United States

The Correspondent

In a novel

attempt

to preempt

the event

of the President

and

DC

correspondents,

there were shots

fired

and lots

of confusion

over an

intrusion

at the 

White House

Correspondents’

Dinner,

making everyone 

nervous

before

salad

service.

The Secret

Service

rushed

the dais

and escorted

the POTUS,

FLOTUS,

and VIPS,

while

everyone

else,

with

unease,

exited

safely,

except

the uninvited

guest

correspondent

whose message

is not yet

clear.

Nowhere

near

the President’s

ear,

this incident

was different.

Still,

the ability 

to break

through

security

when everybody

who is

anybody

in DC

was present

as either

a correspondent

or close

to the 

President,

seems

less incredible

than inevitable

that some

violent

message

would be

deliverable.

Thankfully,

it was 

quelled

immediately

with the 

gunman

taken away

in custody.

A night 

dedicated

to freedom

of speech

began 

with

a security

breech

and then

each 

correspondent

ready

to present

a story

of the evening’s

terrifying

event.

Freedom

of speech

and press—

all there

to report

the mess.

I’m sure

the shooter’s

intent

was not

meant

to highlight

the role

of the

correspondent.

It almost

seems 

an elegant

message.

He Has A Dream

With the Iran

war

going on,

it would seem

unseemly,

but upon

reflection,

the GC

of DC

and the country,

has gone 

to the Mall

and what

he saw

in 

The Reflecting Pool

was filth.

“…the water’s

disgusting

looking….

It’s not

representative

of our country.”

Between 

the Lincoln

Memorial

and the 

Washington

Monument,

the Narcissus

President

saw in the 

water mirror

an image 

of him

that couldn’t

be nearer

to the truth.

A broken

foundation

filled with 

scum,

ummmmm….

yeah,

that’s the bum

he sees.

Our country’s

riddled

with problems

thanks

to him,

so he called

a contractor

for people

who swim

to renovate

at a great

rate,

and paint

it

“American

Flag

Blue”.

Through

mass demonstrations

and inspirations

the National

Mall

has been a space

for all 

our pride

and catharsis.

It’s a marker

for the best

of us,

which the rest

of us

share reflectively.

MLK’s

“I Have A Dream”

speech

continues

to teach

all humanity.

And the epic

54-ton

tapestry,

with more than

100,000

individual names,

a reminder

of human

dignity,

the largest

community

arts project

in history,

The AIDS

Memorial

Quilt,

helped tilt

the country

more toward

compassion

and action

in fighting

AIDS.

Maintaining

the Reflecting

Pool

is Old School;

it wasn’t

the subject

of a personal

reno project.

The dirt

Trump sees

does not

reflect US.

He’s right

about that

much.

But with such

a story

of restored

glory

and his

construction 

projects,

he deflects

from

the real scum

he sees,

his dream

that frees

him 

to govern

by whim

and greed

believing

that no one

can succeed

his

Triumphal

Arch.

Swalwell Pulled Out

All’s well

without Swalwell,

unless

you’re his

family

or a victim.

Because of 

him

your life

is now hell.

Thanks,

Former Representative

Swalwell.

And now

Dems must

face

another

race,

this time

in the great

state-

the richest

state-

of Cali.

The tally

of men

who 

got caught

harming

women-

multiple 

women-

still shocks

and appalls,

as it should.

Who would

do this?

Men of

such 

hubris

and much

power.

I’m glad

he pulled

out 

of the race,

though he

was running

apace,

and could

have become

Newsom’s

successor

for governor.

Before Swalwell

fell,

I didn’t

like him,

though

I agreed

with his

legislative

actions.

His ubiquitous

presence

became

distractions,

and he was

overly

ambitious.

There’s

the story

that 

Dems

destroy

themselves,

but Trump

has destroyed

the US.

The biggest

messes

are MAGA

Congress’s,

as they

refuse

to hold

Trump

accountable.

Trump

and his

party

are responsible,

no doubt,

but still,

I’m glad

that Swalwell

pulled out.

No need 

to throw

the baby

out

with the

bathwater.

Just

let him

go

and show

the world

that

we can

recover

with another

Democrat

in charge.

A.I. War

American-Israeli?

America-Iran?

The Iran War

is for…..?

Nuclear

disarmament

and an intent

to change

the regime?

It may seem

a semantic

matter

what to call

all

this,

or is this

history

soon 

to be re-

defined?

Never mind

the stupidity

of no exit

strategy

from the 

unforeseen

tragedy

that always

unfolds

when

a no holds

barred 

approach

with constant 

reproach

is  the

brand of

diplomacy.

Over a

century,

there was

The Great

War,

then renamed

more

appropriately,

World War

One,

which the allies

against

Germany

eventually

won.

Or did we?

The second

World War

brought

the nuclear

age

after we

decimated

Hiroshima

and Nagaski.

Emboldened

and beholden

to the cause

of democracy

we deployed

troops

south

of the DMZ.

Then we chose

to bomb

Viet Nam

so that we

could be

free,

in case

you could 

see red

from

your bed

at home

instead

of in

the jungles.

All the bungles

of that war

and explanations

at the time

undermined

what Americans

saw.

International

law 

prohibited

the bombing

of Cambodia,

but for 

a paranoid

crook

who took

the oath,

Nixon

put the fix in,

but then

the truly

great Americans

forced 

his resignation

over the Watergate

investigation.

At home

and abroad

fraud

counts,

and when it

mounts,

citizens rebel.

The story

we tell

ourselves

about war

is for 

being

a good guy.

The 9/11

attacks on us

gave us 

a reasonable

mission:

defeat 

the seat

of the terrorist

threat

in Afganistan.

But soon

we 

got sidetracked

to Iraq

using artificial

intelligence.

A mushroom cloud

image

was the official

message

to rally

support

for invasion.

Iraqis would

welcome us,

we were told;

a slam dunk!

We were drunk

with fear

and Sadam

was an easier

target

than Osama.

And then

the Ayatollah,

because,

you know,

he’s evil.

It’s hard

to argue

with what

you know

is true,

but who

knows the 

rest?

We don’t.

And I’m

not sure

our Department

of War

or

Commander

in Chief,

who still

refuses

to brief

Americans

beyond

social media

posts,

knows

what to do

really.

Ideally,

a coalition 

of allies

tries

diplomacy,

but see,

he

alone,

can fix

it.

No congressional

approval,

ladies and gents,

just artificial

intelligence

at war

with who

we need

to be.

Gross Out

Blondie Bondi,

no longer

AG,

the chief attorney

of the country

(should be

for the country),

having been 

fired

just after

Kristi,

(now former

director 

of Homeland

Security),

joins the lists

of Trump

loyalists

who get

dumped

like finalists

in a contest

for the grossest.

Her handling

of the Epstein

stuff

was not enough

to satisfy

the guy

who knew

his crew

would be

screwed

if the files

were reviewed

and his lewd

persona

was displayed

alongside

his buddy-

a study

in how power

played

in a gross 

world-

became 

unfurled.

More men

were brought

down,

but the clown

at the top

will

never stop

taking,

making

the world

unsafe 

for democracy.

Who knew

there were

so many

gross

people?

Apparently,

Trump.

Takes one

to know

them all.

If the pattern

continues,

then Trump

will choose

someone 

grosser

in some way.

Jeff Sessions.

Bill Barr.

Pam Bondi.

Out 

with the gross,

in with the

grosser.

Unlike the Pharaoh

in the story

of Passover,

Trump

always lets

his people

go.

Creating crises

east

and west

Trump does

what he does

best:

conquest.

He is our

gross

national

product;

a man

whose

conduct

(or misconduct)

is gross

in every

way.

As Easter

Sunday

symbolizes 

victory

over sin

and even

death,

with the hope

of new life

and spiritual

renewal,

Trump

is a gross

reminder

of the need

to heed

the lessons

of power

and greed

and to become

more vigilant

and intelligent

about 

how to get

the gross

out of 

office 

for good.

Size Matters

Trump finally got

the biggest

crowds

ever

in US

history,

but will

it be 

enough?

The No Kings 3

demonstrations,

3000 

confirmations

of approximately

8 million

frustrations

with this administration

and demand

for democracy

to be

the rule,

not a cruel

fool,

infantile

and vile,

gauche,

louche,

driven

by money

and epic

fury,

proved 

that we

can unite

peacefully

for decency

and democracy.

A protest

alone

can’t dethrone

a would-be

king

or authoritarian

ring.

(See Tiananmen

Square, 1989).

But 

it’s a sign

nonetheless,

that 

in

nearly

every

municipality,

fearlessness

against

venality,

brutality,

criminality,

and more,

is growing.

Knowing

the size 

of the resistance

to the persistence

of this 

menace

should help 

us

flip the House

and Senate.

Let him

take credit

for ending

the war

soon.

It doesn’t

change

that he’s

still

a buffoon,

who will

soon

realize

that congress

must authorize

this “exercise”.

It’s the size 

that matters

most

to him,

whether

bright

or dim,

news

of multitudes

gets 

his attention.

Any mention 

of size

is a prize

to be had

or denied.

Regardless,

he’ll go on

attacking.

Your presence

is paramount

in order 

to dismount

this weak

yet pugnacious

anomaly.

Or is he?

Is he US?

Are we

just a  huge

country

that is obnoxious,

old,

fat,

ignorant,

and gluttonous?

Yesterday’s

No Kings Day

would suggest

otherwise,

based on

the size 

of the crowds

of those

who chose

to exercise

their

right to protest.

I hope

it’s a test

to show

that size 

matters.

Everybody

A year ago

my second toe,

and first,

and third,

required

corrective

surgery.

Recovery

would be

slow

to show,

but now

the issue

is scar

tissue.

Meanwhile,

a terribly

difficult

infection

causing

inflammation

in a finger

to throb

and linger

has meant

that treatment

for another

ailment

is contingent

upon

what’s going

on

elsewhere.

And now

my problematic

hips and hamstrings,

additional

chronic

disablings,

can no longer

be ignored.

For all my

recovery talk,

one year later,

I can barely

walk;

an issue,

like my first toe,

started aching

decades ago.

I confess

my anatomical

mess,

less 

to complain

than to sustain

attention

on our duties

civic

to impact

our pathetic

body politic.

See what

I did there?

Compare

my shoddy

body

(and the ailments

I mention,

like 

you may

have,

are only some)

with the problem

of our politics.

As you 

well know,

pain sticks

when what

needs to be

fixed

isn’t.

Like 

an autoimmune

condition,

fighting

itself

into 

submission,

we’re in

a prolonged

flare.

There are

remedies

for various

maladies,

but much

effort

is required.

Mired

in pain

and war

is sure

to make

recovery

slow going.

But knowing

we still

have capacity

and muscle

memory

for democracy,

means

exercising

appropriately,

regularly.

Offerings

like 

No Kings

rallies

may seem

useless

against

our maladies,

but I believe

participation

is the medication

needed.

Support

candidates

beyond

your community

in order to 

strengthen

congressional

immunity

against

the MAGA

virus

inundating

us.

Donate,

show up,

email,

call….

do it all!

The process

of healing

requires

dealing

with building

strength;

a process

of length

and endeavor.

Nothing’s

forever,

but our injuries

may need

surgeries,

and certainly

therapies,

in order 

to facilitate

recovery.

Ultimately,

it’s up

to us

to do 

more 

than discuss

our disgust.

Democracy

is of,

by,

and for,

and therefore

requires

everybody.

Legacy Box

Like in 

a coffin,

we often

try to contain

what will remain

after us,

thus

drafting

and crafting

some image; 

some visage

for lineage

or heritage.

A life 

of importance;

of consequence.

In a sense,

we try

to ensure

that our death

will be more

than 

the end.

No one

is more

concerned

about having

earned

a place

in history

than 

the man

of Epic 

Fury.

Bored 

of peace,

the increase

of aggression

may be his

concession

to a time limit.

Does this war

inhibit?

Prohibit?

Or merely

exhibit

epic

destruction

without

reconstruction

because

we pretend

that’s on

them,

and you’re

welcome.

When Trump

feels boxed

in,

he claims

a win

with

notorious

epic fury.

Who needs 

diplomacy

or policy

when hostility

poses

for expediency?

The decency

of Americans

showed sympathy

for Iranians

who suffered

and died

after 

they tried 

to protest

their government’s

oppression.

The succession

of oppression

is a common

outcome

from

dictatorships.

The second

Assad

was worse

than the first.

And Kim Jung Ił

was still

not as bad 

as his son,

Kim Jung Un.

The legacy

of war

should abhor,

for

more than

a minute.

We enter

militarily

often

from lies

under the guise

that it’s

wise

to avert

iminent

threat,

yet,

we’re met

with the suprise

of hatred

for generations.

Subverting

diplomacy

and democratic

process,

to me inhibits

any success,

and Trump’s

legacy

of travesty

is tragedy

even if

military

victory

killed

the Ayatollah.

Winter Games

Everything 

I see

lately

is curling-

in the Olympics

and in politics.

Meddling

at home

without

much medaling

in Italy

yet,

from the outset,

has been

great upset.

Booing Vance

in advance

of the games

brought me

no pride.

Inside

I cringed

at how fringed

our stature

is

on the world

stage.

The rage

against

Trump

is

justified,

as the 

slide

to authoritarianism

can not

be denied,

but mostly,

I felt sad.

And then

the great

losses

early on

by the bosses

of skating

and skiing,

felt metaphoric.

This season

of ICE,

the most

chilling

in memory,

could be

an opportunity.

But not 

yet.

Shutting down

Homeland Security

even partially,

may be

a Hail

Mary,

but it feels

like a lose-

lose.

And gutting

the EPA

and throwing

away

environmental

progress,

much less

democratic

process,

make today,

Presidents Day,

nothing more

than a day

to buy

a mattress.

If you’re feeling

powerless,

know that

you are not.

Politics,

unlike

The Olympics,

is not

a spectator

sport.

The dual

crises,

existential,

democracy

and environmental,

require your

participation.

Sure,

bring your bags

to the grocery

store,

but before 

you do,

take a few

moments

(literally, a few!!)

to take

actions:

Home
Dashboard for Democracy

Use the tools

of democracy

to save democracy

and the climate

crises.

Already crafted

emails

and petitions,

download the apps

for your signature

additions.

I get nothing

out of sharing

here

other than knowing

we are daring 

here

to do democracy

together.

It’s better 

than just watching

the screen

as we careen

off course.

And of course,

share with 

your friends

and family

and your 

networks.

Be a reason

democracy

works.

That’s

how we

win.

But His Emails (A Tale of Whoa!)

They’d have you

believe

that if you 

retrieve

an entitlement,

guaranteed

by our government,

that somehow

you’re just

a taker.

And,

the wealthy

are smarter,

and work

much harder,

and make

things

for you

and me.

They have relevance

and benevolence

as benefactors

and contractors,

providing

the world

we consume.

Well, don’t 

assume

they don’t

believe it

even though

they did

conceive it.

It would

all be

utterly

pathetic

except 

for unapologetic

abuse

by the obtuse

who excuse

themselves.

The neediest

among us,

aside from

the current

POTUS,

are apparently

the economically

most advantaged.

Presidents

and celebrities

need

favors and freebies,

always with please

and thank you.

Well mannered

shnorers,

who always

cut corners,

are praised

as the most

successful.

They’ll take

what they can

because they can

even when 

the man

who provides

each gift

lives on grift

and sex crimes.

How many times

will we have 

to see

a dump

of files

pertaining

to Jeffrey

of the most

wealthy

and influential,

seemingly

with the most

potential

needing

a favor

or cashmere

sweatshirt

from the guy

who

perpetually

hurt

young females?

The endless

emails

from powerful

males,

and occasional

wives

whose lives

were golden,

were somehow

beholden

to Epstein

without 

having seen 

any crime.

I’m 

most amazed

at how 

unfazed

the least

deserving

are 

at preserving

the worst

kind

of need.

Their greed

and entitlement,

and lack

of enlightenment,

is evident

in each

email.

It’s a tale

of whoa,

now that 

we know

just how

low 

the “elite”

can go.

The receipts

always show.

Just go

to that 

inbox.