The Georgia special-election House race has, as expected, turned into a referendum on Trump and on Trump’s chances to push his domestic policy through Congress. Via The Washington Post. But as Nate Silver notes, the results really should not set the political narrative, especially if they’re as close as they’re expected to be. But they will anyway. And that’s why they matter, even if they shouldn’t. Via fivethirtyeight.com.
One reason why the Georgia results will matter: If Democrat Jon Ossoff is elected, it could be the last best chance to stop Trumpcare. Via Huffington Post.
Georgia’s 6th CD is one of only 15 congressional districts in which more than half of adults have a college degree. And the solidly Republican district is the only one of the 15 that went for Donald Trump. But Trump won it by only 1 1/2 points whereas four years earlier, Mitt Romney won the district by 23. Via The New York Times.
It’s the costliest House race in history, but that’s not all. As expected, it gets very ugly as we head toward the end. Via Reuters.
It seems inevitable that someone in the White House inner circle will eventually turn against Trump and his practice of one-way loyalty. So the question, asks The New Yorker’s David Remnick, is who will be Trump’s Alexander Butterfield.
As the danger from North Korea grows ever greater, Mark Bowden looks at the possible options for dealing with the nuclear problem. There are options. The problem is that all the options are bad, which is not to say, though, that they’re all equally bad. Via The Atlantic. And it’s not just nuclear warheads. The death of Otto Warmbier, the University of Virginia student who had been held by North Korea, could lead to a travel ban. Via The Washington Post.
From The National Review: America’s war against a crumbling ISIS could be leading to an invasion of Assad’s Syria. Without Congressional approval. Without any real debate.
How two academics devised a plan to get the Supreme Court to take another look at gerrymandering. Via Vox.
Joy-Ann Reid: The lesson of the Philando Castile verdict and the disturbing twin truths underlying the justice system: It works very well at putting black and brown people behind bars and very well at keeping cops outside them. Via The Daily Beast.
Bill Cosby’s trial ended in a hung jury, but it’s still fair to ask, even as prosecutors will almost certainly go for another trial, what is left of Cosby’s legacy. Via The Washington Post.
Photo by amslerPIX, via Flickr: Creative Commons
CBS News’ Scott Pelley believes the shooting of Republicans at a baseball practice was “to some degree self-inflicted”. Via Newsbusters.org
http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/tom-blumer/2017/06/18/scott-pelley-dc-attack-congressmen-was-some-degree-self-inflicted
Here is how one compassionate, sensitive, warm, loving, empathetic and proud Democrat reacted to the shooting of members of the Republican congressional baseball team. Actor George Takei took the opportunity to describe critically wounded Rep. Steve Scalise as “bigoted,and homophobic”. His total lack of sympathy is mirrored by some other Democrats. Via Heatstreet.
https://heatst.com/politics/the-lefts-reaction-to-steve-scalise-shooting-has-been-shameful/
New York Times columnist David Brooks believes that to date there is very little evidence of collusion between President Trump’s campaign and the Russians. Via The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/20/opinion/russia-investigation-trump.html
Guess who said this in 2006, “immigration reduces the wages of domestic workers who compete with immigrants”. President Trump? Newt Gingrich? Tom Tancredo? No, no and no. It was Paul Krugman.
And you’ll never believe which Democrat US senator said this also is 2006, ““When I see Mexican flags waved at proimmigration demonstrations, I sometimes feel a flush of patriotic resentment. When I’m forced to use a translator to communicate with the guy fixing my car, I feel a certain frustration.” Hint: He used to be president of the US.
Liberals have lost their way on immigration according to Peter Beinart. Via The Atlantic.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/07/the-democrats-immigration-mistake/528678/