The Screaming Moderate

Where Oh where can HER little shoe be?

11/11/2023

You see that picture? That’s my wife’s box of shoes, primarily Allbirds.

Allbirds, which we both love, are basically wool shoes from a company that’s trying to reduce its carbon imprint. They are comfortable as all get out.

But that’s now what this post is about.

Chris Black, my wife, has several pair of Allbirds as do I. We buy them on eBay where you can find good prices for them.

But that’s not what this post is about either.

This is what the post is about:

Chris lost a (one) shoe. You see that, as George Santos would say, blue-ish one on top, the one missing its “other?” She’s looked all over the house trying to find its mate and so far – nada.

How do you lose one shoe from a pair? You take them off - together. You put them away – together.

Yes, we looked in the freezer.

I have a lifelong history of not being able to do anything with my hands (stick with me, there's a point coming), meaning, drive a nail into the right place of something, fixing a faucet leak. You know, the basic things almost every competent human being can do.

(When I was moving into a new apartment years ago, a couple of friends and I were ready to repaint it. One was giving instructions – Roy you do the living room, Richard will do the bedroom. I was waiting for my instruction and it didn’t come. I said what do you want me to do? They said in unison “the closets.”)

I have the nick name “Thumbs” because I am all thumbs when comes to this kind of thing.

Chris, on the other hand, comes from a long line of plumbers in her family and knows how to fix things like a professional handy-woman.

I also can be forgetful at times.

Thus, I’m kind of loving that Chris is unable to find the shoe. I keep calling her “B. Jay” because losing a shoe is akin to something I would do (but, for the record, I’ve never lost one shoe).

I mean, where the heck can it be? It’s not that fancy-schmancy a shoe that it can walk off by itself.

We have a running gag because often Chris, probably unknowingly, will tease me by using a standing joke I've used on her. My response is always, “get your own shtick!” (I even programed Alexa to say it. Yes, THAT I can do.).

Now, continuing her transition into me (sort of), she has: Lost. A. Shoe. One.

Anyone done that?

If so, where should we look???

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Elections yesterday and tomorrow

11/8/2023

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Thoughts on yesterday’s election, next year’s election and getting older.

Instant reactions on yesterday's election is that it was a good day for Democrats and, importantly, less government in people’s lives because of the results of abortion issues on the ballot. Interestingly, less government used to be the Republican Party mantra. But that was in the old GOP.

Of course, the Democrats held the Kentucky governorship (and, birthed another immediate potential presidential candidate because that’s what happens to governors who win elections -- they become the new flavor of the week), gained control of Virginia’s legislature, thus giving Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, a slap in the face to his agenda (and also finishing off the flavor of last week to run for President. Younkin is young though. There will be other cycles).

Many hurrahs are being given for what yesterday means for the 2024 presidential race but not so fast. Former President Trump’s name wasn’t on the ballot, so it's hard to really know how this will play a year from now. His base is, if nothing else, loyal and will turn out for him. Did those folks turn out yesterday?

That’s another thing, that New York Times poll over the weekend showed Trump ahead in key battleground states – take another poll today and you’ll see different numbers, just as you will until citizens actually cast ballots next November. They did cast actual ballots yesterday and that day goes to the Democrats.

Sill there’s a lot of time to go, a lot of campaigning to go and a long way until the choice is binary: Joe Biden or Donald Trump. That’s a different question because those are the two probable choices. You need to pick just one.

Plus, speaking for myself, I can’t tell you how many times in my life I cast my ballot for the lesser of two evils. That may hold true in the presidential next year for many people.

But abortion clearly was on the ballot yesterday and won big-time. Trump is the guy who, he’ll tell you, delivered the overturning of Roe v. Wade by putting three additional conservatives on the Supreme Court.

Now Trump, seeing how that issue is playing out, is saying Republicans shouldn’t be so strict on abortion and need to allow some reasons for abortions to be legal. A view not held by many who support him, like the Evangelicals.

One would assume the Biden campaign will, soon, be talking all about Roe v. Wade being overturned again and pinning responsibility on Donald John Trump, where it truly belongs. How will that play with all the other issues next year. Dunno, I don’t think abortion lessens as an issue but it will be one among issues like the economy and jobs that will be more of concern on the ballot in a national election.

Which brings us to getting older. Republicans are doing a good job of painting Biden as too old and weak to be reelected, and ignoring the fact that Trump is younger only by three years.

Clearly, visually, Biden looks older largely because his gait is affected from a combination of arthritis in his back, neuropothy in his feet and the long-term effects of breaking his foot in 2020 while playing with his former dog, Major.

And Trump’s face looks younger – that tanning machine works well except for the goggle area. Seriously though, his health should be an issue too, based on his weight and eating habits alone.

And, yes, I too would love younger candidates next year, but that ain’t gonna happen.

My cohorts are 73 years old (okay that makes me the same age and I still feel pretty good). We all think we look the same as we did in high school, right? I'll let you in on a secret, we do not.

My mind seems to be working okay, the body less so but mostly that means I can’t reach the basket when I attempt a jump shot at the YMCA. Embarrassing but I can live with it.

Biden seems to operate just fine as we watch him on the news and as he deals with huge issues like the economy and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

That’s the job, though. Name a president that didn’t look years older after a term in the job. Problem is, Joe started older than any of those presidents.

For me, not comparing myself to a president or former president, the main thing I notice lately is my memory isn’t what it used to be. BUT, I can still sing the lyrics from most hits from the 60s and 70s not to mention Broadway shows you know (Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls) and some you may not remember (Milk and Honey).

Maybe I can be the flavor of some week?

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Time's up, Republicans. Join the Democrats and elect a Speaker

10/24/2023

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There is no way – none – that House Republicans can elect a Speaker of the House. End of sentence.

No one in that caucus can put together the 217 votes he or she needs on the floor. That’s pretty much been proven by the fact that Steve Scalise, a conservative, experienced House leader couldn’t get the votes. That’s been proven by Kevin McCarthy being driven from the Speakership by a handful of Republicans. It was proven when Freedom Caucus co-founder Jim Jordan couldn't get the votes to win. Left to on their own, Republicans cannot elect a Speaker.

Blame the Democrats all they want; the out-party never supports the in-party electing a Speaker.

Which means nothing will get done in the House – nothing. The government will be shut down in less than a month causing all kinds of problems. Aid to Israel and Ukraine won’t be approved which means Russians will keep killing Ukrainians and Hamas will keep doing despicable things to Israelis, and Israelis will keep bombing Gaza.

It’s time for true bipartisanship. One has to believe that Democrats can join moderate Republicans and elect a speaker. The numbers are there.

It’s the right thing to do for the country. And, those moderates get elected in districts that support moderates, so their risk of loss is small.

The Freedom Caucus doesn’t want government to work. Just look at their record. Matt Goetz just likes to raise money and his “brand.” Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Crazytown) and Lauren Boebert (R-Public theater embarrassment) just want attention.

The only way is for Republicans to join Democrats and elect a Speaker. Anyone who knows me knows I'm no Polyanna. But there is no choice but for Republicans to join with Democrats and elect a Speaker.

For the good of the country.

And right away.

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More lessons on getting old(er)

10/6/2023

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This post is only for those readers who are getting older. (See what I did there?).

As the aging process (thankfully) continues, the signs of old(er) age also continue.

I earlier reported that I now have a team of medical doctors and others. My team includes doctors (primary care, neurologist, ophthalmologist, optometrist, podiatrist, gastroenterologist, hand surgeon, surgeon, dermatologist, a chronic care nurse (she checks on me monthly and cuts through any medical red tape I may (do) face), an audiologist -- OK, not a doc but on the team -- and probably others I’m forgetting in the moment. My health is fine, but it does take a village.

There are a couple of age spots. My hair is grey but that's been going on a while. Talking about hair, it's growing where it never grew before. And if you’re old(er), how about those feet and how much uglier they can get?

The hand surgeon is new. I had what I thought was arthritis in my right thumb so my primary sent me to him. He said it's "trigger thumb" (more later).

I talk to friends I've had for decades (I won't say "old" friends) and we wind up talking about our health issues. Something I never thought I'd do. But here I am.

My oldest daughter is a grandmother thus I am not just a great-granddad but the father of a grandmother. She will be 50 next year (aren’t I 50?). I won't out which daughter but, trust me, she doesn't look her age (nor do the others).

I was in Walgreens the other day to get a couple of vaccinations (RSV and COVID) and while waiting I noticed a woman standing who also waited and there was no chair for her. I, of course, offered mine and she said quote “On no, you’re older you sit, I’ll stand.” If she ever had a shot at the Christmas card list, she doesn’t anymore.

The neighbor across the street uses his snow blower on our driveway, because he wants to help me out since I'm, well, you know.

Words and phrases start to creep into your language you never heard before. Words like “trigger thumb,” which is what’s been causing intense pain in my thumb joint. I thought it was arthritis.

When I told my ever empathetic wife, she said: “I guess you’ll have to get rid of that Colt 45.” And, no, I’ve never owned any gun let alone a Colt. Well, a fake one in my childhood cowboy days.

My reward for finding out what the real problem was with my thumb? A cortisone shot in the thumb. I didn’t even know getting a shot in the thumb was a thing. (It's working though)

I now wear a hearing aid. Saw my audiologist last week and she said it's time to get one for the other ear too. It's not just the vanity element here, they ain't cheap!

I also learned, after wearing eyeglasses for close to 70 years that ophthalmologists don’t do a test for the amount of prism needed in your glasses (I've had a weak eye since early childhood, prism controls the double vision). This ophthalmologist told me it is optometrists that do prism tests. I always thought ophthalmologists did everything. I’ve since cancelled ophthalmologist visits and will just see the optometrist unless there’s a serious issue. Then, she'll refer me back to the ophthalmologist. So, I'm not tossing the ophthalmologist off the team. She's just temporarily benched.

I thought knew everything about my eyes. No wonder I thought I could shoot that Colt 45 and never get trigger thumb.

Thank goodness, though, the aging process continues. I won’t use the cliché "it’s far better than the alternative."

But it is.

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You asked for it (well, no you didn't but,) the Oys! and Yos!

9/25/2023

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Been a while since the Oy! Yo! Committee has met but meet they did recently. The results, nearly all Oys!:

Oy! To the pollsters. Polls show majorities think President Biden is too old to seek reelection. He is. And/but he is going to be the candidate and his opponent is likely to be former President Donald Trump. Trump? Biden? People who think Biden’s too old will certainly vote for him over Trump. Thus, these early polls, as always, mean zilch, nada, zip. Speaking of his age, he does have a vice president, Kamala Harris, who has been getting great experience because Biden has kept her closely involved. Trust me, we can do far worse than Vice President Harris.

Oy! To Republican House members. Well, at least the Freedom Caucus, that small minority that seems to be in control of Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Picture a group of people standing a circle with guns in their hands, shooting at their kneecaps. That’s the Republican caucus when it comes to the budget. Just days remain before the government runs out of money (that would be Sept. 30) which means federal employees out of work and other essential services stopped cold, hurting the taxpayers they were elected to represent. Over what? The government does spend too much but this isn’t the way to cut it back. Plus the spending that created the huge deficits were run up by both parties over the years.

Yo! To AG Garland. Attorney General Merrick Garland took on Republicans in the House the other day in a hearing that they focused on alleged Department of Justice bias against conservatives and other matters. Garland is a former judge and who would be on the Supreme Court now if not for the team of former President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Garland showed his emotions (anger) just once when he was attacked for his department allegedly being anti-Catholic. The GOP hit a sensitive and understandable nerve because Garland lost family in the Holocaust. “The idea that someone with my family background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous, so absurd,” Garland said. (I used to attend hearings with my then-boss Commerce Secretary Mac Baldrige. After one hearing, during which he took arrows from Democrats over an issue I can’t remember, I asked how he could sit there, take it and be so calm. He told me, “It’s politics. They attack me, get quoted and that’s all they want from a hearing.” Some things never change. That hearing was over 40 years ago. The only difference is now the politicians count the clicks and “likes”)

Oy! To Cong. Paul Gosar (R-Gonzo) for his comments about soon-to-be former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. Among other things, Gosar said, in a tax-dollar paid newsletter that, “In a better society, quislings like the strange sodomy-promoting General Milley would be hung.” Gosar, who reportedly sought a presidential pardon (though he hasn’t been charged to this day) for promoting former President Trump’s lies about a rigged 2020 election, also promised to launch an investigation into “the effort to attempt a coup between traitor Gen. Mark Milley and [then-House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi.” That’s based on, well, nothing. He also was the first House member to be censured in a decade in 2021 after he tweeted an anime clip of himself murdering Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

Oy! To the insults to couture. This is an Oy! shared by twice-indicted Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez’ (NJ) wife and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The Committee tries not to pick on what are really such trivial matters and cheap shots…but…Mrs. Menendez, who also has been indicted in the bribery indictment with her husband; well, while voting for this Oy! The Committee chose not to include the details of such a cheap shot but if you’ve seen the pictures of her as the media have reported the story, you’ll understand. Schumer gets it for changing the Senate floor dress code to, well, anything anyone wants to wear. The Committee unanimously aid that dress codes never appealed to its members but the decorum of the U.S. Senate does. This partly to accommodate Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) who likes to wear shorts and a hoodie.

So far, no Oys! about former President Trump but the committee felt awkward not including him…so…

Oy! To former President Trump for turning against just about everyone who worked in senior jobs in his Administration for his appointments to people in senior jobs in his administration. Trump has said he likes a person to look like the job (think his first secretary of state, Rex Tillerman). The Committee decided that even a narcissist like Trump must have never looked in the mirror.

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When is a conspiracy theory not a theory?

9/12/2023

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We are witnessing the creation of a new conspiracy theory that, if true, is a clear and present danger to our democracy.

First, the theory goes, the ex-president of the United States who swore on a Bible and in front of the world that he would protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, last year suggested the “suspension” of that U.S. Constitution so he could be declared the winner of an election he lost. (Not to mention there is no way to suspend the Constitution to accomplish such a goal but why ruin a good theory?)

That same ex-president, who was impeached twice, has now been indicted in four cases brought separately by federal and state prosecutors.

He is poisoning jury pools by claiming that the current President of the United States “ordered” his indictment in those four different jurisdictions, some with state and some with federal officials prosecuting the cases. None of whom a President has authority over.

One of those cases is in Georgia, which is led by a Republican governor who exposed the ex-president’s nefarious attempts to overthrow the election in Georgia.

The ex-president wants the country to believe that all of these prosecutions are a complicated and nearly impossible-to-carry-out political strategy aimed at keeping him out of the Oval Office, rather than a legal reality that there is more than sufficient evidence to file charges against him and for him to be tried by juries of regular citizens. Just as he was indicted by grand juries of men and women who showed no partisan prejudice, from whatever political persuasion they were or weren’t.

There also was the bipartisan Congressional committee that investigated the former president’s efforts to overturn the people’s will in the last presidential election. And, to back that up, that committee showcased only members of the ex-president’s party to make their case. Many of those men and women were people the ex-president himself thought enough of to appoint to serve in his Administration.

There’s more to this part of the conspiracy theory but let’s leave it at that, for now.

Another piece of the conspiracy theory is that the Speaker of the House, a member of the same party as the ex-president, ordered a Congressional investigation into the current president for high crimes and misdemeanors that, so far, have no evidence – none -- to back them up. And members of the Speaker's own party are saying publicly they have seen no such evidence nor do they see an investigation as necessary.

The Speaker, the conspiracy theory goes, doesn’t really believe the president has committed any impeachable or even illegal activities but he is under pressure from a tiny minority of his own party who parrot whatever the ex-president claims. Why are they putting that pressure on the Speaker? Because they have ludicrous policy goals, most not supported by a majority of Americans, including banning all abortions for any reason, cutting federal spending to the point that the government cannot provide the types of assistance the government is supposed to provide to cutting Social Security, eliminating a few of the federal departments and agencies, and more.

They also have power over the Speaker because, among many promises he made to win the Speaker-ship, one was that any single member of Congress, for any reason, could move to remove the Speaker from his office and get a vote on it. In other words,the job he has coveted since being elected to the House is at risk.

So the ex-president's soldiers are trying to crumble the country underneath while the ex-president’s clear intentions is to do away with the Constitution and become a dictator in the best experiment in democracy that has ever existed and probably ever will.

All that, and more, makes up the conspiracy theory circulating in some circles.

But, wait, … is it a conspiracy theory or is it really happening?

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The official allegations against Trump are mounting

8/15/2023

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Four indictments in four months. Enough, Donald John Trump says, to win him the presidential election.

Interestingly, so far the indictments have only helped him in the race to be the 2024 Republican candidate. There seems nothing that affects adversely his standing with his base.

If you read the indictments, it boggles your mind that anyone can believe he should be the Republican candidate let alone be elected or serve again as president.

The latest and broadest indictment, in Georgia, presents some differences from the others:

It’s a state indictment so if convicted and if elected, Trump cannot pardon himself. Presidents have no authority over such a state action.
It charges Trump and 18 others, accusing them of racketeering and conspiracy to commit a crime.
It will be televised, thus, among other things, interesting to see how Trump handles himself in front of a judge when his freedom is at stake. Can he resist his seemingly uncontrollable urges in a court of law?
It opens the door for a multitude of people – those charged and those, so far, not charged – to “flip” on him with the prosecutors.
It may just offer Trump the opportunity to achieve what seemed a lifelong goal: to be a mob boss.

I say that last point only partly in jest. Trump has performed as a mob boss on many levels – publicly calling anyone who doesn’t support him 100 percent a bum, liar and worse. Even cabinet members and a vice president that he chose and praised when he did.

Indeed, the mafia’s motto is “omerta” an extreme form of loyalty in the face of authority.

No matter what he is charged with there seems a chunk of voters who back him without hesitation and with great enthusiasm (less than a majority of the Republican Party but enough to win him the nomination especially with too many candidates against him who can split up the anti-Trump vote).

One also should note that from the Congressional investigation into Jan. 6 through Georgia’s indictment yesterday, all of the damaging testimony is from Republicans. This is not a Democratic plot, despite what Trump supporters have been brainwashed to believe.

On top of that, show me an elected Republican at almost any level in law enforcement who would take on Trump.

Interestingly, there is nothing that prohibits a convicted felon from running or serving as president. Ironically, if convicted as a felon Trump would lose his right to vote, but would not lose his ability to serve as president. Imagine.

Which case comes first also can play a role. That New York indictment involving his paying off a porn star for her silence about an alleged affair is considered the weakest and the one that has the smallest effect on Trump politically. Probably helps him, as he says. Hate to see that case go first, it just doesn't measure up to the effort to overthrow our government.

The federal indictment of Trump, the one brought by special counsel Jack Smith, is a significant indictment, that is narrowly targeted, at this stage, only at Trump. Seemingly, that is so the focus is totally on what Trump allegedly did wrong, unconfused by other issues or defendants.

This new Georgia indictment goes the furthest in terms of numbers of men and women indicted, the conspiracy charge and naming it a violation of RICO, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. In Georgia that law was adopted in 1980 and makes it a crime to participate in, acquire or maintain control of an “enterprise” through a “pattern of racketeering activity” or to conspire to do so.

It’s important to note that even if that scheme is unsuccessful, it is still a crime.

There is a very long way to resolving those cases and, of course, to decide who will be the GOP’s 2024 presidential candidate.

Trump still maintains a stranglehold over nearly every elected federal senator and House member. If they began to back away from Trump, how might that affect him? Well, we likely will never know because not one has demonstrated even a hint of breaking with Trump.

As Franklin Roosevelt once said: “Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”

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Another Trump indictment, the biggest one

8/2/2023

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No prosecutor worth his salt would indict a former President of the United States without believing/knowing he could win the case in court,

And Special Prosecutor Jack Smith is salt and pepper.

Put yourself in his place: You are instructed by the Attorney General to investigate the January 6 insurrection and to follow the law wherever it leads. Thus, Smith begins his indictment with the simple statement:

“The defendant Donald J. Trump was the 45th President of the United States and a candidate for reelection in 2020. The defendant lost the 2020 presidential election.”

Simple statement. Written so anyone reading it would understand. He then goes and lays out about 45 pages of the facts and accusations against, at the moment, the sole defendant in the case, Donald J. Trump.

If you ever read an indictment, read this one. It is the most important indictment in U.S. history. Here’s a link: https://www.scribd.com/document/662462402/Trump-Indictment

In talking to a lawyer, I learned a key question in a trial will be what Trump’s state of mind was at the time(s) he was (and still is) lying about the outcome of the 2020 election. No one, I was told, can testify to his state of mind except the defendant himself. But, there is testimony about things Trump said that likely will be let into evidence.

To me, the most telling was when Trump was reading a classified document to a few people in his office, post-his presidency. He told the gathering it was classified so they shouldn't mention it to anyone. He also said at the meeting - for which there is an audio tape - “As president, I could have declassified, but now I can’t.”

That may be a key bit of evidence in the trial. He knew he was no longer president and still was denying his loss.

According to the indictment, there was a Jan. 1, 2021, meeting between Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence. Trump still was trying to convince Pence to send the votes back to the states when he was chairing the session for the Senate to count the electoral votes. Pence said he did not have the authority to do that. Trump responded, "you're too honest." Implying he, Trump, was not.

Seems not a bad piece of evidence either.

Also, as you read the indictment, pay attention to who is being cited as sources for the facts – all are or were appointments made by Donald Trump to his Administration, which he once said would only have “the best people.” The part of that thought he did not say out loud was, until they aren’t doing what I tell them anymore. Then they become, Trump always says, dishonest people, Republicans In Name Only (RINOs)/

Trump's lawyers are already signaling Trump’s defense: He only was doing what he was advised by lawyers (not true) and he really did think (and still does think) that he won the election. Among the people who told him there was no widespread fraud in the election were his former Attorneys General, his former intelligence officials, and the man Trump appointed to oversee elections. Also there were those various state-level officials he tried to strong arm into doing his bidding who said there was no fraud sufficient to change the election in their state.

One of his lawyers has already sent a message that they will seek a change of venue from Washington, D.C., which voted overwhelmingly for Biden, to West Virginia, which overwhelmingly voted for Trump.

They didn’t complain when Smith filed his fist indictment against Trump in Trump-friendly Florida, where the jury pool is more likely to produce at least one juror who is a Trump supporter and who Trump will expect to vote him not guilty.

As many of you, I’ve served on juries. One, in Washington, D.C., where the defendant, if I remember correctly, was charged with attempted murder. I took seriously the instruction that the prosecution must prove their case “beyond a reasonable doubt”. No prejudice, just did the prosecution prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

It took me into the second day of deliberations to go from a “not sure” to a “guilty” because I took the reasonable doubt issue quite seriously. But my fellow jurors convinced me (and others who had been “not guilty” jurors) to see that the reasonable doubt didn’t really exist. And that a preponderance of the evidence said the defendant was guilty, as the jury ultimately voted.

Also, those six un-indicted co-conspirators, still may flip. I for the life of me can't believe anyone would lie to keep someone else out of jail while putting themself behind bars.

One of the six is Rudy Giuliani, a former prosecutor himself who has already been on "TV" (one of the right-wing channels) claiming Trump's innocence. But when it's his backside that may be going to jail, he may sing a different tune. The truth.

Another, thought to be co-conspirator three, is Sidney Powell. Her crazy election fraud theories even Trump said he thought were crazy. According to Jan. 6 committee testimony, Trump muted his speaker phone and said, "this does sound crazy, doesn't it?"

Call me naïve (you’ll be the first) but I do think when people take an oath, whether they are being sworn in as a federal employee or as a juror, the vast majority of them take that oath seriously. If not, our court system cannot exist.

I mentioned this is most important indictment in our history and the biggest vote on our democracy that may be held since our founding fathers voted. If Trump is found not guilty in this trial, our country will be forever changed to the negative.

Not because Trump will be re-elected but down the road another “Trump” will be, and the battle will get much more difficult.

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The time has come today, and other rants

7/10/2023

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Many years ago, I was a newspaper reporter. Deadlines were important. You met your deadline, you did your job. You didn’t make your deadline, well, you didn’t do your job.

That may be why I notice more (and probably are more sensitive to) people being late, which seems to have become the norm in recent years.

How? Well, you invite someone for dinner at 6 and they arrive at 6:30. Or, you have a doctor appointment at 3, and you’re not called in to see the doc until an hour later. OK, that one I cut a break because docs are under so much pressure to make money these days, they need to devote time to help a patient with their issue and they give me the same “extra” time if I need it.

Still, would it hurt those office workers supporting the docs to come out occasionally and say, “I’m sorry, the doctor is running late but will be with you soon (if it is going to be soon).” Even that nicety would go a long way to relieve my angst in not knowing what the heck is going on.

If you watch cable news regularly and they say the President will speak at 3 and then doesn’t show up until 5. That bugs me. And while I’m at it, when did cable news anchors begin to say things like “this just happened,” when it really happened hours before? Or, say the President will be speaking soon, when he’s already an hour tardy?

OK, one more, when did news anchors start to say things like “CBS just learned…” or “CNN just learned” when I read it in the Washington Post hours before? Then again, maybe they didn't get to read the Post until "just" now.

Time doesn't matter anymore, unless it’s a deadline for you to pay a bill.

Rant over

OK, rant isn’t over but this doesn’t have to do with being on time.
How about that Cong. Marjorie Taylor Greene? She of the potty mouth, non-facts, crazy-lady ilk? She apparently was just thrown out of the radically radical Freedom Caucus. That’s the one that requires believing in conspiracy theories, fantasies and spewing hatred toward various groups before being eligible for membership. That’s the one group Marjorie (pardon this pun) is Taylor-made for. But, she made apparently the only transgression that gets you tossed outta that group when she insulted, inserting a filthy word for a woman, co-Freedom Caucus member Lauren Boebert on the House floor.

Last rant:

Former President Donald Trump has been impeached twice, indicted twice and lost in court to a woman who alleged he tried to rape her and defame her. Still, Trump went out right after he lost that case and – defamed her again! There seem to be a couple more indictments on the way and Trump uses them to pilfer money from his rank-and-file supporters who think they’re giving to elect him again but actually he uses a lot of the money to pay for his lawyers – if he actually pays them and when he can find attorneys to represent him.

Trump acts like a thug from the Mafia who, during his career to this point, attacks his “enemies,” gaslights his supporters and lies like the rest of us eat potato chips.

Why is he like a Mafia boss? He uses intimidation and threats to silence critics; his willingness to use violence or the threat of violence to achieve his goals; his need to surround himself with loyal followers who will do whatever he says; his use of secrecy and deception to avoid scrutiny; his willingness to break the law to get ahead.

Can’t he just go away?

I know it’s not in him to go away, but one can dream of the day he’s not dominating the Republican Party and driving it 180 degrees in the opposite direction of what its decades of values and beliefs have been.

Oh yeah and while we’re at it, what’s with this Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama who has put a hold on all military promotions. Right now, he’s holding up about 250. These are senior-level officers, flag officers - generals and admirals, by and large.

Why is he doing this? He objects to the defense policy that took hold after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Under the policy, the Defense Department pays for travel for a service member to get an elective abortion if one is not available where they are stationed.

The President has nominated a new chairman of the Joint Chiefs, whose appointment will fall under the hold, as does the appointment of the commandant of the Marine Corps which is pending.

Remember when the GOP supported the military and tried not to interfere with it doing its job?

Oh, and Tuberville apparently is also unhappy because the Secretary of Defense has called him only once to resolve the issue. This is what passes for grown-up leadership in the Senate.

Rant(s) over (for now).

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A former President indicted

6/9/2023

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Donald Trump on being indicted: “I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States.”

Me either.

Throughout the various investigations of Mr. Trump’s behavior, from paying hush money to a porn star to trying to overturn a fair and free election, I’ve had this bug that it would look horrible to the rest of the world if America appeared to be putting political enemies behind bars, taking away our moral authority.

Squaring that with “no one is above the law” was difficult. And I never could square it.

The truth is that no one is above the law here and if someone is convicted of a crime, they do the punishment.

Trump’s reaction to his indictment yesterday was not shocking:

He ordered a satellite truck to feed out his supporters and himself to the world.
He cut a poorly produced video (amazingly poorly produced by the man considered the best at manipulating the media and his supporters and his staging).
Less than an hour after he announced his own indictment, he sent out a fund-raising letter.

Nothing has changed. He’s still the arrogant, narcissistic, deluded soul he always has been.

I know his supporters believe there is a “deep state” that has it in for him. And I know those supporters believe that a president can control what the Justice Department does. You think they would have seen that even when Trump was president and tried to order his Justice Department to take down his enemies, they wouldn’t do it. Why? Because there was no evidence for his allegations. Some of the evidence for Trump’s indictment played out in full view of the public.

Yet, here we are.

The special prosecutor cut off various potential Trump appeals when he set the case for Florida trial, where Trump has a better chance of finding a jury pool that doesn’t hate him. That should say something about the Justice Department’s approach to this most serious case.

It’s a case that, as has been pointed out, is ironic because Trump tried to tar his 2016 opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, with mishandling classified documents and pledging that would never happen if he were president.

One more lie.

Trump tries to equate his case with those of his former vice president Mike Pence and President Biden. Those cases, though, are far from the same as his. Neither Pence nor Biden tried to withhold classified documents from their rightful owner – the government. When they were discovered, they were turned over and there's no evidence either knew they had them. Pence’s case was closed. Biden’s is still being investigated.

Trump broadcast loud and clear that he had them and they were "mine."

Two of Trump’s opponents for the 2024 presidential nomination jumped to his defense, before even pretending they’d read the facts of the indictment, which hasn't yet be unsealed.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: “The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society.” That’s not what’s happening but if it were, it’s not unlike DeSantis’ weaponizing his state government against LGBTQIA folks or women (from whom he has taken away control of their bodies) or children (as he rewrites the history of the country and stops any discussion of gender in classrooms).

Vivek Ramaswamy: “It would be much easier for me to win this election if Trump weren’t in the race, but I stand for principles over politics.” He said if elected he would pardon Trump on his first day in office. That’s without seeing the indictment or the facts of why Trump is being charged. That’s without even the start of a trial to determine the facts. Those are his principles apparently.

Both go beyond “no one is above the law” and arrived at “I don’t need the facts. He’s innocent.”

And they want to be President of the United States and swear allegiance to the Constitution.

They are setting themselves up to use Trump as their role model.

Most in Trump’s position in the past cut a deal to avoid jail time. But Trump won't ever admit he did anything wrong.

I almost wish the trial would be televised. But then the Master Manipulator would turn it in a circus.

As he did the presidency.

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A former President indicted

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