TGIF 6/5/20

Another Friday rolls into town, and so it's time for the good week/bad week exercise. I'll drop the stories, and let you decide the good week/bad week part.

Let's start with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who sent an email around this week talking about justice, and George Floyd. After saying that his death was "both horrifying and inhumane, but not unique," she adds

People have had enough. They are angry and in pain. And they are calling out for justice.  

The email includes her promise to fight for justice for Minnesotans and everyone. And all of that is good, and it makes sense that elected officials are sending this kind of email right now. 

Klobuchar, though, once was the prosecutor for Hennepin County, and according to this 2019 article, when she had the opportunity to prosecute alleged police brutality, she didn't.

Klobuchar, however, chose not to criminally charge any fatalities involving law enforcement . Instead she routinely put the decision to a grand jury, a process widely criticized for its secrecy and for mostly allow the police version of events. 

Some see this as dooming her probably limited chances of becoming Papa Joe Biden's veep and I was actually waiting to see if someone modified one of her 'hot dish' messages into a 'hot mess' message. I'm sure there's one out there somewhere, don't you agree?

Defense Secretary Mark Esper is having a week, for sure. I'm having a hard time believing that he has any opinions of his own, after walking back both a statement about the Insurrection Act and keeping troops in DC, and a statement about that presidential photo op at St. John's church which he didn't know about, until he did, unless he didn't. Until he got yelled at by the president, we're told.  Anyone else thinking about John Kerry right now?

Speaking of the president, there's this, from the Portland (Maine) Press Herald, which says, in part (as the president was set to visit the Pine Tree State today)

In just the last week, you gleefully tweeted about shooting fellow citizens; you goaded governors into escalating violent situations so the don't "look like jerks;" and you authorized the use of rubber bullets and tear gas to clear peaceful protesters out of a public space so you could pose for a Bible-waving photo op.

These are just a few examples of why you lack the character, maturity, and judgment to lead our country in this perilous time. You should resign.  

One more thing on Mark Esper. When asked Wednesday whether the president still had confidence in his Defense Secretary, here's what Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany had to say.

As of right now, Secretary Esper is still Secretary Esper. And should the president lose faith, we will all learn about that in the future. 

Yeah, we'll read the tweet, I'm sure.

And there's this remarkable, if unfathomable set of comments the president's Rose Garden whatever-it-was today, in which the president announced nothing at all related to equality or George Floyd or racism or violence or anything else. Just these words, which directly followed comments about "dominating the streets." (Note that this is an unofficial transcript, and I will update it with the official link when posted).

Equal justice under the law must mean that every American receives equal treatment in every encounter with law enforcement, regardless of race, color, gender, creed, they have to receive fair treatment from law enforcement. They have to receive it. We saw what happened last week. We cannot let that happen.

Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying "there is a great thing happening in our country." It is a great day for him. It is a great day for everybody. This is a great day. This is a great, great day in terms of equality. It is really what our constitution requires. It is what our country is all about.

And, I'm thinking, maybe the president meant that George Floyd would be happy that this happened in DC today.

It was a week, for sure.  TGIF, everyone.