Notes on the Way

Damned lies, damnable dereliction, Sanders panders, staffer strikeout, Harris hilarity, Fani fumbles

---

For people who claim to be defending “our democracy,” President Biden and his minions demonstrate an astonishing level of contempt for the American people, the principle of democratic accountability, and the truth. After jumping on the terrible story of the three migrants who drowned in the Rio Grande last week, pinning the blame on Governor Greg Abbot and the Texas Army National Guard, the Biden Administration ought to have been embarrassed when the truth came out. But no. During yesterday’s White House press briefing Karin Jean-Pierre doubled down on the charge, flatly denying that the White House and Democrats had gotten it wrong. FNC White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, who was quizzing KJP on the subject, greeted her answer with an expression of frank astonishment. The lie was that blatant, that audacious, that shameless.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been released from the hospital and I wish him a speedy recovery. But I also wish he’d do the decent thing and resign, given the poor judgment he displayed by concealing his medical condition and hospitalization from the White House and Congress. Come to think of it, “poor judgement” is a very mild way of describing his behavior. “Dereliction of duty” is more like it. With wars going on in Ukraine and the Middle East, with tensions in Asia on the rise, the commander-in-chief had no inkling that the man second to him in the chain of command was out of commission. Austin’s failure to do the right thing could easily be rectified by his boss, but President Biden retains “full confidence” in his Secretary of Defense. That astonishing statement could mean that despite his lofty position Austin is not a very influential or important person, or that Joe Biden’s cognitive decline is so advanced that he no longer knows what’s going on in his own administration.

Senator Bernie Sanders, “Democratic Socialist” of Vermont, has introduced a bill that would suspend US aid to Israel unless the State Department conducts an investigation into possible Israeli war crimes in Gaza. This is quite a climbdown for Sanders, whose immediate response to the Hamas pogrom of October 7, 2023, was robustly pro-Israel. Now here he is, pushing a narrative of Israeli evil that has no basis in reality. The Senator surely knows better but like Joe Biden, he’s so intimidated by the Hamas-hugging progressive/antisemitic wing of the Democratic Party base that he feels compelled to pander to that mob with a slanderous lie. It used to be said of Sanders that agree with him or not, you had to concede that he was a man with the courage of his convictions. Obviously, that was fake news.

A bunch of Biden Administration staffers were supposed to have gone on strike earlier this week as a protest against the President’s pro-Israel policy. But the strike, scheduled for January 16, was “postponed” due to weather. It was just too gosh-darned cold to come out against Israeli war crimes and genocide. Or maybe the would-be protesters were deterred by the reminder that strikes by federal employees are prohibited by law. You could get fired or even go to prison! As also in the case of Comrade Sanders, there are few spectacles more despicable than people with convictions but without the courage of them.

According to Vice President Kamala Harris, we should all be “scared as heck” about those crazy people who are supporting Donald Trump against Joe Biden. But really, “scared as heck” seems kind of…prissy. Now if Harris had said “scared as hell” or “frightened out of our wits” or “consumed with existential dread,” that would have sent a strong message. But “heck”? Seriously? Anyhow, Harris blathered on: “So many of us know that when we are scared for the future of our children do we then stay in the bed with the covers over our heads?” Well, Madam Vice President, how would you know the answer to that one? You haven’t got any kids!

Fulton County (Georgia) District Attorney Fani T. Willis became the subject of fawning media coverage when she charged Donald Trump with conspiracy to commit election fraud. But recently this dauntless Trump slayer has fallen on hard times. It seems that Willis was carrying on an adulterous affair with one Nathan Wade, also an attorney. The day before he filed for divorce, Willis hired him as a “special counsel” on the Trump case and to date, he’s been paid more than $650,000 for his services. Oddly enough, Wade has never tried a felony case; his background is in personal injury and accident law. Oh, and the couple are alleged to have gone on luxury vacations and cruises together, costs being covered by Wade’s billable hours as special counsel. It’s a sordid little tale, to be sure. But is it true? Almost certainly, for Willis has fallen back on the Guilty BIPOC Defense: She claims that the allegations of misconduct and corruption being leveled against her are motivated by racism. That’s what is known as a tell.