Well, he visited electronically, and spoke about his life in the military, and about the act of communication. The visit was arranged by a former student, Samantha Reposa, who is now senior adviser to the National Security Council’s communication advisor. Kirby is her boss.
The man, whom you may have seen on CNN, was personable and took time on his answers, and when it was nearly over and I asked if he had any parting words of wisdom (otherwise, we’d let him go about his day, which included a trip down on Air Force One to the land of his birth, Florida), he told a perfect anecdote.
It goes thus: You can sit on a fence and try to pick the perfect pony running by, the pony with a perfect coat, perfect mane, perfect gait, or you can just jump on a pony and see where it takes you. Jump on the pony, Kirby said. Just jump, because if you’d told the 15-year old teen in Florida he’d be flying home on Air Force One one day, he and all his peers would have laughed.
Afterward, a senior in the class told me she was almost in tears. The thought that she didn’t have to plan her every move, that life might be more interesting if she just jumped on a pony, made her happy.
So that’s the best advice I’ve heard in a while. Do you have advice you’d like to share? Share!
Every day before and after Trump’s criminal court trial in New York, the failed reality television actor takes to the open mic to share fevered dreams and stories of his own fake victimization.
This begs the question: WHY AREN’T THE ACTUAL PROCEEDINGS TELEVISED?
At this point, the Defendant-In-Chief is once again controlling the narrative (and violating multiple gag orders) — that the 2020 election was rigged, that Pres. Biden is out to get him, that yadda-yadda-yadda-and-a-big-bag-of-chips. His statements run live, with no editing, and he is simply extending his ongoing coup attempt. Meanwhile, the courtroom proceedings are shared via live feed into an overflow room of reporters.
Those of us following the proceedings can only read or hear from an observer that he has fallen asleep in his chair. We can only read or hear from an observer that he stood up before he was supposed to, passed a note to his attorney, glared at a witness.
I do not care that New York courts do not normally allow cameras. This trial is important. This man wants to be president again. Let us witness this in real time.
There will be no bloated Orange Knight standing ready to rescue the DIC.
I believe the Defendant-In-Chief is incapable of not talking about his court cases, and for that, I say fine him and keep upping the fine until he feels it. And if that doesn’t work, toss him in jail. That’s what would happen to the rest of us if we behaved with such disregard for the courts. Welcome to the rule of law, Don.
The votes fell along party lines. If you want to understand why the 118th U.S. Congress is as worthless as a tit on a boar hog, the Mayorkas impeachment trial was an excellent explainer.
(Sec. Mayorkas, from news reports, did not attend the proceedings.)
Throughout the afternoon, the motions came flying. Several came from the GOP calling for an adjournment until next week so that their members could reread their Constitution to see if there was anything they missed (Sen. Rick Scott’s suggestion). And then the GOP asked to adjourn until the day after Election Day — presumably to give Republicans that much more time to familiarize themselves with their foundational document. There was also a GOP request to move to a closed session (to which all freedom-lovers everywhere asked “WTF?”), then to an executive session, and then to a session where everyone dresses up as their favorite Marvel character and speaks in French.
I may have made that last part up, but the striking part about the day — to me — was that Republicans launched this impeachment trial, and then they seemed hell-bent to stop or stall it.
The transcript went thus:
The GOP: Let's move to closed session!
The Senate: No.
The GOP: Let's recess so we read our Constitutions!
The Senate: No.
Then the Republicans would send in the biggest chuckleheads they have to repeat the requests -- verbatim -- ad nauseam. The moment a motion was shot down, another Republican would jump to present yet another motion that would then be shot down.
Bless the Democrats and that salty old Bernie Sanders for holding their feet to the fire. You made this bed, Republicans. Now lie in it.
When it was over, Sen. Mitch McConnell, who has done more to dismantle the Senate than any living senator, rose to decry the proceedings, and then Sen. Mike Lee, insurrectionist, rose to whinge on about how unprecedented was the outcome. I think these two were perfect for making very bad arguments against themselves and their actions. Let that be their legacy.
