July 25, 2017 8:12 AM
Morning Reads for Tuesday, July 25
Good morning!
- President Trump spoke to the Boy Scouts of America yesterday at their quadrennial Jamboree. It’s easy to find commentary on his remarks (that ran the gamut from yacht orgies to the size of the inauguration crowd to the possibility of firing Tom Price to the “war on Christmas”) so here’s a link to the transcript of the speech so you can interpret his words as you see fit.
- The High Museum of Art will soon display Kara Walker’s large-scale bas relief sculpture “Jubilant Martyrs.”
- The University System of Georgia may change the way it investigates campus sexual misconduct.
- Here are the facts on what’s at stake for Snopes (right when we need them most).
- If you have ever been in an American home with children, you won’t be surprised to read that many American families (from across the economic spectrum) are burdened and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff they acquire.
- Justice Gorsuch faces his most daunting task since ascending to SCOTUS: the cafeteria.
- Russell McMurry, Hero of I-85, may get a 40% pay raise.
- How do drugs actually get across the border? It’s more high tech than tossing 60-pound bags of dope over a wall.
- How criminals are grown – are these the “Lost Boys of Savannah?”
- John Boehner (who would have been a better pick than Gingrich for the Ambassador to the Vatican, IMO) believes that the Obamacare repeal will fail.
About Author
Teri
Teri Anulewicz is a Democrat who represents House District 42 in the Georgia General Assembly. She previously spent nearly a decade on the Smyrna City Council. A native New Orleanian and quasi-Texan, Teri graduated from Agnes Scott College in 1998. She's been a front page contributor since 2015, and she compiles each Tuesday's Morning Reads.
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Trump’s “speech” to the Boy Scouts was a train wreck.
Why did he feel the need to slam Obama, who actually was a Boy Scout (unlike Trump)?
I like what Andy Borowitz said: “At this point I’m just grateful that Trump didn’t address the Girl Scouts.”
He said they got a restraining order. 🙂
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/girl-scouts-obtain-restraining-order-against-trump
It’s time to Make America Great Again for white Americans when democracy allows a man born into wealth and given every advantage to be outperformed by a Muslim Kenyan raised by a single mom.
This was my letter to the Boy Scouts in light of Trump’s speech.
To:
Charles Dahlquist, National Commissioner
Michael Surbaugh, Chief Scout Executive
Tracy Techau, Scout Executive, Atlanta Council
Matthew Cannon, District Executive, Northern Ridge District
Dear Scouting Executives,
I am livid at President Trump’s message to the assembled Scouts and Scouters at the Jamboree. I am an Eagle Scout and Adult Leader in my son’s Cub pack.
While I agree that the President of the United States shall have a standing invitation to address the Jamboree, the content of his message was wholly inappropriate to a celebration of Scouting’s values. I am disappointed in the lack of response from the BSA, and will be re-evaluating my commitments (Den Leader, Asst. Cubmaster) to the organization.
Scouting is not a political prop to be used to denigrate others – it is an exhortation to be friendly, courteous, and kind.
Scouting is not a forum to recount the “interesting” and hedonistic life of a friend – it is a reminder to be trustworthy, clean, and reverent.
Scouting is not a militia of mindless followers to be egged on to cruelty – it is a call for loyalty, helpfulness, and bravery.
Scouting is not a platform to tout one’s own achievements and success at the expense of the less fortunate – it is a insistence on obedience, thrift, and cheer.
The address given by the President of the United States was disturbing, and I call on the Boy Scouts of America to distance itself from his speech.
Yours in Scouting,
I’m sure you were equally appalled when the Dems turned Paul Wellstone’s funeral into a political rally! Zzzzzzzzz…..
There is no debate here. The American Indian Museum has the best lunch. It isn’t cheap, but it is good. Days like today though I prefer happy lunch or misery lunch at The Capitol Lounge.
You can’t get in the building. The line is too long. I’d like to go take a look around soon. Now, one of my favorite places to drink not on the Hill is The Hamilton downtown or if I have time for a cigar, Shelly’s Back Room.
looks out of the window for flying pigs
Are you two having cordial discourse?!
😛
Friends of mine have raved about the AAHM cafe. Hoping to try it out when I go in a few weeks. Adding the American Indian Museum to my itinerary based off of both your recommendations (both the cafe and the museum).
The America Indian Museum is great if you have kids too. There are lots of activities for them and it’s less crowded.
Lea,
They have both been fairly cordial since I told them they were both being pissy last Friday… They even defended each other.
“I don’t think we’ll be singing kumbaya after the motion to proceed vote this afternoon.” Probably not. I’ll give you my prediction. The motion to proceed will pass. Susan Collins will vote no and either Murkowski or Captito. Not both. Pence will break the 50-50 tie. There will be 20 hours of debate and lots of failed amendments. Around 2:30am on Thursday morning, the senate will vote on “something” that will get 51 votes and allow us to go to a conference committee with the House. Then this will drag out for another few weeks while they debate what can pass the House and Senate. Originally, I thought the Senate would pass something and then tell the House to pass it our nothing happens. But now I think they get to a conference committee.
All that to say, I think you all will have a few more weeks of Andrew and I debating. I hope it educational and helpful at times.
Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.
Strong co-sign here on the recommendation for the caf at the American Indian Museum.
Yes, yes, yes! That was one of my favorite “treat” lunches when I worked in Rayburn. The other was Good Stuff Eatery after it opened.
“The fact that I was asking about ways to start a dialogue after Election Day should of course be viewed as strong evidence that I was not aware of one that existed before Election Day.” — Kushner on requesting a communications line from the Russian embassy to the Kremlin.
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Should be viewed of course! No one would expect the lying highly educated scion of a wealthy family about to serve in a foreign affairs capacity to know there was a State Department or a US embassy in Moscow.
The State Department nor the embassy are populated by family and therefore cannot be trusted.
Continuing with respect to the State Department, Rex Tillerson didn’t think Trump’s upbraiding of Sessions was professional. Anonymous sources told CNN Tillerson may be looking to “Rexit”. Who needs the State Department when knowledge of history, intentional law, and diplomatic skills are unnecessary with dealmaker Trump in the White House?
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The press acts as if Trump’s press secretary has a difficult job. It’s actually quite easy, since Trump White House spokespeople need only pretend that Trump’s lies are truth and that his word salads make sense. Tillerson, on the other hand, has to convince foreign leaders that Trump’s flip-flopping, backstabbing, and shifting narcissistic and self-serving priorities provide a foundation for international relations.
Ted Cruz? Could you imagine that jerk as AG?
Possible solution for the kerfuffle: Sessions did a self-recusal. No court or higher authority “ordered” this. Since he simply chose to recuse, he can also choose to withdraw his recusal. That is what he should do, and reclaim his rightful authority as Attorney General of the US.
The A/G’s voluntary recusal had the unintended consequence of a Democrat being appointed by the assistant A/G as a special counsel, and Mueller’s hiring of 13+ Democratic attorneys, including some of Clinton’s attorneys, to harass and disrupt the Republican presidency with, as CNN says, nothing burgers. This obvious witch hunt has cost taxpayers millions already, with no end in sight.
Sessions needs to put on his big boy pants and straighten out this mess post haste. Problem solved — that’ll be 2 cents please.
The rules state “Prosecutors MAY (caps added) have a conflict of interest when they have a political relationship with a potential target.” There are enough if’s and may’s in the rules to allow wiggle room. Most importantly, there was no Justice Dept. case prosecution underway, no prosecutor, nada, zip, when the A/G made a personal recusal from the “Russia!” general hysteria.
Therefore, Sessions simply unilaterally recused himself, and there is absolutely nothing to prevent him from withdrawing that self-recusal. So yes, he can and should.
Mueller is a Republican.
You are filling in well for Noway with the alternative facts.
Happy-face icons don’t make fun of you! A self-appointed “expert,” it’s obviously hard to see reality from your lofty perch atop a high horse. You stated “…. what’s to stop other Justice Department officials from doing the same thing?”
I guess you didn’t see the public statements by Comey describing his breaking the rules while chief investigator at the FBI part of Justice, e.g. leaking classified information and giving internal documents to a college friend, instructing him to give it to the media. And how about his usurping the A/G’s authority and deciding whether or not to prosecute a case, when it was his job to report out to the A/G Lynch? There are always exceptions to every rule, and it just depends on whose ox is getting gored…..
What are you talking about? Comey broke the rules, many called for his firing at that time, he eventually was fired (under different circumstances, but still), and you are using this as justification for Sessions to break the rules too? You are making ACP’s point.
1. Mueller is a Republican.
2. Trump doesn’t want Sessions recused because he wants him to obstruct justice.
I’m talking about the double standard being conveniently applied in Washington. Comey played fast and loose ever since June 2016 with Obama’s blessing, and continued to be the lefties’ darling until Trump finally fired his butt a month or so ago.
And any A/G has a responsibility to oversee, make sure laws are followed — not recuse, withdraw themselves from the difficult things.
ACP, I don’t read either of those. I stick to things like the AJC and USA Today. Bene, Mueller is actually a hybrid politician who has been appointed to various positions by both Democrats and Republicans. His most recent was by Obama.
Gotta go now, folks. Later!
He didn’t recuse himself because it was “a difficult thing” He recused himself because he was personally involved with what is being investigated. This is expected behavior for judges, cops, and lawyers. It … I’m not even going to explain why it’s a good idea.
“Ted Cruz? Could you imagine that jerk as AG?” I would support Cruz for AG or Supreme Court just to get him out of the Senate.
He’s a dem. I can’t have it on my permanent record that I gave to a democrat. That can cause a bump in the road in the future.
When Russell McMurry cuts the DOT wait time for the approvals of the projects effecting my life in half, THEN he can have a pay raise.
I don’t see a justification for a 40% raise, especially considering what the job pays in other states. CW Matthews did the work and Fed’s paid for most the reconstruction.
If he can make more money in private industry, I say go for it.
If you haven’t read the Lost Boys piece, DO it, because this is just not a Savannah story. It’s has a lot for everyone. The single paren’t family I started mentoring and just concluded a two year stretch with have the kids on the waiting list of the school mentioned. By test measurements, the charter is a failing school. What most do not understand, being away from the violence is a win for the students.
Ellyn, I really struggled with phrasing “How criminals are grown” but I decided to stick with it because – sadly, horribly – it’s apt. They’re not born criminals. They’re kids who grow up in a pretty lousy environment.
I started working with the boys and girls club close to Hitch Village and near the East Board Elementary school when I was in college (1989-1992) teaching art and drawing on Friday nights between 6-8. These kids were 8-12, and most had on single aren’t who was working a second shift job, or they were living with a grandparent. There was a little girl who’s drawing I remember even 25 plus years later. It was a pictures of the flowers beds at her house with her mother’s crack pipes in the bushes. One of the boys was a younger child of the Givens Gang members. When I left at night, some of the little kids would tell me to stay inside until some of the other children were picked up. At less then 12 these kids already knew who to avoid so they didn’t get in any crossfire. I moved back to Savannah 8 years later. By then the kids I taught were the ones you would see as the victims or the killers in photos like the one from the article. It was depress me when I recognized a face or a name. These kids weren’t bad, they were not evil, but by the age of 8 they had already become immune to what most of us would think of as tragic events.
But I told you that. Why do you not believe me?
It is what it is. You feel how I felt when they passed the ACA.
I had already hit a life time limit for coverage of a condition I was born with prior to the ACA passing. My employer’s provider would not cover me. Can the two of you tell me what is going to happen to me now? I liked have employer insurance again for the first time in 7 years. Can you tell me as a 48 year old what I going to have to pay out of pocket now? (Every bill has a winner, every bill has a loser.)
That doesn’t mean it was a good bill. Take a breather and watch McCain give what will probably be his last floor speech. Or at least the most memorable. We will debate later.
“voting “yay” on a motion to proceed on a healthcare bill crafted in secret” He voted yay so\ that the Senate could have 20 hours of open debate on the Senate floor with how ever many amendments can be offered. You are about to get your open debate. These aren’t new rules that republicans just invented. They have been around longer than the two of us have been alive.
Waiting for an answer….
20 hours of debate? So goes the most deliberative body in the world…
Ellyn, Andrew and I are going to differ quite a bit on what we believe the solution is for you. He will offer one of two things. Both bad in my belief. He will say you should be placed on Medicaid or placed on the exchange with a government subsidy. The problem with Medicaid is that it’s taking a larger and larger share of the federal budget and in the very near future the feds will start making very difficult cuts that will harm you unless they get things under control. Also, there are fewer and fewer docs taking Medicaid. That doesn’t help you.
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Putting you on the exchange with a subsidy is not a great choice either because you have what we have now. Ever increasing premiums be chased by ever increasing subsidies. You also have fewer and fewer choices for your insurance.
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I would prefer to take the route of making it cheaper to take care of you. Meaning we need to address more than just health insurance and address the cost drivers of increasing health insurance. Prescription drug cost, burdensome regulations that are costing docs time and money along with the practice of defensive medicine are the things driving costs. You have to address the cost drivers of providing care.
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You also have to get younger healthier people in the insurance market to dive down your costs. The ACA failed at this. I would prefer to offer plans that healthy young people can afford and meets their needs. Unlike the ACA that forces them to buy something they don’t won’t and now can’t afford. If you get more younger and healthier people in the market it will be a first step to drive down everyone’s costs. But then you need insurance companies to compete for your business, Right now you have a few regional monopolies. Insurance companies need to be forced to compete and not allowed to have regional monopolies with the federal government bailing them out with taxpayer dollars.
“I admire Eiger’s “sunshine and rainbows” optimism” And I admire your blind ability to continue to support the terrible legislation that was the ACA.
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I’ve got work to do.
Employer-based plans could become the only viable way to have real coverage. Maybe one day policymakers will have the courage to talk about integrating what are now employment-based plans into the marketplace, which is the only real solution to a true community marketplace.
“but the AHCA and BCRA are really just Obamacare” And neither on will pass into law as is. You have to start somewhere. This is the second or third step along the way of crafting a bill. Even after the House and Senate passes a bill there will be work that still needs to be done. Trying to do everything in one bill just is not possible.
You two are depressing me. I don’t like any of your possibles.
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I’m healthy 99.99999% of the time. I was born with multiple blood and bone marrow issues. I don’t absorb iron, I have Factor -II deficiency disorder, and an M-spike, all contained in rare genetic markers creating a rare blood type. It’s when I have surgery or emergency care that I need special drugs, rare blood type transfusions, even long term ICU recovery some times. Example -a ruptured apneic sent me into ICU for 2 weeks with multiple blood transfusions in 1981 (which also resulted in a few years of HIV testing to be on the safe side). Normal emergency issues (broken bones, torn ligaments, internal bruising after a car accident) can sometimes lead to long hospital stays or MRI’s. If I ever need an organ transplant I’m screwed. But it’s the M-Spike that dooms me in the eyes of actuaries. It’s a protein marker that in high levels leads to multiple myeloma – which I don’t technically have – it’s a 25 % chance if I ever will. My low level has not changed in over 30 years, but I am classified as extremely high risk to cover because it’s a long expensive lingering form of cancer to treat with no remission. Under whatever formulas they use for cost/future pay out between the four blood issues – I met my lifetime cap for care at 34 due to the whole grouping.
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My up keep costs are not high. I need a full set of bone scans every 3-4 years ($1800ish without insurance), specialized yearly blood work done by a blood oncologist ($1100ish w/o in.) quarterly blood work. ($750 year w/o in.) a high dose hormone based contraceptive ($875 w/o insurance) and sometimes iron transfusions ($375ish). Without insurance average yearly cost is roughly $3600 a year (I looked it up). With insurance, under $500. I have not had a major emergency since I was 33 so I can’t tell you what would happen if I had one while not covered. Most insurers would not cover me before the ACA. I put every cent of my Christmas bonus in a medical savings plan each year, plus I have an emergency fund and a high limit credit card at the ready if an emergency ever hit. And yet; every time I went to the doctor after the yearly blood work, I lived in terror the M-Spike would have risen because I could not afford to have cancer without insurance. Long term care insurance and even some life insurance companies will not cover me.
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That is not what will hurt my budget if I have no insurance. It’s basic stuff; like getting a cold, flu shot, having a checkup, getting your teeth cleaned, my allergy and ADD medicine, the Crestor (I’m under orders to have red meat). I am deathly allergic to most antibiotics. An infection can really mess up my red blood cell counts so skipping the extremely high price antibiotic I could have on the rare occasion I need one is not an option. It is $100 with insurance. An emergency with long term hospitals stays would but me in major debt, but I might recover if give time.
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The ACA and having insurance means I’m still a little afraid of the blood tests. If it’s repealed and insurance companies can enforce life time caps, refuse coverage or exploit high risk clients, if I have to live on the good will of Georgia citizens to not to vote to remove preexisting conditions coverage for employers (business will save money if they move here from states that don’t – more jobs, so of course they will) or keep funding (even rising taxes to do so) the expanding high risk insurance pool (Georgia loves raising taxes you know), I’m screwed. I’m single, I’ll be 50 if the ACA is phased out if passed and I am well paid for what I do ( not lawyer well but…). I don’t even know what bill the senate voted on so I don’t know if I can even have Medicaid if I have to liquidate if the end is near. .
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No one should live in terror so bad that finding out you have a normal test send you into a shaking fits of relief. That what’s the current repeal means to me. Living in terror. Again.
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Fix that guys.
Ellynn, No one should be priced out of the health insurance market place if they have a bad diagnosis. My question (not directed at you) is why are we are only talking about the health insurance side and not asking why your bone scan costs $1,800 and not $400. Why in the world does it cost $750 for your blood work? It shouldn’t be more than $100. We will never solve this problem if the only discussion we have as far as the “fix” is around finding a way to chase ever increasing healthcare costs with ever increasing insurance costs. It is unsustainable. Addressing the cost drivers of healthcare has to be part of the solution.
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As far as your current situation, it is my hope and many republicans hope that we can lessen the restrictions on health savings accounts and expand the contribution limits. Democrats have this crazy idea that rich people will hide their money in HSAs. This is an absurd claim. I’m of the belief that no amount of your money should be taxed if it is spent on your healthcare. Doing away with the contribution limits on HSAs would help. Allowing a health savings account to be paired with insurance that isn’t only a catastrophic plan would help.
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Next, you become much more affordable to cover with employer sponsored insurance when we address the cost drivers of your care and are able to encourage younger healthier people into the insurance market to spread the risk. That was exactly what the ACA claimed to do, but it has failed to encourage (or force) young healthy people to enter the market place. The exchanges have turned into a federally subsidized high risk pool that has ever increasing premiums/deductibles. It cannot be sustained because insures are dropping out of the exchanges. Real people are losing their “if you like your doctor/health insurance you can keep it.”
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Doing nothing is not possible. Going back to pre-ACA is not helpful and will harm people. I want and will continue to work on a plan that will help drive down your costs of healthcare while putting in place a system that encourages healthier individuals to get covered with the plan that they want and not what the government forces them to buy.
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Andrew, I will not be debating you on this today. I don’t have the time and we have already debated everything that there is to debate. Say whatever you like.
HSAs are even better than 401(k)s at avoiding taxes, not taxed going in, gains not taxed, andnot taxed when withdrawn.
Portman is presiding and has not voted. McCain will vote last and then have 15 minutes to speak. I don’t care who you are you should listen to McCain’s speech. Waiting on Pence to take over as presiding officer so Portman can vote then McCain vote. Then Pence will cast the tie break vote.
A statesman’s speech, McCain pleading for sanity from his colleagues. Let’s hope both sides of the aisle heed. And any Democrat who votes “no” on this simple motion to simply discuss the horrendous problem of our healthcare mess should be voted out in 2018. Both parties need to work together for a fix.
Pleading for sanity after rewarding insanity with his vote to go forward in this process is reason no one need heed his remarks.
I understand he thought enough of his colleagues to save them the suspense and gave the speech after the “aye”.