Trump Administration, Week Three: "Nevertheless, She Persisted"

These are all things that happened this week. They will persist in our memories.

Thousands Spell 'Resist' On Ocean Beach https://t.co/TcXTzhQbR8 pic.twitter.com/Rdlz17iF4d

— SFist (@SFist) February 11, 2017

1. Melania is so impressed by Michelle Obama's tenure as the First Lady that she wanted to turn it into a Business Opportunity. The shoes! The dresses! The moisturizer! The glamor! It is so completely unfair that the media claimed that she used to be a sex worker. Even though the media didn't claim that she used to be a sex worker. Wow, this is quite confusing.
2.  Of course, it gets better because there was The Ivanka Tweet (which is not replicated here – even I have my standards). But basically the Mean People at Nordstroms made the business decision to stop carrying Ivanka's clothing lines. Which should not be a thing, since the most excellent Plan to Shield the Trump Administration From Ethical Conflicts is already in place right? So the President doesn't get mad when a business makes a business decision and try to (for example) knock down said business's stock price.
   
   Anyway you'd think he'd understand business decisions completely, since he is such an excellent businessperson himself, right? And also he completely understands the need for fairness and level playing fields and such.
   
   
   
3. Of course, we can't just stop there. Kellyanne Conway decided to help out. Presented without comment.

   KellyAnne Conway Violated Federal Law with "Go buy Ivanka's stuff" 😱 CALL & COMPLAIN NOW! > @OfficeGovEthics #TheResistance #ReBrandMarALago pic.twitter.com/mTDLnJwu9y

   — Women Save USA 🇺🇸 (@WomenSaveUSA) February 9, 2017

   
   
4. Trump Cabinet picks are being approved. Here's the current scorecard:

Nominee	Position	Conf. Vote	Date
John F. Kelly	Secretary of Homeland Security	88-11	20-Jan-2017
James Mattis	Secretary of Defense	98-1	20-Jan-2017
Elaine Chao	Secretary of Transportation	93–6	31-Jan-2017
Rex Tillerson	Secretary of State	56-43	02-Feb-2017
Betsy DeVos	Secretary of Education	51-50	07-Feb-2017
Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, III	Attorney General	52–47	08-Feb-2017


Betsy DeVos has the distinction of being the only Cabinet member ever to require the Vice President to break a tie vote in the Senate - this because two GOP senators decided to vote against DeVos, leading to a 50-50 tie. Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AL) took this potentially principled step. We might want to pay attention to whether there is any retaliation by the Trump Administration, or if this was just a bit of Kabuki theater designed to keep constituents in ME and AL voting right. I was also concerned about what this meant for education in our country

5. Meanwhile, the White Southern Gentleman from Kentucky, Mitch McConnell decided he'd heard quite enough from Nasty Woman Elizabeth Warren and invoked Senate Rule 19. This was during a debate about Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, III and his fitness (or lack thereof) to be Attorney General of the United States. Warren was reading a letter written by Coretta Scott King that spoke of Session's racist actions, and opined that he lacked "the temperament, fairness and judgement to be a federal judge." Although Warren was silenced in the Senate Chamber, McConnell would have better off handing her a megaphone.  
   
   She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.
   Let me make a prediction: Mitch McConnell will hear those words many many times before the next election. Hmm...What do you know?
6. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit handed the Trump Administration another setback in their attempt to save us from a largely non-existent threat at the cost of disrupting legitimate travel, or saving women and children who've waited for over a year to flee the Syrian conflict. The NY Times has a good summary, but this is not the last we'll hear of the Ban. 
   
   And yes, this is in reference to a court decision - as in, a decision made in a court. But volume over details like meaning, I suppose.
   

   
7. The Bowling Green Massacre. Yes, this really happened. Of course, assuming the Trump Administration is learning from their mistakes, the next fake "massacre" may be more carefully thought out. Since the players here seem to have a loose relationship at best with truth of any kind, we will do well to pay attention.
   
8. Rep. Gregg Harper (MS-3, GOP) introduced H.R.634 - The Election Assistance Commission Termination Act. This odious piece of business is unlikely to even make it to the floor of the House, much less become a law. But it is yet another warning that we must not take the voting rights of all Americans for granted. I invite you to consider what the current actions by the GOP look like to some.
9. You may find this an intemperate statement, nevertheless, I will persist. Custom and Border Patrol agents seem to be auditioning to be our new Gestapo.
1. Exhibit A is the experience of ACLU attorney
2. Exhibit B is from the Baltimore Sun 
3. Exhibit C is from Canada 
10. The real danger is not foreign terrorists - it's the home-brew variety. (Discerning readers will note that i'm making you read this article twice. It's good for you. And stop slouching!)
11. History really is something you should consider.
12. The Lies. The Lies. The Lies. 
    
13. This may well be remembered as the week when the GOP Congress realized that there might be a problem with the Trump Administration and the GOP agenda as a whole, and that snowflakes are far more worrisome when they show up in large, peaceful, articulate, and politely unyielding groups. Kinda like a gentle snowfall that quietly deposits 30 inches overnight, suddenly making your morning commute completely impossible.
1. Jason Chaffetz's Town Hall and others have not been safe spaces for the GOP.
2. Rep. John J. "Jimmy" Duncan is apparently disturbed by groups of orderly constituents who wish to confer with their representative in Congress, and reverts to namecalling.
14. ICE Raids begin nationwide. Local officials are noting a lack of transparency. Whether or not this is the start of a significant effort to round up undocumented immigrants remains to be seen.
    
    
    
    

Book Review: Uprooting Racism

Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice by Paul Kivel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a book for white people. It is about what they can and should be doing to further an America that is truly about liberty and justice for all. If you think that we're already there, then read no further. You ain't ready.

The book itself is structured in short chapters and is meant to be used as a workbook or guide for someone who is committed to working through his/her own prejudices and living and acting as an ally for people of color. The central point of the book is that the continued existence of a white supremacist structure to our country and its institutions is real, and can only be rectified through the actions of people of all colors, which necessarily includes white people.

The structure of white supremacy includes areas as diverse as business, culture, religion, politics, housing, education, the justice system, and environmental policy. As a white man, it was not an easy book to ready – despite the fact that I have been married to a black woman for 30 years, have four biracial children, have lived with their experiences, and live in a relatively racially diverse community in Los Angeles. While I am encouraged with the progress on racial issues that I've seen in the course of my lifetime, it is clear that there remains much work to do.

This book addresses an area that is rarely considered in the fight for racial justice: what white people need to do and how they need to change if we are to make any more progress on the toxic levels of racism that still exist in this country. If you're white (and you're still reading this) you will be tempted to discount what I'm saying. Because it is uncomfortable to deal with the idea that a system that you think of as normal and fair and merit-based is in fact harmful to people because they are not considered "white."

Our culture has fully embraced a set of practices and structures that keep white people from being made uncomfortable by their racist actions. It is the responsibility of white people and not anyone else to fix the problem. It is not the task of our black or brown friends, neighbors, or coworkers to explain it to us. In fact, we are blessed to have people of color who have pointed out the issues that flow from racism and white supremacy, often at no small risk to themselves. As white people, we must remove the beam that is firmly embedded in our eye so that we can see what's really happening, and begin to change it for the better.

Please don't misunderstand me. I don't hate the fact that I'm white, nor do I hate white people. I don't hate America. I can recognize that it has provided me with certain privileges that I didn't earn and still look myself in the mirror every morning. But I can't be content doing nothing about the injustices that remain. If you share a similar point of view, or if you want to do something about racism that you've witnessed or been confronted with (whether it's your own or someone else's), then this book is worth your time.

View all my reviews

Trump Administration, Week Two: Monday Night Massacre & White Supremacy Isn't So Bad

These are the things that happened this week. We shall remember:

1. President Trump fired the Acting Attorney General of the United States, Sally Hayes, in an emotional outburst over her refusal to have the Dept. of Justice defend the Executive Order closing our borders to seven Muslim-majority countries. The only recent parallel to this is the Nixon White House "Saturday Night Massacre," in which Nixon's firing of Independent Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox led to the resignations of both the Attorney General and his Deputy. But the WH statement on this did use all the best words.
   
   
   
2. A terrorist attack on a Quebec City mosque left six people dead on Sunday, Jan. 30th. The next day, the White House said this kind of incident was why we must be "proactive rather than reactive when it comes to our nation's security," perhaps because Fox News initially reported the suspected shooter was Muslim.  The terrorist was a white man who had recently worried that "the white race would be marginalized by immigration." The Trump Administration has responded by deciding to refocus a program aimed at countering all violent ideologies so it addresses Islamist extremism and ignores white supremacists like Dylann Roof or the Kansas "Crusaders." See also this recent Newsweek report.
3. Holocaust Remembrance Day (which happened last week) was accompanied by the announcement of the ban on travel seven Muslim nations (see next item). It was also accompanied by a White House statement that failed to mention Jews. This made Richard Spencer happy - it's never a good idea to give aid and comfort to Nazis. The National Holocaust Museum and the Merriam-Webster dictionary found it necessary to remind us that the White House was taking a point of view that is not informed by history and convention.

   📈'Holocaust' is trending again. It is understood to refer especially to the Nazis' mass murder of European Jews. https://t.co/SpAZ9kiKrn

   — Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) January 30, 2017

    
4. Many things happened related to the ill-planned and maliciously executed Executive Order banning travel from seven Muslim countries
1. Protests at airports continued across the country over the weekend and into the week, in an unplanned but robust demonstration of public outrage. 
2. Lawyers simply showed up because they saw the need, and pitched in (watch the video). 
3. Several federal courts issued stays of parts of the Executive Order, but compliance was often lacking. 
4. US District Judge James Robart (a Bush appointee) ruled Friday that against the travel ban, suspending it and ordering enforcement to cease
5. The Department of Homeland Security announced it would comply, and ordered Customs and Border Patrol agents to resume "standard policies and procedures." 
6. The Trump Administration will seek to stay the judge's order, and noted the President's pique via a series of Saturday morning tweets. Stay tuned.
5. The announcement of Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court seat that has been vacant for almost one year was turned into a reality TV show event by the President of the United States.
   
   
   
   
6. Reuters News Service has instructed their reporters and editors to cover the Trump Administration using the same methods applied to authoritarian regimes. Many people and organizations took note.
7. The Trump White House marked Black History Month with a speech that was more about the President and his handful of black supporters than the history of African Americans. At one point he did not appear to be cognizant of the fact that Frederick Douglass is a historical figure, having died in 1895. In his remarks, he used a total of 53 words to praise Martin Luther King, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks, or about 13 words apiece. He used 51 words of his speech to praise Omarosa Manigault. Omarosa gave a notable quote about Trump to PBS's Frontline several months ago: 
   
8. The Trump kids continue to show up at official government functions despite the conflicts of interest inherent in their ties to Trump's business. There is no indication that anything has or will change in terms of Trump's multiple financial conflicts of interest or in the appearance that White House decisions are influenced by Trump financial interests.
1. At the Supreme Court announcement
2. In the WH, meeting with Sen. Hatch, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee
3. At other official US government functions
4. NYTimes article on Trump's sham "trust" -- it does nothing to mitigate conflicts of interest between Trump's wealth and the good of the United States.
9. The first military action of Trump's administration suffered from inadequate planning and resulted in deaths of US military personnel and civilians, including an 8 year old girl.
1. Reuters article on the raid in Yemen
2. NYT article on the raid
10. Sanctions imposed in light of Russian hacking targeted the Russian security services (the FSB, successor to the KGB). The Trump Administration has lifted them with no announcement or rationale. [Note added after publishing: Consensus is that the changes to sanctions are not material and only serve to allow American businesses to obtain licenses needed to sell electronics - but not to the FSB. Expect more overreactions brought on by justifiable lack of trust in the Trump Administration's actions] Nancy Pelosi represented some of our outrage:

    Vladimir Putin’s thugs meddle with an American election, and President Trump gives them a thank you present. https://t.co/ID01aS21nM pic.twitter.com/vAiGYWNbIu

    — Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) February 2, 2017

11. As of February 1st, Diane Feinstein indicated her offices had received 55,000 phone calls urging her to vote against Jefferson Beauregard Session's appointment as the next Attorney General.
12. The Trump Administration has announced that the Dakota Access Pipeline is to move forward despite ongoing issues of water contamination and tribal sovereignty. 

Trump Administration, Week One: Alternative Facts and Muslim Bans

These are things that have happened this week. We will remember.

1. President Trump’s Inaugural Address included the words “carnage,” “bleed,” and “tombstones.” No other President ever found it necessary to use these words in an Inaugural Address. The President later threatened to “send in the Feds” if Chicago didn’t fix its “carnage.” This was a response to a segment on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News show, indicating that the media has unusually large influence on Trump’s policy statements and emphasis.
2. Trump’s speech also included the phrase "When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.” This is dangerously flawed reasoning. The love of country as an abstract ideal is very different from the implicit bias against blacks, Muslims, or overly entitled rich white men. It is also chilling, in that “true patriots” will use it to insists that they cannot be racist in thought, word, or deed simply because all that love of America has left no room for hate in their hearts. Historically, ultra-patriotic groups have found abundant space to squeeze in their malice, their bitterness and contempt for the “other.
   
   
   
   
   
3. "The resistance to Trump is being led by Teen Vogue, Badlands, National Park, and the Merriam-Webster dictionary.” - Kitty Chandler 
4. The top two petitions on the WhiteHouse.gov site ask for the President to release his taxes and show compliance with the emoluments clause of the Constitution, and to either divest his assets or place them in a blind trust. Every other U.S. President for 50 years has dealt with these issues in advance of taking office (exception being Ford, who did not release his taxes - of course, he wasn’t elected either). 
   
   
5. A large crowd attended the Inauguration. An even larger crowd showed up the next day for the Women’s March. This was the largest protest event in American history, with the original march in Washington, DC and sister marches in every single U.S. state, Guam, and Puerto Rico, and dozens of other countries. Totals for the march are in the range of 3.2 to 5.2 million people in the US. You can find crowd size estimates (detailed and totals) in this Google spreadsheet.
6. The first (but “unofficial”) press conference of the Trump term featured a Press Secretary upbraiding the press for their accurate reporting of crowd sizes, the introduction of verifiably false information by the Press Secretary, and him walking out at the end without taking any questions. The followup on-air discussions notably included Kellyanne Conway’s use of the term “alternative facts” to describe some of this false information. This truly Orwellian moment occurred one day into Trump’s term and already has its own page in Wikipedia.
7. The Trump Administration then confirmed its obsession with size by insisting that 3-5 million cases of voter fraud occurred. This number bears an interesting similarity to the margin by which Trump lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton (just shy of 3 million votes). I cannot possibly improve upon Jake Tapper’s response to this on CNN. 
8. Jared Kushner was cleared by the Justice Department to serve as an adviser to Trump, with an office in the White House despite concerns over anti-nepotism statutes, and unknown business connections both within the US and in multiple foreign countries. This kind of appointment is a time-honored tradition in authoritarian regimes, where a leader surrounds himself only with people he trusts and views as extensions of his will.
9. The White House has shut down the ability of important government departments to communicate with the public, including the Dept. of the Interior (later lifted), Health and Human Services, and the EPA. The Dept of Agriculture was also briefly affected. The attempt to prevent important scientific information being provided to the public crystallized concerns with the science community, and a March for Science on Washington is now being planned.
10. This happened.
11. The House Select Committee on Intelligence has opened a bipartisan investigation into Russian cyberattacks and influencing of the election.
12. Trump has stopped all immigration from certain Muslim-majority countries - unless immigrants are Christian. The ban excludes countries where Trump has business interests, creating the appearance of conflict of interest. This is something the Office of Government Ethics has warned about (and attempted to engage with the Administration in order to resolve). Late Breaking: A mosque in Victoria, Texas was set ablaze last night.
    
13. The ban explicitly stops Syrian refugees from entering the US - these are the people most in need. This action was taken on Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is a clear signal to Nazis and anti-semites. It prompted the creation of a twitter account that provided names and pictures of hundred of Jews who were turned away in 1939. They reached the US onboard the St. Louis, but were denied entry. They later perished in concentration camps in Europe. The Cato Institute published data showing that there have been zero American fatalities caused by terrorist from these countries during the period 1975-2015. See the report for other useful information.
14. Additional point. No one has ever heard an American President speak to his country like this: