Well, Trump’s make over of the defense and intelligence operations of the United States has made a few more changes.

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper has urged American military commanders overseas not to make any decisions related to the coronavirus that might surprise the White House or run afoul of President Trump’s messaging on the growing health challenge, American officials said.

Mr. Esper told commanders deployed overseas that they should check in before making decisions related to protecting their troops.

Yeah, well, don’t surprise the president. He’s a slow thinker and he’s got a stock market to manage.

In fact, it might be better that before you say anything at all to anybody at all, check it out with the president.  He’s got a lot of Executive Time on his hands.

 

Donald Trump, Jr. wrote a book. Well, actually someone else wrote it but listed Jr’s name as the author in exchange for money.  In all fairness, the original author probably also kicked in reading the book to Jr.

But tying money to book sales means that other people would pay money to read it. Come on now, people who can read wouldn’t read Jr.’s book, and people who can’t read real good don’t buy books at all.  So Jr. is kinda screwed.  Unless, of course, the Trump family name is always for sale.

And debuting his book at #1 on the Best Seller list is important to the family name.

Let’s start with the Republican National Committee.  Last month they bought $94,800 worth of Jr.’s book and gave them away at some damn Republican reception.  I’m betting that most of those are still in the backseat of people’s cars.

Now tracking the other sales was kinda difficult because they are scattered in different places.  Alfredo over at the Dairy Queen spent the better part of the weekend hunting these down.

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE      BOOKENDS BOOKSTORE               NJ           DONOR MEMENTOS                                                                       11/08/2019         $30,843.18

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE      POSMAN BOOKS              NY          DONOR MEMENTOS                                                                                       12/18/2019         $24,490.00

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE      BOOKSAMILLION.COM  AL           DONOR MEMENTOS                                                                                       11/08/2019         $66,360.00

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE      BOOKSAMILLION.COM  AL           DONOR MEMENTOS                                                                                       10/29/2019         $94,800.00

NRSC                                                     BOOKS A MILLION           AL           PUBLICATIONS/BOOKS                                                                                                  01/15/2020         $57,510.00

AMERICA FIRST ACTION, INC.      BOOKS-A-MILLION          AL           1ST BANKCARD PMT [SB21B.71646]: CONTRIBUTOR COLLATERAL       11/25/2019         $3,290.10

NRCC                                                     BOOKS A MILLION INC.  AL           DONOR MEMENTOS – BOOKS                                                                                     11/25/2019         $47,400.00

AMERICA FIRST ACTION, INC.      BOOKS-A-MILLION          AL           1ST BANKCARD PMT [SB21B.71643]: CONTRIBUTOR COLLATERAL       11/13/2019         $9,970.00

ZELDIN FOR CONGRESS                 BOOKS-A-MILLION          AL           BOOKS FOR EVENT                                                                                                          11/06/2019         $6,281.00

FRIENDS OF MATT GAETZ             BOOKS A MILLION           AL           SUPPORTER GIFTS                                                                                                           10/22/2019         $9,970.00

AMERICAN VICTORY PAC              BOOKS A MILLION           AL           PRINTING                                                                                                                            09/05/2019         $231.81

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS     BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSELLERS TX           PARTY FUNDRAISING EXPENSE -BOOKS                                                  11/30/2019         $2,005.33

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS     BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSELLERS TX           PARTY FUNDRAISING EXPENSE – BOOKS                                                 11/06/2019         $10,554.38

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS     BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSELLERS TX           PARTY FUNDRAISING EXPENSE – BOOKS                                                 11/06/2019         $10,554.38

But, we’re just getting started …

NRSC     POLITICS & PROSE            DC          PUBLICATIONS/BOOKS  01/15/2020         $38,147.28

NRSC     GIVINGTON’S    AR          PUBLICATIONS/BOOKS  01/15/2020         $25,106.25

NRSC     POLITICS & PROSE            DC          PUBLICATIONS/BOOKS  12/17/2019         $76,277.60

NRCC     POLITICS & PROSE            DC          DONOR MEMENTOS – BOOKS     12/06/2019         $9,536.82

NRCC     GIVINGTONS LLC              AR          DONOR MEMENTOS – BOOKS     11/25/2019         $27,375.00

This one is a cute way to avoid disclosure:

NRCC     THE LUKENS COMPANY VA          DONOR MEMENTOS – BOOKS     11/01/2019         $58,792.50

Back to boosting the Trump family name.

NRSC     POLITICS & PROSE            DC          PUBLICATIONS/BOOKS  01/15/2020         $38,147.28

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE      POLITICS AND PROSE      DC          DONOR MEMENTOS       12/18/2019                $17,994.00

 

There’s more, bunches more.  So, yeah, his book debuted at #1 on the New York Times best seller list, and maybe all of half a dozen people have already read it. And I can bet you that his Dad was not one of them.

Thanks to Alfredo over at the Dairy Queen.

Chris Matthews just came on air, abruptly announced his retirement with some kind of oblique apology I didn’t understand.  MSNBC went immediately to commercial, and Steve Kornacki is now stumbling around trying to fill the hour.  WTF?

You’ll be reassured to know that Trump says that political rallies are not only safe, they are very safe.

“Well this was set up a long time ago, and others are You could ask that to the Democrats… They’re all having rallies, that’s what they’re doing, they’re campaigning.”

He added: “I think it’s very safe.”

Trump will hold a campaign rally in North Carolina tonight.

As you well know, it’s because if you set things up a long time ago, and then it burns down, it’ll still be there for you to use because you set it up a long time ago. That’s how time works.  Now if they had set this up last night, they’d all die because there’s a virus that got here since then. That’s how germs work.

I told you he was going to get us all killed.

 

Amy Kloubachar just dropped out and threw her support behind Joe Biden.  Someone I love voted for Amy Kloubachar (this person early voted last week) so this person is kinda sad today.

(Sorry I just had to edit that.  Certain people I know aren’t allowed to express their political opinions or say who they voted for.  They are, however, allowed to say if they are Democrats or Republicans.  Weird, right?)

 

Amy Klobuchar is ending her bid for the presidency and will endorse Joe Biden.  She is joining other mainstream Democrats in coalescing around Biden to head off the potential for Sanders to lead the ticket which could be disastrous not only at the presidential level, but also in many down ballot races.