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If you're a writer for the "Failing New York Times," you know in your heart of hearts that Donald Trump has never done a single good thing. On rare occasion, good things happen around him, but they are NEVER the result of his actions.
President Trump, as you may or may not know, is completely insane. When he's not screaming at the gorilla channel, he's berating his staff, muttering to himself, and taking an axe to the White House doors while screaming "Heeeere's Donny!"
Did Trump say the word "shithole?" I don't know. I also don't care. If he did or didn't, we're still about a million times better off than we would have been under President Hillary Clinton. Would I like to see a President who was an unsullied moral paragon AND a down-in-the-trenches conservative? Sure. Unfortunately, the GOP has worked hard to make sure that's never an option, so I'll take what I can get.
Today is an interesting day. Former chief strategist Steve Bannon is going to meet with the House Intel Committee, where he'll answer questions about the whole "Russia" thing. That means that, at some point, we're going to learn which version of Steve Bannon will survive its time in the Thunderdome.
Taxation, as my dyed-in-the-wool libertarian friends like to say, is theft. State-sponsored theft, legalized theft, tolerated theft, and possibly even necessary theft, but theft just the same. People probably wouldn't mind it so much if 100% of the money went to tangible, unarguably beneficial, projects. Unfortunately, as taxation stands now, your money is confiscated and much of it's squandered on a whole array of worthless garbage.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Donald Trump is his own worst enemy. As good as he is at playing the media, he also seems remarkably eager to shove his foot in his mouth. Do I think, despite the denials, that he called Haiti a shithole? Absolutely. Do I think saying that means a person is racist? Absolutely not. Do I care that he said it at all? Nope.
Here's an old left-wing chestnut we haven't seen in a while. Take two completely unrelated things, pretend they're kind of the same thing thanks to similar words, and use the unflattering comparison to scream racism at your opponents. It's right out of the DNC playbook, and it's just as ridiculous as it always was.
Earlier today, Dan told you about that new GM "thing" that doesn't have a steering wheel. I hesitate to call it a car, because to me a "car" is something you drive. Whatever GM's threatening to make, it's not a car. Call it a conveyance, a transport device, or a rolling ride machine. Just, please, don't lump it in with the GTO, the Challenger, or the Mustang. This, I'm sorry to say, "ain't that."
I don't know about you guys, but if I get an extra thousand dollars in my paycheck, I'm ecstatic and grateful. A grand may not buy a car these days - even one that's missing a steering wheel - but it's a very nice chunk of change, particularly when it's on top of your regular pay. If there's anyone out there who doesn't like an extra "Grover Cleveland" in his pocket, they're free to send that cash my way.
Here's a tip for factually challenged anti-Trumpers who are thinking about writing a book and promoting it on TV. If pretty much everyone - including anchors at CNN and MSNBC - are openly questioning your credibility, don't ask an interviewer to list the people who are calling you out. If you do that, your interview isn't going to go so well.
There are plenty of good reasons not to wear a pink #. No one really needs a list of them, because "they look utterly ridiculous" should suffice. People who wear them look like complete morons, they aren't taken seriously, and that undermines their cause.
There are a thousand horror stories about Uday and Qusay Hussein - Saddam Hussein's depraved, bloodthirsty, sons. Tales of rape, torture, and horrific abuse swirled around the monstrous duo until their deaths.
As you know, President Trump is completely insane. He spends all day watching TV, has never heard of John Boehner, eats fried chicken in bed, rants, raves, screams, and berates everyone around him, and he's basically a functional illiterate. Everyone at the White House despises him, they think he's a bizarre man-child, and they spend their days plotting his destruction via the 25th Amendment. Also, he's watching a fictional "gorilla channel" and talking to the gorillas as he encourages them to fight.
I'm pretty sure Oprah has no intention of making a presidential run. She has a good racket going, won't want to alienate half the country, and a shot at the White House is usually a mean, exhausting, and expensive slog. If I had to guess, she'll settle into a low-level kingmaker role, and leave the heavy lifting to someone else. I said this back when she was floated as a potential Trump running mate in 2015, said it again last week, and still believe it.
Last year, President Trump seemed excited that he could get as many as 4 Supreme Court appointments during his Presidency. At the time, rumors were swirling that Justice Kennedy was going to retire during the summer recess. That, obviously, never happened. So, political junkies are still waiting to see who will go next.
As you know, I'm bummed that Russia has been booted from the 2018 Winter Olympics. Sure, their athletes are finding a variety of ways around their country's embarrassing drug-related ban, but it's just not the same. Fortunately, we'll have another global enemy to root against.
2016 may go into the record books as the year with the most presidential "what-ifs" in American history.
The Democrat base is sure that Bernie could have won.
If, back in middle school, you read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you know that the Vogons are an alien race with a nasty habit of writing terrible poetry. "Terrible" is really underselling it, since it was regularly thought to be the third worst in the universe. Listening to it usually proved fatal.
Let the Progressive Oprahgasm commence!!!
UPDATE: NBC deleted their Oprah-for-President moment. Fortunately, the internet is forever. Don't worry, NBC, we saved a copy for you...
UPDATE: NBC DELETES - Totally unbiased news outlet, NBC, declares Oprah Winfrey 'OUR future President'
Those of you who have read the site for a long time know that I'm a pop-culture junkie. I grew up loving music, film, TV, books, comics, and theme parks. Those interests took root a looooong time before my interest in limited government, they'll remain long after I stop working in and around politics.