March Madness

March Madness is here! Not the basketball variety, of course. This year's edition of March Madness is essentially the same as last month's February Madness and the madness of the preceding thirty-six months of the Trump presidency.

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Donald Trump is not the Easter Bunny, but he could be the March Hare.

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FYI: “Mad as a March Hare” is an even older proverb than “Mad as a Hatter.” Most speculate that the phrase refers to the excessively energetic behavior of the hare during early months of the mating season.

Donald Trum personifies the kind of madness Lewis Carroll explored in his writings. The excerpt below seems quite prophetic if one thinks of the coronavirus as the Snark as Trump as the insane man.

An Excerpt from the Hunting of the Snark
(Lewis Carroll, 1876)

The image above comes from the 1931 printing of Lewis Carroll's "The Hunting of the Snark," a nonsense poem told in eight "fits." Henry Holiday, the illustrator, chose to illustrate this scene from the end of the eighth "fit," which describes an insane man's inability to express himself. The passage, though meant to be comedic, betrays a deep sympathy with madness and the people who "suffer" it.

To the horror of all who were present that day.

He uprose in full evening dress,

And with senseless grimaces endeavored to say

What his tongue could no longer express.

Down he sank in a chair--ran his hands through his hair--

And chanted in mimsiest tones

Words whose utter inanity proved his insanity,

While he rattled a couple of bones.

"Leave him here to his fate--it is getting so late!"

The Bellman exclaimed in a fright.

"We have lost half the day. Any further delay,

And we sha'nt catch a Snark before night!"

Good News Seekers

To FaceBook friends who are asking folks to post good news…😎

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U.S. Census Bureau

I went online today and filled out my 2020 Census form. In the RACE section I scrolled to the OTHER field at bottom of the list and entered the following:

Human: Race is an arbitrary human construct used by the powerful to divide and manipulate people.

I did this because I sincerely believe that, Donald J. Trump, with help from his political and media allies, will use the information collected in that section to advance his ongoing policy of repressive, xenophobic, and racist attacks on those they view as "other" and a threat to their hold on power.

I thought you'd like to know.

Sincerely,

George A. Denino

Clueless Media

CORONAVIRUS

'I don't take responsibility at all': Trump deflects blame for coronavirus testing fumble 

Trump has spent weeks downplaying the virus' outbreak.

~ ~ ~

Dear Clueless Media,

Donald Trump said it, and you didn't listen.

You thought he was talking about his response to the coronavirus, but he was telling you much more. He was describing exactly how he manipulates the message so he can claim credit for the decisions and actions of others when they yield positive results and to deny responsibility when they fail. 

He told you everything about himself on January 23, 2016 when he said, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters."

And you thought he was exaggerating.

Here's how it works:

Positions of authority come with power, specifically the power to control messaging. Trump has mastered the skill of making others do what he wants done without having to say so directly. It's a skill used by dictators, abusive spouses, pedophile priests, self-serving religious leaders, movie moguls, and con men like Trump.

Here's why it works:

Trump talks in generalities and never gives orders. Those who are bound to him by duty or financial need understand what he wants them to do, and they do it.

You, the clueless media, are no exception.

Case in point: This Week's Hot News Topic

Here are the headlines you used to describe vague statements Trump made about his desire to open up the country by Easter:

Fox: Trump sets goal to re-open US economy by Easter

CNN: Trump says he wants the country 'opened up and just raring to go by Easter,' despite health experts' warnings

Here's what Trump actually said:

FOX: Speaking during a Fox News town hall on Tuesday, Trump reiterated he was eager to see the nation return to normal soon, even as doctors warn the nation will see a massive spike in cases if Americans return to crowded workplaces or events.

CNN: Asked who suggested the Easter date, Trump said it was him."I thought it was a beautiful time. A beautiful timeline," he said.
Pressed whether it was based on data, he said: "It was based on a certain level of weeks from the time we started and it happened to arrive, we were thinking of terms of sooner. I'd love to see it come sooner."

No specifics, no orders, and you fell for it.

Instead of educating America about how Trump is conning the country; instead of showing us how he deliberately avoids taking any action or making any decision, which, while absolutely necessary, might prove ineffective and thereby detrimental to his reelection; instead of exposing how he manipulates the message, you have taken the bait, responding instead to his deliberately incoherent, contradictory, and empty rhetoric and surrendered your authority and credibility as truth tellers to him and his lies.

Need more proof? Read these quotes from the article linked at the top of this page (emphasis added):

President Donald Trump on Friday deflected blame for his administration’s lagging ability to test Americans for the coronavirus outbreak, insisting instead — without offering evidence — that fault lies with his predecessor, Barack Obama.

“I don't take responsibility at all,” Trump said defiantly, pointing to an unspecified “set of circumstances” and “rules, regulations and specifications from a different time.”

But wait! There's more.

Testifying before Congress, Michael Cohen told you exactly how Donald Trump manipulates others into doing his dirty work in order to avoid accountability, but you didn't listen or believe him.

CONGRESS
Michael Cohen draws intricate picture of how Trump operated his business, personal empire

“Everybody’s job at the Trump Organization was to protect Trump”

Michael Cohen, former attorney for President Donald Trump, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

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Selected quotes from the article:

Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie countered Connolly’s questioning by asking Cohen whether Trump had explicitly told him to lie to Congress or if Cohen had simply relied on his “intuition.” 

“Did you at that time … do what you thought Mr. Trump wanted you to do, not specifically what he’s told you to do?” Massie asked. 

“At times, yes,” Cohen responded. 

“So you just went on your intuition?” Massie said. 

“I don’t know if I would call it intuition as much as i would just say, my knowledge of what he wanted, because it happened before and I knew what he had wanted,” Cohen said. 

Asked by Massie how Trump would communicate indirectly with subordinates, Cohen replied, “That’s how he speaks. He doesn’t give you questions, he doesn’t give you orders — he speaks in a code. And I understand the code because I’ve been around him for a decade.” 

When Tennessee Democrat Jim Cooper, one of the more soft-spoken members of Congress, asked him whether Trump would threaten his business adversaries with physical violence, Cohen responded that he did not do it himself — rather, he would “use others within the Trump Organization.”

Are you listening now?

Dips**ts and Seniable People

You say you want a reports on the coronavirus that's simple, direct, and to the point?

OK. Here it is.

QUARANTINE

Kentucky Mayor Posts Surprisingly Blunt Message on Pandemic to Constituents: 'Listen Up Dips**ts'

 Evan Brechtel

Mar 26, 2020

City of Walton

Bipartisanship Seekers

Senate Reaches Historic Deal On $2T Coronavirus Economic Rescue Package

NPR March 25, 2020 : 8:21 AM ET

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This is how our government was designed to work.

As they worked to draft a Constitution for the United States, the Founding Fathers had to reconcile the concerns of members with diametrically opposed opinions and positions. Their genius was to recognize that any legislative body might create for a democratic republic would face similar obstacles when drafting laws on almost any issue. Their solution was to create a process designed to force opponents to compromise in order for legislation on controversial issues to pass.

The plan was predicated on the belief that elected representatives to the bicameral Congress they created would be reasonable people who would negotiate and compromise in good faith as they had attempted to do in drafting The Constitution.

For over thirty years, one of our political parties has turned a blind eye to the vision of the Founding Fathers and adopted a one-party, my-way-or-the-highway approach to political action. It has used power and greed effectively trump (pun intended) reason and compromise in our government. The result has been legislative gridlock, a politically stacked Supreme Court, and the election of a totally unqualified person to the presidency.

Such was the hapless state of politics in America until an invisible virus became a wild card in what appeared to be a winning hand for those seeking a perpetual one-party government.

Americans can, and have been, brainwashed, misled, lied to, guilt-tripped, emotionally and religiously threatened, and legally marginalized by "leaders" claiming power granted to them from a higher authority.

Those tactics don't work on viruses.

The genuine threat to the lives of a significant portion of the population of the nation - indeed, of the world - has forced members of both houses of Congress of all political positions to once again bargain and compromise in good faith. It is my hope that the lesson taught by the coronavirus incursion will serve to immunize the body politic against future assaults by unbridled power and greed.

GOP Watchers

I have a simple question for you.

Who in his or her right mind would turn $500,000,000 over to Donald Trump and Steve Mnuchin to use as they see fit?

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