Beltway Insider: Las Vegas; Trump Visits PR; Pence Follows; Gun Debate; Kim Wall; SNL/Tom Petty
- Details
- Category: Beltway Insider
- Published on Sunday, 08 October 2017 19:31
- Written by Janet Walker
President Donald Trump, who tossed paper towel rolls to the packed press conference in a condescending and demeaning act, visited Puerto Rico and after witnessing the devastation first hand he returned to Washington and promptly increased available funding.
According to Gallup, President Trump job approval, over the past week, decreased by two percentage points to 40% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President increased four percentage points to 54%.
Las Vegas Shooting
One week ago 22, 000 people had gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada for a three day Route 91 Country & Western Harvest Music Festival by Monday morning, the awesome experience of such an intimate venue, the music of the heart, dancing under the stars, stuff memories are made of would be shattered by pure evil masquerading as a mild-manner unsuspecting professional gambler, who had amassed an arsenal and checked into the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
His plan rain terror upon those who dared, in the face of the world as life is rarely easy for everyone, to choose life. As the third and final act, Jason Aldean, took the stage three songs into the set, the crackling, popping, a quick succession of pop bursts, and suddenly chaos, as fellow concert goers were dropping, hit as the assassin picked his vantage point to inflict mass casualty and death.
Monday morning the world awoke to shocking numbers. At 3:00am it was 50 dead, by 5:30am 58. Hoping for it to level off as 500 were listed as injured. By Wednesday all but 30 were released from area hospitals with those listed in critical but stable condition.
Trump Addresses Las Vegas Tragedy and Visits Victims
On Monday, October 2, 2017, President Trump signed an Presidential Proclamation honoring the Victims of the Tragedy in las Vegas. He said, "Our Nation is heartbroken. We mourn with all whose loved ones were murdered and injured in last night's horrible tragedy in Las Vegas, Nevada. As we grieve, we pray that God may provide comfort and relief to all those suffering."
Beltway Insider: Trump/Hurricane Recovery; HHS Resigns/Homeland Still Vacant; Fake News; S.I. Newhouse
President Trump in his remarks to those in Las Vegas, his Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Vice President Pence have each made statement directly implying over the next couple of months, in order to ensure to "end such evil in our time" the administration is willing to engage in discussions geared toward an end that will address specifically Gun legislation.
"We know that members of both parties in multiple organizations are planning to take a look at bump stocks and related devices. We certainly welcome that, would like to be part of that conversation, and we would like to see a clear understanding of the facts. And we're expecting hearings and other important fact-finding efforts on that. And we want to be part of that discussion, and we're certainly open to that moving forward. Obviously, this President wants to be a leader. I think he's demonstrated that. I think he'll continue to do that in this process," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Trump and the First Lady traveled to Las Vegas met with medical professionals and victims in the area hospitals and then to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department where he delivered remarks honoring the law enforcement and civilian heroes.
As the week moved to stories of survival, the common man the everyday guy, the taxi driver, citizens of Las Vegas, sprang into action unwilling that one should perish, taxi driver's ordered people out of their cabs to transport wounded; off duty police, recently discharged military, a veteran suddenly became active and on duty dodging bullets triaging patients; two girls who are unknown saved a man's life using their belt as a tourniquet; common citizens navigating the war zone to pull others to safety, to ensure those dying would not be alone.
Vice President Pence Follows to Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Las Vegas
Vice President Pence and Second Lady of the United States, Karen Pence, spent the week following in the footsteps of the President and First Lady, leaving all with a better feeling of general assuredness of the United States unequivocal support.
After what was considered pure Trump and a debacle, the Vice President returned to Puerto Rico and St. Croix, dressed down in jeans along with his wife, who appeared ready to assist in any way they could, from swinging a hammer to touring the interior to serving those in shelters.
While in St. Croix, Pence headed to the FEMA building and "According to a pool report, Pence spoke for less than four minutes: '"I spoke to President Trump this morning and he wanted us to say simply: We are with you today, we are with you tomorrow…until the U.S. Virgin Islands comes back," he said. "We are here for the long haul,"' Newsweek reported.
Picking up on the authenticity of the Vice-President and appreciation of the people, the White House built a "campaign quality" stump video depicting him loading trucks at Orlando International Airport which is also serving as a disaster relief center for Puerto Rico.
Las Vegas
Vice President Pence, who has mopped up his boss's leftover spillage, attended a Unity Prayer Walk in Las Vegas, Nevada, this week. He, along with Second Lady Karen Pence who stood at his side. After delivery remarks he traveled to the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, which serves as a marker into the city limits and exit sign and now, 59 White Crosses, one for each of those lost now stand.
During his address to a deeply wounded city and nation, Vice president said, "We find comfort in the knowledge that we are united as one nation, and one people, with one voice - united in our grief – united in our support for those who have suffered, and united in our resolve to end such evil in our time."
Take A Knee Campaign
Vice President Pence, the ultimate company man posted the following message on social media regarding his departure from the San Francisco 49er's and Indianapolis Colts Football game, "I left today's Colts game because president Trump and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our flag, or our National Anthem. At a time when so many Americans are inspiring our nation with their courage, resolve and resilience, now, more than ever, we should rally around our Flag and everything that unites is. While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I don't think it's too much too ask NFL players to respect the Flag our National Anthem. I stand with president Trump, I stand with our soldiers and I will always stand for our Flag and our National Anthem."
Gun Debate/Article II - Constitution of United States of America 1789 (rev. 1992)
Article II (The Second Amendment): A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
The well-regulated Militia is a state militia not a state of mind Militia or an Alt Right Militia. It is interpreted as United States Military, Law Enforcement and all its branches and off shoots meant for the defense of a free state (each of the 50 states are permitted, allowed, a well-regulated military to defend action which threaten the "state". And the United States Military as a whole, to defend the Nation-State against all enemies foreign and domestic,
The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed is the single sentence which stops any modification of current laws that allow individuals from amassing enough firepower to arm a militia.
The mind of the framer those who debated which articles where important in the building of this nation, what was important to the us, the people, why did we face sure death crossing an ocean to build a free nation, is now left for generations to interpret.
So "keep" obviously a key word and one with a relatively simple explanation to me equates to the freedom to keep a weapon, to own it under an individual name, designated for personal use, at time defined by law.
"Bear Arms" seems to be the next words that are sticking points and debatable. Not debating from a 21 century mind set polluted by years of carnage, public misuse and war.
Debated from the mind of the framer, minds that have seen war, and death, and have something we lack, hope for a better tomorrow, a free nation, a nation in its infancy, one that we shape. That is the mind, the place we need to be when we consider legislation that modifies these two words.
So thinking back to those time when you held a baby, the infant, your newborn, our nation was that in these men's hands. As they sat debating, writing, dreaming of a better tomorrow, you think they crafted "bear arms" to include a personal arsenal that would slaughter 58 people in ten minutes and leave another 50 in critical condition.
Without a national registry the weapons cannot be confiscated for military or state needs in the time of war, actions that occurred during the Civil War.
So back to the infancy of a nation - the questions, I'm sure they knew if a British solider had made it to their meeting or if a traitor lived among them, they could have all been slaughtered and the "new nation" would have been lost.
And that did not happen and now we are left to gather someone with the ability to present the framers mind in a coherent and persuasive and logical argument without the use of props and heartbreaking carnage and pictures of lives snuffed out by any number of sociopaths who pass all the background checks.
Another Day; Another Shooting; Another List; Another Lost
Kim Wall Murder
Body parts belonging to Swedish Journalist Kim Wall, whose dismembered torso had been discovered days after she was last seen standing atop the UC3 Nautilus submarine tower, built by Danish inventor Peter Madsen, have been found.
Swedish authorities have reported that two garbage bags were found on the bottom of the sea floor, in the Bay of Koge near where the Nautilus was intentionally sunk and where they have painstakingly searched since the Columbia educated journalist went missing just shy of two months ago on the night of August 11th 2017.
Authorities said Wall's head, which had been severed after death, was found and did not bear and marking, or fractures that would corroborate the testimony given by Madsen in court that the hull, which weighed 155lbs, slipped from his hands and hit Ms. Wall fracturing her skull and killing her instantly.
Ms. Wall's clothing and a knife were also in the same bag. The Swedish police have yet to make any announcement indicating forensic analysis has been completed and what they can determine based on those conclusions.
A second bag was found that contained other body parts. The bag was also weighted down with metal consistent with that which was found on her torso.
Swedish police also seized Madsen hard drives and indicated the contain Snuff films, numerous films that showed (not depicted) women being violently assaulted, beaten, brutalized, tortured and dismembered. The authorities believe the videos to be real. No identities or nationalities of the women in the films have been released.
It had been documented that Madsen liked to entertain females aboard the submarine, even has he is married, the two share an open relationship which translates to freedom to engage in sexual activity with other partners.
A Sunday Times article Madsen, published in August 27, spoke of Madsen's fetish behaviors and how he had a Swedish stripper aboard the first sub, Freya and said, '"There is a special place on the submarine where she touched it. I've always had a special relationship with that place," Madsen was reported to have told his biographer Thomas Djursing."'
Madsen has admitted to participating in Sadomasochistic rituals and behaviors and allowed his attorney to lead with this type of behavioral analysis as it must be widely known in fetish circles. His attorney added, "It doesn't make him a murder."
It is doubtful Madsen will escape these charges. If he murdered the other women, or is a serial killer of Swedish women, it has not yet been established. Murdering one with no platform or without a support system and the allegations against someone who appeared respectable and above reproach would hardly draw the attention and scrutiny of someone of Ms. Wall's international stature, respectability, education and reputation.
Wall, who had turned down several coveted staff positions, considered herself a freelancer and her work had been seen in many respected dailies including The New York Times and The Guardian. She had arranged the submarine ride along to accompany a profile piece she was researching on Madsen and had planned a short trip home before she returned to her home base which she split between New York and Hong Kong.
Saturday Night Live/Tom Petty
As in the past when horrific tragedies as set upon us, Saturday Night Life has been around letting us know it was okay to laugh again.
Jason Aldean, the Academy of Country Music's Artist of the Year and the act that was on stage during the Las Vegas ambush, opened the show, which is usually reserved for what is called a cold opening, a hard hit and then the all to familiar "Live From New York: It's Saturday Night"
Aldean played, "I Won't Backdown," an anthem of sorts to the nations of the world who are affected daily by terror and terrorism is ingrained in the daily existence and a tune dedicated to lost and more so to the legion of fans who lost recording artist Tom Petty, who died this week of cardiac arrest.
We won't back down, to those who claim responsibility, we will live, free, in nations throughout the world and we will fight until those who commit heinous acts of violence have been destroyed.
We. Won't. Back. Down.
For more information on President Donald Trump: www.whitehouse.gov
Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Wikipedia.com, Newsweek.com
