Making the click-through worthwhile: The chain of command breaks down at the White House over potential Iranian retaliation, his competitors attack Joe Biden for his comments about civility with segregationists, and Senator Ben Sasse delivers a pro-life jeremiad on the Senate floor.
Trump Reportedly Rescinds Counterstrike Order
A Trump administration official leaked details of high-stakes internal drama at the White House on Thursday, divulging the president’s reported withdrawal from a proposed counterstrike measure against Iran that he had previously sanctioned, according to the New York Times. The controversy comes in the wake of what some see as overt Iranian malfeasance. Yesterday saw the downing of an unmanned U.S. drone that was targeted while flying over the Strait of Hormuz, details the Associated Press. Two of the president’s most hawkish officials, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national-security adviser John Bolton, were reportedly pressuring President Trump to pursue more aggressive retaliatory action. Democrats tried to talk Trump out of the measure, warning it might lead to a protracted war with Iran. From the AP:
The swift reversal was a stark reminder of the serious risk of military conflict between U.S. and Iranian forces as the Trump administration combines a “maximum pressure” campaign of economic sanctions with a buildup of American forces in the region. As tensions mounted in recent weeks, there have been growing fears that either side could make a dire miscalculation that led to war.
According to the official who spoke to The Associated Press, the strikes were recommended by the Pentagon and were among the options presented to senior administration officials.
It was unclear how far the preparations had gone, but no shots were fired or missiles launched, the official said.
The military operation was called off around 7:30 p.m. Washington time, after Trump had spent most of Thursday discussing Iran strategy with top national security advisers and congressional leaders.
This story is still developing; President Trump sent out a series of tweets this morning further detailing the process he used to make his decision.
Joe Biden Was Civil with Mean People
Joe Biden is crusty old man — that, of itself, is a rather unremarkable fact in the crusty, old pool of front-runner Democratic candidates — but he is unique in his transparent disregard for the woke norms governing Democratic politics. Biden is either unaware or unconcerned that progressive thought leaders are growing convicted that civility itself is an underhanded means of preserving established power and white male hegemony (did I do that right?). On Tuesday night, Biden longed for the days of civility in politics, detailing the cordiality of pro-segregation senator James O. Eastland.
From the Washington Post:
Biden’s remarks, which came at a fundraiser Tuesday night in which he said one segregationist senator “never called me ‘boy,’ he always called me ‘son,’ ” seemed intended to highlight a central argument of his presidential candidacy: that he knows how to bring unity to a polarized nation.
Instead, they prompted another controversy for Biden’s campaign — and the sharpest attacks yet from his rivals on matters of race that are central to his bid and important to black voters who are seen as a crucial force in deciding the Democratic nomination battle.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), whose parents faced racial discrimination when trying to move into a white neighborhood in New Jersey, was explicit that Biden needed to apologize. Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) said she was “deeply” concerned by Biden’s remarks, telling reporters at the Capitol, “If those men had their way, I wouldn’t be in the United States Senate and on this elevator right now.”
Biden, for his part, is refusing to apologize: “Apologize for what? Cory should apologize. He knows better. There’s not a racist bone in my body; I’ve been involved in civil rights my whole career. Period. Period. Period.”
Ben Sasse Delivers Passionate Defense of Pro-Lifers
Senator Ben Sasse took to the Senate floor yesterday to express his concern about the Democratic party’s growing radicalism on abortion, and to deliver a rebuke to “eternal sophomore-class president Kirsten Gillibrand” (to borrow Kevin D. Williamson’s formula) for comparing pro-life justices to racists and anti-Semites.
From Alexandra DeSanctis at NR:
In particular, Sasse called out New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand — who is attempting to run for the Democratic presidential nomination but continues to linger at the bottom of the pack — for recent remarks in which she equated being pro-life to being racist. “According to a sitting United States senator, and a candidate for the Democratic nomination to be president of the United States,” Sasse said, quoting Gillibrand’s comments, “holding pro-life views is ‘no longer acceptable.’ It is not a ‘fair’ position, she tells us. It is the ‘moral equivalent’ of ‘racism’ or ‘anti-Semitism.’ Perhaps in the senator’s next interview, my colleague will suggest that pro-life Americans belong in a basket of deplorables.”
He went on to note the historic connection between the abortion industry and the eugenics movement in the U.S. “It’s in part because of this ugly history that black women in America are three-and-a-half times more likely to have an abortion than white women,” he said. “In some parts of Senator Gillibrand’s home state, black children are actually more likely to be aborted than to be carried to term.”
Kirsten Gillibrand is among the least impressive people in public office — a feat indeed — but it was nevertheless important for Senator Sasse to rebuke her publicly, because her assertion is becoming fashionable among leftist intellectuals.