;)
The Commentariat -- April 16, 2015
Internal links removed.
Afternoon News:
Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times: "The leaders of Congress's tax-writing committees reached agreement Thursday on legislation to give President Obama 'fast track' authority to negotiate an ambitious trade accord with 11 other Pacific nations, beginning what is sure to be one of the toughest legislative battles of his last 19 months in office. The 'trade promotion authority' bill -- likely to be unveiled Thursday afternoon -- would give Congress the power to vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership once it is completed, but would deny lawmakers the chance to amend what would be the largest trade deal since the North American Free Trade Agreement." ...
... The Washington Post story, by David Nakamura & Paul Kane, is here.
Dylan Stableford of Yahoo! News: "The 73-year-old Oklahoma volunteer sheriff's deputy who accidentally shot and killed an unarmed suspect after confusing his stun gun with his handgun got firearms certification for field training he never received, the Tulsa World newspaper reports. According to Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz, [Robert] Bates had been certified to use three weapons, including the revolver he fired at Harris. But according to Tulsa World's report, supervisors at the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office 'were ordered to falsify [Bates'] training records, giving him credit for field training he never took and firearms certifications he should not have received.'"
*****
Coral Davenport of the New York Times: "President Obama's most far-reaching regulation to slow climate change will have its first day in court on Thursday, the beginning of what is expected to be a multiyear legal battle over the policy that Mr. Obama hopes to leave as his signature environmental achievement. In two separate but related cases to be jointly argued in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the country's two largest coal companies, along with 14 coal-producing states, have challenged a proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulation, which the agency issued under the authority of the Clean Air Act, to curb planet-warming carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants. If put in effect as E.P.A. officials have proposed, the rule is intended to fundamentally transform the nation's power sector, shuttering hundreds of coal plants and expanding renewable energy sources such as wind and solar."
Washington Post Editors on "the unconscionably shabby treatment the Senate has shown to Loretta Lynch, President Obama's well-qualified nominee for attorney general. The sitting U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, Ms. Lynch was an outstanding choice who should not have had any trouble getting confirmed -- five months ago. Instead, lawmakers have used the opportunity of her nomination to exert legislative leverage and score political points."
Greg Sargent looks at what effects the Corker-Menendez bill could have on a nuclear deal with Iran; Sargent sees problems "at the front end: It risks derailing a deal before it happens. That is a real threat. But if the deal does happen, under the new Corker framework, Congress probably won't be able to stop it."
Charles Blow: As Wayne LaPierre, Bill O'Reilly & a host of winger commentators bemoan the terrible oppression of white men, "One thing that makes this line of reasoning so grating is the degree to which money and power in this country continue to be dominated by white men."
Linda Greenhouse shares a little of what former Justice John Paul Stevens has been doing since he retired. Stevens will be 95 next week. CW: You are reminded anew of what a "moderate Republican" used to be.
Ravi Somaiya, et al., of the New York Times: "NBC News on Wednesday revised its account of the 2012 kidnapping of its chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel, saying it was likely that Mr. Engel and his reporting team had been abducted by a Sunni militant group, not forces affiliated with the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. In a statement posted on the NBC News website Wednesday evening, Mr. Engel said that a review of the episode -- prompted by reporting from The New York Times -- had led him to conclude that 'the group that kidnapped us was Sunni, not Shia.' He also wrote that the abductors had 'put on an elaborate ruse to convince us they were Shiite shabiha militiamen.' Mr. Engel and his team were kidnapped in December 2012 while reporting in Syria. They were held for five days."
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Paul Farhi of the Washington Post: "If a reporter and his newspaper know in advance -- months in advance, as it turns out -- that a man intended to undertake a stunt that could sow panic in the nation's capital, are they obligated to alert law-enforcement authorities? And should they be faulted for not doing so until the last minute?" Journalism ethicists see this as a no-brainer. The Tampa Bay Times, however, did not notify authorities of Doug Hughes' intentions -- tho about an hour before Hughes landed on the Capitol lawn they called authorities for comments, had a reporter & a photographer on the scene, & profited from the story. (See also April 15 News Ledes.) ...
... CW: As far as I can tell, the Tampa Bay Times did not share its "ethical dilemma" with readers.
Presidential Race
Nate Cohn of the New York Times: "Along with Internet fund-raising, super PACs are helping to form an alternative campaign finance model that is eroding party control over the primary process.... Fifteen years ago, candidates such as [Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee & Chris Christie] would have had virtually no shot of winning the nomination. It took broad support from party donors to build a large war chest -- there was no way around it. Today, all it takes is Internet star power or the right wealthy benefactors. These candidates still don't have a great shot at winning, but they can't be completely ruled out anymore."
"American Gothic." Frank Rich: "Hillary Clinton's opening gambit is to persuade voters that a candidate of wealth and privilege, who has received fat checks for speaking to Goldman Sachs and will have a projected $2.5 billion campaign war chest, is as simple and down-home and as jus' folks as the Iowa farmers in Grant Wood's American Gothic. It is truly delicious to watch.... Unscripted Hillary still feels scripted."
Chris Johnson of the Washington Blade: "Adrienne Elrod, spokesperson for Hillary for America, affirmed [Hillary] Clinton believes same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry in a statement to the Washington Blade. 'Hillary Clinton supports marriage equality and hopes the Supreme Court will come down on the side of same-sex couples being guaranteed that constitutional right,' Elrod said. The response follows uncertainty about Clinton's position on same-sex marriage after she talked about a state-by-state approach to the issue an interview with National Public Radio last year." ...
... Sahil Kapur of TPM: "It is a notable shift for Clinton...." ...
... Ed Pilkington of the Guardian: "When a reporter asked Clinton about her marriage flip-flop at the end of Wednesday's Norwalk[, Iowa,] event, she ignored the question and walked out of the fruit shed.... After her gathering with small-business owners before the cameras, Clinton held a closed-door meeting with Democratic members of the Iowa general assembly at the state capitol. She gave what one attendee described to the Guardian as 'a very progressive speech', re-emphasizing her liberal talking points on immigration reform and getting money out of politics but also 'listening a lot and being humble'." CW: Ah, the Uriah Heep routine. Fetching, I'm sure. ...
... 'Er 'Umble Roots. Andrew Kaczynski of BuzzFeed: "Speaking in Iowa Wednesday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that all her grandparents had immigrated to the United States, a story that conflicts with public census and other records related to her maternal and paternal grandparents." Turns out only one of her grandparents, Hugh Rodham, was an immigrant; he came to the U.S. as a child. Maybe while being attacked by snipers. ...
... Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times on how the Democratic presidential primary period could shape the party's policy platform. On a number of policies, Clinton has not taken a position. ...
... Jennifer Epstein of Bloomberg: "The Clinton Foundation will continue taking contributions from six foreign governments while barring those from all others and begin disclosing all donations more frequently, it said Wednesday. It's an attempt by the foundation, now led by former President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton, to tighten its financial policies in response to heightened scrutiny as Hillary Clinton begins her presidential campaign." ...
... Time selected Elizabeth Warren as one of its 100 most influential people & tapped Hillary Clinton to provide the write-up. CW: Whichever Clinton staffer wrote the copy did so pitch-perfectly, I'd say. Via Greg Sargent. ...
... Gail Collins wrote a quiz to help you find out how ready you are for Hillary. There are no wrong answers.
... CW Toljaso. Molly Oswaks of New York: "Cheryl Rios, the Dallas-based CEO of Go Ape Marketing, took to Facebook to express her belief that the only person fit for the presidency is a 'a good, strong, honorable man.... If this [-- Hillary's election --] happens -- I am moving to Canada.'... Let's retire the 'moving to Canada' threat.... Canada elected its first female prime minister over two decades ago." ...
... A Wingnut Faces Reality. David Edwards of the Raw Story: "A conservative video blogger with over a million views on YouTube said this week that he would likely vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton because he was terrified that a Republican president would take away his affordable health insurance. James Webb, a 51-year-old YouTube celebrity who devotes his 'Hot Lead' channel to topics like his love of guns and ranting about gay men kissing on The Walking Dead, may have shocked his viewers on Monday.... 'And I'm serious because I asked myself, "Which party has helped me out the most in the last, I don't know, 15 years, 20?" And it was the Democrat [SIC] Party,' Webb lamented. 'If it wasn't for Obama and that Obamacare, I would still be working.'" Includes video. ...
... Scott Kaufman of Salon has more on Webb.
I don't really care. I think they're all losers. -- Harry Reid, when asked to "assess the prospects of the Republican presidential field" ...
... John Harwood of CNBC interviews Harry Reid. Mitch McConnell ... is a lump of coal," says Reid. The whole interview is hilarious:
Marco, the Fresh-Faced Boy of Yesteryear. Steve Peoples of the AP fact-checks Marco, & it isn't pretty. "Florida Sen. Marco Rubio launched a Republican presidential campaign this week with a promise to reject 'the leaders and ideas of the past.' It was a not-so-subtle jab from a 43-year-old fresh-faced, senator at his likely 2016 competitors, Republican Jeb Bush and Democrat Hillary Clinton.... A closer look at Rubio's early priorities, however, suggests that many of his policy prescriptions were born in the same era he's vowing to leave behind." CW: Here's hoping many local papers carry Peoples' analysis.
Michael Barbaro of the New York Times: "As his rivals declare their candidacies for the White House with flashy events from Florida to Virginia, [Chris] Christie is pursuing a humbling and painful path of rehabilitation: huddling with aides to plot a comeback, churning through a thick reading list to burnish his shaky command of foreign policy and showing up at intimate venues to convey the message that he is still alive. With the possibility of imminent and embarrassing indictments hanging over his administration, Mr. Christie is turning to a political format, the town hall meeting, that has propelled him through rough patches in the past, and to a state, New Hampshire, whose forgiving and independent-minded voters are known for reviving once-moribund presidential campaigns.... On Wednesday, Mr. Christie showcased the new tone that he plans to strike: hyper-detailed and highly prepared; full of piercing wit, a Christie hallmark, but infused with a deeper level of compassion. He was, by his own admission, 'on my best behavior.'... No bullying, less bluster, and, all things considered, it was a deft performance." But it seems he is best-known for Bridgegate. ...
... Barbaro, on Christie's visit to a New Hampshire diner: "It started with a 'Sopranos' joke. And it went downhill from there." ...
... Matt Arco of NJ.com: "Gov. Chris Christie struck a much different tone on vaccinations Wednesday after sparking controversy on the subject a few months ago. The governor, speaking to New Hampshire residents during a town hall meeting here, declared he would not support a 'voluntary vaccination' policy [in response to a question from an anti-vacciner].... Christie added: 'I favor vaccines.' Christie's comments in February were made on the heels of a national conversation about vaccination following a measles outbreak traced to California's Disneyland theme park that spread to more than 100 people. At the time, Christie said: "All I can say is that we vaccinate (our children).... But I also understand that parents need to have some measure of choice in things as well. So that's the balance that the government has to decide.'"
Beyond the Beltway
Dave Boucher of the Tennessean: "The Holy Bible is the official book of Tennessee in the view of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Despite questions of constitutionality, lawmakers beat back an attempt to make Andrew Jackson's Bible the official book and voted 55-38 in favor of Rep. Jerry Sexton's original bill." The Senate has already passed the bill, but "Gov. Bill Haslam [R] and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey [R] have said they have concerns with the bill."
William Rashbaum, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury considering a case against the leader of the New York State Senate, Dean G. Skelos of Long Island, and his son...."
The Door Has Revolved. Andrew Sorkin & Alexandra Stevenson of the New York Times: Former Fed Chair Ben "Bernanke will become a senior adviser to Citadel, the $25 billion hedge fund founded by the billionaire Kenneth C. Griffin."
Nuns Off the Hook. AP: "The Vatican has announced the unexpected conclusion of its crackdown of the main umbrella group of US nuns, ending a controversial takeover of a liberal group and signalling a major shift in tone and treatment of US sisters under the social-justice-minded Pope Francis. The Vatican said it had accepted a final report on its overhaul of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and declared that the 'implementation of the mandate has been accomplished'. In a final joint report, the congregation and the LCWR said the group's statutes had been revised to show its focus on Christ and being faithful to church teaching."
News Ledes
AP: "Italy's migration crisis took on a deadly new twist Thursday as police in Sicily reported that Muslim migrants had thrown 12 Christians overboard during a recent crossing from Libya, and an aid group said another 41 were feared drowned in a separate incident. Palermo police said they had detained 15 people suspected in the high seas assault, which they learned of while interviewing tearful survivors from Nigeria and Ghana who had arrived in Palermo Wednesday morning after being rescued at sea by the ship Ellensborg. The 15 were accused of multiple homicide aggravated by religious hatred, police said in a statement."
Reuters: "A Columbus, Ohio man who trained with the Islamic State militant group in Syria has been arrested and charged with supporting terrorism and making false statements, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday. Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud, 23, a naturalized American, had been instructed by an Islamic State cleric to return to the United States and carry out an act of terrorism, the indictment said. Mohamud's brother was killed fighting with Islamic State in Syria, the Justice Department said."
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Reader Comments (8)
It's not often I disagree with Frank Rich, but I found his portrayal of Hillary wanting. He fails to mention that she has been talking about the need to change our campaign finance fiasco along with "the fact that the uber rich are running our country and that needs to stop"––not an exact quote, but that was the message. That's a real pull to the left. Yes, she's one of the uber rich, but who the hell can run for President who isn't well heeled and get any traction? This woman, more than any candidate ever, has been through the boot camps of brutal scrutiny, has had political experiences that would ready her for the task of president, has had to struggle just being a woman in this man's world of privilege plus––and it's a big plus––she has had to manage Bill. I've watched her through all these years, through all the mishaps, all the hairstyles, all the heartaches, all the harsh treatment of the media, and I see a woman who has not given up, who believes she can make a difference. This is one strong broad who is bound to make it as the first woman to sit on the throne. If her message is equality then by god, get on a bus and travel through the states meeting and greeting regular folks––if Rich thinks it looks like American Gothic, then so be it––how else to convey a seriousness in your message and mission. Many of Hillary's friends say she's the "real deal" and women around the world have expressed their gratitude for her support and help. Hillary's history speaks for itself.
and speaking of traveling to states: All presidents try to get to all the states during their time in office, but not all succeed. Dubya never visited Vermont–-and if he had he might have been shot. Vermonters did not take kindly to him. Obama had already made it to all 49–-he has one left and will visit that one in May.
Ala Wayne LaPierre and O'Reilly:
The Fact: Of course, white men feel oppressed. They are. By other powerful white men, like LaPierre and O'Reilly, who make millions packing a never-ending load of crap into their souls.
The Fiction: That socially powerless people of color are the enemy, the ones doing the oppressing.
The Lesson: Fiction sells better than Fact...Obviously. It's made LaPierre and O'Reilly rich.
Re: the Hillary bashing.
I am not now and never have been a Clintonite. When Bill ran I held my nose and voted for him. Twice.
And unless Martin O'Malley manages a massive injection of political mojo, I'll vote for Hillary. I see the warts. I see the problems (and hope there aren't too many more to come). I see the coziness with big money, I see the control and secrecy issues, but we, all of us, develop and evolve in our lives based on our environment. Hers, for nearly all of her adult life has been pretty toxic. I'm sure she's got some mean scars (as do we all, but most of us don't have to care for them and protect ourselves from further injury, under the microscope) and has had to fashion some protective armor for herself which sometimes can be off putting.
But here's the thing. On her worst day she will be orders of magnitude better than the best Confederate candidate (don't know who that is, actually, they're all pretty scary; best snake in the shit hole doesn't even come close). Now that might not be the most invigorating option when choosing our next president, but there is so much at stake. I wondered the other day if I can trust her in many of the areas I care about. I still wonder about that. I wonder, if she's elected and gets to choose one or two (or three?) Supreme Court justices, will she go the centrist route or will she try to balance the troglodytes with more progressive choices. Bill, who was the definition of centrist did pick RBG, a great choice, and we may not get another RBG but I doubt she'll be picking a Scalia or an Alito.
So I'm not going to nitpick her to death. I do wish she'd hire herself a regular person to vett her Starbucks choices. She ain't my dream candidate, but she's what we got right now. I may not be setting off bottle rockets like I did during Obama's run, but I will surely celebrate her ability to keep the monsters out of the Oval Office.
If nothing else, the Democrats need to start reconfiguring the party. If she gets elected, and gets a second term, they'll have eight years, and that time flies by. The odds of one of today's standard issue Dems getting back into the White House in eight years will be slim and none, and by the then, the monsters will be even worse.
So I'm not even going to say that I'll reluctantly vote for her. I will be happy to vote for Hillary. The alternative is death for this country.
Dateline: Maricopa County, AZ
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, showed up in a local emergency room this morning complaining of constipation. Doctors found a massive appeals court ruling shoved up his ass. After consultations with other ER patients, Latinos who have had their heads busted by Arpaio and his brownshirts, the decision was to leave it up there.
Permanently.
Funny how so many Confederates who insist that everyone else abide by the law don't feel those same laws apply to them, and love to give the finger to the courts and the Constitution.
Next up for tough guy Arpaio, a contempt hearing before the same judge who implanted the current decision.
I think we can all agree that contempt, like shit, is something this asshole is not wanting for.
Predictably, the Confederate media immediately rose to the difficult task of reporting that one of their heroes had been reamed by the court. Not. Instead, Breitbart reported that noted nutritionist and penologist Pamela Anderson visited Tough Guy Joe to tell him how much she loved his idea of denying inmates meat in any of their meals so he could have more money for bullets and cool cop stuff with which to break more heads.
"The prisoners have plenty of vegetarian choices" said the former Baywatch star. "Right here is a very nice mixed weed salad with Quaker State vinaigrette, and over here is a head of carefully aged iceberg lettuce that should feed at least 200 inmates for the next three weeks!"
The star autographed some truncheons and brass knuckles and, and then, getting the star treatment, was allowed to tase a few inmates. Just for fun.
Thanks, Akhilleus, for the report from Maricopa County. As you know, we're totally into accuracy in media here at Reality Chex, & your reporting appears to meet our high standards.
Also, I agree with you on all points re: Clinton. I think her "natural" temperament is a lot like Christie's, but she -- unlike Christie -- has kept control over it. And it's fair to say the media have not whacked Christie nearly to the extent they have gone after Bill & Hillary.
As much as she wanted to be a more progressive First Lady, I think she still expected the kind of deference the media gave to Barbara Bush & other First Ladies -- and she sure didn't get it. The attacks by the "vast right-wing press" must have come as a shock to her, one from which she never really recovered. It didn't help that the straight and leftish press piled on. The Whitewatergate story, after all, originated in the New York Times. Now she expects bad -- and ridiculous -- press. But that shouldn't make her like it any better.
Marie
Citizens in the Volunteer State, at least the smart ones, may be thinking that it's time to volunteer to move somewhere else.
Their state legislature, given the title, a few years ago, of Worst Legislature in the Nation, is hard at work for their residents. So what are they doing now? Addressing income inequality, expanding Medicaid so their poorest and sickest citizens can enjoy healthcare for the first time in their lives? Striving to keep out of state meddlers like the Kochs from interfering with plans to make life better in Tennessee?
Nooooooo....of course not.
But they are working at making the Bible the State Book of Tennessee! Well, shoot me dead. What progress.
I guess the same state that passed something called the "gateway body parts bill" which disallows any sex education or even saying the word "sex" or any other word that could cause kids to realize that some of their body parts are, you know, interesting, shall we say, and another bill that made it legal for teachers to tell students that evolution and climate change were hoaxes, and sending out a mass email to constituents spreading a rumor circulating in conservative circles that President Barack Obama was planning to stage a fake assassination attempt in an effort to stop the 2012 election, shouldn't care if legislators are worrying about made up bullshit to pass laws that could actually have some effect in people's lives.
This is the apogee of Confederate Ideology and Politics, folks. This is what Fox and the Republican Party want to ensure we see in every state in the union.
Nothing to do with healthcare or employment or improved quality of life, but bills making it illegal to say the word "sex", spending taxpayers money to spread delusional rumors, and taking the unconstitutional step of asserting the primacy of a single religion.
It's encouraging to see that Confederate brainwashing may have limits, especially when it's tested against the real world. Thus Teabagger Patriot Jim Webb realizes that voting Republican and singing in the Confederate choir doesn't guarantee you a better life or health insurance or peace of mind, or....well, anything, really.
And after all, if famous Teabaggy characters like Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch can come to the realization that apostasy from greed, misanthropy and hatefulness can improve one's life, I suppose there's hope for at least a few Confederate souls who are able to pop their heads out of the sand.
Just one word of advice, Mr. Webb. Next time you go to vote, remember THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY!
Christ!
(I guess apostasy only gets you so far...)
Ken,
And why would curmudgeonly, backward looking, arrogant, angry, snarling, rich white Confederates who have the world by the tail and make millions pretending otherwise change their ways?
The answer, of course is they wouldn't. Could Bill O'Reilly ever admit that a 13 year old impoverished black kid living in dire circumstances in some project development wasn't better off than he was?
The only thing they could do to improve their already dominant position would be to advocate for the routine killing of non-whites via cavalier and sometimes untrained, and unnecessary use of firearms, by white, heavily militarized and racially attuned cops who see non-whites the way Sarah Palin sees Democrats (oh, and non-whites too): animals in their sights, enemies of white Confederates, dogs to be put down.
Oh......wait.