Politics

Donald Trump won’t be there in the ICU when a doctor removes a ventilator from one coronavirus patient and orders it cleaned and used for another one instead. He won’t be there when that doctor orders a drug cocktail to make the last moments of the first patient’s life more bearable. He won’t be there when that doctor also checks the machines and records that patient’s time of death. Or when the doctor quietly tries to deal with the knowledge that he has just killed one patient to save another. Read more about The Killer

J’Accuse. I accuse. Originally, an open letter by Émile Zola to the president of the French Republic in defense of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer who had been accused of treason by the French army. Zola was not debating the French Republic – he was accusing them.

So, to the seeming delight of more than a few pundits, were the Democratic presidential candidates in the recent primary “debates.”

I watched the first couple start to finish, when they were all being nice to each other, except for Kamala Harris (my favorite, but not in that first debate*). Read more about J’Accuse Debates

I didn’t watch the Trial of Trump much. I had already watched over 35 hours of Congressional Hearings and I knew the case for impeachment like the back of my hand. The Republican Senate had already shut down any possibility for more documents or witnesses, so nothing new was likely to arise. Read more about Congress Rising

Remember that bit about Rod Rosenstein wondering if he should wear a wire to the White House?

I used to wonder what he thought he would catch the President saying – or doing – and what he thought whatever it was would make possible.

I still wonder about that last part. What exactly did Rosenstein think he could accomplish? What could he have had in mind. Read more about Christie Shoulda Worn a Wire

The list of former Republicans who now pundit on MSNBC is long and laudable. It includes Jennifer Rubin, Bill Kristol, Charlie Sykes, David Jolly and Michael Steele. Read more about Republicans

History may be doomed to repeat itself – if we’re lucky. Read more about Back Into the Frying Pan

Taking a moment out to sort through my thoughts on 2020 issues. I’d be interested to hear what yours are. Read more about Policy Papers

“That’s not who we are.” It’s a favorite message of political hope sounded by some of our favorite politicians.

To which I can be heard to mutter, “Except sometimes.”

I’m not the only one. Other folks from my side of the aisle have been popping up all over the place insisting “That” is exactly who we are. Meaning racist, misogynistic, predatory assholes. And have been from the beginning.

To which I can be heard to mutter, “Except sometimes.” Read more about Who Are We?

Can we please get over ourselves about “socialism” and stop calling people “socialists,” unless they are Bernie Sanders who proudly claims the label and good for him. It bespeaks an ideology which has little or nothing to do with our lives in a liberal democracy. Read more about It's Universal Healthcare, Not Socialism

Is there a more perfect metaphor for the present state of our union than infection?

Infection is the invasion of an organism's body tissues by disease-causing agents, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agents and the toxins they produce.

“Toxic” is the word often chosen to describe Trump’s outbursts and rally screeds. Read more about Infection