Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

This blog is Obama’s Katrina.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity.

Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack!

Almost as fun as hiking the Appalachian Trail.

I thought we were promised Infrastructure Week

Naturally gregarious and alpha

I personally stopped the public option…

An almost top 10,000 blog!

This is a big f—–g deal.

How has Obama failed you today?

Just a few bad apples.

Yes we did.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense.

Han shot first.

We Survived Breitbartpocalypse!

Shock troops for the Unitarian Jihad.

Usually wrong but never in doubt.

Consistently wrong since 2002

Verified, but limited!

Wetsuit optional.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Mission Accomplished!

Also, too.

You are here: Home / Archives for Cheryl Rofer

Retired chemist. I've done a lot of chemistry that has to do with policy, particularly nuclear policy.

Cheryl Rofer has been a Balloon Juice writer since 2017.

A Little Late-Night Honesty

by | 85 Comments

This post is in: , ,

Beto has had it with reporters.

Also, Nebraska State Senator John McCollister has had it with his silent Republican colleagues:

A majority of House Democrats now favor impeachment.

Cloudflare has left 8chan on its own, and reports are that it’s down already.

It’s so easy to soften what we say, to be polite. We’re taught to do that from childhood. But it’s time to say things clearly and simply, to take a stand.

 

A Little Late-Night HonestyPost + Comments (85)

The INF Treaty Ends

by | 34 Comments

This post is in: , ,

Valued commenter Gin & Tonic asked if I plan to write on the end of the INF Treaty. I hadn’t intended to – there’s an enormous amount of good commentary (Twitter threads here and here) on it – but as I thought about it, I have some thoughts beyond the standard commentary.

First, an overview of the situation.

The Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty was concluded between the US and the USSR in 1987. Both countries had been emplacing missiles in Europe in such a way as to dangerously shorten the warning time for a nuclear attack on Europe or Moscow. The treaty banned a whole class of missiles and largely ended the nuclear terrors of the early 1980s.

John Bolton despises arms control treaties. His rationale seems to be that the United States should give up no scrap of sovereignty for any reason whatsoever, and agreeing to limit nuclear weapons is an unjustified violation of sovereignty. Donald Trump has no idea of treaties, but if there are going to be treaties, they should only be the greatest treaties that only he could negotiate.

Russia has been violating the INF Treaty for several years now. In my opinion, the Obama administration should have tried harder to meet with Russia over the violations and resolve them. But they didn’t. All treaties have provisions for dealing with alleged violations, and the INF Treaty was no exception. But neither the Obama administration nor the Trump administration took that path.

In addition to Bolton’s hatred for treaties and Trump’s narcissism, others have suggested that China’s increasing military power justifies leaving the treaty so that the US can build missiles to use in a war against China. It’s hard for me to write that with a straight face. A US war with China is highly improbable, and that such missiles would be useful is moreso. That’s all I’ll say about that in this post.

And, of course, there is the influence of the defense industry and academic types who like to see yet another way to blow things up. So the treaty ended yesterday.

That’s the overview. The INF Treaty has some emotional overtones for me that I think have more general reverberations.

show full post on front page

The INF Treaty EndsPost + Comments (34)

Lackey Lindsey

by | 156 Comments

This post is in: , , , ,

Another day, another breach of rules in the Senate.

Donald Trump is having another rally tonight, and he needed some material, so Lindsay Graham was only to happy to provide it for him.

Ben Orlebeke (yeah, I don’t know him either, but the thread looks okay and Emptywheel went with it) live-tweeted. Here are the highlights of his thread.

I see that some folks are making hashtags with Russian cities added to Republican names, in the manner of #MoscowMitch. So there seems to be #LeningradLindsey, but that’s anachronistic and not really relevant. I prefer #LackeyLindsey.

Open thread!

 

Lackey LindseyPost + Comments (156)

Elijah Cummings Reports On A Michael Flynn – Tom Barrack Grift

by | 19 Comments

This post is in: , , ,

ABC has the report.

Quotes from their summary:

“Today’s report reveals new and extensive evidence that corroborates Committee whistle-blowers and exposes how corporate and foreign interests are using their unique access to advocate for the transfer of U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings, the Maryland Democrat who chairs the committee.

The investigation focuses on company called IP3 International, which is run by a group of retired American generals, and their years-long effort to promote a plan to sell dozens of nuclear power plants to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. The company has been aided in its efforts by two well-known Trump advisers: Flynn and Barrack, a California investment executive who has deep ties in the Middle East.

Barrack promoted the effort as part of what he called a “Middle East Marshall Plan” despite concerns from some White House officials and lawmakers that Saudi Arabia’s true goal was to obtain technology for nuclear weapons, which could heighten tensions in the unstable region.

The efforts continued until recently. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry made several trips to Saudi Arabia apparently related to this “plan.”

I put “plan” in quotes because what I’ve seen of IP3 International and its predecessor companies suggests that their plan was something like

  • Sell nuclear reactors to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries
  • Sell security personnel to guard the reactors
  • …
  • Peace in the Middle East and PROFIT!

One of the earlier plans was to facilitate selling Russian reactors to Middle Eastern countries. That was quickly switched out, perhaps when someone pointed out that it was poor form under “America First” not to be selling American reactors. No more than one or two of the board members of these companies have any experience at all with commercial nuclear power and the restrictions on selling it.

I haven’t read the report yet, but from what I’m seeing, I think my take is a bit different. I think the whole thing is some sort of grift, although I can’t figure out exactly how it works. A colleague says he saw a very similar “plan” back in the George W. Bush administration.

I wrote my own analysis earlier this year, here, here, and here.

Elijah Cummings Reports On A Michael Flynn – Tom Barrack GriftPost + Comments (19)

Mueller Report Book Club – Should We Continue?

by | 53 Comments

This post is in: 

The last month has been busy for me, and I’ve let the summaries of the Mueller report slip. Yesterday Robert Mueller testified before Congress.

We know the report says that the Trump campaign accepted help from Russia gladly and tried to cover it up. We know the report gives something like ten ways Trump obstructed justice.

Explanations in the report are somewhat contorted, owing to the Department of Justice opinion that a sitting President cannot be charged with a crime.

That’s pretty much it. There are podcasts and a multitude of summaries available all over the internet, in any flavor you want.

Not many jackals were reading along with me.

So is there any point in my continuing? I’ll be honest – reading the report is no pleasure, despite what some have said. It’s not overweighted with legal terms, but the composition is leaden, and the content is dense. Which add up to difficult reading.

What say you?

Mueller Report Book Club – Should We Continue?Post + Comments (53)

Preparing For Mueller’s Testimony

by | 130 Comments

This post is in: ,

I apologize for the hiatus in posts on the Mueller Report. I’ve just been through a very busy patch, and I think my schedule is now opening up.

You might want to click on the topic below.

The Lawfare group has produced a podcast – the first in a series – about the report. It can be found here. Might be worth listening to before tomorrow afternoon.

Open thread!

Preparing For Mueller’s TestimonyPost + Comments (130)

Hey Democrats – How About Some Polling?

by | 45 Comments

This post is in: , , ,

I would like to see more opinion polling on the issues the country faces. There are, of course, the inevitable polls on the horse race, but they tell us (and the politicians) little about the issues that are important to people and how they want their government to deal with them.

Our President continues to damage the country in a multitude of ways. The Republican Party stands by with its program of appointing conservative judges and passing tax cuts for the rich.

Impeachment – the bringing of charges against the President – must originate in the House. Hearings to support a vote of impeachment will take time, and it appears that there is not yet majority support in the House for impeachment. Nancy Pelosi has publicly favored waiting for the 2020 election rather than impeachment. There is some sense to that stand, but Donald Trump is damaging the country right now.

What can be done to stop or slow down the damage? And what needs to be done to build votes to remove Trump from office?

Nancy Pelosi seems to be trying to triangulate between “the Squad” –  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley – and the conservative wing of the House Democratic caucus, some of whom were elected in 2018 in districts that went for Trump in 2016.  Criticizing the Squad to an unfriendly interviewer, however, leaned too far in the direction of protecting the conservative wing from what they might consider radical thought.

Understanding why those districts flipped, however, and how broad support for the ideas of the Squad may be, would seem to be a good idea. My impression – largely from social media, which may not be indicative of the country at large – is that people want to see the corruption and incompetence of the Trump administration called out and policies advanced to turn back from the extreme inequalities Republican policies have inflicted on the country.

I’m not seeing much in the way of polling on those questions.

Should Democrats explicitly call out racists and demand healthcare for everyone? Are people okay with tax increases, particularly on the rich? How many see women of color as the future of the party? How many support the strategy of the House passing bills to make a point, even if the Senate won’t pass them? How many think we should impeach the President? Is there any point in trying to win those Trump voters so frequently interviewed in Midwest diners? Who are the voters who voted for Obama and then Trump, and why? Why did those districts turn around to elect conservative Democrats? Should Democrats call out the crimes Trump has been accused of?

There are a great many more questions. How they are phrased is important. Joe Biden, and perhaps Nancy Pelosi, seem to believe that bipartisan action is what people want. If you ask people whether they think bipartisan action is desirable, they’re likely to say yes. You might get a different answer if you ask whether they think that the current Republican Party is willing to work with Democrats to pass particular legislation.

How many think that the Republican Party needs to be rebuilt from the ground up? Fair is fair, after all the Republicans who are telling Democrats how to run their campaign.

It seems to me that there is a movement away from Trump. On Twitter, the responses to Trump’s tweets are becoming more and more negative. Polls immediately after his racist remarks about the Squad showed large majorities opposed to that racism. Here’s some polling that seems to say that more Americans support the Squad than support Trump.

And here’s a Twitter thread that draws on actual experience in defeating David Duke. The advice is to run explicitly against the racist. Policies are secondary. The whole thread is worth reading. It starts off with a description of the campaign against Duke and the conventional advice from the conventional consultants, which is very like what Pelosi seems to be guided by.

Don’t try to flip those folks in MAGA hats in the diners so beloved of interviewers. Drive up turnout among folks who stayed home in 2016.

Looks to me like this is the way forward. The presidential candidates, particularly Elizabeth Warren, are coming up with a great stock of policies. They’re essential, but not what the party should lead withdemoc

Pelosi could help by, say, one needling statement (NOT tweet) every day pointing out Trump’s racism, dishonesty, incompetence, pettiness – there’s a lot of material there that polling could supply and reinforce. That would have the added advantage of upsetting Trump. Not to fight with him, just to let people know she’s on the job and to keep Trump off balance.

I know I’d feel a lot better if we heard more of this from her.

 

Hey Democrats – How About Some Polling?Post + Comments (45)

Countertops Are In – Open Thread

by | 102 Comments

This post is in: , ,

The kitchen is functional again. The only thing that has to be done is that the drawer under the cooktop needs to be cut down a half-inch or so. I think I can talk a friend into doing that. The kitties and I are taking the day easy.

Before:

After:

And a helper in between:

Open thread!

Countertops Are In – Open ThreadPost + Comments (102)

Evening Open Thread

by | 85 Comments

This post is in: 

My countertops are now installed. The plumber will hook up the sink tomorrow. Then all that remains is that a drawer needs to be cut down a bit to accommodate the cooktop. I think I can get a friend to do that. Whew.

This will appeal to some, maybe not so much to others. But I think it’s kind of cool.

Evening Open ThreadPost + Comments (85)

Catholic Day of Action

by | 128 Comments

This post is in: 

As Donald Trump and his administration trek further into the moral abyss, expect more demonstrations. Participate, even.

The media are ignoring demonstrations – there was some local coverage of last Friday’s Lights for Liberty, but I don’t recall seeing anything national.

On Tuesday afternoon, a thousand protesters, led by Never Again Action, a Jewish group, blocked the entrances to ICE headquarters for several hours. That got some national coverage.

Today, Catholic groups are protesting immigration policy at the Capitol. I’ve seen nothing about this so far from news organizations, so here’s a particularly good Twitter thread. Also, the hashtag #CatholicDayofAction.

 

Catholic Day of ActionPost + Comments (128)

Respite Open Thread

by | 54 Comments

This post is in: ,

This week has been unsettled for me. I’m getting new kitchen countertops and sink and cooktop. I planned ahead and have plenty of stuff in the refrigerator that can be eaten on paper plates with plastic utensils. Which is a good thing because, surprise, things are not entirely going as planned.

The plan was that the plumber would unhook everything on Monday. The installers would install on Tuesday. And the plumber would hook stuff up again today.

But the order for the faucet got bollixed up. And part of the backsplash still needed to be cut and finished.

With any luck, the faucet will arrive tomorrow, the installers will install the backsplash, and the plumber will finish hooking stuff up. Right now, everything but the sink is working, and the drawer under the cooktop needs to be cut down a bit.

Yesterday was traumatic for the kitties. They were locked in the bedroom because people were carrying heavy pieces of stone around with the doors open. The kitties are getting over it today. And tomorrow everything should be back to normal.

Here are Zooey (left) and Ric (right) being relaxed.

Respite Open ThreadPost + Comments (54)

Area 51 Respite Thread

by | 72 Comments

This post is in: , ,

The Truth is out there!

That’s what a million or so people hope to find out in September. Someone posted an event for September 20 on Facebook, “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us.” When I looked earlier today, 1.1 million people had signed up as “Going,” and almost as many signed up as “Interested.” Whether they actually do is, of course, another question.

It’s a joke, of course (of course?), but in a million people there will be some who take it seriously. So the folks at Area 51 are preparing.

Speaking with The Washington Post on Friday, Air Force spokeswoman Laura McAndrews said officials were aware of the event. When asked how authorities would respond to ardent explorers who might attempt to enter Area 51 in September, McAndrews said she could not elaborate on specific plans or security procedures at the base.

She did, however, issue a warning to those itching to try their luck.

“[Area 51] is an open training range for the U.S. Air Force, and we would discourage anyone from trying to come into the area where we train American armed forces,” McAndrews said. “The U.S. Air Force always stands ready to protect America and its assets.”

Should be fun.

Open Thread!

Area 51 Respite ThreadPost + Comments (72)