What Al Thinks You Need To Know: Mon., Jan. 30, 2017
A Guest Post from Alby Damned
Welcome to the Protest Presidency of Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, proprietor.
It’s becoming obvious, at the start of the second week of the Trump Interregnum, that it’s Steve Bannon with his hands on the marionette’s strings. Dozens of pundits, including Digby, have come to that conclusion:
Trump’s Muslim ban drew larger crowds Sunday than Saturday at airports around the country,
including Philadelphia’s.
If we keep holding these parades, the more Democratic politicians want to get out in front of them.
The order isn’t going over well even among Republicans. One significant conservative power center isn’t happy about the ban: the Koch brothers.
More evidence that the GOP’s crackup is going to be just as jarring as the Democratic Party’s has been.
This move – undermining the judiciary by questioning its impartiality – is straight from the Imposing Fascism playbook:
They’re continuing their attempt to intimidate the press, too. Maybe it’s just me, but does Kelly Ann Conway sound a little … shrill?
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2017/01/30/conway-why-aren-t-reporters-who-talk-smack-about-trump-fired.html?via=desktop&source=copyurl
Most Americans are unaware we’ve been fighting a clandestine war in Yemen for a year now. Officially it’s a Saudi operation, but we provide support – and, under the Trump regime, boots on the ground. We also now have our first American casualties:
Almost forgotten amid the Trumpian chaos was a fairly strong nor’easter late last week, which impacts Sussex County’s beaches, as detailed by TNJ’s Molly Murray:
And, finally, a nice pep talk for the long fight ahead from a Kossack who had been quiet since December:
Alby Damned is the nom de guerre of retired journalist and talk show host Al Mascitti. He lives in Hockessin.
Fascinating to see Americans, and Democrats in particular, think that the Constitution is actually relevant any more (except for the Second Amendment, of course). It has only been given lip-service since Ford pardoned Nixon.
Establishment Republicans who stayed true to the “Never Trump” cause are in see-I-told-you-so mode. Here’s an example from Bushie Eliot A. Cohen:
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/a-clarifying-moment-in-american-history/514868/?utm_source=hpfb
Soon they’ll be in “sorry we acted out daddy, please rub our bellies now” mode.
If I read all those links I’d get nothing done at work.
Donviti – Where is the podcast?
I stayed up way too late last night, then found a link to this:
https://medium.com/@yonatanzunger/trial-balloon-for-a-coup-e024990891d5#.moq9jk9bl
And suddenly I understand what it feels like to be convinced tha your government is out to get you.
Regarding undermining the Judicial Branch, it just so happens that the entire section of government has disappeared from the White House website (https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/executive-branch). Based on a search of the Internet Archive archived pages, it seems to have disappeared around the same time that the health care, LGBT rights, and Spanish language pages went away — that is, one minute after the inauguration.
@Ben: No, they won’t. They’re still out there and freaking out.
This is the time to sow discord in their ranks. Neither side trusts the other. Bannon controls Trump (Kushner is there to represent the family’s interests) while the Congressional cohort wants Pence in power.
Remember, Bannon is about fostering chaos. You’ll notice that what formerly was a fast-track Congress is suddenly fretting about the political ramifications for themselves of policy fiats they were not told about in advance. They, not Trump/Bannon, must face the voters in 2018, and they’re starting to realize — they’ll realize it fully soon enough — that no, they don’t have a rubber stamp and power of the presidency. That’s in Bannon’s pocket, and if they want their agenda enacted they’re going to have to vote for politically poisonous policies.
I think we’re going to need more popcorn.
Dang Al, my birthday is tomorrow and you’re finally back. What a fantastic present; damn glad to read your thoughts! Where’s the podcast? Please consider and –for everyone else– RESIST!
@ Alby, your analysis of many Republicans is spot on. They are stuck with a flaming neo- nazi regime in the White House and they need to get reelected. Yes a number of them are totally freaked. However, before I reach for the popcorn, I am having a serious reconsideration of the second amendment and Thomas Jefferson. Who ever thought of neo- nazis in the White House? How far away are the brown shirts (C&BP). I may want my shotgun locked and loaded before I chow down on the popcorn. Just saying. Call me crazy, I so hope I am.