Thank you for bearing with me; a much-needed break was warranted.
At a certain point, time is going to run out on blaming past administrations for foreign policy mistakes, mismanagement domestically and a slow-growing economy, but are those things going to matter? Starting tomorrow, probably not as Special Counsel Robert Mueller takes into custody the subject of his first grand jury indictment into to the Russia campaign-meddling investigation.
The state of U.S. political affairs right now are like a Jenga puzzle that's fallen apart and there's no one left to put it back together. You a man with authoritarian inclinations in the White House who profits off the presidency, a Republican fmr. chief strategist to Mr. Trump declaring war on the Republican establishment, against which the Republican Majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is now openly fighting. Democrats have their own credibility problems and no juice to fix them. Excluded completely from the legislative process, Democrats' voices have been drowned out, with their only hope that the Republican party goes so far off the extremist deep end that they'll be the only alternative. It's likely. Senators like Ted Cruz (R-TX) telling Republican colleagues to "shut up and do your jobs," in the face of a bully president while you have senators like Rob Portman (R-OH) barely able to speak in trying to fly below the radar of the Bannon-Trump attack machine because moderates are getting squeezed.
Senator Portman said that party in-fighting is nothing new for either side, but emphasized that if the president succeeds, the country succeeds, but it's difficult to see that when the president has a 38% approval rating. Neither Mr. Portman nor anyone else has any idea what the definition of success in the mind of President Trump. For Mr. Portman, does that mean sitting by complacently silent, while someone else defines your principles, consistently violating them. A meek performance today. That's not to say that Senator Portman isn't better for the country then any Bannon-backed candidate, he definitely is, but the blind fury of the base hasn't abated.
Fmr. Chairman of the American Conservative Union, Al Cardenas described the current state of the Republican party in terms of everyone being expected to take a knee to the president. Mr. Portman did his best.
Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), for her part, refreshingly talks substance and details of tax reform, but it falls on deaf ears because Republicans have no inclination to listen. Describing herself as a moderate, she said that she is willing to work across the aisle, either that or obstruction, but she concluded that it will be a party-line vote, but she didn't give you the other part of the equation, which is Republicans don't want to work with her, or any Democrat for that matter.
Once the indictment comes tomorrow, we'll be facing a whole new set of problems, none of which will do anything to close the voter enthusiasm gap that Amy Walter kept coming back to. The big question is it enough for Democrats? Double digits, she and Chris Matthews both agreed. Dems. aren't going to get it. Fox commentators, such as Sean Hannity, are already ramping up the attacks on the integrity of the special counsel, picking up the slack for a president tempering his responses, for legally jeopardizing reasons most probably. (The president 'tempering' his comments is relative, of course.)
Republicans will soon has to choose sides, depending on what this first, and surely not the last, indictment brings, and the rule-of-law and the faith in our institutions are without a doubt going to be put to the test. Huntington, West Virginia Fire Chief Jan Radar said that it has been years since a day went by in her county that there wasn't at least one overdose call - every fourth call is for an overdose. The president's declaration of a public health crisis designates no compulsory funding to counter the problem, only a national emergency would do that, a health care budget provision that Republicans want to scrub.
President Donald Trump is ultimately going to be held responsible for the aforementioned mess. When you're the president, it is inevitable. He's broken it, most certainly, and smashing everything into tinier pieces, but is special counsel Robert Mueller the one to fix it? Even if you wish that were likely, it's not.
Panel: Amy Walter, The Cook Political Report; Eliana Johnson, Politico; Al Cardenas, fmr. chairman of the American Conservative Union; Chris Matthews, NBC News
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Sunday, October 08, 2017
10.8.17: Flooded America
There's no doubt that America is flooded - beaten and battered and flooded by hurricanes, awash in guns, engulfed by political chaos and a lack of leadership, drowning in debt and left irreparably moldy by the undercurrent of an opiod addiction.
On that happy note, in the wake of the most horrific mass shooting in modern American history in Las Vegas where 58 people lost their lives and over 500 were injured, all that comes about is a debate about having the debate, about guns, which Mr. Todd lead with on today's program.
Exhibit A is the two explanations from Congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) respectively on whether bump stocks should be made illegal, and you can imagine where each one falls on this. I agree with Mr. Scalise that most people didn't even know what a bump stock was a week ago. I certainly didn't. He went on to say that he needed all the facts before he could make a decision on such a ban. However, Ms. Feinstein explained that automatic machine guns are illegal and bump stocks turn semi-automatic rifles into machine guns, hence they should be illegal. What more do you need to know? In essence.
However, Mr. Scalise's interpretation of history and the second amendment is a bit warped. Individual guns rights coming before the Constitution is speculative at best. The second amendment does specifically mention 'a well-regulated militia,' which don't exist anymore. If you watch Ken Burn's The Civil War documentary you learn that each state had its own militia all the way up through the end of the war. After the war, a standing national army replaced militias. Some historians have said that after the Civil War, the United States were really formed. Before then it was separate states together on a continent. And that's when the notion of the second amendment and individual guns ownership rights took root. That's not a bad thing, per se.
If we're not going to amend the amendment then a 'militia' has to be taken into account. Military style weapons are unnecessary in society. If you cannot feel comfortable defending your home with a 15-shot clip in a handgun, frankly, then an assault rifle won't do you any more good because you are unqualified to handle one in the first place, probably. Mr. Scalise, shot and almost killed on a baseball field, is still adamant about no restrictions. Wait and see on the bump stock.
You really can't argue with the Senator when she says that mass shooting occur everywhere in this country; it's a literal truth - movie theaters, country music festivals, night clubs, churches, colleges, high schools, office buildings, elementary schools... elementary schools.
NBC News' Kristen Welker is right when she said the gun legislation debate was settled after Newtown. If no legislative was taken then after the senseless murder of twenty children and six adults then nothing will be done. Ugh, a gut punch. Representing the conservative viewpoint on the panel, Hugh Hewitt stated that gun regulations are no unconstitutional or that you should be able to identify unusual heavy purchasing in a short time, i.e. raise a red flag. Does Mr. Hewitt understand that he's way to the left of where the practical whole of the Republican party is on this?
And the White House won't lead on guns... Let's face it, according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the president is a "f**king moron." In his press conference earlier this week, Sec. Tillerson didn't give it the 'dignity' of a response. Eesh. To be fair, expectations that the president would pick up the issue in a serious way is to betray his base on such a root level that it makes a health care deal with Democrats almost forgivable.
Even as this is being written, the president and retiring Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) are battling it out on social media. Senator Corker said that Rex Tillerson (Sec. of State), John Kelly (Chief of Staff) and John Mattis (Sec. of Def.) are the only once standing in the way of chaos, referring to Mr. Trump's leadership. Predictably the president responded the Mr. Corker had no guts for not running for reelection. Mr. Corker: It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center.
Serious discussions or legislation on guns? Not likely.
Panel: Kristen Welker, NBC News; Carol Lee, NBC News; Hugh Hewlitt, Salem Radio Network; Eugene Robinson, The Washington Post
A couple more things...
Mick Mulvaney is despicable as a budget director. As a congressman all he did was rail against any kind of spending. Even on today's program he defended denying funding for the Hurricane Sandy rebuild in New Jersey and New York. He then, today, had the gall to say that the government is going to run deficits to facilitate growth. If things go as planned this further deficit spending will be incurred because of a huge tax cut. Meanwhile, if you're Puerto Rico you're not getting any help if Mr. Mulvaney has his say. There's a man of principle for you.
Harvey Weinstein? Why should we be surprised? In every power-center industry there is always a percentage of sleaze - in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley. To be fair, it's heavily outweighed by good people on the left and the right. Good for Hugh Hewitt to say that even though he absolutely disagrees with Ron Howard or Rob Reiner politically, for example, he states that they are fine people. That's everywhere. In this instance as always go with Eugene Robinson for the most common sense - Growing up in a certain age defense? In any 'age' when was this ever appropriate? Exactly... The conspiracy of silence is probably going to play out ugly...
Oh, and for Rex Tillerson, he'll be out at the turn of the year. After the president's China trip is complete, he'll wind down his profile (unless there is a diplomatic emergency) while rumors will elevate until...
On that happy note, in the wake of the most horrific mass shooting in modern American history in Las Vegas where 58 people lost their lives and over 500 were injured, all that comes about is a debate about having the debate, about guns, which Mr. Todd lead with on today's program.
Exhibit A is the two explanations from Congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) respectively on whether bump stocks should be made illegal, and you can imagine where each one falls on this. I agree with Mr. Scalise that most people didn't even know what a bump stock was a week ago. I certainly didn't. He went on to say that he needed all the facts before he could make a decision on such a ban. However, Ms. Feinstein explained that automatic machine guns are illegal and bump stocks turn semi-automatic rifles into machine guns, hence they should be illegal. What more do you need to know? In essence.
However, Mr. Scalise's interpretation of history and the second amendment is a bit warped. Individual guns rights coming before the Constitution is speculative at best. The second amendment does specifically mention 'a well-regulated militia,' which don't exist anymore. If you watch Ken Burn's The Civil War documentary you learn that each state had its own militia all the way up through the end of the war. After the war, a standing national army replaced militias. Some historians have said that after the Civil War, the United States were really formed. Before then it was separate states together on a continent. And that's when the notion of the second amendment and individual guns ownership rights took root. That's not a bad thing, per se.
If we're not going to amend the amendment then a 'militia' has to be taken into account. Military style weapons are unnecessary in society. If you cannot feel comfortable defending your home with a 15-shot clip in a handgun, frankly, then an assault rifle won't do you any more good because you are unqualified to handle one in the first place, probably. Mr. Scalise, shot and almost killed on a baseball field, is still adamant about no restrictions. Wait and see on the bump stock.
You really can't argue with the Senator when she says that mass shooting occur everywhere in this country; it's a literal truth - movie theaters, country music festivals, night clubs, churches, colleges, high schools, office buildings, elementary schools... elementary schools.
NBC News' Kristen Welker is right when she said the gun legislation debate was settled after Newtown. If no legislative was taken then after the senseless murder of twenty children and six adults then nothing will be done. Ugh, a gut punch. Representing the conservative viewpoint on the panel, Hugh Hewitt stated that gun regulations are no unconstitutional or that you should be able to identify unusual heavy purchasing in a short time, i.e. raise a red flag. Does Mr. Hewitt understand that he's way to the left of where the practical whole of the Republican party is on this?
And the White House won't lead on guns... Let's face it, according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the president is a "f**king moron." In his press conference earlier this week, Sec. Tillerson didn't give it the 'dignity' of a response. Eesh. To be fair, expectations that the president would pick up the issue in a serious way is to betray his base on such a root level that it makes a health care deal with Democrats almost forgivable.
Even as this is being written, the president and retiring Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) are battling it out on social media. Senator Corker said that Rex Tillerson (Sec. of State), John Kelly (Chief of Staff) and John Mattis (Sec. of Def.) are the only once standing in the way of chaos, referring to Mr. Trump's leadership. Predictably the president responded the Mr. Corker had no guts for not running for reelection. Mr. Corker: It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center.
Serious discussions or legislation on guns? Not likely.
Panel: Kristen Welker, NBC News; Carol Lee, NBC News; Hugh Hewlitt, Salem Radio Network; Eugene Robinson, The Washington Post
A couple more things...
Mick Mulvaney is despicable as a budget director. As a congressman all he did was rail against any kind of spending. Even on today's program he defended denying funding for the Hurricane Sandy rebuild in New Jersey and New York. He then, today, had the gall to say that the government is going to run deficits to facilitate growth. If things go as planned this further deficit spending will be incurred because of a huge tax cut. Meanwhile, if you're Puerto Rico you're not getting any help if Mr. Mulvaney has his say. There's a man of principle for you.
Harvey Weinstein? Why should we be surprised? In every power-center industry there is always a percentage of sleaze - in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley. To be fair, it's heavily outweighed by good people on the left and the right. Good for Hugh Hewitt to say that even though he absolutely disagrees with Ron Howard or Rob Reiner politically, for example, he states that they are fine people. That's everywhere. In this instance as always go with Eugene Robinson for the most common sense - Growing up in a certain age defense? In any 'age' when was this ever appropriate? Exactly... The conspiracy of silence is probably going to play out ugly...
Oh, and for Rex Tillerson, he'll be out at the turn of the year. After the president's China trip is complete, he'll wind down his profile (unless there is a diplomatic emergency) while rumors will elevate until...
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