Updates

Government Shutdown

Well, it’s still going on. As you recall, the House has passed a “clean” Congressional Resolution to fund the government at current levels. The Senate has not been able to get the 60 votes to stop debate (cloture) and move to vote on the CR. They held another vote today, the13th attempt. Republicans need 7 Democrats to vote for cloture but only two have crossed party lines.

Meanwhile, one of the largest government employee unions and the Air Traffic Controllers union have both asked Democrats to let the Republicans move the CR. As essential employees, air traffic controllers have to show up to work even if they aren’t getting paid. As you can imagine, they don’t like this.

Both sides—Democrats and Republicans—seem to think they have the advantage over the other party during this fight. Obviously that can’t be true, but how would anyone know? Some are looking to three elections next week.

NYC, VA, and NJ Elections

People are looking at the governor races in Virginia and New Jersey to see which political party has the upper hand at the moment. While these can give us a sense, you have to be careful. Local issues and candidates are also important.

Virginia governors are held to only one term, so there is no incumbent. Abigail Spanberger (D) is running against Winsome Earle-Sears (R). Spanberger was set to win easily until a number of scandals among fellow Democratic candidates took the wind out of her sails. She is still leading, but it is tight. Note: a lot of government employees live and vote in Virginia.

New Jersey sees Mikie Sherrill (D) pitted against Jack Ciattarelli (R). New Jersey is a usually reliable Democratic state, but Ciattarelli came close to winning last time he ran for governor and Sherrill has had a number of scandals follow her from as long ago as her graduation from the Naval Academy. NJ is also home to a lot of people watching the mayoral race in New York City.

If the polls are right, the next mayor of New York will be Zohran Mamdani (D), a registered Socialist, a Muslim, and dual citizen of Uganda. His mother is a film maker, whose breakout work was Mississippi Masala (1991). His father is a professor at Columbia University and has just published a book that goes some way to defending Idi Amin, one of the most brutal of all the post-colonial rulers in Africa. He is running against former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo (Independent, but only because he lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary) and Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, talk show host, and perennial candidate for the Republicans.

A Mamdani win in NY would be significant for a number of reasons.

First, his policies are well to the left of most Americans and even most New Yorkers. He would like to increase taxes on the rich, make public transportation free of charge, set up city-run grocery stores. He is very anti-Israel in a city with the largest Jewish population in the world (he has threatened to arrest the Prime Minister of Israel if he were to visit New York.) He wants to replace much of the police department with social workers.

Second, he would be a gift to the Republican Party. If he were to be as radical as he promises to be, he would be the perfect foil to Donald Trump and the Republicans in next year’s midterm elections. All their ads would be him doing something crazy or New York falling into ruins.

Third and final, the symbolism is significant. A quarter century after Muslim terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers and killed thousands of Americans, the same city would elect a Muslim immigrant who has not shied away from Islamist positions and has associated with people involved in the 1993 attempt by other Muslim terrorists to blow up the World Trade Center.

Trump’s Asia Tour

Meanwhile, President Trump is in Asia meeting with the heads of state and heads of government (these are not always the same thing) and arranging economic and military agreements with Asia-Pacific nations ahead of his meeting with President Xi of China on Thursday. The stakes are high for that meeting. If it goes well, a lot of economic and political tensions could ease quickly. If it goes poorly, we don’t want to think about that.

He has not said much about the New York election, even though that is his home city. Speculation abounds. Does he want Mamdani to win so he can use this next year, or is he afraid of what would happen to a city he loves? Or is he just focused on his Asia trip? Maybe he is just enjoying the Whitehouse remodel.

Making the Whitehouse Great Again

The President is building a ballroom at the Whitehouse. In case you didn’t know, there was no room at the Whitehouse that could seat more than about eighty people. This made state dinners (formal events with foreign dignitaries) very difficult. A tent was set up on the lawn and port-a-potties brought in for the event.

Initially, the plan was to remove only the façade of the East Wing, an addition built in 1942 for office space. But architects were forced to take down the whole thing for, well, architectural reasons. It will be rebuilt with the ballroom.

People whose views of the President are so fixed that if he cured cancer would complain about him eliminating the cancer community are, predictably, upset. They say the demolition is a metaphor for the way he is destroying the country. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) said all future Democratic nominees for president should promise to tear down the ballroom if elected. Derangement speaks loudly in this one.

The renovations and building of the ballroom are entirely covered by private donations, including money from Trump, himself. Why? Well, it is needed, as even Democrats will admit when pressed. But the renovations are also distracting everyone from issues that might otherwise be debated. He even has your correspondent writing about it.

Meanwhile, below is an image of what President Obama’s library should look like when completed. I don’t know if we are expected to buy droids there or retrieve plans exposing a small thermal exhaust port. Maybe it looks more like the ship in Arrival.