On Thursday the so-called President of the United States and his better-groomed, more pious, Hoosier-er back-up Mike Pence met with the House of Representatives’ so-called “Freedom Caucus.”

The Freedom Caucus of course is that all-male group of right-wing extremist evangelicals who are dedicated to returning America to something approximating 12th Century feudalism. Because freedom.

So what topic was important enough to bring the men of the Freedom Caucus, the Vice President, and the so-called President together on a day when the Administration was fending off charges that it collaborated with a hostile foreign power to fix the election?

Rolling back women’s rights of course. They always have time for that.

The Freedom Caucus was meeting POTUS and VPOTUS to discuss their concerns with some of the provisions of the President’s American Health Care Act, specifically the fact that the bill included coverage for such outrages as basic reproductive health care for pregnancy, maternity and newborn care, as well as screening for diseases including breast and cervical cancer and services for mental health, drug abuse and chronic disease management.

Obviously the Freedom Caucus believes that no good Christian can stand for such things and they want them cut from the bill.

But in the face of pressure from the reactionary right flank of his own party, the President has a secret weapon: A trusted advisor that knows his heart and also has the confidence and fortitude to speak truth to power. An advisor who just took up residence in the West Wing presumably to represent youth, modernity and a female perspective within the corridors of power.

I am referring of course to his daughter Ivanka, doyenne of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

So just where in the sea of pasty white male faces jammed into the White House cabinet room was Ivanka? Was she seated at her father’s right hand where she defended the needs of women and provided a young, feminine counterpoint to those male perspectives?

Sorry American women, but sadly Ivanka couldn’t be there because she was observing that most solemn of rituals for a wealthy young person: Spring Break on slopes of Aspen!

Yes, that’s right. As the most conservative legislators in America sought to strip away basic provisions of the law meant to protect the health and well-being of women and children, Ivanka Trump – who has declared that “leveling the playing field for women in the workforce” is one of her key interests (she’s writing a book on it) and touts herself as a key advisor to the President on child care and maternity leave policies had better things to do.

In the snow. On a mountain. In Aspen.

Before jetting off to Aspen, Ivanka was able to find time over the past few weeks to – rather inexplicably – attend a series of meetings with foreign leaders including Abe of Japan, Trudeau of Canada and Merkel of Germany but for some reason, but she is OK giving a pass to a key domestic policy summit in her stated area of interest.

It begs the question of what the fuck exactly is her role in the White House?

According to Wikipedia, Ivanka is not a graduate of any diplomatic or foreign service school. She lacks a doctorate, masters, or even a bachelor degree in International Affairs (her BA is in economics). She holds no position of responsibility within a government agency nor is she a captain of industry. She has never been elected to office. So – to put it mildly – her presence in the elite echelons of meetings between heads of state is kind of baffling.

Yet, just last week the White House announced that Ivanka would be moving into an office in the West Wing to take up a rather shadowy position as advisor to the President, “Daddy”. In this position she will of course be given clearance for classified information, but because the role is not defined and she will not be paid she will be exempt from the ethics rules that apply to actual government employees. She is proposing to gain all of the privileges and opportunities of employment without any of the obligations and responsibilities of being an employee. Call it a “Trumpian” bargain. And although she announced that she would “voluntarily” follow the government ethics guidelines, this is kind of like letting Barry Bonds “voluntarily” call his own balls and strikes. Fred Wertheimer, CEO of ethics watchdog group Democracy 21, calls Ivanka’s proposed situation “untenable.”

Now this is not to say that Ivanka will do something wrong. But her business affairs have already been the subject of an investigation from the Office of Government Ethics after her POTUS-papa blasted Nordstrom for looking after it’s business and not hers and then Kellyanne Conway – a government employee – went on TV to shamelessly promote Ivanka’s business. With insufficient separation between private affairs and public responsibility and Donald Trump-style transparency (which is to say, none) let’s just say that the risk of a conflict approaches “kid in a candy store” level.

This situation might be mitigated somewhat if there was an actual compelling reason for her to be present in the White House. But its not clear what her purpose in the West Wing actually is. Back at the Republican National Convention in July, Ivanka made a rather well-received, carefully calibrated speech that projected a softer, more human side of Trump to voters who might be put off by his harsh xenophobic rhetoric and the gloomy dystopianism of his convention speech. She had positioned herself as the young female social conscience of the Trump campaign. Some expected her to assume the same role in the administration.

But since her father took office, her presence has been felt more in high-level all-business serious-look-at-me-everyone diplomatic-type meetings rather than domestic policy where her social policy perspectives might be best leveraged. In short, her work in the White House thus far appears to be about burnishing her credentials and public profile, and making goo-goo eyes at Monsieur Trudeau and not much else.

And of course when the prospect of real work of real value presented itself last week, well, Ivanka chose swooshing down the slopes in Aspen over the American people.

But don’t expect a reprimand from dear old Dad, POTUS. Choosing vacation over important matters of state has become something of a Trump family tradition over the first two months of the new administration. Ivanka’s father has made it a habit to make it down to Florida and out on the golf course almost every weekend for some well-needed R&R. And during the workweek, when he’s not working on his “short game” (his tiny, soft hands make him a natural), he idles away the days watching hours upon hours of cable TV news and then furiously tweeting about what he hears.

So from that perspective, Ivanka should fit right in with an Administration that seems to value image and superficial optics and the recuperative powers of leisure over accountability, responsibility and the benefits of hard work and industry.

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