Colin Powell

Dear Commons Community,

After a week in which President Donald Trump threatened to use military force against protesters, Colin Powell blasted the commander-in-chief for taking steps he says  will harm the relationship between the military and U.S. citizens.

Powell, who served as Secretary of State under former President George W. Bush and was previously chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that Trump is “drifting” away from the Constitution and said he’s an “habitual liar.”  As reported by NBC News.

“We have a Constitution. We have to follow that Constitution. And the president’s drifted away from it,” Powell said, offering praise for military leaders who have spoken out against the president in recent days.

Powell, who did not vote for Trump in 2016, said he would vote for Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, this fall.

Trump responded to Powell on Twitter, calling him “a real stiff who was very responsible for getting us into the disastrous Middle East Wars” and that Powell “just announced he will be voting for another stiff, Sleepy Joe Biden.”

Echoing Trump’s former Defense Secretary James Mattis, Powell said he agreed that Trump is the first president in his lifetime who is not trying to unite the country. Powell said the protests have shown him the country is at “a turning point.”

“The Republican party, the president thought they were immune, they can say anything they wanted,” Powell said. “And even more troubling, the Congress would just sit there and not in any way resist what the president is doing.”

“The one word I have to use with respect to what he’s been doing for the last several years is the word I would never have used before, never would have used with any of the four presidents I worked for, he lies,” Powell added. “He lies about things. And he gets away with it because people will not hold him accountable.”

Powell was hardly alone among retired military leaders criticizing the president on Sunday’s political talk shows.

Their commentary came after Mattis on Wednesday slammed Trump’s response to the protests over George Floyd’s death, writing in The Atlantic that the president “tries to divide us” while calling his “bizarre photo op” in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church “an abuse of executive authority.” Mattis also compared Trump’s response to Nazi tactics.

We need more Powells and Mattises to call out the President!

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

New York Times‘ columnist Maureen Dowd comments today on how our country went from the pride of our first black president to the desolation caused by our current president’s feeding the racial strife ripping us apart.  Here is an excerpt:

“How could we possibly, in a brief stretch, have gone from the euphoria of our first black president to the desolation of racial strife ripping apart the country?

I was so happy the day of Obama’s inauguration because it was the first time I had seen my hometown truly integrated. Armed with a bag of croissants and a bottle of Champagne, I made my groggy houseguests get up at 4 a.m. the next day, so we could watch the new era dawn at the Lincoln Memorial.

Beyoncé’s security turned us away — the singer had performed the night before and the guards were still there — but it didn’t matter. We caught a glimpse of Abe in the pink light as the Obama family settled into their new home.

I’ve always cherished Washington’s luminous monuments. So it was excruciating this past week to see the chucklehead who has waged war on our institutions, undermined our laws and values, stoked division at every turn, blundering around defiling the monuments that symbolize the best about America.

After the country was rocked to its soul by the sight of a handcuffed black man dying while being held down by a police officer as those around begged for mercy, Trump could hardly summon a shred of empathy. His only move was to grab a can of kerosene and cry “Domination!”

Turning the American military against Americans was a scalding tableau that was a nadir even for the former military school bully. The creepy William Barr, who gets to be called “General,” had troops clear out mostly peaceful protesters so Trump could walk through Lafayette Park, preening as a fake tough guy, and pose in front of St. John’s. Ivanka went into her luxe purse to hand him his prop, a Bible, which he held up awkwardly. It’s a wonder his hand did not burst into flames.

That night,the sound of summer in Washington was a Black Hawk helicopter shadowing the protesters.

This misuse of the military and the sight of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, walking in camouflage while protesters were blasted with chemicals, at long last spurred Jim Mattis to push back. Mattis wrote to The Atlantic that he was “angry and appalled” at Trump for making “a mockery of our Constitution.” He suggested that we all just move beyond the depraved divider if we are to have any hope of uniting the country.

The brutish scene conjured Tuesday at the Lincoln Memorial, with National Guard troops in rows on the steps below the Great Emancipator, was unconscionable. Soldiers ominously stood on the hallowed ground where Marian Anderson sang in 1939 when the Daughters of the American Revolution would not let her perform at Constitution Hall because she was black, and where Martin Luther King Jr. made his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. Trump tweeted Wednesday that he had done more for black Americans than any president “with the possible exception of” Lincoln.

Lincoln gave his life trying to stop a clash of civilizations, “with malice toward none,” while Trump spends his presidency ginning up a clash of civilizations, with malice toward all.

(When Kayleigh McEnany had the temerity to compare Trump to Churchill, one lawyer I know dryly noted: “We shall fight them on the golf courses; we shall fight them on Twitter; we shall fight them at Mar-a-Lago.”)

On Friday, Trump was so giddy about the surprisingly good jobs report that he mused about getting an R.V. so he and Melania could drive to New York. Cue “Green Acres.” Since even a man killed by the police should offer Pence-like praise of Dear Leader, Trump blithely observed, “Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying, ‘This is a great thing that’s happening for our country.’”

That afternoon, as protesters in front of St. John’s danced to Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family,” the president threw racial chum in the Potomac. He tweeted that Drew Brees “should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag. OLD GLORY is to be revered … NO KNEELING!”

He called Muriel Bowser, the poised black mayor of D.C. who wanted the federal troops out of the capital, “incompetent” and then upgraded her to “grossly incompetent.” Friday night, he retweeted someone who posted that “Barack Obama put a target on the back of every cop in this country.”

It’s sad to see the tall black fences going up around the White House, turning the “People’s House” into an outpost as dark as the psyche of the man who lives within. But Bowser offered the best troll on the First Troller when she had the words “Black Lives Matter” painted in yellow in front of the White House and St. John’s. She tweeted that she was renaming the area “Black Lives Matter Plaza.”

And that matters.”

Thank you, Ms. Dowd.  I am hoping that the election in November will get us on a road back to the euphoria.

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

Much of the country remains unlikely to venture out to bars, restaurants, theaters or gyms anytime soon, despite state and local officials across the country increasingly allowing businesses to reopen, according to a new survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

That hesitancy in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak could muffle any recovery from what has been the sharpest and swiftest economic downturn in U.S. history. Just 42% of those who went to concerts, movies, theaters or sporting events at least monthly before the outbreak say they’d do so in the next few weeks if they could. Only about half of those who regularly went to restaurants, exercised at the gym or traveled would feel comfortable doing so again.

In addition most Americans continue to say the national economy is in poor condition and many are feeling financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic.  About a quarter of Americans say someone in their household has lost a job amid that downturn, and about half have lost household income, including layoffs, pay cuts, cut hours or unpaid time off. The majority of those whose household suffered a layoff still believe they will return to their previous employer, but the share expecting their job will not return has risen slightly over the past month, to 30% from 20%.   As reported by the Associated Press.

“When restrictions are lifted, reconnecting with friends and family, getting a haircut, and shopping for fun are at the top of many people’s agenda. But many are apprehensive about re-engaging in activities that draw a crowd, like attending movies, concerts, or sporting events, using public transportation, or even going out to bars and restaurants.

People’s post shutdown plans depend on what they did before the outbreak. Overall, 38% say they would attend religious services. But among people who attended services at least once a month before the coronavirus outbreak, 67% say they would return to their church, synagogue, or mosque if restrictions were lifted. Fifty-two percent of those who ate out at least once a month before the outbreak say they expect to head to a restaurant or bar.

Still, even among those that regularly engaged in activities that draw a crowd, like sporting events, concerts and movies, or using public transportation, fewer than half plan to return to them in the short term once restrictions are lifted.  

The public’s outlook on the U.S. economy which has declined dramatically in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, appears to have leveled off. Twenty-nine percent describe the national economy as good, the same as in April, though down from 67% in January.  

Trump’s handling of the economy has always compared favorably with his overall job performance, and his handling of other issues. While that remains the case, his approval rating on the economy has dropped to its lowest level in months.  

Many Americans are starting to feel the effects of the economic downturn and report facing economic pressures with lost wages and trouble meeting financial obligations as a result of the pandemic.  

Because of the coronavirus outbreak, 49% of Americans say they or someone in their household has lost wages either through being laid-off, having a wage or salary reduction, working fewer hours, or having unpaid time off. And 25% report that they have been unable to pay a credit card bill, make a housing payment, or pay some other type of bill. The number of people who lost wages or have trouble meeting financial obligations is not significantly different from last month.    

Less affluent Americans are facing more economic pressure. Those with annual household incomes under $50,000 are more likely to say they are falling behind with bills.  

Of those who say they or someone in their household has been laid off, 30% do not expect that person to get their job back, and 65% think there is a chance of going back. Five percent say the laid off person is already back at work.  

Still, 66% say their household’s financial situation is good, and 37% expect their personal finances will improve or stay the same in the coming year.  

The nationwide poll was conducted May 14-18, 2020 using the AmeriSpeak® Panel, the probability-based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago. Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cell phones were conducted with 1,056 adults. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.”

In my opinion, for things to get back to “normal”, a vaccine must be developed and made widely available.

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

After federal law enforcement agents and military troops lined up for days against protesters outside the White House, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser of Washington responded emphatically on yesterday: She had city workers paint “Black Lives Matter” in giant yellow letters (see above) down a street she has maintained command of that is at the center of the confrontations.

The strong poke to President Trump within sight of the White House underscored a larger power struggle between the two leaders over which one — the Democratic head of the District of Columbia or the president headquartered there — should decide who controls the streets that Mr. Trump has promised to dominate during protests over the killing last month of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.  As reported by the New York Times.

“Ms. Bowser, a Washington native long steeped in city politics, again called on Mr. Trump yesterday to pull back all federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops patrolling the city, including unidentified agents in riot gear, and said she would stop paying for the hotels for the Utah National Guard that she does not want in the city to begin with.

She renamed as Black Lives Matter Plaza the area in front of Lafayette Square where federal officials used chemical spray and smoke grenades on Monday to clear protesters ahead of Mr. Trump’s photo op at a historic church that faces the road that Ms. Bowser had painted. (The money for the paint job came out of the city’s mural program, city officials said.)

“We’re here peacefully as Americans on American streets,” Ms. Bowser said at the scene, standing near a sign reading, “Support D.C. Statehood.” “On D.C. streets.”

Mr. Trump, who has tried to appeal to his base by proclaiming himself a president of law and order, escalated the fight, calling Ms. Bowser “incompetent” on Twitter.

Ms. Bowser “who’s budget is totally out of control and is constantly coming back to us for ‘handouts,’ is now fighting with the National Guard, who saved her from great embarrassment,” Mr. Trump wrote. “If she doesn’t treat these men and women well, then we’ll bring in a different group of men and women!”

Ms. Bowser met this with her usual cool shrug. Asked about the president calling her incompetent, she said, “You know the thing about the pot and the kettle?”

Still, Trump officials appeared determined to make the standoff personal. Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, the acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, further belittled Ms. Bowser on Twitter by comparing her request to reduce the number of federal troops in Washington with the mentally ill wanting less medication.

The city had the words “black lives matter” painted as a huge street mural near the White House.

While Mr. Trump has clashed with governors and mayors in recent months over his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and deployment of the National Guard in their streets during nationwide protests of police killings, his face-off with Ms. Bowser pits the president in his current home, the international symbol of the United States, against the city in which it sits, one that lacks the self-governing authorities of other states and cities.”

I am with you, Mayor Bowser!

Tony

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser

Forever Forward

Dear Commons Community,

Last year my wife and I visited France and had the privilege of going to the American D-Day Memorial sites in Normandy – Utah Beach, Point du Hoc, Omaha Beach and the American Memorial Cemetery where there are more than 9,000 American casualties buried.

Ever Forward is the bronze statue that sits at the entrance to Omaha Beach.  

The Obelisk at Point du Hoc is in memory of the American Rangers who made up the first advance unit and who were to scale the cliffs between Utah and Omaha Beaches.

The Memorial Cemetery is a place of serenity with its thousands of crosses.  At 5:00 pm every evening, taps are played as the American flags are lowered.

I especially remember my two uncles John and Anthony DeMichele, both of whom were in Normandy in World War II.

Tony

Obelisk at Point du Hoc

American Memorial Cemetery

Dear Commons Community,

Rudy Giuliani again demonstrated that he has become unhinged when anyone questions his conduct and veracity.  We hadn’t seen him in a while and I think he should have stayed out of the limelight.  In an  interview with Piers Morgan yesterday on Good Morning Britain he got into a messy argument (see video above).

The “Good Morning Britain” host argued with Giuliani over Donald Trump’s “When the looting starts, the shooting starts” comments and threatened crackdown against people protesting the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. 

The discussion devolved from there.

“You’re a disgrace,” Giuliani snapped.

“You sound completely barking mad,” Morgan retorted.

Giuliani called him a “big liar” and insulted Morgan for his canceled CNN show in the U.S.

The calmer Morgan then scorched the unhinged former New York mayor: “When I used to interview you, you were an intelligent, reasonable man. And you’ve gone completely mad. And you sound deranged, you’re abusive, it’s really sad to see what’s happened to you.”

Co-host Susanna Reid, who had enough of the personal attacks, said: “I’m not sure our viewers want to watch that.”

Giuliani and Trump deserve each other.  America doesn’t deserve either.

Tony

Senator Lisa Murkowski

Dear Commons Community,.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, said yesterday that she endorsed the scathing criticism of President Trump’s leadership by Jim Mattis, the former secretary of defense, and was grappling with whether to support the president in the coming election.

Ms. Murkowski said the critique by Mr. Mattis, in which he said that Mr. Trump had divided the nation and failed to lead amid growing protests across the country, was “necessary and overdue,” and might prod other Republicans to go public with their private concerns about the president.

“I was really thankful,” she told reporters on Capitol Hill. “I thought General Mattis’s words were true and honest and necessary and overdue.”

The comments by Ms. Murkowski, one of the few Republicans in Congress who have been willing to break with the president on occasion, suggested that Mr. Trump’s response to nationwide unrest over police brutality and racial discrimination had emboldened at least some members of his party to speak out against him. While many Republicans privately regard the president’s conduct with distaste and even alarm, few have been willing to publicly air those concerns.

In apparent response to Ms. Murkowski’s comments, Mr. Trump vowed Thursday evening to campaign against her in two years, when her term ends, pointing to her votes against legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act and the confirmation of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. (While Ms. Murkowski said she did not support the confirmation, her vote was recorded as “present” as part of an agreement with a colleague who missed the vote.)

“Get any candidate ready, good or bad, I don’t care, I’m endorsing,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter. “If you have a pulse, I’m with you!”

With a pandemic raging and protests exposing a sense of anguish about the treatment of black Americans, we need more more Republicans willing to voice their differences with Trump.   Don’t be afraid of the bully!

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

This past March, faculty at colleges and universities around the country scrambled to move courses online because of the coronavirus pandemic.  The Chronicle of Higher Education conducted a survey (N=1,530) of faculty and administrators, here is a summary as reported.

“This spring brought change on an unprecedented scale, as colleges of all types shifted to remote instruction. The abrupt pivot left institutions scrambling to provide continuity of learning, as faculty members grappled with the intricacies of learning-management systems, unfamiliar conferencing technologies, and new protocols for coursework and tests — often with scant instructional-support infrastructure.

A Chronicle survey reveals just what faculty members and academic administrators think about their emergency efforts. They agree on one key metric: About 60 percent of faculty members, and a similar share of academic administrators, said spring’s courses were worse than face-to-face offerings.

“I need a lot more experience/training to do it again,” said one respondent when asked about the most important lesson learned from teaching this spring.

The Chronicle’s survey was conducted for “Online 2.0: Managing a Large-Scale Move to Online Learning,” a new special report that explores how institutions can take remote learning to the next level. Read more by purchasing a copy here.

The survey of faculty members and academic administrators from two- and four-year institutions was conducted online from May 11 to May 17. Responses came from 935 faculty members, ranging from full professor to adjunct, and from 595 academic administrators, whose job titles included provost, dean, and department head, among others.

Their struggles during the spring semester were many. Nearly eight out of 10 instructors said “creating a sense of engagement between myself and my students” was “very” or “somewhat” challenging.

As colleges make decisions about how the 2020-21 academic year will proceed, faculty members reported that they are confident about teaching online in the fall — and ambivalent about returning to campus.

Given that faculty had to move to online teaching in a matter of days with little or no training or planning, the results are not to be expected.  Also the fact that the majority of faculty and administrators commented that students lacked assess to technology or Wi-Fi is surprising.

Below are several key tables from the report.

Tony