A Pence for his thoughts

       Mike Pence spent more than 8 hours explaining his role in the January 6 insurrection to a grand jury empaneled by special counsel Jack Smith.   Pence's ex boss' ears were certainly ringing before the day was over.

      Pence is arguably the most important witness to the events leading up to the attempted coup more than 2 years ago and his conversations with tRump in the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021 will be pivotal in any charges stemming from the incident.  The president's state of mind and his actual participation in the plot to end democracy in America is something Pence was well positioned to have heard firsthand. 

     We may have a long way to go before trials begin, but yesterday's testimony is a start.

Questions without answers

        Why did Tucker Carlson get fired?  Why do a majority of Republicans want Donald tRump as their nominee for president?  Why is Joe Biden's approval rating so dismal?  How can people eat Twinkies?

        Sorry, I don't have the answers to these or other existential questions and I have the feeling they are unanswerable.

Crushing it

      Like the dumpster-trash compacter in the original Star Wars movie, the legal system is closing in on tRump and there is no R2D2 to disable the machine.   The best Cheeto Jesus can do is use the legal system to hold off trials until he dies of old age.   Based on the E. Jean Carroll rape defamation trial which started yesterday, that strategy may not be working as well as his lawyers had hoped.  

       Add the virtual certainty of indictment in Georgia for interference in the 2020 election, the increasing likelihood of charges by special counsel Jack Smith and this fall's civil trial brought by NYS Attorney General Letticia James and the walls are steadily closing.

Et tu Rupert

        Although my schadenfreude meter is stuck at 10 out of 10 thanks to the news that Tucker Carlson was defenestrated at FAUX News the other day, I can't help wondering what's next for the cable "news" channel and its benighted viewers.

      My exposure to Carlson is limited to short clips of his greatest racist and misogynistic hits aired by CNN or MSNBC, but many Fox viewers considered his show must watch TV.   Will these viewers accept Carlson's firing and move on with the network or will they migrate to even more extreme fare in order to get their daily dose of conservative outrage?  Will Tucker turn his name recognition into a presidential campaign?   Stay tuned!

Deja Vu all over again

        It looks like the chaos monkeys in the House are willing to walk right up to the edge of defaulting on the nation's debt and then go over the cliff, all while yelling vile insults at the rest of us.  Meanwhile, even the mainstream media seems willing to play along with Kevin McCarthy's caucus and put some of the responsibility for this mess on President Biden.

       In what can only charitably called a budget bill, McCarthy would have the government slash discretionary spending by as much as 22% in the first year and limit spending increases to 1% per year, which is a defacto cut.   Of course the Speaker won't name the actual programs facing the ax.   To do so would put the onus on Republicans.  Regardless, the whole debate is pointless.   Congress authorized the spending last year.  It is now time to pay the bill.  So, do it.

Culture Warriors

       Gun control, LGBTQ rights, abortion, environmental justice and Black lives matter are just a few of the battles being fought in the ongoing culture wars.   If you strip out the bystanders, it's basically Gen Z and the bulk of Milenniels on the progressive side and most of the baby boomers and what's left of the ''greatest'' generation representing those who think the 1950's was the apogee of American civilization.

       In the case of the latter, it's mostly a rear guard action being fought in state legislatures around the country.  Open carry, "don't say gay", anti environmental bills and voter suppression are the coin of the realm in these venues.  But, increasingly the middle aged and older white men who control these assemblies are being called out for their policies by younger activists.  It will get increasingly ugly before it gets better.   But as the song says, "Change is gonna come".

Smashing the ceiling

     Here we go again.   Given the many stories demanding our attention, the potential for a debt ceiling crisis seems miniscule.   After all, we agreed to spend on the national credit card.  The bill is now due, so pay up already..

    Not so fast, says the house Republican majority.  Unless you agree to unspecified cuts to government programs, we will default on the debt.  Most experts agree that doing so would precipitate a global financial crisis leading to all sorts of unanticipated consequences.  Regardless, the chaos monkeys in the Republican caucus would probably burn the economy down in return for the headlines it would generate and the notoriety  they would accrue.    

     Meanwhile, the full faith and credit of the US is held hostage as those with no moral scruples prepare to torch the economy in preference to letting the Biden administration govern as it was elected to do.  What a world...