Archives for 2015

In a recent interview with Fox’s Megyn Kelly, Jeb Bush was asked if he would have authorized the invasion of Iraq knowing what we know now, with the benefit of non-faulty intelligence. Bush’s answer was a surprising “yes.” How could the “smart” Bush say such a thing, people wondered?

Sensing the political damage, the Bush surrogates quickly hit the airwaves. GOP strategist Ana Navarro offered the often-used excuse when a politician says exactly what he thinks. Bush had simply “misheard” Kelly’s question, claimed Navarro. This excuse, of course, is but a variation of the more common, “I misspoke” pretense.

There is a simple test to determine if the potential 2016 presidential hopeful misheard the question. One just has to look at what actions preceded Bush’s giving such an confounding answer… after all 75% of the American public believes the invasion of Iraq was a mistake. When Jeb Bush rolled out his list of foreign policy advisors, 17 out of the 21 worked for his brother’s administration. The list included Paul Wolfowitz,, one of the top architects and cheerleader for the Iraq war!

So much for the “I am my own man” charade! About the only thing worse would have been for the younger Bush to have offered up Dick Cheney as his vice presidential pick! No, Jeb did not “mishear” or “misspeak.” He simply showed his cards. And from the negative responses he received, not only from Democrats but Republicans alike, it’s apparent he has not shown a winning hand.

In her NY Times op-ed piece today, Gail Collins called the junior Bush “awful.” And that was one of the nicer things said about Jeb since the Fox News debacle! The presumptive frontrunner is looking more and more like a gimpy old nag. With Bush 3’s stock taking such a big hit, the Republican Party needs to start beating the bushes to find another so-called “electable candidate,” other than Bush. Mama Bush had it right…“There are other people out there that are very qualified and we’ve had enough Bushes.” Amen.

In a series of stunning executive actions, President Obama has instructed Secretary of State John Kerry to send a communiqué to Mexico’s president, Enrique Pena Nieto, offering the State of Texas back to Mexico. What set Obama off was the latest dis to the Federal government by Texas Governor, Greg Abbott. Abbott ordered up the Texas State Guard to monitor U.S. military training exercises within his state. “We are not buying the training exercise pretext. The federal government is out to stage a military takeover of our great state,” declared Abbott.

Word of Obama’s latest executive action quickly made it’s way through Congress. Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator from Texas, and a potential 2016 presidential hopeful, was outraged. “The United States fought hard to steal Texas from Mexico and now we are giving it back?” Cruz went on to call Obama’s action another clear abuse of executive power.

Some other politicians raised the issue of the United States now only having 49 states. “Now what are we going to do with all those flags with 50 stars?” reasoned Texas U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer offered up the obvious solution. “We can make Israel our 50^th state!” Schumer added, “After all the money we’ve given the Israelis over the years, we own them.”

The idea of making Israel the new 50^th state did not sit well with the Congressional Latino Caucus. “If any country should be our next state it is Puerto Rico! It’s been waiting its turn for a long time now. Plus it has better beaches,” observed Congressman Jose E. Serrano.

Some liberal politicians thought the best solution would be to just let Texas secede from the union as it has been threatening to do since 1845. “Let’s finally call their bluff,” said Senator Bernie Sanders. “They’ve been sucking on the Federal teet too long!” he went on to say.

But before the idea of adding a new 50^th state to the union gained traction, Secretary of State Kerry, in late breaking news, informed President Obama he had heard back from Mexico’s president. “Sir,” said Kerry to the President. “I just got back this two word text from Pena Nieto.” The message read “No, gracias :)”

Recently, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, was once and for all able to dispel the myth of global warning with a simple flick of the wrist… a snowball! “I ask the chair, you know what this is? It’s a snowball, just from outside here. So it’s very, very cold out. Very unseasonal. Mr. President, catch this.” The snowball struck Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who was presiding over the Senate at the time, right in the kisser. Fortunately, the Senate nurse was nearby to supply some ice to the senator’s swollen lip.

After Senator’s Inhofe seemingly conclusive rebuke to all those climate-change fearmongers, a reporter caught up with Inhofe and asked, “But, Sir, scientists have just proclaimed 2014 as the hottest year on record?” Inhofe laughed and shook his head. “Scientists are like statistics. You can get them to say anything.” The reporter countered, “But, Sir, 97% of all climate scientists believe in global warming.” “You go ask those folks on the East Coast, especially in Boston, if they believe in global warming. Heck they were hit with a record amount of snow this year. I hear they’re still digging out! Look I’m no scientist, just Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, but from what I see, it’s damn cold out!”

Rumors later spread across the floor of the Senate that Inhofe was going to bring his lucky four-leaf clover to his next senate hearing to prove once and for all leprechauns exist.

Following the rave reviews for his standup routine at the White House correspondent’s dinner last night, President Obama has revealed his plans after leaving the White House. He will go into comedy full-time. “I’ve always wanted to do standup comedy growing up. My all-time favorite comedian was Henny Youngman … take my wife, Michelle…. please!” You may not believe this but I just loved all those Borscht Belt comics… Jacky Mason, Freddy Roman, Shecky Greene. Did you hear the one about the rabbi and the shiksa entering a Jewish deli?”

When asked if such a career move would lessen or demean the stature of the presidency, Obama replied, “There are a whole lot of people out there who think I degraded the presidency just by being elected!” But, I asked, “Why not follow in the footsteps of some of our past presidents, like Reagan and Clinton, and give $250,000 speeches to multinational companies and organizations?” Obama shook his head, “Nah, I’m more in the mold of our last president, George Bush. Man if I could paint like that guy, I’d be golden!”

When I pressed Obama on how he could possibly support his family on a comedian’s salary, he replied, “Heck, I’ve got Michelle. She’ll do OK. She will be the ex-first lady, after all. I hear an ex-first lady, and I won’t name names, gave two speeches at $200,00 a pop to Goldman Sachs.”

Obama told me the standup comedy would just be a springboard to his real secret ambition, to have his own sitcom. “Like Jerry Seinfeld?” I asked. “No more like George Lopez. Man that guy is funny!” Obama even shared with me some possible names for his sitcom. “I’m leaning towards “Barry in da House” but I’ve also given some thought to “Some People Like Barack.”

As I wished him well, he asked me if I ever heard the one about the Pope, the midget and the rabbi in a lifeboat with Raquel Welch. “I got a million of ‘em” said the President.

Something weird has been happening the past few months. High-ranking republicans have been beating the drums about the staggering increase in income inequality. They’ve complained about how the wealthy have benefited most from the recent economic recovery. So last week, House Republicans decided enough was enough. They overwhelming voted to repeal the estate tax!

When asked how this legislation squared with their newly found concern for the little guy, House Speaker John Boner said, with a straight face, “This legislation is meant to help the little guy, you know, the family farmer whose estate will have to sell the farm to pay the death tax.” When it was brought up that, under the current tax code, only estates worth over $5.43 million (individual) and $10.86 million (married couple) owe the tax, Boner replied, “Farmers are doing well these days. Have you seen the price of cauliflower?” Asked whether it was fair when this repeal amounted to a $269 billion tax give away to the super rich, Boner quickly snapped, “Of course repeal of the death tax is fair. We are all going to die, aren’t we? It doesn’t just affect the wealthy. It fairly affects everyone.” But Mr. Boner, I asked, statistics show that 99.8 percent of households do not pay any estate tax whatsoever, Boner became testy, “ Don’t try to use statistics to defend the government taking money from hard working Americans!”

I had a chance to interview one of those hard working American farmers, Earl Bob Hogwood. I asked Mr. Hogwood if he supported the legislation. “Heck yea, we don’t need no gubment taking more and more of our money.” When I asked Mr. Daniels the current value of his farm, he told me he thought the value was anywhere between $35,000 to $50,000, depending on whether or not the well runs dry. When I explained the odds of his estate having to pay any estate tax was zero, he replied, “I know the law only affects rich folk, but ain’t they the job creators? And anywho, once the gubment starts taking rich folk money, how long before they come after our guns and bibles.” On that note, the interview ended.