national news

Cheney emerges as odd hero

As I watch former Congresswoman Liz Cheney make the TV rounds pitching her book, I am profoundly struck by the injustice that was done to her by members of her own Republican Party.

They castigated this conservative lawmaker from Wyoming because she had the courage to stand firm against the reprehensible conduct of a GOP president. Her own state’s party organization kicked her out. Then she got ‘primaried” in 2022 and lost to an individual who is loyal to the cult that follows the 45th POTUS.

And, again, I have to wonder why.

Cheney is not my kind of lawmaker. I disagree with her on guns, abortion, trade, taxation … you name it. However, she has demonstrated this trait above all else: She is a principled woman who stands on a guiding notion that the oath she took was to protect the Constitution, that she would be loyal only to the nation and not to one man.

And she paid the price for her principles.

It is shameful what has become of the Republican Party, where the MAGA morons label other Republicans “RINO” because they disagree with the 45th POTUS. That individual, the ex-president, is the real Republican In Name Only.

But, good grief! There is no talking sense to the cultists who have swallowed the poisonous, autocratic view of government that he offers.

national news, political news

This guy’s the worst of ’em

OK, I’ve already established that Chris Christie has emerged as my favorite Republican contender for the party’s presidential nomination in 2024.

The former New Jersey governor has shed the gloves and has donned the brass knuckles in taking on Donald J. Trump. For that I give him high marks.

Now … I want to say a few words about the worst Republican running for this nomination. Step up, Vivek Ramaswamy and take your licks.

I am unclear what his credentials are for seeking the presidency. I understand he’s a successful businessman. He has no public service in his background.

However, he is managing to become the most obnoxious, disgusting, disgraceful bunch among the candidates still standing. Good grief — and I can’t believe I am going to say this — this guy might be worse than Trump! I’ll need to avoid being struck by a lightning bolt.

Ramaswamy is brusque, loud, abrasive and mostly incoherent in his rants. What in the world is this guy’s hallmark, his defining issue?

He has managed to make a complete ass of himself during most of the four GOP joint appearances.

Ramaswamy won’t win the nomination. Perhaps he’s vying for a spot on a ticket led by — gulp! — I can’t say his name any longer.

Believe me when I say this: I am trying to give the remaining GOP candidates a careful examination. I detest Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, so he’s out. Meanwhile, former South Carolina Gov. and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley is a possibility; she’s certainly smarter than Ramaswamy, who insulted her intelligence the other evening.

My interest in the Republican field is predicated somewhat on the bizarre notion — which I hope doesn’t materialize — that President Biden will not be the Democratic nominee for president.

So, there you have it. Chris Christie is my GOP favorite; Vivek Ramaswamy is the GOP pits.

And the frontrunner? Enough about who former secretary of state Rex Tillerson once called a “fu**ing moron.”

local news

First time for this … ?

Y’all have said it, and I damn sure know you’ve heard it … which is that “There’s a first time for everything.”

I have experienced one of those “first time” events.

I went Christmas shopping in Allen and — get ready for it — I actually enjoyed the experience.

OK, I equate Christmas shopping to conducting a “surgical strike.” I identify the product I want to purchase and the person for whom I am purchasing it. I then identify the retail outlet where I can make the purchase.

Then I launch my strike. I go to the store, find the product, make the purchase. Then I leave. No muss, fuss or confusion!

To be fair, though, I had some help today when I launched my strike, er, went shopping. I received a tip on the gifts I needed to find. It turned out the tip was doable.

So … I did it.

Here we are, with more than two weeks to go before Christmas and I have the bulk of my holiday shopping done!

Who’da thunk it possible?

national news, political news

Christie earns praise

Chris Christie likely doesn’t give a crap that a blogger from North Texas is going to say something nice about him.

But … here goes anyway.

I didn’t watch the four-person GOP presidential primary “debate” the other night. I have seen plenty of clips from it, such as the former New Jersey governor’s tirade against the one Republican candidate who was missing from the joint appearance: Donald J. Trump.

He spoke the unvarnished truth about Trump. He called him “unfit” for public office, said he is a “bully” and a “tyrant,” and predicted he would be ineligible to vote for president in November next year because he’ll be a convicted felon.

If only Christie could generate enough interest and support among GOP primary voters. He’s going to likely languish in the middle of a shrinking gaggle of candidates seeking to stave off Trump’s assault on our government.

I am not yet clear on what I think of Christie’s policy positions. I am crystal clear, though, in supporting his effort to hold Trump accountable for the dastardly things he has muttered about “everyone.” The supposed GOP frontrunner has vowed to sic the Justice Department on all the critics who have dared speak ill of him … and that includes members of the media!

What the hell are Republican primary voters buying here by supporting this tinhorn autocrat?

Gov. Christie is calling him out. He’s also calling out his GOP foes for refusing to join him in calling Trump what he is: a lying, slandering, crooked fraud.

I applaud Chris Christie.

legal news, medical news

Getting ready for a burning

I have concluded that the only way I should bid farewell to the most horrible year of my life is to light a fire.

The idea comes, in fact, from a friend in Beaumont, Texas. I am going to heed his advice.

I intend to gather up every paper 2023 calendar I have in my Princeton, Texas, home. I then will place them in a fire pit I have in my back yard.

Then I am going to light them on fire. Burn them into ashes and embers. I want zero evidence of their presence in my home.

The year 2023 will be known in my house as the Year of the Broken Heart. It shattered into a million pieces on Feb. 3 when my dear bride, Kathy Anne, passed away from the savage effects of glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.

It took some time to find my way out of the darkness, but I am essentially free of that pain. Most of the time. It still hurts on occasion, such as yesterday when I got weepy with my son talking about his Mom.

Then came the loss of Toby the Puppy on Dec. 1. He suffered cancer in various organs. He got too weak to continue the chemotherapy treatments. He had become a valued companion and buddy. We grieved together. My sons and I let him go and my heart broke all over again.

So … I now await the new year. 2024 will be a year of continuing recovery, but the journey is a lot brighter than when it began earlier in this most miserable year of my life.

And to my friend, Dan, who prompted me with this notion I offer a heartfelt thank you.

Fire in the hole!

education news

‘No!’ to paying student-athletes

When will we ever stop discussing this nutty notion of paying college students who happen to have athletic prowess?

I know the answer to that one. It’s never. The issue won’t go away.

I hereby declare that my fuddy-duddy streak is showing itself on this one. Thus, I also declare that I adamantly oppose paying men and women who participate in team sports for their universities. Why?

It’s simple, man. They already are getting “paid.” If they are attending the school on an athletic scholarship, they are getting a free education. Tuition is paid for. So are the books. Same for assorted fees. They have a place to live. They might have to spend a few bucks on a meal plan.

How much would it cost them without that scholarship? In Texas, in-state students still get a bit of a break. But if you’re from out of state, that bachelor’s degree would come at a cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Student-athletes don’t pay anywhere near that kind of dough. Therefore, they are spared the burden of those student loans that progressives want forgiven. My fuddy-duddy view is that the lefties are wrong to demand complete loan forgiveness, as students obtain those loans knowing they would have to repay them.

I am just weary of this issue seeming to never vanish.

national news, political news

Impeach POTUS? For … what?

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said it is imperative that the House launch an impeachment inquiry into President Biden’s conduct.

Sigh …

I am trying to understand this idiocy being promoted, fomented and put forth by the MAGA wing of the House Republican caucus. They are looking for anything to hang around Joe Biden’s neck. They are angry that the House impeached their guy, Donald Trump, twice during his single term in office.

So they’re out for revenge. Credible charges? Evidence of corruption? Anything of substance they can present as a “high crime and misdemeanor”? Pffttt!

This is the theater of the absurd run amok.

Now we have the speaker of the House saying its so damn important that the House launch an inquiry into impeaching the president.

The man is nuttier than a Payday bar!

national news

McCarthy bows out? G’bye!

Kevin McCarthy has had enough of Washington, D.C., and is leaving Congress at the end of the year, prompting some members of the MAGA clown squad among congressional Republicans to concoct some sort of “conspiracy” to deny the GOP any real power as the governing majority.

Conspiracy? They all have rocks in their noggins!

I get why McCarthy wants out.

He lusted after the House speakership. When Republicans regained control of the House after the 2022 midterm election, McCarthy announced his intention to run for speaker. He got there … but only after 15 ballots on the House floor. He gave up damn near everything to the MAGA morons before getting enough votes to take the gavel.

Then he riled the MAGA loons by working with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown, allowing one of the chief MAGA blowhards, Matt Gaetz of Florida, to call for McCarthy’s removal as speaker; that was one of the deals to which McCarthy agreed. The House removed McCarthy.

“No matter the odds, or personal cost, we did the right thing. That may seem out of fashion in Washington these days, but delivering results for the American people is still celebrated across the country,” McCarthy wrote.

So … he goes from being second in line to presidential succession to a place on the back bench. Would you want to stay in office serving an institution that treated you like that?

He’s a goner. Fine. Hit the road, dude. As for conspiracy, there isn’t anything of the sort.

national news, political news

Mojo creeping back

As it becomes evident, but far from certain, that Donald Trump is going to be the Republican Party’s presidential nominee in 2024, I am feeling the pangs of my political mojo stirring in my gut.

I have had to set that all aside as I deal with personal grief and mourning. But … this is a blog born initially as a political forum. I am starting to feel the urge to dust off my rhetorical weaponry and weigh in more frequently on the happenings as they develop on the campaign trail.

Yeah, a lot of it will have to deal with that GOP moron seeking a third run at the presidency.

The English language doesn’t have verbiage that describes adequately the visceral feelings I harbor toward Trump. I have ranted, raved, skewered and slashed at Trump every way I know how during two previous presidential election cycles. A third one might await, although I am going to withhold judgment until we get the first criminal trials in which Trump is a defendant out of the way.

My political juices, though, are beginning to flow.

You know what? It feels kinda good.

local news

Hailing the holidays!

Let’s see now … what is Christmas going to be like around here after the year of heartache we’ve endured?

I believe it’s going to be OK. Not great in the way we used to celebrate the holiday season. But OK enough for us to set aside our sadness that an important person in our lives won’t be around to cheer the season with us.

My dear bride Kathy Anne was so wired for the holiday season. She embodied the Christmas version of the Looney Tunes’ character the Tasmanian Devil. She would seemingly whirl through the house decorating practically every blank counter-top, table top, window sill, and door jamb with religious and secular symbols of Christmas. It didn’t matter to Kathy Anne; if it symbolized any version of Christmas, it came out and was put on full display.

My bride invariably would apologize for “not being very creative.” I would snap, “nonsense!” She turned our home into a showcase.

I did not acquire that passion for Christmas when I married Kathy Anne in September 1971. I just went with the flow. Or, in this case, held on with both hands as she tore through her paces.

In her honor, though, I do intend to decorate my modest Princeton, Texas, home with at least part of the style to which we all became accustomed. I have decorated some outdoor shrubbery with lights. The tree is up, it is lit and it has a portion of the decorations we used to hang on it in previous years.

I believe Kathy Anne would be proud of the effort I have put into it so far. It won’t look quite the same as it did when she did the decorating. We’ll just have to settle for what I am able to do to welcome the holiday season.

I’ll be smiling all season long.

Commentary on politics, current events and life experience