Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse

  perkinscenter.org/life-new/. The National Employment Law Project’s assessment of threatened cuts, “On President Trump’s Budget Proposal,” was issued March 16, 2017.

  Putt-Head: The New York Times reported on July 25, 2008: “Forced Off Duke’s Varsity Golf Team, Giuliani’s Son Files a Lawsuit.” Sports Illustrated was all over the story, with pieces like “Sue Devils: A peek inside Giuliani v. Duke” on August 4, 2008. Jim Gorant wrote “Notebook: Giuliani v. Duke: A teammate’s view” on July 30, 2008, while a notable Golf Digest piece published June 1, 2008, was headlined “Andrew Giuliani… Unruly brat or good kid who just wanted to play golf at Duke?” The New York Post “Rudy’s Putt-Head” piece appeared July 25, 2008. Trump’s naming of Andrew Giuliani to the White House post was broadly reported, especially in New York media, on March 6. The Duke Chronicle piece on the appointment of the “former men’s golfer” appeared March 7, 2017.

  The Product of a Judicial Coup: I covered the Garland and Gorsuch nomination fights extensively for the Nation and wrote a number of pieces that challenged the false claim that Supreme Court nominations cannot be taken up in presidential election years in articles such as “This Is Precisely the Right Time for the Senate to Consider Judge Garland’s Supreme Court Nomination,” published June 22, 2016. A fine historical review of the Brandeis nomination fight, “Louis Brandeis confirmed as Justice, 100 year [sic] ago today,” was published June 1, 2016, by the National Constitution Center. Find background on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing with Neil Gorsuch at the committee’s site: www.judiciary.senate.gov/. The Washington Post report “Franken presses Gorsuch on Garland snub, same-sex marriage” was published March 21, 2017. The People For the American Way assessment of Gorsuch’s right-wing stances, “The Dissents of Judge Neil Gorsuch: Far to the Right and Out of the Mainstream,” was written by Elliot Mincberg and published in February 2017. The Republican National Lawyers Association detailed Gorsuch’s involvement with the group in “RNLA Statement on the Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court,” issued January 31, 2017. For more on Supreme Court nominations in election season, check out the fine work of Amy Howe, who on February 13, 2016, published her piece “Supreme Court vacancies in presidential election years” on the essential Scotusblog, at http://www.scotus

  blog.com/2016/02/supreme-court-vacancies-in-presidential-election-years/.

  Donald Trump’s Very Own Milhous: Time magazine published a full transcript of the vice presidential debate on October 4, 2016. For more background regarding the debate, visit the Commission on Presidential Debates site at http://www.debates.org/. A good review of Pence’s problems with General Flynn, “Pence: I was ‘disappointed’ with Flynn,” was produced February, 20, 2017. The group Every Voice, which does great research and analysis on money-in-politics issues, published “Mike Pence: Tiebreaker, DeVos Money Taker” on February 7, 2017. A look at Pence’s endorsement of Cruz, “Indiana governor: ‘I will be voting for Ted Cruz,’” appeared April 29, 2016, in the Chicago Tribune. Politico produced a number of good articles on Trump’s considering of Pence; “Trump flirts with unpopular Pence: Some home state Republicans would be glad to see the Indiana governor abandon his re-election bid for a VP slot,” from July 12, 2016, was especially useful, as was “The old cassettes that explain Mike Pence: Donald Trump’s running mate learned everything he needed to know about politics from behind a studio mic,” from July 20, 2016. I covered the Republican nomination process from start to finish, along with the vice presidential selection process and the Republican National Convention and traveled to Indiana several times to examine Pence’s record. The Indianapolis Star wrote extensively about Pence’s home state political challenges in pieces such as “Latest poll: Race for governor remains tight,” published May 20, 2016.

  Part IV: Privateers

  FDR spoke of “government by organized mob” in perhaps the greatest political speech of his career, an address delivered on October 31, 1936, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Woody Guthrie’s outlaw ballad “Pretty Boy Floyd” was written in 1939. The Papers of Ben Franklin, collected by Ellen R. Cohn, published by Yale University Press, contain many of Franklin’s writings (and machinations) regarding letters of marque and reprisal. The interested scholar will find a wealth of material on maritime law, the Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law and more in the Yale Law School Legal Scholarship Repository. For more on contemporary discussions of letters of marque, see Politico, April 15, 2009: “Ron Paul’s plan to fend off pirates.” The Los Angeles Times reported May 11, 2011, that “Trump has thrived with government’s generosity: The potential presidential candidate and opponent of big government has relied on tax breaks and federal funding to build his real estate empire.” The piece closely examined his New York deals and doings, providing great insights from Karen Burstein and others. The American Federation of Government Employees declared on January 23, 2017, that “President Trump’s Federal Hiring Freeze Will Cost Taxpayers and Hurt Americans.” Pieces on Trump and privatization appeared frequently in the media during the Trump transition. The Washington Post piece “Elaine Chao emphasizes private funds for Trump’s promised transportation fixes” appeared on January 11, 2017, around the time of Chao’s Senate confirmation hearing. FDR spoke of “human cooperation” in his great August 9, 1934, address in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

  “I’ve Got a Bridge to Sell You”: The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs publishes a Guide to Anti-

  Corruption Policy and Programming that includes a section on “Nepotism in Appointments.” For a flavor of France’s problems in this regard, see the New York Times, February 3, 2017: “Fillon Scandal Indicts, Foremost, France’s Political Elite.” Thomas Jefferson wrote to George Washington on April 16, 1784, warning about “the patrons of privilege and prerogative.” The New York Times piece “Elaine Chao Gets Cozy Reception at Confirmation Hearing” appeared January 11, 2017. NPR provided good background on the federal anti-nepotism law in a November 18, 2016, report: “Jared Kushner and the Anti-Nepotism Statute That Might Keep Him From the White House.” Adam Bellow’s piece in the July/April 2003 issue of the Atlantic was headlined “In Praise of Nepotism: Americans censure nepotism on the one hand and practice it as much as they can on the other. There’s much to be said for “good” nepotism, the author argues—which is fortunate, because we’re living in a nepotistic Golden Age.” Matt Lewis’s piece “Elaine Chao’s Appointment: Sign of Diversity or Nepotism?” appeared in Roll Call on November 30, 2016. Politico reported January 24, 2017, that “Commerce committee gives Chao the nod,” while the Reuters report on her confirmation, “U.S. Senate approves Chao to lead Transportation Department,” appeared February 1, 2017. Steven Greenhouse’s report “Labor Agency Is Failing Workers, Report Says” was published March 24, 2009. In 2009, inspired by concerns about the issues with the Labor Department, California congressman George Miller introduced the Wage Theft Prevention Act; he continued to press for investigations and studies of wage theft. Spencer Woodman’s great piece for the Nation, “Elaine Chao, Ruined Department of Labor, Picked to Ensure Safety of Nation’s Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Under her leadership, the Department of Labor routinely ignored complaints about wage theft and workplace safety,” published November 30, 2016, highlighted many of the ongoing complaints and concerns about Chao’s management style. The Alicia Patterson Foundation report “How the Bush administration reversed decades of progress on mine safety” was published in 2011. When Chao was finishing at the Labor Department, the New York Times published the January 9, 2009, piece “Elaine L. Chao, Departing Secretary of Labor, Fends Off Critics.” Lane Windham wrote for the American Prospect on December 5, 2016: “The Workers’ Menace Becomes the Commuters’ Threat: Elaine Chao, Bush’s labor secretary, is Trump’s pick for transportation.” Trump appeared August 2, 2016, on Fox Business to talk infrastructure. FDR spoke about “national possessions” when he dedicated Boulder Dam
on September 30, 1935. The latest American Society of Civil Engineers estimates on infrastructure can be found at www.asce.org. Robert Reich explained “Trump’s Infrastructure Scam” at www.robertreich.org, while Paul Krugman wrote about the issue in the November 19, 2016, New York Times blog “Infrastructure Build or Privatization Scam?” Ronald Klain’s piece “Trump’s big infrastructure plan? It’s a trap” appeared November 18, 2016, in the Washington Post.

  The Kingfish of the Quagmire: Stanford’s February 1, 2002, reflection, “John Gardner, founder of Common Cause, engineer of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ‘Great Society’ program, dead at 89,” provides a great sense of this remarkable man’s accomplishments, as does the 2001 PBS tribute: “John Gardner: Uncommon American.” Stephanie Mencimer is always great, but her November 18, 2009, piece for Mother Jones, “The Tea Party’s Favorite Doctors,” was masterfully reported and written. CNN reported on Price’s CPAC speech in a February 19, 2010, piece: “Price welcomes ‘Party of No’ label.” Slate writer Jordan Weissmann’s piece “Tom Price Is the Walking Definition of an Appearance of Corruption” appeared January 17, 2017.

  CNN reported that same day that “Trump’s Cabinet pick invested in company, then introduced a bill to help it.” On March 17, 2017, ProPublica reported that “Fired U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Said to Have Been Investigating HHS Secretary Tom Price.” RoseAnn DeMoro wrote a January 19, 2017, column that appeared on Common Dreams: “Access to Buying Insurance Is Not Health Coverage.” NNU decried the lack of scrutiny of Price, and issued a January 23, 2017, statement: “Nurses Urge Senate Finance Committee to Scrutinize Tom Price.” The transcript of Price’s wrangling with cancer survivor Brian Kline on March 15, 2017, can be found on the CNN website: http://www.cnn.com/transcripts/1703/15/se.01.html.

  The Health Care Profiteer: You can learn a little more about the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at the agency’s website: www.cms.gov. The March 14, 2017, statement from HHS announced: “Secretary Price and CMS Administrator Verma Take First Joint Action: Affirm Partnership of HHS, CMS, and States to Improve Medicaid Program.” The Indianapolis Star investigation, published August 25, 2014, was headlined “Seema Verma, powerful state health-care consultant, serves two bosses.” Concerns expressed by Senator Cantwell and others were reported March 13, 2017, in the New York Times article “Health Policy Expert Is Confirmed as Medicare and Medicaid Administrator.” Dr. Zarr’s statement was issued December 2, 2016, by Physicians for a National Health Care Program as “Doctors group calls on Trump to rescind nominations of Price, Verma to key health care posts.”

  The Investor Who Got a High Return: Robert W. McChesney and I wrote a good deal about DeVos in our book Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex Is Destroying America (Nation Books, 2013). I have also covered her machinations at the state level for the Nation over many years. Diane Ravitch wrote a great book on so-called choice initiatives: Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools (Vintage; reprint, 2014). Source Watch maintains a detailed background file on DeVos at http://www.source

  watch.org/index.php/Betsy_DeVos. Jane Mayer examined “Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Big Donor Education Secretary” in a piece for the New Yorker published November 23, 2016. Jeremy Scahill’s Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army was published by Nation Books in 2007. Scahill spoke about DeVos and Prince on Democracy Now! on January 18, 2017. The Los Angeles Times reported on Eli Broad’s opposition to DeVos in a February 1, 2017, piece: “Betsy DeVos ‘is unprepared and unqualified’ to be Education Secretary, Eli Broad says.” Ravitch explained her opposition to DeVos in a WBEZ radio interview, “The Future of Public Education If Trump Becomes Privatizer-In-Chief,” on December 7, 2016. The American Federation of Teachers issued a November 23, 2016, statement: “AFT President Randi Weingarten on Nomination of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education.” Huffington Post explained “Here’s How Much Betsy DeVos and Her Family Paid to Back GOP Senators Who Will Support Her” in a February 2, 2017, article subtitled “It’s good to be a donor.” I wrote about the DeVos spending in the states for the Nation in a May 9, 2011, article: “Learning the Fitzwalkerstan Way: Wisconsin’s Walker Pushes Privatization of Education: The governor who has led the fight to bust unions and cut public services now steps up as the pointman for privatization of education—and his own political ambitions.” We examined the All Children Matter case in Ohio in Dollarocracy. One Wisconsin Now’s November 23, 2016, statement on DeVos was headlined “Trump’s DeVos Appointment Means More School Privatization, More Failure, Less Accountability: Being a Billionaire Whose Hobby Is Underwriting Campaigns to Steal Public School Dollars for Unaccountable Private Schools Disqualifies Her to Be Our Secretary of Education.”

  Mr. Secrets and Lies: Friends of the Earth produced a solid summary of concerns about Pruitt in their February 17, 2017, statement: “Friends of the Earth Will Hold Accountable Senators Who Voted for Pruitt.” The Center for Media and Democracy investigated Pruitt thoroughly and aggressively, revealing many of their findings and concerns in a January 18, 2017, piece by Nick Surgey: “Scott Pruitt: Trump’s Pick for EPA.” Background on the court case involving Pruitt’s emails and records can be found in “Court Orders EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt to Release Emails,” published February 16, 2017, by CMD. The New York Times offered a sense of the chaotic Pruitt debate and vote in its February 17, 2017, piece “Senate Confirms Scott Pruitt as E.P.A. Head.” But it really is worth watching the key portions on CSPAN, which archived the fiasco at https://www.c-span.org/video/?424132-1/us-senate-confirms-epa-nominee-advances-commerce-nominee. The details of the Pruitt emails were reviewed in the February 22, 2017, CMD article “Oklahoma AG Releases 7,564 Pages in Response to CMD Request.” CNN reported on EPA cuts March 16, 2017, in the piece “Trump budget chief on climate change: ‘We consider that to be a waste of your money.’” The Sierra Club released a review of Pruitt’s conflicting statements on March 13, 2017: “Pruitt Repeatedly Misled Congress—Three Strikes You’re Out!”

  Pristine Wilderness for Sale, Lease or Hire: The National Park Service highlights “Theodore Roosevelt and Conservation” at its parks and in its promotional materials, especially his argument that, more than a century ago, Americans were “awakening” to the need to preserve wilderness areas. Douglas Brinkley’s great book of Roosevelt’s conservation legacy is The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America (Harper Collins, 2009). He spoke about it in an August 2009 interview: “Teddy’s crusade.” Zinke’s rage at Hillary Clinton was detailed in a January 31, 2014, piece for the Hill: “House candidate calls Clinton ‘Antichrist.’” Zinke’s self-advocacy was detailed in a May 25, 2016, Breitbart piece: “Commander Ryan Zinke Backs Donald Trump for President: ‘I Want to Be Part of Team Making America Great Again.’” Montana Public Radio reported July 19, 2016, on Zinke’s bombastic Republican National Convention speech. CNN reported January 17, 2017, on “Trump Cabinet picks on climate change.” When Zinke stepped down as an RNC delegate in the summer of 2016, the Billings Gazette examined his stances on environmental issues in a July 15, 2016, piece: “Zinke resigns delegate post over public lands disagreement; still will speak at RNC.” Montana Public Radio produced an August 8, 2016, report: “Analyzing Zinke and Juneau’s Public Lands Positions.” The Missoulian reported November 28, 2016, that “Trump names Zinke’s wife Lolita to VA landing team.” National Parks Traveler described responses to the Zinke nomination in a December 15, 2016, article: “Montana Congressman Picked to Be Interior Secretary.” The Sierra Club issued its December 13, 2016, statement as “Sierra Club Criticizes Zinke Nomination for DOI,” while Friends of the Earth launched a “Tell the Senate: Block Ryan Zinke from leading the Department of the Interior” campaign. Scientific American’s report “Public Lands and Environment under Interior Nominee Zinke: A Mixed Bag: Trump’s appointment to oversee America’s parks and federal lands has pledged to protect them and public access
while undoing federal regulation” was published January 20, 2017. The February 6, 2017, letter to senators from the environmental and conservation groups was titled “Oppose Ryan Zinke for Secretary of the Interior.”

  Mars Incorporated: Like most new presidents, Trump slipped a space reference into the inaugural address he delivered January 20, 2017, although it was largely missed amid all the talk of “carnage.” Referred to as the “Moon speech,” John Kennedy’s September 12, 1962, speech was formally titled “Address at Rice University on the Nation’s Space Effort.” The Washington Post reported on Trump’s space-is-not-the-place sentiments in a November 11, 2015, article: “Donald Trump tells 10-year-old that ‘space is terrific’ but potholes are more important.” The Boston Globe headlined its piece from the same day “Trump loves NASA, but backs privatization of outer space.” Politico’s Bryan Bender reported February 9, 2017, on the “Trump advisers’ space plan: To moon, Mars and beyond: A push for privatization is inspiring a battle between aerospace contractors and the new breed of tech entrepreneurs.” The Week reported February 9, 2017: “President Trump reportedly wants to monetize space.” Bob Walker is the executive chairman of the DC firm Wexler|Walker and the chairman of the industry-friendly Alliance for Transportation Innovation (ATI21) advisory board. SpaceNews reported January 22, 2017: “Trump administration assigns first political appointees to NASA.” Wired reported January 20, 2017, on Trump’s space appointments and the Atlantic wrote January 3, 2017, about “The Most Vulnerable NASA Missions Under Trump: Reading the tea leaves on the president-elect’s space policy.” Dr. Greg Autry’s October 15, 2017, article for Forbes was headlined “Space Policy 101 for Clinton and Trump.” The United Nations has an Office of Outer Space Affairs and interstellar treaties can be found at its website: http://www.unoosa.org. Britain’s Telegraph newspaper reported January 26, 2012, on Newt Gingrich’s “Northwest Ordinance for Space” speech: “US election 2012: Newt Gingrich calls for US moon base: At a Florida rally, Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich takes a giant leap into the future as he promises a permanent American colony on the moon ‘by the end of my second term.’” Saturday Night Live parodied Gingrich’s “admoonistration” on February 4, 2012. Associated Press reported January 26, 2012, that “Romney Mocks Gingrich’s Plans for Moon Base.”