the planet's own water for their drinking needs." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

Media Matters: "After NASA announces it found water on Mars, Rush Limbaugh says it's part of a climate change conspiracy." CW: Finally, we have some clarity: scientists are tools of left-wing conspirators. ...

... Steve M. OR, it's part of an anti-Putin conspiracy. OR it was all part of a ploy by filmmaker Ridley Scott to generate interest in his movie "The Martian" opened Friday. CW: Because capitalism is awesome. I guess Matt Damon won't have to make water, after all. ...

Presidential Race

Mark Leibovich profiles Donald Trump for the New York Times Magazine. ...

... Flim-Flam Man. Nick Gass of Politico: "Under a President Donald Trump, some Americans will pay no income tax and the corporate income tax will fall to 15 percent, while the Treasury Department will maintain or even increase current revenue. And while Trump emphasized the hit the rich would take under his tax plan unveiled Monday, he pairs the closing of loopholes and deductions with such a large rate reduction that it would likely add up to a substantial tax cut for many of the well-to-do. The tax plan 'is going to cost me a fortune,' the billionaire candidate told a gathering of reporters at Trump Tower on Monday morning.... And it has the endorsement of [anti-tax Nazi] Grover Norquist." CW: Actually, no, it won't, Donald. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

Who'd have guessed -- the rich Republican who inherited an enormous real-estate empire from his father wants to cut taxes for rich people in general and wealthy heirs in particular! -- Jonathan Chait, on Donald Trump's "populist" tax plan ...

... Chait: "Donald Trump has spent weeks talking like a populist, promising to make the rich pay their fair share and attacking his opponents as puppets of the party's wealthy donor base.... Trump's proposal is extremely similar to all the other Republican plans. He would cut the top tax rate to 25 percent, even lower than the 28 percent rate proposed by Jeb Bush. While Trump would not eliminate taxes on investment income, as Marco Rubio proposes, he likewise plans to eliminate the estate tax, which currently applies only to inheritances over $10 million. Trump says he will pay for all this by eliminating 'loopholes,' but fails to identify these loopholes. Even if he cleaned out every deduction in the tax code, there is not enough revenue to make up for the enormous tax cuts he would supply to the rich." ...

... Josh Barro of the New York Times: "... his plan calls for major tax cuts not just for the middle class but also for the richest Americans -- even the dreaded hedge fund managers. And despite his campaign's assurances that the plan is 'fiscally responsible,' it would grow budget deficits by trillions of dollars over a decade. You could call Mr. Trump's plan a higher-energy version of the tax plan Jeb Bush announced earlier this month: similar in structure, but with lower rates and wider tax brackets, meaning individual taxpayers would pay even less than under Mr. Bush, and the government would lose even more tax revenue...." ...

... Joe Nocera: "Like almost everything else about the Trump campaign, his tax plan is hard to take seriously. (To be fair, most of the tax plans put forth by his Republican rivals are hard to take seriously.) During the '60 Minutes' interview, Trump told [Scott] Pelley that he would force the Chinese to 'do something' about North Korea's nuclear program -- while also preventing them from devaluing their currency! -- that he would get rid of Obamacare -- while instituting universal coverage! -- and that he was on more magazine covers than 'almost any supermodel.'... I wonder, in fact, whether even now Trump is a serious candidate, or whether this is all a giant publicity ploy. Once a real developer, Trump is largely a licenser today.... He'll be out before Iowa. You read it here first." ...

... Washington Post Editors: "Mr. Trump ... proved once again that he's all talk. His tax plan, far from being a courageous departure from Republican orthodoxy, relies on many familiar Republican tricks to justify massive tax cuts in an age in which the government's burdens are increasing, not shrinking -- and with even less than usual honest arithmetic.... It seemed as though Mr. Trump's real strategy for avoiding a massive hole in the budget is wishful thinking. Mr. Trump touted the economic growth his administration would spur, and he fell back on the hoary promise to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse.... What's remarkable about Mr. Trump's plan is not how different it is from what other Republicans favor, but how similar it is in its fudges, excuses and pandering." ...

It's going to cost me a fortune. -- Donald Trump, on his tax plan, Sept. 28, 2015

No matter how we slice it, we do not see how Trump can justify his claim that his tax plan would cost him 'a fortune.' On the contrary, it appears it would significantly reduce his taxes -- and the taxes of his heirs. -- Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post

... Margaret Hartmann: "Donald Trump is the boy who cried 'I'm boycotting Fox News.' Just five days after Donald Trump announced, for the third time, that he would stop doing interviews with Fox News because they're 'treating me very unfairly,' the network said the GOP front-runner would appear on Tuesday's O'Reilly Factor."

The Case of the Absent-minded Neurosurgeon. Andrew Kaczynski of BuzzFeed: "Dr. Ben Carson says he would run outside the Republican Party, but doesn't think it's necessary and says he has no intention of doing so this election." ...

... Margaret Hartmann: "Earlier this month the Republican Party made every one of its candidates sign a loyalty oath in an effort to rein in Donald Trump, but so far the pledge has only caused problems for his rivals.... When asked during a 99.3 FM interview on Monday if he'd be willing to run outside the Republican party, Ben Carson said, 'If I had to, I would, but I don't think it's necessary.' Host Keith Larson noted that Carson didn't raise his hand when asked in the first debate if he'd run as an independent, and asked two more times if he was really saying he'd run outside of the GOP.... 'So if you're not the nominee, you'll run outside the party?' Larson asked, for the fourth time. 'No, I didn't say that at all,' Carson replied, suddenly realizing that he'd made a written promise not to do so. 'That's not what I'm saying. I have no intention of running an outside campaign. Zero.'"

Michael Isikoff of Yahoo! News: "Positioning herself as a steely advocate of aggressive counterterrorism programs, Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina offered a vigorous defense of CIA waterboarding as a tactic that helped 'keep our nation safe' in the aftermath of 9/11." ...

... Steve M.: "You might think that she'd have a lot of company, but on this subject, many of her fellow candidates are hedging or opposed (at least nominally).... So Fiorina wins the ¿Quien es mas macho? contest again, just as she did by forcefully taking on Donald Trump in the CNN debate earlier this month.... She's already the loudest voice on the Planned Parenthood videos, and with this embrace of Bush-era foreign policy lawlessness she need only add a staggeringly regressive tax plan (I mean more staggeringly regressive than her competitors' plans) to have all the legs of the three-legged stool of wingnuttery. Oh, and did I also mention that in that Yahoo story Fiorina also boasted of her cooperation with NSA surveillance excesses?"

Sean Sullivan of the Washington Post: "Jeb Bush plans to present an energy plan Tuesday that will call for lifting restrictions on producing and exporting oil and gas as part of his larger pitch for achieving 4 percent economic growth, a figure he talks about frequently as a candidate for president. The former Florida Republican governor will outline a plan with four general components that are in line with the Republican orthodoxy: lifting restrictions on exporting oil and gas; approving construction of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline; stripping away some environmental regulations; and urging the federal government to yield to the energy desires of state and tribes."

The Most Interesting Man in Politics is taking time out from his presidential race to fundraise for his Senate race. Jonathan Easley of the Hill reports.

The Also-Ran at Home. Charles Pierce: "Last week, Scott Walker ... gave up his job as a meathead presidential candidate and returned to his more comfortable employment as a ruinous governor. The Republic was saved, but there are still parts of Wisconsin that Walker hasn't yet poisoned, so he went right back to work at it."

Beyond the Beltway

AP: "Virginia's governor, Terry McAuliffe, on Monday denied a last-minute attempt to delay the execution of a convicted serial killer who says his life should be spared because he is intellectually disabled. Unless the US supreme court steps in this week, Alfredo Prieto will be the first Virginia inmate to be executed in nearly three years on Thursday."

News Ledes

New York Times: "Doug Kendall, a liberal lawyer and co-author of dozens of United States Supreme Court briefs challenging the prevailing conservative vision that the Constitution defines the federal government's jurisdiction narrowly, died on Saturday at his home in Washington. He was 51."

New York Times: "Afghanistan was plunged deeper into crisis a day after the Taliban seized the northern city of Kunduz, as the insurgents on Tuesday kept assaulting the reeling Afghan security forces and the government struggled to mount a credible response. Not only did a promised government counteroffensive on Kunduz not make headway during heavy fighting on Tuesday, but the day ended with yet another aggressive Taliban advance, with insurgents surrounding the airport to which hundreds of Afghan forces and at least as many civilians had retreated, thinking it would be safe." ...

... Washington Post: "Afghan forces massed near the besieged northern city of Kunduz on Tuesday, preparing for expected street-by-street battles against the Taliban a day after militants overran the city in a humiliating blow to Afghanistan's government. The counteroffensive started shortly before dawn as Afghan army reinforcements poured into the area after the U.S.-led coalition launched an airstrike to help clear the way." ...

... New York Times: "A day after the Taliban took their first major city in 14 years, a counterattack was underway Tuesday, but ground forces sent from other provinces to recapture the northern city, Kunduz, were delayed by ambushes and roadside bombs, officials said."

Guardian: "Journalist and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates is among a diverse group of artists, advocates and scientists that make up this year's recipients of MacArthur fellow 'genius' grants, announced on Tuesday. Coates joins 23 other MacArthur fellows who will receive a no-strings-attached stipend of $625,000, paid out over five years in quarterly installments. Other 2015 recipients include puppeteer Basil Twist, photographer LaToya Ruby Frazier and sociologist Matthew Desmond."

The Commentariat -- Sept. 28, 2015

Internal links removed.

Afternoon Update:

Julie Pace & Vladimir Isachenkov of the AP: "U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin clashed Monday over their competing visions for Syria, with Obama urging a political transition to replace the Syrian president but Putin warning it would be a mistake to abandon the current government." ...

... Everett Rosenfeld of CNBC: "Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday admonished those who supported democratic revolutions in the Middle East, telling the United Nations they led to the rise of a globally ambitious Islamic State."

Nick Gass of Politico: "Under a President Donald Trump, some Americans will pay no income tax and the corporate income tax will fall to 15 percent, while the Treasury Department will maintain or even increase current revenue. And while Trump emphasized the hit the rich would take under his tax plan unveiled Monday, he pairs the closing of loopholes and deductions with such a large rate reduction that it would likely add up to a substantial tax cut for many of the well-to-do. The tax plan 'is going to cost me a fortune,' the billionaire candidate told a gathering of reporters at Trump Tower on Monday morning."

Rachel Feltman of the Washington Post: "NASA on Monday announced the strongest evidence yet for liquid water on [Mars], increasing the possibility that astronauts journeying to Mars could someday rely on the planet's own water for their drinking needs."

Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post: "President Obama blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin's approach to other countries Monday, suggesting in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly that the world's nations must uphold international order in Syria and Ukraine or risk global instability (link missing)":

... Somini Sengupta of the New York Times: "The United Nations General Assembly opens on Monday with all eyes on the war in Syria and the twin crises it has helped spawn: the unyielding spread of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, and the surge of refugees from the region into Europe. Leaders of the world's most powerful nations are due to speak in the morning at the 70th annual General Assembly debate, including President Obama, followed by Presidents Xi Jinping of China, Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and François Hollande of France.

Michael Gordon of the New York Times: "For the second time this month, Russia moved to expand its political and military influence in the Syria conflict and left the United States scrambling, this time by reaching an understanding, announced on Sunday, with Iraq, Syria and Iran to share intelligence about the Islamic State.Like Russia's earlier move to bolster the government of President Bashar al-Assad by deploying warplanes and tanks to a base near Latakia, Syria, the intelligence-sharing arrangement was sealed without notice to the United States." CW: Hard to believe our good friends in Iraq didn't clue in the U.S. Have they no gratitude for all we did to them?

A brief pause for a message from Earth:

The super moon over the Washington Monument last night. AP photo.

The stages of a 2010 total eclipse.

... Andrew Fazekas of National Geographic: "Everyone with clear skies across the Americas will have a front-row seat Sunday night to a rare total eclipse of the super-harvest moon. On the evening of September 27, three separate lunar events converge. The total eclipse coincides with the full moon nearest the fall equinox, known as the harvest moon. What's more, the moon is at its closest approach to Earth for the year, making it also a supermoon or perigee moon. That's why it's being coined by some as a Super Harvest Blood Moon.... This weekend's blood moon will be the last in a series of four lunar eclipses, dubbed a tetrad, over the last two years. That pattern won't repeat for another 20 years or so." ...

... Chas Danner of New York: "The eclipse will begin at 8:11 pm EST, the total eclipse will start at 10:11 pm, and the peak of the event will happen at 10:47 pm. Those in the Eastern half of the U.S. should be able to see the full event while those in the Western half will be able to see the eclipse at moonrise. If clouds get in the way, NASA will be livestreaming the event as well, because there's nothing like looking at live footage of the moon on the Internet." ...

... MEANWHILE, on A Nearby Planet. Michael Pearson of CNN: "NASA says it has big news for us Monday. "Mars Mystery Solved," the agency's news release touts without offering even a hint as to what mystery they mean." The news may involve water on the planet.

Back to business as usual:

Carol Morello of the Washington Post: "In advance of a meeting with President Obama on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin labeled U.S. support for rebels in Syria as illegal, and mocked as ineffective a U.S. program that has been unable to train and arm rebels. In an interview with CBS and PBS that was released by the Kremlin, Putin said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad commanded the only legitimate army fighting Islamic State militants in Syria and deserves support from countries combating terrorist groups." ...

... Bradford Richardson of the Hill: "Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast late Sunday that he does not view President Obama as weak. 'I don't think so at all,' the Russian leader said on CBS's '60 Minutes,' chalking up notions that he disrespects Obama to politics. 'You see, here's the thing. In any country -- and in the United States I believe this happens even more often than in any other country -- foreign political factors are used for domestic political battles,' he said. 'There is a presidential campaign coming up, so they're playing either the Russian card or something else.'" CW: I'm just waiting for wingers to glob onto this one: finally, we have proof that Barack Obama is a commie! Back here in the reality-based world, I find it interesting that Putin is wiser about U.S. politics than many Americans are.

David Jackson of USA Today: "President Obama opened a three-day series of meetings at the United Nations on Sunday by calling on all countries to 'step up' efforts to eradicate poverty, and by scheduling a meeting on Tuesday with Cuban counterpart Raul Castro. Addressing a U.N. meeting on sustainable development, Obama said that the world has made progress on reducing hunger, improving the treatment of disease, and lifting people out of poverty, but challenges remain":

... Somini Sengupta of the New York Times: "President Xi Jinping of China, under pressure over the jailing of women's rights activists, promised on Sunday to 'reaffirm our commitment to gender equality and women's development,' as Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations gently reminded world leaders to protect 'human rights defenders.' The remarks came at a conference of global leaders on the 20th anniversary of a landmark United Nations summit meeting in Beijing, where world leaders had promised to change their laws and practices to advance gender equality."

... a leader without followers is simply a man taking a walk.... John Boehner, 2013, on the government shutdown that year

** Paul Krugman: "Bad as [John] Boehner was, he was just a symptom of the underlying malady, the madness that has consumed his party.... The Boehner era has been one in which Republicans have accepted no responsibility for helping to govern the country, in which they have opposed anything and everything the president proposes. What's more, it has been an era of budget blackmail.... Despite all Mr. Boehner's efforts to bring him down, Mr. Obama is looking more and more like a highly successful president.... the controversy over Planned Parenthood that probably triggered the Boehner exit -- shut down the government in response to obviously doctored videos? -- might have been custom-designed to illustrate just how crazy the G.O.P.'s extremists have become, how unrealistic they are about what confrontational politics can accomplish." ...

... ** Be Careful What You Wish for. Norm Ornstein, in the Atlantic, has an excellent summary of What Went Wrong. ...

... CW: I'm sick of this universal meme about how John Boehner could not possibly have controlled his winger caucus. Oh yes he could have. Once he became speaker & the rowdies acted up, all he had to do was work with Democrats. Oh, you say, but he would have lost his speakership. No, not if he had 30 or so votes in his own caucus & Democrats voted for him en masse, a cohesive front Nancy Pelosi, unlike Boehner. can deliver. That's what a statesman & patriot would have done. But Boehner is a self-serving, dimwitted hack. Had Boehner controlled his caucus in this way, he would have isolated teabaggers -- rather than be hostage to them -- & caused some of them to decide they'd like to be inside the tent rather than outside pissing in. Boehner's failure was entirely self-made -- as Krugman points out, from the get-go. BTW, this isn't hindsight. I said this in January 2011, right after Boehner became speaker & the baggers began their assault. So make that boo-fucking-hoo. ...

... Fred Barbash of the Washington Post on the Boehner-Cruz feud. (CW: Barbash couldn't help get in one teeny both-sides-do-it reminder: "...and shifted power to those on the extremes...." Oh, Democratic flamethrowers, wherefore art you?) ...

... Of course Poltico treats all this as a game of politics, with a top article on "Ted Cruz's big moment."; that is, the "big moment" in which he will try to "shut down the government in response to obviously doctored videos." ...

... Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "Outgoing House Speaker John A. Boehner, in his first one-on-one interview since announcing his resignation last week, compared conservative hard-liners in his party to biblical 'false prophets' who promise more than they can deliver." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Boo Hoo Hoo:

... Bradford Richardson: "Outgoing Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) says there will not be a government shutdown over federal funding for Planned Parenthood. 'No,' Boehner said when asked if there would be a shutdown on CBS's 'Face the Nation' on Sunday. 'The Senate is expected to pass a continuing resolution next week. The House will take up the Senate bill.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Chas Danner (Sept. 26) on how pundits on the right have reacted to Boehner's resignation.

Theodore Schleifer of CNN: "House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says the group behind the secretly recorded, edited videos that purportedly show Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of fetal tissue should be investigated."

Wesley Lowery of the Washington Post: "In a Sunday speech on racial inequality, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called for broad policing reform -- including de-escalation training and body cameras for all police officers -- and likened the current Black Lives Matter movement to the civil rights movement that won black Americans the right to vote in the 1960s.... Warren's address, delivered at the Edward Kennedy Institute in Boston, was perhaps the most full-throated endorsement to date by a federal lawmaker for the ongoing protest movement, and it drew immediate praise from some of the most visible activists."

Laurie Goodstein & Daniel Wakin of the New York Times: "Pope Francis turned penitent and pastor Sunday on the final day of a visit to the United States, declaring himself 'overwhelmed by shame' at the sexual violation of children by his clergy, embracing inmates at a local jail, urging young people to leave the loneliness of social media and preparing to bid farewell with a huge downtown Mass." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Laurie Goodstein: "At the start of an otherwise joyous and well-received trip to the United States, Pope Francis hit one seriously sour note: He praised American bishops for their handling of the sexual abuse scandal and told priests he felt their pain -- leaving abuse victims stunned and infuriated, asking why he neglected to even acknowledge their anguish. On the last day of his journey, Francis stepped to a lectern [in Philadelphia] before hundreds of seminarians and bishops from around the world and tried to salve the open wound. He said that he had met in private with a group of victims and pledged that 'all responsible will be held accountable.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. When Wingers Are Your Sources, Corrections Are Sure to Follow. Nicholas Confessore of the New York Times: "A document certifying a new employment position for one of Hillary Rodham Clinton's senior aides [Huma Abedin] at the State Department was signed by Mrs. Clinton's then chief of staff, Cheryl D. Mills, according to a copy of the document provided to The New York Times on Sunday. Last week, The Times and other news outlets reported that the document was signed by Mrs. Clinton personally, based on a copy that was obtained by a conservative watchdog group. On the document, Mrs. Clinton's name was printed above the signature in a box intended for the aide's supervisor, but the signature itself was redacted by the State Department, according to the group, Judicial Watch."

Presidential Race

Emily Rauhala of the Washington Post: "Sunday morning, as China president, Xi Jinping, prepared to share his thoughts on women's equality at a U.N. meeting on gender, Hillary Clinton ... re-tweeting a New York Times story about China's record on women's issues, and citing China's arrest of five feminists in March, the presidential candidate called Xi's presence at the summit 'shameless.'... Unsurprisingly, the Internet went bananas, highlighting the gap between how the U.S. and China see rights issues and ironically -- the Internet's remarkable capacity for sexist mud-slinging.... Clinton's comment cut to the heart of a lively debate about what role, if any, China's top leader should have at the UN summit." ...

... Hillary Clinton appeared on "Meet the Press":

... As Kate M. points out in today's thread, so did Carly Fiorina. You can watch that questions-&-lies session here. Of course if you like dystopian fiction, you might really enjoy Carly's stories. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Washington Post Editors (Sept. 26): "Ms. Fiorina may have deeply felt objections to abortion. That doesn't excuse her use of mistruths * to justify her willingness to shut down the government, which by the way she seems to consider no big deal. 'I'm not aware of any hardship to anyone, other than the veterans trying to get to the World War II memorial,' she said of the last shutdown. When it comes to character and capability, that kind of blithe ignorance is another worrying sign." ...

     ... * CW: "Mistruths"? Please, people: lies.

Mark Murray of NBC News: "Donald Trump and Ben Carson are running neck and neck in the national Republican presidential horserace, while Carly Fiorina is now tied for third place with Marco Rubio, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. And on the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has lost ground to Bernie Sanders -- she leads him by just seven points with Joe Biden in the race, and 15 points without the vice president. That's down from Clinton's 34-point lead over Sanders in July and her whopping 60-point lead in June." ...

... Ed O'Keefe & Matea Gold of the Washington Post: "Jeb Bush is entering a critical phase of his Republican presidential campaign, with top donors warning that the former Florida governor needs to demonstrate growth in the polls over the next month or face serious defections among supporters. The warnings, expressed by numerous senior GOP fundraisers in recent days, come as Bush and an allied super PAC are in the early stages of an aggressive television ad campaign that they believe will help erase doubts about his viability. But Bush continues to battle against a steady decline in the polls, sinking to fifth place at just 7 percent in a national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday and similarly languishing in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire." ...

... Bradford Richardson: "... Jeb Bush on Sunday said he did not mean to insinuate that black voters choose Democrats because they want 'free stuff.' The GOP presidential hopeful said his comments were taken out of context. 'They don't want free stuff, that was my whole point,' Bush said on 'Fox News Sunday.'" CW: Uh-huh. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

** ... Jamil Smith of the New Republic, relying on Jeb!'s own remarks, pegs Bush's inherent racism & general bigotry against "the other." CW: Chances are, you're "the other," too. ...

... Jeb! Hates Children! Annie Lowrey of New York: "Every year, virtually every non-elderly adult* in America pays federal taxes -- about 95.3 percent of them, to be exact. (The remainder are mostly extremely poor individuals.) And every year, virtually every American gets something back, by way of one government program or another, with the math working out to buoy poor Americans on net. Attacking free stuff and handouts and giveaways is an explicit way of attacking the safety net, then, but also a slippery way of attacking the whole idea of progressivity. The meme treats the poor as undeserving.... And as such, 'free stuff' generally means 'stuff going to groups of people that I don't care about, or groups of people I want to shame for their financial situation.' Never mind that the primary beneficiaries of many safety-net programs are children.... Never mind that people rarely criticize the elderly, the rich, or the powerful for all the 'free stuff' they get. ...

... Published August 2013:

... * CW: I think I qualify as an "elderly adult," & I do pay lots o' federal taxes. Even my husband, who is so elderly he is dead, is still paying federal taxes.

... Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The wealthiest Americans would receive sharply higher tax breaks under Jeb Bush's tax proposal, the former Florida governor says, because they pay a disproportionate share of taxes in the first place. 'The simple fact is 1 percent of people pay 40 percent of all the taxes,' Bush said on 'Fox News Sunday.' 'Of course, tax cuts for everybody is going to generate more for people that are paying a lot more. I mean that's just the way it is.'" CW: What we have in Jeb! is a flat-taxer who's pretending not to be a flat-taxer. (Also linked yesterday.)

Margaret Hartmann of New York: "In some ways, Donald Trump's 60 Minutes interview went down exactly as you'd expect: A bemused and somewhat horrified Scott Pelley repeatedly pressed the front-runner for details on his proposals, without much success. But Trump is a true showman, so he kept things interesting by sharing a few unconventional policy proposals." Includes video of full interview. ...

... Jonathan Easley of the Hill: "Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump will release a policy proposal outlining his ideas on tax reform on Monday. Trump will announce the proposed reforms at a press conference at Trump Tower in New York City. 'Essentially, the plan is a major tax reduction for almost all citizens and corporations, in particular, those in the middle and lower income classes,' the Trump campaign said in a statement." CW: Let's see if it's more progressive than Jeb!'s. ...

Sara Jerde of TPM: "CNN 'State of the Union' host Jake Tapper grilled Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson on his comments about Muslims in an interview that aired Sunday until his campaign manager off-screen ended the interview." Includes video. ...

... Kyle Cheney: "Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson said on Sunday he'd listen to evidence that religion could provide probable cause to search the emails and calls of Syrian refugees in the United States. 'I personally don't feel that way, but I would certainly be willing to listen to somebody who had evidence to the contrary,' Carson said on ABC's 'This Week.' 'I think that's one of the problems, we get to our little corners, and we don't want to listen to anybody.'" CW: Thanks, Dr. Ben, but we already knew you listen to every wacko out there. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Beyond the Beltway

Roberto Robledo of the Salinas Californian: "Vandals defaced statues and gravesites overnight at the Carmel Mission, police said Sunday morning. But almost as swiftly as vandals acted, volunteers showed up to clean the mess and restore the courtyard and cemetery.... Hundreds of visitors who arrived at 11 a.m. for the celebration to commemorate this week's canonization of missionary Junipero Serra by Pope Francis saw only mere hints of paint here and there."

Stupidity Happens. Taryn Asher of Fox 2 Detroit: "A man tried to kill a spider at a gas station using a lighter causing a dangerous fire. Using a lighter to kill the bug, he started a blaze that quickly engulfed the gas pump. He somehow escaped serious injury and the gas station's damage was contained to one pump, which was destroyed.... 'He was sorry,' [station employee] Susan [Adams] said. 'He ... said he didn't know. It is just one of those things that happen - stupidity.' Adams said this serves as a reminder about being careful around gas pumps. Whether it is using a cell phone or static electricity, the smallest spark can cause a gas station fire." CW: Speaking of stupidity, I didn't know a cell phone could start a gas pump fire. So, thanks, Stupid Guy. I learned something, too. And next time, just scooch the spider off your car with a rolled-up newspaper or whatever. Spiders are our friends. Guess you missed reading "Charlotte's Web" as a child. ...

... CW: My little aside above looks a lot like a never-mind. Thanks to D. C. Clark for linking this Snopes investigation. So call me Stupid. Twice.

News Ledes

New York Times: "After months of besieging the northern Afghan provincial capital of Kunduz, Taliban fighters took over the city on Monday just hours after advancing, officials said, as government security forces fully retreated to the city's outlying airport.The Taliban victory, coming suddenly after what had appeared to be a stalemate through the summer, gave the insurgents a military and political prize -- the capture of a major Afghan city -- that has eluded them since 2001."

Bloomberg News: "Investors struggled to assess the repercussions from a rout in Glencore Plc's shares and the scandal at Volkswagen AG, as losses swept through global equity markets and stocks headed for their worst quarter since 2011. Government bonds and the yen jumped as demand for havens rose."

AP: "German prosecutors on Monday opened an investigation against former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn to establish what his role was in the emissions-rigging scandal that has shaken the world's largest automaker. The investigation will concentrate on the suspicion of fraud committed through the sale of vehicles with manipulated emissions data...."

New York Times: "Even as Germany is assembling an efficient infrastructure to welcome hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing conflict, it has begun installing an equally efficient system for sending home people who have come from poor but safe countries to seek jobs. About 10,000 were repatriated between January and July, more than all of last year, and the pace is quickening."