BloggeRhythms

After the new president’s direct confrontation with the press on Thursday, an article appeared in the Washington Post that seemed to be a potential attempt to be kinder and gentler in approach to him.

Jenna Johnson and David Weigel wrote a page one column @washingtonpost.com yesterday that included mention of happenings such as: “Several people [saying] they would have liked to see more coverage of a measure that Trump signed Thursday that rolled back a last-minute Obama regulation that would have restricted coal mines from dumping debris in nearby streams. At the signing, Trump was joined by coal miners in hard hats. 

“If he hadn’t gotten into office, 70,000 miners would have been put out of work,” Patricia Nana, a 42-year-old naturalized citizen from Cameroon. “I saw the ceremony where he signed that bill, giving them their jobs back, and he had miners with their hard hats and everything — you could see how happy they were.” 

After providing the quote from the obviously pleased Ms Nan in regard to the 70,00 saved jobs, the authors wrote: “The regulation actually would have cost relatively few mining jobs and would have created nearly as many new jobs on the regulatory side, according to a government report — an example of the frequent distance between Trump’s rhetoric, which many of his supporters wholeheartedly believe, and verifiable facts.” 

Illustrating that what the authors don’t realize, or perhaps favor, is that the jobs they’re referring to are regulatory and therefore an expansion of the non-productive governmental bureaucracy while also a further drain on taxpayers, producing absolutely nothing in return.     

As far as the “dumping debris in nearby streams,” is concerned, laws already exist clearly defining what can be disposed of in that manner, as follows: “The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has finalized the Stream Protection Rule to improve the balance between environmental protection and providing for the Nation’s need for coal as a source of energy. The final rule better protects streams, fish, wildlife, and related environmental values from the adverse impacts of surface coal mining operations and provides mine operators with a regulatory framework to avoid water pollution and the long-term costs associated with water treatment."  Which means the "last-minute" Obama legislation is unnecessary overkill. 

Another attendee, Melani, explained that she gets most of her news from talk radio — “I listen to Herman Cain on my way into work, I have Sean [Hannity] on my way home,” she said — and Fox News. 

“She and her husband were well-versed on hold-ups with the president’s Cabinet nominees and legal arguments for the now-frozen travel ban. But they didn’t know much about the resignation of Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn on Monday amid accusations that he improperly discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian ambassador — and then withheld that information from Vice President Pence and other top officials. 

“See, don’t question me on that because I haven’t really been watching and listening too much on it,” Melani said. “I think he kind of did it just to step away, a trust kind of a thing. And now, of course, they want to pull a big investigation and all of this stuff. And to be honest with you, I really think it’s only because of the way the haters are out there. That’s what I really think it is.” 

And in that way, the authors again included unsophisticated commentary from Trump admirers to denigrate them while attempting to display their own intelligence and awareness of current happenings.
However, if the two who wrote the article actually knew anything about situational tactics, they would have realized that former National Security Advisor, Mike Flynn, was likely acting in the nation’s very best interests in his application of the adage: "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer"

Although familiar to most as spoken by Michael Corleone in the Godfather, the phrase referred to originated with Machiavelli in "The Prince" which is explained this way @answers.yahoo.com: “You must know as much as possible about your enemy. Their every move, their strategies and basically what they are thinking. You must be prepared, in case they attack. You must also know when they are weak and vulnerable, so you can know when to close in on them.”

However, now Flynn is out, leftists think they’ve harmed the POTUS greatly, and access to extremely valuable inside information, input and thoughts from an enemy are gone as well. Which makes one wonder if those on the left are simply born stupid or learn to be from others around them. 

Along similar lines, not using one’s head, Chas Danner wrote about John McCain @nymag.com/daily/intelligencer regarding the senator’s comments on NBC about remarks he made on Friday at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. 

Providing a worldview clearly contradicting Trump’s, McCain declined referencing the president by name as he warned conference attendees that the West was now facing an existential threat. Worrying that “Western leaders, including in the U.S., seemed ready to give up on it in its hour of greatest need” he also “spoke out against several tenets of Trumpism, including the romanticization of authoritarianism, the disinterest in hard truth, the “turn away from universal values and toward old ties of blood and race and sectarianism,” and the “hardening resentment” toward immigrants and minorities.” 

McCain’s speech, though no surprise considering the polarity of views between himself and the POTUS, drew strange support from an unexpected source, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul @FoxNews.com, as follows: 

 “After McCain on Sunday criticized President Trump’s attitude toward the press, [Paul] castigated the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, saying, “we’re very lucky John McCain’s not in charge.” 

“Everything that he says about the president is colored by his own personal dispute he’s got running with President Trump, and it should be taken with a grain of salt, because John McCain’s the guy who’s advocated for war everywhere,” Paul said on “This Week.” 

“Paul added that if McCain were “in charge” the country would “be in perpetual war.” 

“If you look at the map, there’s probably at least six different countries where John McCain has advocated for us having boots on the ground,” said Paul, who noted that McCain supported the Iraq war. 

“As far as McCain’s rhetoric saying Trump is trying to “shut down the press,” Paul cautioned against hyperbole. 

“I don't agree with his analysis and applying that to the president,” he said. “I haven't seen any legislation coming forward that wants to limit the press. I see President Trump expressing his opinion, rather forceful in his own -- you know, his own distinct way.” 

In addition to the support the POTUS was gaining here at home from a former rival, a team approach was being taken as VP, Mike Pence, “sought to reassure Europe Monday of Donald Trump's commitment to transatlantic ties as he met EU chiefs in the face of anti-Trump protests," according to Lachlan Carmichael @yahoo.com. 

Pence said in Brussels: “Today it is my privilege on behalf of President Trump to express the strong commitment of the United States to continued cooperation and partnership with the European Union." 

After talks with EU president Donald Tusk, Pence said US commitment to transatlantic ties remained "steadfast and enduring" after decades of working together on security and economic issues. 

“Tusk thanked Pence for the meeting, saying that "we all truly needed it" and that Europe counted on "unequivocal" US support. 

"Too much has happened over the past month in your country and in the EU ... for us to pretend that everything is as it used to be," the former Polish premier added.” 

So, after roughly a month in office, things are beginning to sort out for the new POTUS. And what seems to be clear is that while he intends to keep on interfacing personally with those who voted him in, he and those around him will keep on taking care of business as promised. As proven by VP Mike Pence and even a former combatant, Rand Paul. 

That's it for today folks. 

Adios