Yes, I changed it while you were typing.

He started the wiretapping smoke (LOOK AT ME!) right when a bunch of people around Sessions and Flynn walked back their claims about talking to Russia—at all, about what topics, in what depth. In a way very suggestive of a bunch of realizations of "Crap, if they were taping that guy I now realize is Russian…

He caved easily on the one China thing. (After that brave bold 'definitely a new policy and not an accident' telephone call with Taiwan.) Leading China to conclude that he's a paper tiger.

This is why I have no patience with the people who argue that we have to leave Trump in charge of the nuclear codes because Pence is too evangelical for their tastes, even if he appears to be sane and exhibit judgment and self-control.

I, also, am on 'let's get it over with.' Were it Clinton doing this with a narrow Dem majority in the Senate as the only way any judges get appointed nowadays, I would be on board with it; I'm not putting on a fuss if the opposite party pulls the trigger on the long-dead corpse of 'but Senate dignity.'

Singul….? I specifically remember that his lack of interest in foreign policy meant he would withdraw troops from everywhere.

The flip side of Democrats on the far left being into policy but not personnel—the blahness of actual physical people with real voting records far from the purity they desire—is that the history of actually primarying people from the left is quite sparse.

*quizzical eyebrow* It's a means of delaying a vote. I actually prefer the Kabuki theater version wherein someone has to get up there and talk, to the procedural "don't bring it up" version. Usual result is to withdraw whatever it is, not go through with the filibuster.

I do think people need to remember that the Dems do not have a strong hand here. They're in the position of figuring out which losing battle to fight.

I continue to be astonished that he nominated Gorsuch, rather than toss the Heritage Foundation's list the instant the votes were in and he had what he wanted.

Odds anyone working for him has been able to explain this to him?

And for those already in place, it's become clear that he has no intention of letting them hire their own staff—those places will stay empty unless Bannon wants his choice in there. Nor is he listening to those people, who were given an executive direction (MAGA) and should get on with it while he slashes their…

He's managing a lot like someone who wanders around a resort, gestures to the left, and says "I see a fountain there. Classy, with dolphins. Make it happen."

Pence is an adequate administrator with some grasp of policy and the legislative process, who does not appear to be suffering a mental breakdown. More competent than Trump = less likely to do anything really really stupid the rest of us then have to dig out of. It's trading a tired grouchy toddler at the chess board…

It's becoming clear that all his "detailed policies I can't discuss because it would give it away" consist of post-it notes directing people to come up with "health care that covers everyone and everything at a big big discount" and "a way to defeat the Islamic State within two weeks."

It's an example of terrible management—someone is going to step in and do things their way, and there's no reason to assume it's the person and way a sensible administrator would have chosen if one were to be found.

I love how we whip back and forth between blaming everything on Democrats, promising to fight them all, and threatening to move his policies (to be named later) forward through an alliance with Democrats based on how… Democrats want to tie themselves to a guy with a 5% approval rating among Dems, 37% overall, who…

We may breeze from "Moving on from the travel ban" and "Moving on from health care" right through "Moving on from the Supreme Court" and "Moving on from tax reform" and "Moving on from the budget" and he'll have run through his whole agenda by August and can step down and leave the final details to Pence.

Hmm. I thought the finale was the weakest episode of the season by a full step, but for the opposite parts of the episode—fleshing out Clark and Oliver with Lenny were good, but the interim steps from our heroes didn't make much sense.

It goes well with the 'alternate now where fashion and tech are a little different' vibe.