Dolly Parton is very wrong.

I’m listening to Dolly Parton’s America, a podcast by Jad Abumrad, the creator of Radiolab. Jad’s father, a physician, became friends with Dolly Parton after treating her, and this afforded Jad unusual access to the star. I had no intention of listening to the podcast when it was introduced, but loving the work of Abumrad, I thought I’d give the first ten minutes a listen, and I immediately became hooked.

Dolly Parton is a fascinating person and more influential and popular than I could’ve ever imagine. I’ve also started to fall in love with her music over the course of the podcast.

The most recent episode focused on Parton’s unwillingness to take a stand politically. Though she writes and performs songs about social justice, women’s rights, and racism, she has thus far refused to speak out against Trump despite the constant questioning by the media.

While onstage at the Emmy’s in 2017 with her 9 to 5 costars Jane Fonda and Lili Tomlin, Parton refused to criticize Trump even though Fonda and Tomlin did so, cracking jokes in an attempt to change the subject and avoid taking a political stands.

Parton talked about this unwillingness to take a political stand on the podcast, saying that she has fans on both sides of the aisle and wants to entertain everyone.

She said, “No matter what you say is wrong.”

Dolly Parton, of course, is wrong.

These are not normal times in America. The President of the United States is a bigot. He separates migrant families on the border and cages small children. He brags about committing sexual assault. He conspired with foreign powers to undermine American elections. He is ignoring the rapidly escalating crisis of climate change. He operated a fraudulent university that stole millions of dollars from hard working Americans and was forced to settle the case for millions more. He stole from his own charity, was forced to pay a fine, and is now banned from ever operating a charity again. He illegally used campaign funds to pay porn stars to remain silent about extramarital affairs. He is enriching himself and his family from US coffers constantly, from overcharging the Secret Service for food and transport at his resorts to diverting the flight paths of US military planes to keep the airport geographically closest to his Irish resort in business. He insults war heroes and attacks Gold Star families. He threatens to imprison his political opponents. He praises dictators. He divulges state secrets to Russian operatives in the Oval Office. He lies multiple times a day.

This is not a normal Presidency. Saying that Donald Trump is a bigot, a liar, a self-described sex offender, and a traitor who has colluded with foreign powers for political gain is not wrong. This is a man who claims that windmills cause cancer and continually asserts that tariffs are paid directly into the US Treasury. He alters meteorological maps with Sharpies (a federal crime) rather than admitting a mistake.

These are not normal times. In times like these, patriots speak up. Decent human beings stand against this insanity. Folks with a platform put that platform to good use.

“No matter what you say is wrong,” is nonsense. Not saying anything is wrong. Standing by silently is wrong. Refusing to speak up so that you can sell more records and fill more seats is wrong.

Last night Elysha and I were guests at Lisa Lampenelli’s storytelling and comedy show “Losin’ It.” This is not a political show at all, but Lisa still found a way to make her feelings on Trump clear a few times during the course of the evening.

She wasn’t afraid to offend.

And during the Q&A at the end of the show, a man asked a question. When Lisa asked, “Do I know you?” he said, “I don’t think so. Trump 2020!“ at which point several people in the audience erupted into cheers.

Trump supporters were in the audience. A bunch of them. Lisa didn’t care. She followed up the audience member’s political statement with another joke about Trump.

Did she lose a future audience member in the process? Maybe, but I think not. She answered the man’s initial question, referenced him later with a smile, and expressed an acceptance of his presence in the audience, if not his political position.

She took a stand. She made her position clear. He pointed out the insanity of our times. She acted like a patriot.

These are not normal times. Someday Americans will look back on time in America and ask what the hell their fellow Americans were thinking. Historians will ask how the American public allowed this to happen. Some of us will have a record of resistance. Through our words, our writing, our participation in protests and marches, our support for organizations like the ACLU, and more, we will be on the right side of history.

Others, like the Republican members of Congress, the pundits on Fox News, and that audience member last night, will not.

Dolly Parton, too. She will land on the wrong side of history. You can’t stand silently in the middle and claim to be on the right side of history. You either pick a side or you support the status quo.

Silence allows the villainy to continue.

I still think Dolly Parton is a fascinating person, and I’m still falling in love with her music. But do I like Dolly Parton?

Certainly not as much as I did a week ago, and perhaps not so much anymore. I understand the desire to sell tickets and make your fans happy, but not at the expense of our country, our climate, our functioning democracy, or basic human decency.

Trump ruins everything

As Elysha so rightly pointed out, Donald Trump find a way to ruin a lot of things, including some unintentionally. This placemat of the President of the United States is an excellent example.

We spotted it in a gift shop in Vermont at the ancestral home of Robert Todd Lincoln. We though it would be nice to have the kids learn about the Presidents while they eat their breakfast, but unfortunately Trump is on the placement, making it the last thing either one of my children would ever want to see while eating.

In fairness, there are also Presidents like Nixon and Jackson on the placement, too, but we weren’t forced to live through their racism, brutality, criminality, and corruption, so they are slightly more palatable.

I’m also fairly certain that although Nixon and Jackson (and perhaps others were not good men, neither of them betrayed our country by conspiring with a foreign power, nor were they stupid, inarticulate men, which elevates them over the current President by at least a few measures.

Trump in food

My friend’s daughter - not a fan on Donald Trump - created his image in this clever bit of food sculpture.

Remarkable. Right? It really does look like him.

It’s not, of course, a bigoted, grifting liar who brags about sexual assault, separates families and cages small children on the border, defends Nazis, enriches itself with taxpayer money, and undermines our very democracy by conspiring with foreign governments to damage its political opponents.

I don’t think carrots even have political opponents.

In addition, I don’t think this carrot has operated fake university designed to steal money from hardworking Americans (and settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit to its victims), nor has it operated a fake charity and used the money to purchase things like portraits of itself and, as a result, been banned from sitting on the board of any charity in the future because of this unlawful use of funds.

I’m not sure if carrots even know what a charitable organization is.

But I bet this carrot’s intellect is limited, and its ability to speak and write in coherent, grammatically correct sentences is questionable at best, so it may be more similar to Donald Trump than simply physical appearance.

It's real. And appalling.

In case you missed it, this is the letter that Donald Trump sent to Turkey President Erdogan urging him not to attack our Kurdish allies after announcing that he was pulling our troops out of Syria.

He made this announcement without consulting or even warning the US military, the US Congress, or our NATO allies. He also did so without any actual plans for evacuation, placing our troops in harm’s way and requiring our soldiers to blow up millions of dollars in military hardware as they retreated.

It’s a real letter, I promise you. I was absolutely certain that it was a hoax, but the White House has confirmed its authenticity.

Erdogan launched his attack and began slaughtering our longtime Kurdish allies the very next day.

Harvard's new legacy

Harvard University is facing an affirmative action lawsuit based upon their admission processes, and things are not looking good.

A study, published in the National Bureau of Economic Research, found that 43 percent of white students admitted to Harvard were recruited athletes, legacy students, children of faculty and staff, or on the dean’s interest list — applicants whose parents or relatives have donated to Harvard.

Only 16 percent of black, Latino and Asian American students come from these categories.

Even more damning, the study also found that roughly 75 percent of the white students admitted from those four categories, labeled 'ALDCs' in the study, “would have been rejected if they had been treated as white non-ALDCs.”

In other words, three quarters of the students at Harvard who were admitted because they play a sport well or because their parents attended Harvard, donate to Harvard, or work at Harvard don’t really belong at Harvard. Someone more deserving - and probably less white - should be attending the university in their place.

This is appalling.

The next time you meet a Harvard graduate - and especially a white Harvard graduate - you can probably discount their achievement by at least 33% (75% of 43%).

Let’s be clear:

I happen to know several Harvard graduates who were more than deserving of attending the university, so I don’t mean to disparage the student body as a whole. Nor do I mean to imply that these folks don’t deserve all of the accolades that they receive for gaining admission and successfully navigating that prestigious institution.

But I have also spent more than two decades in education, watching affluent parents who understand how systems work and where the opportunities for influence lie bestow advantages upon their children that other equally capable, oftentimes harder working children do not possess.

And it enrages me.

We like to claim that America is a meritocracy, and on its best days, perhaps that’s true. After all, I managed to claw my way from homeless, poverty, and a possible prison sentence to where I am today without any assistance from my family or any financial backing. I worked incredibly hard for a long time, forgoing many other things, in order to achieve my goals.

But I am also a white, straight, healthy, relatively intelligent American man who is not battling addiction or mental illness. Even when I was homeless and hungry, I was still one of the most advantaged people on the planet. I never faced the obstacles and systemic discrimination that women, people of color, the disabled, the chronically ill, and members of the LGBTQ community face.

And I live in the United States, one of the most prosperous, free nations on the planet.

You should probably discount my achievements by at least 33%, too. Maybe a lot more.

My advantages were extraordinary.

But at least my advantages were my own, granted to me by fate and good fortune. My advantages did not come at the expense of another human being. But advantages to Harvard confers upon these students are systematic, racist, and governed by the desire to generate revenue for the university at the expense of deserving students.

I didn’t rely on Mommy and Daddy’s checkbook or their good name to gain me entrance into one of the most prestigious institutions in the land. And I didn’t steal someone else’s rightful place in the process.

If this data that this study presents is accurate, Harvard is a lot less prestigious today, and rightfully so.

Trump has achieved a new low.

I realize that pointing out the stupidity or amorality or narcissism of Donald Trump is like reminding people that the sun rises and sets every day, but occasionally he says or does something that rises to the level of incomprehensibility.

Yesterday, Trump tweeted this:

Did you see what he did?

Trump quoted himself complimenting himself, and then he thanked himself for that quoted self-compliment.

That’s insane.

The constant, incessant self-praise is a clear sign of a man whose ego is both disturbingly large and exceedingly fragile. It reeks of sadness and desperation. I’ve never met anyone in my life so desperate for praise that they were willing to compliment themselves in such a publicly embarrassing, never-ending way.

If he wasn’t a racist hobgoblin who steals children from poor people and brags about his serial sexual assault, I’d be compelled to offer the guy a hug.

All of this is bad enough. It also explains why he famously has no friends other than those of a transactional nature. Who would want to spend any meaningful time with someone like this?

But then to quote yourself - to quote your own self-praise of yourself - and then thank yourself for that self-praise… to the entire world?

If this had been any other human being, I would rightfully assume that a medical team was on route to determine if the person in question had suffered from a stroke.

But no, this is Donald Trump. Sadly, it was bizarre and sad and stupid and truly disturbing, but also just a Saturday morning.

Why I respond to Donald Trump via Twitter

Last week, a listener to our podcast and a reader of my books wrote to inform me that he would no longer be listening, reading, or otherwise engaging in my work as a result of the way I write about Donald Trump and respond to him online, specifically via Twitter.

The man was polite and even sounded a little regretful, but he explained that even though he does not support the President in any way, he feels that my responses to the President are ignorant and childish. He explained that I was leaving behind a shameful legacy, and that the best way to defeat the darkness is through light.

I was sorry to see the man go. I had exchanged emails with him in the past and even answered some of his questions on our podcast. I found him to be interesting and thoughtful. But before allowing him to sail off into the night, I had to at least explain myself, and he appreciated my explanation and thanked me for not lashing out and taking the time to write a thoughtful response.

But then he still sailed off.

Oddly, I’ve also heard from many Trump supporters who are often annoyed with the things that I write to and about the President but continue to read and listen because they are sensible enough to understand that even although I may refer to Trump as a racist old horny burger goblin who literally steals children from poor people (credit Stephen Colbert), this is not an attack on them personally.

Simply a difference of opinion.

But this recently departed listener/reader not the only person who has asked why I would spend a scintilla of time responding to Trump’s tweets when there are so many more productive things to do. I also have friends who are quite certain that I am on an enemies list of some kind as a result of my responses and my participation and victory in the lawsuit that forced Trump to unblock.

So I thought I’d post my response to the listener/reader here in order to list the reasons for my actions.

__________________________________

1. Yes, being involved in the lawsuit that led to me being unblocked by Trump (and all the money dedicated to this cause) makes me feel like I should be shouting to the rooftops of the world whenever I feel it necessary. I owe it to the Knight Foundation to make use of this tool and deliver truth to power whenever possible.

2. It genuinely makes me feel good to speak to the powerful in this way. It warms my heart. And I know he's listening, because he's already blocked me once. It’s not all that I’m doing, of course. I'm a member of the ACLU, a subscriber to the New York Times and Slate, and I contribute to the campaigns of political leaders both monetarily and in terms of time and expertise. I call my state senator and Congresspeople frequently. I'm trying to do everything I can do oppose his hateful and ignorant administration. I really am. But telling Trump exactly how I feel in the kind of coarse language that he uses and seems to understand (while never swearing) makes me feel good. It might make me seem like a rotten person to feel good in doing this, but it's exactly how I feel.

3. I have heard from many, many people who thank me for tweeting like this. There are lots of people who are genuinely afraid of Trump and our growing authoritarian state and take great solace and even joy when someone they know (or sort of know through his writing, speaking, etc.) stands up to him. I have received dozens of emails from folks expressing appreciation for what I am saying. I'm sure there are also folks like you who see it as negative and childish and wasteful (and I have friends who are sincerely worried that Trump may have an enemies list of folks like me), but lots of people are also heartened by my approach.

4. Yes, I want there to be a record of my resistance when my children are older and wondering what the hell the country was thinking when they elected this man. It may not be the most eloquent record, but it's a permanent reflection of my anger, disgust, and refusal to allow him to go unchecked. And yes, I'll be proud of it. They will know that their father despised this President and his policies and made that abundantly clear as often as possible. They may wonder about my choice of words, but they will never wonder about how I felt, and that means the world to me.

5. I agree that the best way to fight dark is with light, and I like to think - sincerely - that as an elementary school teacher for two decades, a person who tells honest, vulnerable stories onstage that connect with others, as a person who writes stories that have traveled around the world and brought joy to people's hearts, a person who promotes and supports the ideas of making the most of every moment and being authentic and vulnerable with the world, a person who encourages others to be brave and tell their story, and a father and a husband and a volunteer... that I am bringing lots of light to the world. So yes, light is important, and honestly, I'm trying like hell to make a positive difference in the world.

Does all of this make up for the negativity that I fire off at the President? In your mind, perhaps not. I'm sorry to hear it. But I think that in terms of the balance sheet, I’m well into the positive column even after I call the President a nitwit.

Yes, it's true. I spend about 10 minutes a day telling the President how I feel, and for reasons that I think are justified. But I'd like to think that this very tiny part of my life is well balanced with everything else I do in the world. The countless hours I spend teaching and writing and supporting and building and parenting and loving.

__________________________________

It wasn’t enough to keep this particular reader/listener in my orbit, but I tried.

The Baltimore Sun's response to Trump is astounding

In case you missed it, The Baltimore Sun responded to Trump's tweets from yesterday that attacked African American Congressman Elijah Cummings for conducting Constitutionally-required oversight of the executive branch and described Baltimore as "a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess."

A "very dangerous & filthy place."

A place where no human being would ever want to live.

Naturally, the residents of Baltimore did not take kindly to Trump's descriptions of their home, nor did the Baltimore Sun's editorial board.

The Sun's full response is terrific, but it's the last paragraph that I find extraordinary.

They write:

"Finally, while we would not sink to name-calling in the Trumpian manner — or ruefully point out that he failed to spell the congressman’s name correctly (it’s Cummings, not Cumming) — we would tell the most dishonest man to ever occupy the Oval Office, the mocker of war heroes, the gleeful grabber of women’s private parts, the serial bankrupter of businesses, the useful idiot of Vladimir Putin and the guy who insisted there are “good people” among murderous neo-Nazis that he’s still not fooling most Americans into believing he’s even slightly competent in his current post. Or that he possesses a scintilla of integrity. Better to have some vermin living in your neighborhood than to be one."

Trump's Fourth of July history lesson

In case you missed Trump’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial yesterday (and congratulations if you did), here are a couple highlights:

Trump said:

"The Continental Army suffered a bitter winner at Valley Forge, found glory across the waters of the Delaware and seized victory from Cornwallis of Yorktown. Our Army manned the air, it ran the ramparts, it took over the airports, it did everything it had to do."

That’s right. Trump said airports.

He also said the Army “manned the air,” which makes no sense given it would be another 127 years before the airplane was even invented. How exactly does one “man the air” without the ability to fly?

You also don’t “run ramparts.” You can climb them. Ascend them. Assault them. Seize them. Throw sticks at them. Paint them. Kick them. Even kiss them. But a rampart is a wall. You can’t run them.

But all that’s beside the point. Trump said airports.

He also said that the Fort McHenry battle that inspired the writing of the Star Spangled Banner occurred during the Revolutionary War.

It was the War of 1812. Fort McHenry didn’t even exist during the Revolutionary War.

The strangest thing about all of this ignorance and stupidity is that Trump was reading from a teleprompter, which means that either his speechwriters are incredibly stupid (or trying to undermine him) or he can’t read very well.

In addition to all of this, the public cameras on the National Mall were coincidentally turned off yesterday, likely to avoid showing Trump’s characteristically low turnout, and America got its first look at Trump’s hair when it’s wet.

For a man who is obsessed with image (his and others) and routinely insults the physical appearance of his critics and opponents, this image, which has been tweeted tens of thousands of times, must have really stung.

Especially when his predecessor also spoke on the Fourth of July in the rain and made it look so damn good.

Important notes on this Fourth of July 2019

1. I’ll never understand the fascination of some people to light their own fireworks, which are always subpar in comparison to the real thing and occasionally result in serious injuries, permanent maiming, and house fires.

2. When I was growing up in Massachusetts, the purchase or ownership of fireworks was illegal. This, in my mind, made a hell of a lot of sense, even as a child.

3. Only 58% of Americans understand what actually happened on July 4, 1776 (which is almost nothing, since the vote for independence was actually taken on July 2, 1776), but still… c’mon people. You should know what we’re celebrating today.

4. Presidents Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe - Founding Fathers who all played important roles in the Revolutionary War - died on July 4. I don’t support death, but if you’re going to die, I appreciate a well-timed demise.

5. Meteorologists are predicting extreme heat and intense thunderstorms in Washington, DC today. Given that Trump has illegally diverted money from the US Park service to pay for his vanity project and politicized the event by giving VIP tickets to wealthy Republican donors, I’m happy to see that Mother Nature has decided to spoil his party at least a little bit.

6. Military leaders, reportedly extremely uncomfortable with the politicization of the armed forces by Trump, have refused to allow tanks to drive down the streets of Washington. Instead, two tanks will be placed on flatbed trucks and remain stationary throughout the day, so what Trump once envisioned as a military parade is now a slightly more intense version of your everyday Touch-a-Truck event. Another reason to celebrate.

7. My favorite Fourth of July celebrations took place on my grandparents’ farm. I grew up next door to my grandparents, and nothing was better than smelling the burgers and the hot dogs from by backyard and running up the hill to celebrate.

8. Please take a moment today amidst the parades, fireworks, and hot dogs to reflect upon the sacrifices made by our Founding Fathers, who built this country through sweat, blood, and desire. As for me, I’ll be thinking about Samuel Whittemore, who might just be the toughest old guy in the history of the world.

   Born in England in 1694, Whittemore went to North America in 1745 as a captain in the British army, where he fought in King George's War (1744-48) at the age of 50 and the French and Indian War (1754-63) at the age of 64.

   Then on April 19, 1775, at the age of 80, he engaged British forces returning from the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the onset of the Revolutionary War.

Whittemore was in his fields when he spotted an approaching British relief brigade under Earl Percy, sent to assist the retreat. Whittemore loaded his musket and ambushed the British from behind a nearby stone wall, killing one soldier. He then drew his dueling pistols and killed a grenadier and mortally wounded a second. By the time Whittemore had fired his third shot, a British detachment reached his position; Whittemore drew his sword and attacked. He was shot in the face, bayoneted thirteen times, and left for dead in a pool of blood. He was found alive, trying to load his musket to fight again. He was taken to Dr. Cotton Tufts of Medford, who perceived no hope for his survival. However, Whittemore lived another 18 years until dying of natural causes at the age of 98.

In 2005, Whittemore was proclaimed the official state hero of Massachusetts. Not bad considering this is a state that produced such wartime heroes as Paul Revere, Israel Putnam, John Hancock, Robert Shaw and John Kennedy.

All great men, but if I were sent to war, I’d choose Samuel Whittemore to stand on my side above them all.

Happy Fourth of July everyone.

Donald Trump is a traitor. In his own damn words.

Just in case you missed this (because apparently Republican lawmakers missed it entirely because they have said nothing):

A new book by the Washington Post reporter Anna Fifield and a Wall Street Journal story report that Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s brother, Kim Jong Nam, was a CIA informant. Kim Jong Nam was murdered in a chemical-weapons attack in February 2017. That attack was ordered by his brother.

Asked to comment on this revelation, Trump said:

“I see that, and I just received a beautiful letter from Kim Jong Un. I think the relationship is very well, but I appreciated the letter. I saw the information about the CIA with regard to his brother or half brother, and I would tell him that would not happen under my auspices. I wouldn’t let that happen under my auspices. I just received a beautiful letter from Kim Jong Un.”

Once again, Trump sided with a foreign adversary over American intelligence agencies.

Also, he remains obsessed with beautiful letters from murderous dictators.

Later in the week, when asked what he would do if a foreign power approached him with damaging information on political opponents during the upcoming election season, Trump said, "I think you might want to listen. There isn't anything wrong with listening."

It's a crime for a campaign to knowingly solicit or accept items of value from foreign nationals.

George Stephanopoulos then brought up FBI Director Christopher Wray's warning that anyone who received incriminating information from a foreign power should immediately call the bureau.

"The FBI director is wrong," Trump said. He denied that interfering in American elections - as Russia did in 2016 to help him win - is even a problem.

"It's not an interference. They have information. I think I'd take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I'd go maybe to the FBI, if I thought there was something wrong.”

This is a man who called on Russia to find Hillary Clinton's emails. He chose to believe Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denials about Russian interference in the election over US intelligence agencies. He claimed that the Kremlin's 2016 attack on our elections was a Democratic hoax.

Now he’s openly admitting that if Russian or Chinese or North Korean intelligence agencies found damaging information on a Democratic opponent, he would listen and possibly use that information for his own gain.

Honestly Republicans? Isn’t this enough? Are you going to stand behind a President who is siding with foreign adversaries and openly admitting his willingness to work with them again and again?

Just imagine what might’ve happened if Barack Obama had done even one of these things?

Also, where the hell are the Democrats right now?

Why are they not shouting from every damn rooftop in America about these comments? Why are they not conducting hearings on the security of our nation, the sanctity our elections, and the safety of our intelligence officers given what Trump has said this week?

I’m not a political strategist, but it doesn’t appear that anyone in the Democratic party is working with a political strategist, either. How can they remain so quiet in the face of these revelations and comments?

There comes a time in every American’s life when the needs of your country supersede your own personal or political needs.

Republican Justin Amash reached that point three weeks ago.

If his fellow Republicans did not reach that point after this week, they should never call themselves patriots again. Instead, they are hapless, helpless, self-obsessed sycophants interested in maintaining power at the cost of this country’s security.

Listen to Jon Stewart. Do the right thing.

It is unconscionable and evil that United States lawmakers are not doing everything possible to assist the 9/11 first responders as they battle illnesses directly linked to their rescue efforts following the attack on our country.

It makes absolutely no sense.

We have enough money to give corporations and wealthy Americans enormous tax cuts that GOP lawmakers are just now admitting will not pay for themselves.

Duh.

We have enough to pay the hundreds of millions of dollars it has cost American taxpayers to fund Trump’s endless trips to his myriad of golf courses around the world.

Yet we don’t have enough money to treat the sick and dying heroes of our nation?

Jon Stewart went to Congress again on Tuesday to lobby on behalf of first responders. I was told that his opening remarks before the House Judiciary Committee were “extraordinary.”

I groaned.

This is almost always the kiss of death for any speech, at least for me. “Extraordinary” is a high bar that is almost never achieved. Excellence of this level is a rare commodity in today’s world. Often claimed but rarely found.

Happily, gratefully, Jon Stewart found extraordinary on Tuesday and ate it for breakfast. He launched himself over that ridiculously high bar. Cleared it easily. Soared.

It’s a must watch.

And it worked. Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously in favor of the bill. It now heads to the full House for a vote.

After listening to Jon Stewart speak, Elysha and I made a donation to the FeelGood Foundation, the charitable organization to which Stewart aligns himself.

I will be writing letters to my Senators and Congresspeople starting on Monday.

This failure to support the heroes of 9/11 must stop immediately.

Check out Jared Kushner looking stupid, afraid, and bumbling.

There are a lot of takeaways from Jared Kushner’s interview with Axios:

1. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen someone less prepared for an interview.

2. This is exactly how an interview should be conducted.

3. If you can’t say that birtherism wasn’t racist, then you think it was racist.

4. If you can’t say that Trump’s Muslim ban wasn’t religiously bigoted, then you think it was religiously bigoted.

5. If you can’t even say that Trump isn’t racist without tripping over your own words, then you probably think Trump is a racist.

6. We have a brand new definition of “deer-in-the-headlights,” and it’s Jared Kushner.

7. If I needed someone to defend me in a time of need, Jared Kushner would be the last person I would ever choose.

His arguments also suck.

“I wasn’t part of birtherism” is a stupid reason for refusing to say whether it was racist.

I wasn’t a part of slavery in the United States, but I can say without equivocation that it was racist.

I also wasn’t a part of Jim Crow or the Middle Passage or lynchings in the South, but yes, they were all racist, too.

I also wasn’t a part of birtherism, but yes, that was also racist, Jared.

Also, birtherism wasn’t “a long time ago.” It was less than four years ago when Trump finally acknowledged that President Obama was an American citizen. I know it feels like a long time ago given that there has been a a racist, horny, old burger goblin who literally steals children from poor people in the White House making days seem like weeks and months with his disastrous decision making, but no, four years isn’t “a long time ago.”

“You can’t not be a racist for 69 years and then run for President and be a racist” makes it clear that Kushner nothing about the Central Park Five, Trump’s lies about Muslims celebrating on rooftops on 9/11, or the FBI’s investigation in the 1970s into alleged racial discrimination in the rental of apartments from Trump's real estate company which led to requiring the Trump firm to institute a series of safeguards to make sure apartments were rented without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

Either he’s unaware or pretending not to know. Either one of these options make him look stupid and ineffective.

The best thing about this interview is how pathetic and useless it makes Kushner appear. For a boy who prides himself on his intelligence, skill, and acumen, he sounds like a bumbling, mealy-mouthed toady.

Apparently all the money in the world can’t wash away your stupidity and cowardice when the television cameras switch on and the questions begin.

What is Alabama thinking?

Two weeks ago Alabama passed a law making abortion illegal even in instances of rape and incest.

Last week Alabama public television refused to air the season premier of Arthur because it featured a same sex wedding.

It’s weird that a state legislature thinks it can permanently role back the clock on progress in an entire state. Right? What are they hoping to achieve? A bastion of bigotry amidst a sea of growing equality? A stronghold where middle aged white men (the entirety of the Alabama legislature who voted for this abortion bill) assert absolute control over women’s bodies?

Are they seeking to be a backward and bigoted state in a country where liberty and freedom is constantly expanding?

Based on polling in 2019 done by Pew, a majority of Americans (61%) support same-sex marriage, while 31% oppose it. That support has grown year over year since 2004 and continues to grow.

Today, 58% of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Support for abortion is at its highest level since 1996.

Alabama also ranks last or nearly last in terms of education and the poverty rate. The state that has banned a cartoon featuring same sex marriage and has made abortion illegal even in cases of rape and incest has also failed to educate its citizens and help them to achieve a prosperous life.

I have at least two friends who grew up in Alabama. These are brilliant, bold people who do not reflect the values of the Alabama in the news today. I’m quite certain that they are not alone. There are many progressive Alamabians who share the views of the majority of Americans.

How odd it must be to live in a state so hell-bent on reversing the course of history. How strange it must be to watch your representatives attempt to undermine and eliminate the equality and basic human rights that Americans have come to embrace today.

All while becoming the least educated, most impoverished state in the union.

The most disturbing aspect of a Trump Presidency

The most disturbing aspect of the Trump Presidency has been this:

A President can commit a felony, behave unethically, attack the pillars of democracy, and violate the Constitution with absolute impunity if his party controls even one house of Congress and chooses to do nothing to stop him.

As the law stands today, Trump could rob a liquor store or sexually assault a White House staffer but still retain power if his party chose to overlook the crime.

Even worse, Trump could order a surrogate to commit a crime of any kind and then pardon that surrogate for the same crime.

There was a time when I thought that these were technically possible but ultimately ridiculous scenarios, but now it’s become a reality. Republican lawmakers with the exception of one, Justin Amash, have already and continue to support a man who:

• Bragged about sexual assault on tape and has multiple sexual assault lawsuits pending

• Promised repeatedly to release his tax returns if nominated by his party and has since refused

• Operated a fake university that stole millions from innocent Americans and was forced to make restitution through a settlement

• Continues to brazenly violate the emoluments clause on a daily basis, clearly and routinely profiting from his position as President

• Paid hush money to porn stars with campaign funds

• Committed obstruction of justice, at least in the opinion of more than 400 federal prosecutors who have read the redacted version of the Mueller report and sign onto a letter saying as much

The founding fathers fear a situation like this above all others, and rightfully so. When so much power resides in a single person who acts entirely in his own self interest and absent any shame or respect for the institutions of democracy, terrible things can happen, especially when that person remains unchecked by their coequal branch of Congress.

When lawmakers place their own self interested and self preservation over the rule of law, we enter a dangerous time. Let us hope that Justin Amash is just the first of many Republican lawmakers who will come to their senses and do something to stop this President from trampling upon the Constitution.

I’m not holding my breath.

Just the right words

Stephen Colbert once described Donald Trump using this perfect set of words:

“The President is a racist old horny burger goblin who literally steals children from poor people.”

The stealing children from poor people - in case you didn’t make the connection - is a reference to the child separation policy at the border, which resulted in children locked in cages and the government’s inability to reunite some families because the administration didn’t keep track of the children closely enough.

The horny claim is probably referencing the affairs and his illegal hush money paid to porn stars, but it could also be referencing the Access Hollywood audio in which he admits to the sexual assault of multiple women. Or perhaps Colbert was referencing the time when Trump was speaking about owning beauty pageants, admitted to going backstage to see women as young as 15 years-old completely naked and said, “You know, they’re standing there with no clothes. And you see these incredible-looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that,”

Or perhaps he was referencing all of it.

That incompetence and indecency, combined with the “very fine” Neo-Nazis of Charlottesville, should’ve been more than enough for the Republican base to stop supporting Trump.

But hey… he cut the marginal tax rate on corporations and the wealthy (resulting in a skyrocketing, recording setting national debt), and he managed to get a man credibly accused of sexual assault on the Supreme Court, so Republicans can look past the fact that he’s “a racist old horny burger goblin who literally steals children from poor people” because they got two things they wanted.

The ends, after all, justify the means. Right?

Today's Republican party

If Ronald Reagan were alive today, he would punch Giuliani (and Trump) in the face.

Deservedly so.

Trump's stupid belief in the simplicity of problems and solutions

There are a lot of problems with Donald Trump. His racism, sexism, incompetence, venality, and open admission that he sexually assaults women are all more than enough to keep him from office.

Add to this Trump University, which robbed Americans of millions of hard earned dollars, and family separation on the border, which resulted in placing children in cages, and it’s a wonder that anyone is supporting him anymore.

Plus the lies, of course. Thousands of lies. Many documented by the Mueller probe but even more stated plainly for everyone to see. Lies about crowd size and economic data and, weirdly, the country of origin of his father. Lies about his willingness to release his tax returns and his violations of the emoluments clause and his overall financial standing.

All of it should be enough. Sadly it’s not.

But perhaps one of the most disturbing things about Donald Trump is his belief that problems are simpler than they appear and solutions are easy. When he was campaigning, this included his promise for “beautiful healthcare” for every American and his repeated assurances that it would be simple to achieve. It included his repeated insistence that he would make Mexico pay for a wall that is still not being built. And it included his recent assurances that North Korea was no longer a threat, even as the North Koreans lied to his face and continued building secret missile sites throughout their country.

Recently, he tweeted two things that are perfect indicators of this ridiculous belief that complex problems require simple solutions, and even worse, that he has the solutions.

In addressing the recent problems and related disasters related to Boeing’s 737 Max plane, Trump tweeted:

This is a man who bankrupted an airline in the late 1980’s and has had his name removed from a multitude of buildings since becoming President, but still, he believes that he has the answer to Boeings struggles. Fix the plane, add some great features, and “REBRAND.”

Simple.

He couldn’t keep the Trump Shuttle running for more than three years, but his extensive aviation expertise should be able to handle this complex problem with ease.

As Notre Dame was burning last week, Trump offered this gem:

Not only is it weird and offensive for him to be tweeting firefighting advice as hundreds of trained professionals were risking their lives to fight the fire, but the fire department actually tweeted in response that dropping water on the fire from overhead would likely cause the entire cathedral to collapse under the weight of the water.

Why would Trump think that he knows the best way to fight a fire?

Why?

Because he’s Donald Trump. He doesn’t read briefings. He doesn’t read books. He believes that Frederick Douglas is still alive and that exercise is bad for you.

He thinks he knows everything, when quite literally, he knows less than any other American President and probably less than the average American.

Yet he’s running the country. Kind of. We learned this week that his people don’t always follow his orders, and more than running the country, he mostly plays golf, watches television and live-tweets the cable news sycophants who say nice things about him.

Most of us rejoice. A bunch of old, white bigots do not.

Have you heard?

National Women’s Soccer League stars Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris are engaged to be married, the couple announced last week. The romance between the athletes began nearly a decade ago when the two met while playing for the U.S. National Team.

Social media was abuzz with the news last week, with people from all over the world sending their congratulations to the couple via Twitter, Instagram, and the like. Popular in their own right for their efforts on and off the soccer field, the union of Krieger and Harris was greeted by soccer fans with excitement.

Even FIFA, the governing body of the World Cup. post a tweet sending their love and congratulations to the couple.

Not everyone sent love and congratulations.

The Republican Party’s 2018 campaign platform declared that “marriage is between one man and one woman” and condemns the Supreme Court ruling making same-sex marriage legal.

The Vice President of the United States called being gay a choice and said keeping gays from marrying was not discrimination but an enforcement of “God’s idea.” He has repeatedly voted against bills that would prevent discrimination of LGBTQ people in the workplace.

In America today, you can be fired from your job for being gay. That is insanity.

Pence’s wife now works at a school that forbids both LGBTQ students and staff.

Donald Trump, despite his promises during the campaign to protect LBGTQ rights, has been equally bigoted.

His State Department has removed a section about violence and discrimination against LGBTQ people from its annual human rights report. His Justice Department rescinded Obama-era guidance instructing public officers to interpret sexuality and gender discrimination under federal prohibitions on sex discrimination. He twice failed to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month.

It’s so odd to watch so many people around the world celebrate the engagement of these two accomplish and respected women while knowing that the President and Vice President of the United States and the majority of GOP lawmakers would make the marriage of these two women illegal if given the chance.

This is what happens when old, white bigots are in power. They drag their hateful, arcane ideas back into the halls of justice in a desperate attempt to reverse progress.

Happily, far more people in America and around the world are happy for the love that Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris have found, and although progress can be restrained and even temporarily reversed at time, it cannot be stopped forever.

Surprised about my relentless opposition to Trump? Why?

I’m shocked when someone doesn’t understand my relentless, unwavering opposition to Donald Trump.

Why not give the man a chance?

Why spend your precious time writing about him and to him and against him?

Why can’t you ever give him any credit?

I get these questions, and I’m always shocked when I do.

Even if I agreed with his policies, which include tax breaks for the wealthy, banning Muslims from the United States, and giving coal companies the ability to dispose of waste in mountain streams, Trump is still a self-admitted sex offender who separated children from their families at the border, put migrant children in cages, offered support to Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville, referred to African nations as “shit hole countries,” fanned the flames of birtherism for the entire Obama Presidency, openly mocked the disabled, paid hush money to a porn star, operated a fake university that stole millions from hard working Americans, insulted war heroes and Gold Star families, attacks the free press and his own intelligence agencies, and lies repeatedly and verifiably.

He lied about releasing his tax returns. Lies about crowd sizes. Lies about voter fraud. Lied about divesting in his businesses as the Constitution demands. Lied repeatedly about Flynn and Manafort and Cohen. Lied about knowing about the payments to porn stars. Lied about immigration and homicide and crime rates, seeming to make these numbers up from thin air and literally enlarging these numbers from one rally to the next. He told Americans that he barely watched television because he’s too busy reading. He promised Americans that he would have no time for golf as President. He claims that the American Treasury is bursting at the seems with Chinese tariffs when it’s the companies purchasing the goods who pay the tariffs in higher costs. He lied about steel plants returning to America that never did. Coal mines opening that never did.

Even if I thought that trickle-down economics made sense and and the Muslim ban was needed and I favored deregulation over environmental protection, how could any truly decent human being support this man?

Why is anyone surprised that I relentlessly oppose him?

This is not a matter of politics. This is not a liberal vs. conservative battle or a Republican vs. Democrat debate. Policy has nothing to do with any of this.

I will always stand in opposition of indecency, sexism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, homophobia, and racism. I will always stand against thieves, crooks, and relentless liars.

My relentless opposition to Donald Trump should not be surprising. It should be the norm. It should be the position of every American who supports and loves their friends of color. Their LGBTQ friends. Their Muslim and Mexican and African friends. Their female friends.

It should be the position of anyone who loves this country.

We did not need Michael Cohen to tell is that Trump is a racist, a con artist, and a cheat. That is already abundantly clear. That is why I stand in relentless opposition to Donald Trump. Not because he’s a Republican or a conservative, but because he is a fundamentally indecent human being who should not be leading this nation.

This should be no surprise to anyone.