Sunday School 3/11/18

The first - and, it turns out - only classroom I entered today was NBC's Meet the Press with Chuck Todd doing his darnedest to look wide awake (more on that in a minute) on this first day of daylight savings time.

Todd opened the show with a little bit about North Korea, and tariffs, and then did a 'that was the week that was' kind of thing.'

Monday was former Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg insisting he wouldn't comply with his Mueller subpoena, and then Friday he complied with it. Tuesday was the day Gary Cohn announced his resignation, over the tariffs. Not mentioned here was that Cohn allegedly was going to resign last year when Trump talked about "good people" in the white supremacists movement, but that wasn't enough to push him over the edge. Tariffs apparently were.

Wednesday was Stormy weather day - the restraining order against the porn star with the disclosure agreement, and also the day Mueller cast a shadow over the beautiful Seychelles by making a Russia connection. Thursday, the tariffs were signed, causing retaliation promises from allies. Friday it was North Korea, and "I alone can fix it" Trump, and then the campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Bottom line, the head-snapping week of screaming headlines and seat-of-the-pants decisions is indeed the presidency Donald Trump promised and the presidency he seems most comfortable with.

So - the stage is set, right?  Lots of things going on this week, some of it important stuff like the tariffs, and North Korea. And the first guest was Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, waking up even earlier on the West Coast to participate.

The conversation started on North Korea, and us being tough now, and the sanctions we've put in place are doing the trick and forced Kim to the table. And they talked over suggestions that this meeting would legitimize the murderous thug and his regime, and about what might derail the meeting, and where it might take place, and so on. And then the conversation  turned to Trump picking on the press when he was in Pennsylvania.

And "sleepy-eyes Chuck Todd, that sleepy son-of-a-bitch" (told you I'd get to that part) was not having the picking on the press part of it.

So, the image of an American president encouraging boos of the American press corps - of the American press corps, and discouraging boos of a dictator from North Korea. Your reaction, sir?

Mnuchin mentioned some "misreporting" about trump, and talked about Trump's policies, and so Todd tried again.

Alright, I understand you wanted to get back on a economic message, but the president of the United States in the past has been a beacon of freedom of the press. Instead last night, he was praising authoritarian figures in China and North Korea and encouraging boos of the American press. Does this mean it is... this American president is no longer going to be preaching about the values of freedom of the press and democracy around the world?

Mnuchin advised that "of course" the president believes the freedom of the press and in democracy, and protecting democracy, and suggested again that the conversation should be focused on those policies.

You keep saying that's what we should be focused on, then why can't the president be...  Would you call last night's speech a focused speech on that?

Mnuchin suggested the press shouldn't focus so much on the campaign rallies. Getting progressively more snitful, Todd did not stop.

So should we stop covering the campaign rallies? Do you think it's a mistake then for us to cover them at all? That it doesn't matter what he say? If it doesn't matter what he says there. If we are to dismiss everything he says at a campaign rally as I think you're trying to imply, then are you saying we shouldn't cover these things?

Mnuchin: you're putting words in my mouth... talk about policies, I came here to talk about his policies...

I wanted to talk about those with you. Obviously, he chose not to do that. Look, final question for you. Many people including myself raise there kids to respect the office of the presidency and the President of the United States. When he uses vulgarity to talk about individuals, what are they supposed to tell their kids?

Mnuchin said he'd be focusing, with his kids, on what the president is doing to protect the country, us, and our economy. And, of course, even though that was supposed to be the final question, there were more.

CT: So he's not a moral - don't worry about his values, don't worry about him as a role model.

SM: I never said that whatsoever. So I don't know why you're putting these words in what I'm trying to say, OK? So again - I am very comfortable with what we're doing, OK? And again, I think you're trying to take this out of perspective, and imply something I'm not saying.

CT: Fair enough, what do you... what are you supposed to say when he's using these vulgarities, to kids?

SM: Again, I think you should be focused on what the policies are. He's using these vulgarities in the context of a campaign rally and obviously, there were a lot of funny moments on, on, in that rally. 

CT: Yeah, they were hilarious. Anyway, Secretary Mnuchin, I appreciate your coming on, again.  I know you had to wake up extra early. That I appreciate. Thank you very much sir.

And finally, FINALLY, it was over.

I gave Mnuchin a lot of credit, I did. The point would have come, I think, where I would have just said "listen, put your big boy panties on and get over it! This president has a love-hate relationship with the media -- that's not a secret, is it?  And he loves getting under people's skin, like he's clearly gotten under yours. You got me up early for THIS? And one more thing - if you need help with parenting, isn't Dr. Phil on your network? Why don't you give him a call?"

Also on the show? Elizabeth Warren, who said she wasn't running for president in 2020.

So look, I am not running for president of the United States. I am running for the United States Senate. 2018. Massachusetts. Whoohoo!

And again.

 I already told you, I have no intention of running for the United States - for president.

And again.

Look, what I'm telling you is that I am in these fights every day. For the people of Massachusetts, and for the people across this country. This government is working better and better and better for a thinner and thinner slice at the top. I am in these fights, and I am in this fight to retain my Senate seat in 2018. That's where I'm focused. That's where I'm going to stay focused. I'm not running for president.

And again.

I am not running for president.

Chuck Todd finally acquiesced.

I know. Duly noted.

And so, you see, I had no energy left for any other classrooms.

See you around campus (and again) I mean, I'll see you around campus (and again) I will (and again) I'll see you around campus.

I. Will. See. You. Around. Campus.