The State of the 'State of the Union' Is Awful

Years ago, during the long-forgotten administration of George H.W. Bush, I looked in on a friend of mine who had been “tasked”— the military jargon was just then creeping into civilian life – with writing the president’s State of the Union address. The speech was a few days off, and my overworked friend looked glum. He sat at his huge desk in the Executive Office Building surrounded by stacks of briefing papers that had been shipped in from every corner of the government. When I made a sympathetic comment, he waved it away. “You have no idea,” he said.

01/30/18 4:45 AM

From American Carnage to American Glory

The reality is that, on economic matters, Trump’s neo-mercantilism has been wedded to Trump’s neoliberalism, and the latter has been more consequential by a long shot. In fact, according to Trump’s supporters, his two most significant accomplishments in year one—after the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, of course—have been passing tax reform and rolling back Obama-era regulations. Both of which the globalist elites at Davos loved. Trump's love of populism and view of America as a carnage-strewn wasteland has been replaced by a sunny view of America and the elite institutions the president controls.

01/30/18 5:05 AM

White House Watch: The Three Keys to Trump's SOTU

Tuesday night is Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address, the annual event where the president speaks to a joint session of Congress with lofty rhetoric about where the country is and where he wants it to go. The Constitution doesn’t require the chief executive to deliver the State of the Union in person, but for decades the speech has been a major television event.

Unfortunately this is one political tradition President Trump doesn’t seem inclined to buck. Here’s what I’ll be watching for once he takes the rostrum in the House chamber.

01/30/18 6:10 AM

Editorial: Warring Memos

The state of our union is divided and anxious.

We’re sure President Trump will use different descriptors at the State of the Union address on Tuesday night. We’re equally sure that ours will be more accurate. Consider Monday.

Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee voted Monday to release publicly a four-page classified memo detailing what they describe as “abuse” of the FISA warrant process. The president has five days to approve or disapprove the memo’s publication; all indications are that he’ll approve. The Intelligence Committee’s Democrats, meanwhile, have drafted their own memo to counter the Republican one.

01/30/18 5:53 AM

Trump Introduces New HHS Secretary, Avoids the O-Word

If there were ever an occasion for President Trump to create some buzz for his health care agenda in 2018, it was on Monday morning, in a case of man-meets-moment. Trump introduced new Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar before the Cabinet official’s swearing-in ceremony, one day before the State of the Union address.

But the bees remained grounded. Missing from the president’s remarks—and Azar’s, for that matter—was the word “Obamacare.” Trump instead highlighted prescription drug prices—a pet issue he raised at many points during the 2016 campaign—and the opioid crisis, only winking toward Azar’s oversight of regulations pursuant to the health care law.

01/29/18 5:16 PM

House Intel Committee Votes to Release Secret GOP Memo

The House Intelligence Committee on Monday voted along party lines to publicly release a secret GOP-drafted memo on alleged surveillance abuses targeting the Trump campaign, according to the panel’s top Democrat. The controversial document could be released if the president does not object within five days.

01/29/18 8:16 PM

Do Philadelphia Fans Secretly Need the Eagles to Lose?

As I said last week, it’s pretty clear that the Eagles are now America’s Team.

To reiterate: I am not a Patriot-hater. Far from it. I admire the franchise and am utterly fascinated by the Belichick-Adams axis. I mean, this is a team that went out and poached a kid from Silicon Valley and installed him as a “senior software engineer.” What does a football team do with an computer engineer? I promise you, he’s not updating the office network and working on Patriots.com.

No, from the best available evidence—which isn’t much—this kid is doing something with regard to scouting and Big Data and whatever it is, it’s probably awesome.

So no, I’m not anti-Patriots.

01/29/18 12:05 PM

From American Carnage to American Glory

Trump's State of the Union address will resemble his Davos remarks more than his inauguration address. This is a good thing.
5:05 AM, Jan 30, 2018
The reality is that, on economic matters, Trump’s neo-mercantilism has been wedded to Trump’s neoliberalism, and the latter has been more consequential by a long shot. In fact, according to Trump’s supporters, his two most significant accomplishments in year one—after the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, of course—have been passing tax reform and rolling back Obama-era regulations. Both of which the globalist elites at Davos loved. Trump's love of populism and view of America as a carnage-strewn wasteland has been replaced by a sunny view of America and the elite institutions the president controls. Read more

House Intel Committee Votes to Release Secret GOP Memo

The vote was on party lines, and Democrats charge the document is meant to undermine the Mueller investigation.
Jan 29, 2018
The House Intelligence Committee on Monday voted along party lines to publicly release a secret GOP-drafted memo on alleged surveillance abuses targeting the Trump campaign, according to the panel’s top Democrat. The controversial document could be released if the president does not object within five days. If the president does object, the question could come before the full House—though Trump reportedly supports the effort. Texas congressman Mike Conaway told reporters late Monday that the GOP-drafted memo does not need to be redacted.  Read more

Trump Introduces New HHS Secretary, Avoids the O-Word

The president focused on prescription drug prices and the opioid crisis in the swearing-in ceremony for Alex Azar.
Jan 29, 2018
If there were ever an occasion for President Trump to create some buzz for his health care agenda in 2018, it was on Monday morning, in a case of man-meets-moment. Trump introduced new Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar before the Cabinet official’s swearing-in ceremony, one day before the State of the Union address. But the bees remained grounded. Missing from the president’s remarks—and Azar’s, for that matter—was the word “Obamacare.” Trump instead highlighted prescription drug prices—a pet issue he raised at many points during the 2016 campaign—and the opioid crisis, only winking toward Azar’s oversight of regulations pursuant to the health care law.  Read more

Afternoon Links: Farewell to the Chief, the Perils of FitBit, and Christianity in the Age of Trump

Plus, the death of Flavortown.
Jan 29, 2018
The end of the Chief Wahoo era. Given my lifelong Cleveland Indians fandom, Chief Wahoo has long been part of my sports wardrobe. The New York Times reports that Wahoo's reign as team logo ends in 2019, the year Cleveland will again host the MLB All-Star Game. The trademarks will still be owned by the team, and merchandise sold, just not via the MLB store. But off the hats and jerseys goes the Chief. As the Times observes: "While getting rid of Chief Wahoo will be applauded by opponents, some may see it as only the first step toward the ultimate goal of changing the team name." And that's probably true, too. Tribe die-hards have already come up with a hashtag for next season: #WinOneForTheChief.  Read more

Fact Check: Has Nikki Haley 'Accidentally Confessed' to an Affair With Donald Trump?

No. Not even close.
Jan 29, 2018
Amid the flurry of rumors stemming from Michael Wolff’s book Fire and Fury, U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley has faced accusations that she had an affair with Donald Trump, accusations which she has denied. It’s fitting that a rumor-mill would also produce pure fake news. Real Time Politics (not to be confused with Real Clear Politics, a legitimate outlet) posted a story with the asinine headline, “Nikki Haley Just ACCIDENTALLY Confessed To Being ‘Romantically Involved’ With Trump!” The fake headline gained popularity on Facebook.  Read more

Senate to Vote on 20-Week Abortion Ban

Sen. Lindsey Graham's pain-capable abortion restrictions legislation will come to the Senate floor for a procedural vote on Monday.
Jan 29, 2018
A bill to restrict abortion will come to the Senate floor for a procedural vote Monday night. The legislation, cosponsored by 46 Republicans, would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for instances of rape, incest, or critical health risks for the mother. Why 20 weeks? Fetuses can feel pain and can survive a premature birth at five months of development. Several Senate Democrats have indicated they will join with Republicans to vote yes on the measure. South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham has introduced the bill in previous Congresses, garnering support on both sides of the aisle.  Read more

The Substandard on the Aussie Open and Agassi's Hairpiece

Jan 29, 2018
In this latest micro episode, the Substandard discusses the Australian Open and the greatness of Roger Federer. Plus JVL professes his love for the Williams sisters, more Battle of the Sexes, and the time Agassi's wig almost came off. This podcast can be downloaded here. Subscribe to the Substandard on iTunes, Google Play, or on Stitcher.  Read more

House Intel Committee to Meet Behind Closed Doors Amid Secret Memo Fight

A vote on whether to release the GOP-drafted document is 'possible.'
Jan 29, 2018
The House Intelligence Committee is set to meet Monday evening amid a heated a party-line battle over a secret, GOP-drafted memo that Republicans want released publicly. A committee aide told THE WEEKLY STANDARD ahead of the meeting that a vote on releasing the memo publicly is “possible.” Monday’s closed-door meeting comes as Democrats and Republicans on and off the committee spar over the significance of the four-page memo, which GOP lawmakers say reveals politically motivated surveillance abuses by federal officials targeting the Trump campaign.  Read more

FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe Calls It Quits

Previous reports indicated he would retire in March 2018 but he's stepping down immediately.
Jan 29, 2018
FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe is stepping down from his post at the FBI, NBC News first reported Monday. Reports surfaced last December that he would retire in 2018, once he became eligible for his full pension. Although he is stepping down effective immediately, he will remain on the FBI payroll until March when his benefits kick in. McCabe, who served as acting FBI director between the firing of James Comey last May and the appointment of Christopher Wray in August, came under Republican fire over the last year as an avatar of alleged partisan slant in federal law enforcement, originally due to his wife Jill McCabe’s ties to Democratic politics in Virginia.  Read more

Fact Check: Does a New Law Allow Atheist Doctors to Refuse Care to Religious Patients?

No. It's satire.
Jan 29, 2018
Facebook users have flagged a recent article announcing new legislation that “makes it legal for atheist doctors and nurses to refuse care to religious patients.” It’s time, again, to address the satire in the room. Few things are worse than having to explain a joke to an audience who didn’t get it on the first round. To spare readers from that certain-to-fail experience we’ll simply point out that the website is clearly marked as satire. No need to pull out your Sherlock Holmes-esque magnifying glass for the devil is not in the details, but the subhead.  Read more

Do Philadelphia Fans Secretly Need the Eagles to Lose?

What if the Cosmos wants the Patriots to win and we were born to lose?
Jan 29, 2018
As I said last week, it’s pretty clear that the Eagles are now America’s Team. To reiterate: I am not a Patriot-hater. Far from it. I admire the franchise and am utterly fascinated by the Belichick-Adams axis. I mean, this is a team that went out and poached a kid from Silicon Valley and installed him as a “senior software engineer.” What does a football team do with an computer engineer? I promise you, he’s not updating the office network and working on Patriots.com. No, from the best available evidence—which isn’t much—this kid is doing something with regard to scouting and Big Data and whatever it is, it’s probably awesome. So no, I’m not anti-Patriots.  Read more

Border Bike Trip Day 8: Biking Into a Wind Tunnel Near Puerto Penasco

Hitchhiking is for wimps.
Jan 29, 2018
The plan was to leave Puerto Penasco today and bike to Sonoyta, a border town 60 miles north. The road in between is smooth, lightly traveled, and has a generous shoulder on both sides. The only problem was the wind, which pushed directly against us and picked up speed the further we pedaled on the open road. By the time we decided to call it quits and camp in the Pinacate Biosphere Reserve, halfway to our destination, the headwinds had reached 17 mph. The rest of the team made the smart decision to bike-hike, which involves hiding your bike, your heavy gear, and all your frat boy friends out of sight while you stand on the shoulder, stick your thumb out, look innocent and lost, and hope someone stops to give you (and your  Read more

Prufrock: Rare Turkey Calls, Muriel Spark at 100, and the Real Charles I

Also: Ancient calendar found in Dead Sea scroll, and more.
Jan 29, 2018
Reviews and News: A Dead Sea scroll, which was recently deciphered by researchers at the University of Haifa, contains an ancient calendar. Ali Smith writes about Muriel Spark at 100: “Spark was always a poet, she said, in her ‘outlook on life and her perception of events’. Her understanding of time, for instance, has little to do with chronology. Long ago in 1951. Long ago in 1945. One day in the middle of the 20th century.  Read more

Inside Putin's Inner Circle

The Trump administration prepares to release a report on Russia's most corrupt oligarchs.
Jan 29, 2018
The Trump administration is expected to provide lawmakers with a report Monday that calls out Russian president Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, a document that has had Russian elites worried for months. Though the so-called “Kremlin report” does not immediately sanction those listed, Russian elites are anxious about the financial impact of being named and some have reportedly worked to avoid being listed. The congressionally-mandated report will name major oligarchs, their relationship with Putin, their estimated net worth (and known sources of income as well as that of their family members), any foreign business affiliations they may have, and an identification of “indices of corruption.  Read more

White House Watch: DACA Dealing

The president works on an immigration deal as he readies for the State of the Union address.
Jan 29, 2018
The Trump administration on Thursday released a framework for a compromise immigration deal to members of Congress. The plan calls for a pathway to citizenship for people brought to America illegally as children, increased spending for security on the U.S.-Mexico border, and new restrictions on America’s legal immigration system. But the mixed reaction from Capitol Hill suggests the president has a lot of work to do to convince enough lawmakers in the middle as well as on the right that his “compromise” is better than more immigration-meets-budget brinksmanship.  Read more

Editorial: USA Gymnastics Gets Off Easy

Justice denied.
Jan 29, 2018
The trial and conviction of Larry Nassar, team doctor for USA Gymnastics and osteopathic physician at Michigan State University, has exposed something rotten at the heart of an American Olympic sport. Last week Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in Michigan state prison for sexually assaulting young girls. That followed his conviction in July on federal child pornography charges. Since his dismissal as team doctor in 2015, when allegations of abuse began to surface, a shocking number of female gymnasts have spoken publicly of Nassar’s abuse. More than 150 testified at his sentencing trial in Michigan. Scores of state and federal lawsuits have been filed against Nassar, USA Gymnastics, Michigan State University, the  Read more

How Federer Did It (Again)

The GOAT wins his 20th major in Australia.
Jan 29, 2018
Roger Federer, 36 years old, looked worried. After having a big lead—just three games away from winning the Australian Open—he slipped, and slipped badly. First he was tied up. Then he fell behind. Then, improbably, Marin Cilic won the fourth set. The fifth set was one of those nerve-racking affairs in which it looked like Federer might finally show his age, like he might run out of fuel against a 6-foot-6 and 29-year-old, as he did against Juan Martin del Potro in the U.S. Open quarterfinals in September. After beating Cilic easily in the first set, the match was close throughout, with Cilic becoming more aggressive and Federer, at times, becoming tentative. When Federer lost five games in a row, Cilic looked  Read more

Nazis in Tinseltown

Spies, sympathizers—and the watchful Jewish operatives who thwarted their plans.
Jan 28, 2018
In the late 1930s, or perhaps it was as late as 1940, my father and uncle, the screenwriters Philip and Julius Epstein, sought to join the American armed forces. The Army turned them away; it apparently considered their anti-fascism premature. That, at any rate, is family lore, and I have every reason to believe it. At that point, in the view of much of the government and the country at large, to be against Hitler was to be for Stalin; to be against fascism was to be for communism—by far the greater evil, if indeed Nazism and its ideals were considered evil at all. Add to this equation a third element, the Jews, for in much of the popular imagination the distinction between being an anti-fascist, a Communist, and a Jew did not  Read more

Lee Edwards: Conservative Witness

What the historian of conservatism saw at the (Reagan) revolution.
Jan 28, 2018
In October 1956, shortly after being honorably discharged from the Army at age 23, Lee Edwards found himself in Paris. There he fell into the rhythms of expatriate life, smoking Gauloises, frequenting cafés, and writing fiction. It was in French newspapers that he read of the Hungarian revolt against Soviet occupation. At first the Hungarian independence movement seemed victorious. The Soviets retreated from Budapest. The rebel leader, Imre Nagy, withdrew Hungary from the Warsaw Pact and began the transition to democracy. “My dormant anticommunism came alive,” Edwards writes in his memoir. “All that I had learned from my reporter-father, who had covered congressional hearings about communism, came  Read more

A Glass of Alsace

The sights and sweets of Strasbourg.
Jan 28, 2018
Not everybody likes Alsatian wine. Good. That means more of it for me. The slim, green adolescent bottles with sloping shoulders and no hips are distinguished by pollen-yellow labels, often bearing medieval-style lettering. Something happens to grapes in this region of France that makes them taste exotic. Pinot Grigio in Italy is often forgettable. The same grape in Alsace can make wine that is as headily perfumed and waxy as a lily, vibrant with acidity that excites the palate without puckering the lips. Gewürztraminer smells of rose petals, nutmeg, and cardamom: a harem of flavors from the Arabian Nights. Muscat is the essence of grape, multiplied to the power of grape. These are mysterious wines, subtle as incense and candles  Read more
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