Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Elections have consequences: “The Department of Justice has filed court papers arguing that a major federal civil rights law does not protect employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation, taking a stand against a decision reached under former President Barack Obama.”
* That’s probably not a good sign: “Incoming White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders would not say on Thursday if the president still has confidence in his chief of staff, Reince Priebus.”
* I guess the tweets didn’t speak for themselves: “The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told subordinates on Thursday that the U.S. military will not make any changes to its transgender policy until President Donald Trump clarifies what he meant in a series of surprise tweets.”
* On a related note: “A report for the Pentagon last year found that transition-related care would cost between about $2.4 and $8.4 million per year — less than 0.14% of the military’s medical budget. That’s roughly the cost of four of Trump’s trips to Mar-A-Lago, GQ noted, even using a conservative estimate of $2 million per trip.”
* This would be politically unwise: “President Trump’s spokesman suggested Thursday that Trump may veto a massively popular bill designed to restrain his ability to roll back sanctions against Russia, despite the very strong likelihood that lawmakers will have the votes to override it.”
* Secretary of State Rex Tillerson “flashed a grin Wednesday and insisted that he is ‘not going anywhere,’ comments that came amid tussles with the White House over policy and staffing as well as questions about his future as the nation’s chief diplomat.” * A man with a credibility problem: “A federal judge has upheld a $1,000 fine against the vice chair of President Trump’s Election Integrity Commission, citing a ‘pattern’ of ‘misleading the Court’ in voter-ID cases. The ruling represents another blow to the credibility of a commission plagued by lawsuits and controversy in its first months of existence.” * The latest NSC shake-up: “Retired Army Col. Derek Harvey, a longtime intelligence analyst who had been close to former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, has been fired from his job on the National Security Council — the latest twist of intrigue in a White House beset by competing power centers. National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster “removed” Harvey, NSC spokesman Michael Anton told NBC News.” Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." Recommended
