Monday, November 25, 2019

Three stories that basically wrote themselves

I haven’t written a shieldWALL in a few weeks, but after reading today’s news, I just couldn’t help myself. It seems that some stories are so ridiculous they basically write themselves.

First, I read where Sarah Huckabee Sanders – who wants to be the next governor of Arkansas – doesn’t like being called a liar. Well, I’ve got news for you, Sarah…you lie. You lie a lot. As White House press secretary you sat in the Oval Office for months listening to Donald Trump spew a non-stop stream of lies and then you casually walked out to a podium and repeated them to the working press.

To be able to do that makes you one of the world’s greatest liars. We’re talking Greatest of All Time here, Sarah, or at least runner-up to your former boss. You’re either a world class liar or you’re too stupid to know you were lying. In either case, you were colossally unqualified for the job you previously held, and now you believe you’re qualified to be the governor of a state. Why? Because your father did it first?

That’s some resume, Sarah. “I want to be your next governor because my daddy did it once and because I’m a top notch liar. Please vote for me.” Good luck with that campaign. (Of course, it is Arkansas, so there’s that.)

Second, I see where Rick Perry thinks Donald Trump is the chosen one. This is the same Rick Perry who was governor of Texas, taking the place of another Republican thought to be the dumbest governor in history until Perry came along. This is the same Rick Perry who, as a candidate for president, wanted to abolish the Department of Energy, except that he couldn’t remember what it was called, and then became its secretary under the current administration.

So Perry now believes that Donald J. Trump – a shallow, childish, narcissistic, misogynistic, xenophobic, racist con man tax evading sexual predator who’s also a pathological liar with dangerous, Fascist-inspired ideas and a probable mental illness – is exactly the man that god would select to lead the greatest nation on earth.

Right, Rick. Now please go back on your meds.

I have to admit that in one way, I agree with Rick Perry. Donald Trump is a chosen one, alright. He was chosen by Vladimir Putin to help destroy America so that Putin and his Russian buddies can rebuild the old Soviet Union while tearing down NATO, the United Nations, the European Alliance, Western democracy and everything that is good about the world.

Is that what you meant, Rick? Or did you mean he was chosen by Satan to be the anti-christ? I could see it going either way.

And finally, I read where Devin Nunes, the fake farmer from California whose fake farm is actually located in Iowa and who is suing a fake cow that hurt his feelings on Twitter, is refusing to talk to CNN about reports that he’s knee-deep in this Ukraine bribery scandal while at the same time trying to protect Donald Trump from impeachment as a member of the House Intelligence Committee.

His exact words to CNN were, “I don't talk to you in this lifetime or the next lifetime. At any time. On any question.”

When I read that, my first thought was, “I wish Devin Nunes would just stop talking altogether.” The sound of his voice makes me want to hurt someone, or at least start drinking heavily.

My second thought was, “This should make it easy for CNN to cover this scandal. They can report anything they want about Nunes and just throw in his quote at the end.

And my third thought was, “Why are so many innocent people refusing to hand over documents, testify under oath and talk to inquiring reporters?” That seems counterintuitive to me. If I were being charged with something I didn’t do and I had documents to prove it, I’d hold a press conference on the courthouse steps before heading over to Kinkos to make a few thousand copies to hand out on the street.

(Does Kinkos even exist?)

As one former federal prosecutor said recently on TV, “No one prevents a witness who can exonerate them from testifying.” Just like no one who used to lie for a living should be surprised that people call her a liar, or someone too stupid to know the name of the department he’s in charge of should pretend to have a direct line to god, or someone with nothing to hide should go so far out of his way to hide it.

I used to be amazed every time I heard someone say this kind of nonsense out loud in public. I’m no longer amazed, but I still refuse to accept it as the new normal. So take that, Sarah Sanders. Go home and get your shine box, Rick Perry. And stuff that in your turkey, Devin Nunes. I hope the imaginary cow drives you literally insane.

Sunday, November 10, 2019