With all of Washington, D.C.'s political intrigue -- the commercialization of the White House, the administration's mysterious connections to Russia, and President Trump's ability to be both landlord and tenant on a government property -- why is U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz so curious about the planning and forethought that goes into a Twitter tweet?
No, the Utah Republican is not sifting through the president's Twitter feed. Rather, his attention was caught by a seemingly innocuous tweet from Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, where the staff was thrilled on December 29 to welcome the country's two new national monuments, Gold Butte in Nevada and Bears Ears in Utah.
Was that tweet simply a spur-of-the-moment shout-out, as many tweets are, or did the park staff have advance notice of the designations by President Obama? And if they did, wonders Congressman Chaffetz, how much advance notice?
We're not talking state secrets here. But hey, none of the other national parks in Utah tweeted the news on December 29, although the Traveler did the day before, when the announcements were made. And while the writing was clearly on the wall regarding the new monuments, we didn't get advance word.
The issue with Rep. Chaffetz is that this tweet could be evidence that the Obama White House lied to Utah Gov. Gary Herbert when it wrote him to say that as of December 15 "no decision had been made about Bears Ears."
Could it be that the White House really was planning as of December 15 to designate those two monuments, as it did on December 28, and that Bryce Canyon officials were in the loop?
"When was a Bears Ears map slot created in the Bryce Canyon National Park's front desk national parks and monuments map area?" Rep. Chaffetz wrote to acting Bryce Canyon Superintendent Sue Fritzke on January 19 (attached below).
"Who made the decision to create a Bears Ears map slot in the Bryce Canyon National Park's front desk national parks and monuments map area," he added in a follow-up question.
Finally, the congressman wondered, "(W)hen did you become aware of the Bears Ears National Monument designation and from whom?"
Bryce Canyon's celebratory tweet, Rep. Chaffetz explained in his letter, "created the appearance that officials at Bryce Canyon coordinated with the White House prior to this most recent designation."
Beyond being curious about the map slot for the new monuments, the committee chairman asked the superintendent to "identify any employees of Bryce Canyon National Park consulted regarding the Bears Ears National Monument Designation. For each employee, identify the communications, that is, when did those conversations occur and with whom?"
Why is Rep. Chaffetz, who has issues of national security to investigate, so concerned about Bryce Canyon's tweeting habits? True, the designation of Bears Ears National Monument went against plans that the congressman and his fellow Utah Republican, Rob Bishop, had for the landscape involved.
But polling shows Utahns were in favor (47+ percent for and 32 percent against) the Bears Ears designation, and a strong majority (60 percent) have no interest in seeing monuments decommissioned. And Rep. Chaffetz made a quick reversal last month when legislation he drafted to transfer 3 million acres of federal lands to the states was soundly criticized by hunters and anglers.
At day's end, we'd like to think taxpayer dollars could be better spent than on investigating a harmless 24-word tweet.
Comments
So what is the point? I don't understand why those stories are part of this conversation or why you believe they are condemning.
The elements of the swamp are really becoming more transparent everyday. For everyone to see. Rock on, President Trump.
Oh boy. I guess this is another attempt to spin Trump into the boogie man. More fake news...
Obama pandered and gave millions to Iran and left was okay with that.
Beach, you underestimate Obama's generosity to Iran and other enemies of our country. It was billions. If those planeloads of foreign currencies, gold and silver that landed in Tehran had just been shuffled over to Interior. Just think of the possibilities.
A lifelong Democrat and political insider, Ted Van Dyk lives in Seattle and supported my run for mayor. This morning he writes in the Wall Street Journal as follows: "Fellow Democrats, Your Effort to Destroy the President is Abnormal." Among many, here is a paragraph that caught my eye: "My own political involvement dates to 1948, when I canvassed door to door for President Truman. I subsequently was active in civil-rights, anti-Vietnam War and antipoverty causes and served in two Democratic administrations. In all that time I have never seen such a concerted effort to discredit and destroy a new administration."
Take away the part about Truman (I was but one year old), add the environmental movement, and you have most of our careers in the Democratic Party, even if we never served in the White House. Ted indeed did, finally to write his memoirs, "Heroes, Hacks, and Fools," published by the University of Washington Press in 2007.
But read the op-ed. Ted is no apologist for Trump. He personally campaigned for Barry Sanders. It's just that, being a historian, Ted is worried about outcomes as much as "winning." He concludes: "Presidents Carter, Clinton and Obama all made embarrassing early stumbles, which were forgiven. The media overlooked 'R-rated' personal conduct by Kennedy and Mr. Clinton and properly focused instead on their public duties. . . Mr. Trump is demonstrating in office what was apparent from the day he announced his candidacy. He lacks experience, knowledge and governing temperament. But he deserves the same chance to govern that his predecessors were afforded. The manufactured rage in the media and political opposition is taking us to an even angrier polarization in the country, and it will last longer than four years."
Well done, Ted, and thank you.
Mr. Runte, does one need to subscribe to WSJ to access the article?
I'm afraid so, and it doesn't "translate" if I post a link. You only get the first paragraph or two. However, it should be widely available in a day or two.
But Alfred, with all due respect, none of those presidents bragged about grabbing and kissing women because, "you can get away with it when you're a star." None of them treated us to so many outright obvious lies on a nearly daily basis. None of them accused the press of fakery because the dirty press insists on playing videos of those lies that he says he never said. None of them had entangled webs of businesses around the world. None of them had Russian involvement of unknown effect upon the election. None of them had a long-standing patent dispute regarding his name on real estate and other dealings with China suddenly settled just one day after announcing he reversed course on the One China question. None of them (fill in the blank).
Read Peggy Noonan's op-ed in the Wall Street Journal some time ago that bore the title:
Imagine a Sane Donald Trump You know he's a nut. What if he weren't?
The Wall Street Journal: October 20, 2016
The problem is that many of us see too many indicators that he isn't completely sane. America is not just another silly reality TV show.