A good walk spoiled (by greed).

June 7, 2023

          On a day of significant political news, it might seem strange to start with a discussion of the merger between the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf. But the development provides a deep and disturbing view of the seemingly irresistible corrupting power of money. Specifically, blood money from Saudi Arabia, a nation intent on “sports-washing” its reputation as a regime known for human rights abuses, unresolved responsibility in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US, and the recent assassination of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi.

          Rather than making you sit through a long explanation to hear my takeaway, here it is: In the near future, American advertisers will face a choice: Promote a sport that is owned by a nation with unresolved connections to the 9/11 terrorist attacks or walk away from professional golf in a show of support for the victims and survivors of 9/11 (and the family of journalist Jamal Khashoggi).

Spoiler alert: American corporations will not hesitate for a nanosecond to renew their golf sponsorships despite the blood money infusion from Saudi Arabia.

          For readers who do not care about golf, the synopsis is this: the PGA previously ruled the professional golf world. Saudi Arabia created a competing organization (LIV Golf) and convinced many premier PGA golfers to join LIV. Litigation ensued, bitter feelings boiled over, and today the competing entities agreed to merge into a new entity in which Saudi Arabia is the sole investor with first right of refusal on future investments in the newly created entity. Oh, and a representative of the Saudi government investment fund will serve as the first chairman of the board of directors of the newly created entity. In other words, Saudi Arabia just bought the game of professional golf worldwide.

          So, what’s the big deal? Why should we care about rich athletes getting richer?

          The “big deal” is that Saudi Arabia’s role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks continues to be shrouded in secrecy and redactions in official reports. Fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were Saudi nationals, and all were members of al Qaeda. The 9/11 Commission found no evidence tying Saudi government officials directly to the hijackers, although Saudi Arabia was the primary source of funding for al Qaeda.

A subsequent FBI report casts doubt on the 9/11 Commission’s conclusion absolving Saudi Arabia. President Biden released the FBI report in 2021—but the report contained significant redactions. Family of 9/11 victims continue to pressure the US government to reveal everything it knows about Saudi Arabia’s connection to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

          But there is less ambiguity regarding Saudi Arabia’s complicity in the gruesome assassination of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi. The CIA concluded that Saudi Arabia’s Prince Muhammed bin Salman likely ordered the killing of Khashoggi in 2017. When questioned about the CIA’s conclusion of MBS’s complicity, Trump responded in 2018 that Saudi Arabia was a “truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development.” Translation: “Murder? What murder? Saudi Arabia means big bucks for the Trump organization.” It can hardly be a coincidence that Saudi Arabia gave Jared Kushner a $2 billion investment in a fledgling investment fund only months after Trump's term ended.

          Trump praised Saudi Arabia’s hostile takeover of the PGA in similarly glowing terms on Tuesday:

A BIG, BEAUTIFUL, AND GLAMOUROUS DEAL FOR THE WORLD OF GOLF, CONGRATS TO ALL!!!

          Of course, Trump's support was inevitable—because the PGA pulled its tournament out of courses owned by Trump after his attempted coup, while the Saudi-backed LIV had no such qualms. See CNN (7/28/2022), LIV Golf: Controversial Saudi-backed golf tournament to begin Friday at Trump golf course. See the NYTimes from today, Through Ties to Saudis, Golf Deal Promises Benefits to Trump.

          The reaction of GOP Rep. Nancy Mace serves as a reliable guide to how American corporations will react to Saudi Arabia’s takeover of the PGA. Mace is the Chair of the Congressional Golf Caucus (reflect on that ludicrous fact for a moment!). Mace said the following:

Obviously Saudi money being involved ... you know, I’d have some concerns over that. But look at my district — we’ve got over 30 golf courses.

          For Rep. Nancy Mace, moral concerns over Saudi Arabia’s murderous regime amounted to a speed bump that didn’t slow her support for the deal for more than the time it took to utter two sentences. Expect the same from American corporations. I hope I am spectacularly wrong.

          Family members of 9/11 victims were stunned by the development. The chairman of the 9/11 victims fund said,  

The PGA and [Commissioner] Monahan appear to have become just more paid Saudi shills, taking billions of dollars to cleanse the Saudi reputation. [¶]

[PGA Commissioner] Monahan talked last summer about knowing people who lost loved ones on 9/11, then wondered aloud on national television whether LIV golfers ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour. They do now — as does he. PGA Tour leaders should be ashamed of their hypocrisy and greed.

          And even if money is enough to cause the PGA and American businesses to ignore the victims of 9/11, Saudi Arabia is no friend to the US. It colludes with Russia to keep oil prices high—to support Russia’s war on Ukraine and fuel the GOP narrative that the US economy is in shambles. As Business Insider reported yesterday, Saudi's crown prince and Putin are teaming up to keep oil prices high in a geopolitical gambit likely to annoy the US. With allies like Saudi Arabia, who needs enemies?

          Someone once said, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” If the LIV/PGA merger goes through, golf will be a game purchased for thirty pieces of silver and a constant reminder that American business is for sale at the right price—assassinations and support for terrorists notwithstanding.

          CNN’s ratings are buckling after its decision to televise a Trump rally under the guise of a “town hall” discussion. When the new Saudi Golf Association begins its tour in the US, let’s hope that enough Americans will turn their backs on the sport to cause a drop in sponsorships, declining interest in the sport, and the emergence of a new association not tainted by Saudi Arabia’s money.

Russia allegedly blows up dam, unleashing catastrophic flooding.

          Russia has occupied the Kakhovka dam for more than a year and reportedly placed explosives (mines) at key points to destroy the dam if Russian troops were forced to retreat. See Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 6, 2023 | Institute for the Study of War. As Ukraine began its spring counter-offensive against Russia, the Kakhovka dam collapsed, resulting in catastrophic flooding.

          Per ISW,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukrainian intelligence indicates that Russian forces conducted an intentional premediated explosion at the dam but did so in a “chaotic” manner that allowed Russian military equipment to be flooded downstream. Zelensky added that the only way to destroy the dam is through mining and emphasized that Russian forces have now occupied the dam for over a year.

          Russia claims that Ukraine destroyed the dam, an act that threatens to flood eighty Ukrainian settlements. Although the US has reserved judgment on responsibility for the destruction of the dam, NBC News is reporting that preliminary US intelligence indicates Russia is responsible. See ISW article above.

          While we wait for confirmation of the responsible party (looking at you, Russia), it should be said that this type of warfare is a war crime and an environmental disaster. No civilized nation should trigger man-made disasters that indiscriminately affect civilian populations to gain strategic advantage in war. See Politico, Dam sabotage creates Ukraine’s worst environmental disaster ‘since Chernobyl’. (“Destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam threatens tens of thousands of people, the country’s energy grid and the environment.”)

Ron DeSantis loses major court battle regarding anti-transgender legislation.

          Federal Judge Robert Hinkle temporarily blocked portions of Ron DeSantis’s law that prohibited gender-affirming care for transgender children. See Business Insider, Ron DeSantis loses big in court as judge issues scathing ruling on his anti-trans healthcare law: 'Gender identity is real'.

          Judge Hinkle wrote,

The elephant in the room should be noted at the outset. Gender identity is real. The record makes this clear. [¶]

The overwhelming weight of medical authority supports treatment of transgender patients with GnRH agonists and cross-sex hormones in appropriate circumstances. [Q]ualified professionals have properly evaluated the children's medical conditions and needs in accordance with the well-established standards of care."

          The ruling is another positive step in the effort to stop government from interfering in the right of parents to make healthcare decisions for their children.

Reminder: Biden’s decision to terminate Title 42 did not result in “chaos” at the border.

          More than a month after the Biden administration allowed Title 42 to lapse, the “chaos” predicted at the border by the right-wing media has failed to develop. See Politico, As border crossings dip, Biden admin crows about the fiasco that never happened.

          Per Politico,

The Biden administration on Tuesday took a victory lap, declaring that its immigration plan is “working as intended” nearly a month after a major shift in policy at the nation’s southern border.

The Department of Homeland Security said that since the lifting of the public health order known as Title 42 at midnight May 12, unlawful border crossings have plummeted by more than 70 percent.

          You will recall that Fox News and other cable outlets had reporters stationed at the border at midnight on May 12th to record the alleged hordes of immigrants expected to rush across the border. That story has disappeared, for understandable reasons, and has been replaced by the non-story of Hunter Biden’s involvement with Burisma Holdings in Ukraine. The Burisma story will fade away like the story of the non-existent hordes of immigrants. Read on!

Oversight Chair Comer threatens contempt of Congress against FBI Director Wray.

          House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer is threatening to issue a contempt of Congress recommendation against FBI Director Christopher Wray. Comer wants Wray to turn over a copy of an FBI document in which an informant alleges that someone else alleges that President Biden took a $5 million bribe. The problem for Chairman Comer is that Director Wray has already allowed the Oversight Committee to view the document (but not make a copy).

          After Democratic member of the Committee Jamie Raskin viewed the document, he confirmed that it relates to the efforts of Trump to encourage Ukraine to generate “dirt” on then presidential candidate Biden.

          Per Above the Law

Raskin emerged, confirming that he’d viewed the document, and it was the same frothy mix of ranting and black hair dye that Giuliani was emitting three years ago: “We now know what I had long suspected: that Chairman Comer’s subpoena is about recycling stale and debunked Burisma conspiracy theories long peddled by Rudy Giuliani and a Russian agent, sanctioned by former President Trump’s own Treasury Department, as part of the effort to smear President Biden and help Mr. Trump’s reelection campaign.”

          In other words, there is no there there. Director Wray has substantially complied with the Committee’s subpoena, and the DOJ will decline to file a case against Wray for contempt. That will allow Comer and Fox News to continue to talk about a hearsay report made by an informant likely repeating Trump/Giuliana conspiracy theories.

Freedom Caucus revolt against McCarthy?

          Speaker McCarthy failed to secure sufficient votes to advance Republican-sponsored bills out of committee. The motion lost after eleven members of the Freedom Caucus lashed out in retaliation against McCarthy for agreeing to a debt ceiling compromise bill. Depending on the source, McCarthy’s failure to advance the bill is a sign of the weakness of the Freedom Caucus or a brewing revolt against McCarthy.

Compare, The Hill, Conservatives stun GOP leaders with dramatic mutiny on House floor, and Talking Points Memo, Far-Right Threats To Oust McCarthy Over Debt Ceiling Deal Turn Out To Just Be Talk. (The TPM article was written before the vote but discusses the overall “All hat and no cattle” response of the Freedom Caucus.)

          So, is the refusal of the Freedom Caucus to advance Republican bills a temporary protest or something more? I don’t know. Either way, the House GOP is a mess.

Concluding Thoughts.

          The big news in the Trump investigations is that former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows testified before (at least) one grand jury on two topics: Trump's efforts to overturn the election and the Mar-a-Lago documents case. Recall that Meadows refused to testify before the January 6th Committee on the grounds of executive privilege. That privilege does not apply to testimony before a grand jury. Details are scarce, but Meadows’ testimony could be key to convicting Trump in two separate cases.

          The ongoing leaks do not guarantee that indictments will follow or that Trump will be convicted if they do. But they are a welcome relief from the year-long silence that followed the January 6th insurrection—which many commentators claimed was proof that Garland was busy investigating Trump. The past is past, so there is little upside in debating the significance of that year of silence.

          What we know now is that Jack Smith is working diligently to take the investigative steps that are necessary and appropriate before issuing indictments. We can’t ask for anything more, except maybe for a brisker pace. The first GOP primary debate is three months away. Time flies!

          Talk to you tomorrow!