After announcing voter investigation Pence to take on new role as Sycophant in Chief

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Trump plans full evaluation of U.S. voting system

Investigation announced by VP Pence who was also named to head new White House office

Following up on President Donald J. Trump's tweets concerning voter fraud, Vice-President Mike Pence said that the Trump administration will “initiate a full evaluation of voting rolls in the country and the overall integrity of our voting system in the wake of this past election.”

The White House is expected to release an executive order on voter fraud in the coming days. Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, described the effort to reporters as an attempt “to understand where the problem exists, how deep it goes.” Spicer indicated that potential fraud only happened in “the bigger states.”

It is believed that in Trump administration-speak, “bigger states” is a euphemism for states that voted for Hillary Clinton. (It is unclear however, if anyone in the administration actually knows what a euphemism is.)

The investigation is going on despite the fact that most experts do not believe there has been massive voter fraud and specifically that Mr. Trump received almost three million less votes than Hillary Clinton because of fraud.

“The claim that there were millions of illegal voters in this past election is false and unsupported by any credible evidence,” Rick Hasen, a professor of law and political science at the University of California Irvine, wrote. “The National Association of Secretaries of States, made up of the chief election officers of all 50 states, just issued a statement saying so.”

In response to Professor Hasen’s comments, press secretary Spicer said, “Please be aware that Hasen is from a “bigger state” and as such might not be trustworthy.”

The investigation into voting irregularities is going forward despite reports that a number of Trump aides have been registered to vote in multiple states, the issue that the president, beyond the illegal immigrant voting, has been very vocal about.

These aides include top adviser Steve Bannon as well as others in his circle, including his daughter, Tiffany; his son-in-law, Jared Kushner; and Steven Mnuchin, his nominee for treasury secretary. Having multiple voter registrations is not illegal, and there is no evidence that any of these individuals violated election law by casting multiple ballots in the same election. But there is no evidence that they didn’t. And, while it is hoped that the investigation will uncover the truth in these specific cases, it is unlikely it will.

While it is not clear whether Pence himself will lead the voting investigation, his statements announcing it and his unwavering support of both the investigation and absolutely everything else President Trump says or does has led the President to appoint the Vice-President to lead a new White House agency, the Office of Sycophantory. In taking on this new role, Mr. Pence will retain his title as Vice-President, but will in addition be known as White House Sycophant in Chief.

There is some controversy regarding the office and, indeed, the word "sycophant." It is believed that despite the fact that almost everyone in the administration is a sycophant, no one actually knew the word itself until Pence, who's been rigorously practicing sycophantory since his selection as vice-presidential nominee, brought the word itself to the attention of senior staffers.

Proposed Mexican tax: Who really pays for the wall in Trump plan?

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Trump plans 20% tax on Mexican imports to pay for border wall

My non-economist, "simple-minded" analysis looks at unintended consequences

The New York Times reported today that President Trump plans to make Mexico pay for his border wall by imposing a 20 percent tax on all imports into the United States from Mexico, raising billions of dollars that would cover the cost of the new barrier.

The proposal, which Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, said the president discussed privately with congressional Republicans before giving remarks at a party retreat in Philadelphia, would be a major new economic proposal that could have far-reaching implications for consumers, manufacturers and relations between the two governments.

Far-reaching is probably understating the proposal a bit.

No economist I, but, let me see how this will work:  Goods imported from Mexico face a new 20% tariff; U.S. government collects the 20% to “pay for the wall;” Mexican exporters raise the price of goods by 20% to cover the additional cost; U.S. consumers who buy those goods now pay 20% more; so, Mexico doesn't pay for the wall, the U.S. consumer who buys those goods does.

This simple-minded analysis doesn't even take into account the other side of the story: The fact that Mexico, which is the 2nd largest importer of U.S. goods, might retaliate with a tax of its own.

So, how might that work: Mexico seeks retribution with a retaliatory tax; Mexican consumers buy less of the now more costly U.S. goods; U.S. companies, now selling less to Mexico, are forced to cut production and lay off U.S. workers; U.S. and Mexico go into recession as a result of the trade war; Mexican recession results in massive illegal emigration into U.S. by sea to avoid the wall; U.S. recession is mitigated by uptick in defense spending as U.S. prepares for war with China over South China Sea islands…

Wait, that’s another story.

I've self-described my analysis as "simple-minded." It strikes me when we're talking about Trumpian "policy" (Is that too strong a word? Would Trumpian “impulsiveness” be better?), "simple-minded" might be selling things short!

With Trump ascendency, Amazon orders more copies of "1984" and other dystopian-themed books

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Orwell’s “1984” is now Amazon’s best-selling book

Conway’s “alternative facts” results in run on book where 'language is held captive'

With “alternative facts” the latest catchphrase, Amazon.com reported today that George Orwell’s “1984” is No. 1 best selling book on its site and the publisher has ordered an additional 75,000 copies.

Signet Classics said Wednesday in New York City that sales have been “remarkably robust” for a book that already is a classroom standard. The heightened interest in Orwell’s dystopian classic, in which language itself is held captive, follows assertions by President Trump and some White House aides about the size of his inaugural crowd and whether voter fraud led him to lose the popular vote to Hillary Clinton last fall.

Administration adviser Kellyanne Conway has called such assertions “alternative facts.”

Amazon further announced that it is working with publishers of other dystopian-themed books to increase print runs of those books in a move to ensure supply will meet anticipated Trump-inspired demand. Included in Amazon’s list:

Wind Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi – A novel which describes a world where catastrophes are commonplace, global warming has caused huge sea level rises and biotechnology rules, with mega corporations - calorie companies - controlling food production. 

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley – A classic that paints an image of a cold world with numbing drugs, organized reproduction, no concept of family, and brainwashing from birth. While superficially a hedonistic environment, it soon becomes clear that this is no place to live.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess – Burgess writes about a depressing future riven with violent gangs, extreme youthful violence and the work of state authorities to try and restore order. 

Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – The book describes an American society where books are burned and intellectual thought is illegal. Farenheit 451 tackled head-on the nightmare world where a free press and the dissemination of ideas were not possible. 

The Iron Heel by Jack London – Iron Heel focuses on the breakdown of politics in a future society: specifically the rise of an oligarchic tyranny in the U.S., which bankrupts the middle classes and rules over its poor subjects. 

The Running Man by Stephen King under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman – The book is set in a dystopian America in 2025 where the economy is in ruins, violence is commonplace and a totalitarian government rules. Life for those 'blacklisted' is unbearable, and submitting to a game show where death is all-but-certain looks like the only way out. 

The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard – Ballard paints a vivid picture of a world irreversibly changed by global warming with the cities of Europe and America submerged in tropical lagoons.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld – A story where conformity is everything, achieved through mandatory extreme cosmetic surgery - making everyone 'pretty' - upon reaching the age of 16.

Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood – Describes an America with a divided society: a rich getting richer and a segregated oppressed poor, who are kept away from the rich. Corporations dominate and control the population, aided by gene manipulation.

And, in the event, as many hope and believe, President Trump is impeached and replaced as president by Vice President Mike Pence, Amazon is also requesting increased print runs for:

The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood – This book is set in a totalitarian Christian theocracy which has overthrown the U.S. government and where women are forbidden to read, and the few capable of having children are subjugated and forced to serve the wider needs of society by becoming breeding machines. 

Article 5, by Kristen Simmons – Simmons describes a U.S. run by an ultra-conservative Federal Bureau for Reformation and a child born out of wedlock is, technically illegal.

Low turnout kerfuffle leads to new Trump hire; "alternative facts" to be institutionalized

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Trump special advisor defends attacks on media 

Conway claims we give “alternative facts”

Following a contentious appearance by Kellyanne Conway on Meet the Press on Sunday, the concept of fake news, and who perpetuates it, took on an added dimension.

Trump and his team have been altering facts for quite some time, earning record numbers of “Pinocchios” from the Washington Post and “Pants on Fire” ratings from Politco, two media organizations that monitor and grade public statements for veracity.

Despite their own record of shading the truth, the Trump camp has consistently accused the mainstream media of dealing in fake or phony news, particularly when that news does not suit them.

In her Meet the Press appearance with moderator Chuck Todd, Ms. Conway, special advisor to the President, defended comments by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer regarding the inauguration crowd size, calling his pronouncements “alternative facts.”

On Saturday Spicer, said that Mr. Trump had drawn “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration,” a statement that photographs clearly show to be false.

Mr. Spicer went on to say that photographs of the inaugural ceremonies were deliberately framed “to minimize the enormous support that had gathered on the National Mall,” although he provided no proof of either assertion.

Challenged by Todd on Sunday as to why Spicer was asked to go to the podium and offer falsehoods, Conway said, “Sean Spicer, our press secretary, gave alternative facts.”

To his credit, Todd replied “Alternative facts? Alternative facts are not facts. They’re falsehoods.”

Around the Block, in an exclusive, has uncovered the reason why the Trump administration is embracing “alternative facts” in their day-to-day dealings with the media.

Sources inside the Trump White House told Around the Block, on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak, that the President has hired Lewis Carroll III, great-great-great grandson of Lewis Carroll, author of fantasy stories like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland, to provide alternative facts to counter real facts promulgated by the media.

According to insiders, the younger Carroll, known inside the West Wing as Lew “Mad Hatter” Carroll (not to be confused with Secretary of Defense designee James “Mad Dog” Mattis), has, paraphrasing his great-great-great grandfather, established the following mantra for all White House communications going forward:

“In the Trump world, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?”

Trump contradictory tweets on March necessitate Dr. Bornstein diagnosis

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Women’s March on Washington draws record crowds in DC and around the world

Marches are rebuke to new president; draws Twitter scold from Trump

The Washington Post reported that more than 1 million people gathered in Washington and in cities around the country and the world Saturday to mount a roaring rejoinder to the inauguration of President Trump. What started as a Facebook post by a Hawaii retiree became an unprecedented international rebuke of a new president that packed cities large and small — from London to Los Angeles, Paris to Park City, Utah, Miami to Melbourne, Australia.

According to the Post, the organizers of the Women’s March on Washington, who originally sought a permit for a gathering of 200,000, said Saturday that as many as half a million people participated. On Sunday, Metro officials announced that Saturday was the second-busiest day in the Washington subway system’s history, with 1,001,613 trips. (By contrast, on Trump’s Inauguration Day, the system recorded 570,557 trips.)

The Post went on to report that many in the nation’s capital and other cities said they were inspired to join because of Trump’s divisive campaign and his disparagement of women, minorities and immigrants. In signs and shouts, they mocked what they characterized as Trump’s lewd language and sexist demeanor.

In what is becoming a familiar response to anything that he considers a slight, President Trump used Twitter to lash out at the protesters:

When it was again pointed out to the President that almost three million more people voted for Hillary Clinton than for him, Trump, rather than claiming that the vote differential was due to “massive voter fraud” as he has in the past, took a more conciliatory tone by tweeting:

 That second tweet however, was immediately taken down.

According to White House press secretary Sean Spicer, the apparent conciliatory tweet was sent by mistake saying, “President Trump’s tweet regarding the “right of people to express their views” was sent in error as it was not written by the President himself but by a staffer who was testing the idea of a kinder, gentler president and pressed the send button by mistake.”

Sources inside the White House, speaking on the condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak, told Around the Block that Spicer’s remarks were not true and that the President did indeed write the conciliatory tweet.

With that in mind, the White House team has called in Trump’s personal physician, Dr. Harold Bornstein for his assessment. 

According to sources, Dr. Bornstein diagnosed the President with a condition known as “extreme pre-dawn supererogatory Twitter syndrome” where, according to Dr Bornstein, "sending too many tweets before 7 am leads to tweeting things the sender doesn't really mean or believe." As such Dr. Bornstein recommended that Trump limit his tweets to no more than one between 3 am and 7 am and, to avoid the occurrence of the more common"extreme prosaic supererogatory Twitter syndrome,” no more than three per hour thereafter.