The Commentariat -- October 9, 2017

Lisa Friedman & Brad Plumer of the New York Times: "The Trump administration announced Monday that it would take formal steps to repeal President Barack Obama's signature policy to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, setting up a bitter fight over the future of America's efforts to tackle global warming. At an event in eastern Kentucky, Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, said that his predecessors had departed from regulatory norms in crafting the Clean Power Plan, which was finalized in 2015 and would have pushed states to move away from coal in favor of sources of electricity that produce fewer carbon emissions."

Beacon of Liberty: Torture Edition. Larry Seims of the Guardian: "274 documents the CIA and Pentagon were forced to declassify and release during pre-trial discovery.... These documents, many of them scheduled to be entered as exhibits at trial, provide the fullest picture yet of what the three men suffered in that secret CIA dungeon -- and of how fatefully their lives intersected with the rise and fall of James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, the men who designed the torture regime." Read on if you've got a strong stomach --safari

"Captialism is Awesome", Ctd. Joseph Cox of The Daily Beast: "Danny Manupassa sells everything the paranoid might need. As the director of PI-Products, he offers infra-red cameras, reinforced, security-focused doors to stop burglars armed with electric drills and saws, and even professional bug-sweeping services to find hidden microphones in cars. But this thirtysomething entrepreneur's main business -- the one that has led to him being the center of a cross-border investigation into organized crime -- is selling privacy-focused mobile phones...A Daily Beast investigation shows the widespread use of these devices by serious criminals, connections between crooks and some of the people that sell the phones, and the intense rivalry playing out across the industry." --safari

Mrs. McCrabbie: In today's thread, Akhilleus links the most famous moment in the the Army-McCarthy hearings. Here's Edward R. Murrow's response to it. You can substitute "Trump" for "McCarthy," & Murrows' remarks ring true today:

*****

On Columbus Day Weekend, Trump Pays Tribute to the Explorer
Who set in motion the American tradition of White Europeans abusing & exploiting Native Americans:

.... Of Dreamers & Schemers. Michael Shear of the New York Times: "The White House on Sunday delivered to Congress a long list of hard-line immigration measures that President Trump is demanding in exchange for any deal to protect the young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers, imperiling a fledgling bipartisan push to reach a legislative solution. Before agreeing to provide legal status for 800,000 young immigrants brought here illegally as children, Mr. Trump will insist on the construction of a wall across the southern border, the hiring of 10,000 immigration agents, tougher laws for those seeking asylum and denial of federal grants to 'sanctuary cities,' officials said. The White House is also demanding the use of the E-Verify program by companies to keep illegal immigrants from getting jobs, an end to people bringing their extended family into the United States, and a hardening of the border against thousands of children fleeing violence in Central America.... The demands were developed by a half-dozen agencies and departments, officials said. But among the officials behind the demands are Stephen Miller, the president's top policy adviser, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions...." ...

... Margaret Hartmann of New York: "... the White House has sent congressional leaders a list of immigration demands that is almost the complete opposite of what [Trump] told Democrats [Schumer & Pelosi] he was looking for in exchange for extending DACA.... The drastic shift from Trump requesting a moderate increase in border security to demanding Congress essentially enact his entire immigration platform would be enough reason to distrust anything he says about the future of DACA.... A letter sent with the list, which was signed by President Trump, states: 'These findings outline reforms that must be included as part of any legislation addressing the status of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.' But according to The Wall Street Journal, Trump officials 'stopped short of saying the White House would insist on them,' and said the president is not issuing any veto threats."

Larry Summers Has Had Enough of This Shit: "The Trump administration’s tax plan is not a plan. It is a melange of ideas put forth without precision or arithmetic. It is not clear enough to permit the kind of careful quantitative analysis of its expected budget costs, economic effects and distributional implications that precedes such legislation in a serious country. It is clear enough, however, to demonstrate that the claims of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn and Council of Economic Advisers Chair Kevin Hassett are some combination of ignorant, disingenuous and dishonest. Hassett, whose job is to stand up for rigorous apolitical economic analysis, had the temerity last week to accuse the Tax Policy Center -- staffed by many of the most distinguished tax analysts in the country -- of issuing 'scientifically indefensible' 'fiction.' He and his colleagues should look in the mirror.... We know enough to say that a tax-reform plan along the lines of the administration's sketch would not substantially increase economic growth, would blow out the budget deficit and would make the United States an even more unequal place."

Trump Says He Doesn't Care Much about Health Care. Julia Manchester of the Hill: "President Trump praised health care block grants on Saturday, saying they allow the states to focus on health care, but said he would rather focus his energy on tensions with North Korea than 'fixing somebody's back or their knee.'" Mrs. McC: That is, Trump seems to think medical care is rather superfluous & pretty much all about chiropractic. he'd rather focus on calling Little Kim names and/or maybe starting a nuclear war. Way more fun. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

** The New York Times Editors have updated their "Republican's Guide to Presidential Etiquette" "to ensure that Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and other congressional Republicans never forget what they now condone in a president." As the editors note, the standards have changed drastically since Barack Obama was president. ...

... Paul Waldman: "Despite his belief that he's a master dealmaker, Trump has shown himself utterly incapable of the things Washington dealmaking requires, including mastering the issue at hand and building and managing relationships with members of Congress whose own interests are often in conflict even within each party. So the agenda flounders, and one major issue after another winds up being shaped by Trump's personal whims and resentments.... [For instance,] Trump distrusts [Rex] Tillerson because, according to The Washington Post, 'Trump believes his top diplomat often seems more concerned with what the world thinks of the United States than with tending to the president's personal image.'... For this president, everything is personal. The purpose of the State Department isn't to represent the United States to the world but to tend to Trump's personal image."

Mrs. McCrabbie: I'll let Akhilleus report this one: "The Dauphin, le petit mikey pence, walked out of an NFL football game today, just as fast as his little legs could carry him, because he can't stand African American players advocating for their rights." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... In yesterday's thread, Akhilleus went on to reiterate how senseless mikey's own little protest is. Sadly, Akhilleus just doesn't get it. Behaving or dressing in a way confederates deem "patriotic" applies only to black people. Remember how riled everybody -- including ABC "News" -- by the fact that then-Sen. Obama often left the house without wearing a flag pin in his lapel? I checked the Googles & found dozens of photos of der Trumpus dressed in a suit with no flag pin in sight. Yet no one ever questioned his patriotism because of his shockingly flagless lapel. Nevah. (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Update. Worse than We Thought. The mikey Protest Was a Trump-directed Made-for-TV NFL Opening Show. And You Paid the Production Costs. Cindy Boren of the Washington Post: "The plan had been for Vice President Mike Pence to attend the Indianapolis Colts game at which Peyton Manning's number was to be retired.... The former governor of Indiana and his wife, wearing a Manning No. 18 jersey, left Lucas Oil Stadium after the national anthem, following instructions from President Trump after a number of San Francisco 49ers players, as they usually do, took a knee during the anthem. 'I asked @VP Pence to leave stadium if any players kneeled,' Trump posted on Twitter. 'I am proud of him and @SecondLady Karen.'... Pence left after more than a dozen members of the 49ers took a knee during the anthem, as many NFL players have done to raise awareness of social injustice and racial inequality. Members of the Colts stood for the anthem with arms linked.... Assuming a total flight time of six hours..., the tab for the flight alone would have topped $250,000.... [Other costs include] Secret Service agents deployed from the local field office; police to provide security along the motorcade route and at the perimeter of the event; an ambulance for the motorcade; and extra trauma teams on hand at a local hospital, among others -- with many earning overtime wages for working on a Sunday." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: If Trump's campaign doesn't pay all the costs for this stunt, this misuse of taxpayer money is one of many grounds for impeachment to be added to the list. mikey could be impeached, too, but please, not while Paul Ryan is next up. ...

... Peter King of Sports Illustrated points out that pence has been a Peyton Manning fan for a long time, yet the purpose of this trip to from Las Vegas to Indianapolis, then on to California, was made for the purpose of upstaging Manning, whose jersey was to be retired during a half-time ceremony. ...

By now I think we all get it: Donald Trump is the savior of American values from the dusky hordes. -- Kevin Drum ...

... Chas Danner of New York has a pretty good summary of how the whole outrageous pre-planned pence "protest" went down.

Jonathan Martin & Mark Landler of the New York Times: "Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, charged in an interview on Sunday that President Trump was treating his office like 'a reality show,' with reckless threats toward other countries that could set the nation 'on the path to World War III.' In an extraordinary rebuke of a president of his own party, Mr. Corker said he was alarmed about a president who acts 'like he's doing "The Apprentice" or something.' 'He concerns me,' Mr. Corker added. 'He would have to concern anyone who cares about our nation.'... Mr. Trump poses such an acute risk, the senator said, that a coterie of senior administration officials must protect him from his own instincts. 'I know for a fact that every single day at the White House, it's a situation of trying to contain him,' Mr. Corker said in a telephone interview." ...

... Philip Rucker & Karoun Demirjian of the Washington Post: "Sen. Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, on Sunday called the White House 'an adult day care center' after President Trump attacked him in a morning Twitter tirade. Trump alleged in a trio of tweets that Corker 'begged' him for his endorsement, did not receive it and decided to retire because he 'didn't have the guts' to run for reelection next year. In response, Corker (Tenn.) tweeted, 'It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning.'... Trump's public lashing of a fellow Republican comes after Corker made headlines last week when he starkly suggested that the national security team provides the president with badly needed adult supervision." Thanks to Marvin S. for the lead. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

Senator Bob Corker 'begged' me to endorse him for re-election in Tennessee. I said 'NO' and he dropped out (said he could not win without... ..my endorsement). He also wanted to be Secretary of State, I said 'NO THANKS.' He is also largely responsible for the horrendous Iran Deal! -- Donald Trump, lying his way trhough a series of tweets, Sunday ...

... Eli Watkins & Manu Raju of CNN: "Trump tweeted Sunday morning in a series of posts attacking Corker that he denied the senator's request for an endorsement -- a claim denied by Corker's chief of staff, Todd Womack, later in the day. 'The president called Senator Corker on Monday afternoon and asked him to reconsider his decision not to seek reelection and reaffirmed that he would have endorsed him, as he has said many times,' Womack said in a statement. Trump told Corker he was going to endorse him the day the Tennessee Republican announced his intention to retire, two sources familiar with the discussions said." ...

... Jonah Shepp of New York: "That Corker is the only Republican openly remarking on the irresponsibility of this behavior is, frankly, an indictment of the rest of the party.... Let's not give Trump's Republican critics too much credit here: They had enough evidence to know exactly what kind of erratic person they were hitching their wagons to last year, and went ahead and endorsed him anyway. Perhaps Corker will think twice the next time he has the urge to help someone get elected president and then try to change everything about them afterward."

The Fish Rots from the Head. Drew Harwell, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Trump administration, one of the wealthiest in modern U.S. history, is facing widening criticism over travel expenditures among some of the billionaires, budget hawks and business executives who head federal agencies. Inspectors general have opened at least five investigations into charter or military flights by Cabinet officials amounting to millions in federal spending.... 'The tone is set at the top,' said Noah Bookbinder ... of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.... 'When you have a president who is visiting his private resorts every weekend at great cost to taxpayers, it is not surprising that Cabinet members are using private jets to get to standard meetings.'"

Addy Baird of ThinkProgress: "Republican Facebook employees embedded with the Trump campaign to help the then-candidate fine tune ads on the platform, according to an interview with Trump campaign digital media director Brad Parscale ... Parscale tells 60 Minutes that the campaign ran an average of 50,000 to 60,000 ad versions every day, with different designs, colors, backgrounds, and words. Some days, Parscale says, they peaked at 100,000 different ad iterations.... There is some irony in how successful the embeds were, Parscale says, saying that Facebook and other social platforms were invented by 'very liberal people' on both coasts, while they used the platforms to get a Republican in the Oval Office." --safari ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Baird also reports that "Parscale also says he heard the Clinton campaign, which also used Facebook advertising extensively, did not use embeds and turned down Facebook's offers to have employees essentially join the campaign." The very idea that a business with the breadth of Facebook would secretly embed employees in political campaigns to actively help one candidate over another is shockingly undemocratic (even tho I can't think why it might be illegal), even if that candidate weren't Trump.

Connor O'Brien of Politico: "In an interview on ABC's "This Week," FEMA administrator Brock Long brushed off criticism from San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, who has slammed the Trump administration's response to Hurricane Maria.... 'We filtered out the mayor a long time ago. We don't have time for the political noise,' Long said." Mrs. McC: Yeah, there really is no reason to listen to a woman, even one who knows what she's talking about because she's been there & seen it. A valuable female official would be one who stayed inside the air-conditioned hurricane center & got coffee for the men having meetings. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Antibiotic Apocalypse. Robin McKie of the Guardian: "Scientists attending a recent meeting of the American Society for Microbiology reported they had uncovered a highly disturbing trend.... [R]esistance to [antibiotics] is spreading across the globe...The danger, say scientists, is one of the greatest that humanity has faced in recent times. In a drug-resistant world, many aspects of modern medicine would simply become impossible." Read on. --safari (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Megan Twohey of the New York Times: "The Weinstein Company fired one of its founders, Harvey Weinstein, on Sunday, after a New York Times investigation uncovered allegations that he had engaged in rampant sexual harassment, dealing a stunning blow to a producer known for shaping American film and championing liberal causes." ...

... Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Sharon Waxman of the Wrap writes that in 2004, when she worked for the New York Times, she reported on some of Weinstein's antics, but Times editors stripped the story of sexual allegations after pressure from Waxman himself & from movie stars Matt Damon & Russell Crowe: "I simply gagged when I read Jim Rutenberg's sanctimonious piece on Saturday about the 'media enablers' who kept this story from the public for decades. 'Until now,' he puffed, 'no journalistic outfit had been able, or perhaps willing, to nail the details and hit publish.' That's right, Jim. No one -- including The New York Times."

Way Beyond the Beltway

Rod Nordland of the New York Times: "More than a thousand Islamic State fighters ... fled their crumbling Iraqi stronghold of Hawija. Instead of the martyrdom they had boasted was their only acceptable fate, they had voluntarily ended up ... in [an] interrogation center of the Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq. For an extremist group that has made its reputation on its ferociousness, with fighters who would always choose suicide over surrender, the fall of Hawija has been a notable turning point. The group has suffered a string of humiliating defeats in Iraq and Syria, but the number of its shock troops who turned themselves in to Kurdish officials at the center in Dibis was unusually large, more than 1,000 since last Sunday." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Ledes

Los Angeles Times: "At least 10 people have died and at least 1,500 homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed as more than 14 fires ravaged eight counties throughout Northern California on Monday, authorities said. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office reported seven fire-related deaths late Monday. In addition, two died because of the Atlas fire in Napa County, said a CalFire spokesperson. One person died as result of the Redwood Valley fire in Mendocino County."

New York Times: "Richard H. Thaler was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science on Monday for his contributions to behavioral economics. Professor Thaler, born in 1945 in East Orange, N.J., works at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. The Nobel committee, announcing the award in Stockholm, said that he was a pioneer in applying psychology to economic behavior and in shedding light on how people make economic decisions, sometimes rejecting rationality."

The Commentariat -- October 8, 2017

Afternoon Update:

Mrs. McCrabbie: I'll let Akhilleus report this one: "The Dauphin, le petit mikey pence, walked out of an NFL football game today, just as fast as his little legs could carry him, because he can't stand African American players advocating for their rights." ...

     ... Akhilleus goes on to reiterate how senseless mikey's own little protest is. Unfortunately, Akhilleus just doesn't get it. Behaving or dressing in a way confederates deem "patriotic" applies only to black people. Remember how riled everybody -- including ABC "News" -- by the fact that then-Sen. Obama often left the house without wearing a flag pin in his lapel? I checked the Googles & found dozens of photos of der Trumpus dressed in a suit with no flag pin in sight. Yet no one ever questioned his patriotism because of his shockingly flagless lapel. Nevah. ...

     ... Here, BTW, is what Obama said in 2007 regarding display of a flag pin:

I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead I'm gonna' try to tell the American people what I believe what will make this country great and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism.... Somebody noticed I wasn't wearing a flag lapel pin and I told folks, well you know what? I haven't probably worn that pin in a very long time. I wore it right after 9/11. But after a while, you start noticing people wearing a lapel pin, but not acting very patriotic. Not voting to provide veterans with resources that they need. Not voting to make sure that disability payments were coming out on time. My attitude is that I'm less concerned about what you're wearing on your lapel than what's in your heart. And you show your patriotism by how you treat your fellow Americans, especially those who served. You show your patriotism by being true to our values and our ideals and that's what we have to lead with is our values and our ideals

Antibiotic Apocalypse. Robin McKie of the Guardian: "Scientists attending a recent meeting of the American Society for Microbiology reported they had uncovered a highly disturbing trend...[R]esistance to [antibiotics] is spreading across the globe...The danger, say scientists, is one of the greatest that humanity has faced in recent times. In a drug-resistant world, many aspects of modern medicine would simply become impossible." Read on. --safari

Trump Says He Doesn't Care Much about Health Care. Julia Manchester of the Hill: "President Trump praised health care block grants on Saturday, saying they allow the states to focus on health care, but said he would rather focus his energy on tensions with North Korea than 'fixing somebody's back or their knee.'" Mrs. McC: That is, Trump seems to think medical care is rather superfluous & pretty much all about chiropractic. he'd rather focus on calling Little Kim names and/or maybe starting a nuclear war. Way more fun.

Philip Rucker & Karoun Demirjian of the Washington Post: "Sen. Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, on Sunday called the White House 'an adult day care center' after President Trump attacked him in a morning Twitter tirade. Trump alleged in a trio of tweets that Corker 'begged' him for his endorsement, did not receive it and decided to retire because he 'didn't have the guts' to run for reelection next year. In response, Corker (Tenn.) tweeted, 'It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning.'... Trump's public lashing of a fellow Republican comes after Corker made headlines last week when he starkly suggested that the national security team provides the president with badly needed adult supervision." Thanks to Marvin S. for the lead.

Connor O'Brien of Politico: "In an interview on ABC's "This Week," FEMA administrator Brock Long brushed off criticism from San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, who has slammed the Trump administration's response to Hurricane Maria.... 'We filtered out the mayor a long time ago. We don't have time for the political noise,' Long said." Mrs. McC: Yeah, there really is no reason to listen to a woman, even one who knows what she's talking about because she's been there & seen it. A valuable female official would be one who stayed inside the air-conditioned hurricane center & got coffee for the men having meetings.

Rod Nordland of the New York Times: "More than a thousand Islamic State fighters ... fled their crumbling Iraqi stronghold of Hawija. Instead of the martyrdom they had boasted was their only acceptable fate, they had voluntarily ended up ... in [an] interrogation center of the Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq. For an extremist group that has made its reputation on its ferociousness, with fighters who would always choose suicide over surrender, the fall of Hawija has been a notable turning point. The group has suffered a string of humiliating defeats in Iraq and Syria, but the number of its shock troops who turned themselves in to Kurdish officials at the center in Dibis was unusually large, more than 1,000 since last Sunday."

*****

Jenna Johnson of the Washington Post: "President Trump continued to make vague threats toward North Korea on Saturday.... 'Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid ... hasn't worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of U.S. negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work! Trump tweeted in two messages on Saturday afternoon." ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Clearly, Trump thinks agitating another thin-skinned loon with control over a nuclear arsenal -- you know, someone just like Trump -- is a great strategy.

Politico: "Trump on Saturday said he and [Rex] Tillerson have had some disagreements at times but that they have 'a very good relationship.' He added, however, that 'sometimes I'd like him to be a little bit tougher.'" ...

... Brent Griffiths of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Saturday continued to criticize NBC News over the network's reporting that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called him a 'moron' earlier this summer, and its subsequent reporting on chaos that engulfed the administration in its wake. '"More.@NBCNews is so knowingly inaccurate with their reporting,' Trump wrote on Twitter. 'The good news is that the PEOPLE get it, which is really all that matters! Not #1'" ...

... Thin-skinned Loon Can't Take the Late-Nite Heat. It's So Unfaaaair! Daniel Politi of Slate: "... Donald Trump is sick and tired of the 'anti-Trump' bend of late-night hosts and he went on a little Twitter rant against them on Saturday morning.... 'Late Night host are dealing with the Democrats for their very "unfunny" & repetitive material, always anti-Trump! Should we get Equal Time?' [AND] ... 'More and more people are suggesting that Republicans (and me) should be given Equal Time on T.V. when you look at the one-sided coverage?'... It seems Trump was referring to the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to present different points of views on controversial issues. But that rule was eliminated by the Federal Communications Commission in 1987. And it's actually something that Republicans like.... . Late Night host Seth Meyers wrote back on Twitter: 'We'd love to have you! Studio located at 15 Penguin Avenue, Antarctica.'" ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Oh, wouldn't you love to see Fox "News" being subjected to the Fairness Doctrine? Roger Ailes would rise from the grave in protest.

Mike Allen of Axios: "President Trump telephoned Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday in an effort to revive health-care legislation, Republican sources said. Trump was seeking 'a path forward on health care,' a GOP source said." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Jesse Byrnes of the Hill: "... Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Saturday he told President Trump that Democrats would be open to stabilizing the health-care system, but that another push to repeal and replace ObamaCare was 'off the table.' 'The president wanted to make another run at repeal and replace and I told the president that's off the table,' Schumer said in a statement on his call with Trump on Friday, news of which the president confirmed in a tweet. 'If he wants to work together to improve the existing health care system, we Democrats are open to his suggestions. A good place to start might be the Alexander-Murray negotiations that would stabilize the system and lower costs, Schumer added." (Also linked yesterday.)

Robert Pear of the New York Times: "Stymied in his efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Trump is poised to issue an order that could ease some federal rules governing health insurance and make it easier for people to band together and buy coverage on their own, administration officials said Saturday. One official said the directive could move the president a step closer to one of his longstanding goals: allowing consumers to buy health insurance across state lines." ...

... Peter Orszag of Bloomberg (March 2017) explained numerous reasons that allowing groups to buy insurance across state lines would not lower costs, or as Trump claimed during the campaign, result in "great health care for a fraction of the price." ...

... Mrs. McCrabbie: One difference between Trump & Mussolini is that Mussolini actually delivered on his promises. He did not just "make the trains run on time," he literally "drained the swamp(s)" & initiated yuge physical infrastructure & social welfare programs. If you look back at Trump's constantly repeated promises to different groups that "We're going to take care of you," you see a pattern of a guy who tries to imitate Mussolini but has no interest in actually delivering on Il Duce's public programs. Il Donaldo is nothing but a wannabe Benito. Trump is really only interested in achieving the extreme downsides of Fascism. Think about that.

Franco Ordoñez of McClatchy News: "Congressional leaders fear ... Donald Trump's staff are exploiting the president's busy schedule to push their own agenda and undermine his pledge to protect Dreamers. According to four political operatives working closely with Republicans, leaders in both the House and Senate characterized some of the White House's demands, which have yet to go public, as 'poison pills,' saying they are impossible to achieve and that the White House staffers' intent is to scuttle the deal for political gain. The focus of their ire is on Stephen Miller, Trump's senior policy adviser, who drafted the principles and has been behind several other controversial White House initiatives, including the ban on travel from several Muslim-majority nations. He is one of the few hard-right conservatives remaining in the White House after the departure of Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon. 'We use to joke about President Bannon. Now it's President Miller,' one senior lawmaker said in a meeting about the White House's immigration and border security demands." ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Yo, DiJiT, are you listening? This story is a plant. Republicans are telling you they want Miller to go. He used to work for that nice fellow Jeff Sessions. I'm sure JeffBo can find him a place at DOJ. Maybe infiltrating white supremacist groups. Should be easy; Miller already has all his charter-membership cards. ...

... Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Carl Bernstein described the Trump administration as 'unlike anything I have seen in 50 years in Washington' while reporting that Republicans are privately assessing ... Donald Trump as unfit for office.' 'What there is a sense of, people I talk to in the White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill, is that the wheels are coming off this presidency,' Bernstein told CNN New Day anchors Poppy Harlow and Chris Cuomo. 'In the White House, there is an attempt by those closest to the President -- especially [Chief of Staff John] Kelly, especially the military leaders -- to try to constrain the president from his own inclinations to say wild things, to act irresponsibly. It's almost as if there's a protectorate around the President,' explained Bernstein.... Bernstein said the 'big story right now' is Republican members of congress and military leaders and the intelligence community, 'many of them have lost confidence in this president.'" ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: What could happen within months is that John Kelly rounds up Cabinet members, GOP Congressional leaders & mike pence & urges a 25th Amendment solution. Since Trump has insulted all of them except pence (who is already prepping for the top job), I don't think this will be a tough call.

Matt Apuzzo & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "White House officials once debated a scorched-earth strategy of publicly criticizing and undercutting Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russian efforts to disrupt last year's election. Now, President Trump's lawyers are ... cooperating with the special counsel in the hope that Mr. Mueller will declare in the coming months that Mr. Trump is not a target of the Russia inquiry. Mr. Trump has long sought such a public declaration. He fired his F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, in May after Mr. Comey refused to say openly that Mr. Trump was not under investigation. The president's legal team is working swiftly to respond to requests from Mr. Mueller for emails, documents and memos, and will make White House officials available for interviews. Once Mr. Mueller has combed through the evidence, Mr. Trump's lawyers plan to ask him to affirm that Mr. Trump is not under investigation, either for colluding with Russian operatives or for trying to obstruct justice." ...

... Julian Borger of the Guardian: "Nine months after its first appearance, the set of intelligence reports known as the Steele dossier, one of the most explosive documents in modern political history, is still hanging over Washington, casting a shadow over the Trump administration that has only grown darker as time has gone by. It was reported this week that the document's author, former British intelligence official, Christopher Steele, has been interviewed by investigators working for the special counsel on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Senate and House intelligence committees are, meanwhile, asking to see Steele to make up their own mind about his findings. The ranking Democrat on the House committee, Adam Schiff, said that the dossier was 'a very important and useful guide to help us figure out what we need to look into'. The fact that Steele's reports are being taken seriously after lengthy scrutiny by federal and congressional investigators has far-reaching implications.... As every passing month brings more leaks, revelations in the press, and more progress in the investigations, the Steele dossier has generally gained in credibility, rather than lost it."

Most Depressing Op-ed of the Weekend. Doug Sosnik in a Washington Post op-ed: "More than half of Americans don't think Donald Trump is fit to serve as president, yet he has a clear path to winning reelection. If Trump isn't removed from office and doesn't lead the country into some form of global catastrophe, he could secure a second term simply by maintaining his current level of support with his political base." Sosnik is a Democratic strategist. (Also linked yesterday.)

A Demented World of Their Own. Derek Hawkins of the Washington Post: "Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) still seems swayed by the 'false flag' theory of the white supremacist violence [at Charlottesville]. In an interview with Vice News that aired Thursday night, Gosar suggested that the rally was 'created by the left' and carried out by an 'Obama sympathizer. The congressman also brought up a thoroughly refuted claim that [George] Soros, a Hungarian-born Jew who survived Nazi occupation during World War II, had collaborated with the Third Reich, prompting a strongly worded condemnation from a Soros spokeswoman. Gosar's remarks also drew a stream of criticism on Twitter. 'Will other Republicans rebuke him,' asked Bill Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard. 'If not, is this a party to which one can belong?' 'That drip-drip-drip of anti-Semitism,' wrote science writer Steve Silberman." (Also linked yesterday.)

April Glaser of Slate: "More than 90 percent of people on the island of Puerto Rico don't have power, and more than 80 percent don't have access to wireless cell service, according to the most recent advisories from FEMA and the Federal Communications Commission.... On Friday, the FCC gave Alphabet, Google's parent company, permission to launch its internet balloon project over Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Dubbed Project Loon, the idea is that by flying massive balloons over the islands, Loon will beam down emergency internet service and help get people back online. Loon has permission to fly 30 of its balloons for up to six months over the affected areas."

Beyond the Beltway

"Very Fine People." Julia Manchester of the Hill: "White nationalists returned to Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday less than two months after one person was killed and dozens were injured when violence broke out after the 'Unite the Right' rally. White nationalist leader Richard Spencer led a group of roughly 30 white nationalists, who gathered at Emancipation Park, according to the Charlottesville's CBS affiliate.... The group carried tiki torches and chanted 'You will not replace us,' by a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in the park. They also reportedly said, 'we will be back.'... 'The left wing establishment is built around anti-white policies,' Spencer told the group. The group also chanted 'The South will rise again' and 'Russia is our friend.'"

Way Beyond

Nicola Slawson & Ben Quinn of the Guardian: "Eleven people have been injured after a minicab driver struck pedestrians outside the Natural History Museum in west London, sparking a major security alert. Scotland Yard said nine of those hurt were taken to hospital after the incident in Exhibition Road, South Kensington, at about 2.20pm on Saturday. No injuries were thought to be life-threatening or life-changing. Those taken to hospital included the driver of the the black Toyota Prius, who is under arrest and in custody at a north London police station. Police said the incident was a road traffic investigation and not a terrorist-related incident."

News Lede

CNN: Hurricane "Nate weakened to a tropical storm early Sunday as it moved farther inland over Mississippi and Alabama, the National Hurricane Center said.The storm had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and "rapid weakening is anticipated," the center said. Nate made its second US landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi, shortly after midnight local time Sunday as a Category 1 hurricane.... Just hours earlier, Nate had made its first US landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River in southeast Louisiana, with winds of 85 mph the National Hurricane Center reported Saturday night."

The Commentariat -- October 7, 2017

Late Morning Update:

Mike Allen of Axios: "President Trump telephoned Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday in an effort to revive health-care legislation, Republican sources said. Trump was seeking 'a path forward on health care,' a GOP source said." ...

... Jesse Byrnes of the Hill: "... Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Saturday he told President Trump that Democrats would be open to stabilizing the health-care system, but that another push to repeal and replace ObamaCare was 'off the table.' 'The president wanted to make another run at repeal and replace and I told the president that's off the table,' Schumer said in a statement on his call with Trump on Friday, news of which the president confirmed in a tweet. 'If he wants to work together to improve the existing health care system, we Democrats are open to his suggestions. A good place to start might be the Alexander-Murray negotiations that would stabilize the system and lower costs, Schumer added."

Most Depressing Op-ed of the Day. Doug Sosnik in a Washington Post op-ed: "More than half of Americans don’t think Donald Trump is fit to serve as president, yet he has a clear path to winning reelection. If Trump isn't removed from office and doesn't lead the country into some form of global catastrophe, he could secure a second term simply by maintaining his current level of support with his political base." Sosnik is a Democratic strategist.

A Demented World of Their Own. Derek Hawkins of the Washington Post: "Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) still seems swayed by the 'false flag' theory of the white supremacist violence [at Charlottesville]. In an interview with Vice News that aired Thursday night, Gosar suggested that the rally was 'created by the left' and carried out by an 'Obama sympathizer. The congressman also brought up a thoroughly refuted claim that [George] Soros, a Hungarian-born Jew who survived Nazi occupation during World War II, had collaborated with the Third Reich, prompting a strongly worded condemnation from a Soros spokeswoman. Gosar's remarks also drew a stream of criticism on Twitter. 'Will other Republicans rebuke him,' asked Bill Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard. 'If not, is this a party to which one can belong?' 'That drip-drip-drip of anti-Semitism,' wrote science writer Steve Silberman.'

*****

Our Coy Warmonger. Jordan Fabian of the Hill: "President Trump on Friday kept the public wondering about his cryptic warning regarding a 'calm before the storm.' 'You'll find out,' Trump told reporters at the White House when asked what he meant by his comment. The president left many people scratching their heads after he offered mysterious remarks before a Thursday dinner with military leaders." ...

... Eric Levitz of New York: 'On Friday, reporters once again asked Trump to clarify his remark. Once again, the president replied, 'You'll find out' -- only this time, while winking. Moments later, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that Trump's 'calm before the storm' prediction was 'extremely serious,' and that the president was definitely not just 'messing with the press.'... Meanwhile, several White House aides told the New York Times that they had no idea what Trump was referring to Thursday night.... Arms-control expert Jeffrey Lewis has warned that if Kim Jong-un has reason to believe that the U.S. might be on the verge of making a first strike against his regime, then he has an incentive to 'go first, if he is to go at all.'" ...

... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: I hate to find myself agreeing with Chris Cillizza, but I guess every responsible person would agree with this: On Trump's remarks at the Thursday night dinner with top generals: "... Trump didn't have to say anything. Reporters shout questions at these photo-ops all the time. Presidents ignore them all the time. So he did this on purpose. He wanted to say this -- so he did. And then he did it again!... As a reality TV star and producer..., the goal is always to stoke drama, always try to keep people watching.... Cliffhangers are the best way to do that.... The stakes of a reality TV show are roughly zero. The stakes of diplomacy with rogue nations pursuing nuclear weapons are incredibly high. What's not clear at the moment is whether Trump understands that difference." ...

... John Bowden of the Hill: In Puerto Rico, "Vice President Pence reportedly dodged questions from reporters on Friday about President Trump's remark about a 'calm before the storm,' referring questions to the White House."...

...Juan Cole: "Trump is a blowhard and you can't pay too much attention to his bluster or you'd never get any sleep. But what is worrying is that Trump's poll numbers are cratering in a way unprecedented for any modern president...The conjuncture of these two pieces of news -- Trump making cryptic but dire threats and Trump's astonishing unpopularity -- creates the threat of a wag the dog scenario. Americans rally around the flag when the US goes to war, and presidents know this.... Trump is having the kind of fall from grace politically that typically tempts presidents into some sort of military action. And that is why we should take his 'calm before the storm' threat seriously." --safari...

...Reuters: "North Korea is preparing to test a long-range missile which it believes can reach the west coast of the United States, according to a Russian lawmaker who has just returned from a visit to Pyongyang.... In Washington, a US official said that there had been indications that North Korea could be preparing for a missile test on or around 10 October, the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Korean Workers party. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not disclose the type of missile that could be tested and cautioned that North Korea in the past has not staged launches despite indications that it would." --safari

Juan Cole lists 5 signs that your President might be a fucking moron. -- safari: Cole's being generous only listing 5....

...Seth Meyers lambasts our "fucking moron". --safari

Today in Administration Bigotry: the Right to Discriminate Rule. Dominic Holden & Zoe Tillman: "Attorney General Jeff Sessions instructed federal agencies and attorneys on Friday to protect religious liberty in a broad, yet vague, guidance memo that critics fear could give people of faith -- including government workers and contractors -- a loophole to ignore federal bans on discrimination against women and LGBT people. The guidance says the government cannot unduly burden people or certain businesses from practicing their faith, noting, 'The free exercise of religion includes the right to act or abstain from action in accordance with one's religious beliefs.' The policy does not create new law, but rather interprets how the government should construe the Constitution and existing federal law. It comes on the heels of the Justice Department weighing in on a religious liberty case, in which lawyers under Sessions argued in a brief to the US Supreme Court that a Christian baker had a First Amendment right to deny a gay couple a cake for their wedding." ...

... Matt Zapotosky & Sarah Bailey of the Washington Post: "Sessions articulated 20 sweeping principles about religious freedom ... among them that freedom of religion extends to people and organizations; that religious employers are allowed to hire only those whose conduct is consistent with their beliefs; and that grants can't require religious organizations to change their character.... [The guidelines triggered] an immediate backlash from civil liberties groups who asserted the nation's top law enforcement officer was trying to offer a license for discrimination.... They could have a broad negative impact, permitting religious groups to impinge on the rights of LGBT people and others, said civil liberties advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Equality Federation and others.... The most immediate effect seemed to be on the Affordable Care Act's contraception coverage mandate. On Friday, the Trump administration issued a rule -- which the ACLU said it would sue over, but groups like the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said they support -- allowing a much broader group of employers and insurers to exempt themselves from covering contraceptives, such as birth control pills, on religious or moral grounds." ...

This is a direct attack on women's rights. The Trump administration is using the guise of religious liberty to carry out their ideological agenda to deprive women of basic reproductive health care. -- Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights ...

... Keep 'em Barefoot & Pregnant. Here's the new lede on Robert Pear's NYT story, linked yesterday: "The Trump administration on Friday moved to roll back the federal requirement for employers to include birth control coverage in their health insurance plans, vastly expanding exemptions for those that cite moral or religious objections." ...

... Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn of Mother Jones: "The ACLU, along with at least three other organizations, announced today that they will file a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's new rule gutting Obamacare's contraception mandate. Trump's rule ... greatly expands the type of employers that can opt out of covering birth control as part of their insurance plans. Previously, only religious organizations were exempt from the mandate and they needed to file paperwork in order to qualify, which in turn trigg[er]ed separate contraception coverage for employees. Now, any employer can claim a religious or moral objection to the mandate and choose to opt out.... Moreover, insurance companies themselves can now opt out, as can higher educational institutions that arrange insurance for their students. The administration's move would affect an estimated 62.4 million women who have free birth control coverage through the Affordable Care Act benefit, according to the National Women's Law Center." ...

... It's All Hilarious. Kaili Gray of Shareblue: "Donald Trump has utterly failed to deliver on his threat to repeal Obamacare and harm the millions of men and women who have health care because of it. So he's going to punish women directly instead.... Asked by Fox Business Network correspondent Blake Burman to respond to the millions of women who will lose their access to basic health care because of the Trump administration's vengeful decision..., Sarah Huckabee Sanders's response was appalling. She laughed -- laughed -- and then dared to suggest anyone who disagrees with the decision does not support the Constitution the way Donald Trump does.... in between her chuckles, Sanders also stated something that is simply untrue. The Supreme Court has not validated this decision even once, let alone 'many times over.'" ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Unfortunately, the Supremes will very likely give their high-holy blessings to everything Sessions & Trump do to curb the rights of women, gays & minorities. No wonder Sarah is chuckling. I hope she gets pregnant & is caught sneaking into an abortion clinic. ...

... New York Times Editors: "Under the guise of protecting religious freedom and moral sensibilities, the Trump administration is making it harder for women to get access to birth control. On Friday, it rolled back an Obama-era rule requiring most employers to provide their employees with birth control coverage without co-payments. The mandate, established under the Affordable Care Act, has helped millions of women avoid unwanted pregnancy by eliminating out-of-pockets costs for contraception.... The Trump administration says, with no evidence whatsoever, that its new rules will have no effect on 'over 99.9 percent of the 165 million women in the United States.'... President Trump's assault on the birth control mandate is like his broader attack on the Affordable Care Act, filled with spite, based on falsehoods and fueled by vindictiveness toward his predecessor. And both will hurt millions of people." ...

... Gail Collins: "How can you fight against both abortion and contraception? There are only two possible explanations. One is that you're a hypocritical politician trolling for right-to-life votes without any personal convictions whatsoever. The suddenly retiring congressman from Pennsylvania, Tim Murphy, would appear to fit into that category.... Let's call the second category Many Variations on the Little Sisters of the Poor. They're people of sincere religious conviction, trying to impose their own personal theology on Americans who don't share it. Some of them claim, with no scientific backing, that birth control involves fertilized eggs being expelled from the uterus and is therefore abortion. Others just believe that it's immoral for a woman to have sex without accepting the possibility of pregnancy.

Today in Administration Bigotry (Part II): Fomenting Fear. Matt Shuham of TPM: "In August, the FBI's counterterrorism division published a report warning law enforcement across the country of a new threat. It called the threat 'Black Identity Extremism.' It appears to be an invented label, Foreign Policy reported. The publication revealed the existence of the counterterrorism memo Friday and briefly posted the actual document on its website before removing it. According to the FBI, 'it is very likely some BIEs are influenced by a mix of anti-authoritarian, Moorish sovereign citizen ideology, and BIE ideology.'... Counterterrorism and homeland security experts interviewed by Foreign Policy expressed skepticism at the new label. Michael German, a former FBI agent turned Brennan Center fellow, said: 'Basically, it's black people who scare them.'" --safari: An important step in Making America Great (for white men) Again.

Ken Dilanian of NBC News: "Christopher Steele, the former British intelligence operative who authored a 35-page dossier alleging that the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia, has been in talks with the Senate Intelligence Committee about speaking to its leaders, three sources familiar with the situation told NBC News. In a development first reported on 'The Rachel Maddow Show' on Thursday night, the sources disputed the characterization of the situation by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the chairman of the intelligence committee. Burr said this week that Steele had flatly declined the committee's offer to speak to him, and the committee thus had 'hit a brick wall' in its attempts to investigate the dossier.... [Two sources] said that one of the sticking points was Steele's unwillingness to discuss who underwrote his work." ...

...Julian Borger of the Guardian: "Nine months after its first appearance, the set of intelligence reports known as the Steele dossier, one of the most explosive documents in modern political history is still hanging over Washington, casting a shadow over the Trump administration that has only grown darker as time has gone by.... The fact that Steele's reports are being taken seriously after lengthy scrutiny by federal and congressional investigators has far-reaching implications...But as every passing months bring more leaks, revelations in the press, and more progress in the investigations, the Steele dossier has generally gained in credibility, rather than lost it." --safari...

... Betsy Woodruff of the Daily Beast: "... the [Senate] Judiciary Committee is not, in fact, running a Trump-Russia investigation -- at least, not a full-fledged one. A staffer for [chair Chuck] Grassley, speaking on the condition of anonymity..., told The Daily Beast that the committee is instead engaged in routine oversight of the Justice Department -- though under extraordinary circumstances.... Grassley has primarily used his bully pulpit to rip an opposition-research firm and the FBI.... The Grassley staffer told The Daily Beast that the Judiciary Committee's investigators are focused on the FBI.... Besides suggesting that the FBI could be responsible for the Trump/Russia troubles, Grassley has also dedicated significant resources into investigating Fusion GPS, an opposition-research firm that compiled the so-called Steele dossier." ...

... David Corn of Mother Jones: "At a packed press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) ... provided a progress report on his panel's investigation of the Trump-Russia scandal.... Burr tried to make some points that appeared designed to limit ... Donald Trump's political vulnerabilities.... First, Burr declared that ... he could confidently state that the Russian meddling in the 2016 election resulted in no changes to the vote tallies.... And second, Burr said that Russia's use of Facebook ads during the presidential campaign seemed 'indiscriminate' and not designed to help a particular candidate.... Sen. Ron Wyden, (D-Ore.), a feisty member of the intelligence committee, says both assertions are bunk. Wyden pointed out that the Department of Homeland Security has noted that its assessment that there was no finagling with the vote count was made with only 'moderate confidence.'... Wyden also said that Burr erred in declaring that the Russian Facebook ads -- some of which targeted swing states -- did not favor a presidential candidate. (Presumably Wyden has seen or been briefed on the content of the ads.) 'That's one reason why the ads need to be released to the American people,' Wyden remarked, 'so Americans can make up their minds.'"

Celeste Katz of Newsweek: "Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are still cleaning up after Hurricane Maria — and some say Vice President Mike Pence is still cleaning up after Donald Trump. Pence headed to the storm-devastated islands Friday to comfort victims and promise lasting government help with recovery. He donned cowboy boots and an empathetic mien while on a mission that exemplified the marked contrast between his style and that of his boss ... yet again. 'What you're seeing is the difference between a professional, retail politician who understands the personal touch and a celebrity billionaire who's been largely removed (and remains that way) from citizens,' political consultant Reed Galen summed up for Newsweek." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: I'd say pence is rehearsing for his 25th Amendment debut. Good work, Mr. Acting President in Waiting.

Jonah Shepp of New York writes a useful piece on how Rex Tillerson has been busy undermining Trump's insane, dangerous "foreign policy" plans.

Brady Dennis of the Washington Post: "The Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general acknowledged plans Friday to expand its inquiry into Administrator Scott Pruitt's travel habits, marking the latest Trump Cabinet member to face scrutiny from his own agency for taxpayer-funded trips. The move came after recent disclosures that Pruitt had taken at least four noncommercial and military flights since mid-February, costing taxpayers more than $58,000 to fly him to various parts of the country...." Mrs. McC: And what about that $25,000 phone booth?...

...Swamp Creatures. Natasha Geiling of ThinkProgress: "The White House announced Thursday that President Donald Trump has officially nominated Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, to be deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Until recently, Wheeler was a registered lobbyist for Murray Energy; he de-registered as a lobbyist on August 11...As deputy administrator, Wheeler would oversee offices and programs charged with regulating the coal industry." --safari

Rachel Bade, et al., of Politico: "Rep. Tim Murphy, a staunch anti-abortion advocate, thought he could withstand the media furor that engulfed him after reports that he'd encouraged his extramarital lover to end her apparent pregnancy. He was wrong.... Murphy's swift collapse came ... because of ... fears among senior Republicans about a potential wave of negative stories on how Murphy ran his congressional office.... The Post-Gazette had reported on a June 2017 memo in which Murphy's longtime chief of staff, Susan Mosychuk, warned the Pennsylvania Republican that he was mistreating and 'harassing' staff, causing 100 percent turnover. But Mosychuk is a source of controversy herself.... Ex-aides said the combination of Murphy and Mosychuk -- who had a close personal relationship, according to GOP lawmakers and staffers -- made the situation intolerable.... According to these aides, Mosychuk regularly engaged in brutal verbal abuse of lower-ranking aides, from calling aides 'worthless' and their work 'garbage' to asking derisively, 'Do you or do you not have a fucking college degree?' Ex-staffers said Mosychuk kept white noise machines throughout Murphy's congressional office so constituents waiting in the front room couldn't hear her screaming." And so forth. Mrs. McC: Have we mentioned that Dr. Murphy was supposed to be a mental health expert?

Cameron Joseph of TPM: "Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore's top supporter is a hardline Confederate sympathizer with longtime ties to a secessionist group. ;Michael Anthony Peroutka ... has given Moore, his foundation and his campaigns well over a half-million dollars over the past decade-plus. He's also expressed beliefs that make even Moore's arguably theocratic anti-gay and anti-Muslim views look mainstream by comparison. Chief among them: He's argued that the more Christian South needs to secede and form a new Biblical nation." Read on --safari: I say let 'em take Alabama, fill it with their fundamentalist brethren, and then build a giant, beautiful wall around it. A see-through wall, of course.

Boeing in Bed with the Moron. Clive Irving of The Daily Beast: "[T]he Commerce Department's latest and enlarged proposal that a 300 percent tariff should be slapped on every one of the 75 Bombardier C Series jets ordered by Delta Airlines is effectively locking the Canadians out of the U.S. market...[T]he move would jeopardize the whole project and immediately sour relations between America and two long-standing allies whose economies are interdependent with ours: Canada and Great Britain..." --safari

Megan Twohey & Niraj Chokshi of the New York Times: "The Weinstein Company struggled to perform damage control on Friday amid allegations of rampant sexual harassment by its co-chairman Harvey Weinstein and turmoil among its ranks. One-third of the company's all-male board resigned, while board members who remained hired an outside law firm to investigate the allegations and announced that Mr. Weinstein would take an indefinite leave of absence immediately."

Joseph Bernstein of BuzzFeed has a long piece on Breitbart & Steve Bannon as agents of the neo-Nazi, white supremacist, alt-right movements. ...

... For a shorter version, Martin Longman obliges in the Washington Monthly: "Milo Yiannopoulos uses 'Kristall' (in reference to Kristallnacht) and 'LongKnives1290' (in reference to The Night of the Long Knives and the year King Edward I expelled the Jews from England) as his passwords. He has to be reminded repeatedly by a generally sympathetic editor-in-chief, Alex Marlow, not to 'flirt with okay-ing Nazi memes,' do podcasts with white supremacists, or make Holocaust-oven jokes. He does karaoke while Richard Spencer and other white supremacists give him the Nazi salute.... The Mercer family is completely behind this ideology and so is Steve Bannon. That's clear from the email threads that BuzzFeed obtained. Together, they turned Milo into a sensation. And when they had to fire him for making comments sympathetic to pedophilia, that didn't prevent them for quietly supporting him and helping him plan for the next phase of his career[.]... The thing that really hit home for me, though, was the part of the article that described the editorial process Breitbart used when working on their feature piece: An Establishment Conservative's Guide To The Alt-Right. Since I have an editorial role at the Washington Monthly, I am accustomed to the practice of sending around drafts of articles to people both on and off the official editorial staff. And I just can't wrap my head around the idea of working in an organization where article drafts are sent out to white nationalists for comment and annotation." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Let's hope the FBI has Bannon, the Mercers & Breitbart in its sites. Meanwhile, we must "never forget" that these are Trump's people. ...

Yahoo! News has a documentary film that provides a "firsthand account of the drama that unfolded during Oct. 7-9, 2016, from the release of the infamous 'Access Hollywood' tape to the second presidential debate -- and everything in between."

(Way) Beyond the Beltway<

How Convenient. Jon Henley of the Guardian: "The current prime minister of Iceland [Bjarni Benediktsson] sold almost all his remaining assets in a major Icelandic bank's investment fund on the day the government seized control of the country's collapsing financial sector at the peak of the 2008 crash.... While he denies any wrongdoing and the Guardian has seen no evidence he broke any laws, the revelations could be embarrassing: Benediktsson faces elections on 28 October after his coalition collapsed last month over an alleged attempt to cover up a scandal involving the prime minister's father and a convicted child sex abuser.... The leaked documents ... suggest he enjoyed a privileged relationship with [the bank]...." --safari

News Lede

New York Times: "Hurricane Nate, the 14th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, gained strength on Saturday in the Gulf of Mexico and was speeding toward this low-lying stretch of coast, threatening to come ashore somewhere between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., as a Category 2 storm, forecasters said. The governors of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi declared states of emergency ahead of the storm, and counties along the coast issued curfews, ordered evacuations and braced for winds that the National Hurricane Center said could reach up to 105 miles an hour."