Sing Along With Mitch- (Don't Fear) The Reaper

This morning the jobs report was released and it was not good. According to The Washington Post, “employers shed 23,000 jobs [in July], a surprising show of weakness in an economy battered by tariffs, elevated inflation and the ongoing war in Iran.” The New York Times noted that gains for April and May were revised down, with the unemployment rate improving only because “hundreds of thousands of people left the labor force.” Well, that’s not good.

But I guaranteed Trump will say it’s all a lie or that hundreds of thousands of jobs were added or that everyone is just trying to make him look bad. As if he needs any help in that department.

And then he will go back to focusing on his renovation projects, because honestly that’s really what he wants to be doing at this point (in addition to cheating at golf and trying to find the world’s worst toupee). Running the country is hard work and he is not up to the task. Physically, morally, or mentally.

Speaking of renovations, a federal appeals court just ruled that Trump cannot continue building the ballroom without explicit approval from Congress, affirming a lower court injunction. Which means the Supreme Court will be weighing in.

The DC Circuit Court ruling said that “Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner of the White House and its Executive Residence. The President has no- and claims no- constitutionally assigned authority over that property.”

Here’s hoping Trump is a REALLY temporary tenant. In office and/or on this earth, I’m not picky.

Speaking of temporary tenancy, yesterday I was literally in Aisle 4 of the grocery store when I saw an alert on my phone that said Mitch McConnell had been released from the rehab facility. My first thought was, “Wow, I guess my Spidey sense was off. He’s not dead. Or even mostly dead.”

But then when I got home, I did a little digging. I looked for any photos that might confirm that McConnell was actually back home. But there was nothing. Nada. Zippo.

Now if I were I photojournalist, I’d have been camped out outside McConnell’s residence. A picture of him returning home would be worth a lot of money. And how has NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON INSIDE THE HOSPITAL OR REHAB CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAVE SEEN MITCH? Or sneakily snapped a photo of him. Again, big bucks for a single image.

It makes no sense.

Having raised three sons who, when they were younger, often tried to pull one over on mom, I’ve honed my ability to sniff out illicit activities or bullshit. That time one of my (then underage) sons tried to sneak friends into the basement for a few beers? I busted them before they popped open the first can.

I’ve learned that if something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. And this is one of those instances.

Why not show a two second video of him waving? CBS news tried to pass off an old video of Mitch in a wheelchair as new footage. Which is why their ratings have plummeted- they’ve lost their credibility. I used to love CBS back in the day.

If I’m suspicious of CBS and Republicans, it’s with good reason. They have learned that they can get away with making shit up from morning ‘til night. It all started with that with Kellyanne Conway and her “alternative facts.” They were off and running. And it keeps going on and on- Trump’s health, the Reflecting Pool, the “rigged” 2020 election, mail-in voting misinformation, etc.

During Trump’s first term alone, The Washington Postidentified more than10,000 false or misleading public statements that he uttered or expressed on Truth Social. I’m guessing he’s told at least that many whoppers in the 18 months since he started his second term.

Without truth there can be no trust.

The Senate will be adjourning for its summer recess after today- they won’t be back in session until September 14^th which happens to be my birthday. As a present this year, I’d really like things to get better. Like maybe a definitive answer on McConnell and Senator Neil Dunn who has also gone AWOL- he hasn’t been seen in almost two months. Or Trump disappearing. I would also take a belated gift of Democrats retaking control of Congress and Senate. As I said, I’m really not that hard to please.

Here’s hoping. And working to make it happen.