Day of infamy plus 81

 

Growing up Republican may look like fun but sometimes there are casualties.  Two years ago Claudia Conway, fifteen-year-old daughter of Kellyanne and George Conway, said that after years of "childhood trauma and abuse" she would take steps to become an emancipated minor.  The story quickly disappeared -- teenagers tend to exaggerate.  Now Caroline Cruz, fourteen-year-old daughter of Heidi and Ted Cruz, has been hospitalized with what the Houston police are calling "self-inflicted stab wounds on the arms," what psychologists call "cutting self-harm," a means of relieving stress and getting the attention of parents.  No, it isn't funny.  Neither is wondering which of Rhonda and Thomas Massie's kids (above) will walk into a supermarket or a drag performance and try to get their parents' attention.

Trump's lawyers found two more classified documents in a rented storage unit in West Palm Beach, next to some back copies of Barely Legal and the pictures of Eric's wedding.  Basically America's most sensitive secrets may be spread all over south Florida.  Or New York, New Jersey, Doonbeg, Dubai...

Thousands of German police carried out over a hundred raids and arrested twenty-five members of Reich Citizens, a far-right group that does not recognize any government since 1919.  One of the ringleaders is known as Heinrich XIII P.R., a descendant of minor nobility who is supposed to be installed as leader.  It just sounds goofy until you know that a military unit was involved and one of those arrested is a Russian.  Watching the US and its struggle to deal with the Putsch of nearly two years ago, they decided to be proactive, I guess.

On his way out the door, Madison Cawthorn was ordered by the House Ethics Committee to donate $14,000 to a charity for violating conflict of interest rules.  He was promoting a cryptocurrency which he also purchased.  Either he'll skip out on the bill or write a check to the "Eric Trump Children's Cancer Foundation," wink wink.  The betting window is open.

It looks like Ryan Zinke was paying attention to the professional grifters during his time as Trump's outrageously corrupt Secretary of the Interior.  Newly elected to the House in Montana, he sent numerous fund-raising messages to his followers asking contributions to Herschel Walker's campaign.  If you read the small print you find that half the money goes to Zinke.  In fact numerous other Republicans were working the same scam, with some sending as little as one cent of every dollar Walker's way.  Now we know why Trump never contributed.  Is there anyone who didn't take advantage of Walker?  He's Lenny from Of Mice and Men with no George looking out for him.

In the Washington Post David Von Drehle mourns "The Tragedy of Herschel Walker," that his inept political campaign dimmed the luster of his football career.  "He came into the orbit of that serial destroyer of other people's reputations, Donald Trump."  And then all the seamy revelations about his post-football career came out.  Well, tough.  The Downtown Athletic Club or its successor hasn't demanded the return of his Heisman Trophy.  He wasn't erased from the record books the way Paul Robeson was cancelled from the 1918 All-American team.  And if his example keeps Curt Schilling or some other meathead from running for office, he has made a positive contribution to America. 

Has anyone of integrity or generosity or even decency ever come "into the orbit of Donald Trump"?  The post-Trump ruefulness of Michael Cohen or Anthony Scaramucci does not count.