Two views this week stand as a haunting portrait of planetary distress. From the ground: Frantic kangaroos bound in silhouetted stampede against advancing hellfire. From the sky: Flames and smoke literally ring the Australian continent, its outer reaches charred like unattended toast. No wonder right-wing politicians…
As relates to telling truth, Donald Trump has assumed the status of pin-striped legend. The Bambino of BS. The Sultan of Squat. Or as historian Douglas Brinkley dubs him, “the Babe Ruth of lies.” This title, every bit in keeping with the superlatives Trump assigns himself,…
In time for New Year’s Eve, a big lie on a big Colorado billboard: “A Coloradan is killed every three days in a marijuana-related traffic crash,” it shouts. Republican-dominated Weld County has deployed this demonstrable falsehood and other reefer-maddening roadside claims in a taxpayer-funded anti-pot campaign. It’s…
“If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.” That was Ebenezer Scrooge’s response to gentlemen soliciting a sliver of silver to help those whose meager fates were at the bitter mercy of the Gilded Age. Say what one might about…
When the Senate tries Donald Trump on slam-dunk charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress, Senate Republicans will recite after Mitch McConnell: “I swear to ignore any and all evidence, and serve the leader of our party. Truth be damned.” That’s not the actual oath they will…
I’ve seen that blank look from someone who doesn’t know football. “I don’t follow it. Don’t understand the rules — just teams in different uniforms.” I see the same look these days from some about impeachment. “I don’t follow it. Don’t understand it. Just two parties going…
Soon-to-be-outta-here Energy Secretary Rick Perry has certainly changed his take. A couple of years ago he labeled Donald Trump a “cancer on conservatism” and called on fellow conservatives to “excise” it. Now that cancer is divine. All praise. He says he’s told Trump: “Absorb…
I’ll take my shoes off to that. Whatever the Transportation Security Administration wishes to do. Done. Strip search. Check. Mouth scraping. Check. Hair sample. While it lasts. I’ll surrender all fluids. Body scan? I’ll stretch out on the conveyor and slide along with the tennis rackets.…
The front-page teaser read: “Did Trump lie to Robert Mueller?” The mind reacted: What? Does Mueller have a television? Internet access? Does Mueller have ears? Can he compute linguistic signals? If any of the above, Trump lied to him just as he has lied…
The GOP explanation, with an attempt at correct punctuation: “He didn’t do it, but if he did, it was perfect; but why should we believe he did it? This is all second- and third-hand testimony, except for the transcript you might have read, and anyway he was just…