Thursday, March 1, 2018

The Meaning Of Snafu

Situation Normal: All Fucked Up.

Via the New York Times:

Trump stunned Republicans on live television Wednesday by embracing gun control and urging a group of lawmakers at the White House to resurrect gun safety legislation that has been opposed for years by the powerful National Rifle Association and the vast majority of his party.

In a remarkable meeting, the president veered wildly from the N.R.A. playbook in front of giddy Democrats and stone-faced Republicans. He called for comprehensive gun control legislation that would expand background checks to weapons purchased at gun shows and on the internet, keep guns from mentally ill people, secure schools and restrict gun sales for some young adults. He even suggested a conversation on an assault weapons ban.

At one point, Mr. Trump suggested that law enforcement authorities should have the power to seize guns from mentally ill people or others who could present a danger without first going to court. “I like taking the guns early,” he said, adding, “Take the guns first, go through due process second.”

The declarations prompted a frantic series of calls from N.R.A. lobbyists to their allies on Capitol Hill and a statement from the group calling the ideas that Mr. Trump expressed “bad policy.” Republican lawmakers suggested to reporters that they remained opposed to gun control measures.

“We’re not ditching any constitutional protections simply because the last person the president talked to today doesn’t like them,” Senator Ben Sasse, Republican of Nebraska, said in a statement.

Democrats, too, said they were skeptical that Mr. Trump would follow through.

“The White House can now launch a lobbying campaign to get universal background checks passed, as the president promised in this meeting, or they can sit and do nothing,” said Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut.

This happens on such a regular basis with this crowd that the only surprise is that the Grey Lady Newspaper of Record is putting it on the front page above the fold.  C’mon, remember how just a little while ago he promised he would protect the DACA kids?  And then there was how he’d be the best friend to the LGBTQ citizens and then peremptorily banned trans soldiers?  Or the time when he said he was the least racist person ever and then defended the neo-Nazis?

It’s no wonder he can’t keep a staff at the White House.  Aside from being unable to get security clearances or finding a lawyer, they have no idea what he’s going to say or if he might do a complete 180 on a policy you’ve spent hours coming up with (or pulling out of your ass) and attack you on Twitter.

Oh, for the record, if Barack Obama had proposed “take the guns first, go through due process second,” the GOP would have impeached him that afternoon with Trump leading the charge.