6/4 “‘Make America Great Again’ shouldn’t mean ‘Make America 1929 Again.’”
The steel industry and steel workers union, the auto industry, U.S. allies, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and even Republicans decried the trade war Donald started with the EU, Mexico, and Canada, the effects of which will likely hit red states the hardest. As Republican senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska said, “‘Make America Great Again’ shouldn’t mean ‘Make America 1929 Again.’”
Even Mitch McConnell spoke out against Donald’s actions—which I think is the seventh sign. But seriously, pay attention to how many headlines very recently show members of the GOP speaking out against Donald—this could be the beginning of a turning tide (finally).
And John Brennan, former head of the CIA under both Bushes, Clinton, and Obama, says he will continue speaking out against the current president “until integrity, decency, wisdom—and maybe even some humility—return to the White House.”
Russia
Donald continues his attacks against Mueller and the FBI investigation into Russia’s interference in our 2016 election with the intent to help Donald get elected—but without the concerted GOP abetting he’s been enjoying previously. On FOX News, when one of his pet commentators, Andrew Napolitano, stated that Don John’s claims that the FBI embedded a spy in his campaign “appear to be baseless.”“There is no evidence for that whatsoever,” Napolitano said. The fact that the FBI source spoke with “people on the periphery of the campaign,” he said, “is standard operating procedure in intelligence gathering and in criminal investigations.”
Little by little, the GOP seems to finally have found some modicum of spine to begin to stand up to Donald’s abuses of office. Rep. Trey Gowdy, a frequent Trump toady and member of the House Intelligence Committee who attended a classified Justice Department briefing last week on the FBI’s use of the confidential source, defended the investigation and its use of an informant: “I am even more convinced that the FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do.” He later rebuked Donny for repeatedly using the word “spy.” And Shepard Smith, one of the few consistent voices of fact and reason at FOX, dismissed Donald’s attacks and accusations that Mueller will be “meddling” in the midterms as “conspiracy theories” and “unfounded, not based in fact or reason, with no evidence to support them.”
Even Donald’s own lawyer, the mouth-hemorrhaging Rudy Giuliani, admitted that Donny’s attacks were a PR campaign meant only “for public opinion” and to try to fend off impeachment.
Meanwhile, better go pop your popcorn: Mueller’s investigation is just about to receive more than a million files from Donny’s attorney Michael Cohen’s phones.
“Draining the Swamp”
Eric Greitans, the Missouri governor under ethics investigation for sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations who tried to “witch-hunt” out the allegations, Trump-style, resigned Tuesday.
Two more GOP lawmakers have announced they will not seek reelection—bringing the total so far since Donny’s tenure to more than 40, if you’re wondering. Rep. Thomas Garrett of VA says he is an alcoholic and is quitting for personal reasons, and Rep Ryan Costello of PA says he’s leaving because “all I do is answer questions about Donald Trump.”
Scott Pruitt spent more than three thousand taxpayer dollars on 12 custom pens and some stationery.
Republicans Against the Law
Donald’s been busy rolling back protections for federal employees, but they’re fighting back: The largest federal employee union is suing Donald’s administration over his latest executive order limiting the time employees can spend on union activity. The suit says the order violates employees’ constitutional right to freedom of association (First Amendment).
Two Texas Hispanic groups are suing Donald’s administration to block the citizenship question being proposed for the 2020 census.
An army sergeant is suing the Defense Department over “outdated” rules about HIV that stifle the careers of military personnel with the disease.
Gun Reform
A large majority of both gun owners and non gun owners (4 out of 5) favor stronger regulations on gun purchases and ownership, according to a new survey by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.
Horrified parents and activists protested a video game manufacturer over the planned release of a first-person shooter game that featured a shooter with an AK-47 at a school. The company scrapped the game and ended their relationship with the developer.
Health Care
The Republican-led Virginia legislature voted to expand Medicaid in that state under the Affordable Care Act, expanding health-care coverage to around 400,000 low-income residents.
Instant Karma
This is a new section heading I hope to be needing more often.
After Roseanne Barr’s latest offensive comment—this one an appalling racist remark about a former Obama senior adviser, following aTuesday-morning rant of conspiracy theories and fact-free attacks on others, including Chelsea Clinton—ABC almost immediately canceled the show Roseanne despite its success in viewership and having previously decided to renew it for a second season. ABC Entertainment’s president said “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.” The decision came fast on the heels of public furor against the show’s star for her offensive remarks, and after writer/producer/actor Wanda Sykes, one of the show’s producers, summarily quit with the tweet, “I will not be returning to @RoseanneonABC.” Roseanne later blamed Sykes, her fellow cast members, and Ambien for her downfall; Ambien released an official statement that racism was not a known side effect of the drug. Barr’s own longtime producing partner publicly supported ABC’s actions and stated that he hopes Roseanne “seeks the help she so clearly needs.”
A Florida police officer posted a Facebook comment that implied he hoped Parkland survivor David Hogg and other activists would be run over by a car in the parking lot of a Publix where Hogg had organized a “die-in” to protest the company’s NRA donations. The Coconut Creek police department is referring the officer for unspecified disciplinary action.
Rudy Giuliani got booed by the crowd while attending a ball game at Yankee Stadium.
Your Feel-good Story of the Week
A retired English teacher wrote to the current administration after the Parkland shooting, asking the White House to do something about gun reform. She received a letter from Donald riddled with errors—so she corrected and returned it.
In an atmosphere of school shootings, budget cuts in education, and Betsy DeVos, teachers are running for office in unprecedented numbers.