Sitcoms in the 1980's would occasionally do a "very special episode" which was code for "serious," like when Father Mulcahey did a tracheotomy, or when Tom Hanks played Alex P. Keaton's alcoholic uncle, or when Jessie Spano was so excited.
This post is along those lines. My apologies in advance.
Almost eight years ago I opined that "we stand at the precipice of what's shaping up to be the most transparently corrupt four year stretch of our federal government's history." We're now at a newer precipice that is simultaneously more transparent and more corrupt. I could write at length about how crooked it will be when a major government contractor decides how the government will spend money but I have bigger concerns.
One of the key concepts that makes the oldest democracy in the world so great (despite some people saying it needs to be made great again, I think it's great and always has been) is the separation of powers. Click on that link to the Library of Congress website, they have a nice short summary of the doctrine. I'll wait for you.
You're back! You now know that the Founders separated government powers to avoid a monarchy and preserve individual liberty. You also now know that one of the key separated powers is the appointment of federal officers--the president picks them but the Senate approves them. This prevents the president from putting unqualified cronies and lickspittles in positions of power.
President-elect Trump recently twat from his fugazi Twitter platform that he wants to avoid Senate approval for his cabinet picks, and that the next Senate majority leader must agree. Predictably, the three clowns senators vying to be the Senate leader practically tripped over themselves in a rush to acquiesce to Trump's demand.
This is really bad. It's so bad that National Review's Ed Whelan says it's bad. We are watching Trump aggregate a separated power of the Senate unto the Presidency before he's even sworn in, and no one plans to stop him. It's only going to get worse once he's back in the Oval Office.
The worst way it gets worse is Trump's pick of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. All of Trump's picks so far are stars of the MAGA extended cinematic universe. I don't know if this is because Trump's Diet-Coke-and-Big-Mac addled brain can only come up with people he sees on Fox News, or if it's red meat for his cult base, or both. They're all bad in their own unique ways but Gaetz terrifies me.
Gaetz was not selected for his legal experience or acumen. He apparently practiced for nine or ten years, and six of those years coincided with his time in the Florida House so I doubt he was billing 2000 hours a year. Wikipedia says that after graduating from Marshall-Wythe he was at AnchorsGordon, a nine person shop in northwestern Florida. I am not being an elitist when I say this is not the right resume for the person tasked with leading 10,000 lawyers, the FBI, DEA, OIG, ATF, INTERPOL, and lots of other important stuff.
Gaetz got this job because he'll do whatever Trump wants--he's one of the aforementioned unqualified cronies and lickspittles. And what Trump wants is to use the police power of the federal government to harass and maybe even imprison people who opposed him. Once that becomes the new norm there will be no opposition because all dissenters will be gagged or too scared to say anything. Can you think of any reason why Gaetz wouldn't do this? Why he wouldn't do this gleefully? You don't think that if all the AUSAs of good conscience resign when asked to corruptly investigate or indict Trump's enemies, a glut of mini-Gaetzes won't rise up to take those jobs?
I can deal with the head of hair at DoD, the doge assassin at DHS and Pat Summerall's kid as CoS. But I fear that Gaetz as AG is the beginning of the end of the world's oldest democracy.
And now back to your regularly scheduled dipshittery.
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53 comments:
i would say that this would be a good time for a few senators, say romney, murkowski, collins for starters, to show some fucking spine at long last and stand up against gaetz (and hegseth - he's every bit as unqualified as gaetz to run dod, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the planet), but i have very little hope that even one of them will do so. our only saving grace might be the fact that institutional washington hates gaetz with the heat of a hundred suns.
given the enmity towards that butthead-looking chucklefuck (with sincere apologies to butthead, who doesn't deserve this), i think odds are pretty good that the house investigation of gaetz's sex trafficking allegations will come to light. or at least be provided to a handful of waffling senators during confirmation proceedings.
I think Romney will be out when it's time to vote on Gaetz and he can afford two republican "no" votes for 51-49. I think a 50-50 tie goes to Vance. You really think four republican Senators will defect? After everything you've seen, you think Matt Gaetz is the bridge too far?
think? fuck no. hope against hope? maybe. not gonna matter, because hhs secretary rfk jr. is gonna ensure that polio comes back and kills me.
We are living in the dumbest possible timeline of the MAGA multiverse.
This is like having a guy who called for abolishing the Department of Energy in charge of the Department of Energy. Oh wait.
Looks like I picked the wrong year to quit drinking
looks like i picked the right year to start doing hard drugs
Don't worry, tariffs will make us all rich!
rfk jr allegedly wants to make ssri meds hard to get. that would have a significantly deleterious effect on my mental health, so i'm storming the motherfucking bastille if he takes action on that front. who's with me?
Is the great deliberative body going to submit to this? Not that butthead or the don are too concerned with consent.
Coincidentally, I had my board of health meeting tonight. Our health director is dispirited.
Hey z, as you and Marls comprise the G:TB Legal Dept, is there any sort of legal profession oversight or sanction that might be useful or helpful in cases where someone is profoundly unfit or compromised for a position?
I get that our present political machinery is no longer equipped for the checks-and-balances and separation of powers that should kick in, but can't the profession police its own? Or does Fed power and position wield too large a hammer and therefore freeze dissent and potentially squash careers? These questions may sound more puerile than intended, but I'm genuinely curious.
The masses have to revolt, and it only works if we do something that embarrasses DJT. Loudly. Let’s do it.
Dave - The Diddler is admitted to the FL bar and could be disbarred by them if he did something that they deemed made his unfit for the practice of law in the state - similar to how Rudy “my hair is melting at the Four Seasons Gaden Center” Guilani was disbarred by NY.
Unfortunately, all that means is that he can’t practice law in FL. The senate is the vehicle for keeping truly unfit candidates out.
Gracias, Tim. Hmmm. Could make for really unusual confirmation process, yes? If Justice Dept investigation into Gaetz isn't released because of his withdrawal from Congress, still likely that committee members will see at least parts of it (also have to figure some of it gets leaked publicly). Then, up to committee members to decide if disqualifying or they're just "deeply concerned" and rubber stamp nomination anyway, right? Gets really provocative if they tell DJT they can't confirm and he does end run and makes recess appointment.
I don't know if you have to be a licensed attorney to be the Attorney General. You don't need a law degree to be a Supreme Court Justice (like Robert Jackson, one of my favorite legal writers). And do you think anyone is going to tell Trump that he can't have Gaetz over some nonsense like a license? Gaetz would just waive into Montana or West Virginia and Trump would make a phone call to get it done in 24 hours.
I hear Whitney's comments for a punk rock revolt. I've been marinating on an update of Charlie Poole's White House Blues from 1926 for awhile now.
Recent events have forced me to go back to it with a bit more venom and concern than I'd been tapping into.
I’m ready to tee up “I Hate the TV” by Violent Femmes. Give it a listen.
My wife is drinking around the world at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival today with a bunch of her friends.Hopefully she doesn't get arrested like Alex Morgan did.
that's always a good time, says me. also a good time, your tribe tip at 5:00 as 7.5-point dogs on the road against winthrop.
5:00 pm tip? Are they a JV squad now?
Now?
fair point
tribe was up 4 with 5 seconds left. and lost in regulation. strong.
Did they cover?
Oh, the Tribe. Will they ever win? The Ziggy of D-I basketball.
To supplement rob, Tribe vomited up what would have been nice win vs Winthrop in its tournament. Lost 86-85 on 3-pointer at buzzer. Led by 10 w/ 4 1/2 to play, led by four with :13 left. Committed three turnovers in last two minutes, missed three FT in last 13 seconds. Winthrop only lead second half was made shot at buzzer.
covered, rootsy. covered!
checked out the big noon kickoff setup with my wife and kid today. turns out the cast and crew were doing some prep there, so got face to face with brady quinn, urban meyer, rob stone, matt leinart, and mark ingram. that was fun. tune in tomorrow - kid's gonna be on the broadcast. wife and i (and fogtb bruce) will be somewhere in the crowd for at least a little while.
I’ll tune in! I’ll be looking for you, but I doubt I’ll be able to see Bruce.
Also, I’m in Columbia, SC for my annual Cocks game tomorrow. FOGTB Buckles is here somewhere, though I’ve not been able to track him as yet. Big game (for these parts) tomorrow!
Netflix was wholly unprepared for tonight. The lack of bandwidth is a joke.
I came home from my kids softball game and thoroughly enjoyed this night of boxing ( I LOVE boxing and watched a ton in my youth and into my mid 20s when it fell apart). The last two undercards were terrific but, of course, some judge related fuckery happened. Because, boxing.
Kinda psyched for tonight.
Johnny Rotten once belched:
“You ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated??”
…as the Pistols phonyed their way through a set in the States. He was right. And so was anyone who felt that way after tonight’s so-called boxing match. Blah x 10000.
Joel is outside looking in with one event to play.
kid loves drama
How’s Mark doin? Gators have come along way since the first couple of weeks.
Cignetti w an 8-yr, 72m new deal. What a difference a year makes.
A long way. Big win.
Great game for Buckles and Whit. Hope they connected?
Nice win for my guys. Also something soothing watching the two teams I hate the most play each other in an elimination game.
I love college football and I am petty as fuck.
Spent some pregame time with Buckles as well as little Vicky. Then that game happened. Hell yes.
After gakking away chance to beat Winthrop on its floor, Tribe hoops loses to previously winless NC Central.
Also, darn fine football viewing day for Mark and Whit and rob.
Excellent viewing indeed. I was bad-mouthing SC’s offensive playcalling, but then they go and do that and totally redeem themselves. Bedlam at Williams-Brice Stadium.
This was the last Gamecocks game I’ll attend whilst my girls are in undergrad here. It was a dandy, made better by having a bunch of good friends here.
What a run of games I’ve watched at the Willy B. Beat the Gators underdogged by 20 (sorry, Mark) in 2021, upended the Vols 2 years ago after they had beaten Alabama while underdogged by 20, and now this. A couple of losses in the middle there, but it’s been a great run.
Tribe beats GA southern?
Tribe hoops salvages Winthrop tournament appearance with 102-87 matinee win v Ga Southern. Forty-four of 67 shots were 3-point attempts, 48 points from behind arc. Nine of 11 guys who played attempted a 3.
72 fish can EAD
I've had something on my mind for a few days now. I just need to get it off my chest.
Alex Keaton's Uncle Ned was an alcoholic in Season 2, but in Season 1 he was a corporate whiz whose conscience about the company's impending layoffs led him to embezzle millions and go on the lam from the Feds to pay those laid off. Both were star turns for young Tommy Hanks 'twixt the bedrock of Bosom Buddies and the rocket launch era of Splash and Bachelor Party. And both... were "very special episodes."
Now ya know.
who's got the sweet, sweet filler?
Nice juxtaposition of twixt and bosom. Bosom Buddies is greatly overlooked.
I have a post coming later today. Not necessarily filler, but I hope you'll like it, anyway! Stay tuned.
all killer no filler!
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