A Breakdown

A Russia-born observer helps us understand what that John Kelly show was about.

Masha Gessen, The New Yorker:

Consider this nightmare scenario: a military coup. You don’t have to strain your imagination—all you have to do is watch Thursday’s White House press briefing, in which the chief of staff, John Kelly, defended President Trump’s phone call to a military widow, Myeshia Johnson. The press briefing could serve as a preview of what a military coup in this country would look like, for it was in the logic of such a coup that Kelly advanced his four arguments.

Argument 1. Those who criticize the President don’t know what they’re talking about because they haven’t served in the military. 

To demonstrate how little lay people know, Kelly provided a long, detailed explanation of what happens when a soldier is killed in battle: the body is wrapped in whatever is handy, flown by helicopter, then packed in ice, then flown again, then repacked, then flown, then embalmed and dressed in uniform with medals, and then flown home. Kelly provided a similar amount of detail about how family members are notified of the death, when, and by whom. He even recommended a film that dramatized the process of transporting the body of a real-life marine, Private First Class Chance Phelps. This was a Trumpian moment, from the phrasing—“a very, very good movie”—to the message. Kelly stressed that Phelps “was killed under my command, right next to me”; in other words, Kelly’s real-life experience was recreated for television, and that, he seemed to think, bolstered his authority.
2. The President did the right thing because he did exactly what his general told him to do.

3. Communication between the President and a military widow is no one’s business but theirs.

4. Citizens are ranked based on their proximity to dying for their country.

Today's Tweet

What I've said for a long time: Go ahead and re-criminalize abortion. But be sure you include the law enforcement resources necessary, because you'll have to be ready to investigate every pre-menopausal woman in this country every month.

And understand that you're not making abortion unavailable. If my daughter is pregnant, and she doesn't want to stay pregnant, we're on a plane to Montreal tomorrow.

You haven't done anything but make safe abortions unavailable to poor women - and I'm wondering why that's never included when "conservatives" rant and whine about "Class Warfare".

On Nov. 1, Congress is holding a hearing on a bill that would ban virtually all abortions. #NoAbortionBan https://t.co/9kh6QkkVLC

— Verrit (@verrit) October 28, 2017

 

Today's Pix

Get Goin'

Dems aren't going to get over any particular hump in 2018 by just being Anti-45*. Yeah, OK - it worked pretty well for the Repubs, but that's kinda how we got into this mess. Let's do it better.

Buzz Rounds It All Up

Buzz Burbank tells us what's goin' on.

Friday's Tweets

Why it matters

THIS is why a President's conflicts of interests matter. https://t.co/CZTJa6BfwP

— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 27, 2017

 

I think "has become" should prob'ly be changed to "has always been", but I'm a little picky sometimes

Whitefish contract provides more evidence that the @realDonaldTrump Administration has become the swamp. #MAGA https://t.co/ei7XQyt64n

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) October 27, 2017

 

A Press Release

Badass Teachers Association:

The Badass Teachers Association, a grassroots national education activist organization with over 200,000 teachers and education activists in their network, strongly condemn Sec. DeVos for rescinding special education guidance documents. Guidance documents are the federal interpretation of regulations that make it easier for states and districts to understand, and to help them draft policy. BATs has stated before and will reiterate, that federal guidance is needed to ensure that all children receive a free and appropriate education. Federal guidance is needed so that education is rooted in equity, equality, and fairness for all children regardless of zip code or capability.

“Knowledge is power- DeVos has chosen to keep parents in the dark about the educational and legal rights of their children with disabilities. In rescinding USDOE guidelines, she is allowing states and local districts to interpret the law in their interest without consistency, thus abandoning a commitment to equity of protection for all children. This decision sets us back to the days when parents were on their own in securing a free, appropriate public education for their disabled children.” ~ Terry Kalb, Co-Director BATs Special Education Committee, and Special Education Advocate

“As a lifelong special educator and parent of a child with a disability, rescinding these guidance documents create roadblocks that will deny our children services, while we engage in the impartial hearing process to reinstate them, at great taxpayer expense. Lawyers will be the only people to benefit from this shameless action. Our children will continue to grow - time doesn’t stop for them. They will lose services, and they will suffer, and lose precious time in their education. My child is college-bound thanks to great special education and support services. Without them, he would have no skills and would never be able to realize his dreams.” ~Lorri Gumanow, Co-Director BATs Special Education Committee, and Special Education Teacher

"As the mother of a child with special needs and as an educator of children in this country, I am beyond disgusted. Children with disabilities rely on federal guidance to protect them and what DeVos has now done is say to millions of children with disabilities that we are not going to take care of you. Rest assured that parents and school leaders will be challenging this in court.” ~Marla Kilfoyle, Executive Director, The Badass Teachers Association (BATs).

“Whatever gains we fought so hard to win in the hopes of improving the education for all students, are disappearing before our very eyes. She is not a Secretary of Education; she is the harbinger of the destruction of Public Education.” ~Gus Morales, Board Member, The Badass Teachers Association (BATs)

"The so-called Education Department is once again victimizing our most vulnerable students. This time they are rescinding documents that help parents advocate for the rights of children with disabilities and guide schools on how to spend federal funding. How can we allow these billionaires in Washington to abuse our special needs children? This is an outrage that will not stand. " ~Dr. Michael Flanagan, Co-Director BATs Action Team, and Public School Educator

“I teach students with special needs. I am disgusted with Secretary DeVos' lack of a conscience. How can someone placed in a position to protect children be allowed to do so much harm to our most vulnerable population? What shall I tell my students? Perhaps Betsy would like to face my special needs students and their parents to tell them their nation doesn't give a damn about them anymore. I cannot support a government that treats children like this. Betsy DeVos must be removed from her position. Our children are counting on us to rise up together.”~Jamy Brice-Hyde, Director of BATs Quality of Work Life Team and Public School Educator

“Regulations are a necessity to create an equitable interpretation of the law for all students. The dismissal of these regulations by Betsy DeVos shows her total lack of understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Act. Haphazard interpretation from states and districts will open up the floor for numerous lawsuits that will further divert money from the classroom. We hope that NEA and AFT will engage in a legal battle to protect our students.”~Melissa Tomlinson, Asst. Executive Director BATs and Public School Educator.

Parents, educators, children, and the disability community call on Sec. DeVos to end her attack on our children. School districts rely on guidance documents to frame their policies, and without that guidance, our children with disabilities could fall victim to education policies that do not provide them with a free and appropriate education.

Oh, Yes It Can

Insisting an authoritarian takeover can't happen here is not an effective response to evidence an authoritarian takeover is happening here.

@Shakestweetz

Today's Quote

No matter how thin the pancake, it always has two sides. But facts are facts - they have only one side and they're always bipartisan.

--Jill Wine-Banks

Today's Tweet

And grammar - don't forget the grammar

There is virtually no difference now between Russian bots and Trump supporters, except the Russians spell better.

— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) October 23, 2017