A regular Wednesday feature that takes a summary look at hot news issues surrounding Trump during the past week
Where Trump’s initiatives should succeed:
The firing of Comey | At various times throughout the campaign including about a week ago, the Hillary camp was calling for Comey’s head. Now they want Trump’s head. Comey was regarded as unfit by many in Washington. A list of some of his operational flaws has been documented. Were it not for the Russian-thing, (my term) Comey would have been gone long ago. It was his body armor, or really, like a hostage. So now the Russian-thing will go to a new venue. It’s laughable to hear some comparing this to Nixon and Watergate, but just let them do so. You know who will be tied up in knots for the next 3 ½ years missing a lot more substantive opportunities to oppose Trump? The Democrat-left. Fools.
PS. I find myself in agreement with this USA Today editorial and this Wall Street Journal analysis.
Federal judges | The process of installing judges is thoroughly politicized but it has to happen sooner or later. To do so is like the spoils of war for one party or another. It’s time.
Where we should take a wait and see approach to Trump’s initiatives before we get the pitchforks:
Affordable Care Act | One thing you can count on is that the Affordable Care Act is hyped as a great success by Trump and the Republicans and as a tragedy by its detractors. If it even passes the senate, I’m not convinced either way and I suspect it will fall short as a ‘reform’. They are ‘changing the curtains’ on health care and doing little else. I do believe that the hype is misguided saying this will put a lot of Republicans congressmen out to pasture. It’s already out of the news cycle by-God! A lot of the people most negatively affected don’t vote and the loud contingent screaming for a riot has marginalized themselves into the crazy anger ghetto after screaming about everything for 5 months straight.
Easing restrictions on political activity by churches | In principle, churches stay out of politics and they don’t get taxed. I think that’s basically sound. What I object to is when some churches dive into politics and are tolerated. These measures move the line in that direction. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.
Flynn | Like the Comey story, this one never goes away. If Flynn violated a law, deal with it. I’m not so sure he did. There are benefits for a faction to keep this story alive for the next 3 ½ years. This all fits into a broader pattern of reverse red-baiting for political advantage.
Where Trump’s initiatives should be reversed:
Toughening rules on drug offenses | Memo to Trump and Sessions: the drug war was lost. This paleo-law and order strategy will backfire and tie up many valuable resources, not to mention, ruin a lot of lives.
Commentary by Lee Jones