If you’re confused about what’s going on with the travel ban, here is the latest — As you no doubt heard, on Friday a federal judge issued a nationwide temporary restraining order blocking Trump’s executive action. The Justice Department appealed, but early Sunday an appeals court refused to reinstate the ban.
However, ABC News says, “the court still has to rule on the department’s request to place an emergency stay on the judge’s order to allow the government to resume enforcing the ban.” The Sunday ruling was a temporary thing. The appeals court, which sits in San Francisco, asked for additional briefs, which are supposed to be filed this afternoon.
The judges who will hear the case — most likely conferring by telephone — are expected to issue a ruling as early as Tuesday. The three-judge panel includes Judge William C. Canby Jr, an appointee of President Jimmy Carter, Judge Michelle T. Friedland, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, and Judge Richard R. Clifton, an appointee of President George W. Bush. It is likely that they will make their decisions based on the legal briefs they receive and not ask for a hearing.
Among the many persons and entities filing briefs with the court are two former secretaries of state, John Kerry and Madeleine Albright. Their brief was joined by two Obama Administration officials, National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Leon E. Panetta, who served as secretary of defense and head of the C.I.A. The New York Times says of the brief,
With President Trump’s executive order, “we risk placing our military efforts at risk by sending an insulting message†to Iraqis working with American forces battling the Islamic State there, the legal filing to the court said. “The order will likely feed the recruitment narrative of ISIL and other extremists that portray the United States as at war with Islam,†it said, using another name for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS.
However the three-judge panel rules, the case will probably end up being decided by the Supreme Court, just about everybody says. This could be drawn out for weeks.
If the Trumpettes had any sense they’d let this one go; several polls say the public is against the travel ban. This is a war they would lose by winning.
However, I think we’re all clear by now that the Trumpettes have no sense. Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman report for the New York Times that this administration is not exactly a well-oiled machine:
Aides confer in the dark because they cannot figure out how to operate the light switches in the cabinet room. Visitors conclude their meetings and then wander around, testing doorknobs until finding one that leads to an exit. In a darkened, mostly empty West Wing, Mr. Trump’s provocative chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, finishes another 16-hour day planning new lines of attack.
Trump is working with “a surprisingly small crew of no more than a half-dozen empowered aides with virtually no familiarity with the workings of the White House or federal government,” Thrush and Haberman say.
We also learn from the article that Trump likes the Oval Office:
He will linger on the opulence of the newly hung golden drapes, which he told a recent visitor were once used by Franklin D. Roosevelt but in fact were patterned for Bill Clinton. For a man who sometimes has trouble concentrating on policy memos, Mr. Trump was delighted to page through a book that offered him 17 window covering options.
Really, it’s a weird but interesting article. Worth reading.
Update: Two states and about 100 tech companies also have filed briefs against the ban.
Update: The appeals court decided to hear oral arguments tomorrow evening.
I think the so-called President, the so-called Mr. Trump, should be treated with all due disrespect at every turn, but always in a factual manner.
“… Mr. Trump was delighted to page through a book that offered him 17 window covering options.”
SupposedPOTUS TRUMPLE-Thin-Skin apparently like bright shiny, pretty object!
Hmm…
If he wasn’t born on 3rd base asw aa richy-rich kid, pissed that the Umpire had denied him a home-run, he might have become a Cable TV “reporter” – they like bright shiny pretty things, too.
And, FSM knows, he’s feckin’ “TEH STOOOOOOPID” enough!
And then, he might have had his own show on (DUMB)FUX “News.”
Probably right before or after Bull ORaly.
I volunteer at my community hospital. Opening my email there today was a note from the CEO stating the hospital will help any employee affected by the ban. We are a small rural hospital. If it affected us enough that the CEO sent out an email, what is going on at larger hospital, medical centers?
The ban is bad but Trump’s cognitive dissonance on how it affects all Americans is disturbing.
It’s not a ban! 🙂 It’s a total and complete shutdown of all Muslims entering the United States until we* can figure out what the heck is going on.
* We is one of the many demons dwelling in that cavernous space between Trump’s ears.
You know, the White House has any number of maintenance people who could show Trump’s people how to operate the light switches, and even write up a little manual. Or one of those picture filled operating cards like you get with a new stereo. Of course you have to be able to pick up the phone. You don’t even need to dial, the switchboard just answers when you pick it up.
My late uncle worked there, heading the team that managed the phone systems. He was there for multiple administrations of both parties. They help out whoever is there. How hard is it to ask someone to help you learn how to turn on a light switch?
I’m fairly confident that the 9th will hand Trump a defeat, but I’m not sure the USSC will split – Roberts has been unpredictable in the past. The Judiciary may want to serve notice that there are three branches, whether Trump approves or not.
The absolute worst thing that could happen is if the USSC rules in favor of the administration. Not only because this racist, bigoted ban will be reinstated. Or because it is a dumb mive that does more harm to national security than any good.
If the court ultimately rules in his favor, Trump will think it was because of him, and the court did so because it realized it owes fealty to his majesty. I know in the legal sense it wouldn’t be right, but the court needs to consider that and rule against him, if for no other reason than to let him learn the hard way the meaning of separation of powers.
I’d like to be able to confidently think that the courts are going to put restraints on Trump, but in light of all that has preceded with the insanity thus far..My confidence in our system of checks and balances is shaken to the core, as is my faith in a great deal of my fellow Americans. I still haven’t come to grips with the understanding that a character of Trump’s nature could advance so far in acceptability to be a representative of American values.
I just can’t get over what a mess Trump is. Allow me to point out a few of the character flaws I see in Trump that I find disturbing. He’s a liar, a cheat, a racist, a misogynist, a bully, vindictive, deceitful, narcissistic, insincere, boastful, haughty, vain, egotistical, and devoid of self control. Just to name a few. He’s a fucking mess!
I heard him on the radio today speaking at MacDill AFB to the people at Central Command..He’s says: “I’ve got your back “. What kind of a message is that? Is he encouraging unacceptable behaviour from our military? Is he trying to buddy up with some misguided sense of camaraderie? WTF! Then he goes on to making sounds about how he’ll never let them down.. All the while forgetting that he never showed up 50 years ago to become a brother in arms when duty called. He hid behind the excuse of sore feet. His totally offensive statement that his personal Vietnam was avoiding getting clapped up considering all the “back” that he was scoring. How can a scumbag like Trump possibly honor the sacrifices of America’s fallen soldiers in ceremonies to come as commander in chief when he can so cavalierly compare their sacrifices to his sexual prowess.
Booman quoted a 1950s era law on his website that may give Trump the authority to do what he did:
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2017/2/6/115832/1211
We will see.
I’ve been pissing off wingnuts with Matthew 25:41 when they wave their so-called Christian credentials.
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.â€