What has perhaps gotten the most headlines for this story is the "red flag" for former Nebraska Secretary of State Kris Kobach who was being vetted as the possible head of the Department of Homeland Security.  The concern here was that Mr. Kobach might have a "political vulnerability" of -- white supremacist.  To be clear, the Trump administration thought that white supremacy was a "political vulnerability"...not a human decency vulnerability.

The good news is that Kris Kobach was not named Secretary of DHS.  Left of of the article was the bad news -- the Trump administration did hire Kobach.  They made him vice-chairman of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.  He served under Vice President Pence who was chairman, but is practice was the committee's "operational leader."

So, that means a man the Trump administration believed had a political vulnerability with white supremacy ran the presidential committee of election integrity.  Given the Mueller Report finding of multiple instances of Trump team contacts with Russia, turning a blind eye to Russian actions and happily accepting the efforts of Russia to cyberattack the U.S. on behalf of Trump (also known as...say it all together -- "collusion"), the bitter irony of this is not lost on sentient human beings.

If you're like to read Axios's own article on the story, including the posting of numerous of the document, you can read it here 

And this is a three-minute segment of the broadcast where they show a blunt Chris Christie the vetting material on himself before he was fired.
​

This editorial caught my eye yesterday.  It's a blunt takedown of the Republican Party, noting that "Republicans in Congress surrender their duty, their power and their part in defending American democracy."  And they single out Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).  Why this stands out is because the paper is Salt Lake Triibune, from the very Red state of Utah.

The editorial isn't very long, but it's pointed and angry.  You can read the whole thing here.

After last year's event, the  White House Correspondents organization kowtowed to Trump and decided not to get a comedian this year because, well, gee, comedians are so mean and it’s so divisive.
 
Meanwhile, Trump still didn’t show up and ordered those on his administration staff not to show up.
 
Instead they got historian Ron Chernow.
 
And Chernow was…masterful.  Often as funny as a comedian.  Often as scathing.  And overloaded with rich substance based on historical reality.

What was interesting was reading comments about his speech on YouTube from people marveling at this guy they didn’t know – unaware that he was the person wrote the Alexander Hamilton biography that Lin-Manuel Miranda based his musical on.  I haven't read that, but did read his biography of George Washington which was wonderful.

If you didn't see Chernow's speech, here it is.  It's about 25 minutes and eminently watchable.  Often very funny, as I said, and even self-effacing, but mostly about the historic relationship between the press and President, filled with fun and fascinating stories to support his points.  He's blunt and charming, and what's interesting, as well, is seeing the people there who clearly do not like his bluntness.  But he speaks with a gravitas that gives it all so much more more support.

Often Rachel Maddow has thoughtful, insightful interview that go deep into substance, among the most thoughtful and in-depth on TV, although occasionally they're cheery puffery. I found her conversation last night with Pete Buttigieg to be personable but empty, bordering on just giddy generality, coming close to cheerleading. And perhaps most surprising is that it took over most of the show when there was not only actual news, but news that was serious and important.

Someone wrote me on social media that they found it engaging and thought the personal connection between the two was palpable. He say "there will be time for policy chats in future discussions. For now I am glad they met and let us share the experience of that first meeting."

It was very engaging.  And absolutely charming.  No question.  It was also (to me) empty generalities and took up almost the whole show. Personally, I don't care one whit when journalists meet subjects for the first time (something Ms. Maddow made a Big Deal about). And I do care to hear specifics not just the first time, but every time, most particularly when they're running for President of the United States.  It was a very charming interview -- but Trump won by charming his base.  Speaking just personally, I want details. We could have had a couple minutes of charm and the rest finding out about why Pete Buttigieg thinks he should be president.  I am absolutely fine with people enjoying the interview -- it was very pleasant.  My quibble is that Ms. Maddow is a better interviewer than that. 

Today, the United States officially declared Iran's Revolutionary Guard a "Terrorist Organization." Why this is a Big Deal is related to what longtime readers of these pages might remember.

Back in 2017, I wrote about a brilliant article in the New Yorker by Adam Davidson about a bizarre Trump hotel deal in Azerbaijan that made no sense, except for it being about money laundering, and seemingly having connections with... (say it all together now) Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

If you haven't read that New Yorker artlcle by Davidson, it's tremendous -- albeit very long (though you can probably skim through a few parts if the spirit moves you), and can read it here.

For a much shorter summary of Davidson's New Yorker article and earlier reporting on the subject by Kurt Eichenwald, here's a story today from RawStory about the history of it all, and its connection to the current, Trump terrorist-designation news.

Hey, we tries nots to steers ya wrong...

Here's how whirlwind the news is these days.  About 10 days ago, I wrote here that I had another column planned, but some major news broke, so I put the story on hold.  That story that broke, by the way, was Attorney General William Barr releasing his summary/not summary let on the Mueller Report.  And since that day, the stories have just come flying off the shelves, and that original article has been pushed back so far that -- even though it's just 10 days ago -- it's old news and pointless at this point.

But even being "out of date," the point of it does show how far off the ledge the far right and Republican Party has gotten in its melting down against liberals and Democrats while trying to shore up its sinking ship of state, The U.S.S. Trump, and its failing fascist brand, 

Without any comment, because none (especially at this point) are needed, these are all headlines from a single page that appeared on March 24 on the home page of RawStory, a standard, thoughtful, admittedly left-leaning news site I tend to check out.  I am not making this up.  This is not The Onion.  It is not The National Enquirer or Breitbart News.  I didn't change one word.  It's just 10 headlines -- nothing more -- of that one day, word-for-word.

To be clear, these aren't the only headlines on the page.  It's maybe half of them.  There was other news mixed in.  And certainly an editor chose to feature these stories.  The point here though isn't that this is "all" the far-right thinks about, enables and does. It isn't.  But that any of this is news ever is ghastly -- let alone all on the same day alone speaks volumes about far-right derangement.


Alan Dershowitz: Congress should be sued for investigating too much

Fox News pastor: Christians who follow Trump are spiritually superior to other believers

Devin Nunes rages Mueller report should be ‘burned up’

Rep. Jim Jordan comes unglued and demands FBI reveal ‘cabal’ of top agents who are out to get Trump

We’re not going to go there’: Chris Wallace shuts down Jason Chaffetz for veering into Mueller conspiracy theory

Ted Cruz melts down on CNN over possibility Democrats might still attempt to impeach Trump

Trump defender blows off prospect of Russian interference in Mueller report by blaming Obama

Fox News' Smear campaign against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is working

Trump’s billionaire pick for the United Nations has lavished donations on GOP senators who must approve her: report

Second Parkland shooting survivor commits suicide: police

I would have expected this tweet from Don Jr. or Devin Nunes, but instead it came from CNN.  What they wrote is that -- "Special counsel Robert Mueller found that no one in the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government in 2016 -- but Democrats are not ready to accept that finding "

Seriously, CNN? You've actually read the full report?  Cool. One anxiously waits to hear the details of what else it says!!  Oh, right, sorry, the actual report hasn't been released yet, so we don't have an idea yet what it really says.  And by "we," I include CNN.

That aside, CNN is also wrong. Attorney General Barr's summary says that the report states there was no "chargeable collusion" -- that's totally different from saying it didn't occur and no one in the campaign conspired, which even Barr himself doesn't claim it says.  All it found is that the Special Counsel investigation doesn't have the evidence of collusion beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the standard needed to indict.

This didn't get much attention and largely slipped through the cracks, but I found it notable.

Last week, Jessikka Aro, a Finnish investigative journalist, was told by the U.S. State Department that she would be receiving the highly-regarded International Women of Courage Award, which would be presented to her by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Ms. Aro's credentials are significant, among other things facing death threats over exposing Russia's propaganda efforts well-before it came to light with the 2016 presidential elections.

Then there was a slight hiccup.  The department read Jessikka Aro's social media posts and -- in addition to taking on the Russian government in her professional work-- it turns out that personally she often said things critical of Trump.

Not long after, and I'm sure this is just pure coincidence, the State Department took back the award.  Their explanation is that the original announcement was just a "regrettable error."

A U.S. diplomatic source who was aware of the department discussions said, “It created a shitstorm of getting her unceremoniously kicked off the list. I think it was absolutely the wrong decision on so many levels,” adding that decision “had nothing to do with her work.”

According to ForeignPolicy.com, "The State Department spokesperson said in an email that Aro was 'incorrectly notified' that she had been chosen for the award and that it was a mistake that resulted from 'a lack of coordination in communications with candidates and our embassies.'”

The spokesperson added, “We regret this error. We admire Ms. Aro’s achievements as a journalist, which were the basis of U.S. Embassy Helsinki’s nomination."
So, let's get this straight -- the U.S. State Department admires Jessikka Aro's achievements as a journalist," informed her that she was going to be given an award for her courage, then read her social media posts critical of Trump, and somehow made a "regrettable error" and "incorrectly notified" her about it.

I'm still trying to figure out how one incorrectly notifies someone so accomplished and courageous about an award under any condition.  But especially when the department says they actually admire her achievements.  With no explanation of what this lack of communication was, that made the error so regrettable. 

Hey, maybe it actually was just a regrettable error of an incorrect notification where an admired and courageous journalist wasn't supposed to get an award for courage in admirable journalism..

Or...

The Trump administration is just so reprehensibly thin-skinned because of the pathological ego at the top that the concept of "courage" is anathema to them all and the Second Amendment is the only one they care about, but most-especially not the first about a free press without government interference, and after reading critical comments by the otherwise-admired journalist they were terrified, or just offended at being criticized by a courageous reporter, and backed out.

To be clear, as shameful, pathetic and problematic as it is -- as government precedent and just on general principle -- this is not a First Amendment issue.  But you can see it from here...

The entire ForeignPolicy.com article by Reid Standish and Robbie Gramer can be found here.