8/26/17: With Texas, Louisiana, and Florida having been pummeled by wind and rain, a long recovery looms. Trump seems ready for another “Mission Accomplished” moment (see: 8/14/17). Speaking to reporters in the Rose Garden he decides, if they won’t pat him on the back, he’ll pat his back himself. “We are doing a great job in Texas,” he says, “a great job in Florida, a great job in Louisiana. We hit little pieces of Georgia and Alabama. And frankly….”
The Great One pauses a moment………
What’s that other place he’s supposed to be helping? Oh yeah, Puerto Rico! That’s a little harder, even if you are the greatest. “It’s on an island,” Trump informs stunned reporters. “You can’t just drive your trucks there from other states.”
(Who knew.)
At a joint news conference later, with the Prime Minister of Spain, Trump decides to do all the talking. He says the relief work his administration is doing is “amazing,” “tremendous,” “incredible” and “really good.”
You
almost expect him to say his efforts are “bootylicious.”
 |
Puerto Rico is an island!!! |
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8/27/17: Trump seems surprised experts are calling Hurricane Harvey a “once in 500-year storm.” If he bothered to read the scientific reports earlier in the month (see: 8/9/17) he might realize they’ve been predicting steady increases in freak weather events as global temperatures rise. Harvey was the Houston area’s third “500-year flood” in the last three years.
The
nation as a whole has had at least 24 of these “500-year” events since 2010. According
to scientists, we’re due for plenty more.
___
8/28/17: So much for North Korea showing “respect” in the face of the president’s carnival barking. They fire a ballistic missile that travels over the top of Japan and breaks into pieces before splashing down in the Pacific, 1,678 miles away.
Clearly,
they can hit Guam. (See: 8/11-12/17.)
___
8/29/17: The Hill reports that television evangelist Jim Bakker has warned of disaster if Trump is impeached. “If it happens, there will be a civil war in the United States of America. The Christians will finally come out of the shadows, because we are going to be shut up permanently if we’re not careful.”
For context, we should remember that back in the 90s, Bakker
spent five years in prison for fraud and conspiracy.
*
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS reports on a change of heart by conservative congresspersons from Texas. You may remember, in 2012 the eastern seaboard was pounded by Superstorm Sandy. Massive damage resulted. Congress had to decide – help states like New York and New Jersey – or focus on fiscal responsibility.
Texas delegation in Congress once voted against storm relief.
That was then, and Texas wasn’t hurting. Five years ago, Tea Party stalwarts wanted to offset every penny the federal government spent. Almost the entire Texas delegation voted against storm relief.
Today, Sen. Ted Cruz is all in for hurricane aid. Let’s not quibble about pennies, or a few billions! Not when Texans are hurting. If they keep hurting, they might not vote for Ted again.
Rep. Peter King is one of a number of Republicans who does
not suffer from amnesia. He greets this change of heart with scorn. “Ted Cruz
& Texas cohorts voted vs NY/NJ aid after Sandy,” he tweets, “but I’ll vote
4 Harvey aid. NY wont abandon Texas. 1 bad turn doesnt deserve another”
