Perimeters/Parameters. See yesterday's Comments.
~~~ Mohamad El Chamaa, et al., of the Washington Post: “Iran rejected ... Donald Trump’s claim that negotiations to end the war would start Monday, which the president made on Sunday after saying he had called off 'the biggest attack since WWII.' Trump had promised the discussions would start Monday afternoon. But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that Iran had no plans to send or receive any negotiating delegations.... Trump officials have said in recent weeks that they were talking to Tehran behind the scenes even as attacks continued, assertions that Iran has repeatedly denied. Regional mediators have said they were passing messages between them.... Iranian officials said Sunday they were close to finalizing a deal with Oman to reopen passage through the Strait of Hormuz.... Baqaei said in an interview carried on state television that 'under no circumstance will the Strait of Hormuz return to the situation before the war.'” ~~~
~~~ See also this story by the Guardian & agencies. ~~~
~~~ Erika Solomon of the New York Times: “When ... [Donald] Trump appeared to back down once again from a threatened military escalation against Tehran, he offered fresh fodder to the narrative Iranian officials are eager to promote: They are not the ones who fear war — Mr. Trump is.... With the help of regional militia allies, Tehran spent the past week underscoring its ability to threaten several of the world’s most critical energy facilities and waterways. It has continued to up the ante in its face-off with Washington over when and how to stop their renewed hostilities and return to a short-lived deal to start peace negotiations, which fell apart last month.... There are no outward signs of any return to U.S.-Iranian negotiations. What does appear to have happened is that Saudi Arabia and Qatar expressed concerns over their ability to adequately defend their oil and gas facilities, according to two regional diplomats.” The link is a gift link. ~~~
~~~ Kaia Hubbard of CBS News: "Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona said on Sunday that the Trump administration is 'flailing' in its war with Iran.... 'They're stuck, they're responsible for this, and the president is the one that has to try to figure out a way out of this, Kelly said on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.'... 'I would suggest to him, though, that the solution is not to do the same thing that he's been doing — not to have his real estate buddy and his son-in-law in charge of a negotiation.... To put some people in here that know how to do this, how to talk to the Iranians, and put a coalition together, bring our allies back together,' the Arizona Democrat said....
"Kelly, who sits on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees, also voiced concerns about the Pentagon's funding requests, as the Trump administration pushes for $67 billion in supplemental funding and a broader $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2027. The Arizona senator referenced last year's defense budget, which he said 'was sold to us as a one-time generational investment in the department.... In my view, they squandered that,' Kelly said. 'Now they're coming and they're asking for 1.5 trillion, plus a supplemental. We're approaching the amount of money that every other country on the planet spends on defense in a year. This is irresponsible, and now they want a blank check.'" ~~~
~~~ David French of the New York Times takes a look at how serious the Iran War debacle is. A new world war “is more possible now than it has been at any time since the end of the Cold War, and the American government is led by the worst rulers in the modern history of the United States. Congress, the only branch of government that possesses the power to intervene, has been prostrate before the president.... The initial American strategy failed, the war with Iran is consuming the entire region, Iran and Ukraine are risking a face-off, there is evidence that both Russia and China are escalating their military commitments, American munitions stocks are dwindling and Trump is raging.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Everyone, including French himself, wants to believe that French is wrong. But let's face it: the "decider" does not have the mental capacity and temperament to get the pool painted. You think he can manage a multi-faceted, constantly-moving war? With Drunk Pete at his side? ~~~
Cheryl Rofer in LG&$: "Donald Trump has no idea of what to do. He has had no clear aims throughout, because his original purpose was to take over Iran the way he did Venezuela. Everything he has said since then about objectives has been backfill to justify having the military there. He orders bombing, and then, in response to something, he calls it off. It would be good to know what that something is, and it’s possible that people closer to him know what it is. Because it’s time for the Senate Republican leadership to make a visit to the White House, as the leadership did to Richard Nixon. End the war or be impeached." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Get real. Yeah, sure there are parallels between the Nixon & Trump administrations. (See, for instance, Blanche & Mitchell, mentioned below.) But there are few parallels between Senate Republicans of 1974 and 2026, other than they sit at most of the same desks when they come to work.
These adverse effects are intentional and inherent in the design of the
arch; it is intended to dominate the surrounding landscape. -- Roger
W. Kirchen, Virginia Historic Preservation Officer, June
letter to the Park Service ~~~
This Too Shall Fade.
~~~ Arts of War Statues Get a $5MM No-Bid Replating. Matt Viser, now of the Atlantic: “When you approach the freshly gilded twin
statues near the Lincoln Memorial, there is no mistaking that they are gold. Very, very gold. Distractingly gold — or, more precisely, covered in
23.75-karat gold leaf costing $5.1 million. The 19-foot statues, called
The Arts of War, were once easy to miss but now look a bit
like oversized children’s trophies, especially next to the classical and
austere Lincoln Memorial.... This is how ... [Donald] Trump is approaching his redecoration
of Washington: glitzy and gaudy, even if out of place. He has already
splashed gold all around the White House, but these statues are the most
prominent symbols of Washington’s new gilded age.... [Trump is] flaunt[ing his gold-plated war statues] ... at a time when many
Americans are struggling to pay rent, losing their health insurance, and
seeing high prices at the gas pump.... Federal officials did not seek competitive bids for the work on the statues, bypassing the typical process and awarding a contract in April for $5.1 million.” Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link.
Are We Surprised? We Are Not. Michael Gold, et al., of the New York Times: “Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, confirmed in writing on Sunday night that the Justice Department would abandon elements of the deal it struck with ... [Donald] Trump to resolve his lawsuit against the I.R.S., conceding to demands from Republican senators who had threatened to block his nomination as attorney general.... Mr. Blanche posted two documents on social media on Sunday night: a signed memo in which he said that the Justice Department was formally rescinding an order that created the so-called 'anti-weaponization fund' and an unsigned statement in which the Justice Department clarified the terms of the I.R.S. protections.... Mr. Blanche posted a second statement saying that only Mr. Trump, two of his sons and the Trump Organization would be immune from audits, excluding a broader pool of Trump family members and their associates who appeared to be eligible for protection under the original Justice Department deal. Mr. Blanche also stipulated that their future tax returns could still be audited — another one of [Sen. John] Cornyn’s demands. Still, even in its new form, Mr. Blanche’s order for the I.R.S. to abandon any audits of Mr. Trump’s previous tax returns is an unprecedented and potentially illegal benefit to a sitting president, worth potentially tens of millions of dollars in lower taxes and avoided penalties.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) Politico's report is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Bear in mind, too, that there is another source of funding for Trump's friends, and he and his administration have been using it. This is an extremely weak "concession." It looks as if Todd Blanche --whose name, Patrick pointed out yesterday, means "White Death" (in German [Todd] and French [Blanche]) -- is on his way to becoming the Worst Attorney General in U.S. History, edging out Watergate's John Mitchell, who went to jail for conspiracy, obstruction of justice & perjury. Think about it. It would be easy to make the case against Blanche for each one of those crimes. These agreements in Trump v. Trump are hardly the only matters disqualifying Blanche. Let us not forget Blanche's willingness to bring retributive false charges against Trump's perceived "enemies" (i.e., anyone who even suggests s/he might disagree with Trump)-- Jim Comey, Letitia James, Lisa Cook, six Members of Congress, Olympics Pool Guy, Sandwich Guy, etc. -- to coddle Trump's criminal child-abuser friend Ghislaine Maxwell, to forget about freedom of the press by subpoeanaing NYT & WashPo reporters' (and their families'!) records and perhaps a half dozen (is my estimate too modest?) other lapses.
Joe DePaolo of Mediaite: “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. melted down and berated CNN’s Dana Bash in a wild brawl over Dr. Anthony Fauci..., Donald Trump, and vaccines. In a marathon battle on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, the HHS Secretary — a years-long Fauci critic who has ramped up his attacks in recent days — defended Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic despite the fact that Trump kept Fauci in a position of power.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death. Cheyanne Daniels of Politico: “Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. clashed with CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday, launching attacks against Anthony Fauci and arguing that protecting constitutional rights must take priority during future public health crises. During an appearance on 'State of the Union,' ... Kennedy argued that Fauci, who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the Covid-19 pandemic, was to blame for the millions of Americans who were sickened or killed by the respiratory virus.” Oh, read on. Even though he famously has spread false claims about the dangers of vaccines, RFKJ even blames the current measles outbreak -- largely caused by lower rates of vaccination -- on Fauci and Covid lockdowns. MB: The entire Trump administration is just one big Club for Narcissists & Reality Denialism. Is there a secret handshake?
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: Eighty-five-year-old Dr. Anthony Fauci, “once the head of the government’s covid response, now faces mounting congressional threats and legal risks.... [Last] Monday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime Fauci foe, bragged about his department’s months-long efforts to scour 11 government servers to reassemble Fauci’s diary and turn it over to [Sen. Rand] Paul [R-Ky]. On Wednesday, Fauci faced hours of questions from Paul and fellow Republican senators at a congressional hearing Fauci and his allies believe was designed to entrap him.... Donald Trump, who said he watched the 'whole thing,' criticized Fauci after the hearing but sidestepped questions about whether he should be prosecuted.... The pressure on Fauci ... is intensifying. More lawmakers are preparing to challenge him. Paparazzi lurk outside his door, and death threats persist. Clips of Fauci refusing to answer questions have become memes, sparking jokes on ESPN and mockery in conservative media.”
Jennifer Scholtes & Katherine Tully-McManus of Politico: “Senate appropriators released text Sunday of a stopgap funding bill to avert a shutdown come Oct. 1 and punt broader government funding negotiations until after the midterms. Under the bipartisan plan, federal agencies would be funded through Dec. 11 at current levels, with some exceptions. Senate leaders have set an initial procedural vote for Monday night and want to pass the bill by the end of the week — just before senators are scheduled to leave town for a five-week recess.” ~~~
~~~ Riley Beggin, et al., of the Washington Post: “Senate Republican leaders unveiled a spending bill Sunday that would temporarily block ... Donald Trump from implementing a rule change that would give political appointees sweeping power over hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants. The provision was tucked into a bipartisan measure to fund the government through Dec. 11 that was negotiated by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and reviewed by other Senate GOP leaders. It marks another notable rebuke of the president by senators from his own party. In a statement, Collins said she is 'pleased' the provision was included in the spending agreement. She also said the White House rule change has the 'potential to politicize grants and harm small, rural communities, families, and biomedical research.'” The bill would block implementation of the rule only until December 11. ~~~
~~~ Marie: So here is Susan Collins, in a tight election race and showing off how she stands up to Donald Trump. But it turns out her "brave stance" works for only a short period between October 1 -- when the rule is now scheduled to go into effect -- and December 11, making it largely meaningless. Collins' trademark "concern" is good for only about a two-month delay of Trump's takeover of grants for scientific research and other programs.
Annie Karni of the New York Times: “Senator Bernie Moreno, Republican of Ohio, broke his silence on Sunday about a yearslong family struggle involving domestic abuse allegations against his former son-in-law, Representative Max Miller of Ohio, saying in an emotional statement that Mr. Miller was not fit to hold public office. Mr. Moreno, saying the dispute had put his family through 'pure hell,' scathingly denounced Mr. Miller, whose ex-wife, Emily Moreno, has accused him of abusing her and their 2-year-old daughter. 'If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them, Mr. Moreno wrote in a post on X. He added: I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter.' He continued: 'He should not serve in the House of Representatives. I believe Max Miller needs to seek professional help to end the clear pattern of abuse he has left in his wake. I believe he should not be free to continue endangering others until he does.'
“The senator issued his statement in reaction to an earlier, defiant livestream on Sunday by Mr. Miller, who is seeking re-election. He denied the accusations and vowed that he was 'not getting out of this race.'... In a roughly 20-minute livestream, Mr. Miller categorically denied all the accusations that Ms. Moreno has leveled at him in court. He also claimed that she had 'significant mental health challenges,' without offering any evidence.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Jennifer Bahney of Mediaite adds to the Times report. For instance, “[Bernie] Moreno initially said 'I don’t know,' when asked by a reporter if Miller was fit to stand for reelection.” (Also linked yesterday.) The NBC News report is here. Miller himself wonders why his ex-father-in-law took two years to denounce him. The July 18 report by "
~~~~~~~~~~
Idaho. Audra Burch & Bernard Mokam of the New York Times: “The gunman who fired into a busy In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday, sending customers scurrying for cover in the restaurant and behind cars in the parking lot, was a 24-year-old man who acted alone, the authorities said on Sunday. At least three people were killed and seven others wounded. The afternoon rampage, the authorities said, might have been worse if not for the 'heroic action' of an off-duty state trooper and a private citizen who returned fire and slowed the gunman. 'We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties, the Twin Falls police chief, Matthew Hicks, said during a brief news conference Sunday. Chief Hicks identified the gunman as Chad Williams and said that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot, but offered no other details....” The link is a gift link.
Montana. Kyle Melnick of the Washington Post: Fourteen-year-old Jory Thomas “was at a campsite with his family in Greycliff, Montana, when he looked up and saw that a small boat and paddleboard had capsized after striking a bridge [across the Yellowstone River].Three people were swimming toward shore, but one man was drifting downstream clinging to a gray cooler.... Jory sprinted across the riverbank with his lariat in hand while his father called 911. Jory ran into chest-deep water, soaking his boots, jeans and shirt. When he was about 10 feet from the drowning man, Jory circled his lariat above his head and tossed it toward him. On his first try, Jory said, he caught the man around his head and arm. Jory said he tied the lariat around his belt buckle and started walking backward to pull the man from the water — which was about 10 feet deep — to shore.”
Ohio. Alexandra Marquez of NBC News: "Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries following a hit-and-run car crash Sunday morning, representatives for the Toledo Police Department and her congressional office confirmed to NBC News.... Kaptur, 80, is one of the longest-serving members of Congress. She first won election to her seat in Ohio’s 9th District in 1982 and was sworn in the following year. Kaptur’s district, which ... Donald Trump won in 2020 and 2024, is routinely a top target for Republicans. She is running for re-election and eked out victory in 2024 by less than 1 percentage point."
Washington State. Christina Morales of the New York Times: “In what authorities have described as the largest natural disaster in the history of Spokane County, Wash., wildfires have destroyed hundreds of structures and forced the evacuation of some 60,000 people as firefighters continued their efforts to knock back and control several blazes in the area. On Sunday, nearly 1,000 firefighters were combating at least three wildfires that ballooned over the weekend in Spokane, which is home to about 600,000 residents. More than 5,390 acres of land have been scorched and officials said there was no containment of the fires on Sunday afternoon. Officials said at a news conference on Sunday that there were no reported deaths, injuries or missing people as a result of the fires, but cautioned that those figures could change. Authorities also said that they were still investigating the cause.” The link is a gift link.
12 comments:
Anne Applebaum, for The Atlantic, has seen this before
"Mostly young, mostly male Moroccans crawling onto beaches, climbing hills, scaling walls, jumping over fences, surging past police in order to get into Europe: The photographs and videos that emerged from Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, on July 29 and 30 looked very much like migrant-terror videos, deliberately designed to be broadcast by the international far right. So closely did this incident resemble the “invasion” that MAGA and its European friends have long said is under way that it was hard not to suspect that it had been orchestrated."
David Frum, for The Atlantic, remembers the COVID years and <a href='https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/07/fauci-senate-diary-rand-paul/688135/?gift=ASs7QbK4n-swQG2gZqzCvnVV6kbg-rsHMZ-SufQ3Dys&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share">Trump’s deadly dereliction of duty</a>
"One thing that people should keep in mind, however, is that Fauci was thrust into his pandemic-leadership role because of Trump’s shameful and deadly dereliction of duty. Trump’s record of dishonesty, callousness, and selfishness during the pandemic is a documented reality. The imputations against Fauci are mostly fantasies.
No mistakes by blue America or by the scientific community begin to compare with the brutal indifference to the well-being of Americans—and the betrayal of their own cruelly deceived supporters—that disgraced MAGA and the broader right wing in the pandemic years. Their consciences should be heavy. They seek now to transfer their own burden of guilt onto Fauci. The reckoning is a lie. The transfer is a fraud."
Link ^ fixed Trump’s deadly dereliction of duty
Politico asks MAGA if they would vote for a Republican if they... the answer is Yes.
86 47
McSweeneys
"Obey In Advance: How to Survive and Thrive Under Authoritarianism
The Democratic Party needs to take back our country. After losing in a landslide by 1.5 percent of the vote in 2024, it was clear the party had completely lost touch with everyday Americans. Now there is only one solution: we must win back voters by becoming Republicans.
If the election told us one thing, it’s that, across the board, the American people like Republican policies more than they like Democratic policies. That’s why we must head in the same direction the Republican Party is heading—towards a Christian ethnonationalist, crony capitalist state. Turns out, that’s what our base wanted all along.
Think of the voter ideological spectrum as a beach, and each political party as a beach-chair rental hut. If the Republican chair rental hut is over on the far right side of the beach, then all we, as Democrats, have to do is park our chair rental hut a little to the left of their hut, and we’ll capture the entire left side of the voter beach."
"WHY ISN'T DAVID HEARN THE MAIN CHARACTER IN THE REFLECTING POOL STORY?
But it's hard to get the media to care when there a story doesn't include Beltway boldface names. The press is paying very little attention to Texas defendants who were sentenced to decades in prison in connection with a shooting that wounded a cop at an anti-ICE demonstration in Texas. Not only was the shooter sentenced to 100 years in prison, but others who attended the demonstration yet had no connection to the shooting received sentences of 50 years, and one defendant who wasn't even present for the shooting was sentenced to 30 years. The East Coast press doesn't care."
"John Oliver discusses the tools police are using to keep track of civilians"
Funny in'it? Fatty sez "DEAL! We have a deal!" But as soon as the digital ink is dry on his anti-social media posts, Iran announces " NO DEAL" (it's like that game show only with two liars as the only contestants).
Iran LOVES to stick it to Fat Hitler and, he being a moron, falls for it every time. Of course he is desperate to find an off-ramp to his War of Stupidity so he can declare VICTORY! And go bomb somewhere else, preferably some country that can't fight back, maybe Cuba. He is a supreme punch-down bully.
But here we have Fatty going up against a bunch of people who are just as untrustworthy and sleazy as he is. Iran doesn't give a shit about ending the war. Every day it goes on, they get stronger. Their power internally increases as they strengthen their control of whatever dissidents still have their heads above water, and they continue to create chaos in the Middle East by bombing their neighbors, just to keep the crazy going and make sure Trump can't relax.
I'm reminded of that scene in "The Sting" where the gangster is pissed, after a card game he loses, because the other guy cheats better than he does. Fatty's not used to anyone playing the same bullshit game he plays. Plus, the Iranians are far better with the AI slop and the online influencing, because they have pros working that side of the street. Fatty has his ex-caddie and ass-kissing flunky, Dan Bongino. No contest there.
I'm guessing there's been more ketchup on the walls lately, and every time the Orange Monster says "go", the Iranians, just for fun, will say "no".
Now someone with serious diplomatic and realpolitik chops could figure a way out of this, but as usual with Fat Hitler, the best way out is not to go in in the first place, but he's too much of a child for that sort of logic to prevail.
Nonetheless, the Iranians have his fat fuck on a leash and they're gonna keep tugging on it as long as they like and until they get what they want. Fatty, will get nothing. He won't even be able to convince anyone that when it's finally over, he is the supreme winner.
He's a loser. But so are we with a mental defective and five year old narcissist at the controls.
"Same Guy. Even more energy now!"
Busy weekend working on the people's business, lol . No he was cheating at golf on one of his courses again.
"Trump denigrates fellow golfers as lacking ‘talent’ as he boasts about winning trophy on his own course
Like last year, the president posted on Truth Social announcing he won a club championship trophy at his own golf club in New Jersey"
Those documents Blanche faxed over are just like the grants deal Collins just touted, it'll last for about two months before they rename it and we will all be back where we were the day before.
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