Morning Jolt: Worried about Russia? Then Keep an Eye on Germany’s Former Chancellor

Making the click-through worthwhile: Why those concerned about Russia should be paying a lot more attention to former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder; the Eastern European NATO members' baffling and self-destructive decision to skimp on defense spending; why Judge Kavanaugh's clerks loved him; and the United States approaches a new threshold of energy power.

Why Is Germany's Former Chancellor Now Putin's Chief Lobbyist in Europe?

A lot of folks in the United States will scream furiously about this statement from President Trump at the NATO Summit:

"I have to say, I think it's very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia where we're supposed to be guarding against Russia," Trump said at a breakfast with NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg. "We're supposed to protect you against Russia but they're paying billions of dollars to Russia and I think that's very inappropriate . . . Germany, as far as I'm concerned, is captive to Russia."

As usual, Trump is down the street and around the corner from a legitimate point. Well, perhaps he's a bit closer this time. If you think Trump's past business connections to ...

July 11 2018

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Worried about Russia? Then Keep an Eye on Germany's Former Chancellor Jim Geraghty Making the click-through worthwhile: Why those concerned about Russia should be paying a lot more attention to former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder; the Eastern European NATO members' baffling and self-destructive decision to skimp on defense spending; why Judge Kavanaugh's clerks loved him; and the United States approaches a new threshold of energy power. Why Is Germany's Former Chancellor Now Putin's Chief Lobbyist in Europe? A lot of folks in the United States will scream furiously about this statement from President Trump at the NATO Summit: "I have to say, I think it's very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia where we're supposed to be guarding against Russia," Trump said at a breakfast with NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg. "We're supposed to protect you against Russia but they're paying billions of dollars to Russia and I think that's very inappropriate . . . Germany, as far as I'm concerned, is captive to Russia." As usual, Trump is down the street and around the corner from a legitimate point. Well, perhaps he's a bit closer this time. If you think Trump's past business connections to ... Read More ADVERTISEMENT Top Stories But Gorsuch and Kavanaugh? Michael Brendan Dougherty A transactional relationship with Trump may be enough for judicial conservatives. Trump Faces Germany at the NATO Summit Frank Lavin It is not just the president's mishandling of trade that sets a bad tone. Poll: Voters Oppose Abolishing ICE Mairead McArdle Over half, 54 percent, believe the government should keep the border enforcement agency, while only 1 in 4 voters think it should be abolished. ADVERTISEMENT What Kind of Supreme Court Will We Have Now? Ben Shapiro If there's one proposition that distinguishes Kavanaugh from his more militant colleagues, it's his unique capacity to write specific, detailed decisions that knock down trees while leaving forests intact. No, Brett Kavanaugh Won't 'Protect' Donald Trump David French Brett Kavanaugh doesn't love presidential power, he respects the Constitution. NATO Predictions: Trump Makes Progress, Change Ahead Jimmy Quinn Among foreign-policy experts, there is a broad consensus that Trump's bluster about Article 5 and the 2 percent target has convinced the Europeans to pay up, at least to an extent, and they see that Trump has had more success in this effort than previous administrations have. The Trump Doctrine Is Trumpism Writ Large Jonah Goldberg What is the Trump Doctrine? Try "Permanent destabilization creates American advantage." Report: Scores of Americans Leaving Jobs for Better Opportunities Mairead McArdle Department of Labor data shows that the number of Americans leaving their jobs for better opportunities is increasing, according to a Bloomberg report. ADVERTISEMENT JOIN NRPLUS All Our Content. Fewer Ads. Members-Only Privileges. NRPLUS is everything you would associate with a digital magazine subscription, and a whole lot more ─ including up to 90% fewer on-site ads, access to our private Facebook group, full commenting privileges, and invites to our writer/editor conference calls. SAVE 40% TODAY Photo Essays Photoshop of the Day: July 9th-July 13th Cartoons of the Day: July 11, 2018 ADVERTISEMENT Follow Us & Share 19 West 44th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY, 10036, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser.