Wiretap: Right-wing extremism loses in France, and maybe Donald Trump does, too

When is a presidential election more than just an election? When it’s held in the cradle of European democracy and when the result is a two-to-one rejection of French far-right nationalism. It was a victory for Emmanuel Macron (the youngest French leader since Napoleon), for the European Union, for democracy, for openness, for the French center. But not one for Donald Trump. Via The New Yorker.

For the little-known Macron to trounce Marine Le Pen and become France’s president, it took luck, skill, and what The New York Times called “a uniquely French historic and cultural legacy,” in which France would turn away from the angry populism that had taken hold in American and British politics.

E.J. Dionne: The challenge for the Obama-endorsed Macron is just beginning. The French center has held — but that’s hardly a guarantee that it will hold for long. Via The Washington Post.

The craziness of TrumpWorld stopped only briefly as we all turned our attention to the French election. Today, it starts all over again as Sally Yates testifies in a Senate hearing about Russian interference in our presidential election and about what she told the White House about Michael Flynn. (Hint: It may not be exactly what the Trump administration has been telling us she said.) Via The Washington Post.

Charles Krauthammer: Yes, Donald Trump is a loud and bombastic charlatan. But, so far at least, things could be worse. And they probably will be. Via The New York Daily News.

To this point, Mitch McConnell’s successful handling of Donald Trump may be a minor miracle, particularly if you compare it to the not-quite-miraculous job Paul Ryan has done. Will that change now that Trumpcare has finally made it to the Senate? Via The Atlantic.

Tom Price and Paul Ryan both say that the $880 billion cut in Medicaid won’t cause anyone to lose his or her coverage. Um, that’s not even remotely true. Via Vox.

Richard Wolffe: So James Comey admits he feels mildly nauseous about whatever role he might have played in influencing the presidential election. That’s not enough. Projectile vomiting wouldn’t be enough either. Via The Guardian.

From The National Review: There’s a reason for the endless fighting over the 2016 election: No one wants to stop.

Remember Trump’s travel ban and how the latest version ended up being rejected by a judge from a small island in the Pacific (and another judge from Maryland, which does border the Atlantic)? Well, the cases are going to be heard again this month and The Los Angeles Times tells you what you should know about both of them.

The president said he could have made a deal to have stopped the Civil War. Well, he may get his chance to show what he’s got as the battle over removing Confederate Civil War monuments gets more heated in New Orleans. Via The New York Times.

Photo by Lorie Shaull, via Flickr: Creative Commons

 

He has covered Dr. J, four presidential inaugurations, six national conventions and countless brain-numbing speeches in the New Hampshire and Iowa snow.

1 COMMENT

  1. How far will liberals go for good news? France appears to be this week’s answer. But was centrist Emmanuel Macron’s victory really a defeat for President Trump as some desperate progressive pundits claim it was? Marc A. Thiessen doesn’t think so. Via The Washington Post.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/le-pens-defeat-is-good-news-for-trump/2017/05/08/a01c01c4-33f7-11e7-b373-418f6849a004_story.html?utm_term=.2149f42ed201

    Apparently, supporting gay rights allows a person to make homophobic slurs without fear of repercussions. Stephen “c—k holster” Colbert’s vulgar and homophobic attack on President Trump has been largely ignored by those claiming to champion gay rights. Craig Konnoth thinks that’s wrong. Via The Denver Post.

    http://www.denverpost.com/2017/05/05/so-because-stephen-colbert-supports-gay-rights-he-can-make-gay-jokes/

    Contrary to what is being reported on many obscure websites, the repeal of Obamacare is not the end of the world. Not even close. Find out why the Obamacare repeal is favored by 60 percent of small business owners. Via CNBC

    http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/05/why-60-percent-of-small-business-owners-want-obamacare-repealed.html

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