The elite get more elite
The new Washington elite schmoozed over a four-star lunch at the Capitol's Statuary Hall on Friday, starring Donald Trump.
It was an inauguration celebration lunch, and Trump entered the room to the tune of "Hail to the Chief" while assembled lawmakers applauded, according to The Hill.
President Trump sat down between congressional leaders at the head table, and his closest allies, Vice President Mike Pence, daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner, sons Donald Jr. and Eric, incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson and political adviser Kellyanne Conway, were there, seated around the room.
They and scores of other elite guests munched on Maine lobster as an appetizer before moving on to grilled angus beef for the main course. Waiters made the rounds filling etched glasses with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
So much for the populist rhetoric of Trump's inauguration speech: "Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation's capitol, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land."
The new elite sheriff is in town now. What will change first: The Washington elite or the president's rhetoric?
DeVos is devoid
If you missed the confirmation hearing of Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald J. Trump's nominee for education secretary, you should find it online and watch.
With good reason, she is now coming under fire not only for her support of vouchers, but also for her yawning lack of knowledge about any other education policy - including disability rules, testing and funding.
In the hearing, DeVos - a billionaire investor, education philanthropist and Michigan Republican activist - over and over demonstrated that she wasn't knowledgeable about things such as the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act - a federal law that ensures states and local school districts can no longer exclude or warehouse students with disabilities. Asked if schools that receive tax dollars should be required to meet the requirements of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, she said, "I think that is a matter that's best left to the states."
The questioner, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., persisted: "So some states might be good to kids with disabilities, and other states might not be so good, and then what? People can just move around the country if they don't like how their kids are being treated?"
DeVos repeated, "I think that is an issue that's best left to the states."
Kaine's jaw almost visibly dropped. "It's federal law," he replied.
This played several times with several different questioners and several different issues.
DeVos hasn't done her homework and should not be America's education secretary.
Changing of the guard
The Trump administration wasted no time erasing history from the White House website.
Before Trump's footprints could be dampened by rain as he left the inaugural stage, climate change policy had already become a casualty on the nation's prime government web pages.
The White House's "Exposition on the Threat of Climate Change and Efforts to Combat It" had been with replaced with "An America First Energy Plan"
Here's an excerpt: "For too long, we've been held back by burdensome regulations on our energy industry. President Trump is committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule. Lifting these restrictions will greatly help American workers, increasing wages by more than $30 billion over the next 7 years."
Gone also was the Department of Labor's report on lesbians, bisexuals, gays and transgender people in the workplace.
But The New York Times reports that both sides are playing the web game.
During his one and only news conference as president-elect, Trump said no one cared about his refusal to release his tax returns but reporters.
"Well, he has his answer. The first official petition of the Trump era has been filed on WhiteHouse.gov: Release your tax returns," The Times writes.
And, yes, an impeachment petition website also was up by Friday afternoon.