Monday Tabs
- Via the BBC: Musk says Farage ‘doesn’t have what it takes’ to be Reform UK leader. What strikes me the most is that this is yet another example of Musk getting involved in far-right, nationalist politics.
- Via Politico: UK’s Starmer slams Musk’s ‘lies’ on grooming gangs.
In the British government’s most direct pushback at Musk yet, Starmer told reporters at a press conference in Surrey: “Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible, they are not interested in victims, they are interested in themselves.”
That sounds on point for Musk.
- Continuing a theme, also via Politico: Elon Musk’s European political meddling is ‘worrying,’ says Norway’s PM.
- Via CBS News: Thune has privately told Trump that Hegseth has the votes to be confirmed as Defense Secretary, sources say. At this point, I expect he will get what he wants, cabinet-wise.
- Via Reuters: Canada PM Trudeau is likely to announce resignation, source says.
- Via Axios: Axios interview: Susie Wiles vows to block West Wing troublemakers. On the one hand, the 2024 campaign was less chaotic than those previous, but on the other, controlling the WH staff is easier said than done, so we’ll see.
- Via NPR: Biden bans new offshore oil and gas drilling in most federal waters. I am not sure what my exact views are on the substance of the order, but I will note that the politics of this aren’t great insofar as it gives the GOP a talking point that Biden is anti-American energy and that Trumps is going ot come in and save us. In other words, it reinforces some narratives that belie the reality that the US is producsing more oil than it ever has, despite the claims of the incoming administration. And at the ris of re-igniting the lame duck discussion, moves like this, shielded as they are from electoral consequences, undercut Democratic arguments that they are the party protecting democracy against Trump. These last minute orders (see, also, blocking the Nippon Steel deal at the eleventh hour) give Trump and his allies a lot of rhetorical ammo that that Dems don’t respect democracy.
According to CNN, Trudeau will resign today as leader of the Liberal Party.
Agree on the drilling and Nippon Steel. What was the point on banning drilling when Trump will overturn it in 2 weeks while making a big deal out of it showing he is keeping a campaign promise. This was beyond stupid and makes you think some Biden aides were bribed by Trump. On Nippon Steel, I guess it was fine to waffle on it while the election was underway but its not even clear it gains votes and with he election over its a good way to strengthen US steel production.
Steve
@steve: I read the linked articles. The oil lease one was saying that Trump would need an act of Congress to undo Biden’s efforts here. I think he’ll get it if he wants, but it’s not just an “announce it on Truth Social” type move.
The following headline at the Nippon Steel article was that Nippon Steel pledges to not cut US Steel production for 10 years. Color me skeptical about anyone’s ability to predict trends at decade and beyond time frames. The merger seems, like most others these days, to be about market consolidation rather than expansion.
Not to restart the argument, which was pretty well played out, but just for the record: I think abandoning the legal powers incumbent to the office you hold just because you are a lame duck is foolish. You should use every legal method you have to advance what you believe is right for the country.
As for it being somehow dishonest or undemocratic to manage the timing of your initiatives to lessen the political impact on yourself or your party, that doesn’t even seem desirable even in the abstract.
Biden turned out to be better on climate change than almost anyone expected. I choose to interpret the rule change as doing what he can for California, which will have to lead the effort now.
I probably don’t even need to ask if he will be the least qualified, most morally-compromised SecDef in American history, because we all know the answer already.
One can only hope he fails to damage the American military as badly as he probably will.
@steve:
My understanding is that Biden is making good on his campaign promise to prevent foreign acquisition of US Steel.
WRT to the OP “(see, also, blocking the Nippon Steel deal at the eleventh hour) give Trump and his allies a lot of rhetorical ammo that that Dems don’t respect democracy ammo,” Trump is on record as opposing foreign takeover of US Steel, although I won’t pretend that gives us any clue to how his administration will react to Biden’s decision.
@just nutha:
I once did some work with a machine tool company. They did a layoff. The local paper reported it as X number of people, Y percent of employees. I had seen the number of employees and remarked that it seemed like a much larger percentage. The company had moved to a suburb a few years earlier and gotten a big tax break. I was told the tax break was contingent on maintaining a minimum number of jobs, so they’d been consistently inflating their employment numbers.
Well, looks like Musk really should have a chat with someone who knows something (or anything) about British politics.
Musk has been pushing “Tommy Robinson” (real name Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon) as a putative leader of the British Right.
Farage, otoh, is many things, many of them unpleasant, but no fool, politically.
He’s well aware the “Tommy” is toxic, with a criminal record, a neo-nazi “associations”, and clearly categorisable as a “football thug”.
The sort of person that is immediately off-putting to the “respectable” working class/lower-middle class whose votes Reform needs.
It’s precisely to be able to exclude this sort of person that Farage has structured Reform as a corporation under his sole effective control, rather than a traditional party organisation controlled by members votes.
Farage is not going to cut his own political throat to humour Musk, money or no money.
@JohnSF:
Why should he?
@JohnSF:
IMO, President Xlon is not smart enough to know he’s not as smart as he thinks he is.
If he were half as smart as he thinks he is, he’d be twice as smart as he really is.
I cannot believe that anybody of consequence is going to pay attention to claims that MAGA Republicans are the party defending American democracy against Democratic autocracy. I was pleased to see Biden finally showing a little of the ruthlessness which Trump Republicans engage in as a matter of course.
As with all things, substitute “Republicans” for every place in the initial article saying “Trump” regarding the drilling and the democracy stuff.
Trump will be dead on some near-to-distant date. Republican policies will continue because Trump [and MAGA, et al] exhibit bog-standard Republican policies.
The MAGA who thought they were doing anything other than just throwing their money at Musk and his 7 multi-millionaire henchmen… are the suckers who likely haven’t played much poker.
TLDR: If you don’t know who the fish at the table is, it’s you.