John Oliver on Gerrymandering

The Rule of Law: He who rules makes the law. Legislators often reshape voting districts to keep their parties in political power. John Oliver explains.

Related:

“Why the Supreme Court’s decision to review Wisconsin’s gerrymandering is such a big deal,” Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post

“Gerrymandering Case Echoes in Inkblot-Like Districts Across the U.S.,” Michael Cooper, New York Times

“Where Gerrymandering Is Containing City Power,” Brentin Mock, CityLab

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Channel Hopping

“It seems our desire for instant gratification has conquered politics. Voters are channel-hopping, snacking on ideologies and political styles, moving on as soon as they’re bored. In that light, Donald Trump is a political genius: His slippery, shifting positions on just about everything command attention and perfectly reflect the restless mood of the times. People are eager for something—anything—different, and damn any concerns about consistency.”

— Jason Karaian, Quartz

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The Trick to Covering Trump

“While major news networks have struggled to figure out the right way to cover the Trump administration, political satirists like Samantha Bee, John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, and Seth Meyers have demonstrated why comedy can be such a powerful antidote to bullsh*t.”
— Carlos Maza, and Coleman Lowndes, Vox

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Montana Wrestles With the First Amendment

In Montana on Wednesday, a reporter attacked Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte with dangerous questions about the deadly House healthcare bill, so the candidate responded by body-slamming the journalist to the ground and punching him. Knowing Montana, that should get the GOP hopeful a victory in today’s special election as well as a Gallatin County misdemeanor conviction.

After all, Montana voters already elected a dangerously impulsive rich guy who hates the media and press freedom to the White House, so adding another one to Congress should be a snap.

More:

“Fox News crew ‘watched in disbelief’ as Montana’s Greg Gianforte ‘slammed’ and ‘began punching’ reporter,” Fred Barbash, Washington Post

“Three Montana newspapers rescind Gianforte endorsements after alleged body-slamming incident,” Louis Nelson, Politico
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FBI Director Comey Seeking New Opportunities

In a stunning act of ingratitude towards the man who made him President, Donald Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey. Maybe it’s a reflex Mr. Trump developed during his reality TV career.

Hey, this couldn’t have anything to do with the ongoing FBI investigation of the Trump Campaign’s Russian ties, could it?

The Art of the Threat

Borrowing a stratagem from every petty thug with a protection racket, President Donald Trump has threatened to shut down the federal government in October if he doesn’t get his way:

“President Trump on Tuesday called for a government shutdown later this year and suggested the Senate might need to prohibit future filibusters, dramatic declarations from a new commander in chief whose frustration is snowballing as Congress continues to block key parts of his agenda.

‘Our country needs a good ‘shutdown’ in September to fix mess!’ Trump wrote in a series of tweets Tuesday morning. He likely meant a shutdown in October, as the current spending bill lawmakers have agreed to would fund government operations through Sept. 30.

Trump’s call for a shutdown, which appears to be unprecedented from a sitting president, come as his problems are mounting within the House and Senate, chambers that are both controlled by his party.”

— “Trump raises prospect of government shutdown to leverage better budget for GOP in fall,”  Damian Paletta and John Wagner, Washington Post

More:

“Trump Says U.S. Needs Government ‘Shutdown,'”Julie Hirschfeld Davis, New York Times

“President Trump Wants a Government Shutdown,” David A. Graham, The Atlantic

“Trump May Be Spoiling For A Shutdown Fight, But It Could Spell Disaster In 2018,” Jessica Taylor, NPR

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Why ‘The First 100 Days’?

Why are new presidents judged by their accomplishments during the first 100 days of their term? Ron Elving explains.

More:

“Trump has fulfilled only 10 of 38 promises in first 100 days,” Jill Colvin and Calvin Woodward, AP via Chicago Tribune

“Trump’s first 100 days according to the group that matters most: ‘Many people,’” Phillip Bump, Washington Post

“What did Trump tweet in his first 100 days?” Jessica Estepa, USA Today

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Romney’s Binders

Remember back in 2012 when Mitt Romney responded to comments about his campaign’s lack of gender diversity by claiming he had “binders full of women“? He really did.

“The Boston Globe recently reported that it had obtained the files — which were indeed literal three-ring binders full of cover letters and résumés — by way of an unnamed former Romney aide.

The binders weighed in ‘at an aggregate 15 pounds, 6 ounces,’ according to the Globe.

At the time, Romney’s remark came across as patronizing, a reflection of his awkward and detached public persona at its most visible.”

— “Mitt Romney Really Did Have Literal Three-Ring ‘Binders Full Of Women,'” Esme Cribb, TPM Livewire

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‘Hollywood Steve’ Bannon

Between working as a Goldman Sachs investment banker and haunting the corridors of the Trump White House, Steve Bannon produced 18 films. Three of them explain his plans for presidential power, says Adam Freelander.

More:

“What I Learned Binge-Watching Steve Bannon’s Documentaries,” Adam Wren, Politico

“How Hollywood Remembers Steve Bannon,” Connie Bruck, The New Yorker

Note: Steve Bannon’s filmmaking idol is Leni Riefenstahl.

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Alt-Right’s Bannon Ousted From National Security Council

Far-Right culture warrior Steve Bannon was bounced off the National Security Council yesterday as national intelligence director Dan Coats and Joint Chiefs chair General Joseph Dunford were to rejoin the grownups on the NSC principals committee. One rumor says Mr. Bannon was only on the NSC to babysit fellow lunatic Michael Flynn, who has since resigned. This move probably means a cleansing apocalyptic nuclear war is less likely the top US security strategy.

General H.R. McMaster, who replaced Mr. Flynn as national security adviser, is said to be behind the change. In a more puzzling move, two former Republican governors with no defense or foreign relations experience, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Energy Secretary Rick Perry, were added to the principals committee. A sobering thought: Mr. Perry, who wanted to abolish the department he now heads, is in charge of the country’s nuclear arsenal.

Mr. Bannon still skulks through the corridors of power and may head a shady outfit called the Strategic Initiatives Group.

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