End of an empire

 I like to keep up with all cultural trends.  No, I don't, but my curiosity was whetted when one particular song was credited with the "weakening of American society," which happens every few years, so I experienced "WAP" featuring Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.  I hope I copied that right.  The video involves two voluptuous young women in an expensive-looking house discussing their sexual needs in lubricious detail.  I wasn't shocked to my core like Candace Owens but perhaps she isn't old enough to remember Madonna's "Hanky Panky," which paled beside some of Peggy Lee's early work, not to mention Bessie Smith...the point is, we've been here before and our flag is still there.  Owens has enlisted in Tin-tray Tucker's Culture Army now that she is no longer invited to the White House to speak for all Black people, and she has decided this silly song means "the end of an empire."  Sure.  And now a word from MyPillow.

Mitch McConnell is also displaying a taste for Trumpian hyperbole, warning that if the Democrats take away his beloved filibuster the Senate will resemble "a hundred car pileup" with "scorched earth" and laser sharks.  Some people can't adjust to the loss of power.  For instance, he couldn't even stop four Republicans (Graham, Murkowski, Sullivan and Collins) from voting to confirm Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior, which makes this Pueblo woman the boss of oil and gas drilling on public land, among other things.  Oh the horror, etc.

That acrid smell is Republican hair on fire because thousands of migrants, many of them children, are arriving at the southern border to the usual panicky cries ("They're terrorists!  We have no room!").  I guess time will tell on the first claim, since naturalized Americans tend to love this country better than most of us jaded natives, especially if you treat them better than the last bunch did.  As for the second, Montana recorded more deaths than births last year and it wasn't exactly teeming with people to begin with.  (Rich Hall says it's a place where a policeman will pull you over just because he's lonely.)  So there's one state with the VACANCY sign lit anyway.

Shocker No. 1:  Having promoted Trump in 2016, Russian intelligence tried to keep its stooge in office last year, using Ukraine as a front.  Clever, huh?  If only he hadn't worked so hard at being loathsome.

Shocker No. 2:  Senator Sheldon Whitehouse wants to see the long form of the FBI background investigation on Brett Kavanaugh and has asked Attorney General Garland to look into this and get back to the Judiciary Committee.  I know, he seemed so honest and sincere.  He likes beer, too.  What could they possibly be hiding?

Former state representative Charles Booker says he may run for the Senate next year against Rand Paul.  If he wins, there will be two Black men in the Senate named Booker.  This is alarming news for Ron Johnson, who already thinks they all look alike.

Trumpian financial genius Larry Kudlow is still banging his cheap drum for tax cuts.  "The way to get upper-income people to pay more in taxes is to lower their tax rate," he explained to Laura Ingraham.  Another way is to raise their tax rate and prosecute them when they don't pay.  My way is better.

Old timers and Catholics may recall "meatless Friday," when you got really tired of fish sticks.  Colorado Governor Jared Polis has suggested "MeatOut Day" for March 20, a challenge to go vegetarian for one lousy day.  In childish response Governor Pete Ricketts announced "Meat On the Menu Day" for Nebraska, calling Polis's initiative "an attack on our way of life."  And so here we are back at the end of empire -- salad and sexy women and taxing the rich.  See you on the boat deck.