10/05/2024

My dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

                  What’s going on in South Bend today? I hope your “private affair” is a joyous rather than somber occasion. ABC57 reports that Hoosiers noticed your big airplane arrive on Th so they know you’re coming but they don’t know why. I assume we’ll find out.

Did you hear that OK Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters plans to buy 55,000 Bibles for classrooms? That would be concerning in & of itself, but the specs for the books match the ones that 45 sells. Moreover, the state has only 43,000 classrooms, so where will the extra 12,000 go? The purchase could be worth $3.3 million to 45. This is the perfect news item for my seminar. I can’t wait to see how my undergrads sort through the coverage.

                  Speaking of news, have you changed strategies regarding the press? I ask because, according to the G, you “made a surprise & rare appearance in the west wing briefing room & answered reporters’ questions there for the first time in your presidency.” Was the WP accurate when they noted you were in “a playful mood at the end of a week that began with a series of crises” ?  

I was relieved by your news that your team had persuaded USMX to make some concessions to the ILA to stop the strike at the ports, but troubled by your observation that you don’t know whether the election will be peaceful. I wish you had better news to report about Bibi’s plans.  N Kristof concluded in the NYT today that you are “a good man who never wanted this war to happen & yet enabled it.” He & I are on the same page in being disappointed that you continued to supply arms, when claiming you wanted the IDF to cease-firing. WINTA!!!

                  Have you heard that Indonesia may be convening officials from the United Nations, the regional bloc ASEAN, the European & the National Unity Government (NUG)? Make sure you have some spies in the room so we can support efforts to end the conflict in Burma.

                  BYBS,