I have urged people to redirect attention anywhere but on No. 45. It's a way I try to stop being so snarky all the time. But now he went and did something so operatically evil-minded, it's an existential threat. And on top of that, nobody seems able to check this headlong rush to oblivion.
There are just a couple of bits of information that seem trustable. One, AOC described the CARES Act in no uncertain terms (Democracy Now!):
"But, ultimately, what this administration did was hold every hospital hostage, hold every frontline worker hostage. And it is not an easy decision whatsoever for any member. But, ultimately, I think that people will soon see the betrayal that was in this bill, that was pushed forward by the administration and by Mitch McConnell. It is completely it is completely unethical and inhumane, what has been done. And we talk about the oversight of this bill. It is far too little. It is far too flimsy. And what we have essentially done was give Steven Mnuchin a blank check to pick and choose who this administration will reward with $4 trillion."
Two: let's just pick anybody; Newsweek?
"Glenn Fine, acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Defense, was removed from his Pentagon oversight position Monday by the president. He is set to be potentially replaced by senior policy advisor at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Jason Abend, spokespeople for the Pentagon told various news outlets and congressional lawmakers in Washington Tuesday. Fine was dismissed from his acting position where he was set to head oversight on how the federal government will implement the coronavirus law and the $2 trillion allocated to curb the country's economic downturn. The president's move is only the latest effort by Trump to proactively ridicule and handpick new members of federal oversight panels."
AOC is a gifted analyst with a front-row seat. Newsweek can get a fact straight now and then, and referenced NYT and WP in their reporting. So this probably isn't the bots and troll-farms talking.
Four trillion dollars to the President's minions. And the Special Inspector General has been "removed" from his oversight position. The replacement "acting" will be rewarded for just following orders; the plan is:
"...to nominate White House lawyer Brian D. Miller to serve as the inspector general overseeing the Treasury Department's implementation of the newly enacted $2 trillion coronavirus law, the White House said Friday night...Miller is a special assistant to [No. 45] and senior associate counsel in the Office of White House Counsel. He played a role in the White House's response to document requests during the recent impeachment probe."
"Begging the Question", in 1965 when I was in high school, meant any statement that ignored and left unasked the most obvious and necessary question. The proverbial dead rhinoceros in the room. It still means that today, except now people usually jump right in with all kinda answers. And the question is being begged, pleaded, howled: WTF!?
Ok. One guy can't pull that off. So now we know who is accountable, if anybody was still wondering. The scary part is that they obviously believe there will be no consequences. For them.
I'm not going to rant. I'm just going to be quiet now, and breathe calmly. At least I still can.
(Article changed on April 9, 2020 at 15:14)
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