Susan B Glasser/Politico:
Donald Trump’s Year of Living Dangerously
It’s worse than you think.
By the time the dinner was over, the leaders were in shock, and not just over the idle talk of armed conflict. No matter how prepared they were, eight months into an American presidency like no other, this was somehow not what they expected. A former senior U.S. official with whom I spoke was briefed by ministers from three of the four countries that attended the dinner. “Without fail, they just had wide eyes about the entire engagement,” the former official told me. Even if few took his martial bluster about Venezuela seriously, Trump struck them as uninformed about their issues and dangerously unpredictable, asking them to expend political capital on behalf of a U.S. that no longer seemed a reliable partner. “The word they all used was: ‘This guy is insane.’”
No, it’s not worse than I think, because I always thought he was horribly unqualified, impulsive, grandiose and narcissistic. And I had no illusions about the ’grown-ups’ fixing things.
Guess it’s not just me.
Still great, from McSweeney’s:
WINNERS AND LOSERS OF THE RECENT NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST
Congressional Republicans: Widespread destruction aside, this was a kumbaya moment for a caucus that has had its share of family spats of late
Mark Landler/NY Times:
TRUMP, THE INSURGENT, BREAKS WITH 70 YEARS OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY
President Trump has transformed the world’s view of the United States from an anchor of the international order into something more inward-looking and unpredictable.
“Most foreign leaders are still trying to get a handle on him,” said Richard N. Haass, a top State Department official in the George W. Bush administration who is now the president of the Council on Foreign Relations. “Everywhere I go, I’m still getting asked, ‘Help us understand this president, help us navigate this situation.’
“We’re beginning to see countries take matters into their own hands. They’re hedging against America’s unreliability.”
“America First” might get a lot of people killed.
Al Hunt/Bloomberg via Sun Sentinal:
Too early to handicap the 2018 elections? No!
If Democrats win at least one branch of Congress, there will be an investigative feast — with rich targets — of the ethically challenged administration of President Donald Trump, plus a check on presidential actions. If Republicans retain full control, expect renewed attacks on Obamacare, efforts to cut Medicare and Social Security, and one or two more right-wing Supreme Court justices.
Equally significant will be gubernatorial and state legislative contests. These will serve either to complement or counter national policies, and will set the table for redistricting following the 2020 census.
The early line is good for Democrats. As the year commences, here's how it looks.
Dave Weigel/WaPo:
Iowa went big for Trump, but there are signs its voters are souring on the president
“If Trump were to run again, he’d be in deep trouble,” said Janet Petersen, the leader of Iowa’s Senate Democrats. “A dog bites you the first time, it’s not your fault. The second time it bites you, it’s your own damn fault.”
Iowa, the epicenter of the Republicans’ 2014 and 2016 surge, is not an obvious place for a Democratic comeback. Unemployment, sinking under 4 percent when Donald Trump won the state, has fallen to 3 percent. Iowa’s Republican delegation to Washington voted for the tax cut bill with no qualms or protests. Iowans can also subtract their federal income taxes from their state income taxes, a bonus enjoyed in only five other states.
Greg Weiner/NY Times:
How Not to Impeach
If Mr. Trump’s actions merit impeachment, the most important task will be persuading many of the considerable number of Americans whose support for the president is apparently immovable to view his removal as necessary for the public good rather than as a coup d’état.
Just do proper investigations, then lay out the facts.
EJ Dionne/WaPo:
This new year, tell Trump: Enough
In 2018, Trump’s abuses of power, his indifference to truth and his autocratic habits will be the central issues in our politics. Nothing else comes close.
This means there is no more vital business than containing Trump and, if circumstances demand it, removing him from office. This applies not only to progressives and liberals but also to everyone else, from left to right, who would defend our democratic values and republican institutions.
Scott Lemieux/LA Times:
Remember, much of what Trump does can be undone
Even if Gorsuch is Trump’s only Supreme Court nomination, Trump is getting federal judges confirmed at a record rate. He’s packing the lower courts with young, reactionary and, in some cases, comically unqualified judges who will affect American jurisprudence for the worse.
Legislation isn’t forever. Damage to the nation’s reputation isn’t forever, either. A resounding defeat at the ballot box will suffice to undo much of Trump’s handiwork. Reserve your most acute outrage for everything else.