A Most Generous President

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Putin Meets The Guy Who Could Have Been Leader Of The Free World

Donald J. Trump, also known as John Miller and John Baron, may have been telling the truth. Donald Trump, who according to one of his sons gets all the funding for his business interests from Russian banks, may not have been lying.  Rex Tillerson, also known as Wayne Tracker, became very, very wealthy off ExxonMobil's Russia operations, also may have been telling the truth.

Trump characterized his meeting in Hamburg on Friday with President Putin as "tremendous," which may mean only that no one dropped dead during the discussions, or tremendous for Moscow. And according to The Hill, "Putin denied Russian involvement, Tillerson said, but Trump 'pressed' him on the matter on more than one occasion.”

One man's "pressed" may be another man's "asked politely." Unfortunately, the meeting may have been over before it even started. Characteristically, Putin came in prepared, Trump unprepared.

His advance men (or women) did no better, evidently unaware of the importance (unless you're the indisputable head of your own business) of the set up for any meeting, whether the Paris Peace Talks or Trump-Putin. Therefore, the Americans evidently agreed the encounter would be

small-circle- just Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, along with Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. And translators for both sides.

The tight arrangement — known to be favored by Putin, who likes to keep meetings intimate — cuts out the White House officials with significant government experience. Putin has spent his life on the public payroll, first as a KGB officer, later as the preeminent leader of Russia for the past 17 years. Lavrov is a veteran and wily diplomat, known for twisting his opponents into knots. Both have haggled with dozens, maybe hundreds, of world leaders.

Neither Trump nor Tillerson, meanwhile, held public office or engaged in diplomacy until January. In previous administrations, such meetings, particularly first encounters, would more typically be bolstered with the national security adviser and the relevant strategist on the National Security Council.

Nonetheless, as  CNN reports

Trump opened the session by "raising the concerns of the American people regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in an off-camera briefing after the meeting. Russia asked for "proof and evidence" it was involved, which the US did not produce in the meeting.

Trump pressed Putin on election meddling and then moved on, Tillerson said. "I think what the two presidents, I think rightly, focused on is how do we move forward," he said. "How do we move forward from here?" There was little "relitigating of the past."

The two sides agreed on a framework to discuss Ukraine, counter-intelligence, and prevention of future political interference, the latter Putin being enabled to spin as collaborating to prevent interference in "the internal affairs of other countries." (And don't even mention the murder of journalists.) But former CIA agent and 2015 Independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin recognizes "There is no need for a framework of understanding. Vladimir Putin undersands what this diplo-feculence means: The Trump Administration will not punish him in any way for his attempts to interfere in the 2016 election."

 Even by Tillerson's accounting, all the President could muster in the face-off was reminding Putin that the "American people (have) concerns" because, well, Trump does not, and the American people do, so no lie there.  But "if Trump only raised "American concerns about meddling,'" McMullin notes, "without promising consequences, he signaled weakness, if not consent, to Putin."

A better strategy for the free world, traditionally but no longer headed by the American president, would have been no meeting at all. Alternatively, Trump could have summarized his position most succinctly with "You ruthlessly interfered with our presidential election. And by the way, thank you.'"










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Everybody, Or At Least Him

North Korea has tested an intercontinental ballistic missile which might be able to reach Alaska and the USA's Pacific northwest.  Russia has increased its spying in the USA after manipulating the American presidential election.  Six years of civil war in Syria have brought about a horrific humanitarian crisis within the country and the danger of political instability and terrorism in nations, including the leader of the freee world, which together have absorbed millions of its refugees. Neither the presidency of Barack Obama nor the election of Donald Trump has convinced Arctic sea ice from continuing to melt, with the concomitant rise in the oceans and accelerated warming of the planet.

Therefore, President Donald J. Trump is in Europe tweeting "everyone here is  talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful."





Charlie Pierce tweets in response:

Japanese PM: "Can you believe that dolt is still talking about Podesta's server?"
Valet Attendant: "What is a Podesta? Who does he serve?"

Forget Russian spying.   Donald Trump's inflitration of the Democratic National Committtee and discovery that John Podesta was in charge of cybersecurity at the DNC is espionage at its finest. And he now is trying to convince the world that the leaders of one of America's two major political parties is at odds with arguably its most famous intelligence agency.

Not so fine is the head of the nation, a mere six months ago the leader of the free world, evidently complaining about his own nation to other world leaders.  It is doubtful that the Democratic National Committee is the lead topic in casual discussions at the G-20 gathering.  But when such countries as Germany, Italy, India, and Turkey have even learned that the US President is tweeting about a "Podesta," the nation's presitge is undermined.

 Trump's characterization of "disgraceful" clearly is meant not to imply that leaders of other nations are disgracefully talking about the DNC, but rather that the latter's actions are "disgraceful."  As someone who has periodically knocked the DNC, he is now taking his vendetta to the world stage

He is trying to legitimize his criticism and ridicule in a foreign nation and among foreigners. No normal President would epose our nation in that manner by suggesting that our electoral process is inherently faulty, possibly illegitimate. But a normal President wouldn't be Donald Trump, who views the American landscape and  sees mostly "carnage."

"I need loyalty. I expect loyalty," demanded the would-be authoritarian of James Comey, in a manner only a little more explicit than he has been to the his fellow citizens. Theodore Roosevelt, however, understood “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. "  If President Trump is willing to stand by the country, it's anyone's guess what country that is.





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With God As His Co-Pilot

When in 2012 he first ran for the House of Representatives, Oklahoma Republican Markwayne Mullin vowed 'We are going up for 6 years and then I’m coming home.” One of his campaign mailers read "I, Markwayne Mullin, pledge to…serve no more than six years as your 2nd District congressman.”

Mullin was beginning to waver during his bid for a third term in 2016. Then this year, he announced during an interview (video below) that "we" had decided to run for a fourth term and "we were really praying about it."  His wife, Chris, added that they were unsure whether to seek another two years until approximately a month earlier and "we have not stopped praying about it." Going through the process, Mr. Mullin maintained, "Chris and I were both sitting there having our devotion one morning" when the decision was made.

Later in the interview the couple was asked about the skepticism which would greet the notion that God had directed another bid for office when it conflicted with the promise the congressman had made five years earlier. Chris responded

We are not running because God told us to run because in fact we wanted him to tell us that,like we wanted him to tell us 'yes' or  'no' but he never did. But he put all the things in front of us till we actually made the decision.





She almost had me there. Perhaps "we" were not suggesting that God had endorsed the incumbent while Satan was pulling for his challenger. But then I learned that in April of this year

U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican in his third term, held the forum in Jay, Okla., and didn’t appreciate one of the questions, which was based on the premise that his constituents are the ones paying his congressional salary.

“I’m going to address two things: One, you said you pay for me to do this? Bullcrap, I pay for myself,” Mullin said quickly. “I paid enough taxes before I ever got there and continue to through my company to pay my own salary. This is a service. No one here pays me to go.”

“I do it as an honor and a service,” he added.

Several audience members spoke up, challenging his position. “Who pays you to go there?” one audience member can be heard asking.

Mullin did not directly answer, but instead doubled down on his previous claim: “I’m just saying this is a service for me, not a career, and I thank God this is not how I make my living.”

"Prepare ye the way of the congressman," we are believed God has decreed, although at least Mullin didn't go "bulls_ _ _," presumably because he was aware that unless your name is "Donald J. Trump," swearing in front of voters is not a wise career move. Mullin believes he does not owe his constituents; rather, they owe him. The sense of entitlement is impressive, in which he deserves the office because he pays a lot of taxes.  “Like all business owners," his spokeswoman pleaded, "Congressman Mullin pays his taxes, which contribute to congressional salaries.” You see: he's a businessman, not a taker, nor a laborere.

Five years ago the Pentecostal Mullin announced that he would serve only three terms. Now after prayer and devotion, God has directed him on a different path.  In his next interview, he may bless us with the explanation as to why God chose him to mislead his dear, fellow Oklahomans a few years ago. Or not.







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Weep Not For Chris

It starts with "Chris Christie flew close to the sun. Now he sits under it, defiantly," the title of Robert Costa's  Washington Post article summarizing the rise and fall of the New Jersey  governor. Noting the word "defiantly" suggests that Christie" is standing tall and daring haters to hate," Steve M. argues

You may have concluded that Chris Christie, who was already America's most unpopular governor, is surely going to driven from public life after his most recent act of arrogance -- luxuriating on a state-run beach after allowing beaches and parks to be closed to the public for most of the Fourth of July weekend. But a Washington Post article by the usually reliable Robert Costa reminds us that the press is always willing to put in a kind word for Christie, and that Republicans relitigate the reputations of their own until the bitter end.





Steve M. notes the  admiring quote Costa got from former RNC chairperson and current MSNBC contributor Michael Steele, and one from Larry Kudlow, a supply-side economic analyst, CNBC commentator, and advisor to the Trump campaign, who contends

With Christie, the tragedy is that he’s always had to work with a left-wing, Democratic legislature. Except for the first year, when he had shock value as a new governor, he hasn’t been able to get things through, He has not been able to implement his promises and his hopes for growth.”

Kudlow's claim, and Costa's acceptance of it at face value, neatly demonstrates SM's  observation that "important figures in the GOP still admire Christie, and that Christie is still the kind of Stern GOP Daddy the press really likes."

Governor Christie hardly has been hamstrung by "a left-wing, Democratic legislature." The state constitution grants the New Jersey governor powers envied by almost every other chief executive. Aside from the lieutenant governor- who runs on the same ticket as the governor- he/she is the only state-wide elected official, aside from federal offices.  Christie has appointed nearly everyone (aside from the legislature) in the public sector of any significance in the state.

Though Democrats have controlled the General Assembly and the Senate since Christie entered office, they never have had a veto-proof majority.  While Republicans vote in virtual lockstep with the governor, Democrats sometimes are split. Most Democrats in the northern half of the state are recognizable as Democrats while those in the southern half of the state march to the beat of insurance magnate George Norcross.  A Democrat, Norcross is easily the second most powerful individual in New Jersey politics, and several years ago forged an informal- but very real- alliance with the governor, which has led to the reprehensible state takeover of Atlantic City and several other initiatives. Politico five weeks ago explained

Christie restructured the state’s higher education institutions in a way that boosted Rowan University in South Jersey and gave the region a new medical school and signed a law to turn over Camden County’s EMS services to Cooper Hospital, which Norcross chairs. The governor also signed a law that overhauled New Jersey’s corporate incentive programs with a heavy emphasis on South Jersey that Norcross’ brother Donald, then a state Senator, “led the charge” on. That law enabled Norcross’ own insurance brokerage to qualify for $86 million in tax breaks to move its offices to Camden from Marlton.

Chris Christie will land on his feet. Ex-governor Christie, Steve M. realizes, will

still be a frequent Sunday talk show guest, assuming he doesn't sign an exclusive commentary deal Fox (although these days obnoxious Republicans are just as likely to wind up on MSNBC). He'll get wealthy serving on corporate boards. He might get a gig on local sports talk station WFAN, where he's an occasional guest.In a few years, his appalling record as governor will be memory-holed by the press and his party. We'll be reading reading stories titled "Chris Christie: Survivor." We'll be expected to forget that we ever hated him.

"We'll always have Paris," Rick told Ilsa.  And Chris Christie will always have his adoring, fawning (below) media.










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Gun Rage

They call it "road rage," although with no quote marks.

The headline for NBC10 Philadelphia reads "28-year-old David Desper Charged in Road Rage Killing of 18-Year-Old Bianca Roberson" and the article begins

After a dramatic manhunt that lasted several days and spanned multiple states, Chester County, Pennsylvania, authorities have charged David Andrew Desper, 28, with first-degree murder for the road rage killing of recent high school graduate Bianca Roberson.

One Philly.com headline reads "Chesco DA: David Desper, 28, charged in 'savage and senseless road-rage killing of Bianca Roberson, 18" and begins  "Chester County authorities said Sunday morning they have charged a suspect in the “savage and senseless” road-rage shooting death of 18-year-old Bianca Roberson."

CNN goes with "Road rage suspect turns himself in, faces murder charges" and starts

A man accused of shooting and killing an 18-year-old woman in a case of road rage is being held without bail on murder charges after turning himself in Sunday morning, authorities said.

Perhaps you see a pattern, one in which "road rage" has become such a common cliche, so emphasized, that it no longer is necessary to put it into quotes and crowds out an equally important factor.

To its credit, USA Today- after its own "road rage" headline- led with  "A Pennsylvania man was arrested on first-degree murder and other charges Sunday in the "savage" road-rage shooting of an 18-year-old woman last week, authorities said."

CNN's story continues

David Desper, 28, faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder and reckless endangerment, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said.

Police said he shot Bianca Nikol Roberson after he became angry as their vehicles were merging on the same lane of a highway Wednesday evening in West Goshen, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia.

Worst yet in downplaying the three-letter word beginning with "g" was ABC News:






USA Today reports "surveillance video and tips from the public helped identify the car," and Desper later turned himself in through his attorney.

As authorities have suggested, this is not a bias crime, though the alleged assailant is white and the victim, black.    It was, instead, a situation in which the perpetrator did not ( and could not) leave his vehicle and beat the victim to death. He did not, further, brandish a knife and go after Ms. Roberson.

Desper had motive. Armed with anything but a firearm, he would not have had means. And had Roberson, in the NRA's "good guy with a gun" scenario, had a firearm herself, she still would be dead.

Thee are 1,143.6  miles between West Goshen, Pennsylvania and Falcon Heights, Minnesota where a good guy, Philando Catsile, was shot to death by a police officer (later charged and acquitted) after a traffic stop.

But there are factors connecting the two, though they inevitably will be ignored.

In both cases, an innocent individual was killed inside an automobile.. And in neither case would either be dead if no civilian possessed a firearm.  If Philando Castile had not had a handgun, the police officer would merely have issued him a summons, or not. He would not have believed- reasonably or otherwise- that the motorist might be reaching for the gun he had respectfully notified the officer he had.

There is a third factor the cases have in common.  In neither instance was a handgun illegally purchased or carried, whether by the alleged murderer in Pennsylvania or the victim or the cop in Minnesota. It is not a case in which someone was determined to get a gun and commit a murder. despite a restrictive gun control law.

Neither individual (with Desper, at least as known now) had a criminal record.  One evidently committed a murder and the other would still be alive if he did not have a firearm at the time.

Neither had his weapon locked in a case in his trunk, and neither was required to because, well, Second Amendment, or rather the obsession with a faulty interpretation of it.  Still, road rage.  A member of Ms. Roberson's family stated “It’s funny they say that it was a bit of road rage, because my sister — we never saw her get angry. We never saw her get mad, or any type of rage in her, at all. Things that were down, or sad, or things that make someone angry — Bianca didn’t have any energy for it.”

It is funny- and tragic- that they say it was road rage, because without America's love affair with guns, Bianca Roberson would still be alive, and Philando Castile, too.



                                                                 HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY





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Good For Thee, Not For Me

This story is at once terrifying, bizarre, and enervating

The terrifying part is that the Presidential Advisory Commissionon on Election Integrity, created by President Donald Trump to root out the voter impersonation fraud which doesn't exist but which he believes cost him the popular vote in the presidential election, is headed by Vice-President Mike Pence.

Yes, that Mike Pence, who will become President once Donald Trump leaves office, is officially in charge of the GOP's newest and boldest voter suppression effort. The vice-chairperson is Kris Kobach, who has been the nation's leader in trying to wipe likely Democratic voters off the voting rolls.

According to a copy of a letter, obtained by The Hill, sent to all 50 state secretaries of state, Kobach has

asked for names, addresses, birth dates and party affiliations of registered voters in each state. It also sought felony convictions, military statuses, the last four digits of Social Security numbers and voting records dating back to 2006,

Fortunately, 29 states thus far have denied Kobach's request, and on Saturday morning, the President tweeted (emphasis his, but did I really have to point that out?) "numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL. What are they trying to hide?"

That is an interesting question, one which reveals the bizarre- or maybe not so bizarre. Trump might want to ask the panel's vice-chairperson, the very individual who made the request.

"In Kansas," remarked the state's Secretary of State (a fellow named Kris Kobach) "the Social Security number is not publicly available. Every state receives the same letter, but we're not asking for it if it's not publicly available." The individual asking 49 other states to turn their data over to his commission refuses to give his own state's information to the Trump re-election effort. But Kris Kobach is running for governor, and Kansans would not be partial to use of their private information for political gain.





If this were only funny or grotesquely hypocritical, it would little matter. However

Justin Levitt, an elections expert at Loyola Law School, pointed to the request about voters’ party affiliations, which he said violates the federal Privacy Act of 1974. Critics also said that because of varying state laws, the commission won’t be able to make an apples-to-apples comparison with the data it collects, which could undermine its eventual conclusions.

The most acute worry Friday was about what the group’s expected report in 2018 will recommend.

“It could end up leading to trying to create a justification for more state laws that restrict voting in very serious and what are proven to be unlawful ways,” said Vanita Gupta, who headed the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division during the Obama administration. “And that’s through all kinds of cuts, through restrictive voter ID laws, through cuts in early voting [and] same day registration.”

There are sweeping demographic changes across the USA, changes which- if left unchecked- will doom GOP efforts to attain permanent electoral advantage. Voters from groups which skew Democratic must be stopped. Kris Kobach, Donald Trump, and Mike Pence think they've found the way to do that.





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