Time stamp: Saturday morning

Traditionally the subject of my Sunday article is the biggest political story of the week just ended. Last week was jam packed and a time stamp was necessary because some of the events are dynamic. The chaos of the Bare Naked Ladies’ hit , One Week, is going through my mind. I’ll never achieve the level of their lyrics, a generation will not memorize my words, but hold on, here we go.

Cassidy Hutchinson was omnipresent promoting her new book and revealing that the Trump White House was even worse than we thought we knew.

New Jersey Democratic Senator Robert Menendez pled not guilty as the calls for him to resign (including in this column) mounted. Don’t we all have six figures in cash and gold secreted in hour houses? If you are doing a video about him, I’d suggest The Bangles’, Walk Like an Egyptian, as a soundtrack.

Something we all knew was confirmed by a judge. That something is that Donald Trump is a fraudster. (Another entry for his truthful resume.) I’m not a real estate expert, nor do I claim to be one like the former president does, but even I can tell the difference between 10,000 and 30,000 square feet pretty much at a glance. (In my neighborhood it is more like the difference between 1,000 and 3,000 square feet.)

On Wednesday night a debate was scheduled in California among the GOP presidential hopefuls. All the participants on stage totaled don’t have the support of the person who ducked the event to run another of his scams.

That brings me to the dueling Michigan appearances. President Joe Biden appeared with striking UAW workers in what appeared to be largely a staged event. However, the union members were real and included UAW President, Shawn Fain. Biden has a long pro-labor record. The next day, as Cadet Bone Spurs dodged the debate like he did the draft, he appeared, at the invitation of anti-union management, at a non-union, Drake Industries facility. The event was invitation only and, in my mind, it was kind of like celebrating Christmas at a pagan ceremony. Not exactly Trump showing his (based on his history) non-existent support for the working class.

I’m of an honest and not always totally polite working-class background. Had Trump really appeared on a picket line it might have been an ugly scene and he would have heard one word a lot, “Lordstown.”

There is some confusion about all the details but we know Trump traveled to a South Carolina gun shop and expressed interest in purchasing a gun he was photographed holding. By the “Hunter Biden standard” of gun justice that is certainly a violation of federal gun statutes and a crime. Double standard anyone?

Thursday, with the government about to shutdown, the Republicans held their first impeachment of Joe Biden inquiry. It lasted over six hours during which the GOP produced zero evidence of President Biden committing a crime. In fact, their first two witnesses admitted that there was no evidence of Biden committing an impeachable offense. Florida Republican Representative Byron Donalds displayed “evidence” in the form of transcripts of text messages. Later in the hearing New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, better known as AOC, proved that the “evidence” had been photo shopped. Are the Republicans that gullible or just that incompetent? Remember, your tax dollars paid for this hearing.

Friday, we awoke to the news that California Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein had passed. My biggest regret on her behalf is that she didn’t retire instead of obviously not having the same tremendous skills during her “last games”. (In many ways I’m an old jock and can’t help myself of thinking of the players who played a season or two too many.)

She will be replaced by a Democrat but just how makes for interesting speculation. Initially California Governor Gavin Newsom can either appoint someone to serve out the remainder of her term or by a quirk in California law can call a special election. For several reasons, I think the latter is unlikely. In the past he had said he would appoint a Black woman which would make Representative Barbara Lee (77) the frontrunner. He had also spoke of appointing a caretaker who would not seek election in 2024. I don’t know if she is interested but if retirement in the near future is something she is considering it would be a great way to pay tribute to Representative Zoe Lofgren (75). My preference – and there are a ton of very deserving candidates – is Representative Katie Porter (49).

As I pen this a federal government shut down at midnight (EST) appears to be pretty much a sure thing. The nickel version of why is that the House Republicans care more about torturing the incompetent Kevin McCarty than they do about America, the American people and democracy. McCarthy in turn cares more about staying speaker than America, the American people and democracy. The only silver lining that I see is that a shutdown is less devastating than a default; convincing the credit rating agencies of that might not be all that easy.

I’m sorry that I did not have things in order and that I missed several. I will admit I was overwhelmed.

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