Why might one have a premonition of a pattern that would look more than demonic if it was true? That pattern would be, in the face of a big problem here, create a big distraction over there. This is actually a human ploy that is probably instinctive. It is rational to admit mistakes and try again. But if you do not want to face a mistake, why then creating a diversion is the way to go.

Disturbing thoughts about presidential motivation

No one is saying that the President's bombing of Syria was anything but a human act of revulsion against Assad's inhumanity.

It was empathy, many thought. But there were also those who thought it was most convenient for the President to act at a time when things were moving in a negative direction at home. It gave him some breathing room from the failure of Trumpcare and the volatile atmosphere within the West Wing. The big bomb episode on the heels of the Syria action was what might be called lethal theatrics. It killed people known and unknown and brought the President a week of speculation that he might be moving in the direction of the neocons. No one said this was a distraction but it functioned like one. Now we are coming up on Trump's first 100 days. This auspicious benchmark will hardly help the president domestically if he has nary a bill to sign.

He won't. In fact, he has so fogged up the works that two potential failures exist side by side, neither of them in any shape to pass muster as an actual piece of legislation. Should Trump lob another bomb somewhere in the face of this Domestic void, you can surmise that the mediasphere will be rife with speculation. Or maybe not.

Because the very thought is perhaps the most disturbing one one could have about the man in the White House.

Winging it on taxes

It is hard not to feel some sympathy for the president because he is looking more and more like an unprepared fourth grader. Either he has advisors he does not trust or he is getting terrible advice.

If he is shutting everyone out he is simply not thinking. Politics requires a conspicuous and successful effort to put together the votes needed to pass legislation. Parameters won't do. On neither taxes, nor health care can Trump hope for a victory next week.

Distraction may prove difficult

The obvious distraction could be North Korea, but North Korea is not the Middle East. North Korea is part of an Asia that is its own master. You do not act in that theater. We have a recent indication that the generals and another high military that Trump processes to trust are not infallible. A third military distraction far away is not something we like to think about.