<\/a>So we\u2019re two days into the fallout from The Donald\u2019s Muslim ban (and, dear folks, all his denials aside, it is<\/strong> a Muslim ban<\/a>). We\u2019ve always known that he would feel compelled to pander to anti-Muslim bigotry and that his efforts would be in character, that is, cruel, unnecessary and stupid, but did this particular effort need to be so inept<\/a>? Harold Pollack sums<\/a> up the shear incompetence embodied in the President\u2019s Executive Order (EO):<\/p>\n

The President\u2019s team had months to prepare this signature immigration initiative. And they produced\u2026an amateurish, politically self-immolating effort that humiliated the country, provoked international retaliation, and failed to withstand the\u00a0obvious federal court challenge on its very first day.<\/p>\n

Given the despicable nature of this effort, I\u2019m happy it has become a political fiasco. It also makes me wonder how the Trump administration will execute\u00a0the basic functions of government. This astonishing failure reflects our new President\u2019s contempt for the basic craft of government.<\/p>\n

Given the scope of the mess our amateur hour president and his flunkies \u2013 racist Bannon\u2019s dirty fingerprints<\/a> are all over the EO \u2013 have made, don\u2019t you think that those Republicans who moaned and whined about Obama\u2019s relatively modest executive orders might have something just a little harsh to say about what Mr. Trump has produced? And some do<\/a>. Some can only manage to whimper a little about how it\u2019s \u201ctoo broad\u201d or offer some other anodyne criticism. Some, however, like Pennsylvania\u2019s Charlie Dent, have enough intestinal fortitude to make a reasonably strong statement condemning the nasty little exercise.<\/p>\n

Of course, a few GOPers think this EO is just what the doctor ordered. Missouri\u2019s own Republican Senator Blunt, for instance. He thinks<\/a> the EO is just hunky-dory:<\/p>\n

He is doing what he told the American people he would do. I would not support a travel ban on Muslims; I do support increased vetting on people applying to travel from countries with extensive terrorist ties or activity. These seven countries meet that standard. Our top priority should be to keep Americans safe.<\/p>\n

Blunt just holds his nose and pretends that Muslim-baiting isn\u2019t the real goal and he\u2019s good to go. You gotta admit, this old boy knows who butters his bread.<\/p>\n

But is that greasy bread worth demonizing a few million Muslim Americans. Or turning one\u2019s back on desperate people fleeing death and chaos? Especially when it was another bad American president, George W. Bush, who pushed Humpty Dumpty off the Middle Eastern wall. Don\u2019t we owe these people something besides lies about the need for \u201cvery, very strict vetting\u201d that are used to cover up the fact that President Orange Buffoon needs to fire up the bigots who voted for him?<\/p>\n

Kevin Drum suggests<\/a> that the turmoil over the EO is just what Steve Bannon wanted:<\/p>\n

\u2026 Bannon wanted<\/em> turmoil and condemnation. He wanted<\/em> this executive order to get as much publicity as possible. He wanted<\/em> the ACLU involved. He thinks this will be a PR win. [\u2026 ]\u00a0 Liberals think middle America will be appalled at Trump\u2019s callousness. Bannon thinks middle America will be appalled that lefties and the elite media are taking the side of terrorists. After a week of skirmishes, this is finally a hill that both sides are willing to die for. Who\u2019s going to win?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty clear where Roy Blunt is putting his money.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So we\u2019re two days into the fallout from The Donald\u2019s Muslim ban (and, dear folks, all his denials aside, it is a Muslim ban).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":645,"featured_media":35998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1606,119,2826],"tags":[2522,2917,1081],"yoast_head":"\n