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The Commentariat -- August 22, 2017
Afternoon Update:
Susan Glaser of Politico Magazine: Trump "called his [Afghanistan] plan 'dramatically different.' It wasn't. The only thing that seemed a striking change from his two presidential predecessors' approach to the war launched after the attacks of September 11, 2001, was Trump's escalatory rhetoric.... But beyond the scathing language and an open-ended pledge to 'fight to win,' Trump offered few details about a plan that administration sources have said involves the sending of a few thousand more troops to Afghanistan.... In many ways, the target of much of his speech was neither al Qaeda nor the Taliban but Barack Obama. Trump went out of his way, for example, to criticize his successor for 'hastily and mistakenly' withdrawing from Iraq in 2011 -- without mentioning that he supported that move at the time. In his speech on Monday, he claimed that he now viewed it as a mistake so consequential it had shaped his own determination to fight on in Afghanistan."
I'll See You a Deuce of Dreamers if You Raise Me a Border Wall. Anita Kumar of McClatchy News: "Donald Trump's top aides are pushing him to protect young people brought into the country illegally as children -- and then use the issue as a bargaining chip for a larger immigration deal -- despite the president's campaign vow to deport so-called Dreamers. The White House officials want Trump to strike an ambitious deal with Congress that offers Dreamers protection in exchange for legislation that pays for a border wall and more detention facilities, curbs legal immigration and implements E-verify, an online system that allows businesses to check immigration status, according to a half-dozen people familiar with situation, most involved with the negotiations." ...
... Greg Sargent: "What will happen? Unfortunately, the plight of the dreamers appears precarious. Trump is under heavy pressure from the right to either kill DACA himself or have his attorney general decline to defend it in court. It is perfectly plausible that he could announce that the program is done and call on Congress to do something to protect the dreamers if its members are so inclined. The White House will demand border wall and deportation force funding as part of this deal, and if and when Congress fails to pass such a thing, Trump can excoriate Congress for it."
** Welcome to the New HUD, Where the Boss's Philosophy Is "Poverty Is a State of Mind." Alec McGillis, in New York, on how the Department of Housing & Urban Development is doing under the "leadership" of clueless Ben Carson (&, weirdly, his wife & son), budget slasher Mick Mulvaney & former rental-housing racial profiler Donald Trump. Mrs. McC: McGillis is a national treasure; the piece is long but the reading is easy. Thanks to Monoloco for the link.
Jonathan Chait: On healthcare reform, Paul Ryan has gone from misleading the public to outright lying.
Robin Givhan of the Washington Post: "Louise Linton has proved herself to be an exceptionally obnoxious human being.... In a single Instagram post, Linton managed to tap into elitism, narcissism, self-righteousness, incivility, apathy and blonde privilege -- all wrapped up in a designer package. Linton was so pleased with how chic she looked deplaning that she wanted to share that image on social edia. The whole running-the-country thing was straight out of central casting.... But even the best actors will tell you that beautiful costumes can't compensate for a lousy narrative."
*****
NEW. Washington Post: "U.S. Treasury announces sanctions against Chinese and Russian companies and individuals supporting North Korean regime." At 10:35 am ET, this is a one-sentence breaking news story. It will be updated.
NEW. Former President Bannon Trolls Trump. Callum Borchers of the Washington Post: "Breitbart News, with former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon back in charge, is ripping mad at President Trump after Monday's Afghanistan speech foreshadowed an increase in ground troops.... Five incredibly critical headlines" dominate the site's front page. "What's striking about Breitbart's coverage is the way its writers took direct aim at Trump, instead of his advisers. The best example is the headline that refers to 'President H.R. McMaster,' Trump's national security adviser. It's a play on a memorable New York Times editorial headline from January: 'President Bannon?' (A Times editorial published on the day of Bannon's ouster read, 'Farewell, President Bannon.') Bannon knows better than anyone how deeply the perception that someone else is calling the shots wounds Trump's pride. By suggesting that McMaster is the 'president,' Bannon is trolling Trump. Hard."
The Moby Duck "Plan": Win. David Nakamura & Abby Phillip of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Monday sought to rally the nation in support of a new strategy for the U.S. war in Afghanistan, taking greater ownership of a protracted conflict that he had long dismissed as a waste of time and resources. Trump's plan involves a modest increase of several thousand troops and the president said success would be determined by conditions on the ground and not dictated by a specific timeline. The change in policy laid out during a prime-time address from the Fort Myer military base in Arlington, Va., is the result of a lengthy policy review within his administration over how to proceed in the nation's longest war. 'Our troops will fight to win,' he said. 'From now on, victory will have a clear definition: attacking our enemies, obliterating ISIS, crushing al-Qaeda, preventing the Taliban from taking over the country, and stopping mass terror attacks against Americans before they emerge.'" ...
... NPR has an annotated transcript of Trump's the new speechwriter's remarks. Mrs. McC: The annotations are worth reading, if the speech is not. ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie says: Best I can tell, the "strategy" is pretend you have a secret strategy, pretend you're not a white supremacist. kill some "loser" bad guys, rattle Pakistan, confiscate Afghan minerals, insult former U.S. presidents, especially Obama, of course. OR, as Diane writes below, "What a bumblefuck." Don't worry, the POTUS* won't have such a great script at tonight's Phoenix rally. ...
... Mark Landler & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times write a fascinating report on how the "strategy" came to be. Mrs. McC: In the report, Trump comes across as fairly sensible & all of his underlings & hangers-on look like self-serving jerks. Such a shame Bannon got the boot. His idea of turning the war over to Erik Prince & Co. was so very excellent. ...
... Fred Kaplan of Slate: "Killing terrorists is not a strategy. President Trump's speech Monday night on Afghanistan -- his first prime-time address since his speech to Congress in March -- contained a few good lines but no real substance. He billed it as the outline of 'our path forward in Afghanistan and South Asia,' 'a new strategy,' and 'a plan for victory' -- but in fact, it was none of the above.... Nowhere in the speech did Trump lay out how the pounding [he promised] might lead to the winning of the war and the settling of the peace.... If you kill insurgents in a way that also kills innocent bystanders, you create more insurgents, as the friends and relatives of the bystanders you killed join the insurgency or at least turn a blind eye to their organizing.... Trump made a big point in his speech in disavowing the idea of nation-building.... In a Senate hearing several years ago, Adm. Mike Mullen, then the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said we could throw a million more troops into the battle and it wouldn't make much difference as long as corruption reigned in Kabul.... As long as the Afghan leaders govern their complex society in a corrupt way, they will not win over the people and they will not defeat the Taliban." ...
... Jeremy Herb of CNN: "'Tonight, the President said he knew what he was getting into and had a plan to go forward. Clearly, he did not,' House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. 'The President's announcement is low on details but raises serious questions.'New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Trump's speech was 'terribly lacking' in details, substance and 'a vision of what success in Afghanistan looks like.' And Rep. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat and Marine Corps veteran, accused Trump of 'repeating the mistakes of previous administrations.' 'Tonight, the American people should have heard a detailed, realistic strategy with achievable objectives and measurable benchmarks,' Gallego said. 'Instead, we got only vague promises and wishful thinking.'" ...
... Jeremy Diamond of CNN: "Trump opened his speech by addressing wounds and divisions at home in another attempt to clean up his response to Charlottesville. Without specifically mentioning the violence in Virginia, the President urged Americans to unite and pointed to US servicemembers as an example of transcending racial, ethnic and other divisions in American society. 'They're all part of the same family. It's called the American family. They take the same oath, fight for the same flag and live according to the same law. They are bound together by common purpose, mutual trust and selfless devotion to our nation and to each other,' Trump said. Trump added: 'Love for America requires love for all its people. When we open our hearts to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice, no tolerance for bigotry.'" Mrs. McCrabbie: John Kelly must have hired a new speechwriter fresh out of the Hallmark School of Clichés, Bromides & Platitudes, then locked Stephen Miller in Bannon's abandoned war room. ...
... ** Juan Cole: "In his speech on Monday night, Trump was primarily attempting to manipulate American domestic politics. He was trying to look presidential and play the patriotism card after he called Neo-Nazis and KKK members in Charlottesville very fine people. Almost nothing he said about Afghanistan and South Asia made any sense, and of course Trump does not know anything about any of those subjects. His military advisers only know these subjects through the lens of military action, which isn't very helpful if the problems are cultural.... In the end, Trump just kicked the can down the road. The fawning over him by some tele-journalists for doing so (and seeming decisive and 'presidential') was truly disgusting. If Afghanistan's curses are corruption, fanatical identity politics and a hatred of globalization, its more problematic organizations resemble most of all ... Trump's base." ...
... Lauren Fox of CNN: "House Speaker Paul Ryan said Monday he believed ... Donald Trump 'messed up' in his response to the recent racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, when he equated neo-Nazis and white supremacists with counterprotesters. 'I do believe that he messed up in his comments on Tuesday when it sounded like a moral equivocation or at the very least moral ambiguity when we need extreme moral clarity,' Ryan told CNN's Jake Tapper at a town hall in Racine, Wisconsin, referencing a news conference Trump had last week. The Wisconsin Republican's criticism of the President was clear and unsparing...." Mrs. McC: To hell it was. Are you sure that's "Lauren Fox of CNN"? Sounds more like "Lauren CNN of Fox." Ryan went on to say Trump had since "clarified" his remarks & that he -- Ryan -- would not back censuring the POTUS*. ...
... Jordan Fabian of the Hill: "President Trump on Monday applauded evangelical Christian leader Jerry Falwell Jr. for defending Trump's controversial response to the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va., earlier this month. 'Jerry Falwell of Liberty University was fantastic on @foxandfriends. The Fake News should listen to what he had to say. Thanks Jerry!' Trump tweeted. The president then responded to a Twitter user who said the media is trying to 'take you down,' claiming 'the very dishonest Fake News media is out of control!'... With other Republicans refusing to publicly defend Trump, the White House is relying on Falwell as a top surrogate for the president." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Samantha Schmidt & Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "After Trump's equivocation about neo-Nazi groups following the violence in Charlottesville, Falwell tweeted that he was 'so proud' of Trump for his 'bold truthful' statement on the tragedy. Falwell appeared on 'Fox & Friends' Monday morning to reiterate his support for the president.... In response to Falwell's unwavering support of Trump, Liberty University graduates are calling on fellow alumni to take a stand by returning their diplomas. They are also writing letters to Falwell's office and to the Board of Trustees, calling for his removal. More than 260 people have joined a Facebook group titled 'Return your diploma to LU.' By publicly 'revoking all ties, all support present and future,' the graduates hope to send a message to the school that 'could jeopardize future enrollment, finances and funding,' according to the Facebook group." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
NEW. Jess Bidgood of the New York Times: "Large protests are expected near President Trump's rally in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday night, his first such event since he drew wide condemnation for his comments on the violence in Charlottesville, Va., this month. The rally, scheduled for 7 p.m. local time at the Phoenix Convention Center, is Mr. Trump's first visit as president to Arizona, where he made fiery remarks on a signature issue -- immigration -- during his election campaign last year."
Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone: "When [Trump's defense of neo-Nazis & white supremacists] was done, stunned reporters watched as Trump retreated from view, presumably to plot his next mistake. The whole cycle was classic Trump: offend, deflect, reverse course, deny, counter-accuse, re-offend, re-ignite. Arguments about one set of remarks turn into interminable arguments about even worse sets of counter-remarks. Life in the Trump era is like the president's favorite medium, Twitter: an endless scroll of half-connected little anger Chiclets rapidly spinning us all into madness and conflict, with no end in sight.... Trump has shown, once again, that his power to bring out the worst in people is limitless. And we should know by now that he's never finished, never beaten. Historically, he's most dangerous when he's at his lowest. And he's never been lower than now."
Mr. & Mrs. Trump view the eclipse from the Truman balcony. More proof you cannot be dumber than Donald.
... Of course the POTUS* didn't see any of the hundreds of stories warning against looking directly at the sun. Not a single one mentioned his name. -- Mrs. McCrabbie
Suzanne Monyak of the New Republic: "Donald Trump fails Appalachia yet again. In an August 18 letter, the Department of the Interior asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to cease all work on a study examining the health risks for Central Appalachian residents living near surface coal mines. Interior had announced its support of the study last August under the Obama administration, allocating $1 million for two years of research." Mrs. McC: Congratulations, Appalachians, for voting in the guy who would kill you. But JOBS!
Junior Hosts a Hacker. Jonathan Chait interprets yesterday's New York Times story about Rinat Akhmetshin, who showed up at Donnie Jr.'s June 2016 collusion soirée. "The [NYT] story does not call Akhmetshin a Russian spy, because that is not a charge that a newspaper can prove, short of extraordinary evidence like an email from Akhmetshin saying, 'By the way, I'm a Russian spy.' (And that email does not exist because -- unlike, say, Donald Trump Jr. -- Akhmetshin is not a complete idiot.) Instead, the headline cautiously calls Akhmetshin a 'Lobbyist' who has a 'Web of Russian Connections.' But this massively understates the story's conclusions. Donald Trump has a web of Russian connections. Akhmetshin is (again, almost certainly) a Russian spy. The shadiness of Akhmetshin's cover story comes through over and over in the report.... Email hacking is one of Akhmetshin's basic methods of operation. The Trump campaign met with a Russian spy who is known for pulling the exact kind of crime that was committed in this case."
Kevin Johnson of USA Today: "The Secret Service can no longer pay hundreds of agents it needs to carry out an expanded protective mission -- in large part due to the sheer size of President Trump's family and efforts necessary to secure their multiple residences up and down the East Coast. Secret Service Director Randolph 'Tex' Alles ... said more than 1,000 agents have already hit the federally mandated caps for salary and overtime allowances that were meant to last the entire year.... Agents must protect Trump -- who has traveled almost every weekend to his properties in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia -- and his adult children whose business trips and vacations have taken them across the country and overseas. 'The president has a large family, and our responsibility is required in law,' Alles said.... Alles said the service is grappling with an unprecedented number of White House protectees. Under Trump, 42 people have protection, a number that includes 18 members of his family. That's up from 31 during the Obama administration. Overwork and constant travel have also been driving a recent exodus from the Secret Service ranks, yet without congressional intervention to provide additional funding, Alles will not even be able to pay agents for the work they have already done." (Also linked yesterday.) ...
... ** Brian Beutler: "... Trump has essentially bankrupted the Secret Service through excessive travel to Trump-owned properties, which in turn fleece the Secret Service..., Congress -- and specifically Democrats in the Senate -- can put a stop to it, if and when the White House and USSS come begging for supplemental spending. Every president needs a security detail but the Constitution doesn't entitle the president to as much leisure travel as he wants, and possibly even prohibits the president from using leisure travel to funnel public money into his own pocket.... If Trump wants to vacation constantly, fine. If he wants to vacation at his own properties, also fine, but only if he's willing to cover the security costs himself, or deal with whatever limitations it would entail to receive protection without profit."
Anna Fifield of the Washington Post: "The remains of some of the 10 sailors missing since a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer collided with an oil tanker near Singapore have been found, but the search continues, a Navy commander said Tuesday. Ten sailors have been missing since the USS John S. McCain and a Liberian-flagged oil tanker more than three times its size collided at the entrance to the Strait of Malacca before dawn on Monday."
Anna Fifield & Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "The Navy's top admiral on Monday ordered a fleetwide review of seamanship and training in the Pacific after the service's fourth major accident at sea this year, a collision of the USS John S. McCain off Singapore that left 10 sailors missing. The accident, which occurred Monday east of the Strait of Malacca about 5:24 a.m. local time, involving an oil tanker three times the size of the guided-missile destroyer, could be the Navy's second deadly ship collision in about two months." ...
... Politico: "... Donald Trump on Sunday called the collision between the U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain and a tanker that left at least 10 sailors missing 'too bad' before tweeting support for the sailor's families." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Andrew Kaczynski & Paul LeBlanc of CNN: "Sam Clovis, Donald Trump's pick to be chief scientist for the Department of Agriculture, has argued that homosexuality is a choice and that the sanctioning of same-sex marriage could lead to the legalization of pedophilia, a CNN KFile review of Clovis' writings, radio broadcasts, and speeches has found. Clovis made the comments between 2012 and 2014 in his capacity as a talk radio host, political activist, and briefly as a candidate for US Senate in Iowa. His nomination has drawn criticism from Senate Democrats, who argue his lack of scientific background makes him unqualified for the USDA post overseeing science."
Great #daytrip to #Kentucky! #nicest #people #countryside #rolandmouret pants, #tomford sunnies, #hermesscarf #valentinorockstudheels #valentino #usa -- Louise Linton a/k/a Mrs. Steve Mnuchin, in an Instagram post
If only she had written this during "Made in America Week." -- Mrs. Bea McCrabbie ...
... Mrs. Munchkin's Sacrifice. Damian Paletta of the Washington Post: "U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s wife, Louise Linton, boasted of flying on a government plane with her husband to Kentucky on Monday and then named the numerous fashion brands she wore on the trip in an unusual social media post that only became more bizarre minutes later. When someone posted a comment on Linton's Instagram picture that criticized the way Linton touted the trip, the treasury secretary's wife swung back hard.... 'Have you given more to the economy than me and my husband? Either as an individual earner in taxes OR in self sacrifice to your country? I'm pretty sure we paid more taxes toward our day 'trip" than you did. Pretty sure the amount we sacrifice per year is a lot more than you'd be willing to sacrifice if the choice was yours.'... The fashion companies Linton 'tagged' in her Instagram post were Hermès, Roland Mouret, Tom Ford and Valentino. Typically, Treasury secretaries only fly government planes when they go on international trips. They usually fly on domestic carriers when they are traveling inside the country.... Linton ... has raised eyebrows within the White House for accompanying Mnuchin to congressional hearings and on other trips that spouses don't often take.... A Treasury Department spokesman said Monday's flight was cleared by appropriate government channels, and that the Mnuchins covered the cost of Linton's travel. The spokesman added that Linton did not receive any financial compensation for mentioning the fashion brands that she tagged in her Instagram post." Mrs. McC: If you wanted to know what the U.S. Treasurer thinks of the tax structure, his wife just told you. AND "... than me and my husband"? The Grammar Girl weeps. ...
... Mrs McCrabbie: MEANWHILE, over at the Daily Caller, the arbiters of taste think pre-teen Barron Trump should dress better while on summer vacation. Maybe Mr. Munchkin can send Mrs. Munchkin over to give the boy some logo-flashing fashion tips. Obviously, the Munchkin bride has nothing better to do. And no matter how Barron greets her mindless advice, he could not be ruder than she is.
Jordain Carney of the Hill: "Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) defended the media on Monday, just hours after President Trump lashed out at 'fake news' on Twitter. 'My view is that most news is not fake, but I do try to look at a variety of sources,' McConnell said at a Louisville Chamber of Commerce event when asked what publications he reads.... The Senate GOP leader added that he gets synopses that round up what's being reported every morning. 'I try not to fall in love with any particular source,' he said."
Beyond the Beltway
Mark Berman of the Washington Post: "An Ohio judge was shot Monday morning outside his courthouse in an ambush attack that ended when the judge and a probation officer returned fire, killing the attacker, authorities said. Police said a man apparently waiting for Judge Joseph J. Bruzzese Jr., who sits on the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas, ran up to the judge and began shooting when he approached the courthouse. Bruzzese drew a gun and fired at least five rounds at the shooter, possibly hitting the attacker, Jefferson County Sheriff Fred J. Abdalla told reporters during emotional remarks Monday morning.... Bruzzese was taken into surgery after the shooting, police said. He was in stable condition Monday afternoon and is expected to survive, Hanlin said.... The shooting occurred in Steubenville, Ohio, a city best known for a high-profile rape case involving high school football players. In a strange twist, the shooter was identified by authorities on Monday afternoon as Nathaniel Richmond, father of one of the two teenage boys found delinquent -- or guilty -- in 2013 as part of that rape case.... Jane Hanlin, prosecutor for Jefferson County..., said authorities still did not know what might have motivated Monday's shooting."
Way Beyond
William Booth & James McAuley of the Washington Post: "The Moroccan-born man who authorities say was the driver of the van that plowed down pedestrians in a crowded tourist zone in Barcelona last week was shot dead by Spanish police Monday afternoon. Police confirmed that officers shot and killed Younes Abouyaaquob, 22, in the small town of Subirats, about an hour's drive west of Barcelona. Abouyaaquob has been the subject of a massive manhunt since he escaped on Thursday night after the van attack. Police said Abouyaaquob was wearing what appeared to be a suicide bomb vest when he was confronted by officers. Bomb squad officers deployed a robot to get near the prone body, only then learning that the suicide vest was a fake, they said." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
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