Seasonal changes

     We crossed the North Country gardener's seasonal rubicon last week.   The autumnal equinox is particulary relevant in this area because first frosts in mountain hollows such as Saranac Lake are probably happening as I write this.  Meanwhile, most of the mid-atlantic states are waking up to temperatures in the 60s.   Due to a quirk in the climate change scenario, this area will keep the temperature status quo for at least a few more years than many other regions around the world.  Instead we will be dealing with excess rain and periodic drought.  This of course will lead many to believe there is no "global warming".
     The fall bounty continues unabated.  This is the time of year when the brassicas really shine.  Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards and cabbage are at or near their peaks.   Many people say their flavor is improved by a little frost.  Unfortunately, in this area there is usually no such thing as a "little" frost.  When the killer arrives it is likely to damage the growing points of most crops.  Growth stops and the season grinds to a halt.  Occasionally we will have an indian summer, but you can't count on it.
     I harvested most of the winter squash and got them under cover ahead of the wet weather we are promised for later in the week.   As I said earlier, instead of the traditional dry fall growers count on, we are likely to have a wet cold season leading into winter.  Bah, humbug!

Come Together

     On the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' Abbey Road album, Americans should take John and Paul's advice and "Come Together right now.  However, instead of "me", make the last word in the line tRump.
     While many in the media decry the latest push toward impeachment of the president* based on the whistleblower's revelation of tRump's attempt to corrupt and enlist a foreign government in his re-election campaign, I think this is an opportunity to repair out tattered national dialogue.   As the seriousness of his latest crime becomes ever more apparent, at least a sizable fraction of his remaining fans will conclude their support is wasted on this walking, talking locus of bad.  There is a certain percentage of deplorables who would support the Antichrist if doing so would induce liberal tears.  Even after the Watergate tapes were revealed, 25-30% of the public still supported Nixon.
    If 65-70% of Americans can agree tRump and the Republican party as presently constituted are a danger to democracy, we can remake Congress and the presidency in the next election.  With a democratic House and Senate, president Warren can make the big, structural changes necessary to reduce inequality, combat global warming and make America the ideal we all want to believe it to be.  Who knows, maybe a significant chunk of tRump supporters may come to appreciate a country where even their voices are heard.  

Walking and Chewing

    The old saw states we should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.   However, when it comes to politics, it seems we are either walking or chewing, but not both at the same time.  As the political press and cable news ramp up their coverage of impeachment to a numbing barrage, it is fair to ask if they are not sucking the oxygen from other, more important stories.
     As one blogger pointed out today, Greta Thunberg's anguished plea to the UN to take climate change seriously has already flamed out of the news cycle.  The increasing pace of change in our climate should be front and center every day unless and until all national governments around the world are mobilized to do something about it.  The shiny bauble of tRump's impeachment has overwhelmed most of the coverage Thunberg managed to generate.
     I understand the urgency many feel toward impeaching and removing Cheetolini.  Perhaps getting him off the world stage will help generate more support for tackling climate change.  Unfortunately, the potential replacement, Mike Pence is arguably even worse than tRump to the degree he is even marginally more competent in carrying out the dismantling of government.
     What we need to do and demand from the media is multifocused coverage of the major issues of the day in order to educate the average American to the dangers which face our society.  The corruption of our government by the president* is important, but our future hangs in the balance and is rapidly tipping against us.  We need to do better...

The big shoe just dropped

     Now, the republicans and their dear leader have something to worry about.  They just pissed off Nancy Pelosi.   Announcing she supports an impeachment inquiry going forward means the gloves are off and she now considers tRump's behavior so egregious she is going against her political instincts to support the rule of law in this country.
     Although I don't think Cheetolini knew or planned his actions with the expectation of the Speaker's forbearance, much of his lawbreaking, from flouting the emoluments clause to obstruction of justice, has depended on Pelosi's calculation that impeachment was politically fraught for democrats.  Her first duty of course is to protect and defend the constitution, but in order to do so, she obviously felt she needed to protect vulnerable members facing re-election battles in districts tRump carried in 2016.
     She now feels the weight of her responsibility to the founders either outweighs the political situation, or the latest revelations about the Ukraine will build public support to hold the president* accountable.   Either way, she came to the only viable decision under the circumstances.  Now it is time to let the chips fall where they may.

The Sounds of Silence

     Most of the news and accompanying punditry this week, and for that matter throughout the tRump presidency*, have focused on the fecklessness of top democrats.  The question of why Nancy Pelosi will not endorse Cheetolini's impeachment is somehow seen as cosmically important and an indicator of democrats weakness in the face of obvious wrongdoing.
      The flip side of the coin is why are there no republicans calling for at least an inquiry into the latest flagrant corruption of this administration.   The breathtakingly transparent call to the Ukrainian president four days after freezing nearly $400 million in military aid to argue the corruption of Joe Biden's son must be investigated by Ukrainian prosecutors is a classic case of extortion.  tRump's argument that it is legitimate is redolent of Nixon's protestation that nothing the president does is illegal.
      If even a handful of GOPers break ranks and call for an investigation of the whistleblower's complaint regarding this call and presumably others, there would be no question of impeachment.   Paul Krugman in today's NYT argues republicans have sold themselves as super patriots for the last 50 years.  Now it is time for them to prove it or lose the right to call themselves the protectors of American democracy.

Can it get worse

    While virtually admitting he asked a foreign government to interfere in US elections, Cheetolini also said he did nothing wrong.   This bit of flaming falsehood was seized upon by his supporters in Congress to assail democrats and the "deep state" presumably for bringing up an inconvenient truth.

     If the whistleblower complaint alleging tRump pressured the leader of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden's son's time as a lobbyist in that country is true, there is no question the president* must be impeached.  If, in addition, he offered the Ukrainian president a quid pro quo, he should also be imprisoned.

    Many have said this latest episode is the culmination of a long process of lying, enriching himself at government expense and pursuing policies which benefit himself instead of the nation he is supposedly leading.  I think this incident stands alone and should be used to make the party which has enabled this lawless scumbag to take responsibility for him.  Any republican who votes to acquit him should own their complicity in the destruction of American democracy.

Weather is wierd

      It has been a roller coaster of a weather season in the North Country as well as in much of the rest of the US.   It started much as the last couple of years have; wet and cool.  Planting, except for the most well drained soils was delayed until nearly June as rainy weather continued.  Then, Mother Nature turned off the spigot.  The initial wave of dry, warm weather was welcome and plantings picked up.  Residual moisture in heavier soils kept growth on track, but by the middle of August I was cautiously wishing for rain.   A couple of showers late in the month helped with late brassicas and spinach, but once again it is a little too dry as I write this.
     If I was a younger man with hopes of growing mixed veg in this area, I would be looking for extremely well drained soils with ample water for irrigation.  In the short term, climate change in this area means cool wet springs, hot, dry summers and so far at least dry autumns.   This regime may or may not be long term, but as someone once said, in the long term, we will all be dead.  

The T word

     Now comes a story which may even turn off some of the president's* base.  A government whistleblower is now saying tRump made a promise to a foreign leader in a telephone conversation that so unnerved the witness he or she felt they had to let someone know.   Speculation converges on a phone call Cheetolini made to Vladimir Putin on July 31 supposedly to offer help fighting Siberian wildfires.  
    So far, Trumpkins have ignored the boorishness, corruption and lawbreaking of our commander-in-chief.  However, violating and compromising the national interests and security of America in communication with a foreign adversary will resonate with at least some of his followers.  If this latest scandal encourages other witnesses of his corruption to come forward, it will further erode his support.  Coming on during the increased tensions with Iran, we can only hope the orange buffoon does not start a war to cover up his possibly treasonous acts with Putin.  

The Obstruction Presidency

     I'm sure Jerry Nadler knew what he was getting into when smarmy a**hole Corey Lewandowski agreed to appear before the House Judiciary committee.  Lewandowski, a former campaign chair for Cheetolini and aspiring politician himself was looking for a platform to launch his bid for the Senate seat in New Hampshire next year and was counting on this hearing to give him some impetus.
      I think both Nadler and Lewandowski got something and lost something in the exchange.  The democrats on the committee were treated to maximum obstruction from both the witness and their fellow legislators on the republican side.   Nadler faced numerous resolutions to end the hearing and Lewandowski was combative to the point of contempt for those asking about his errand to Jeff Sessions from tRump which was supposed to curtail the Russia investigation begun by Mueller.
     However, the hearing took a turn in a positive direction when the Committee's staff lawyer calmly pinned Lewandowski and forced him to admit his testimony to Mueller in which he admitted the president* had conspired to obstruct justice.   I doubt Lewandowski will appear again before Nadler unless subpoenaed and forced by court order to do so.
     Both sides will declare victory in the aftermath, but the final reckoning will not come before November 2020.  In the meantime, the obstruction will continue.

They haven't lost the playbook

     I am old enough to remember the Gulf of Tonkin incident which launched the US military into the Vietnam quagmire.   In 1965, we were already involved in South Vietnam, propping up a dictatorial regime opposed to the communists in the north.  We were handed this mess by the French who threw in the towel after Dien Bien Phu.
    President Lyndon Johnson went on national TV to report the North Vietnamese had treacherously attacked an American destroyer which was minding its own business in the aforementioned Gulf of Tonkin.  Popular sentiment was immediately swayed and the war was on.  No one asked the obvious question.   Why would the North Vietnamese attack the most powerful navy on the planet and engage that military against them when they were winning the war against the South by attrition.
     This same scenario is playing out in real time right now, only this time it is the Iranians.  Why would they launch an attack against an American ally from their own soil and virtually ensure a hostile military response from the US.  It made no sense in 1965 and it makes no sense in 2019, unless war is what our government desires.

Lies and the lying liars, etc.

      Once again, the tRump administration tops itself in the race to become the prevarication champion of all time.   Now it is alleged Brett Kavanaugh lied his way into a lifetime sinecure on the Supreme Court.    Kavanaugh strenuously denied thrusting his penis at a woman at a drunken party at his alma mater, Yale in the mid 80s.   It seems the FBI somehow made a cursory effort to check out the charge, but refused to interview several attendees at the party who would have confirmed Deborah Ramirez's account.
    Another episode of genital waving was also uncovered and again, the FBI was held back from a complete investigation of the charges.  In a new book, two authors trace these allegations and the government's refusal to take them seriously, especially in light of Christine Blasey Ford's accusations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh.
     It would seem the nominee was being protected from charges which in combination with the Ford testimony would have surely sunk his confirmation and possibly resulted in reputational disgrace.   I guess being a white man of a certain age bestows immunity for sexual impropriety, especially with a president* whose own profligacy in this regard seems to pay no price.   Some democrats are calling for Kavanaugh's impeachment, but the Faux News and Breitbart audiences will probably never hear any of the new evidence, much less believe it.   Once again, lying seems to be the key to advancement in our present political situation.

A little more clarity

     10 people on stage for a one night only debate made for more clarity than the previous 2 night free-for-alls with candidates having no legitimate shot at the presidency clogging the stages.  Personally, I think the criteria for entering the next debate should be tougher yet, enabling us to winnow the field at a faster pace.
      I was able to watch the entire process last night and was surprised the team from ABC asked better questions and managed to keep the debate mostly on track.  I didn't watch the post mortems, as I prefer my own take on the candidates as opposed to that of hacks like Chris Matthews.   As I watched Julian Castro take on Joe Biden's age by accusing the 76 year old of forgetting the answer he gave to a question regarding health care, I felt it was a legitimate stab at the issue.  The pearl clutcher brigade was out in full force this morning decrying Castro.  I don't think it will play out that way.  The average voter has qualms about Biden's age and many of us were looking for someone to call attention to the issue.
    In general, I don't think anyone will move very much in the polls based on this debate, but it did serve to normalize the presence of women and minorities on the stage as equals to the white men who have dominated presidential politics.  Elizabeth Warren in particular came off as cool and collected as she answered every question without hesitation.   she is rapidly emerging as the new standard bearer for the progressive faction of the party and will likely make the left wing a more accessible place for democrats than Bernie Sanders has been able to.
     The primaries are still in the future, so there is plenty of time for a new front runner to emerge, but it will take more than a couple of hours on stage for it to happen.
   

The legacy of 9/11

    The eighteenth anniversary of 9/11 has come and gone and once again, instead of introspection, most Americans look out at a hostile world and thumb their collective noses.   Most of us either don't realize or don't care enough to acknowledge the fact we are the inheritors of a bloated world spanning empire and events like the twin tower destruction and the associated terrorist acts are warning signals we have ignored at our peril.
    We are simultaneously a beacon for immigrants escaping harsh conditions we are partially responsible for and a lightning rod for criticism of the present administration's horrific foreign policies.  The sun is setting on the American Empire and we don't seem to be handling it any better than the British did when their colonial possessions revolted.  We don't have as many physical trappings of colonialism as European countries did in the 19th century, but our economic imperialism is just as disliked the world over as previous attempts to subjugate native populations.
     Sorrow for the families of the more than 3000 people who perished in 9/11 is fully justified, but the reasons for the attack need to be addressed also, or there will be more memorials to terror in our future.

Losing with panache

     In a special election to redo a 2018 House race marred by republican voter fraud,  Jim Mcready, the democrat narrowly lost to the GOP candidate in a district tRump carried by double digits.
     Both parties came away with positives and negatives regarding the outcome.  The dems see further evidence that educated, middle class voters are increasingly turned off by the republican push for a second gilded age and by the face of the party today.  Republicans can say they won, no matter the margin.   Their voters in rural areas of the district still respond to the race baiter in chief and look at democrats as the party encouraging the migration of brown and black people to a neighborhood near them.   This is likely to be the message of the party in next year's general election.
    Mcready, an Iraq war vet and a moderate in his party has been campaigning for 27 straight months and will come away with his second defeat during that period.  He probably spoke with virtually every eligible voter in the gerrymandered district during that time, but his message, while effective was unable to break through the noise surrounding the election.  Too many republicans saw the election as a challenge to their tribe and responded with a vote for the GOP candidate whose main claim to fame as a state senator was his introduction of the infamous "bathroom bill".
    Losing is never easy, but Mcready showed it is possible to do with dignity and panache.   In a less partisan era, his status as a veteran and champion of the little guy would have ensured his election.  Thankfully there are still people like him who chose public service instead of private gain.

Scandal...What Scandal?

     The people at Faux News who actually care about the truth must be approaching the breaking point.  During a weekend and followed by a Monday of even more revelations of impropriety by the tRump administration it is becoming increasingly clear that Cheetolini doesn't give a fig about veracity and is literally daring the media to report his lawbreaking.
      It started with a scandal regarding our dear leader's use of the USAF to prop up his failing golf resort in Scotland.   In a break from routine protocol, the air force routed it's planes bound for the Mideast to a small Scottish airport and paid commercial rates for jet fuel while putting the flight crews into tRump's Turnberry golf resort overnight.   The airport was threaten with closure until the air force cash infusion.
     Following this, it was revealed Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross threaten senior officials at the National Weather Service if they didn't back up the president on Sharpiegate.   They caved and issued the requsite statement which was promptly repudiated by another official at the NWS.
    On Monday, CNN reported and other networks confirmed the administration, through the odious Rudy Giuliani threatened to cut military aid to Ukraine to help it combat Russian aggression if the newly elected government would not start an investigation of Joe Biden's son for possible violations of US law in connection with his lobbying activity in Kiev.
    Needless to say, any one of these scandals would have forced the resignation of any previous president.  And it is only Tuesday....

Winter is coming

    The Divine Mrs. M will probably take issue with the title of this post, but the calendar does not lie.  As we roll into mid September, the weather is a little cooler than normal and it is taking extra time for many vegetables to mature.  The cole crops are loving the rainfall we have been getting, but the basil and other heat loving herbs and vegetables are becoming cranky due to loss of heat units.
    As I have said many times over the years, fall is my favorite time of the gardening season.  Aside from keeping the weeds at bay in the last plantings, harvesting the bounty is the major undertaking.  Sure, there is more to be done as I try to figure where and when to plant the 2020 garlic crop, but it is still early enough to put that aside for a few weeks.  Meanwhile, it is time to pick the last tomatoes and keep making the sauce so I can remember the warmth of summer in January.

The boy ain't right

    I know many people on the left have been flogging "Sharpiegate" ever since Cheetolini's presser.   At the time, I put it down to our dear leader's reluctance to ever correct a statement, no matter how small the issue.  I didn't know it was a federal crime to disseminate false weather information.
     This goes to the heart of the argument that tRump is not fit for the office he now occupies.  If he is willing to commit a crime to avoid even a momentary embarrassment, what would he do if he knew of and was culpable of major wrongdoing?   As many have already said, "The boy ain't right'.

Media complicity

     From wall to wall coverage of "Sharpiegate" to annoying gotcha questions to candidates during debates, the media has some splaining to do to the public.  I am glad to see some people are starting to call out the stupidity.
     When asked by Chris Cuomo if she endorses the banning of plastic straws and consumer freedom to buy incandescent light bulbs, Elizabeth Warren impatiently dismissed the entire premise of the question.   She said the emphasis on consumer choice served as cover to the industries which are the biggest polluters and most in need of regulation.  She went on to name the building industry and fossil fuel interests as among those with a chokehold on Washington.
    The fact Cuomo and other media personalities use their power to obfuscate the lines that run from legislators in DC to corporate boardrooms.   It is much easier to capture a sound bite from a candidate opposing or supporting a minor issue like plastic drinking straws rather than doing the hard work of digging and uncovering the connections between pols and polluters.   Hopefully more candidates will follow Warren's lead and reject lazy or misleading questions from the media.

Bottles and Genies

     In today's NYT, Thomas Edsall advances the theory that social media has made the disaffected voter, who would tear down the pillars of democracy, a much more powerful actor than their actual numbers would suggest.
     The rise of Google, Facebook, Twitter and  Instagram has allowed outlandish rumors to spread via masters of this new form of social warfare.  tRump, Alex Jones and others spread lunacy like the "Pizzagate" conspiracy and the rumor that Sandy Hook was a false flag government operation to advance a gun control agenda.
     Edsall goes on to speculate that a tRump defeat in 2020 might spark a mass revolt by these Facebook warriors.   I really doubt that.   Most of the keyboard commandos are retired white men who long for the social order of the 1950s when their cohort ruled and women, POC, LGBTQ and other minorities knew their place.   They might ratchet up the noise on social media, but most of us will welcome the end of a particularly nasty episode in American history.   We may not be able to put the genie back in the bottle, but I doubt she is as powerful as Edsall thinks.

Labor Day observations

    Even the most hardened anti-labor presidents usually make a bow in the direction of workers on their supposed holiday (tell that to all those manning stores in your area), but not Cheetolini.  As far as I can see the president's* office did not even issue a Labor Day statement praising workers across the country.
     Kevin Drum at Mother Jones enumerates the ways in which this administration has gone to war against those who keep the lights on.   Among the policies hurting the working class is the tariffs on Chinese goods.  This will add an average of $460.00 to families costs this year.   Opposition to an increase in the Federal Minimum wage has kept it at $7.25/hr.  While few workers actually make the minimum, its existence has a downward effect on wages.
     The government has gutted many safety regulations put in place by previous administrations, especially those that depend on illegal immigrants.  Meatpacking used to be a high paying job, but now is a dangerous, low paying and cruel joke.  Appointing Eugene Scalia, spawn of the late unlamented Antonin as Labor Secretary is another slap at the working class.  Scalia has made his career opposing workers interests.
     Finally, tRump or his minions have moved to strip federal worker's unions of any meaningful ability to negotiate with the government on behalf of their members.  As the Divine Mrs. M can testify, the unions, with the exception of the Postal Workers were largely toothless anyway, but now will become bargaining wraiths.   Happy Labor Day, America!

Missed opportunities

       Hurricane Dorian is presently slamming the northern Bahamas and is predicted to run parallel with the US coastline for several hundred miles with hurricane force winds lashing shoreline communities as far as North Carolina.   There is no doubt man made climate change is partly responsible for this category 5 monster, but its track will not encourage the necessary changes in attitude we need to combat the emergency which is upon us.
     Had a 185 MPH storm hit Mar a Lago, even Cheetolini might have had a road to Damascus moment as he surveyed the devastation.   It is unfortunate we need the equivalent of a 2x4 to the head for our politicians to admit the coming changes need to be met head on with the urgency of WW3.  It always amazes me when republicans and not a few democrats make a hurried about face in their perceptions when the consequences are personal.  After all, most Bahamians are POC, so their suffering doesn't count.  I'm sure a major storm will hit somewhere on the mainland, but will it be too late to change minds.