;)
The Commentariat -- October 22, 2017
Late Morning Update:
Mitch Throws the Ball into Donnie's Court. Rebecca Morin of Politico: "Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday he would bring the Alexander-Murray bipartisan health care bill to the floor if ... Donald Trump said he would sign it. 'I'm not certain yet, what the president is looking for here but I'll be happy to bring a bill to the floor if I know President Trump would sign it,' McConnell said on CNN's 'State of the Union.' Speaking with Dana Bash, McConnell (R-Ky.) said he has not heard from the president on what kind of health care bill Trump would sign."
Just Kidding, Sick People! Politico: "Betty Price, the wife of former HHS Secretary Tom Price, is defending her comment about quarantining people with HIV as an attempt to be provocative about a public health crisis. The physician and Georgia state legislator says she does not favor quarantining people with HIV or AIDS." Mrs. McC: Well, "provocative," yes. But more along the lines of monstrous.
A History of Russian Racial Meddling. Julia Ioffe of The Atlantic: "During the Cold War, the Kremlin similarly sought to plant fake news and foment discontent, but was limited by the low-tech methods available at the time...The Soviets planted misinformation about the AIDs epidemic as a Pentagon creation ... as well as the very concept of a nuclear winter...[P]laying on racial tensions inside the United States [isn't] a new Russian tactic. In fact, it predates even the Cold War.... The point then, as it was in 2016, was to discredit the American system, to keep the Soviets (and, later, Russians) loyal to their own system instead of hungering for Western-style democracy." --safari*****
Everything Donald Trump Does Is Corrupt. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "President Trump plans to spend at least $430,000 of his personal funds to help cover the mounting legal costs incurred by White House staff and campaign aides related to the ongoing investigations of Russian meddling in last year's election, a White House official said. The Washington Post reported last month that the Republican National Committee had spent roughly that amount to pay lawyers representing Trump and his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., in the multiple investigations.... The White House's and campaign aides' legal costs are expected to balloon well beyond what Trump is putting forward.... The arrangement drew immediate criticism from Walter Shaub, the former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, who suggested on Twitter that it is rife with potential conflicts. 'A potential witness or target of an investigation (and boss of investigators) paying for legal fees of other potential witnesses or targets?' Shaub wrote."...
... Runs in the Family. Celeste Katz of Newsweek: "Ivanka Trump's federal financial disclosure report doesn't mention her past involvement with the charitable foundation that bears her family's name -- and which remains under investigation for self-dealing.... [E]ven after multiple updates, Ivanka Trump's financial disclosure form appears to make no mention of her time as a director of the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is investigating for fraud." --safari
Mrs. McCrabbie: Some White House staffer(s) ghost-wrote a USA Today op-ed in the name of Donald Trump, promoting his tax-cuts-for-the-rich bill. I doubt if Trump read it & he certainly didn't edit it, because nowhere in it does the word "amazing" appear. Also too, the piece is fordevoid of Me, Myself & I, but it has lots of "we"s. (This will probably be the last op-ed that staffer writes for Trump.) Anyhow, the fact that you don't see a link here is not an oversight.
John Wagner: "President Trump on Saturday downplayed the significance of Russian-bought Facebook ads, which leading lawmakers investigating election meddling have said were intended to influence last year's campaign and divide Americans. 'Keep hearing about "tiny" amount of money spent on Facebook ads,' Trump said on Twitter, before taking aim at U.S. television networks. 'What about the billions of dollars of Fake News on CNN, ABC, NBC & CBS?' Trump later wrote that Facebook was on the side of Democrat Hillary Clinton, not him. 'Crooked Hillary Clinton spen[t] hundreds of millions more on Presidential Election than I did,' Trump tweeted." ...
... Tom Porter of Newsweek "The suicide of GOP operative and financier Peter W. Smith -- who was found non-responsive in a room in the Rochester Hotel, Minnesota, in mid-May -- is now the focus of investigators probing Russia[s alleged bid to tip the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favor.... Investigators will be seeking to clarify whether Smith was acting as unofficial Trump campaign operative, or was a fantasist.... Smith was not the only [Michael] Flynn associate engaged in the desperate hunt for Clinton's emails. Last week The Guardian reported that conservative activist Barbara Ledeen turned to the dark web to obtain Clinton's emails in 2015." --safari
Ultimate Asshole. E.A. Crunden of ThinkProgress: "All five living former U.S. presidents are set to participate in a fundraiser for hurricane relief efforts on Saturday, but they won't be joined by the current job holder -- President Donald Trump is marking the occasion at his golf course." --safari
Presidential Sabotage. Tara Culp-Hessler of ThinkProgress: "The uninsured rate had been on a steady downward trajectory since the Affordable Care Act was implemented, hitting historic lows over the past several years. But Gallup's most recent report, released Friday, found the uninsured rate has risen 1.4 percentage points since the end of 2016. That works out to be almost 3.5 million more Americans going without insurance this year." --safari
Akela Lacy of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Saturday continued the White House's ongoing war of words with Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) over his response to the deaths of four U.S. troops in Niger. 'I hope the Fake News Media keeps talking about Wacky Congresswoman Wilson in that she, as a representative, is killing the Democrat Party!' President Trump tweeted Saturday morning." Mrs. McC: If you want to know what they're saying on Fox "News" but you can't stand to watch, just check TrumpyTweets. As for "killing the Democrat Party," I'd say Wilson is showing people how she stands up for her constituents. We need a few hundred representatives who are more like Wilson. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Ryan Lizza of the New Yorker: "We learned this week that, even if you maintain the most sympathetic view of why ... ex-generals continue to serve Trump, there is no way to work for him without paying the Trump tax on one's reputation.... The White House chief of staff maligned a congresswoman, whose only crime seemed to be criticizing Trump, with a series of lies." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Sorry, but Kelly volunteered to pay the tax. He should have gone out there to tell the truth & left it at that. It was enough to corroborate Wilson's account of the Trump-Johnson conversation & refute Trump's, and this he did. Kelly's attack on Wilson was as unconscionable as it was superfluous: not only was every bit of it a lie, he called her a name -- an "empty barrel" -- attacking not just her supposed remarks but her character. He also essentially accused Wilson (and, by extension, Myeshia Johnson) of being sacrlegious when he said Wilson violated some "sacred" celestial rite by listening in on her friend's conversation with Trump, even as he implicitly excused himself & other unnamed White House staff who were doing the same damned thing. But to what end? What public policy purpose does it serve to have a presidential chief of staff trash a member of Congress? Kelly's sanctimonious presser was -- in a much less hilarious way -- just a more egregious version of Sean Spicer's debut performance in which he insisted, contra all evidence, that the crowd at Trump's inauguration was way larger than the crowd at Obama's first swearing-in. Like Spicer, Kelly told an obvious lie, but Kelly also smeared two specific people -- a Congresswoman & the widow of a soldier slain in battle. ...
Marco Chown Oved, et al. of The Toronto Star: "How every investor lost money on Trump Tower (but Donald Trump made millions anyway). Donald Trump called himself a 'genius' for investing in Toronto's Trump Tower. Behind the scenes, he had no money on the line. The inside story of an unlikely bankruptcy, and the investors who lost everything when they bet on the Trump brand.... In the last decade, more than 400 condominium towers of 14 storeys or more have been successfully built in Toronto.... Industry insiders and analysts interviewed for this story could identify only one that went bankrupt after completion: the Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto." --safari
Karen Tumulty, et al., of the Washington Post: As some high-profile men -- Harvey Weinstein, Bill O'Reilly & Roger Ailes -- finally have paid for the consequences of sexually abusing women -- Donald Trump's accusers wonder why he has gotten away with similar behavior. See also story, linked below, on O'Reilly's $32MM settlement.
Scott Pruitt Is Killing Me. No, Really. Eric Lipton of the New York Times: "A scientist who worked for the chemical industry now shapes policy on hazardous chemicals. Within the E.P.A., there is fear that public health is at risk.... In late May ... a top Trump administration appointee insisted upon the rewriting of a rule to make it harder to track the health consequences of ... [a] chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, [which] has been linked to kidney cancer, birth defects, immune system disorders and other serious health problems. The revision was among more than a dozen demanded by [a Trump] appointee, Nancy B. Beck, after she joined the E.P.A.'s toxic chemical unit in May as a top deputy. For the previous five years, she had been an executive at the American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry's main trade association."...
... ** War on Truth. David Ferguson of RawStory: "More and more, President Donald Trump's administration appears to believe that it is above media scrutiny -- or at least beyond the reach of press whose agenda doesn't include puffing up the president. The New York Times on Saturday [linked above] published an article about how recently hired industry insiders are loosening the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s rules on multiple poisons.... [W]hen the Times contacted the agency for more information, spokeswoman Liz Bowman gave a response.... 'No matter how much information we give you, you would never write a fair piece,' Bowman said in an email. 'The only thing inappropriate and biased is your continued fixation on writing elitist clickbait trying to attack qualified professionals committed to serving their country.'" --safari ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Certainly other public officials & their representatives have felt this way about some disreputable rags, but I have never seen such a contemptuous refusal to cooperate with, or at least comment on, a matter of vital public interest when one of the top news outlets in the U.S. calls. Any responsible Department head would fire Bowman. But Scott Pruitt is the furthest thing from responsible.
Betsy Gets Out Her Red Marker. Moriah Balingit of the Washington Post: "The Education Department has rescinded 72 policy documents that outline the rights of students with disabilities as part of the Trump administration's effort to eliminate regulations it deems superfluous.... The documents, which fleshed out students' rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act, were rescinded Oct. 2.... Advocates for students with disabilities were still reviewing the changes to determine their impact."
O Really, O'Reilly? Emily Steel & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "Last January, six months after Fox News ousted its chairman amid a sexual harassment scandal, the network's top-rated host at the time, Bill O'Reilly, struck a $32 million agreement with a longtime network analyst [-- Lis Wiehl --] to settle new sexual harassment allegations, according to two people briefed on the matter -- an extraordinarily large amount for such cases. Although the deal has not been previously made public, the network's parent company, 21st Century Fox, acknowledges that it was aware of the woman's complaints about Mr. O'Reilly.... It was at least the sixth agreement -- and by far the largest -- made by either Mr. O'Reilly or the company to settle harassment allegations against him. Despite that record, 21st Century Fox began contract negotiations with Mr. O'Reilly, and in February granted him a four-year extension that paid $25 million a year.... But by April, the Murdochs decided to jettison Mr. O'Reilly as some of the settlements became public and posed a significant threat to their business empire." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: But remember, people, there are still some sacrilegious clerks at Target or someplace who will be saying "Happy Holidays" within the month. Luckily, we have a guy of O'Reilly's high moral character fighting to save us from these unholy devils.
Glenn Whipp of the Los Angeles Times: The accounts of 38 women portray film producer-director-writer "James Toback as a man who, for decades, sexually harassed women he hired, women looking for work and women he just saw on the street. The vast majority of these women -- 31 of the 38 interviewed -- spoke on the record. The Times also interviewed people that the women informed of the incidents when they occurred." Mrs. McC: Unfortunately, Whipp provides details. I could not keep reading.
Beyond the Beltway
With Obama's "Re-education camps" Defeated, Dr./Mrs. Tom Price Wants to Establish HIV Colonies. Politico>: "The lawmaker wife of former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price asked this week whether the government could quarantine people with HIV to limit transmission of the virus that causes AIDS. Betty Price, a Georgia state representative from the Atlanta suburbs, made the inquiry during a Georgia House of Representatives study committee meeting about barriers to accessing adequate care. Price, an anesthesiologist, raised the question during an exchange with the director of the Georgia Department of Public Health's HIV/AIDS epidemiology section." Mrs. McC: This has been the top story on Politico for much of the day Saturday. I'd guess that most readers -- even those familiar with Dr. Betty's husband Dr. Tom -- can't believe any human being could be such a monster. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... As Forrest M. asks, "Wouldn't it be better to work on getting a little more money for research and treatment? No, I guess not."
WTF? E.A. Crunden of ThinkProgress: "Residents of one Texas town [Dickinson, Texas] are being asked to make an unusual promise in exchange for hurricane relief funds — they have to vow not to boycott the nation of Israel.... According to the grant application posted on the city's website for the Dickinson Harvey Relief fund, those interested will need to refrain from boycotting Israel, now or in the near future." --safari
Greg Garrison of AL.com tells the story of whistleblower Dana Johnson and the strict requirements of her Christian homeless shelter in Birmingham, Alabama, "[S]he was told all women at the shelter must attend the same church. For three consecutive Sundays, she and other residents boarded a van and attended worship services at the Woodlawn branch of the Church of the Highlands, Alabama's largest church.... When she got a job, Johnson, 47, said she was also told she was required to tithe, or donate 10 percent of her income. She was told to go to a bank, get a money order and make it payable to the Church of the Highlands, she said." --safari
GOP's War on Media. Esme Cribb of TPM: "A Montana Republican official on Thursday said she 'would have shot' the reporter Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) body-slammed a day before he was elected to office. 'If that kid had done to me what he did to Greg, I would have shot him,' Karen Marshall, the& vice president of programs for Gallatin County Republican Women, said on the 'Voices of Montana' radio program." --safari ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: If you recall, "what he did to Greg" was pose a polite question of public interest (the scoring of a GOP healthcare repeal bill) to a candidate for Congress at a public event. Most people would call that "doing his job," a job which, BTW, is so important to the functioning of government that the Founders gave that job special status in its First Amendment to the Constitution. Will some nice shut-in mbroider the First Amendment on a couple of pillows & send them to Marshall & Liz Bowman of the EPA?
Way Beyond
Raphael Minder of the New York Times: "The escalating confrontation over Catalonia's independence drive took its most serious turn on Saturday as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of Spain announced that he would remove the leadership of the restive region and initiate a process of direct rule by the central government in Madrid. It was the first time that Spain's government had moved to strip the autonomy of one of its 17 regions, and the first time that a leader had invoked Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution -- a broad tool intended to protect the 'general interests' of the nation. The unexpectedly forceful moves by Mr. Rajoy, made after an emergency cabinet meeting, thrust Spain into uncharted waters as he tried to put down one of the gravest constitutional crises his country has faced since embracing democracy after the death of its dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
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Reader Comments (6)
I found the story that safari linked about the Texas town of Dickerson withholding funds for hurricane cleanup unless the residents agreed not to boycott the state of Israel not only bizarre, but unconstitutional––and infuriating. Then following that you have the Birmingham tale of those religious fanatics who force those under their thumb to sing the praises of the Lord and drop some shekels into the coffer, even after they leave the Women's Shelter. What's happening here? Have civil rights jumped out the window? Looks to me that in both cases law suits could ensue, but in both cases the victims probably don't have the funds to do that. The ACLU could step even though in the first case it might be iffy.
@ PD - don’t you know? Civil rights are for Real Americans (white heterosexual married Christian - but only the Right Kind of Christian men) - not for all those off-brand darkies & wimmin & such
@PD Pepe & safari: The Dickinson grant rules are at once absurd & unconstitutional, at once unconscionable & meaningless. If I found out I could get a $10K grant to fix my roof & clean up my yard, but I had to sign this boycott thingee to get the dough, I'd sign, as long as I had not intended to speak publicly at a boycott-Israel rally (& if I were an activist, & the town refused my grant application, I'd sue).
How the hell are the Dickinson authorities going to know if I bought Israeli products or not? I don't know myself if I'm "boycotting Israel." Are the cops going to rummage through my house (Fourth Amendment!) in search of Israeli stuff & if they don't find any, put me in jail? I don't think so.
The only purpose of this condition in the grant app is to raise public awareness that there might be people out there who do or don't agree with your views on Israel, since the rule is effectively unenforceable -- and if somehow enforced, could subject the town to costly suits, which it would lose.
I'd say the very un-American rules imposed by Dickinson officials sound like an amazing opportunity for some ambitious activists to ask for funds and then widely voice their opinions supporting BDS. Assuming the funds had already been spent, the local government would have to sue? the citizens to get it back, which would create a firestorm and expose the absurdity of this farce.
The idea that the Texas Governor Abbott said "Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies" is nonsensical. Yet the idea mentioned in the article that, "Dickinson’s strange requirement could be the shape of things to come" might give more expediency to nip this bullshit in the bud before other states/cities start mindlessly approving similar stipulations.
“Hey! Pay no attention to what a loser and a fraud I am. Look over here! Jay. Eff. Kay! You wanna know what really happened in Dallas? Look. Top Secret JFK files right here. Step right up folks! No one else can do shit like this. Only me. The Donald!”
Great. What’s next? A guided tour of Area 51? “And right over here is where we dissected the aliens! Don’t forget to visit our gift shop. Alien key chains and Make Aliens Great Again caps on sale, $35 special, this week only! All proceeds to go to my...er, um, something good for America. Yeah, that’s it!”
Anything to distract, dissemble, and do a little dog and pony dance to keep the rubes from paying too much attention to the imploding White House and the never ending stream of promises and lies.
Actually the JFK files have nothing to do with Trump except he happens to be president right now. This has been 25 years in the making. 1992 Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act said to release the file within 25 years and the deadline is this week. A bunch of files were already released in July without the fanfare. I saw someone saying the most the files will show is failures by the CIA and FBI they'd rather not publicize. And possibly some of the mexicans that spied for us that could embarrass Mexico.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/22/kennedy-assassination-conspiracy-theorists-release-jfk-files