The Inaugural Speech You Missed

On Wednesday, Donald Trump tweeted this picture of himself, above the message, “Writing my inaugural address at the Winter White House, Mar-a-Lago, three weeks ago. Looking forward to Friday. #Inauguration.”:

Twitter users found plenty to mock about the photo. Mostly they found it unbelievable, because it was. A guy, a Sharpie, a blank legal pad and a statue of an eagle? That's it? No notes? No reference books? No WIPs? Well, no, there wouldn't be, because the desk in the pic isn't one that Trump would actually use. Rather, it "appears to be one usually occupied by an administrative or hospitality professional — a receptionist or concierge, maybe — in a public hall at Mar-a-Lago, and not in a private office." So if you believe Trump's tweet, then you believe he wrote his inaugural speech, from scratch, while sitting out in the hall helping Mar-a-Lago guests find the route to Neiman's on Worth Avenue.

BTW, here's what #realDonaldTrump's #realdesk looks like:

And for the record, this is what an actual president looks like when he's writing a speech. He is not wearing a suitcoat, and he has three aides, working from computers & dead-tree notes, to help him refine the message:

President Obama and his staff work on a speech he delivered December 15, 2015, during a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives. White House photo.According to Trump's spokesman Sean Spicer, Trump has watched some previous inaugural speeches and spoken with historians about those speeches. Although Spicer had previously said Trump would rely on the assistance of speechwriter Stephen Miller, historian Douglas Brinkley met with Trump at Palm Beach in December and reported that Trump "was intent on drafting the entirety of the speech himself, with input from his team." Whatever that means. One thing Trump discussed with Brinkley was the speech of William Henry Harrison, which was the longest inaugural speech in American history, delivered on a cold day. Harrison died of pneumonia a month later. Trump told Brinkley he planned to keep his speech short.

Since we know that Trump has been studying up on the inaugural speeches of former presidents, and since many Reality Chex readers will be tuned to the Weather Channel all day today, I decided to let you in on this draft of Trump's speech, not plagiarized in the Trump family tradition, but borrowing heavily on the remarks of Mr. Trump's predecessors, albeit with the necessary adaptations (and grammatical misconstructions) to better reflect Trump's own worldview.

My fellow Americans, we are provincials once again. The tragic events of eight years of poverty, crime-infested communities, terrorism in our cities, tens of thousands of Mexican rapists and drug dealers at large, able-bodied men unable to find jobs, and a president who founded ISIS, have made us turn against each other. There can be no turning back.(1) We have reached a higher degree of turmoil and insecurity than ever existed before in the history of the world.(2) In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.(3)

With malice toward all, with charity for none, with firmness in right-wing ideology, as God gives white people, let us strive on to undo the work of the previous administration, to open up the nation's wounds.(4) Then, this once-great nation will be great again, will revive and will prosper, because I alone can fix it.(5) There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by me.(6)

So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing you have to fear is Donald Trump, which is me, who has an enemies list.(5) Much has been given me, and I will rightfully expect much from you. You have duties to me and you must not shirk them.(7) Ask not what I can do for you – ask what you can do for me. My fellow citizens of the world: Ask not what America will do for you, but what you can do together to enrich my family and me. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, you my loyal poorly-educated supporters will pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, oppose friend and foe alike – except Russia, for reasons only I know and will reveal next Tuesday or Wednesday – in order to assure the survival and continued success of the Trump dynasty, including my daughter Ivanka, who is very hot.(8)

Let us, then, fellow citizens, punch liberals, reporters and my other enemies in the face. Let us reflect that, having banished from our land religious tolerance, we have yet gained little if we countenance political tolerance for our enemies like Crooked Hillary who I beat badly in a landslide, Pocahontas Warren and talk-talk-talk John Lewis. We must return anew to despotic, wicked governance steeped in bitter and bloody persecutions.(9) Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America in my image, for my benefit.(10)

Fellow-citizens, being fully invested with that high office to which my countrymen have called me, I now take leave of you. You will bear with you to your homes the remembrance of the pledge I have this day given to discharge all the high duties of my exalted station which I will exploit to the best of my abilities, and you shall wonder in awe why I am breaking that solemn pledge even as I speak.(11) God bless the President of the United States.

(1) We are provincials no longer. The tragic events of the 30 months of vital turmoil through which we have just passed have made us citizens of the world. There can be no turning back. -- Woodrow Wilson, March 5, 1917

(2) We have reached a higher degree of comfort and security than ever existed before in the history of the world. -- Herbert Hoover, March 4, 1929

(3) In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. -- Ronald Reagan, January 20, 1981 (No editing required.

(4) With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds. --Abraham Lincoln, March 4, 1865

(5) This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt, March 4, 1933

(6) There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America. -- Bill Clinton, January 20, 1993

(7) Much has been given us, and much will rightfully be expected from us. We have duties to others and duties to ourselves; and we can shirk neither. --Theodore Roosevelt, March 4, 1905

(8) My fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.... Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” -- John F. Kennedy, January 20, 1961

(9) Let us, then, fellow citizens, unite with one heart and one mind. Let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and affection without which liberty and even life itself are but dreary things. And let us reflect that, having banished from our land that religious intolerance under which mankind so long bled and suffered, we have yet gained little if we countenance a political intolerance as despotic, as wicked, and capable of as bitter and bloody persecutions. -- Thomas Jefferson, March 4, 1801

(10) Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.” -- Barack Obama, January 20, 2009

(11) Fellow-citizens, being fully invested with that high office to which the partiality of my countrymen has called me, I now take an affectionate leave of you. You will bear with you to your homes the remembrance of the pledge I have this day given to discharge all the high duties of my exalted station according to the best of my ability, and I shall enter upon their performance with entire confidence in the support of a just and generous people. -- William Henry Harrison, March 4, 1841

The Commentariat -- December 25, 2016

President & Michelle Obama celebrated Hanukkah early this year (it began at sundown December 24):

Early last week, contributor NJC shared this video with us:

...  Alexandra Rosenmann of AlterNet: "Karim Sulayman is a an Arab-American tenor and activist from Chicago. Ten days after Donald Trump was elected president, Sulayman teamed up with filmmaker Meredith Kaufman Younger for a different kind of trust test. Blindfolded outside Trump International Hotel in New York City, Sulayman held a handwritten poster board sign. It read:

Hello, my name is Karim and I am Arab-American. Like many people who are black, brown, women, LGBTQIA, Latinix, Muslim, Jewish, immigrants and Other, I am very scared. We are anxious and uneasy in our own country and it's difficult to see what lies ahead for us. But, I have hope that I am safe with you. Together, we can build a community of caring, rather than one of fear. You can trust me to care for you no matter who you are, what you look like, or where you are from. Will you embrace me as willingly as I embrace you? Will you shake my hand and/or hug me and/or take a photo with me and post it as a sign that I am safe here with you? I trust you.

CW: Here is Sulayman working his regular job:

Hearing Monteverdi's simple tune here reminded me of his more complex Vespers, or Magnificat. It turns out Sulayman has performed Monteverdi's Magnificat, too:

... The text of the Magnifcat comes from the Gospel of Luke (1:46-55) and is spoken by Mary:

My soul doth magnify the Lord: and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded: the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth: all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him: throughout all generations.

He hath shewed strength with his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel: as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

This is, of course, a Jewish poem, which the author of the Gospel borrowed from the Old Testament Song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10) and other earlier Jewish writings. What strikes me about the Magnificat is its repudiation of All Things Confederate: The God of Israel glorifies women, most particularly the "lowliest" women; he exalts the meek; he feeds the hungry. God despises the proud, the powerful, the rich -- the Trumps. Much of the Bible, Old Testament and New, is a political reaction to oppression, a revolutionary manifesto against systemic corruption and abuse of power. This is the true core of our Judeo-Christian heritage, a core that the hypocrites who "sound their trumpets before them" have lost or rejected.

Donald Trump may invoke a phony culture war and insist that we all say "Merry Christmas," but the religion he pretends to defend in fact casts him as an agent of evil. The true keepers of the Judeo-Christian tradition are the humble, the poor and the powerless. They are the Drifters, who had to pay to record "White Christmas" (see below), the needy women who seek health care at Planned Parenthood clinics, the Arab-American who stands blindfolded in the street.

*****

Here's a Christmas miracle. Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" can be made to sound even worse than the original:

... Thanks, Obama!

Meanwhile, here in Florida ...,

... An earlier recording:

*****

CW: Even as I am enjoying the sounds of gunshots fired in celebration the birth of the Baby Jesus (I'm not kidding -- apparently it's a cultural thing), reporters are otherwise occupied, obliging me to compile a review of the news. It will be short, which does not mean I have been shot during the festivities.

Megan Twohey, et al., of the New York Times: "With extensive entanglements around the world, many packaged in a network of licensing agreements and limited liability companies, the Trump Organization poses a raft of potential conflicts of interest for a president-elect who has long exerted such control over his company that, as he told The New York Times in a recent interview, he is the one who signs the checks.... Mr. Trump -- owner of all but the smallest sliver of the privately held company -- has said that, while the law does not require it, he is formulating plans to remove himself and his older daughter, Ivanka, from the company's operations. (Ms. Trump's husband, Jared Kushner, is likely to have a role in the White House.)... People involved in the planning have said that Mr. Trump intends to keep a stake in the business. But in recent weeks, amid rising pressure, Mr. Trump and his advisers have been intensely debating further measures." -- CW

Cristiano Lima of Politico: "... Donald Trump claimed Saturday that NBC News 'purposely' misquoted his call for an expansion of the U.S. nuclear program earlier this week, despite reports to the contrary. Trump on Thursday said the United States 'must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.' Saturday he accused NBC of intentionally leaving out the latter, more measure portion of his statements. '.@NBCNews purposely left out this part of my nuclear qoute: "until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes." Dishonest!' the president-elect tweeted Saturday afternoon.... NBC News' initial report covering Trump's comments on nuclear expansion, however, cited his comments in full. And the Thursday broadcast of NBC's 'Nightly News with Lester Holt' displayed his comments in their entirety." -- CW

Eric Schlosser, in the New Yorker: "Today, the odds of a nuclear war being started by mistake are low — and yet the risk is growing, as the United States and Russia drift toward a new cold war." Schlosser details one chilling account after another of what already did happen during the Cold War. -- CW

Yastreblyansky Explains TrumpSpeak to Very Serious People: "People need to start understanding that what Trump says ... is to be taken neither literally nor seriously; you should assume that whatever he says is meant not to convey a denotative meaning but a picture of how he'd like to be regarded; he's trying to give you his impression of what a Real Leader looks and sounds like, and as with Sid Caesar's bogus German, the meaning, if there is any, is just for laughs.... He's pure emotion, and his emotions succeed each other pretty swiftly. Policy in the Trump administration, to the extent he himself has any influence on it, is going to be arbitrary." -- CW

Rich Schapiro of the New York Daily News: "Donald Trump's inner circle was thrown into turmoil Saturday when his newly-named White House communications director resigned after a transition team staffer posted cryptic tweets suggesting he's a philanderer. Jason Miller announced that he won't be joining the Trump administration just two days after he was tapped to lead the White House communications team. Miller said in a statement that he wanted to spend more time with his family.... AJ Delgado, a senior advisor in Trump's transition team, posted several tweets hinting that Miller was at the center of a sex scandal.... Delgado later deleted her Twitter account." ...

     ... CW: Other news organizations that have reported on Miller's resignation have not cited the Delgado allegations.

'Tis the Season. Today in Holiday Recriminations:

     Bloomberg News in the Washington Post: House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and his Republican lieutenants want to hit fellow lawmakers with fines and potential ethics violations if they engage in live-streaming or other disruptions on the House floor. The move is a belated response to this summer's 25-hour sit-in by Democrats protesting Republican inaction on gun-control legislation. Under the proposed new rules package, which was seen by Bloomberg News, members could face a $500 fine through deductions to their paychecks for a first offense of using electronic photography or audio or visual recording, as well as for broadcasting from the chamber's floor. A $2,500 fine would be leveled for the next such offense and each subsequent violation." -- CW

     Ruth Eglash of the Washington Post: "Israel summoned to Jerusalem on Sunday, Christmas Day, ambassadors representing countries that voted in favor of a U.N. Security Council resolution that harshly criticizes Israeli settlement activity, calling them an obstacle to peace. Ambassadors of four of the five permanent Security Council members -- the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia -- as well as nonpermanent members with diplomatic relations with Israel -- Egypt, Japan, New Zealand, Uruguay, Ukraine and Spain — were issued a sharp reprimand by Israeli Foreign Ministry officials.... The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Daniel Shapiro, was not summoned to Jerusalem because the United States did not vote in favor of the resolution, Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said." -- CW

... By Contrast.... Joanna Walters of the Guardian: "From smaller local organizations to household names such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, nonprofit organizations across the US reported fundraising tallies many magnitudes higher than in previous years as they approached their end-of-year donation drives.... Progressive causes in the US saw a spike in donations immediately after the election on 8 November from voters dismayed, outraged or even frightened by the outcome. In the weeks since, this wave of strategic giving has compounded." -- CW

Kirk Johnson of the New York Times: "... in one of the coldest parts of the coldest state, there is an only-in-Alaska pollution story: At about minus 20 Fahrenheit -- a fairly regular occurrence here in winter -- smoke that goes up comes right back down, to linger at ground level and, therefore, lung level. The average from 2013 to 2015 for dangerous small-particle pollution, called PM 2.5, which can be deeply inhaled into the lungs, was by far the highest in the nation in North Pole, just southeast of Fairbanks, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency." ...

     ... CW: Contrast Alaska with Burlington, Vermont, a sustainable-energy city (see yesterday's Commentariat), to see the difference between confederate & liberal government -- it's a difference of life and death.

Katie Thomas & Reed Abelson of the New York Times: "The American Kidney Fund is one of the largest charities in the country, with an annual budget of over $250 million. Its marquee program helps pay insurance premiums for thousands of people who need dialysis, a lifesaving and expensive treatment for kidney failure.... Under an agreement with the federal government, the Kidney Fund must distribute the aid based on a patient's financial need. But the charity has resisted giving aid to patients at clinics that do not donate money to the fund, an investigation by The New York Times has found.... The agreement governing the relationship between the group and the companies forbids choosing patients based on their clinic.... The findings also add to a list of concerns about the group's relationship with the dialysis industry." -- CW

News Lede

New York Times: "All 92 people on board a Russian military aircraft, including members of a famed military choir bound for Syria to entertain Russian forces there, are believed to have died when their plane crashed into the Black Sea on Sunday after takeoff, the authorities said." -- CW

The Commentariat -- December 24, 2016

Afternoon Update:

Eric Lipton & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Realizing that his presidency could face potentially crippling questions over conflicts of interest, Donald J. Trump and his family are rushing to resolve potential controversies -- like shuttering foundations and terminating development deals -- even as [Trump] ... publicly maintains that no legal conflicts exist. In recent days, [Trump] and his aides have said that he intends to distribute the assets of his personal charity and then close it down, has examined a plan to hire an outside monitor to oversee the Trump Organization and has terminated some international business projects.... And because Mr. Trump refuses to release his tax returns, the extent of his potential conflicts remains unknown." -- CW

Russell Goldman of the New York Times: "The Tunisian authorities have arrested three men 'linked to the perpetrator of the terrorist attack' at a Berlin Christmas market, including the suspect's nephew, the government said in a statement on Saturday. The three men, whose ages ranged from 18 to 27, were arrested on Friday. They were described as members of a 'cell' that had been in contact with the suspect, Anis Amri, 24, a Tunisian citizen accused of killing 12 people on Monday when he plowed a stolen truck into a crowd of holiday shoppers." -- CW

Dancing Girls! Kristine Guerra of the Washington Post: "The Radio City Rockettes will be performing at ... Donald Trump's inauguration, but its members will not be forced to do so, Madison Square Garden Co., which employs the dancers, said in a statement after concerns and calls for a boycott surfaced on social media. The company said on Thursday that the dance group will participate in inauguration festivities next month. The announcement prompted some, including one of the dancers, to voice their concerns on social media. Phoebe Pearl said in a now-deleted Instagram post that she's 'embarrassed and disappointed' by the gig, according to media reports." -- CW

Colin Woodard in Politico Magazine: Burlington, Vermont, is the nation's first all-renewable-energy city. CW: You may remember a certain former mayor of Burlington.

*****

Somini Sengupta & Rick Gladstone of the New York Times: "Defying extraordinary pressure from ... Donald J. Trump and furious lobbying by Israel, the Obama administration on Friday allowed the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution that condemned Israeli settlement construction. The administration's decision not to veto the measure broke a longstanding American policy of serving as Israel's sturdiest diplomatic shield at the United Nations.... Applause broke out in the 15-member Security Council's chambers following the vote on the measure, which passed 14-0, with the United States abstaining." -- CW (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Peter Baker of the New York Times: "Mr. Obama's decision on Friday not to block a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements laid bare all the grievances [he & Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu] have nursed since shortly after they took office in 2009. For Mr. Netanyahu, it was the final betrayal by a president who was supposed to be an ally but never really was. For Mr. Obama, it was the inevitable result of Mr. Netanyahu's own stubborn defiance of international concerns with his policies." -- CW ...

... Mark Landler of the New York Times: "... with Mr. Trump staking out starkly different positions from Mr. Obama on Israel and other sensitive issues, and the president acting aggressively to protect his legacy, the two have become leaders of what amounts to dueling administrations.... The split widened on Friday when the Obama administration abstained from a United Nations Security Council vote that condemned Israel for Jewish settlements in the West Bank.... A day earlier, Mr. Trump had publicly demanded that Mr. Obama veto the measure, even intervening with Egypt at the request of Israel to pressure the administration to shelve the effort. 'As to the U.N.,' Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter after the vote, 'things will be different after Jan. 20.' It was the latest in a rapid-fire series of Twitter posts and public statements over the last week in which Mr. Trump has weighed in on Israel, terrorism and nuclear proliferation -- contradicting Mr. Obama and flouting the notion that the country can have only one president at a time." -- CW ...

     ... See also comments in today's thread. ...

... Uri Friedman of the Atlantic: "America has two presidents.... Donald Trump has involved himself in international affairs like no U.S. president-elect in recent memory.... [Trump's contradicting the Obama administration & general interference] have created such confusion in recent weeks that Jared Huffman, a Democratic congressman from California, has introduced legislation to amend the 1799 Logan Act, which prohibits unauthorized private citizens from conducting U.S. foreign policy. Huffman wants to clarify that the law applies to presidents-elect...." -- CW

Major Kong Learning to Love the Bomb. Michael Shear of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump on Friday welcomed a new nuclear weapons arms race, vowing in an off-camera interview with a television host that America would 'outmatch' any adversary. The comment came one day after he said in a post on Twitter that the United States should 'strengthen and expand' its own nuclear capabilities.... [Trump] escalated his comments about nuclear weapons with the show of bravado during a brief, off-air telephone conversation from his estate in Florida, according to Mika Brzezinski, a co-host of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' program." -- CW (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Trump Staff to Media: He Doesn't Mean What He Says. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: Trump's staff repeatedly pushes back against his threats to re-start a nuclear arms race. CW: The spokespeople are pretty much saying the boss in bananas. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Max Fisher of the New York Times: "If ... Donald J. Trump meant what he said, then the world may one day look back to recall that the first superpower nuclear arms race since the Cold War was announced by two pajama-clad talk show hosts. 'Let it be an arms race. We will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all,' Mika Brzezinski, of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' program, said on Friday. She and her co-host, curled up in holiday-themed nightwear in front of a fake fireplace, said the quote was a statement from Mr. Trump, elaborating on a Twitter message on nuclear weapons. Mr. Trump has a history of bluster and his declarations may turn out to be bluffs. But should he follow through on instigating a nuclear arms race, the consequences could be severe." -- CW ...

... CW: I think as Congressional Republicans sit around their own fake fireplaces this holiday season & contemplate Trump's threat to nuclear disarmament, it will begin to dawn on them that they have to dump Drumpf sooner rather than later. That of course means President Mike Pence, which is yet another horrifying thought. ...

... Paul Waldman: "When liberals joked during the campaign that if Donald Trump became president we might all be consumed in a nuclear apocalypse, many people considered it absurd hyperbole. They may have felt the same way about Democrats' regular criticism that someone as impulsive and vindictive as Trump shouldn't be allowed near the nuclear codes.... Trump ... seems to believe that a situation like the one we have with Russia now -- long-term nuclear stability created by mutual deterrence -- is unacceptable, probably because we're not 'winning.'... He also has a deep-seated need to display dominance.... That kind of mentality is obviously dangerous when combined with the power to initiate a nuclear cataclysm.... One thing he can do quickly and on his own is make sure that we're all living in a world of fear, where our thoughts are regularly taken over not just by the specter of terrorism, but now by nuclear holocaust as well.... And that's probably just how he wants it." -- CW (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

Not as Crazy as Drumpf. Neil MacFarquhar & Ivan Nechepurenko of the New York Times: "President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Friday that a statement by Donald J. Trump, the American president-elect, that the United States should expand its nuclear capabilities was not a surprise because he had said the same thing during the election campaign. Asked about the American election, Mr. Putin, who has made no secret of his distaste for Hillary Clinton, said her defeat was a 'humiliation' for the Democratic Party. The Russian president, speaking at his annual marathon news conference, also said that Russia would continue to modernize its armed forces, including nuclear weapons, but he added that the level of spending would diminish somewhat in coming years." -- CW (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Update. Brook Seipel of the Hill: "Trump tweeted his praise for Russian president Vladimir Putin's criticism of Hillary Clinton Friday night, agreeing with a statement he [Putin] made earlier in the day that it was 'humiliating' Democrats did not 'lose with dignity.'... It was not the first time Friday that Trump praised Putin. Earlier in the day ... [Trump] shared a Christmas letter the Russian president sent him. 'A very nice letter from Vladimir Putin; his thoughts are so correct,' Trump said in a statement. 'I hope both sides are able to live up to these thoughts, and we do not have to travel an alternate path.'" -- CW ...

... In Like Flynn -- With the KGB. Jerry Markon of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump's nominee for national security adviser partnered in recent months with a technology company co-led by a businessman who pleaded guilty to trying to sell stolen scientific material in the 1980s to the KGB, the former Soviet intelligence service. Retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn joined the advisory board of Brainwave Science in February, company documents show. The Massachusetts firm develops controversial 'brain fingerprinting' technology designed to assess whether people under interrogation are being truthful by measuring their brain waves. The firm offers training in how to use the technology, in partnership with Flynn's consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, according to Brainwave's website." -- CW

Abby Phillip of the Washington Post: "The Hateful Racism of Team Trump. Carl Paladino, a former Republican nominee for governor of New York and an adviser to [Donald] Trump, included the death of President Obama and 'return' of first lady Michelle Obama to Africa on his list of things he wanted for 2017. Paladino was responding to a survey by an alternative weekly magazine, Artvoice. Asked what he would like to happen in 2017, he said he hopes that 'Obama catches mad cow disease' and dies after having relations with a Hereford, a type of cow. Asked what he would most like to see go, Paladino responded that Michelle Obama would 'return to being male' and be 'let loose' in Zimbabwe.... In a statement to The Post, Paladino denied that the comments were racist." -- CW (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Update: Okay, the "Trump team" is not as racist as the New York co-chair of Trump's campaign. Brian Flood of the Wrap: "... Donald Trump's transition team has denounced comments made by campaign surrogate Carl Paladino, who recently wished death on President Obama and made crude comments about the First Lady. 'Carl's comments are absolutely reprehensible, and they serve no place in our public discourse,' the transition team said in a statement." -- CW ...

... What We've Come to. Emma Brown of the Washington Post: "In the wake of the presidential election, dozens of the best teachers in the nation have banded together to say with a unified voice that public schools are valuable and that they must be safe places for students of every background, ethnicity, immigration status, sexual orientation and gender identity.... The 44 teachers are all state teacher of the year award recipients. They said they were moved to speak out after a rash of troubling bullying incidents -- at their own schools, in some cases, and in news reports nationwide -- following Donald Trump's presidential election victory on Nov. 8." CW: These brave teachers are on the front lines of the resistance to Trumpism. They deserve our thanks. ...

Michelle Goldberg of Slate on lessons learned from Planned Parenthood focus groups that concentrated on Trump voters. CW: Worth reading. Here's what I learned -- Trump voters aren't all racists & misogynists. A lot of them are just woefully ignorant. Part of the reason that's so is that Hillary Clinton ran a lousy campaign, seldom mentioning Trump's horrible policies. Even so, it's difficult to run an effective one if you're committed to something approaching "reality-based" campaigning & every word your opponent utters is a lie. That's a problem for Democrats in most races because Republicans lie incessantly. They have to; their policies suck.

News Lede

New York Times: "Marion Pritchard, a gentile whose shock at watching Nazi soldiers storm a home for Jewish children in Amsterdam and load them into a truck for deportation inspired her to enter a clandestine world of rescuing Jews, died on Dec. 11 at her home in Washington. She was 96. The cause was cerebral arteriosclerosis, her family said. 'By 1945, I had lied, stolen, cheated, deceived and even killed,' Ms. Pritchard said in a lecture in 1996 at the University of Michigan, where she received the Wallenberg Medal, a humanitarian award given by the university in memory of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who rescued tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II." -- CW