A week ago, I ran into Khizr Khan at an airport and we started talking about our travels and how hopeful we feel despite the hate (1/3)
— Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) July 28, 2017
Democratic convention to join us for a video message for the one-year anniversary of that historic event. (3/3) https://t.co/eOjhhVYA0z
— Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) July 28, 2017
.
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What’s on the agenda for this lovely summer Saturday?
Quinerly
Good morning! Early AM beach walk with Poco. Beach time for me with the 4th Tony Hillerman read of the trip. Early dinner with a friend and turtle nest sitting with that same friend late tonight. The runway is built; fingers crossed that the nest “boils.” Have a great day!
Victor Matheson
I am more hopeful today than I was two days ago.
That being said, I still think Mr. Khan’s speech at the DNC was one of the most remarkable political speeches I have ever heard and am both amazed an appalled that the American people (kind of) elected the guy we did even after his attacks on Mr. Khan.
Still shaking my head (like I do almost every day).
OzarkHillbilly
What’s on the agenda? Hopefully buying a pop-up camper. The price is right if the condition is acceptable.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Quinerly: Careful, one of those turtles may be the next Mitch McConnell.
Oh, on the agenda…there’s another member’s night at the Huntington tonight. I’m going stag and just taking pics. Except for the lawn area in front of the library the place is pretty much deserted, so good for pics.
Zach
I’m curious why Kelly would even take the WH COS job. Who’d want to be demoted from a cabinet position they’re purportedly passionate about to cleaning up the mess in the White House? And even at that… being hamstrung on day 1 by having the folks responsible for the mess be untouchable.
I’d like to see Trump asked if WH COS is a more important gig than DHS Secretary. It doesn’t square with his professed worldview at all, but it’s clearly in line with his actual motivations — to look good so that his brand’s value increases and he gets richer. Doesn’t actually care about immigration which makes the racist rhetoric even more despicable.
OzarkHillbilly
@?BillinGlendaleCA: No way. Turtles have morals.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@OzarkHillbilly: Not sure about that, but some to live a very long time. We saw one that was said to be 150 years old in Tahiti.
OzarkHillbilly
@Zach:
It should be. In a normal presidency they hold the keys to the kingdom. You don’t get in to the Oval Office without going thru the CoS first.
Of course that only makes the answer to your first question even more puzzling. Why in Dog’s name would Kelly take the job?
OzarkHillbilly
@?BillinGlendaleCA: They don’t eat their own, which is more than can be said for just about any Republican.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@OzarkHillbilly: IIRC he’s still active duty, maybe he was ordered to.
raven
@?BillinGlendaleCA: No he isn’t.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@raven: OK, I sit corrected.
raven
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I think they have to resign to take a cabinet position of they are on active duty.
Comrade Nimrod Humperdink
@Victor Matheson: Khizr Khan is the man. He’s precisely the kind of person that makes you believe in your country, in spite of all the evidence piling up to shake that belief.
OzarkHillbilly
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I’d resign on the spot, but then I’m an asshole.
NotMax
Had to call in a plumber to detect (and find) two major leaks in underground pipes on landlady’s property. Crew coming very early Saturday to dig trenches (at least 60 feet long) and replace piping.
Job costs beaucoups pretty pennies. Took some doing to convince her locating and repairing the leaks was not something her no cost handyman (a/k/a me) could tackle solo, and best to get someone with all the necessary licenses for the work.
The long rifle-like detection tool the plumber used to check all around the property where water lines run was nifty. Right out of Buck Rogers, appearance-wise. Even made SF-reminiscent sounds. According to him it is good for but a handful of uses then has to be sent back to the manufacturer for recalibration.
gene108
@Zach:
Everything in Trump’s past, from the settlement of housing discrimination in the 1970’s, to his horrible attempt to get the Central Park Five executed, to his embrace of Birtherism makes it seem to me he is plenty racist.
**************************************************
On the agenda for today?
Party! Party! Party! ?????????????????
My niece turns 10 today. ????
raven
@OzarkHillbilly: The conversation about diving led me to this yesterday
USS Cooper: Return to Ormoc Bay
My dad’s sister ship, the Ward, was sunk there as well.
Shrillhouse
This morning I’m competing in my very first triathlon.
500m swim, 20k on the bike, then a 5k run.
Should be interesting..
raven
@NotMax: Waste or water supply?
raven
@Shrillhouse: Careful on that swim, I got kicked in the face a couple of times because of a shitty start configuration.
NotMax
@raven
Water. Her bill spiked last month and the water company called to tell her she must have a leak. No evidence above ground of wetness or mud at all, and no noticeable change in flow or pressure in her house or my cottage.
Whoever laid the underground pipe years ago used low grade PVC, so not really a big surprise that it is leaking.
Shrillhouse
@raven: Yeah, I hear ya. I certainly won’t be the first one out of the water, so I’ll be sure to start at the rear of the pack!
OzarkHillbilly
@raven: Gonna have to watch that one.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@raven: Nope, only for DOD.
Quinerly
@?BillinGlendaleCA
: If I see any turtles tonight, they will be cute little babies, breaking out of their shells and digging up from their nest a couple feet down. 500lb plus mom laid them 52 days ago. This is nest #2 of 10 in Pine Knoll Shores. Nest 1 “boiled” Tues…90% success rate. One little guy’s front right flipper was damaged somehow. He was taken to to state aquarium across the highway for medical attention. His name is Lefty.?
Quinerly
@Zach:
It’s a mystery to me too.
Quinerly
@gene108:
Have fun!
NotMax
@raven
Last retired general who became chief of staff was Alexander Haig. Three months later, Nixon was history.
Quinerly
@Shrillhouse:
Wow! Good luck! Updates tomorrow!
The Thin Black Duke
I saw Atomic Blonde last night. Meh. A ridiculous parody of a gritty, cynical and hard-boiled spy movie that, unfortunately, didn’t realize it was a parody. Other than the well-choreographed fight sequences and an addictive soundtrack that reminded you of the days when MTV was good, it was a pretentious and disappointing mess. Charleze Theron, Toby Jones, James McAvoy and John Goodman looked as bored as I was. Meh.
bystander
Farmers’ market in Sullivan County, NY, this morning. Last week’s nectarines made a great crumble, but I’m thinking sorbet this weekend.
I’m shocked twitler isn’t hard at work already.
Raven
@Shrillhouse: My problem was that I was in the oldest men’s group and the fastest women were next up. They ran over our asses like crap through a goose!
germy
Why I’m Running For President
Raven
@OzarkHillbilly: it’s jus ok, not great, they fill a lot of time with stuff but the core is good. It’s on Amazon for a couple of bucks.
Raven
@NotMax: ugh
Chyron HR
@germy:
Ha ha, that’s a very funny joke, Congressman. Now sit down and be quiet.
bystander
Knife Khan makes me sad. I feel as if the nation let him down.
germy
@Chyron HR: I never heard of him before today. He says this:
Chyron HR
@germy:
“As president, I will proactively delegate the initiative on simultaneously leveraging our assets and synergizing core competencies.”
Quinerly
If anyone wants further info on our sea turtle nest watches here on the Southern Outer Banks of NC, here’s a link: http://www.seaturtle.org/nestdb/?view=1
Iowa Old Lady
I just got the third rejection on a short story about a woman who bewitches her Etsy account and uses the craft results to embarrass an elected official she refers to only as The Shitgibbon. All three editors sent personal responses saying they enjoyed reading the story and hoped it found a home, but there was too much lag time in their publication process so by the time it came out it would be outdated. I thought that might happen but I made myself laugh writing it, so I almost don’t care. Today I’ll hunt for something that goes to press quickly, if such a thing exists.
Amir Khalid
@germy:
An uninteresting pastiche of CEO talk that I could have put together in my sleep. This guy might mean well, but he doesn’t seem to have a single new idea in his head.
germy
@Amir Khalid: I assume he’ll be one of many democrats running in the primary. If he’s too CEO-ish, I would hope he gets winnowed out.
Quinerly
Morning read off of Memeorandum. I know nothing about the site in the link but interesting read. Jr. tied to Mexican drug cartel’s money laundering bank?: https://thesternfacts.com/trump-jr-now-tied-to-mexican-drug-cartels-money-laundering-scheme-5906b8d4ce5d
Schlemazel
@raven:
I had to run off to work but saw that about your dad. Those were interesting times. Years ago I worked with a guy that had been a gunners mate (forget the ship) starting in ’43. He didn’t sound like they were concerned about much except the kamackazi. He had a couple of harrowing stories. Hell of a thing to go through
2liberal
re: those SOBs who poisoned the people of flint mi with lead in the water:
LINK
germy
Schlemazel
@NotMax:
Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it (I hope in this case)
rikyrah
Good Morning,Everyone ???
bystander
@bystander: Khzir. Not Knife. Thanks autocorrect.
rikyrah
@Quinerly:
Morning Poco and Ivan?
Schlemazel
@germy:
personally I am sick to the teeth of businessmen who think they can be President (no, running a company does not prepare you for running the entire gattammed US government!).
@Chyron HR:
Now THAT sounds like a businessman!
rikyrah
@Comrade Nimrod Humperdink:
Total truth. Mr. Khan is a true American hero.
rikyrah
@gene108:
A 10 year old’s birthday party?
Good luck?
OzarkHillbilly
@germy:
That’s not testifying, that’s telling tales.
rikyrah
@Shrillhouse:
Congratulations!
And good luck??
Quinerly
@rikyrah:
Poco sends out a giant wag of his fluffy tail!? He’s a bit disappointed…he was all ready for his walk (his mom was dragging her feet, BJ catch up) and now clouds and rain have rolled in. Ivan sends out a meow. He’s had his breakfast and seems to be finally taking to the Royal Canin prescription kidney food. We have now tried several brands and this one seems to suit his taste buds. Have a great day!
ThresherK
I got nuffin.
Well, okay. Last night I watched the second half of a CFL game I recorded Thursday night. Winnipeg stormed back with two TDs very late, one of them on the last play, and won over Les Alouettes.
(If you’ve never seen a CFL onside kick, it’s hella entertaining, owing to the rugby-derived rules and width of the field.)
And the best part is, as a CFL fan in the USA, I didn’t have to plug my ears all day Friday to avoid spoilers.
Quinerly
@Schlemazel:
Me too. Business people somehow think they are uniquely qualified to be POTUS. It fails everytime. Remember when Trump was saying he could do both at the same time? He thought it was especially easy…the Black guy was doing it.
OzarkHillbilly
@Quinerly: Business people somehow think they are uniquely qualified to tell anyone and everyone how they are doing it all wrong as tho being a soulless psychopath gave them some unique insight into how the world works.
Quinerly
@OzarkHillbilly:
Tell us how you really think.?
NotMax
@Quinerly
*cough* Herbert Hoover *cough*
Anne Laurie
@Iowa Old Lady:
Are there online news/magazines that pay actual money for stories?
Maybe if you present it as an ‘op-ed’?
debbie
@NotMax:
I worked for the publisher of Haig’s memoirs. We actually had to stand up whenever he came into the room.
Quinerly
@NotMax:
Yep, he’s the one who always who comes to my mind first…then, of course, GWB. I’m blanking on anyone else.
tobie
@Zach: @OzarkHillbilly: @?BillinGlendaleCA:
I think we make this too complicated for ourselves. Kelly took the job because he’s a true believer in Trump/Trumpism, as his brief tenure at DHS shows. What worries me is having so much military brass so close to a President with extreme autocratic tendencies. Trump’s speech yesterday to the police in Long Island was bone-chilling. He’s encouraging all sorts of groups (Boy Scouts, Police, ICE agents) to take the law into their own hands.
OzarkHillbilly
@Quinerly: MBA’s are the crystal meth of business.
ThresherK
@NotMax: I’m not going to rewrite history, but Hoover was 10x the technocrat that Romney was and 100x the bidnessman that Trump claims to be. Stanford school of mining, Europe Famine Relief, creating the FCC (a government commission Trump is destroying), etc, is not the kind of resume the GOP wants to be reminded of, because it goes against their capital-f Faith and their small-f faith.
Plus Romney, Trump, every right-winger, and a ton of centrists, have seemed to willfully forgotten the lessons the Great Depression taught the rest of us.
Today’s righties have made Hoover, who barely had any ideas except “more of the same” in 1931, look like a quasi-Socialist.
Iowa Old Lady
@Anne Laurie: Plenty of online spec fic magazines pay, though the amount varies. Online has to be the way to go though.
I love this Etsy story. The POV character is a middle aged woman and at the end the FBI comes to her house but dismisses her as a potential problem because they don’t worry about “ladies your age on places like Etsy.” That one soured the atmosphere, as you might imagine!
NotMax
@debbie
Really foul foot odor? :)
Ford certainly showed him the exit right quick.
His total publicly stated ignorance regarding the line of succession coupled with the “I’m in control” statement when Reagan was shot was the third lemon on the slot machine for him so far as I was concerned.
Schlemazel
@ThresherK:
To be fair though that European famine relief came after his time in office. HST recognized the guys skills and asked him to take the job. The rest of your post is spot on and the reasons the GOP refuse the lessons of the great depression and recovery would be a very interesting topic of research.
Peej01
Delaney is my Congressman. He’s been rather nondescript imo, and definitely not someone I’d have pegged as presidential material.
germy
Newly discovered WWII photos reveal a striking record of life on a Navy ship
tobie
Thanks for posting the video, AL. It felt good, especially after the healthcare victory. So glad they kept the slogan “stronger together,” which I always liked.
Kay
He’s getting worse, though, Trump. Lashing out more. The humiliation and firings are about blaming other people for his failures as President. He’s convinced himself it would be going great and he would be wildly popular but for the people he hires and nothing really bad has happened yet- an event outside his influence and control.
NotMax
@ThresherK
Yes, many successes and laudable works. His presidency, however, is not among them.
OzarkHillbilly
@tobie:
We already knew he was an idiot when he took the Homeland Security job, we just thought he was an intelligent idiot. Turns out we were wrong, even a bunk of 2x4s would have more sense than to be that close to the arsonist in chief.
Quinerly
I missed this yesterday. Apologies if already posted in older threads. Love me some Maxine: http://crooksandliars.com/2017/07/maxine-waters-reclaiming-her-time-dammit
Quinerly
@Kay:
So…if he declares war on Congress, will the Repugs impeach? Then with Pence they have one of their own.
Spanky
@Quinerly: Is that the RC Urinary SO? Spanky (the real one) was prescribed that a few years ago. All the cats like it, so my petfood bills are a bit higher than they maybe should be.
MomSense
@Iowa Old Lady:
Oh my goodness I love that story idea.
ThresherK
@Schlemazel: I didn’t specify: I meant the post-WWI program, not the Marshall Plan.
Truman I’m sure recognized the success of the first one when coming up with the second. Nothing is “pure”, of course, but as things go it was pretty damn good example of learning stuff. (The fact that historians have to defend The Marshall Plan to right-wing historo-forgettists is all the evidence I need to see.)
@NotMax: Yep. But there’s a lifetime of GOPers who haven’t learned from his mistakes. If a technocrat is someone who is at least supposed to dully and uninspiringly incrementally get better, not repeating mistakes should be step on.
Study question: Is “we need a new President Hoover” the next step for the “FDR prolonged the Depression” crowd? How soon will NPR give us three hours a week examining this “issue”?
OzarkHillbilly
@germy: Thanx for that.
debbie
@Kay:
Though I’m skeptical he’ll sign the sanctions bill, I’m curious to see the bullshit Trump spews in his signing statement for it.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
OzarkHillbilly
@Kay: But Kay, he hires all the best people.
MomSense
@Iowa Old Lady:
Does she knit wee (weally weally wee) willie warmers with the presidential seal on them?
Schlemazel
@Quinerly:
The GOP has to be very careful because their base (i.e. morans) are still in love with hair furor and have convinced themselves that he is doing a wonderful job and any attack on him is either the “deep state” or commies. If they move to impeach it could be the death of the GOP as we know it. Wile I sincerely wish for both of those things to happen my guess is none of the spineless, mindless, useless sacks of shit serving in Congress is going to go easily into that good night
debbie
Judging by Trump’s tweets this morning (6 already!), no one’s yet taken the time to educate him on how the Senate works.
NotMax
@Spanky
Swear to dog I keep reading that as the RC Urinary 500.
“Who the hell sold Royal Crown cola on that idea?”
Quinerly
@Spanky:
This one is the wet Royal Canin Renal Support E. He didn’t care for the others that were flakes. This one is the pate one. Cheaper on Chewey website. I had a hook up for Hill’s Science Diet prescription one for free…of course, Ivan wouldn’t touch it. He does like the dry Royal Canin too.
Matt McIrvin
@ThresherK: My impression is that the “FDR prolonged the Depression” crowd lionize Calvin Coolidge, and believe that the crash and the crisis happened because Hoover was too much of a tax-and-spend liberal. You can see it in their edits to Coolidge’s Wikipedia page (with cites of Amity Shlaes, who is the queen of this stuff).
debbie
@MomSense:
Morning! Are you still selling your hats on Etsy? Some of my friends are interested, and I still think yours are the best of the lot.
Quinerly
@debbie:
Thanks for pointing out he’s tweeting this AM. I had checked much earlier. Looks like Trump slept in. MSNBC is floating the idea that Sessions will move over to DHS.
germy
@OzarkHillbilly:
My father wasn’t in the Navy, he was a rifleman, Battle of the Bulge. Whenever I see old photos I always find myself looking for him.
Chyron HR
@debbie:
Judging by Trump, no one’s yet taken the time to educate him.
Schlemazel
@ThresherK:
Ah, sorry I mistook the reference. You are correct & it was part of why Truman chose him
“historo-forgettists great tag !
A Ghost to Most
@NotMax:
I feel her pain. We just had our cast iron kitchen drain line collapse, meaning jackhammering in the basement, and $11k to the plumber. We often get big house bills right before/after vacations; so often we are resigned to it.
efgoldman
@germy:
Sounds like the offspring of Republiklown-Lite and Mike Dukakis.
No chance.
ThresherK
@Matt McIrvin: The very marginal interest I’d have in reading Coolidge’s wiki evaporated at “Amity Shlaes acolytes editing Wikipedia without adult supervision”, and I thank you for the warning.
I guess it’s to the stacks in the library, if the Randians haven’t just flooded history books with tons of Post-It notes bearing “corrections”.
efgoldman
@2liberal:
How many of them were appointed by RWNJ Governor Snyder or his pet legislature?
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
@Iowa Old Lady: Fireside Magazine?
germy
@efgoldman:
Cher to star in film about Flint water crisis
Nowadays current events don’t really resonate with the greater population until somebody makes a movie about them.
WereBear
And it is how they run their companies…
Kay
@debbie:
The sanctions bill is itself a humiliation- it limits his power to override. He must be furious. He doesn’t know anything about separation of powers- he’ll take it personal.
MomSense
@debbie:
I think I still have three made but I could make more if needed.
msdc
@germy: Finally, the candidate Democrats have been clamoring for – a multimillionaire three-term congressman from a conservative district!
Hope the partisan gerrymander that put Delaney in office is strong enough that we can hold the seat he is so graciously vacating for his pipe dream.
gene108
@NotMax:
There are a few Presidents for whom being President is not the pinnacle of their accomplishments. Hoover is definitely in the group.
As Commerce Secretary he got a bunch of states to agree to share the water and electricity from a dam that was being built on the Colorado River.
As a private citizen he got relief efforts organized for Europe, during and after WW1, which rightfully catapulted him to prominence.
And unlike our most recent CEO Presidents, he was a self made man, who was very successful as a mining engineer and business owner.
germy
@msdc: I get suspicious when he talks about “education reform” because that’s usually code for charters.
Kay
@OzarkHillbilly:
I wish he would expand on how growing up in a solid middle class household gave him the ability to go to college. They’re missing this crucial link. The worry about the middle class disappearing isn’t about one generation- it’s about the generation that came out of a big middle class. Economic security ripples. It pays off for more than “union electrician” (his father) – it pays into the next generation. Him. He needs to see that was the essential piece.
They need to see how this works over time. If you have an economically secure generation behind yours you have a solid base to move up. That’s the worry- that we’re eroding that base, that launch pad.
jeffreyw
I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole and don’t want to come up.
gene108
@Quinerly:
Jimmy Carter, since farming is as much a business as real estate, mine engineering and energy exploration and owning a baseball team.
Schlemazel
@Kay:
Gosh I hope he takes it personally & that it eats at him every minute. I hope he really opens up against the GOP particularly.
efgoldman
@Kay:
This is ‘Murrika Fuck Yeah, Kay. We’re not allowed to think beyond the next quarter.
:::flips through::: It’s right in this here constitution somewhere.
Schlemazel
@jeffreyw:
Oh Man! Thanks for posting, I love that.
Quinerly
@gene108:
But he was a governor. Plus, I think he might have served in the Georgia state legislature. And, that whole Navy gig. Oh, man…how could I forget GWB was governor of TX. The beach has truly fried my brain. Looks like Trump is the only “pure” business dude we have had.
Chet
That video has me tearing up. It’s breathtaking how far we’ve fallen in a year. But we did stop the Obamacare repeal. I have hope.
I just got back from a run and a stretch. Fixin’ to scare up some breakfast, then clean off my desk.
Kay
Someone should tell Wells Fargo that stealing from their customers isn’t a legitimate business model.
Cheryl from Maryland
@germy: John Delaney is my congressman. He’s been an okay representative — the district is mixed, some very conservative areas and some very liberal areas (From Western Maryland to Montgomery County). He is going to get some fierce opposition as while Maryland has some wacko gerrymandered districts, the 6th isn’t one of them. It’s geographically contiguous, but since it splits up Democratic areas, especially Montgomery, and Delaney defeated a long term tea party ass hat since the redistricting, he’s got a lot of haters. I don’t know if it is his temperament or the district, but he is very low key and has disappointed me several times (he voted against the Iran accords). This is somewhat shallow, but he isn’t charismatic, and based on the elections of Macron, Trudeau, and, heaven help us, Trump, a candidate needs star power. Martin O’Malley is more charismatic than Delaney. He’s also very pro reach across the aisle, comity, we can work together, etc. He also made his money in the health care business, so if he isn’t health care progressive, that is a big stick for attack. For anyone interested in him, he does have an excellent facebook feed — he lists what is on the docket for each week of sessions, his meetings, etc. He posts more than any other politician I follow (including Rep. Kennedy). Read the comments — you’ll get a good feel for what bothers his haters and his middle of the road stance.
rikyrah
Jul. 28, 2017 at 4:33 PM
McConnell Overreached On Health Care And Paid The Price
By Nate Silver
What happened in the Senate early Friday morning was a rarely seen political event of the sort last observed in September 2008, when a financial bailout vote unexpectedly failed on the House floor. Republican leadership thought they’d lined up the 50 votes necessary to pass a “skinny repeal” health care bill in the Senate. They had only 49.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has had plenty of failures, along with plenty of successes. But it’s rare for Senate or House leadership to send votes to the floor unless they know the outcomes ahead of time and even more unusual for them to fail in such embarrassing fashion.
All of this drama obscures a more important point, however: Republicans have not yet come all that close to passing the health care bill they wanted. And they didn’t come that close Thursday night. True, the Senate was just one vote short of approving “skinny repeal.” But even if the Senate had approved the bill, they still had a long way to go in a process whose outcome was highly uncertain.
Many Republicans who voted for “skinny repeal” didn’t like it on its own terms — South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham called it a “disaster,” for instance — but instead viewed it as a vehicle to open up negotiations with the House on a more sweeping bill. But there’s no indication that a more comprehensive measure cooked up in those negotiations could have passed the Senate. Instead, McConnell had repeatedly failed to secure enough support for the Senate’s original health care bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act; a vote to advance that bill failed 43-57 on Tuesday, with nine Republican defections.
If the House and Senate were unable to agree on a compromise, the House could have voted on “skinny repeal,” which — having already been approved by the Senate — would have gone to the president’s desk. The terms of the legislation, officially called the Health Care Freedom Act, included the provision to defund Planned Parenthood and other “goodies” that seemed designed to win over conservative votes in the House.
tobie
@germy: I live in Maryland and have no idea what Delaney looks like. This is a small state. It shows how little, umm, stage presence this guy has.
jeffreyw
@Schlemazel: I started with her cover of Sultans Of Swing.
OzarkHillbilly
@germy: My old man flew B-29s in the Pacific, but I had uncles all over the place and in every service. The one who didn’t come back was the only one who never saw combat, his C-47 broke up on landing- after the war.
rikyrah
Jul. 28, 2017 at 7:41 PM
The Party Establishment Wing Of Trumpworld Collapses
By Perry Bacon Jr.
………………………
So what the hell is happening in the Trump administration? (Yes, beyond the volatile president.) Earlier this year, I wrote that there were at least eight power centers in Trumpworld and that they would compete with one another for influence. One of my assumptions in writing that article was that Trump, with little experience in Washington or in government and lacking a well-defined policy vision, would be fairly malleable — which might give his advisers more influence than advisers had under previous presidents.
I was wrong, to some extent. It’s still not clear that Trump has defined views on, say, U.S. policy in North Africa or how health care marketplaces should work. But six months into the administration, some of his preferences have become clear: He seems to trust family members and his associates from New York more than people with long experience in policy or politics, even on matters of policy and politics. He does not share the deep wariness about Russia and Vladimir Putin that is held by both Democratic and Republican leaders in Washington. His favorite kinds of policies appear to be ones that reverse something former President Barack Obama did. And he seems to have no intention of courting traditional Beltway constituencies like the D.C. press corps, the foreign policy establishment or even GOP congressional leaders.
Those four preferences don’t mesh well with the skills, connections and credentials that some of the key people in his administration bring to the table. As a result, those aides are at times either marginalized or pushed out.
This isn’t just a Beltway story of who is up and who is down. It matters. The people who aren’t in sync with Trump on his core preferences could lose their ability to set policy in areas where the president does not have strong views. So let’s revisit our eight power centers.
tobie
@Cheryl from Maryland: Maybe I missed a recent post but I was wondering how your work helping citizens get the documentation they need to vote was going. This is so important. I’d love to hear if the church where you’re volunteering has contacts with churches doing similar work in swing states.
Thanks, too, for the info on Delaney. You know more since he’s your rep that most of us do.
Kay
@efgoldman:
I see it in my practice. You’d be amazed how even a well-timed 20,000 dollar transfer of value (money, paid-for education, etc), parent to grown kid, can make a huge difference over time. The fear is that when those stop it will spiral down in the same way the upward mobility spiraled up. A middle class just throws off all sorts of good things. I don’t think we’ve even started to appreciate how much long-term value that base provided.
rikyrah
POLITICS 07/28/2017 04:21 pm ET
If You Come At Sen. Lisa Murkowski, You Best Not Miss
Ryan Zinke just threatened a senator with enormous power over his agency.
By Chris D’Angelo
WASHINGTON — With a couple of phone calls to Alaska’s Republican delegation, the Trump administration apparently thought it could bully Sen. Lisa Murkowski into supporting her party’s attempt to repeal Obamacare.
The approach was both rookie and reckless, according to former Interior officials. In the end, the Alaska senator stood her ground, joining two other Republican senators in defeating a “skinny” repeal of the Affordable Care Act early Friday morning.
The issue began when Murkowski voted Tuesday against a measure to begin debate on a health care bill. President Donald Trump used Twitter the next day to voice his dissatisfaction, saying Murkowski “really let the Republicans, and our country, down.”
On Wednesday night, the Alaska Dispatch News first reported that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke had phoned Murkowski and fellow Alaskan Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) following Tuesday’s vote. Zinke delivered a “troubling message,” indicating that Murkowski’s defection could jeopardize future Alaska projects, in particular those involving energy extraction, Sullivan told the paper.
In other words, Zinke wanted Murkowski to fall in line ― or else.
But what Zinke and Trump apparently failed to consider before issuing the apparent threat is that government is a two-way street — and Murkowski has a great deal of influence. As chairwoman of both the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, Murkowski has oversight over the Interior department and its funding. That puts her in a unique position to either advance or obstruct the administration’s energy priorities.
Another Scott
@tobie:
There’s that.
But I think that even if he weren’t (and I agree that he must be or wouldn’t have taken the job and run DHS and ICE the way he has), he’s a military guy. “Up or Out.” If you’re a general and you’re given a job offer or a “promotion” opportunity, there’s little opportunity to refuse. If the President says he wants you to do something, you say “sir, yes sir!”
I agree with others that Kelly is likely to have a short term there, and he seems to have little if any power to control the situation. Given who Trump is, it probably doesn’t matter who has the position – it’s a hopeless job. Bannon and Javanka and Pence and Sessions and all the rest are going to continue to push their own agendas no matter who is CoS. But he had to take the job.
Or resign.
Cheers,
Scott.
germy
@msdc: Your LGM comment was interesting:
OzarkHillbilly
@jeffreyw: You are dangerous.
Cheryl from Maryland
@tobie: Thanks for asking. I’ve been accepted, but I needed some down time from work. I’ll be starting working a day a week in about a month. I’ve also been accepted to volunteer at an owl sanctuary!
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
rikyrah
@Kay:
Morning Kay. You are consistent with this message, and you are absolutely on point.
PS-missed you in the Trumpcare goes down threads from yesterday. Hope you point out to everyone in Trumpland that the GOP was ready to take away their healthcare, including their precious Portman. I believe getting those votes on the record is important.
Quinerly
@rikyrah:
Thanks for posting this. I especially like Perry Bacon’s writing. Haven’t seen much of him as of late on MSNBC.
OzarkHillbilly
@Kay:
I know I know I know…. TRUMP!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…. gasp….. wheeze…..
Sometimes I just crack me up.
jeffreyw
@OzarkHillbilly:
I’m a Voodoo Child.
randy khan
@ThresherK:
In fairness, the two Republicans running things now were not appointed by Trump. Thanks to a ludicrous arrangement in which the House and Senate each pick one Republican and one Democrat for the President to appoint (something that’s not in the law but has been a custom since the Clinton Administration), the holdover Republicans have drunk the kool-aid and basically are overturning everything they didn’t like from the last 8 years.
Iowa Old Lady
@MomSense: LOL. What a good idea! Wish I’d thought of it.
Jeffro
What’s on the agenda? Racking up my kayak and heading out for a weekend with my college buds! There may be beverages involved at some point…
On a totally unrelated note: while doing the grocery shopping this morning, I saw a display of “pumpkin spice” LIFE cereal. Seriously, Quaker, WTF – it’s JULY!! ?
randy khan
@gene108:
Hoover is easily the best Secretary of Commerce ever, but then again the bar for that one isn’t very high.
Iowa Old Lady
@Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism: Wow, that place pays well. They’re closed to submissions until a week in September, but I’ll put them on my list.
A Ghost to Most
@OzarkHillbilly: If anyone familiar with WWII B-24 bomber photos knows of a photo of ‘Better Late Than Never’, my wife would be eternally grateful.
tobie
@Cheryl from Maryland: Good for you! You’ve crafted really fulfilling ways to spend your time post-the-daily-grind-of-work.
Jeffro
Btw, George Will’s column today is what we mean when we say “scathing” – an absolutely delightful take down of both Trumpov and Scarucci (with a nice slap at Sessions to boot)
Cheryl from Maryland
@germy: I’m not too concerned about the Democrats loosing the 6th. This particular Maryland District tracks very well against any congressional maps drawn by computer experts. The 6th has the largest chuck of Montgomery County. Many of my Democratic friends in MoCo are upset that the County is split into three districts. MoCo is too large for a single district, so this way MoCo has three congressman beholden to them — Delaney, Raskin, and Sarbanes. This means MoCo as the biggest populated area in the state has more clout. And while Raskin is most progressive, they all work together, along with Anthony Brown next door in PG County. That being said, I think Delaney has misread the Democratic mood and made an error. Comity and better business as usual is not going to cut it. I am not inclined to volunteer for him unless he is close to the last man standing. Of course, I’m not good at guessing politics — I thought Gov. Hickenlooper from Colorado had potential, then he started his “friendship” tour with Kasic and was terrible, both in that choice and in his public speaking/persona.
Chris
@Schlemazel:
@Quinerly:
Totally this, although I’d add that what makes it even worse is that our last two businessman-presidents weren’t even good at being businessmen – they fucked up everything they touched and only failed upward because they were born rich.
Which tells you a lot about how these people perceive businessmen. “Businessman” isn’t even a resume item that requires you to have done something. It’s a title of nobility that means “I’m better than other people.” Just like in the old days when nobles who pissed away the family fortune could comfort themselves with the knowledge that they were still better than other people, what you actually do with the title is irrelevant: all you need is to have it.
PaulWartenberg
At Tampa bay comic con. Pics later tonight on my blog
msdc
@germy: Yeah, malraux talked me down a little on the risk to the seat. Still a boneheaded move for Delaney, though. It’s like he decided the problem with Lincoln Chafee was that he had too much federal and executive experience.
Immanentize
@A Ghost to Most: I just used Mr. Google and I found a couple of Better Late Then Never” pics.
debbie
@MomSense:
Great. I’ll email them later today.
Laura
On tap for today is a long walk with Chet the weinie dog before it’s too hot. Aqua aerobics with a friend and then I’ll bake up a pan of pigs in a blanket for a tailgate before heading over to the ballpark. Our triple A team just welcomed Pablo Sandoval back after he broke hearts bailed on the Giants and followed crazy money to the Red Socks. Fireworks after the game.
They’re predicting 114° by Wednesday. I can’t even . . .
Steeplejack (phone)
@jeffreyw:
Great music.
matryohshka
@raven: My stepdad was on the St. Lo, which was sunk by kamikaze in the Leyte Gulf. He waited in the water for several hours with body parts floating all around him. It wasn’t a place he ever wanted to go back to.
ThresherK
@randy khan: Fair enough observation. But, once again, we’re looking at “Republican governance” being an oxymoron, and Trump being the culmination of GOP politics, not an outlier.
PS As a radio ham who got my ticket when “solid state, except for vacuum tube transmitter finals” was the cutting edge, I claim a personal stake in FCC fuckery.
Brachiator
@rikyrah:
This stuff is almost funny. Some journalists still have no idea that this stuff means nothing to Trump.
And instead of courting traditional Beltway constituencies, Trump expects their deference to his wishes.
Another Scott
@A Ghost to Most: This popped up for me in a quick search.
HTH!
Cheers,
Scott.
sukabi
@Zach: There is speculation that Kelly’s move to CoS could be a workaround to move Sessions to DHS and clear the way for a more amenable attny gen
I do wish people would quit gaming this out for drumpfs band of fools.
debg
That video has me in tears. It’s just glorious.
Uncle Ebeneezer
Love this video. This is the Resistance. This is what the Democratic Party stands for. These people warned us about Trump from the very stage of the Dem Convention. And they are the ones who are most under attack currently. They need to be centered in the Dem platform. It drives me mad when people say we had no coherent message during the 2016 campaign. We had a great one. Some people on the Left just weren’t listening.
J R in WV
@jeffreyw:
Wow, thanks!!