Friday, August 4, 2017

Sometimes a TrumpWorld Grab-Bag is Grand!


Taking notice of the weird relationship between Russia and the current US Administration requires a particular understanding that Russia did not prefer Trump because he was good for the US and would make America any better--it was specifically because a compromised, narcissistic political neophyte as US leader would work to their advantage. Trump is not a fabulous deal-maker with a lot of knowledge about the world, as evidenced by the released transcripts of his peculiar calls with the leaders of Mexico and Australia. A supposedly great deal-maker whined to Peña Nieto that his failure to help Trump out with his wall promise was something he couldn't live with (desperate and nonsensical--sad!) and told Trumbull that taking in refugees made him look bad, while somehow failing to understand that refugees come to Australia largely by boat because it's an island, how economic refugees are probably not even bad guys, or where the Boston Bombers were even from. 

Trump had to sign a veto-proof sanctions bill, but he also tried to undermine it with statements, one which was obviously written by someone else, and one written by himself. But this isn't good enough for Russia for some reason. Russian Prime Minister Medvedev used some pretty harsh language on Twitter, calling Trump "weak", "outwitted" and described his political hamstringing as "humiliating". So Trump in turn shot back at--US Congress. The Republican-led Congress of his country.  Because they couldn't even take away health care from millions of American people with a very unpopular bill, and also felt like they had to punish Russia for all the hacking--both votes which should make sense to Trump if he really was paying attention, but, um. No.

Trump should want to live up to his campaign promise of making health care better, if he ever meant that. He should care that Russia has had an ongoing plan to interfere with our elections--regardless of who the ultimate beneficiary is, instead of worrying about whether he has flexibility (which should include leverage--we have sanctions as a leverage on Putin--it really should be up to Putin to figure out what we want to get 'em lifted, not the other way around).  But this is more of his weird failure to not act like someone beholden to a foreign state. 

This is why the news that Robert Mueller has impanelled a grand jury feels significant. The Russia probe has moved beyond Mike Flynn and probably onto things Trump et als have done since taking office (especially in the obstructing of justice way), but also with a hard dive into the area Trump specifically preferred was not touched--his finances. And probably Trump Jr's weird meeting. 

But you know, speaking of both Mike Flynn and finances, the erstwhile NSA recently updated his public financial statement to include some income consulting for Cambridge Analytica. Yeah--Cambridge Analytica.  The guys Steve Bannon was running with.   The Mercers' outfit.

I feel like we've rounded a corner here, but this TrumpWorld thing has lots of corners, some of them very sharp!

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