Okay, a day late this week (under HBO's new "Thursday drop" schedule), if you missed Last Week Tonight with John Oliver this week, the Main Story was about healthcare, but specifically Medicaid. The report is terrific. Extremely interesting, largely about changes that have been made to the program, largely by specific states who administer it, all of which are creating hurdles for the people the Medicaid is meant to assist. And in some cases, essentially eliminating access. The piece is very detailed, information, galling, fascinating and often extremely funny.
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We'll let Tim O'Brien have his say today. He's a biographer of Trump, who Trump sued for defamation (claiming that O'Brien didn't make his as rich as he insisted he was),and O'Brien not only won -- but he got to see Trump's taxes on a non-disclosure agreement. O'Brien was a guest on Nicolle Wallace's show yesterday, and told a story that speaks loudly about who Trump is on a couple of levels. The first is something that got hinted about early on, but has eventually gotten largely lost amid all the other Transgressions of Trump, like trying to overthrow the government, four indictments, being found liable for the equivalence of rape, being found guilty of business fraud, enabling white supremacists and, well, y'know, the whole fascism and wanting to be a dictator thing. What O'Brien talks about is Trump's ties to the Mob. And the second thing is that Trump swaggers and talks tough, but like most insecure bullies, if there's a risk of getting pushed back, he retreats. O'Brien began his conversation this way -- "Donald Trump's first partners in Atlantic City, Ken Shapiro, a bag man for the Philadelphia mob, and a labor racketeer named Danny Sullivan. Those were his two partners in Atlantic City. When Trump Tower got built, 80 percent of Trump Tower was built with concrete at a time when all the skyscrapers in Manhattan had long since converted to building their high-rises out of steel." "Why?" Nicolle Wallace interrupts. "Well, I mean, you know, I suspect because he was getting a sweetheart deal from the mob, and why he needed to get concrete and it was very mobbed up," said O'Brien. "He built a very palatial apartment. When Donald and I talked about this down in Mar-a-Lago, he said, you know, I went to John Cody and I told him what's what and that guy never, ever messed with me because he knew who he was dealing with. And then he pauses and he says, he's still in jail, right? It finally dawned on Mr. Tough Guy that John Cody isn't somebody he'd want to tangle with in public, and he'd want to make sure he's still in jail because Donald Trump, like every classic bully — if you push back, it's often masking infantile weaknesses." O'Brien went on: "He's not a tough person when you scratch past the surface, but he fetishizes mobsters. When we talked in the top of the hour, what he said to me about John Gotti, that he sort of wanted to model himself on John Gotti. Because John Gotti was such a tough S.O.B. He would sit in the courtroom, and he wouldn’t flinch, and he wouldn’t cry, and he’d stare down the judge and the jury, and that’s how you should roll. And he’s compared himself on the campaign trail to Al Capone. This is someone who has a cartoonish, juvenile and dangerous fixation on how mobsters are to be honored, and how they roll in society, and he models himself on that." You can watch it here, as well. (Normally, I'd have just posted the video, and O'Brien tells the story so well. But I thought it read particularly well. So, you get a Daily Double, of sorts.) We interrupt this website for a Jimmy Kimmel Special. Our regularly schedule Main Story from Last Week Tonight will return tomorrow. This is because on Wednesday, in the midst of his criminal trial in Manhattan as he runs for president, Trump found the time to write a meltdown social media rant against Jimmy Kimmel for reasons known only to him. It dealt with the Oscars, which were five weeks earlier and from which most of the world had moved on. Before we go any further though, here's what Trump wrote -- Kimmel had a great response on Twitter. Replying to this post he wrote, “In fairness to our former President, many stable geniuses confuse me with Al Pacino.....” I’m sure he’ll say something about it on his show tonight. By the way, I responded with something all other respondents missed. I noted that starting all the way back in 1989, the Motional Picture Academy has not said "the famous and mandatory" (sic) line "And the winner is..." -- but instead have long been required to say, "And the Oscar goes to..." Apparently, it seems that the "very stable genius" hasn't noticed this change for the past 35 years! You read this and it's hard not to think, "This is the Republican nominee for president??" Putting aside the attempt to overthrow the government, the rape, the business fraud, the four other indictments, and the whole, y'know, fascism -- even on just this bizarre tweet alone and it's bewildering that there are people who not only don't think he's a malignant narcissist, has borderline dementia, and nuts, but actually think he's smart, a leader, hand-picked by Jesus and should be in charge of the safety and security of the United States and have responsibility for the nuclear bomb. I read a comment that Trump’s rant might have been prompted by a very funny piece Kimmel had done the night before where he used a chalk board to break down Trump’s infantile Gettysburg Wow! analysis. But the thing is, if you’re Trump and so upset that a guy had such a funny, scathing monologue breaking down your words in careful detail, why would you think that if you send a long rant, the guy won’t do the same thing again???! As it happens, I had recorded Kimmel's show that night because they had a guest on who I wanted to see -- but I also wondered if Kimmel would address Trump's tweet. Okay, actually I didn't wonder, I was absolutely sure he would. And not only, of course, did he, but Kimmel dove into Trump immediately. For almost 10 minutes (!), and it was hilarious and scathing. Watching it, I was reminded of the famous admonition about going after newspapers – never attack someone who buys ink by the barrel. Trump trying to go after Kimmel, who clearly relishes such things and is generally magnificent in how he responds, is the electronic equivalent of that. I was going to describe the monologue, but far-better is just watching the full clip. No need to scroll through to the find the part on Trump, he gets into it right off. It’s magnificent and touches every note, include some you don't expect. He even references (although subtly) the point I made about the Oscars long-since past "...and the winner is..." line. This is a maestro at work, who just loves what he's doing. The other day, I wrote online that it's gotten to the point where today's MAGOPs lie as easily as other people breathe. But then, that's understandable when they follow their cult leader who has 30,000+ documented lies during his time in office, culled by the Washington Post. Further, that's mesh by the foundation of today's MAGOP basing their concept of "news" from conspiracy theories and a literally-anonymous source like QAnon, and so have come to actually believe in things like that JFK Jr. is going to come back to life and run with Trump. And that Anderson Cooper eats people. So, it only follows that they would accept it when Trump's spokesperson Kellyanne Conway says that she is offering "alternative facts." And when Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani says that "Truth is not truth." It's gotten deeply out of control the last few months, even more so now that Trump is actually on trial and melting down in his daily pronouncements that have little-known relationship to the truth or reality, and his supportive acolytes follow suit. It's times like leaves when you wish Dragnet was still on television, so that every week, people could be reminded of what matters when they hear Joe Friday always say to a witness who starts going off on a tangent. "The facts, ma'am, just the facts." I was trying to think what to write about this -- when I realized I already had, last August. So, rather than dive in again and drive myself loopy, I thought I would just repeat it, because it remains spot on. The Fact is...
It’s been said that America today is a divided country. And it is. That suggests the divide is like cutting an apple in half, and both sides are just different portions of the same apple. I would suggest that the divide is not that at all, but something very different. This doesn’t mean all Democrats agree on everything among themselves. They don’t. Nor does it mean all Republicans agree among themselves. They don’t. But for the most part, Democrats are Democrats because foundationally they generally agree with one another. And Republicans are Republicans because they, too, all have largely the same grounded beliefs as other Republicans. Democrats factually watch as people break into the U.S. Capitol, cause damage, and build a hangman’s noose and recognize that these actions meant members of Congress were in danger. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats factually see an ongoing increase in Stage 5 hurricanes, wildfires, sub-zero winter cold and blizzards, and temperatures reaching the highest ever for a month in recorded history as evidence of Climate Change. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats accept the certified facts that Joe Biden get seven million more votes than Donald Trump, and 306 Electoral votes for Biden to 232 for Trump, which got Biden legally and fairly elected U.S. President. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats see, as fact, a unanimous jury find Trump liable of sexual assault, which the judge described in a written ruling as the equivalence of rape, as being how the Justice System works and the Rule of Law. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats hear scientists say, as fact, that COVID-19 is a deadly disease that can cause a world pandemic. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats understand that Russia has factually been and remains a major adversary of the United States, and that Vladimir Putin is a dictatorial despot. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats know, as fact, that when you get your information from a totally anonymous Q-source, you have absolutely no idea who it actually, truly is, and so there is literally no way you can accept anything said as fact. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats trust the volumes of factual research evidence from accredited scientists that says COVID vaccines are safe and effective. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats see 1,000 people, as fact, plead guilty or be found guilty for their actions on January 6 and consider that the U.S. Judiciary System and the Rule of Law is working. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats read the Mueller Report that factually says in black-and-white that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats see horrified scientists insist that no one should take ivermectin horse paste or ingest bleach or use UV rays to treat COVID because it doesn’t work and can actually kill you. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats hear a factual audio recording of Trump illegally asking the Georgia Secretary of State to find 11,780 votes that he’s told don’t exist. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats look at photos the FBI took of documents they factually recovered from Trump’s home. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats know that, as a fact, Bill Gates did not put microchips into the COVID vaccine and that the vaccine will not magnetize you. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats learned when they were children that the way the Judicial System factually works is that it is the citizens sitting on a Grand Jury who vote whether or not to indict a defendant, and the verdict is not ordered by the president. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats see Barack Obama’s official birth record as factual proof of citizenship. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats know that science is based on empirical research and facts, and is not a belief system. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats understand, as fact, that the FBI went to a judge, provided evidence to justify getting a search warrant, and the judge determined that cause had been met, and signed the legal order. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats accept, as fact, the results of a four-year investigation by Trump Special Counsel John Durham and a five-year FBI investigation that find no accepted bribes, no crimes, no transgressions by Joe Biden. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats mourn the fact that 1.2 million Americans have died of COVID. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats understand that when Trump was indicted by three Grand Juries, this is the way the Judicial System is factually supposed to operate and is the Rule of Law. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats watch Barbie as, factually, a light-hearted movie fantasy romp and not a threat to both national security and male virility. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats understand that selling the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head toys in the same box factually cuts the cost of production, and is not an attack on male virility. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats look at M&M's as factual pieces of chocolate candy, not sexual objects. Republicans believe otherwise. Democrats see the graves of John F. Kennedy and JFK Jr. and mourn the fact that they died. Republicans believe otherwise. For my taste, the PBS Masterpiece mini-series, "Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office" (based on a true national scandal) is every bit as great as its reputation and huge success that it had in England. An ensemble cast, but starring Toby Jones. Usually he plays offbeat, quirky characters, sometimes villains, but here he's quiet, low-key, down-to-earth. That's much the way the series is -- but very personal, involving and often-deeply moving. Crushing at times as you witness deeply-decent and innocent people being rolled, many with lives ruined, some wrongly imprisoned, all for reasons they don't understand by a government behemoth. Yet, appalling and tragic as much of the story is -- it's also about the fight back and is very much uplifting, as well. The story is about small-town sub-postmasters (sort of like a step-up from people who run Mailbox Etc. stores) who are prosecuted for major theft, each told they were the only one with the problem they were claiming, when it turns out it was a systemwide computer error. That simple description only because to do justice to the building emotion of everything. Though the series does a great job in focusing the story in a manageable tightness, it actually is still somewhat going on after 20 years, and 160 million pounds in restitution have (so far...) been paid. Two episodes down, two to go. If you subscribe to PBS, you can catch up on the series on PBS Passport. In fact, all four episodes are available there, including a short follow-up featurette on the true story. Here's the short trailer from when it aired in England. It only touches the surface. As it says, "The largest miscarriage of justice in British history." Yesterday, the House Republican crack impeachment team marched their Articles of Impeachment over to the Senate for the trial of Department of Homeland Security head Alejandro Mayorkas.
This is one of the stupidest things the MAGOP can do, and it’s my understanding that many Senate Republicans wish this would go away so that they don’t have to vote on it. If they vote “Yes,” they look like idiots, but if they vote “No,” they risk offending the MAGOP base. It’s stupid for many reasons. Impeachment is required to charge someone for high crimes and misdemeanors. None were presented in the investigation of Secretary Mayorkas. Yes, MAGOPs on the committee insist there are, but it’s all just over disagreement on policy decisions. As one analyst said, if the standard of impeachment was policy disagreement, not only would you get few people wanting to work in government, but nothing would get done. Another reason, as a codicil of sorts to this, is that this is the first impeachment of a cabinet secretary in 150 years. And that impeachment was over bribery and kick-backs. Not "We don't agree with the way you're doing your job." A further reason is that this is clearly a desperate effort by House MAGOPs upset that they haven’t been able to find anything to impeach President Biden over, so this is the next best thing they can come up with to placate the disappointed extreme right members to “make good.” Also, the public has shown it hates impeachments of a president over no reason – Bill Clinton’s approval skyrocketed after his impeachment. And while this now is not a presidential impeachment, it’s one of his cabinet members, and an impeachment of the president by proxy. Additionally, it’s stupid because there is zero chance of conviction in the Senate. It needs a two-thirds vote for that – and Democrats control the Senate, so it won’t even get a majority. And may even get a lot of Republican votes. Of course, “having no chance” is not a reason not to impeach someone – though when you have no actual high crimes and misdemeanors to charge Secretary Mayorkas with, and the public hates meaningless impeachment, it makes “zero chance” a huge red flag warning. And even more, an impeachment of the Department of Homeland Security head for not doing his job the way the MAGOP want only serves to shine a bright light on the reality that as loud as the House Republicans cry out about border security, they are who blocked a bipartisan border bill from passing. But most of all, the most stupid thing about this upcoming Senate trial is that the House has made Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), one of the more deeply ignorant members of the House who seems bewildered by facts, reality and Jewish Space Lasers, one of the impeachment managers. In fact, this is all so stupid – and problematic for the Republican Party – that word is both Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate are working to see if they can find a way to make this go away as quickly as possible. Perhaps table it, perhaps set up rules so that it can be handled speedily. While that’s understandable, and probably for the best, there’s a side of me that would like to see it go to trial. Though with specific reasons on how that would work. For instance, one hope is that Democrats let House Republicans have all the time they need, especially so that Marjorie Taylor Greene can speak and make a whiney, annoying fool of herself as much as possible – and then when it’s the Democrats’ turn, they don’t even put up a defense and just call the vote, defeat it, and move on. I think it would be a pointed embarrassment to MAGOPs. Somewhat similarly, another tactic I’d like to see is that whenever it’s the Democratic time to speak, their defense team gets up and says, “This is really stupid” and then sits down. And then let Republicans and Ms. Greene yammer on. A codicil to this gambit is to let someone like Jamie Raskin speak each time Democrats have the floor(though it could be split up among other eloquent speakers like Dan Goldman, Jasmine Crockett, and Eric Swalwell), and rather than defend Secretary Mayorkas, they instead use their time to lambast all the transgressions of Republicans that the MAGOP are letting slide without investigation. Above all, the last thing I want to see Democrats do is use their time to actually defend Secretary Mayorkas, because that would give credibility to the trial. And there is no credibility to the trial. But mainly, the top reason that a side of me sort of wants to see the Senate trial go forth is because I want to see Marjorie Taylor Greene -- the Georgia Impeach -- speak as much as possible and humiliate herself and the party. And I feel confident that would happen, because I’ve seen her speak a lot on really simple things, and she has not yet failed to make a fool of herself. And an impeachment is not a “really simple thing,” but substantive. And she would taint the full party by association. Yes, I’m sure there are many on the extreme right to whom she is “heroic.” But that doesn’t make her heroic, and it doesn’t mean the other 80% of Americans see her that way. She has not only proven her incompetence time after time, but this impeachment is not only a substantive matter, as I said – but there is no material or evidence for even a scholar to make a case with. So, yes, that side of my does sort of hope she gets a chance to demean herself on such a prominent stage. Though above all, I’d be fine if this impeachment trial withers and disappears by a joint effort of Senate Democrats and Republicans alike. Because it’s stupid. |
AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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