Everything Is Going Very Well

By Safari

Donald's tweetstorm is exactly the thought pattern I would expect from a person consuming Faux News 24/7. Complete disconnect from reality, absolute lack of coherence in ideas, repetition ad nauseum of key words, conspiracy theories abound, general ignorance demonstrated in lack of proper English grammar.

And to think of all the patriotic zombies that have walled themselves off from any outside thought, living in the rightwing media bubbles from morning to night, bumbling to themselves day in and day out about Deep State Benghazi Emails from Hillary Podesta.

Manipulating thoughts and actions seems to be easier than previously thought, or at least it's more documented these days, especially in the Digital Age of social media, etc. Rightwing groups worldwide have latched on to these methods and 'active measures' wholeheartedly and considerable portions of populations seem to be moving towards more extremist rightwing views. The Cambridge Analytica psy-ops, coupled with this new Israeli ex-spy Joel Zamel specialized in social media manipulation (whose company Psy-Group's motto is "shape reality") are just two examples that have been outed in this election cycle. But as these manipulators pull their targets to the right, I've been thinking about what would happen if they truly tip the scales and send these extremists minorities into a frenzy. Are their financial masters capable of regret? Could it be possible to "un-brainwash" these people? Would they need therapy (surely they wouldn't go)? Will they be so anchored into their new reality that they'll hang on to their disinformation 'til death? I'm guessing the latter.

North Korea could provide us with a fascinating social experiment if somehow Dotard Donny opens up the doors to the hermit kingdom. The entire North Korean population has been fed extremist anti-American ideology their entire lives. It's central to their being. Their math problems in school are literally: "There are five Americans. You kill two. How many are left?" It's that extreme. How are the N. Korean leaders going to explain to their population that now we don't want to kill all Americans, we're going to work with them, etc...? Would their people just conform and accept, as life has taught them thus far? Or will they dig their trenches deeper rightwinger-style and start concocting conspiracy theories to deny reality?

What's for sure is that deep-pocketed ideologues will be working harder than ever to "shape reality" now that they've seen how well it works after the Great American Social Experiment of 2016.

The Commentariat -- May 21, 2018

Afternoon Update:

Eileen Sullivan & Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "President Trump defended his administration's approach to resolving a trade war with China in a series of tweets Monday, following three-days of negotiations with the Chinese that ended with little clarity. Mr. Trump, in an early morning tweet, initially questioned why Democrats and the previous administration did not 'do something about Trade with China'.... Mr. Trump said on Monday that China agreed to purchase 'massive amounts' of American agriculture products.... However, much remains unresolved, including how much -- and what -- the Chinese will actually agree to purchase.... The president also warned China that it needs to be 'strong and tight' on the border of North Korea while negotiations are in progress.... On Monday, administration officials fanned out on TV to talk up the state of trade negotiations but acknowledged much remains up in the air and undecided." ...

... Keith Bradsher of the New York Times: "China has called President Trump’s bluff. Chinese negotiators left Washington this weekend with a significant win: a willingness by the Trump administration to hold off for now on imposing tariffs on up to $150 billion in Chinese imports. China gave up little in return, spurning the administration's nudges for a concrete commitment to buy more goods from the United States, and avoiding limits on its efforts to build new high-tech Chinese industries.... China's propaganda machine took a victory lap after the talks, proclaiming that a strong challenge from the United States had been turned aside, at least for now.... China's success partly comes from its ability to stick to a single strategy in trade.... By contrast, the United States has shifted its demands and struggled to send out a consistent message.... Mr. Trump, who proclaimed earlier this year that 'trade wars are good, and easy to win,' and his advisers may find that extracting concessions from China is much harder than they expected it would be."

Of Crackpots & Special Interests. Ken Vogel of the New York Times: "In the weeks after President Trump chose John Bolton to be his third national security adviser in March, Mr. Bolton ... engaged in his own speeded-up transition process, aided by a handful of longtime associates. Drawn from the world of conservative politics, international consulting and defense contracting, and working out of the downtown Washington offices of Mr. Bolton's political organizations, the group of advisers provided advice on National Security Council operations, while helping to vet prospective new hires for views that would be compatible with his own.... Mr. Bolton's continued reliance on longtime associates in either informal or temporary capacities at the N.S.C. has raised concerns among government watchdog organizations and N.S.C. veterans and scholars, who say it raises questions of conflicts of interest, and creates an echo chamber of identical views with little room for dissent...."

Greg Sargent: "In what can perhaps best be described as an act of appeasement, the Justice Department has announced that its inspector general will examine whether the FBI acted out of political motivation in conducting its investigation into links between Russia and the Trump campaign.... he move by the Justice Department -- which was undertaken at the order of Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein -- is meant to temporarily mollify Trump in the face of what is a dramatic escalation of his ongoing effort to delegitimize special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation. Here are three big takeaways: Nothing will ever be enough.... The system is probably holding -- for now, anyway.... The GOP's enabling of Trump could get even worse."

Conservative Max Boot in the Washington Post: "... look at all of the significant norms [Trump] has transgressed in the past week: Revealing intelligence sources.... It&'s safe to say that lickspittle Republicans such as Nunes care more about protecting Trump than they do the American people. Politically motivated prosecutions.... There is zero evidence of any political surveillance. The FBI was not trying to help the Democrats but to protect the country from Russian subversion -- something that Republicans evidently couldn't care less about.... Mixing private and government business. Did Beijing bribe the president? We need an independent investigation -- from either Congress, the existing special counsel, or a new one -- to find out. Foreign interference in U.S. elections. It's not just the extensive, unexplained contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia-linked operatives -- 75 contacts that we know of -- or the unseemly eagerness of the Trump high command to get Russia's help. Now we are also learning of efforts by the Saudi and Emirati governments to help Trump.... Undermining the First Amendment.... Trump demanded that Postmaster General Megan Brennan double the rate charged to Amazon and other large shippers.... This is part of his vendetta against what he has called the 'Amazon Washington Post.' (The Washington Post's owner, Jeffrey P. Bezos, is also CEO of Amazon.)" ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Everything us naysayers predicted a President* Trump might do, he has done. In fact, he does them all the time. Hardly a day has gone by when Trump has not violated the Constitution, the law and/or a well-established norm. A responsible Congress would have begun writing articles of impeachment just for the things Boot points out came to light in one week; instead, GOP members of Congress are aiding & abetting him.

Adam Serwer of the Atlantic writes a long laundry list of Trump scandals, tho he admits even this list is abbreviated. But, he writes, "There is one Trump scandal. Singular: the corruption of the American government by the president and his associates, who are using their official power for personal and financial gain rather than for the welfare of the American people, and their attempts to shield that corruption from political consequences, public scrutiny, or legal accountability.... The president's opponents have yet to craft a coherent narrative about the Trump administration's corruption, even though the only major legislative accomplishment Trump has to his name is cutting his own taxes." Serwer does point out that some of Trump's actions are not corrupt but merely immoral -- like his immigration policy.

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "Former President Barack Obama formally announced on Monday a multiyear production deal with Netflix in which he and the former first lady, Michelle Obama, will produce television shows and films for the streaming service. The deal will give Mr. Obama an international television platform during his post-presidency, allowing him to reach millions of people in the United States and internationally. The couple has created 'Higher Ground Productions,' a company to produce content for Netflix, the streaming service announced.... A release from Netflix said the Obamas will produce 'scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries and features' that highlight issues and themes the president pursued during his eight years in office." ...

     ... Mrs. McC: What? No "You're fired!" or other acts of humiliation? "Higher ground" indeed. Altho Shear writes, "The former president has told associates that he does not intend to use the new platform to wage a public campaign against his successor in the Oval Office, or to fight against conservative media outlets like Fox News," in fact, just the name of the Obamas' production company is a clear signal they are contrasting President Obama's legacy with Trump's.

*****

Alan Rappeport & Noah Weiland of the New York Times: "The United States has put on hold its plan to impose sweeping tariffs on Chinese products as it presses forward with negotiations to reduce its trade deficit with Beijing, a top priority of President Trump. Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, said on Sunday that the two countries had made progress as they concluded two days of intense trade negotiations in Washington late last week. The planned tariffs -- on Chinese steel and aluminum, as well as $150 billion worth of other Chinese goods -- are off the table while the talks proceed, he said." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Heather Long of the Washington Post: "It was easy to miss the U.S.-China trade statement that the White House released Saturday, right in the midst of royal wedding mania. But it's hard to hide that China looks as if it's winning President Trump's trade skirmish -- so far. The statement said that, after several days of talks, the Chinese agreed to 'substantially' reduce the United States' $375 billion trade deficit with China and that the details would be worked out later. It was noticeably vague.... On Friday, Trump's top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, was telling reporters that the Chinese had agreed to reduce the deficit by 'at least' $200 billion. China quickly denied that, and, a day later, the official statement didn't have a concrete number, a seeming victory for the Chinese.... On [the IP fight]..., the statement was brief and lackluster.... [U.S.] reaction to the announcement was mostly negative...." And so forth. ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Maybe Tony Schwartz, who actually wrote The Art of the Deal, should step in to negotiate the trade deal with China. He couldn't do any worse.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong? David Sanger of the New York Times: "President Trump, increasingly concerned that his summit meeting in Singapore next month with North Korea's leader could turn into a political embarrassment, has begun pressing his aides and allies about whether he should take the risk of proceeding with a historic meeting that he had leapt into accepting, according to administration and foreign officials.... Mr. Trump's aides have grown concerned that the president -- who has said that 'everyone thinks' he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts -- has signaled that he wants the summit meeting too much. The aides also worry that Mr. Kim, sensing the president's eagerness, is prepared to offer assurances that will fade over time.... The aides are also concerned about what kind of grasp Mr. Trump has on the details of the North Korea program, and what he must insist upon as the key components of denuclearization.... But aides who have recently left the administration say Mr. Trump has resisted the kind of detailed briefings ... that Mr. Obama and President George W. Bush regularly sat through. Grappling with North Korea in negotiations is a new experience not just for Mr. Trump, but also for everyone else in the upper ranks of his administration."

Philip Rucker & Ashley Parker of the Washington Post: "As an emboldened Trump reaches for historic triumphs in hopes of bolstering his party's prospects in November's midterm elections, he finds himself repeatedly stymied by his old patterns of chaos and contradiction.... On North Korea, the government of dictator Kim Jong Un threatened to walk away from a planned summit after bellicose words from national security adviser John Bolton -- who was then publicly overruled by President Trump. On China, trade negotiations have been undermined by fierce infighting among Trump's own advisers -- including a profane shouting match in Beijing between two members of the economic team [-- Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin White House trade adviser Peter Navarro]. And the pattern is evident on domestic policies as well. Trump has undercut his own aides and Republican congressional leaders with sudden threats to shut down the government over his promised wall at the border with Mexico.... Trump's agenda has been undermined by mixed messages and internal squabbles from within his administration -- all compounded by the president's own lack of discipline and his inconsistent ideology.... Trump, who governs largely by impulse and instinct, lacks a clear traditional governing ideology on a range of topics, heightening divergent viewpoints."

This Russia Thing, Etc., Ctd.

Michael Schmidt & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "The special counsel plans to finish by Sept. 1 its investigation into whether President Trump obstructed the Russia inquiry, according to the president's lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, who said on Sunday that waiting any longer would risk improperly influencing voters in the midterm elections in November. The office of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, shared its timeline about two weeks ago amid negotiations over whether Mr. Trump will be questioned by investigators, Mr. Giuliani said, adding that Mr. Mueller's office said the date was contingent on Mr. Trump agreeing to be interviewed. A spokesman for the special counsel's office declined to comment. Mr. Giuliani's comments were an apparent attempt to publicly pressure Mr. Mueller amid their interview negotiations.... Handing in a report to the Justice Department on his findings in the obstruction case would not signal the end of Mr. Mueller's work." ...

... He's Still at It. Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump on Sunday said he'll ask [Mrs. McC: actually, demand or order] the Justice Department on Monday to investigate whether the FBI surveilled his campaign. 'I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrate or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes - and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!' Trump tweeted." Mrs. McC: Trump, as usual, ignores the arm's-length distance between the president & DOJ that "normal" presidents respect, & it is even worse here in that he is attempting to order the DOJ to interfere with an investigation into his own possible criminal actions. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Julie Davis of the New York Times: "While most presidents who have faced investigations have responded with increased discretion to avoid being seen as trying to influence the outcome, Mr. Trump has dispensed with any notion that he is not trying to do so.... Legal experts said such a presidential intervention had little precedent, and could force a clash between the sitting president and his Justice Department that is reminiscent of the one surrounding Richard M. Nixon during Watergate, when a string of top officials resigned rather than carry out Nixon's order to fire a special prosecutor investigating him. 'I can't think of a prior example of a sitting president ordering the Justice Department to conduct an investigation like this one, said Stephen I. Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law. 'That's little more than a transparent effort to undermine an ongoing investigation.' If Mr. Trump were to follow through with the demand, Mr. Vladeck added, 'it seems to me that the recipients of such an order should resign -- and that we're heading for another Saturday Night Massacre.'" ...

... Brett Samuels of the Hill: "The Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked its inspector general to look into whether or not the FBI surveilled President Trump's campaign for 'inappropriate purposes.' 'If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action,' Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in a statement. DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said in a separate statement that 'the Inspector General will consult with the appropriate U.S. Attorney if there is any evidence of potential criminal conduct.'" ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: As much as this sounds like a total cave, I suspect it's a stall to placate the Whiner-in-Chief. Investigators can spend weeks or months "looking into" "inappropriate purposes." ...

     ... Update. Matt Zapotosky, et al., of the Washington Post: "... the Justice Department responded by saying it had asked its inspector general to expand an ongoing review of the applications to monitor a former Trump campaign adviser 'to include determining whether there was any impropriety or political motivation in how the FBI conducted its counterintelligence investigation of persons suspected of involvement with the Russian agents who interfered in the 2016 presidential election.' The department noted that a U.S. attorney would be consulted if evidence of criminal conduct was found.... The quick move Sunday by the Justice Department could forestall a bigger showdown."

... Besides, Tim Murphy of Mother Jones points out that JeffBo was already sorta on the case: "... despite his supposed recusal from all things Russia investigation-related, Sessions has already asked the DOJ inspector general to look into the FBI's surveillance of Trump campaign adviser Carter Page." ...

... David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "President Trump lashed out Sunday at 'the World's most expensive Witch Hunt,' trashing a new report in the New York Times that said an emissary representing the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates offered help to Trump's 2016 campaign. In a six-part morning tweetstorm, Trump accused the special counsel's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election of turning to other leads around the world after, in his words, finding no collusion or obstruction of justice in its ongoing probe.... In his tweets, Trump asserted, without evidence, that investigations into his campaign's connections with Russia have cost taxpayers nearly $20 million and suggested that it is a politically motivated effort to undermine his presidency. The president said Democrats were in charge of the probe, even though Mueller, a Republican, was appointed head of the FBI by President George W. Bush, a Republican, in 2001." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Here are Trump's tweets, in the order released: (1) If the FBI or DOJ was infiltrating a campaign for the benefit of another campaign, that is a really big deal. Only the release or review of documents that the House Intelligence Committee (also, Senate Judiciary) is asking for can give the conclusive answers. Drain the Swamp! (2) Things are really getting ridiculous. The Failing and Crooked (but not as Crooked as Hillary Clinton) @nytimes has done a long & boring story indicating that the World's most expensive Witch Hunt has found nothing on Russia & me so now they are looking at the rest of the World! (3) ....At what point does this soon to be $20,000,000 Witch Hunt, composed of 13 Angry and Heavily Conflicted Democrats and two people who have worked for Obama for 8 years, STOP! They have found no Collussion with Russia, No Obstruction, but they aren't looking at the corruption... (4) ...in the Hillary Clinton Campaign where she deleted 33,000 Emails, got $145,000,000 while Secretary of State, paid McCabes wife $700,000 (and got off the FBI hook along with Terry M) and so much more. Republicans and real Americans should start getting tough on this Scam. (5) Now that the Witch Hunt has given up on Russia and is looking at the rest of the World, they should easily be able to take it into the Mid-Term Elections where they can put some hurt on the Republican Party. Don't worry about Dems FISA Abuse, missing Emails or Fraudulent Dossier! (6) What ever happened to the Server, at the center of so much Corruption, that the Democratic National Committee REFUSED to hand over to the hard charging (except in the case of Democrats) FBI? They broke into homes & offices early in the morning, but were afraid to take the Server? (7) ....and why hasn't the Podesta brother been charged and arrested, like others, after being forced to close down his very large and successful firm? Is it because he is a VERY well connected Democrat working in the Swamp of Washington, D.C.? (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Jacqueline Thomsen of the Hill: "Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said on Sunday that he doesn't understand why President Trump doesn't realize that it's illegal for a foreign nation [to] interfere in U.S. elections.... While he said he wasn't sure if the Times report was completely accurate, Warner ... told CNN the U.S. knew that Russia had interfered in the election 'to not only sow disarray but to help Trump and hurt Clinton.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

** Will Bunch of philly.com: "The Times scoop on Trump’s dealings with the Saudis and UAE is the puzzle piece that finally brings the big picture into focus. As Trump's unlikely 2016 campaign drew closer to the White House, it triggered a mad dash to sell American foreign policy to the highest bidder -- and some of the world's worst autocrats stepped up to the plate. What happened next is arguably tantamount to treason. What is beginning to take shape is the outlines of a scandal that threatens to be worse than Watergate on a massive scale.... And here's the worst part: The sudden trashing of long-standing American policy objectives -- like the Iran deal or delaying any move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem until a true Israel-Palestinian peace deal -- risks war on large scale. People could die in the name of keeping 666 Fifth Ave. and the Trump Organization afloat. Arguably, some already are.... How much worse does the worst political scandal in American history have to get before the people who actually can do something wake up and do something?" ...

... Kyla Mandel of ThinkProgress: "Over the course of the Mueller investigation the ties between the administration and Qatar seem to have been multiplying by the day.... Now, a Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing shows that [Michael] Cohen's lawyer, Stephen Ryan, also lobbied last year for the State of Qatar and its ambassador [Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad] Al Thani." --safari (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Michelle Lee & Anu Narayanswamy of the Washington Post: "The Republican National Committee paid nearly half a million dollars to a law firm that represents former White House communications director Hope Hicks and others in the Russia investigations, according to a new federal filing. The RNC's $451,780 payment to Trout Cacheris & Janis adds to the mounting legal fees associated with the investigations by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and several congressional committees of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign."

Brad Reed of RawStory: "Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold on Friday raised questions about a mysterious surge in revenue that occurred over the past year at two of President Donald Trump's overseas golf courses. Writing on Twitter, Fahrenthold uses some recent financial disclosures from the Trump Organization to show that revenue at a Trump golf course in Ireland rose by 51 percent year-over-year from 2017 to 2018, while revenue at a Scottish Trump golf course surged by 87 percent year-over-year from 2017 to 2018.... It's important that these two courses saw substantial increases, Fahrenthold writes, because many of Trump's US-based golf courses and hotels saw year-over-year decreases in revenue from 2017 to 2018." --safari (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Devin Is Having a Pout, a New Conspiracy Theory & a Grammar Lapse. Julia Manchester of the Hill: "House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said on Sunday that he will not meet officials from the Justice Department until he receives documents connected to an FBI source who met with Trump campaign aides in 2016 over alleged contacts between members of the campaign and Russia. Nunes accused someone in the DOJ of leaking the information after he and Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) did not agree to Justice officials' offer to answer questions from lawmakers in a briefing.... 'Now if you look at what happened on Friday night, probably the mother of all leaks, of all time, to two major newspapers, that came out Friday night. Now, had Mr. Gowdy and I went to that meeting, you can bet they would have tried to pin that on us,' Nunes told Maria Bartiromo on the Fox News Channel's 'Sunday Morning Futures.'" "Had we gone to that meeting," Devin.

Marianne Levine of Politico: "As he prepared to start his job as ... Donald Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton relied on the advice of a longtime colleague -- Matthew Freedman, a consultant and former lobbyist with decades of experience in foreign policy. But while Freedman may have been a trusted hand, he also came on with a checkered past, having worked for now-indicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and, more recently, getting fired from the Trump transition team for reportedly using his global consulting firm email for transition work.... Some former foreign policy officials say such an arrangement is disturbing, and that an outsider -- with his own global consulting business -- should not have been shaping the agency that handles the most sensitive foreign policy matters.... The prominent advisory role of a former lobbyist and current consultant highlights how the Trump government has failed to distance itself from politically connected people with foreign and corporate ties, despite the president's repeated promises to 'drain the swamp' of such figures."

Blame It on Ritalin & Abortion. Frances Sellers & Michael Scherer of the Washington Post: "Two days after a 17-year-old opened fire in his Texas high school, killing at least 10, incoming National Rifle Association president Oliver North said students 'shouldn't have to be afraid' to go to school and blamed the problem on 'youngsters who are steeped in a culture of violence' in which many young boys have 'been on Ritalin' since early childhood. 'They've been drugged in many cases,' he said.... Texas Lt Gov. Dan Patrick (R) blamed the social acceptance of abortion and violent video games for the epidemic of school gun violence." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Patrick may see Cecile Richards, who is retiring from Planned Parenthood & whose mother was governor of Texas, as a potential rival for Texas' top job. So abortion. ...

... Benjamin Hart of New York: Texas Lt. Gov. Dan "Patrick ... said said that guns are just part of the American fabric. 'They are a part of who we are as a nation,' he said. 'It is our Second Amendment -- you know, it talks about a well-run militia ... our teachers are part of that well-run militia.' The notion that teachers should double as snipers is popular on the right, as it the idea that it's America's moral benightednessess, not easy access to firearms, that explains the country's unique problem with gun violence." ... Mrs. McC: General speaking, one would think a "well-run militia" would not include a majority of militia-persons who do not agree to carry firearms to the battle, much less fire on the enemy.

E. A. Crunden of ThinkProgress: "A House panel reportedly voted this week to restore a critical climate science program run by NASA, a week after reports circulated that the effort had ended. The program has been cited as central to domestic efforts monitoring greenhouse gases.... That ... sounds nearly identical to the Carbon Monitoring System (CMS), a $10 million-per-year program established to measure carbon dioxide and methane using satellite technology and similar mechanisms. The CMS has played a crucial role in the study of greenhouse gases, but last week the Trump administration confirmed that the program had ended after its funding was cut from the 2018 budget passed in March. Now, it appears the CMS might be back from the dead -- in everything but name." --safari

Way Beyond the Beltway

William Newman & Nicholas Casey of the New York Times: "President Nicolás Maduro won a second term as president of Venezuela, a country in the midst of a historic economic collapse marked by soaring prices, widespread hunger, rampant crime, a failing health system and a large-scale exodus of its citizens. Electoral officials declared Mr. Maduro the victor Sunday night, in a contest that critics said was heavily rigged in his favor. In the capital and around the country, the turnout was extremely low, with more than half of voters not casting ballots, reflecting both a call from many opposition leaders for a boycott of the vote and the disillusionment of longtime government supporters."

Mark Hand of ThinkProgress: "All 34 of Chile's Catholic bishops have submitted their written resignations to the Vatican in the latest fallout from a major child sex abuse scandal rocking the South American nation. The unprecedented move puts the bishops' fate in the hands of Pope Francis, who can either accept the resignations or reject them.... The heinous nature of the accusations in Chile contributed to the Vatican's decision to conduct a full-scale investigation of dioceses, seminaries, and religious orders in the South American nation." --safari (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The Commentariat -- May 20, 2018

Afternoon Update:

Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump on Sunday said he'll ask [Mrs. McC: actually, demand or order] the Justice Department on Monday to investigate whether the FBI surveilled his campaign. 'I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrate or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes - and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!' Trump tweeted." Mrs. McC: Trump, as usual, ignores the arm's-length distance between the president & DOJ that "normal" presidents respect, & it is even worse here in that he is attempting to order the DOJ to interfere with an investigation into his own possible criminal actions.

Alan Rappeport & Noah Weiland of the New York Times: "The United States has put on hold its plan to impose sweeping tariffs on Chinese products as it presses forward with negotiations to reduce its trade deficit with Beijing, a top priority of President Trump. Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, said on Sunday that the two countries had made progress as they concluded two days of intense trade negotiations in Washington late last week. The planned tariffs -- on Chinese steel and aluminum, as well as $150 billion worth of other Chinese goods -- are off the table while the talks proceed, he said."

David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "President Trump lashed out Sunday at 'the World's most expensive Witch Hunt,' trashing a new report in the New York Times that said an emissary representing the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates offered help to Trump's 2016 campaign. In a six-part morning tweetstorm, Trump accused the special counsel's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election of turning to other leads around the world after, in his words, finding no collusion or obstruction of justice in its ongoing probe.... In his tweets, Trump asserted, without evidence, that investigations into his campaign's connections with Russia have cost taxpayers nearly $20 million and suggested that it is a politically motivated effort to undermine his presidency. The president said Democrats were in charge of the probe, even though Mueller, a Republican, was appointed head of the FBI by President George W. Bush, a Republican, in 2001." ...

... Here are Trump's tweets, in the order released: (1) If the FBI or DOJ was infiltrating a campaign for the benefit of another campaign, that is a really big deal. Only the release or review of documents that the House Intelligence Committee (also, Senate Judiciary) is asking for can give the conclusive answers. Drain the Swamp! (2) Things are really getting ridiculous. The Failing and Crooked (but not as Crooked as Hillary Clinton) @nytimes has done a long & boring story indicating that the World's most expensive Witch Hunt has found nothing on Russia & me so now they are looking at the rest of the World! (3) ....At what point does this soon to be $20,000,000 Witch Hunt, composed of 13 Angry and Heavily Conflicted Democrats and two people who have worked for Obama for 8 years, STOP! They have found no Collussion with Russia, No Obstruction, but they aren't looking at the corruption... (4) ...in the Hillary Clinton Campaign where she deleted 33,000 Emails, got $145,000,000 while Secretary of State, paid McCabes wife $700,000 (and got off the FBI hook along with Terry M) and so much more. Republicans and real Americans should start getting tough on this Scam. (5) Now that the Witch Hunt has given up on Russia and is looking at the rest of the World, they should easily be able to take it into the Mid-Term Elections where they can put some hurt on the Republican Party. Don't worry about Dems FISA Abuse, missing Emails or Fraudulent Dossier! (6) What ever happened to the Server, at the center of so much Corruption, that the Democratic National Committee REFUSED to hand over to the hard charging (except in the case of Democrats) FBI? They broke into homes & offices early in the morning, but were afraid to take the Server? (7) ....and why hasn't the Podesta brother been charged and arrested, like others, after being forced to close down his very large and successful firm? Is it because he is a VERY well connected Democrat working in the Swamp of Washington, D.C.? ...

... Jacqueline Thomsen of the Hill: "Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said on Sunday that he doesn't understand why President Trump doesn't realize that it's illegal for a foreign nation [to] interfere in U.S. elections.... While he said he wasn't sure if the Times report was completely accurate, Warner ... told CNN the U.S. knew that Russia had interfered in the election 'to not only sow disarray but to help Trump and hurt Clinton.'"

... Kyla Mandel of ThinkProgress: "Over the course of the Mueller investigation the ties between the administration and Qatar seem to have been multiplying by the day.... Now, a Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing shows that [Michael] Cohen's lawyer, Stephen Ryan, also lobbied last year for the State of Qatar and its ambassador [Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad] Al Thani." --safari

Brad Reed of RawStory: "Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold on Friday raised questions about a mysterious surge in revenue that occurred over the past year at two of President Donald Trump's overseas golf courses. Writing on Twitter, Fahrenthold uses some recent financial disclosures from the Trump Organization to show that revenue at a Trump golf course in Ireland rose by 51 percent year-over-year from 2017 to 2018, while revenue at a Scottish Trump golf course surged by 87 percent year-over-year from 2017 to 2018.... It's important that these two courses saw substantial increases, Fahrenthold writes, because many of Trump's US-based golf courses and hotels saw year-over-year decreases in revenue from 2017 to 2018." --safari

Blame It on Ritalin & Abortion. Frances Sellers & Michael Scherer of the Washington Post: "Two days after a 17-year-old opened fire in his Texas high school, killing at least 10, incoming National Rifle Association president Oliver North said students 'shouldn't have to be afraid' to go to school and blamed the problem on 'youngsters who are steeped in a culture of violence' in which many young boys have 'been on Ritalin' since early childhood. 'They've been drugged in many cases,' he said.... Texas Lt Gov. Dan Patrick (R) blamed the social acceptance of abortion and violent video games for the epidemic of school gun violence." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Patrick may see Cecile Richards, who is retiring from Planned Parenthood & whose mother was governor of Texas, as a potential rival for Texas' top job. So abortion.

Mark Hand of ThinkProgress: "All 34 of Chile's Catholic bishops have submitted their written resignations to the Vatican in the latest fallout from a major child sex abuse scandal rocking the South American nation. The unprecedented move puts the bishops' fate in the hands of Pope Francis, who can either accept the resignations or reject them.... The heinous nature of the accusations in Chile contributed to the Vatican's decision to conduct a full-scale investigation of dioceses, seminaries, and religious orders in the South American nation." --safari

*****

Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: It turns out there is a cost to Reality Chex, but of course it's easy to shoplift here, & I'll never be the wiser. The price is this: I'd like you to read Josh Barro's column. I've never said or written nearly as well what he writes. Thanks to those who pay at the door:

... ** Josh Barro of Business Insider: "Here's one reason the Trump corruption scandals aren't connecting as much as they should: Before Democrats spent the past 18 months telling everyone this is not normal, they spent years reassuring voters that this was normal. Well, not precisely this. But the general this: politicians having extensive financial conflicts of interest. Democrats told voters that taking high-dollar speaking fees right before you run for president from the industries you might regulate should you become president was just something everybody does. They said it was unsophisticated to worry if entities related to you had been fundraising from countries with foreign-policy interests before the US. They said nobody would object if a man did these things. They said you should look past the finances and understand that the Clintons shared your values and had your best interests at heart. Of course, the Clintons' behavior was never normal. They had the second-deepest set of financial conflicts of interest we've seen in a national political operation in my lifetime -- second only to Trumpworld.... More than any other individuals, Bill and Hillary Clinton are responsible for creating the impression of inevitable corruption that Trump has exploited to get his supporters to shrug off his own corruption."

The Trump International Corruption Program -- Middle East Unit:

** Junior, Busted Again. Mark Mazzetti, et al., of the New York Times: "Three months before the 2016 election, a small group gathered at Trump Tower to meet with Donald Trump Jr.... One was an Israeli specialist in social media manipulation. Another was an emissary for two wealthy Arab princes. The third was a Republican donor with a controversial past in the Middle East as a private security contractor. The meeting was convened primarily to offer help to the Trump team, and it forged relationships between the men and Trump insiders that would develop over the coming months -- past the election and well into President Trump's first year in office.... Erik Prince, the private security contractor and the former head of Blackwater, arranged the meeting, which took place on Aug. 3, 2016. The emissary, George Nader, told Donald Trump Jr. that the princes who led Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were eager to help his father win election as president. The social media specialist, Joel Zamel, [headed a company] which employed several Israeli former intelligence officers, specialized in collecting information and shaping opinion through social media.... Donald Trump Jr. responded approvingly..., and after those initial offers of help, Mr. Nader was quickly embraced as a close ally by Trump campaign advisers -- meeting frequently with Jared Kushner ... and Michael T. Flynn.... After Mr. Trump was elected, Mr. Nader paid Mr. Zamel a large sum of money, described by one associate as up to $2 million. There are conflicting accounts of the reason for the payment.... The meetings, which have not been reported previously, are the first indication that countries other than Russia may have offered assistance to the Trump campaign...." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: How come the Saudis didn't give Junior & Jared shiny gold medals, too?

... Marcy Wheeler: "Today's NYT scoop revealing that the Trump campaign colluded not just with Russians, but also Saudis, Emirates, and Israelis explain why the discovery of the later meetings was so dangerous: because it would reveal other efforts Trump made to sell out American foreign policy." Mrs. McC: Wheeler ties the meeting to Devin Nunes' "unmasking" hoo-hah in a way that is somewhat opaque to me. ...

... Emily Stewart of Vox: "There are multiple reasons the report matters. It indicates that it wasn't just Russia that was offering to help the Trump campaign ahead of the 2016 election. It also raises questions about what sort of repayment the Middle East countries in question might have received for their help. And it demonstrates the Trump campaign's reckless -- if not nefarious -- attitude toward campaign laws in the United States.... During the 2016 campaign, [George] Nader visited Moscow at least twice as a confidential emissary from Crown Prince Mohammed of Abu Dhabi, and he helped to arrange a meeting in the Seychelles between [Erik] Prince and a Russian businessman close to Vladimir Putin that [Robert] Mueller has also been probing. Companies tied to Zamel have connections to Russia as well." ...

... The Prince & the Perjury. Dan Friedman of Mother Jones: "... on November 30, 2017, [Erik Prince] told the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, under oath, that he had no formal communication or contact with the Trump campaign, other than occasionally sending 'papers' on foreign policy matters to Steve Bannon.... 'So there was no formal communication or contact with the campaign?' Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) asked Prince during his interview by the Intelligence Committee. 'Correct,' Prince responded.... Prince also told the committee that he met Trump Jr. 'at a campaign event,' and at Trump Tower 'during the transition.' He did not mention the meeting with Trump Jr. and [George] Nader.... Prince [also told the Committee] a meeting he attended in Seychelles during the presidential transition with a Russian financier close to Vladimir Putin was an unplanned encounter. Nader, who is cooperating with [Robert] Mueller, has told investigators that he arranged for Prince to travel to the Seychelles to meet Kirill Dmitriev, the manager of a Russian sovereign wealth fund, after giving Prince information about Dmitriev, according to ABC."

** Quinta Jurecic & Benjamin Wittes of Lawfire: "It wasn't that long ago that both the executive branch and the legislature in this country considered the protection of intelligence sources a matter of surpassing national importance.... In 1982 by passing the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, which criminalized the knowing and intentional outing of U.S. covert operatives and intelligence sources whom the government is taking active steps to protect.... What happens when the Chairman of the House intelligence committee and the President of the United States team up to out an FBI informant over the strenuous objection of the bureau and the Department of Justice -- and manage to get the job done?... Donald Trump did not leak the name of an intelligence source, and the record is not at all clear that Devin Nunes or his staff did so either. But the record is entirely clear that both men behaved in a way that actively contributed to the outing of an informant.... Trump's tweets on Friday made it impossible for the press to continue holding back what they had...." Read it all. ...

... ** AND, for an opposing -- and fascinating -- view, do read Glenn Greenwald, who also names the informant: "Four decades ago, [this same informant] was responsible for a long-forgotten spying scandal involving the 1980 election, in which the Reagan campaign -- using CIA officials managed by [the informant], reportedly under the direction of former CIA Director and then-Vice-Presidential candidate George H.W. Bush -- got caught running a spying operation from inside the Carter administration. The plot involved& CIA operatives passing classified information about Carter's foreign policy to Reagan campaign officials in order to ensure the Reagan campaign knew of any foreign policy decisions that Carter was considering.... Whatever else is true, the CIA operative and FBI informant used to gather information on the Trump campaign in the 2016 campaign has, for weeks, been falsely depicted as a sensitive intelligence asset rather than what he actually is: a long-time CIA operative with extensive links to the Bush family who was responsible for a dirty and likely illegal spying operation in the 1980 presidential election. For that reason, it's easy to understand why many people in Washington were so desperate to conceal his identity, but that desperation had nothing to do with the lofty and noble concerns for national security they claimed were motivating them."

Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: I find it difficult to take seriously any adult who refers to himself as Lucian K. Truscott IV, but IV's essay in Salon seems to echo my own sentiments (which, naturally, makes me question my own sentiments): "What more do you need to know? [Donald Trump is] a lying, thieving, incompetent, ignorant traitor who conspired with the Russian government to steal the election of 2016 and illegally defeat a candidate who won the popular vote by nearly 3 million ballots. His presidency is illegitimate, and his occupation of the White House is a stain on our nation's honor and a threat to our democracy. History will cast him into the same sewer in which float the putrid remains of Benedict Arnold, Jefferson Davis and Richard Nixon. Impeachment would be too kind an end for him. He belongs behind bars, broken, bankrupt and disgraced."

Melania Trump Hospitalized 5 Days for Name Change. AP: Melania Trump returned to the White House on Saturday from a week-long hospitalization after treatment for a kidney condition, a lengthy stay that raised questions about whether the first lady's condition may have been more complicated than initially revealed. Her spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, has declined to release additional details, citing Trump's right to privacy. Donald Trump heralded his wife's arrival home with a tweet in which her name was spelled incorrectly. 'Great to have our incredible First Lady back home in the White House.'" ...

     ... Mrs. McC: Sarah Sanders released a statement explaining that Mrs. Trump required a long hospitalization because the name change was "extremely painful." But the President*, Sanders said, "in keeping with his dedication to a strictly 'America First' policy, obviously was right to require his wife to have a more American name." Sanders did not remark that the President*'s family had changed its own surname from "Drumpf" to "Trump."

Ana Swanson of the New York Times: "China will increase its purchase of American goods and services in order to reduce the multibillion-dollar trade imbalance with the United States, the two countries said in a joint statement Saturday. How much the imbalance will be reduced remains to be seen.... The White House said that China had committed to buying more agriculture and energy exports, but noted that American officials would at some point go to China to work out the details of their agreement.... The announcement Saturday made no reference to whether the Trump administration would walk away from tariffs imposed this year on roughly $50 billion of Chinese imports. But Liu He, an economic adviser who led the negotiations for China, suggested that both sides would stop recently imposed tariffs, according to China's Xinhua News Agency."

Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post: "A personalized visit to Joshua Tree National Park. A spin through the West Wing, guided by White House staffers. And a trip to the top of the Lincoln Memorial, which is closed to the public. Such VIP tours of National Park Service sites, some at the height of the tourist season, came at the request of either Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke or his wife, Lola, according to records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Several excursions were scheduled specifically for friends and acquaintances. Under both Democratic and Republican presidents, top Interior officials have long given lawmakers and White House officials tours of Park Service sites and other courtesies at the agency's disposal. Several Obama administration officials -- including Vice President Joe Biden -- stayed for free at the Brinkerhoff Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, only to reimburse the government later when their visits came under fire after a FOIA disclosure." Among the recipients of these VIP tours: "friends from England" & Lola's boat broker.

Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit against Fox News filed by a former on-air host, Andrea Tantaros, who had alleged that the network retaliated against her after she complained about being sexually harassed.... On Friday, however, Judge George B. Daniels of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York wrote that Ms. Tantaros's allegations were 'based primarily on speculation and conjecture.' In dismissing the suit, the judge noted that Ms. Tantaros 'fails to adequately make out the basic elements of her claims.'" Mrs. McC: Well, that fits. Tantaros' entire political commentary was "based primarily on speculation and conjecture." That is of course Fox "News"' fundamental modus operandi, but apparently Fox attorneys know it doesn't work so well in court.

Martin Cizmar of the Raw Story: "Starbucks is reacting to a run of bad publicity that started with racist employees calling the cops on two black men in Philadelphia by making radical changes to its policies. Now, every location of Starbucks will be open to anyone who wants to hang out, reports the Wall Street Journal. Also, anyone who needs to use a restroom will be able to do so."

Way Beyond the Beltway

Maureen Brigid Dowd: Ireland "is in the midst of an excruciating existential battle over whether it should keep its adamantine abortion statute, giving an unborn baby equal rights with the mother. Under the Eighth Amendment, abortions are illegal, even in cases of rape or incest. The only exception is when it is believed that the mother will die. Anyone caught buying pills online to induce a miscarriage faces up to 14 years in prison. The Eighth Amendment was added in 1983 to the Irish Constitution, a document drawn up in 1937 that was so steeped in Catholic principle, it was submitted to the Vatican for review. Ireland's prime minister, Leo Varadkar, and other opponents of the amendment want to repeal it and craft a new law that gives women and doctors more options, perhaps allowing abortions for up to 12 weeks, and beyond in certain cases." Mrs. McC: When Dowd is good, she is very, very good. ...

... AND Ross Douthat is Ross Douthat, "obsessed with punishing women," to borrow a phrase from Niall Dowd, whom Dowd cites. Mrs. McC: Oh, forgive me, I forgot the link.