Today in Heightened Contradiction:
Corruption and stupidity are no way to go through life, but Prexy Dennison manages to fool some of the people all of the time. And he did want Putin to be his BFF, but why is he so submissive for such a tough guy.
The real danger is his basic stupidity about government and greater stupidity about economics, as if he could have “the best people” around him and yet he winds up with rank cronyism.
Worse is his rather naked manipulation of media leaks and then using his press operation to complain about it. Low-rent disinformation and simple dickishness.
But then that’s what the GOP continues to support — features, not bugs.
More interesting is any flack who would even repeat the financial “red-line” meme, since Biglygate has gone way past threats against his financial holdings. The real story could lie in the Don Jr. prosecution. The Trump brand will forever be a red flag rather than any red line, and really more about red ink.
But according to White House chief of staff John Kelly, those stories are coming directly from Trump.
Kelly held an off-the-record briefing with reporters, but excluded Axios, which then was under no obligation to keep his name out the story.
Axios reported that according to Kelly, “his boss, Donald Trump, is likely speculating about staff moves to people outside the White House and that reporters are then talking to those people.” Further, “a good deal of the news” about possible replacements can be attributed to Trump.
In other words, Trump is creating the news and then sending his press secretary to attack journalists for reporting what he’s telling them.
OTOH, CoS Kelly has his own amusements...
The reporters were there with senior White House officials for an off-the-record meeting with Kelly, who was attempting to tamp down speculation about an impending administration staff purge. The Daily Beast was not invited, but was briefed on its contents by three sources with knowledge of the meeting.
According to those sources, Kelly recounted a very awkward conversation with Tillerson during which he informed the secretary that President Donald Trump would very likely soon fire him. The awkwardness was less a result of the contents of the conversation than its setting.
Tillerson, Kelly told the room, was suffering from a stomach bug during a diplomatic swing through Africa, and was using a toilet when Kelly broke the news to him.
Sources were stunned that, even in an off-record setting, Kelly would say this—to a room filled with White House officials and political reporters—about Tillerson, who does not officially leave the State Department until the end of the month.
What a fun bunch...
The Trump administration has launched a commission at the Interior Department to promote big-game trophy hunting and the “economic benefits that result from US citizens traveling to foreign nations to engage in hunting.” The council, which will cost taxpayers $250,000 a year, is charged with making recommendations to Secretary Ryan Zinke about removing barriers to importing trophy hunting animals—such as the recently overturned ban on elephant and lion trophies from some countries—and relaxing legal restrictions on hunting and importing endangered species.
The members of the International Wildlife Conservation Council, which is holding its first meeting Friday, include a reality-TV safari hunting guide, a former beauty queen, gun industry representatives, members and affiliates of a controversial trophy hunting group, and a veterinarian associated with an exotic animal breeding facility in Florida that sells endangered animals to roadside zoos.