Tag Archives: election

Senator Doe Stands His Ground

“Mr. Doe, you’re a U.S. Senator and a loyal Trump supporter, is that correct?”

“I stand with the President 100%.”

“And you agree with Mr. Trump that the election was somehow rigged against him?”

“It most certainly was.”

“What would it take to satisfy you that the election was free and fair?”

“Well, there would have to be a full investigation of every allegation of fraud.”

“Well, Sir, state election officials have done those investigations and found no fraud. The U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have also found no fraud. And the Courts have reviewed Mr. Trump’s claims and found no evidence of fraud. So doesn’t that address all your concerns, Senator?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“I see. So what WOULD satisfy you that the election was free and fair?”

“Well I don’t know, there has to be proof that there wasn’t any hanky-panky going on.”

“What kind of proof?”

“How should I know, I don’t work in the election office. I’m a Senator.”

“So you’re saying that the people running the election are the ones who would know the actual facts.”

“Of course, that’s just basic horse sense.”

“And those officials have all confirmed the accuracy and fairness of the election, correct?”

“They said it, but they could be wrong.”

“All the state and local election officials across the country could be wrong? And you think you and Mr. Trump are right.”

“Yes I do.”

“And that’s based on . . ?”

“I told you, the election was rigged, there was fraud everywhere.”

“Senator, you’re up for re-election in 2022. Why should the people of your state send you back to Washington in two years?”

“The people of my state know I have always done everything humanly possible to improve their lives in every way.”

“Uh-huh. How much Covid relief for families, workers and small businesses are you voting for, Senator?”

“Well, we’ll have to see about that. This Covid thing has been way overblown. Very few people have died, it’s nowhere near as bad as what the . . .”

“Are you all right, Senator?”

“Yeah I just got a little dizzy there. Feels like there’s a weight or something on my chest, all of a sudden.”

“Gee that’s a deep cough you have there, Senator. How long have you had that?”

“Just the last couple hours, I . . .”

“Senator, the video output of your computer is a little blurry, but you don’t look so good. Do you have someone there who could take your temperature?”

“My wife Elaine is here but she’s in bed. She’s had the worst cold all day, can barely breathe.”

“Senator, my network is gonna call 9-1-1 for you. Okay?”

“9-1-1?”

“Yes, you know. One of those public services that you’re always saying will take us down the road to socialism.”

A Country Held Hostage?

Until the federal government takes responsibility . . . states, counties and cities need to enact EMERGENCY laws PROHIBITING GUNS IN PUBLIC. Starting now. No guns in public. Big guns, little guns, pretty guns, ugly guns, manly guns, silly guns. Guns.

Otherwise, we are held hostage by angry armed thugs. We know that without their guns they’re cowards. With their guns they’re self-righteous bullies. I like them better without their guns.

WHAT IS AN ELECTION?

An election is really a big, powerful march. A march through the streets of Everytown. A march for truth and justice.

Every ballot is a giant protest sign.

Every vote is a clear, deafening shout.

Every trip to a polling place is a proud fist in the air.

Every decision in a voting booth is an impassioned speech from the courthouse steps.

Every mail-in ballot is a cheer from a crowd filled with hope and solidarity.

Every election is a march to a better world.

A CREDIBLE CLAIM

I read the New York Times article of April 12 (updated April 29), “Examining Tara Reade’s Sexual Assault Allegation Against Joe Biden”. The writers did not express an ultimate opinion about the truth or falsity of Ms. Reade’s accusation, but the overall weight of the article seemed to raise serious questions about the veracity of her claim. The article had a link to the podcast of Ms. Reade’s interview by Katie Halper in March. So I listened to the podcast of the full interview, more than one hour. She is totally credible. I was spellbound. She describes the incident so well that I can see it in my mind’s eye as if I had been there watching. I can say that about very few of the witnesses I have questioned over the years. I can see Joe Biden saying and doing exactly what Ms. Reade describes.

There are people in the media attempting to find inconsistencies but they focus mainly on outlying and second hand facts that are largely immaterial to the alleged incident itself. And Ms. Reade herself explained why it took so many years for this allegation to evolve, and why Joe Biden still triggers self-doubt and ambivalence for her. Well, there is no doubt in my mind that the incident happened and that it happened exactly or very nearly as she describes it.

The podcast interview is not testimony, in the legal sense. It is a statement, in a loose question and answer format. Ms. Reade is a victim/witness. Because people vary so much in so many ways, witness statements can range from extremely poor to unsatisfactory to average to good to great. In her interview by Katie Halper, Ms. Reade is a great witness. She is not merely credible or plausible, she is just about as good a witness as you could ask for. That’s based on forty years spent mostly in court. To use a well-worn descriptive formula, if I’ve seen one witness I’ve seen fifty thousand. Tara Reade is perceptive and articulate. She has depth and sensibility. She reminds me of my daughter. There are details and nuances in Ms. Reade’s statement. She puts everything in the real-life context of her own personal situation and the atmosphere of Senator Biden’s office. She has insight. Insight into her reactions, as well as Senator Biden’s actions and reactions. She is responsive, she is direct. Her reluctance to answer one of the particular questions is completely appropriate, it’s understandable. It hurts. There are things that she remembers and things she doesn’t. That is also appropriate. She does not try to make up answers for what she doesn’t remember. She is testifying from real memories, for better or for worse.

So, what does Joe Biden do? I will still vote for him either way. But I hope he does what Brett Kavanaugh didn’t do. I hope Joe Biden does what he did last year and admits that he’s not a saint, that he used to take liberties with women and their bodies, that he did something in 1993 that he is very ashamed of and that caused Tara Reade a lot of pain, and that he hopes he has begun to atone by becoming a better person and a champion of women and all the other segments of humanity who really need a champion in the White House right now.

Bow-Wow

I have decided to be a dog. Dogs don’t have a President. And they do just fine without one. Well, they could use a few more parks and a few less kennels.

Or a bird. Even better. Birds can fly above all this nonsense. They can fly to lakes or forests, over mountains or almost as high as the sun. Donald Trump cannot control the sunshine, or the land, or the oceans. Except for global warming, that is, which he won’t lift a finger for.

Our mistake is confusing reality with our society. You won’t find reality in this so-called world that we’ve created. Reality is in nature. It’s in the deserts and canyons and jungles and rivers. It’s in all the beautiful species who cohabitate. Go out and take a hike today, explore the hills, trees, whatever you can find. Be a dog. Chase a rabbit. Howl at the moon.

Ruff, ruff.