* It was encouraging to see Secretary of State Rex Tillerson talking up talking to the North Koreans–“without preconditions.” But skeptics were still wondering if he will he be around long enough to do any of the actual talking? The neoconic Mike Pompeo, of course, looms.
Alas, this just in: Tillerson is no longer talking about talking. He’s talking about, yes, “preconditions.” In fact, North Korea must “earn” the right to negotiate with the U.S., he has now underscored. Obviously, the White House weighed in as only this one can. “North Korea must earn its way back to the table” is now the U.S. negotiating position. Might as well attribute that quote of rebuttal to Pompeo.
I miss John Kerry.
* It doesn’t qualify as Russian “collusion,” of course, but when Trump and Vladimir Putin talk, the resultant Putin outtakes are predictably supportive of the “fake news” Trump position regarding collusion. “All of it was invented by people who oppose President Trump to undermine his legitimacy,” recently noted Putin from his well-worn script.
And then he added praise for Trump, the economic difference-maker, saying global markets have shown investors’ confidence in his priorities. “We can objectively see quite serious achievements even during his short time in office,” gushed Putin.
* Take a look at the three world leaders who like Trump the most: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Speaks authoritarian volumes.
* If he’s still in office, perhaps President Trump could campaign for Rick Scott in next year’s Florida senate race. Maybe Medicare fraud, no I-4 rail corridor and Trump-lackey status will finally resonate with voters. Finally.
* The Clintons, for worse not better, remain part of the context of Trump Administration lore. We know Bill preyed and Hillary likely didn’t pray about it. We also know about Private Email ServerGate scenarios.
That said, we also know this. Both Clintons were qualified to be president. That cannot be said with a straight face about the current Oval Office holder.
* We’ve had our share of bombastic populists. From Huey Long to Father Coughlin. But they don’t really explain the American populist appeal–and ultimate election–of billionaire reality show host Donald Trump. Here’s a more pertinent–and contemporary–example: Sarah Palin. She absolutely presaged Trump as an embarrassingly unprepared, temperamentally unsound media exhibitionist.
When she went on the 2008 GOP ticket–just a heartbeat away from what could have been a 73-year-old President John McCain–the rules changed and the candidate-credibility bar hit a new subterranean low. Palin, Trump and a “Make America White Again” base were this country’s perfect political storm.
* Any country not named Israel thinks the U.S. committed a major, unforced geopolitical error by recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and initiating plans to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv. It will cost lives as well as U.S. credibility. Hardly relevant to Trump, who can brag over “promise kept” and know he placated the deep-pocketed Sheldon Adelson.
Somewhere, you have to believe, Trump has a JerUSAlem bumper sticker he’s dying to affix, maybe to Jared Kushner’s getaway car.