Permawar: More than 50 State Department officials signed an internal letter criticizing President Obama’s reluctance to order direct strikes against the military of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. The letter was filed in the State Department’s internal “dissent channel” that allows discussion and disagreement with official policy.

The President and Pentagon commanders have resisted knocking out Assad for fear of what might fill the vacuum afterwards.

In the fighting against the Islamic State, Iraqi government forces are reported to have re-taken the government compound in the center of Fallujah.

Orlando: For 14^th time yesterday, President Obama comforted the family and friends of victims killed in a mass shooting. “Their grief is beyond description,” Obama said during a stop in Orlando. Accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden he added, “Our hearts are broken, too.” He continued, “Those who defend the easy accessibility of assault weapons should meet these families.”

Donald Trump said, “He’s blaming guns, and I’m going to save your Second Amendment, folks.”

Back in Washington, Republicans dismissed any efforts to propose laws that might be opposed by the powerful National Rifle Association. Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, noting that some Democrats had skipped a classified briefing on the Florida shooting to filibuster into the wee hours of Thursday, said, “It’s hard to think of a clearer contrast for serious work for solutions on the one hand, and endless partisan campaigning on the other.”

Speaking of partisan, Arizona Sen. John McCain was pulling his foot out of his mouth after blaming Obama for the Orlando massacre. McCain had told reporters, “Barack Obama is directly responsible for it because when he pulled everybody out of Iraq, al Qaeda went to Syria, became ISIS, and ISIS is what it is today thanks to Barack Obama’s failures.”

McCain later said, “I was referring to President Obama’s national security decisions, not the President himself.”

Just Words: Donald Trump took the day off yesterday to give a deposition in his $10 million lawsuit against a celebrity chef who quit Trump’s Washington hotel after the Donald’s infamous declaration about Mexican immigrants.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, asked yesterday whether he might retract his endorsement of Trump because of things the candidate has said and done, replied, “That’s not my plan. I don’t have a plan to do that. Look we’re going to agree to disagree on some things.” Note that he didn’t say, “Never.”

Trump appears to have only tepid support from Ryan and none from other big Republicans. Maryland’s Republican governor says he won’t vote for Trump. Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton said in a radio interview, “It seems to a lot of us the train is off the track.”

Political Killing: A member of the British Parliament who was a rising star in the Labour Party and an advocate of remaining in the European Union, was shot and stabbed to death in the street yesterday afternoon after meeting with constituents. Jo Cox was 41, married, and the mother of two young children.

Britain has strict gun laws and gun crimes are rare. Cox was killed by a 52-year old man who shouted “Britain first!” The suspect, Thomas Mair, has been connected to neo-Nazi activity. Brits who want to leave the EU are concerned about immigration. Both sides in the Brexit debate have suspended their campaigns.

The Roundup: The number of pregnant women in the US with the Zika virus is now 234 — The Philadelphia city council passed a tax on sweetened drinks, the only big city to do so since Berkeley, Calif. passed a similar tax in 2014 — Bernie Sanders says he will work with Hillary Clinton, but stopped short of endorsing her.

Hoop Dreams: The Golden State Warriors entered the 4^th quarter of game 6 trailing by nine points, after returning from a 24-point hole. Then with 4:22 left in the game and Golden State trailing 99-87, Stephen Curry fouled out. Cleveland’s LeBron James scored 41 points and it ended 115-101, Cleveland. Game seven is Sunday night.

Silly Reporter Tricks: When it floods, television reporters stand in the water and when a hurricane blows, they stand in the wind. Now, in the wake of the Orlando massacre, reporters are flocking to gun stores to show how easy it is to buy an assault rifle.

Thanks, but we think we all know that.

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