02/07/24 As Russ said, “Get that weak shit outta here!”

Tuesday was a bad day for the forces of American Political Evil, aka the Republican Party.

That made Tuesday a good day for America.

A federal appeals court, in a unanimous 57-page opinion, laughed at Trump’s unfounded claim that he is immune from prosecution for any and all alleged crimes he committed while in the White House.

Why would any jurist have bought that absurdity in the first place? They wouldn’t. The written judgment was a model of air-tight logic, combined with an artful but unmistakable message to Trump and his lawyers to—as the late basketball great Bill Russell often said—“Get that weak shit outta here!”

Trump has until Monday to appeal to SCOTUS. It ain’t gonna fly there, either, even among The Cult Wing of The Court.

Oh, and while we’re on the subject of back-handing ridiculousness, of course Trump was an “official.” He held office. Duh. So his team wanted us to believe that a president who has taken an oath to uphold our laws and Constitution is himself exempted from them?

I once again defer to Number Six. “Get that weak shit outta here!”

Perhaps House Speaker Mike Johnson should purchase an abacus. Johnson is obviously math challenged, which Tuesday resulted in what is being described as “ten minutes of utter humiliation” for the Speaker and his party. He who can’t count can’t lead and can’t govern.

The House Republican effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas augured in and left a deeply embarrassing crater. Impeach Mayorkas? For what? The GOP wails about “the invasion at the border” while at the same time cynically blocking legislation that would go a long way toward fixing the problem.

But Johnson wasn’t done taking pies to the face. His solely politically motivated effort to pass a stand-alone aid bill for Israel got shot down as well.

Are there growing “Chips” in the Trump façade? Chip Roy, whose lips have heretofore been fused onto Trump’s derriere with Gorilla Glue, took a shot at Trump’s claim that any president could unilaterally close the border. Roy dared to ask the former president, essentially, “If that’s the case why didn’t you do it?”

Are there sprouting mustard seeds of logic among members of Team Crazy? Well, not completely. There’s chaos in the RNC. Trump pressured his own 2017 choice, Ronna McDaniel, into resigning as RNC chair. That boy can sure hold a grudge, can’t he? His Orangeness, by all accounts, thinks McDaniel was a poor fundraiser and hasn’t done enough to preserve and advance his 2020 Big Lie.

As I said at the top, Tuesday was a good day for America. Mama’s going to prison for arming her murderous son. Dad’s gonna get his time in the hole, too. And now there is legal precedent for holding parents accountable.

Oh, and Altuve is an Astro for Life! Tuesday set a very high standard for Wednesday.

One Response

Tracy Bogert says:

February 8, 2024 at 1:50 am

Excellent piece Brother

Reply

Paul's Bio

I clearly have the attention span of your median fruit fly.Look! Airplane!

Sorry. I’m back.

It’s both a curse and a blessing. I’ve never bought this stuff about, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I do think that a wide range of life experiences helps us grow as people, and helps us better relate to other people. I’ve been fortunate. And I am beyond grateful.

I show up on time. I go like hell. I’m a good listener. I hold myself accountable. I own my mistakes. And I have a natural and an insatiable curiosity. I’m never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t. But then I try to find out.

The flip side is I’m a lousy ballroom dancer and my clothes sometimes fit me funny.

Stuff matters to me. I care. But while I take that stuff seriously, I try hard to never take myself seriously. As a result, I have sometimes been told, “Paul, it’s hard to tell when you’re serious and when you’re just having some fun. Which is it? Serious or fun?”

My answer is “yes.” But I think that is a legitimate criticism. I promise I’m going to work on that.

This has been the quickest and strangest half-century I’ve ever experienced. During that period, I’ve been afforded amazing opportunities in news and sports journalism across all platforms. I have taught wonderful students at the high school and collegiate level. Always, I learned more from them than they did from me. I’ve been a high school administrator. I spent ten seasons as a high school varsity football coach. I’ve been an advertising executive. I’ve hosted nationally syndicated television entertainment shows. In maybe the biggest honor I ever received, I was selected by NASA to be “Chet The Astronaut” for the “Land The Shuttle” simulator at Space Center Houston. (All I can say there, is “Do as I say, not as I do.” I put that thing in the Everglades more often than not.) Most recently, I just wrapped up a decade as a television news director, during which time our teams distinguished themselves in holding the powerful accountable, achieving both critical and ratings success.

What does all that mean? It means I am profoundly grateful. It also means I’m ready for “next.” So here we are. Radically Rational. It’s an idea I woke up with in 2017. I scribbled “Radically Rational” on a piece of notebook paper and used a magnet to stick it on our refrigerator. I saw it every day, and it just would not leave me alone.

I am second in charge at Radically Rational, LLC. My wife, Jo (also known as BB), is the president. Clearly, I have failed in my attempt to sleep my way to the top of this organization.

I hope you will learn that I’m loyal as a Labrador. But I will admit that this doggie can bite every now and then. My promise to you? I will show up on time. I will go like hell. I will listen to you earnestly and attentively. I will hold myself accountable. I will never be the least bit hesitant to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t.

But then I’ll try to find out. Let’s do it.