30 November 2017

Trump, Redux, (and redux, and redux, and redux, etc.)

Been busy, so I haven't written lately. But I still read, and heartily recommend several short essays I picked up this morning from David Leonhardt's column in the failing New York Times. 
Leonhardt wrote a small piece about Trump,  https://nyti.ms/2BBh8Ef
 but, more importantly, referred to a series of short articles in Vox, a site I had never before visited. Reading will take you only five minutes. Warning: Do not read while operating heavy machinery because of the risk a sudden onset of stomach cramps. 

The articles lay out the conundrum brilliantly, in plain language, and were written before the President's misleading "Muslim attack" tweets and his extraordinary insulting riposte to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Take a look: (If clicking on this does not work, copy and paste into the url box at the top of your screen. If you don't know how to do that, ... .)

https://www.vox.com/2017/11/30/16517022/impeachment-donald-trump

And it's ok to start drinking early today.

A bientot.

11 November 2017

Saved

In an earlier blog, I hypothesized Roy Moore sitting in the United States Senate, or worse, joining up with the Supremes.

Well, I guess we no longer need to worry about a U.S. Supreme Court Justice Moore now. Even if appointed, he likely would not clear the Senate despite the fact that his criminal behavior was not much worse than Trump's, who, so far as we know, limited his assaults to adults.

I admit it's kinda fun watching the result of the Moore molestation story:  doncha love seeing our national Republican leaders frantically scurrying about looking for a hole in the baseboard?  Most are following the lead of the courageous moralist Mitch McConnell, and using the mushmouth approach "Well, if Moore did it, then he should quit." Sad. But think about it, in a way it's an improvement.  Did you hear McConnell & Company say, "Well if Trump did it, he should quit?"

So is this an improvement, at least on the national level?

Nah, on second thought, of course they couldn't say that because while Moore denies his crime, Trump admitted his!

On the state level, fuhgeddiboudit. That's a whole different game. The good ol' boys don't even bother with "if." They know in their gut the story is true, and they cut right to core of the report. One Alabama state office holder said, "No problem, Joseph dated a teenager named Mary, and look how well that turned out!" Another said "Big deal, Moore was in his thirties, and he liked 14-yr-old girls. What's wrong with that? This is Alabama, baby!"

Moore, however, didn't listen to the advice credited to the hated Great Emancipator who counseled that a man who defends himself has a fool for a client. Moore insisted he i) he didn't know the dyed-in-the-wool Republican woman who has given a detailed account about how, when she was 14 yrs. old, Moore took her to his cabin in the woods and stripped her naked, but he ii) admitted that in his thirties, he did indeed, have a thing for 14 yr. old girls, but always checked in with the mommas before he took their daughters to his lair and undressed them. Or something like that.

Two points, and then I gotta go because we're in St. Barths and Cleo arrives in ten minutes for my massage. And yes, Cleo is over 14.

Point I.  Does this revelation mean Alabamans will now dismiss Judge Roy Moore's assurances that 9/11 and Sandy Hook were the result of our lack of belief in Jesus?

Point II. Hypothetically, if, as part of the 1865 surrender terms, we had coerced Alabama to ban slavery forever, should we not have then insisted that Alabama remain outside the Union?

Who are these people?


A bientot.

04 November 2017

Follow-up on Manafort Man-up

Last week I noted a piece I wrote for Time.com.  This week I report that a condensed version has been published in the print edition marked November 13. With a little luck, and some cursing, I will push my technical skills to the wall reproduce the images here:




Ta Dah!

A bientot.