President Donald Trump spent part of his Columbus Day on the golf course at Trump National in Virginia with sometime-rival Lindsey Graham. The South Carolina senator later said on Twitter that he “really enjoyed a round of golf” with Trump, praising the president for shooting a “73 in windy and wet conditions!” Graham continued on Twitter: “How bad did he beat me? I did better in the presidential race than today on the golf course! Great fun. Great host.”
Kevin Bishop, a spokesman for Graham, confirmed the president’s 73 score and says the two played a full 18 holes, meaning Trump would have averaged about 4 strokes a hole, or 2 over par—an impressive performance for any player, let alone a gentleman golfer over the age of 70. The White House did not respond to questions about Trump’s score and the number of holes the twosome played.
The White House issued a statement saying Trump and Graham discussed “legislative priorities including immigration, tax reform, government funding and health care.”
Mark It Down—“President Trump is achieving real results on the international stage. While critics engage in empty rhetoric and baseless attacks, under the president’s leadership, ISIS is on the run; North Korea is isolated like never before; and our NATO allies are doing more to pay their fair share for our common defense.” —Vice President Mike Pence, in an official statement, October 9, 2017
One more stray detail from the Great NFL Walkout by Vice President Pence this weekend: In a photo from Sunday’s Indianapolis Colts game released by the White House, Pence is seen next to his wife Karen, hand over his heart as he stands attentively during the national anthem.
On Pence’s right is a man in military uniform who Pence spokeswoman Alyssa Farah confirmed to me is Maj. Gen. Courtney Carr, the adjutant general of Indiana and commander of the state’s Army and Air National Guard and Guard Reserve. Pence appointed Carr to the position in 2015, when he was governor of Indiana. Carr is a 1983 graduate of West Point who commanded an Army infantry brigade in Iraq and has held postings at the Pentagon.
Pence and his wife left the game shortly after the national anthem, during which some of the players on the field knelt in protest. Neither the White House nor the Indiana National Guard have replied to questions about whether or not Carr also left.
2018 Watch—California senator Dianne Feinstein announced on Monday she would be running for a fifth full term in 2018. The 84-year-old Democrat said there was “lots more to do” on gun violence, climate change, and health care.
Meanwhile, Republican donor Foster Friess is reportedly considering a bid to challenge incumbent John Barrasso, the GOP senator from Wyoming. Friess is the second person in recent days to release a trial balloon on a primary challenge to Barrasso. (Blackwater founder Erik Prince is reportedly also thinking of running.)
In this week’s issue, John Podhoretz reviews Blade Runner 2049, saying it’s both better than its prequel, 1982’s Blade Runner, and unlikely to have the same impact. I think I agree—2049 is a much livelier and fully realized film, both because it has a better story and because the acting is better, especially from Harrison Ford.
The problem is that Blade Runner was so groundbreaking visually that its sequel can’t have the same effect on cinema that the original had. Still, the new movie is quite a sight to see:
Read the whole review here.
Onion of the Day—“Liberal Activists Encourage Citizens to Call Their Late-Night Hosts and Urge Them to Oppose Tax Plan.”
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt announced Monday that his agency will repeal the Clean Power Plan, a sweeping Obama-era rule limiting greenhouse-gas emissions.
“The war against coal is over,” Pruitt told an audience of miners at a Kentucky event. “Tomorrow, in Washington, D.C., I’ll be signing a proposed rule to withdraw the so-called Clean Power Plan of the past administration.”
In his speech, Pruitt maintained that the Obama administration had overstepped its authority with the rule, and that no agency should “declare war on any sector of our economy.”
“The Clean Power Plan wasn’t about regulating to make things regular,” Pruitt said. “It was truly about regulating to pick winners and losers.”
Republicans have long criticized the rule, a cornerstone of U.S. commitments to the Paris climate accords, as significantly damaging to the coal industry. President Trump, who on the campaign trail called the rule “stupid” and “job-killing,” signed an executive order calling for its repeal in March.
2020 Watch—Coming to a Democratic party event in Iowa next month . . . future presidential candidate (and current presidential impersonator) Alec Baldwin. I’m kidding about the presidential run. I think?
Song of the Day—”Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen
