He Poked The Bear

Former FBI director James Comey poked the bear when he found and photographed sea shells on the beach that read “86-47”.

Trump, who has already faced assassination at least three times that we know of and probably more than we don’t, played it as a death threat. That he is perhaps a bit sensitive on the subject is understandable. But, did he specifically direct Todd Blanche, Acting A.G., to go after Comey for a second vindictive indictment? After all, Blanche is sucking up to Trump, as he auditions for “Acting” to be removed from“ Attorney General”.

In the heat of summer, if not before, a federal judge, made grumpy by the absurdity of the indictment,  may render summary judgment and kill it in the crib. Comey should perhaps be punished for being a self-serving numb-nut, plead guilty, be fined a dollar and sent on his way.

Meanwhile, who was responsible for organizing the White House Correspondents’ mash-up? What was the board, staff, Washington Hilton hotel security, the US Secret Service, the FBI et. al. thinking? What posse of idiots put the country's tippety-top officials in the same ballroom, on the same dais, at the same time? Who forgot to lock the stairway access door to the balcony above the venue? Or guard it? A soupcon of Kudos to the gent who calmly chomped on his salad as the rest of the dais was rushed to Hilton purgatory!

Trump, always true to himself before all else quickly recovered and. pivoted, flogging the beyond ugly bomb-proof ballroom he’s busy building, abashedly untruthful about the funding: not private donors but actually us, the taxpayers.

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I first became aware of the term “86-ed” when,  in early 1956, the well-used oil-leaking Studebaker two Army buddies and I bought with our poker winnings died on the road. We “86-ed” it, a more delicate locution than “shit-canned”. In the restaurant business "86" simply meant out of that menu item; in a saloon it was don't serve drunk customers any more booze. From that "86" morphed into get rid of or replace.

Comey would not, did not, threaten Trump's life but did declare his opinion that 47 should be got rid of -- 86-ed. With an approval stat of 37% it appears the other 63% have caught on to Trump's grossness: lack of grace, tastelessness, absence of intellect or curiosity, wacko drifting speeches, vindictiveness, baggy suits, body shape a la McDonald's, the not-from-Tropicana orange pallor, the ski slope coiffure and the necktie down to his pupik.

Goaded by Bibi into making war on Iran Trump still has not absorbed the lesson that starting a war is easy and ending a war is not. The country teeters on $7 a gallon gas, quickening inflation and the real possibility of a sharp economic meltdown. Yes, the stock market has held up for now, even risen, driven by a narrow set of AI-driven tech companies.

86 Trump and the Clown Cabinet -- perhaps excepting Treasury Secretary Bessent; I'm keeping an open mind on the possibly incoming federal reserve chair Kevin Warsh.

86-em!