The link goes to "Trump’s Russia Ambassador Is Having A Very Bad Week/Jon Huntsman has spent decades cultivating a reputation as a pragmatic Republican. Now some of his allies are urging him to ditch the Trump administration."
I'm not recommending that you read that article. I'm just showing you what's out there — the idea that a person with a great reputation must abandon Trump. The target of such a message is buttered up — what a great reputation you have — for the purpose of delivering the message that he's going to lose it if he doesn't quit his job. The reader isn't supposed to think about whether the author ever admired the target or would give a damn about him if he abandoned Trump. One suspects that if Huntsman quit at this point, the new message wouldn't be anything positive about Huntsman, but gloating about how no one wants to be associated with Trump and Trump is so despicable that he's nearly entirely isolated now and ought to resign or be impeached.
But I just want to show you what Jon Huntsman said in the GOP debate on September 12, 2011. This is something I ran across yesterday as I was surveying the use of the word "treason" in public discourse over the last 13 years (searching my own archive). The moderator, Wolf Blitzer, had already already asked Governor Rick Perry if he'd stand by something he'd said about the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke. Perry — who'd said that it was "almost treacherous – or treasonous" to do quantitative easing in the run-up to the election — answered, "if you are allowing the Federal Reserve to be used for political purposes, that it would be almost treasonous." So the word "treason" was already in the discourse of the debate.
Blitzer then got the audience to boo by making Perry affirm that he has supported in-state college tuition for people in the country illegally. Blitzer then brought in Huntsman, reminding him that he'd supported "driving privileges to illegal immigrants." Huntsman answered:
Well, first of all, let me say for Rick to say that you can't secure the border I think is pretty much a treasonous comment.Perry hadn't said we can't secure the border. He'd only said that building a wall across the southern border was "just not reality." Perry said the answer was more law enforcement personnel but Huntsman jumped at the opportunity to make Perry look as though he didn't believe the border could be secured, and then, later in the debate, when the question was how to treat people who'd made it across the border, Huntsman returned to the issue of Perry and border security and lobbed the word "treasonous."
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Huntsman took the position that border violators are an enemy of the USA coming here to seek our destruction. Otherwise aiding and abetting their actions would not be treasonous.
Oh for the good old days before borders were declared illegal under Globalist ideology. Today even Flip Flopper Romney will condemn border enforcement if our President dares to do it.
I’ll know they’re serious when we see them protesting Canada’s despicable border protection policies.
Was Huntsman our Ambassador to China when Obama was busy ignoring their hacks into our government data bases?
Ah, politics.
Blogger rehajm said...I’ll know they’re serious when we see them protesting Canada’s despicable border protection policies.
Or Mexico's.
I'm so tired of getting sucked into the daily outrage.
I took a job as a accompanist for choral groups last fall. The demands of mastering the music kept me out of the loop... until this summer recess.
The daily outrage is an advertising gimmick to sell us stuff.
I'm looking forward to the fall choral season when I won't have the time to be sucked in.
Huntsman had a great reputation--with NYT fans. Did he win a single delegate in 2012?
I bet his border hyperbole was just a smoke screen.
If you're a choir director, you may be interested in the Pastor's Model Letter Book, e.g. the following
As you know, you have been asked a number of times to refrain from talking to others in the choir during Mass. However, you continue to ignore both the choir director's and my instructions on this matter. Your continual whispering in the choir loft has proved to be distracting and annoying, and at this point I have no choice but to inform you that you will not be permitted to sing with the choir during the month of March.
Believe me, I do not like taking this step, but you leave me no other options. I hope that you will use the time off from the choir to examine yourself to find out why you must continually draw attention to yourself, even during church. Then I suggest that you seek the Heavenly Father's help in changing.
You do make a valuable contribution to the choir, and it is the desire of both myself and the choir director that you return to your place there. But that will not be possible until you are able to change this intolerable behavior pattern you have demonstrated.
May God minister to you in this area. If you feel I can be of assistance to you in any way, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Father St. Mary's Church
There seem to be a lot of Pastor letters concerning the choir, signing up and so forth. But wait, what is this
As you know, we have been having problems for some time with Marshall Nickles. Although his work as choir director is outstanding, he has persisted in unacceptable behavior such as smoking in the building; being harsh with choir members he did not want singing, to the point of getting them to quit; and using profane language.
I have discussed these issues with Marshall on a number of occasions, and he seemed willing to work for change. Yet I have seen no improvement. In addition, several girls in the youth choir have recently complained that he has made suggestive remarks to them. When I asked him about this, he said he was teasing.
But last week, he pinched one of the girls after practice. I'm sure you feel as I do; such behavior cannot be permitted to continue. I dismissed him, effective immediately. I enclose a copy of the letter I sent him.
According to church bylaws, the pastor may dismiss any staff member guilty of this type of behavior. However, I would like your support. I will be asking for a vote of board members at the next meeting, and I would ask you to pray about this matter, in order that we might have the wisdom of the Lord.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Pastor
A choir is nothing but problems for a pastor, it seems.
But March is six months away. Does the book have a letter for say, August?
I’ll know they’re serious when we see them protesting Canada’s despicable border protection policies.
Or better yet, Mexico's.
Sorry tim...you'd think I'd learn to read the comments first.
This is how definitions work for the left.
Violates the Geneva Conventions: "Anything Military I don't like."
Violates the Constitution: "Anything political I don't like."
Treasonous: "Anything that undermines liberalism as a political movement."
Racism: "Any disagreement whatsoever with the policies that liberals have deemed best regarding all issues remotely racial. This is specifically intended to include any and all matters which impact any non-white person negatively, down to rules about stop signs and dog licensing."
Misogyny: "Any disagreement whatsoever with the constantly evolving ethos of radical feminism.
White Nationalism: "Any support whatsoever for any idea that our borders should be brought under some kind of legal control according to the democratically determined will of the people who live here."
The idea that we need law professors, when knee jerk analysis is all that is required will one day seem quaint.
"War Crimes": Any military action taken by the United States.
"Freedom fighter": Any group taking violent action against the United States, mostly including stuff that the white man calls "terrorism."
Remember that the media is part of the Resistance, and hope that Republicans in leadership positions will stand up to them.
Legal scholars must understand that their job is to provide rationalizations, not ratiocinations. Dersh is a slow learner in this regard, as is Althouse.
While one would never justify the actions of a serial killer because he had a rough childhood, the excesses of the United Fruit Company justify any and all crimes against human life and freedom by communists.
These aren't my rules, I am just reporting them.
rhhardin said...
A choir is nothing but problems for a pastor, it seems.
I once dated a girl from the church choir. Let's just say she was no choir girl.
fuck the corrupt left.
I know of 3 pastors who had an affair or ran off with a lady in the choir. One was my dad's cousin, another the Episc. priest who married my parents.
The choral groups I'm accompanying are pro classical groups.
Pro choral groups do tend to play sacred music, but that's because classical choral music is almost entirely sacred music.
The Episcopals have pretty much abandoned sexual morality in their teachings. They're down with the gay worship.
I know the Episcopalians have gotten liberal in these last few years, but I did not know they allowed polygamous marriage.
Monty Python did that joke 4 decades ago.
Thomas, if they no longer want a chaperone, why do you still accompany them?
At one of my spring concerts, our opening number was a Latin rendition of the Lord's Prayer by a fantastic Russian composer, Alexander Gretchaninov. As we waited in line to file onto stage, everybody was gossiping and laughing.
Our conductor shushed us and said:
"I'm not really that religious myself, but we are about to sing the Lord's Prayer. Maybe we should quiet down and at least attempt to display some degree of reverence."
I sang in Mozart's Mass in C Minor once, under Robert Fountain. That was back when Mozart thought he was Bach.
So I gather that I have considerable agreement with Althouse on this topic...
1. There's been a lot of rhetorical use of "treason" in the recent past. So recent, that anyone who can't recall a lot of it is themselves suspect.
2. Based on (1), John Brennan's use of the word "treason" shouldn't be given a whole lot of weight. it doesn't reflect well on Brennan, to begin with, and it isn't even a good "kill shot" (per Scott Adams) on Trump. Trump may be facing a lot of legal troubles in the future, including of the criminal variety. But a charge of "treason" is one of the least likely.
3. In this post, Althouse goes after loose and indefensibly unsupportable claims made by Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry in a debate. I like Althouse's Fisking of those comments. Rick Perry has always been a bit prone to blurting stupid stuff. Although not on a level with Trump. Jon Huntsman, of course, did the "treason" thing. Couldn't we make up a "law," like Godwin's Law, stating that "The longer a contentious political debate goes on, the probability that one side will accuse the other of 'treason' approaches 1..." ?
4. And now, we see that with Trump, the devotees of President Trump are using "treason" against Trump's critics. The notion is, look at how deranged Trump's critics are; they are accusing the President of the United States of "treason." Count me as unimpressed with TrumpWorld on that one. Is Althouse also unimpressed? I think so, but she doesn't say that very clearly. Althouse's commentariat seems to want to go with this notion, claiming that the accusation that Trump is guilty of "treason" is actually useful to Trump, in demonstrating "Trump Derangement Syndrome" on the part of Trump critics. TrumpWorld seems to really want the Brennan/"treason" story.
@rhhardin - exceeded only by Youth Group Directors
“John Brennan started out his adulthood by voting for the communist party presidential candidate. He is now ending his career by showing himself to be the most biased, bigoted, over the top, hyperbolic, and unhinged Director of the CIA we have ever had.”
--Rand Paul, Truth speaking Hero
No True American can vote Republican - James Comey Life Long Republican
Because if Democrats held every single political office in every state, rainbows will start raining clean and free power and unicorns will start shitting organic kale for everyone!
If treason and child sex abuse could be linked, we'd have a winner.
@Ralph L - How many of them were women?
TrumpWorld seems to really want the Brennan/"treason" story.
Ummm yeah.
BTW Chuck, pointing out hypocrisy is not the same as joining in.
A Catholic pastor doesn't talk that way. The book is a book for Protestant pastors whose sermon is the center of Protestant worship. Also Catholics usually keep choirs at the back or way off on the side having given up thousands of years ago on expecting universal good behavior them. Not that it matters really except that I notice a little boom in Catholic social theory developing so you need to have a bit of a feel for the contemporary Catholic scene to handle the latest wave. Names like Michael Harrington are being thrown about. Any day I expect Cookie to deliver a little lecture on the valuable insights in Rerum Novarum while Inga sternly admonishes us to think about Dorothy Day. Personally I don't know which I am more tired of: watching Catholic colleges like Marquette ignore Catholic social teaching or watching Jesuits and lefty's misinterpret it. But I think we are in for a large dose of the second. The abortion wars were fought along with the changes which we call the sexual revolution. The sexual revolution was supposed to be unquestionably good but after Harvey Weinstein and the Nobel Committee scandal, not so much. Now I think the abortion wars will be fought along with the immigration disputes and, somehow because of the Hispanics this will lead to a lot of "Catholic social teaching" being flung about by people like Ocasio-Cortez. Key insight - most contemporary Jesuits are liberals and utterly contemptuous of prolifers, Americans, actual Catholic social teaching, and actual Catholics. Marxism is preferred and "Catholic social teaching" is just Marxism thinly veneered and decorated with a few Catholic texts.
Blogger rhhardin said...
If treason and child sex abuse could be linked, we'd have a winner.
Let's have a thread about Bob Menendez - D New Jersey! "Alleged," BTW, alleged by trafficked children, and what do they know?
How did we decide James Comey is a Republican? Because as far as I can tell, the only 2 Presidents he's led investigations against were Republicans. When Obama appointed him, we got Mr Stand down.
Huntsman has been a squish for years that I have known about him.
Chuck arrives with the daily two second hate of Trump.
Blogger exhelodrvr1 said...
Remember that the media is part of the Resistance, and hope that Republicans in leadership positions will stand up to them.
That's why the post Summit presser was such a useful "tell" for Trump. The GOP politicians who jumped on him are his enemies. Rand Paul is looking pretty good today.
Tom Clancy called this "A Canary Trap."
Where is this TrumpWorld?
Huntsman? Who cares. Trump's super power is to find, hire, and depend on smart women. Smart women are the invisible resource that drive his success. Huntsman is replaceable.
Here's a pro-tip: If Marx is involved, it is not Catholic.
No man can serve two Masters. Serve God.
You are in a stage of political conflict where the fundamental conceptions of your polity have diverged to such a degree that they are entirely incompatible.
Your people no longer recognize your people, of the other sort, as being like them.
You are two peoples, at least, with utterly different myths, sacred objects, sacraments, and concepts of virtue. Both see the others as heretics, and the use of the term "treason" is apt, as a simple description. It is not really descriptive of an act but of a state of being.
He said he was a Republican, IIRC.
How many of them were women?
To paraphrase a famous T shirt, How dare you assume he's heterosexual!
"Losing your reputation" means that you are going to be out-grouped.
I don't know why brunettes dye their hair that hideous shade of fake blond. Just throw in a few highlights if you must and enjoy the brown hair God gave ya.
As an academic, Althouse should be familiar with Le Trahison des Clercs.
Was Huntsman our Ambassador to China when Obama was busy ignoring their hacks into our government data bases?
I don't consider it hacking when the company contracted to maintain the database gives administrative access to the server to a employee who is physically located in mainland China.
Pants! Remember whose blog you're on.
Pants! Remember whose blog you're on.
No! Althouse's looks great, partly because she's a natural redhead. It's the dark brunettes who try to go solid light cheerleader blond and wind up with that flat yellow with dark roots and thing that I object to an aesthetic grounds. It is SO aging.
This is all so boring. At least when the press goes on for a week about gun control, there's a bit of emotion involved. This is all just fake emotion and fake outrage. Boring.
The moderator, Wolf Blitzer, had already already asked Governor Rick Perry if he'd stand by something he'd said about the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke. Perry — who'd said that it was "almost treacherous – or treasonous" to do quantitative easing in the run-up to the election — answered, "if you are allowing the Federal Reserve to be used for political purposes, that it would be almost treasonous." So the word "treason" was already in the discourse of the debate.
Harvard economist Greg Mankiw called Larry Ball's The Fed and Lehman Brothers: Setting the Record Straight on a Financial Disaster "the most important book I've read this year".
Larry Ball carefully looks at one aspect of the financial crisis--the collapse of Lehman Brothers--and documents that the conventional narrative, as told by many of the leading policymakers who were there, is false. According to Ball, the Fed failed to act as lender of last resort when it could have, making the financial crisis worse than necessary. In other words, at a crucial moment, Bernanke and company did not summon the courage to act.
It should be noted the claimed error is more about financial regulation and "lender of last resort" rescue than overall economic and monetary policy. Although that error may have translated into monetary policy (e.g., QE) designed to ameliorate the severe consequences of the error.
Ever since the bankruptcy, there has been heated debate about why the Federal Reserve did not rescue Lehman in the same way it rescued other financial institutions, such as Bear Stearns and AIG. The Fed's leaders from that time, especially former Chairman Ben Bernanke, have strongly asserted that they lacked the legal authority to save Lehman because it did not have adequate collateral for the loan it needed to survive. Based on a meticulous four-year study of the Lehman case, The Fed and Lehman Brothers debunks the official narrative of the crisis. It shows that in reality, the Fed could have rescued Lehman but officials chose not to because of political pressures and because they underestimated the damage that the bankruptcy would do to the economy.
rhhardin said...
I sang in Mozart's Mass in C Minor once, under Robert Fountain. That was back when Mozart thought he was Bach.
7/19/18, 8:15 AM
Wow, rh, you really are old.
Earlier religious music was written by people who truly believed in God and their religious beliefs were of paramount importance in their life. I suppose Mozart and Beethoven believed in God, but they had other priorities. I don't think their religious music was their best stuff. I don't believe in God, but you can feel how religious passion feels by listening to some of Bach's music. In like way, you can feel a bit of French patriotism and the glamour of the French Revolution by listening to The Marseille. A lot of latter day religious music is like an opera about Anne Frank written by a Holocaust denier.
I am interested in whether we can control the border.
No border, no justice.
No border, no "just us."
The big winner is Instapundit, because this vindicates his claim we have the worst political class in our history.
Prediction: Althouse is going to rationalize a vote for Democrats in 2020 by saying that it will force them to "take responsibility" for the border and illegal immigration.
You know, like they did with terrorism after O defeated Bush and Dems got a majority in Congress.
Never vote for a Democrat.
Never vote for a Republican that tries to stab Trump in the back.
A lot of latter day religious music is like an opera about Anne Frank written by a Holocaust denier.
Bad Hanukkah gift for Anne Frank: drum set.
Ya got to hand it to the Democrats for really expanding the political playbook. Whether they’re in power or out.
The only thing that matter is today, right now. No thought as to how they will suffer in the future from the new weapons they are placing in their opponents hands.
The only thing that matter is today, right now. No thought as to how they will suffer in the future from the new weapons they are placing in their opponents hands.
Dems think like women. The now is emotion.
Abstracting from the now is male. Look to the system's operation and the future.
The New Yorker kills Trump for its new cover.
How transgressive!
Wankers.
tim in vermont said...
"...the excesses of the United Fruit Company..."
Not a patch on the excesses committed by the 1910 Fruitgum Company!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkxAf6RxC-g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaxSamtbnsg
Treason bullshit
The right sees traitors everywhere they look. The left sees racists everywhere they look.
The left seldom invokes the T word. That they're doing so now indicates they're close the the bottom of their rhetorical playbook.
"Because if Democrats held every single political office in every state, rainbows will start raining clean and free power and unicorns will start shitting organic kale for everyone!"
I had a young colleague assert that if the Republican party went away, we would have flying cars and cure for cancer.
I laughed at him.
"The New Yorker kills Trump for its new cover."
I like how they interview the artist for the magazine about that magazine's cover. Talk about a circle jerk.
The Episcopals have pretty much abandoned sexual morality in their teachings. They're down with the gay worship.
Caitlyn Jenner, 68, heads to the ESPYs with new 21-year-old 'girlfriend'… and reminisces about her first public outing as transgender, before feud tore her family apart
Sexual orientation (i.e. mental state) is just one gendered attribute. Homosexual, bisexual, transvestite, etc. is the transgender spectrum. As for sexual morality, or rather immorality, that is not limited to, or especially represented by, the transgender spectrum. It just gets confusing when men and women exchange gendered attributes as personal and political imperatives.
Open borders sustains refugee crises, avoidance of emigration reform, and labor and environmental arbitrage to the detriment of native populations and the environment.
exchange gendered attributes as personal and political imperatives.
As social and political imperatives.
"The New Yorker kills Trump for its new cover."
Although it's Hillary who is more apt to take a spill on the stairs.
"The New Yorker kills Trump for its new cover."
Hanging effigies with care. They'll have a gay old time.
I bet the New Yorker started that drawing before Trump met with Putin.
Teh Democrats have accomplished more destruction to our democracy than Putin would dream of.
"The left seldom invokes the T word."
You haven't been paying attention then. Or did you miss pretty much every 9/11 Truther on the planet shrieking the word nonstop from 9/11 till the day Bush left office? And that's not the only example.
Here's Ambassador Huntsman sitting in on keyboards with Russian band Leonid and Friends. Huntsman featured starting at 7:12.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seAw3NsOFPo
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