August 2024
Who is "Flip-Flopping" Now?
30/08/24 11:27
August 30, 2024 (Vol. 18 No. 38) - Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris sat down with her running mate Tim Walz and CNN's Dana Bash last night for a much anticipated interview. Trump had been clamoring for such an interview, saying that she had been hiding from having to answer tough questions. Of course, Failure 45's position is dripping with irony, considering that the only interviews he does is with sycophantic pseudo-journalists such as Dr. Phil and Sean Hannity. While Republicans will tell you something different, privately they must be dismayed at the Vice President's performance. There were no misstatements or flubs. When asked about Trump's racist questioning of her credentials as a black person, she was perfectly dismissive, calling it "the same old playbook." The best the GOP could do was call her a "flip-flopper" on issues such as fracking and immigration. Again, these charges are ironic since Donald Trump, at almost the same hour as the interview, was dramatically trying to change his position on abortion and in vitro fertilization. Of course, he has also been backpedaling as hard as he can from Project 2025, a litany of draconic measures conjured up by group of ex-Trump administration officials. So who is the "flip-flopper" now? Maybe a better question is whether we will allow politicians to change their minds and alter their positions over time. I'll bet that you, the reader, has modified some of the positions you held over time. I know that I have. For example, I am much more sympathetic to Lyndon Johnson today than I was when he was in office. A bigger question is do you really want a president who refuses to modify his or her positions based on new information? If you do - as many Republicans suggest they do with their criticism of Harris - then they have to hate Ronald Reagan. After all, the man was a union boss and a staunch Democrat in his early days. Of course, it is reasonable to wonder whether a politician's change of heart is sincere. Perhaps in this year's presidential election, you should ask which candidate has more credibility when it comes to making promises. (Hint: Mexico didn't pay for the wall. And, by the way, for all intents and purposes, there is no wall.) If you are honest with yourself, then the choice of who should be the next president is crystal clear. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.Joy Comes in the Morning
23/08/24 05:35
August 23, 2024 (Vol. 18 No. 37) - If you are among the few Americans who are undecided in your choice of who will be the next President of the United States, I can help you. I suggest you contrast and compare the acceptance speeches of the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees. This is the transcript of Donald Trump's rambling, often vitriolic speech in Milwaukee on July 21. Compare it with the transcript of the acceptance speech given last night by Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Her remark's lasted only 35 minutes, just one-third of the time that Trump used to lay out his litany of lies and imaginary grievances. Vice President Harris told us her life story, how her presidency would differ from her opponent's and her vision for America's future. She could have been like her opponent and gone for the low-hanging fruit of personal insults. But she didn't. While Harris was hard on Trump, her criticisms were fact-based. Most of all, the two acceptance speeches gave us a look at the very soul of each candidate. Donald Trump's soul is a very dark place, one that is full of self-loathing and an insatiable desire to be respected. If he weren't such an evil and dangerous man, I would feel sorry for him. On the other hand, we see that Kamala Harris's soul is one that filled with joy and a determination to make this a better world. To some, my assessment of Harris may seem gullible and naive. But for millions of American who are tired of the nine years of chaos that followed Donald Trump down that escalator in 2015, the Vice President's remarks were a breath of fresh air. Several times during this week's Democratic National Convention, the 30th Psalm, a Psalm of David, was cited. It captures the feeling we are left after living in the wretched darkness manifesting Donald Trump's soul. The psalm concludes with this verse: "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning." Yes, if we elect Kamala Harris, we will once again be able to proclaim that it's "Morning in America." That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.What Happened to Editors?
15/08/24 20:17
August 15, 2024 (Vol. 18 No. 36) - When I went to journalism school at the University of Maryland a half-century ago, I learned that a basic tenant of the profession is that a journalist must edit and verify information one gathers before he or she disseminates it. A reporter doesn't just parrot what a source says. A reporter also checks its validity, culling out the hyperbole and untruths before sharing with the audience. Most newspapers, magazines and broadcast networks do this. Unfortunately, cable news networks apparently don't believe this is important. Take this past week, for example. Twice the Republican presidential nominee has been given unlimited air time to spew forth lies and personal insults in "so called" news conferences. While the print journalists and broadcast networks covered the sessions and then summarized the cogent news points that came out of them, the CNNs, MSNBCs and the Foxs just turned on the camera, pointed the microphone and let the candidate speak unchallenged and uninterrupted for more than an hour. Never mind that there was little in the way of actual news in these unholy homilies. They were nothing more than non-stop verifiable lies and personal insults. What public service is done if these so-called cable journalists do not fulfill their basic editorial function? And it is not just Trump. Why should Kamala Harris or any other candidate be given what amounts to a one-hour free campaign commercial full of blah, blah, blah? If there is news coming out of these alleged "news conferences" or, for that matter, campaign rallies, report it. Otherwise, don't let the candidates clutter the airwaves with these mind-numbing - and, in the case of Trump, mindless - infomercials. How can the American people hold these candidates accountable when journalists are not willing to do it? Sure, there will be times when, in exercising one's news judgment, the decision should be made to carry these events live. However, it lately seems as if cable TV's news judgment has atrophied. Not every campaign speech or news conference is worthy of live coverage. How about serving your editorial function, for once? Otherwise, just turn your facilities over to the My Pillow Guy and call it a day. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.When the System Worked
08/08/24 09:07
August 8, 2024 (Vol. 18 No. 35) - I was proud to cast my first vote ever for president on behalf of Richard Nixon back in 1972. At the time, I thought he had done a fabulous job on both the foreign and domestic fronts during his first term. Fast forward to October 1973, after 10 months of startling and disturbing information coming out of the investigation into the break-in at the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate in Washington. I had thought that it was still possible that it was Nixon's people, not Nixon himself, who had been responsible. But after the Saturday Night Massacre, when he fired Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, my patience had run out. Much to the dismay of my Nixon-loyalist mother, I openly called for Nixon's impeachment or resignation. After a long and messy struggle, that finally happened 50 years ago today. It could not have happened without the leadership of Nixon's own party going to the White House and telling the president that the gig is up. It may have been too slow for some, but that was a case of the system working. And it only worked because members of both political parties put the Constitution ahead of partisan issues. Unfortunately, at least for now, those days are gone. Republicans saved former president and future inmate Donald Trump from impeachment not once, but twice. And Trump's high crimes and misdemeanors were far more serious than anything Richard Nixon had done. And now those same Republicans are four-square behind Trump's attempt to reclaim the presidency. Never mind that Trump's main motivation is to avoid prosecution and imprisonment for his fraudulent and seditious actions. Oh, the hypocrisy! Fifty years later, we have abandoned any semblance of democracy. That is why I will repeat what I have said in this space.before — not one single Republican in the House and Senate deserves reelection. And some, such as Jim Jordan and Josh Hawley, deserve to be in prison. Remember this come November: Friends don't let friends vote Republican. Ever. And that is written by a man who once was proud to call himself a Nixon Republican. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.Chicken Don
06/08/24 07:49
August 6, 2024 (Vol. 18 No. 34) - Yet another major milepost has passed in Campaign 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris, the democratic nominee for President, has chosen Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate. It's a good pick because Walz is authentic and has a wicked sense of humor. Of course, there's also the comparison between Walz and his Republican counterpart, the faux-hillbilly J.D. Vance - a male version of Sarah Palen. Now, the next milestone is/are the upcoming Presidential debate(s) or non debate(s). Failure 45 had said he was ready to debate the Democratic presidential nominee "any time, any place." When President Biden stepped away from the race and the Vice President was anointed the new nominee, the Defeated Former President's backbone turned to Jello. Now he says the deal is off and he has conveniently arranged a new debate at Trump-friendly Fox News, with two Trump-friendly moderators, and in front of Trump-friendly audience (mob). How brave is that, former President Bone Spur? The problem for Candidate "Any Where, Any Place" is that a deal is a deal. Vice President Harris has done exactly what I would have told her to do, say that she's showing up at ABC for the previously schedule debate. The network, to its credit, has said the debate will go on as scheduled with or without Chicken Don. This singular act of cowardice is just another recent example of the Count of Mar-a-Lardo's growing desperation. In the past week, he has gone off the rails, saying the Vice President is stupid, questioned her sanity and, most famously, questioned whether she is really black. You tell me who is the unhinged candidate? Don-OLD really is in trouble. The polls are trending Democratic, his legal problems haven't gone away and his running mate is as dumb as dog dung. And there are still 13 weeks until Election Day. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.