Jeff Sessions vs Pot Industry
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has “trampled the will of the voters.” At least that’s the way Republican senator Cory Gardner of Colorado sees it.
Gardner’s state has a thriving pot industry. It’s legal under Colorado law. But, it’s illegal under the federal marijuana tax act of 1937. And Sessions says it’s his job to enforce federal law.
On the other hand weed was kind of legalized during the Obama administration. Deputy A.G. James Cole wrote a memo directing prosecutors to ignore pot stores in states that authorize them.
Pot Industry
Senator Gardner says Sessions promised him he would submit to the Cole memo. And now Gardner says he’ll hold up “every single nomination from the Department of Justice” until Sessions sticks to his word.
A WSJ editorial says Sessions is being cast as the “uncool parent” who’s forcing a debate on the rule of law that Congress should settle.
Trump, Dow, Book Sales Soar, Bannon Crashes
Steve Bannon called Trump’s son “treasonous” and “unpatriotic”. The quotes appear in Michael Wolff’s new book Fire and Fury.
This didn’t sit well with President Trump. Trump tweeted that Bannon “lost his mind” when he fired him. The Avenging Donald then sicced his lawyers on Wolff – guaranteeing best seller status for the book .
CNN’s Brian Stetler claims Wolff’s book “suggests Trump is unstable and raises alarms about his fitness for office.”
But CNN also reports that Secretary of State Tillerson, once accused of calling Trump a moron, never questioned the president’s mental health. And the White House deputy press secretary called Wolff a fake news, crackpot fantasy fiction writer.
Wolff agrees! A note in the front of his book says some of his sources definitely lied to him.
Dow Up Bannon Down
Whatever. If it’s stability you want, the Dow steadily rose above the 25,000 mark.
Stock analyst Paul Gambles is terrified about that too.
Button Man
Kim Jong Un told the world he has a button. It’s on his desk and within his reach. And with it, he claims his missiles can reach anywhere in the U.S. And that’s how he plans to have his way.
For some reason Kim’s threat reminded me of President Obama. He said he had a phone and a pen. And he would use them to get his way.
It wasn’t all button rattling though. Kim also reached out to Seoul. He wants North Korea to participate in the 2018 Olympics.
Button Men
Still, it was all too much for our own current Dear Leader. President Trump tweeted that his button is bigger and it works. I thought it was funny, in a Trump sort of way.
But the WSJ editors were not amused. They say Trump’s tweet explains his low poll numbers despite his first year successes.
Death to Khamenei
In a WSJ op-ed, Mark Duowitz and Ray Takeyh describe the current uprising in Iran. They say it differs from the Green Revolution which was about election fraud. This one began “over economic grievances and quickly transformed into a rejection of theocracy.”
The protesters are angry that $100 billion in Iranian assets unfrozen by the Obama administration haven’t trickled down to the people. Instead the money has gone to support militias in the Middle East and energy and weapons for Bashar Assad in Syria.
Death Threats
So, instead of chanting “Death to America” they now shout “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to Rouhani!”
The White House narrative on Iran has changed too. The Trump administration is supporting the protesters and ignoring the “moderate leadership.”
Best of Bok 2017
Bokbluster 2017 Cartoon Review
Here’s a look Bok 2017. Click on a cartoon for a reminder of what it was all about. Then hit the back button to return here.
Happy New Year!
