By Denny Gulino
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – In this episode the carefully wrought White House guidelines for how to bring the U.S. economy back to life in the midst of a pandemic are still challenged by a rogue governor, but all is not the same as in the Tuesday night installment.
To recap, the question posed by the previous White House Watch was how President Trump would deal with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. The president has repeatedly demonstrated an extreme reluctance, make that a refusal, to criticize either governors or protestors who are so over this economic shutdown.
Kemp, a fellow real estate developer for whom Trump campaigned, is not just enthusiastic about adding a lot of businesses to those essential firms already open, he’s action oriented. He has announced he’ll allow tattoo parlors, massage parlors, nail salons and hair dressers to join the resurrection of commerce – before the end of the month.
If you watched the evening’s Trump press conference married with a Corona Virus Task Force briefing you might already know at least part of the answer to the question.
Let’s pretend for the moment you’re still interested because what ultimately happens has some important implications for what’s ahead for tens, maybe hundreds of millions of Americans.
Again, Trump Tuesday night had said of Gov. Kemp, “He’s a very capable man He knows what he’s doing. He’s done a very good job as governor of Georgia.”
The Task Force’s career virus fighter, an “AIDS ambassador” who has doubtless saved many, many lives around the world, reached deep into her diplomatic pouch when asked about the wisdom of resuming the tattooing, the nail and hair dressing involving close contact with people whose corona virus status no one will know.
Enough recapping already, you say? You actually read Tuesday night’s White House Watch?
We must plough ahead, regardless. Dr. Deborah Birx’s reply was so measured, so circumspect, it deserves to be added to the archive of the pandemic’s greatest hits, a quote that says a lot, without making the president standing next to her erupt.
“If there’s a way that people can social distance and do those things then they can do those things – I don’t know how – but people are very creative so I’m not going to prejudge.”
So the figurative spotlight was placed squarely on the president, who had endorsed all the reopening guidelines Gov. Kemp was ignoring, who had nevertheless tweeted “Liberate” three Democratically led states from their shutdown bonds and so had added fuel to the protest fire.
“I’m scheduled to speak to the governor of Georgia in a little while,” Trump said.
Yes, President Trump, to the possible amazement of the legion of Trump haters, hinted Tuesday night he was going to do something. He didn’t say what. Maybe it would be something approximately appropriate in the eyes of fans of medical science, or inappropriate in the eyes of those all-American skeptics about anything that agrees with The New York Times editorial page.
Would he listen to his medical experts? Would he cave, imperiling that elaborate three-phase plan to gradually reopen the economy?
Finally, that’s it for the recapping. As you know or guessed, the president in the latest briefing Wednesday night confirmed, he did indeed talk to Gov. Kemp. Let’s listen again:
“I told the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities, which are in violation of the Phase 1 guidelines for the incredible people of Georgia.”
Will this be a new entry in the nation’s profiles of courage?
Trump continued, “They’re incredible people. I love those people. They’re great. They’ve been strong, resolute. But at the same time he must do what he thinks is right.”
Gov. Kemp isn’t shy about saying what he thinks is right is to almost immediately reopen those tattoo and massage parlors, nail salons and hair dressers – just as his state is hitting a peak in its virus death toll.
“I want him to do what he thinks is right but I disagree with him on what he’s doing,” President Trump went on, adding further definition to the Trump policy of contingent federalism. He explained how he is beneficently withholding the exercise of what he claims is absolute power over the states even though he apparently is well aware of what will happen to Georgia’s fight with the virus.
“I want to let the governors do – now if I see something totally egregious, totally out of line I’ll do – but I think spas and beauty salons and tattoo parlors and barber shops in Phase 1 – we’re going to have Phase 2 very soon – is just too soon.”
For crying out loud, you say. Clean up those quotes. What’s with all those dashes? No, we’re going for the raw reality here. Keep reading.
“I think it’s too soon,” Trump continued. “And I love the people. I love those people that use all of those things … spas and the beauty parlors and barber shops.” An observer from Mars might say it was President Trump facing up to the reality of leadership, admonishing someone by calling forth good judgment for the greater good.
“I love them but they can wait a little bit longer, just a little bit, not much. Because safety has to predominate. We have to have that,” he said. “So I told the governor very simply that I disagree with this decision but he has to do what he thinks is right.” Amen.
There’s only so much space so we’ll skip the quote about “Bikers for Trump” and their tattoos and how they are among the loved as well.
The point is, despite some widespread expectations to the contrary, the president rose to the challenge, rose to the defense of his own reopening guidelines, almost every line to which the Georgia governor is thumbing his nose.
So let’s give the president credit for doing what’s right even though it was obviously difficult.
Wait, you in front. You’re questioning that conclusion? How can a president who claims absolute power say Georgia can subject the staff and customers of those businesses – where social distancing is impossible – to inevitable infection that will kill a certain percentage?
Always a nitpicker. Probably from the lamestream media about which the president in the latest briefing pointed out one more time, that there is a “lot of bad reporting out there.” He went so far as to add, “The fake news was very unhappy” he came up with so many potential ventilators. This time some reporters shouted back something like, “Who says?” Trump quickly moved on.
Back to the question. Was the president actually admonishing a Republican governor? Or letting him off the hook? Or both?
For an instance of contrasting behavior, the head of the National Association of Manufacturers took a different tack. Saying he was fearful that business reopenings done prematurely would endanger factory workers, he simply called the protestors in a tweet “IDIOTS.”
Full disclosure. This reporter once in a former life was a vice president of the NAM although never crossed paths with this gentleman, Jay Timmons.
Is this the end of the story? There is no sign Georgia’s governor is about to reconsider his reopenings set for Friday. Nor is there any sign he’ll relent and comply with the presidential guidelines that call for a two-week decline in new virus cases before reopening. Nor has he explained how to maintain the required social distancing in a tattoo parlor.
In fact, Gov. Kemp tweeted his reaction to it all Wednesday after the presidential call. “Our next measured step is driven by data and guided by state public health officials,” he wrote. “I am confident that business owners who decide to reopen will adhere to minimum basic operations, which prioritize the health and well-being of employees and customers.”
Now, which tattoo to choose?
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Contact this reporter: denny@macenews.com
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