Locked And Loaded? Really?

Ken AshfordNorth Korea, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

“Locked and loaded”?  This macho shit is insane. I don’t even know what that means. LATE UPDATE FROM AN AFTERNOON PRESS CONFERENCE: Trump says "it's pretty obvious" what "locked and loaded" means. "Those words are very very easy to understand." — Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) August 11, 2017 Look, giving Trump credit which he doesn’t deserve, he COULD be acting that … Read More

Don’t Let Trump Read This

Ken AshfordNorth Korea, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

It’s now becoming routine — Trump’s advisers have to walk back his off-the-cuff statements… this time to avert war. From Jon Chait: The New York Times has much more detail. Trump improvised his threat without advance consultation with his advisers, none of whom support it. The paper he was holding when he made the statement was about the opioid crisis. Trump “was in … Read More

Interesting Poll Numbers From North Carolina — Trump Underwater

Ken AshfordCongress, Democrats, Local Interest, Polls, Republicans, Trump & Administration, Voter Suppression & Voter SecurityLeave a Comment

From PPP: PPP’s new North Carolina poll finds strong, bipartisan opposition to cuts the General Assembly has made to the budget of the North Carolina Department of Justice. Only 18% of voters support the 10 million dollars in cuts that have been made, to 60% who say they are opposed to them. This opposition is shared by independents (9/68), Democrats … Read More

You Say You Want A Revolution?

Ken AshfordCulture & Education & Religion, Random MusingsLeave a Comment

Well, what do you even MEAN by the word “revolution”? It’s often said that reformists are former revolutionaries who simply got old, tired and beaten down. Maybe.  But reformists get things done and actually bring about social change.  After all, revolutionaries tend to gripe about the problem (terrible society) and the process to change that problem (revolution), but always fall … Read More

Fire and Fury

Ken AshfordNorth Korea, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen. He has been very threatening beyond a normal state. And as I said they will be met with fire, fury, and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before. Trump … Read More

Will The Attorney General’s Investigation Into Leaks Snare Trump And Fox News?

Ken AshfordNorth Korea, Right Wing and Inept Media, Trump & Administration, White House SecrecyLeave a Comment

Here is a tweet from Fox News this morning at 5:30 a.m.: U.S. spy satellites detect North Korea moving anti-ship cruise missiles to patrol boat https://t.co/BPFXsLffgy — FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) August 8, 2017 By the way, that’s some serious shit, but let’s set aside the content and just note that Fox & Friends linked to a Fox News site … Read More

Trump’s Vacation Doesn’t Stop The Tweets (and Leaks)

Ken AshfordL'Affaire Russe, Trump & Administration, White House SecrecyLeave a Comment

Nine tweets so far today from Trump — several attacking the “failing” New York Times for an article about 2020 Republicans contenders against Trump, a few trying to reassure everyone that he is actually “working” on his vacation, and this… … which seems to unintentionally confirm that there was… collusion?  Ah well. Why did Trump go after Blumenthal? Probably this: … Read More

Breaking: Mueller Empanels DC Grand Jury

Ken AshfordCourts/Law, Crime, L'Affaire Russe, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

In a piece by Del Quentin Wilber and Byron Tau of the Wall Street Journal, just published: Special Counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury in Washington to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections, a sign that his inquiry is growing in intensity and entering a new phase, according to two people familiar with the matter. The grand jury, which began … Read More

Document Dump: Protecting Mueller

Ken AshfordCourts/Law, L'Affaire Russe, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

This bill — from Sens. Lindsey Graham, Cory Booker, Sheldon Whitehouse and Richard Blumenthal — us actually one of two bipartisan bills designed to protect the special counsel from removal by the President or Attorney General. The other bill — by Sens. Thom Tillis and Chris Coons (both on the Senate Judiciary Committee) — does essentially the same thing: it says … Read More

The “Fake News” Is Coming From Inside The (White) House

Ken AshfordClinton Email Faux Scandal, Fake News, L'Affaire Russe, Trump & Administration2 Comments

I have avoided writing about the Seth Rich conspiracy theory being propped up by Fox. It was just too disgusting. But now it has political, rather than journalistic, implications. Seth Rich was murdered in Washington, D.C. in July 2016 in what police describe as a botched robbery attempt. But the conspiracy-lovin’ right-wing manipulation machine, sensing intrigue — he was MURDERED! — used … Read More