This is Getting Monotonous...But Still Very Scary!!

The record-breaking partial government shutdown now nearing the end of its third week continues with no end in sight, and with neither side apparently willing to budge, each thinking they are winning politically. This despite warnings of significant damage to the economy, and with parts of the Trump base including Midwest farmers already suffering. Trump has boxed himself into a political corner with the shutdown that he foolishly bragged on national TV he was proud to own, and which a majority of the public does blame him for, despite his fairly lame oval office address. He is also not used to being up against a powerful congressional opponent, particularly a woman, who can actually stand up to and block him. Trump is also apparently backing off his threat to invoke a national emergency and use funds designated for either the military or disaster relief, neither of which would look good, and which would definitely be challenged in court with uncertain results. Mitch McConnell is still playing Trump’s puppet, still refusing to bring anything up for a vote without POTUS’s blessing. It is pretty clear that everyone is going to end up worse off as a result of this whole mess, including the public and the government! Eventually someone is going to have to blink. Nancy Pelosi‘s new suggestion of postponing the State of the Union address, while an interesting display of her power, is probably not a great strategy, but it will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Meanwhile, back at the Russia investigation, a number of damning bits have been reported recently, including the extraordinary lengths to which Trump has gone to keep the contents of his five private meetings with Putin secret, e.g. confiscating his translator’s notes. Even his national security advisors and cabinet members have no idea what was said! We have also learned that on his flight back from a 2017 G20 meeting in Hamburg at which he had a one-on-one with Vladimir, Trump called a New York Times reporter and claimed that Russia did not meddle in the election, presumably parroting what Putin had told him! That was apparently the same flight on which he dictated the false cover story for the 2016 Trump Tower meeting with the Russian government lawyer promising dirt on Clinton. It does seem astonishing that Trump, knowing from the beginning of his term that his campaign was under investigation for collusion with Russia and that his behavior toward Putin and Russia would be closely scrutinized by the media, the public and probably also DOJ investigators, continued to say and do outrageous things such as this that would inevitably raise suspicion of his motives and loyalties. Is he that stupid, or does he think he can really con everyone into ignoring the obvious, and/or does he think he can just do whatever he wants as POTUS with no consequences, as he is probably used to doing in his private life? I hope one of the new House Democratic committee chairmen does subpoena the translators to testify in closed session to find out more about these secretive meetings, although that would doubtless be challenged by the White House. Although William Barr will probably be confirmed as the new AG, he has hedged several times during his senate confirmation hearing about whether the entire Mueller report will be made public, which is concerning. Although we can’t wait to see that report, it may be better if that doesn’t happen before some of the impending new House investigations can make some headway and hopefully come up with some embarrassing and/or incriminating findings!