A Brief History Of The Republican Party And Treason

1968: operatives working for Republican Presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon contacted the North Vietnamese and offered them a better peace deal that LBJ was, if they'd just put off signing until after the election. This temporarily scuttled the Paris peace talks and contributed to the election of Nixon. Oh, by the way, there was no better deal...and countless more people died as a result.

1980: operatives working for Republican Presidential candidate Ronald W. Reagan contacted the Iranians and offered them a better deal if they'd hold off releasing their American hostages, which President Carter had been negotiating, until after the election. They did. Reagan won, and at least in this case the Iranians got something: arms.

2016: operatives working for Republican Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump received repeated offers of "help" from the Russians. They reported none of this to the FBI. They changed the party's platform to favor Russia. They accepted "aid" from Russian hackers. Trump "won" and ever since he's bent over backward to favor Vladimir Putin.

As a bonus, let's not forget the plot to overthrow FDR, cobbled together by a number of bankers and industrialists, all of them Republicans terrified by the New Deal. That one didn't work, but it sure wasn't for lack of trying.

Treason. Treason. Treason. Treason.

Just something to remember as we honor our war dead...

Every Sperm Is Sacred...Alabama Toodleloo

This country becomes more of a joke hourly.

From the spray tanned Traitor in the White House, to the organ grinder's monkey pretending to be our Attorney General, and all the other Trump appointed misfit grifters polluting our body politic, it's hard to be shocked by anything that happens in the good ol' USA.

But...

A bunch of good old white boys who happen to sit in the Alabama legislature, and the Georgia and Missouri legislatures as well, have decided to put uppity wimmenfolk in their place, and let the poor things know, once and for all, who's in charge of their bodies.

Spoiler alert! It ain't the women.

Obviously, these women just don't appreciate the wonderful blessing they've received when they are impregnated by a mouth breathing hayseed. Even if the hayseed raped them, or is related to them. After all, every sperm is sacred. It says so in the Bible-doesn't it? It must! If it doesn't, it should! Roll Tide.

Under normal circumstances, we could wait for the Supreme Court to explain to all the Bible thumpin' Jethros out there that Roe v Wade is the law of the land, and to mind their own fucking business.

But these are not normal circumstances. Thanks to Mitch McConnell (who, if there is a Hell as described by Dante, deserves his own ring) we now have a Supreme Court peopled with the likes of Brett "I Like Beer!" Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch to go along with Clarence "I've Done All You Asked--Now Can I Be An Honorary White Man?" Thomas, Alito and Roberts.

Do not hold your breath waiting for them to do the right thing.

(By the way, there are a disproportionate number of Catholics on the Supreme Court. Way too many. And their religious beliefs tend to color everything they rule on. This is not a good thing.)

So, here we are. Going backward in a hurry.

I would say boycott Alabama, but honestly, who the fuck wants to go to Alabama in the first place?

Jeez Lindsey! What Do They Have On You?

At one point in the not too distant past, Senator Lindsey Graham, or as I call him with a certain fondness, "The Belle of the South", was anti-Trump and pro-reaching across the aisle, at least in some instances.

He called the Great Orange MAGAt "dangerous" "absurd" "bombastic" "not fit" and "stupid". All of which are true, by the way.

Lindsey was also besties with the late, unlamented, John McCain, who Trump has shat on at every opportunity, while McCain lived and even after he died.

But then, something changed...

Now Lindsey enjoys golfing with the MAGAt. Now Lindsey tweets things like "Happy Birthday, Mr. President! You're keeping your promise to make America safer and more prosperous."

And "President Trump clearly relishes being the Law and Order president and a strong Commander in Chief."

This isn't your garden variety Republican hypocrisy, which we are all more or less used to by now.

No, this something different. You don't just suddenly decide to kiss up to a sleazy rat bastard who demeans and disrespects your best friend. Not if you have any character, that is.

The 180 degree reversal began after Graham announced that his email had been hacked.

One is forced to speculate that someone is blackmailing the Senator with the contents of those emails.

So, the operative question is, what do they have on you Lindsey?

Must be something really bad, huh? Is it little girls? Little boys? Big boys? Animals?

After all, a Southern gentleman's reputation is everything. And the fear of having it besmirched by anything, especially the truth, can force a fella to act in very strange ways.

"Too Stupid To Collude"

Four little words that will be Donald J. Trump Jr.'s epitaph.

It'll look really good on a granite headstone, too. Only the best granite, I'm sure. No! Let's go with marble! Like a Roman Emperor would use to memorialize his dimwitted son.

"Too stupid to collude."

Must be those "superior genes", huh?

Or do they skip a generation?

Or are they simply not there at all?

Like the old saying goes, "the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree."

Questions, questions, questions.

"Too stupid to collude."

WOW.

The Trump Doctrine(s)

1. Everything is for sale. Everything. Including America's dignity, honor, and security.

2. Steal everything and anything you can get your hands on.

3. If you get caught, LIE.

4. If you get caught lying, lie some more.

That's it. That's all.

When this "man" and his family are finally out of the White House, before the place is scoured and fumigated, somebody better count the silverware.

Signor Baseball's Somewhat Belated 2019 AL Preview

Signor Baseball has been plagued by a variety of nagging ailments (it is the years and the miles), an automobile accident (that was not his fault), and the knowledge that there are approximately 40 million Americans who are complete imbeciles. And, as a result, he has fallen a little behind in his prognosticating.

But, as the executioner says, the show must go on.

So, let's start in the East. If it's good enough for the sun, it's good enough for me. Once again the Yankees will hit many home runs and strike out many times. And once again their starting pitching will be precarious. New York might have the best bullpen in the Majors, but getting to it with a lead may prove problematical. Also, New York has already been hit with an outrageous injury bug. Starting to look like a MASH unit up in the Bronx. So, despite a very weak start, it looks like the Red Sox are the favorites--once again. Unless Tampa can continue to play .750 baseball, that is. But they can't do that...can they? I mean honestly, name two Rays. Go on. Snell and, uh, that other guy...Toronto isn't nearly strong enough to compete, though Vlad Guerrero Jr. may liven things up in the Great White North. Baltimore is a disaster zone. Nice town, good people, great ballpark, bad team. So, Boston, Yankees, maybe Tampa if they're for real, Toronto if they're not and the Orioles way, way back. One, possibly two Wild Cards.

Central: Cleveland, city of lights, city of mystery. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or as I like to call it, The Hall of You're Kidding Me, They're In and They're Not?! is in Cleveland. The Indians seem to win the Central every year, and 2019 should be no different. They have a solid everyday lineup and the best pitching in the division. And that's more than enough. The Twins have improved to the point where they can keep it relatively close, at least for awhile. Chicago is also better than they have been. So, Minnesota and the White Sox in whatever order pleases you, for second and third. The Royals have fallen on hard times. It wasn't that long ago that Kansas City was the class of this division, but now they will struggle to stay out of the cellar. They will be helped in this endeavor by Detroit. The Tigers have fallen on even harder times than the Royals. Sad. Sad. Sad. On the plus side, both teams are just a couple of players away--if those players are the spitting image of Willie Mays and Sandy Koufax.

West: Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. Mike Trout just signed a new contract with the Angels for close to half a billion dollars. Mike Trout will have a typically great year. The Angels will not win the West this year. That is how baseball, unlike, say, basketball, works. So, who will win the West? Probably Houston. They have a great lineup and good starting pitching--though it's not quite as good as it has been. Seattle and Oakland will battle for second, with a chance for a Wild Card. The aforementioned Angels of Anaheim, or whatever they call themselves now, will be lucky to play .500 ball. And poor old Texas is in tear it down and start again mode, and a fire sale of their more expensive players should begin sometime in late June, early July. Maybe a Wild card from this division.

Signor Baseball's 2019 NL Preview

 I think it was Jesus who first said "Good pitching beats good hitting. Except when it doesn't."

Or maybe it was Casey Stengel, who was a much more interesting conversationalist.

Anyway, as some people try to pretend, at least for a little while, that Trump is "innocent" and also a "man", let's take a look at what the National League has to offer for 2019.

In the East, we see a jumble. The Mets still have superior starting pitching--when healthy. But they can't seem to stay healthy. And they also don't seem capable of scoring enough runs to win those games when their superior starting pitching gives up more than 1-2 runs. So, sadly, let's forget about the Mets. Philadelphia added Bryce Harper's big bat, and perhaps more importantly, J. T. Realmuto, one of the best catchers in baseball, and maybe that will be enough to push them past Atlanta. Washington added another good arm; but good arms tend to get hurt in National's land. If they don't, look for a three team race, with the runner up having a good shot at a Wild Card. It could be a four team race, if the Mets bats could ever keep up with their arms. And the arms stay healthy, of course. Nah. New York will be somewhere around .500 and that leaves the Marlins in last, still occasionally developing good players, and then having to get rid of them when they ask for more money. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

In the Central, the Cubs, Brewers, and Cardinals should be neck and neck all season long. Chicago still puts the best lineup on the field--but where did that get them last year? Milwaukee is solid everywhere--but starting pitching, And the St. Louis, thanks to Arizona's penury, now has Paul Goldschmidt to anchor their batting order. 30 homers, 100 rbi's, and a .300 average looks pretty good in any team's lineup. Injuries and whichever team's starters come through will decide the Central. Probably a Wild Card, maybe two, from here as well. Elsewhere, the Pirates are talented, but very young, and probably a year or two away from seriously competing. And it looks like Cincinnati will have to rely on the madcap comedic stylings of Yasiel Puig to make this year entertaining. He may not be the second coming of Willie Mays, but he is endlessly amusing.

Out West, the Diamondbacks traded their best everyday player, lost their second best everyday player and number 2 starter to free agency, and replaced the grass on their field with artificial turf. What they really need to replace is their managing general partner, Ken Kendrick, who is an imbecile. Tough for any team to overcome an imbecile owner, so...unless their pitching is a lot better than it looks, last place seems like a likely outcome for Arizona. Probably lowest attendance in the division, too. Suck on that, ownership. For the rest of the division, the Dodgers still are the team to beat, with Colorado a not so close second. L.A. is just loaded; they should be with that payroll. If they don't run away with the West, somebody ought to lose their job. I don't see a Wild Card team coming from this division. All indications are that San Francisco's window of opportunity has closed for the time being, though they'll still be favored almost every time Bumgarner takes the mound. Too bad he can't pitch every day, huh? The Giants still have one of the best ballparks in the majors and that ain't nothing. If there's a possible surprise team in the West it's San Diego. Without the various pressures of playing in L.A., Manny Machado should regain his All-Star form. And Fernando Tatis Jr. looks like the real deal. Now, if they can just find some reliable arms...