June 20, 2017 — Scott Johnson
My grandfather taught me the adage that “courtesy is cheap and pays big dividends.” It’s a quaint notion nowadays, but it seems to me a sort of democratic equivalent of the golden rule. As a practical matter, courtesy remains cheap and still proves beneficial most of the time. At least it doesn’t hurt. Does it apply in a corporate setting? The question occurred to me when I read last week’s
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June 20, 2017 — Scott Johnson
CBS News anchor Scott Pelley — make that former CBS News anchor Scott Pelley — is the face of sanctimonious liberalism. The attempted assassination of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and his GOP colleagues on the baseball field in Alexandria last week somehow prompted Pelley’s comment on the day after: “It’s time to ask whether the attack on the United States Congress, yesterday, was foreseeable, predictable and, to some degree,
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June 19, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Omri Ceren writes from The Israel Project to draw attention to the AP story “Iran calls missile attack a wider warning.”: Last week the Senate voted 98-2 to pass new Iran sanctions targeting 1st, Iran’s ballistic missile program and 2nd, the IRGC [a]. The Treasury Department had already been ramping up some measures against both: in February OFAC issued ballistic missile and IRGC designations, and in May it issued additional
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June 19, 2017 — Scott Johnson
In the early morning hours of June 17 the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald was involved in a what is described in media reports as a “collision” with the massive Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal container ship. The Fitzgerald returned to Fleet Activities Yokosouka under its own power. Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin spoke to members of the press about the incident on Sunday. His statement is posted here. The ship
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June 18, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar begs to disagree with President Trump’s modest curtailment of Obama’s normalization of relations with Cuba’s Communist regime. CNN gives Klobuchar’s column the jarring headline “Trump, we need Cuba’s business.” I don’t think Senator Klobuchar would ever address the president as “Trump.” I seriously doubt that the form of address was supplied by her for the headline. It’s just not her way. I also don’t think we
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June 18, 2017 — Scott Johnson
I wrote this on Father’s Day a few years ago. It is a post that struck a chord with at least a few readers. I am taking the liberty of reposting it today in honor of the day. My father was a thoughtful man in his own way. In the last years of his life he recited for me the things for which he was most grateful. In retrospect I
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June 17, 2017 — Scott Johnson
The pseudonymous Ishmael Jones is a former CIA case officer and author of The Human Factor: Inside the CIA’s Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture. He forwards the column below in the context of the proliferation of leaks attributed by reporters at the New York Times and the Washington Post to “current and former officials.” What is happening here? Mr. Jones explains in this column and offers a modest proposal to mitigate the
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June 17, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Yesterday Dr. Jack Sava, director of Trauma at Washington MedStar Hospital Center, held a 15-minute press conference to update the public on Scalise’s condition. Dr. Sava’s update is prefaced with a brief statement from Mrs. Scalise by chief of staff Brett Horton. Horton reiterated the family’s gratitude to the Capitol Police officers and first responders. I am posting the entirety of the C-SPAN video below. We weren’t wrong to fear
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June 16, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Today’s word from anonymous, unnumbered “official sources” — that is some deep cover they’ve got going there — to Washington Post reporters Sari Horwitz, Matt Zapotosky and Adam Entous (count ’em) goes like this: Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is investigating the finances and business dealings of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, as part of the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election, according to
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June 16, 2017 — Scott Johnson
By request Ammo Grrrll takes a look at ROAD FOOD in her rearview mirror complete with a sidelong glance at rush hour in the Twin Cities. She writes: A few weeks ago, commenter John Pilsun suggested that he would like to see a column on interesting road food from my most recent trip from Arizona to Minnesota and back. John, your wish is my command. Column ideas are always welcome,
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June 15, 2017 — Scott Johnson
The Washington Post’s Devlin Barrett, Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima and Sari Horwitz — count ’em — report that Special Counsel Robert Mueller “is interviewing senior intelligence officials as part of a widening probe that now includes an examination of whether President Trump attempted to obstruct justice[.]” The Post adds: Five people briefed on the interview requests, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the
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June 15, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Early reports following the attempted massacre of congressional Republicans on the baseball field in Arlington yesterday sounded an optimistic note on the condition of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. At last word, however, he remained in critical condition. Last night the MedStar Washington Hospital Center released a statement that Scalise’s office tweeted out: Update on the condition of Majority Whip Steve Scalise, courtesy of @MedStarWHC: pic.twitter.com/i5WlzcUVpM — Rep. Steve Scalise
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June 14, 2017 — Scott Johnson
A man with a rifle went on a shooting spree targeting Republicans practicing in Alexandria for the upcoming Congressional Baseball Game. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was wounded in the attack. He is at last report in surgery. Members of Rep. Scalise’s security detail were apparently also shot, as well as others including a staffer. Both Politico and CNN have reports with quotes from congressmen on the scene. Below is
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June 14, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Yesterday President Trump tweeted the assertion that “Fake News is at an all time high.” Trump wondered where the apology was “for all the incorrect stories???” CNN’s Chris Cillizza, formerly of the Washington Post, responded that Trump was off base. Cillizza wanted a set of citations. Here are Trump’s tweet and Cillizza’s response. Fake News is at an all time high. Where is their apology to me for all of
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June 14, 2017 — Scott Johnson
In his comments on the appearance of Attorney General Sessions before the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday afternoon John quotes Senator Cotton’s colloquy with Sessions (video below). It brought a rare moment of clarity to the proceedings. The alleged collusion of the Trump campaign with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was never more than a pretext. Now it is something like ancient history. As for the alleged collusion, there
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June 13, 2017 — Scott Johnson
President Trump held his first full cabinet meeting yesterday. Behind it lay a good idea. The idea was obviously to advertise the work of the Trump administration so far. You may have noticed that the mainstream media have lavished their attention elsewhere. He has assembled an impressive team. In convening his crew to talk about their accomplishments before the cameras, Trump undertook some necessary self-help. The reports of the participants
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June 13, 2017 — Scott Johnson
One of the most interesting items to emerge from former FBI Director’s James Comey’s testimony at the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing last week was Comey’s description of the key February 15 New York Times Trump/Russia story as “almost entirely wrong.” I took a look at Comey’s testimony and the subsequent Times coverage of it here (Comey’s testimony) and here (the Times’s coverage). In today’s New York Post John Crudele provides
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