I’ve been trying to find the perfect adjective for our president. It came to me after reading a story about him and one of his golf courses. He epitomizes the word buffoon. One definition of it is a person who does silly things sometimes intentionally that makes people laugh. Another is a ridiculous but amusing person. Another is a gross and usually-ill educated or stupid person.
There’s no doubt of his lack of education. His Frederick Douglass and Andrew Jackson statements among others demonstrate that. He is amusing (if you forget the position of responsibility he holds) with his taking on both sides of every issue praising something he denounced a couple of hours earlier. His tweets are silly sometimes intentionally so but on other occasions even without him realizing it like his early morning tweet of just learning Obama wiretapped him at Trump tower. Add it up he is ridiculous.
Here is the story the casts this in concrete the he is really a buffoon. It is about a golf course he owns in Virginia. The story written back in 2015 tells how Trump fixed up the course he bought including, “building a flagpole along the river complete with a plaque commemorating the “River of Blood,” a dramatic name for a harrowing event that never happened.”
The plaque reads: “Many great American soldiers, both of the North and South, died at this spot,” the inscription reads. “The casualties were so great that the water would turn red and thus became known as ‘The River of Blood.'”
As it turned out there was no civil war battle nearer than eleven miles from the location of the plaque. So someone questioned Trump on it. He replied that the spot on the river was used as a crossing and with a civil war going on some people may have been shot, in fact a lot of them. In other words he just made the whole thing up.
He was then told that most of the local historians thought that the plaque was a fiction. No one ever heard of the River of Blood. Trump replied: “How would they know that? We’re they there?”
Which makes one think how would Trump have known that Andrew Jackson was angry about the Civil War or the Frederick Douglass was a great American black leader or that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican if being there (writing those words does bring to mind Chauncey Gardner a Trump-like figure) is a prerequisite to knowing something.
Then in typical Trumpian fashion which we see over and over he told the person he was speaking with that: “numerous historians” had told him that the site was known as the River of Blood. He was asked their names. He said they didn’t tell him but they told “my people”. Ask which ones they told he refused to tell.
Then in a huff being caught up in his lies he said: “Write the story the way you want to. You don’t have to talk to anybody. It doesn’t make any difference. But many people were shot. It makes sense.”
That, my friend, is a buffoon. He lies, backs it up with lies, and get angry when caught lying.
I am just hoping that the only River of Blood is the make-believe one he created. Yet I fear our president is unstable and before he is through there will be a real River of Blood.
Bill, I never mentioned Kellyanne Conway. What’s the deal?
By the way, Dan, you mentioned Kellyanne Conway. She is brilliant: Listen more to her. She’s the first woman in American history to manage and win a Presidential campaign.
I find those who mock her are, in the main, envious, jealous, leftist misogynists.
I’ve noticed that mockery oftentimes is a tool of pretentious leftists who’ve run out of arguments.
I noted how they mocked and guffawed when Kelly Ann Conway thrice misspoke about the “Bowling Green Massacre.” No massacre occurred in Bowling Green. She was referring to two Iraqi terrorists who came to America and were arrested in Bowling Green Kentucky in 2011; they were trying to purchase Stinger Missiles, grenade launchers, machine guns and plastic explosives. They admitted planting IEDs against American soldiers in Iraq. The admitted blowing up Humvees in Iraq! They intended to kill more American soldiers. Rarely did the lame leftist Media report the entire story: these two Iraqis arrested in Bowling Green had massacred and intended to massacre again; one was sentenced to life in prison, the other to 40 years. Rather than fully report, the leftist Media resorted to Mockery!
Kellyanne Conway was correct to point out that the Media so underplayed this original story, that few Americans recalled it. She was right to recall it.
There was no Bowling Green Massacre! She misspoke. But the two terrorists arrested in Bowling Green in 2011 had massacred Americans and intended to massacre more.
Now ask yourself: What was the bigger story? She misspoke about Bowling Green? Or the FBI arrested Iraqi terrorists in Bowling Green who massacred and planned further massacres of Americans?
Now reflect hard on this: How did the MSM cover those stories? Which story was splashed across all the headlines? What story was the talk of CNN and MSNBC and CBS etc, etc? What story does everyone remember? What story can few recall?
There must be at least three-hundred years of legal experience participating regularly in this blog. (The Cs have over two-hundred by themselves.) Please explain the order of march for FBI responsibilities. I was under the impression that they were like cops. They investigated, gathered evidence, made recommendations and the turned over this material to the DOJ who would make a decision on how to proceed i.e. grand jury, level charges, or drop it. Why would the head of the Federal Bureau of Informants discuss investigations and decide disposition?
Dan:
I can’t help it if you can’t follow my reasoning. Calling me bad names reflects poorly on your own reasoning.
All my reasons are grounded in science, history, the law, ethics and philosophy, to the best of my understanding, as I’ve spent many hours laboring in those fields. My opinions strive for logic, and are based on many years of education and experience in diverse endeavors. You can have your own opinions. It’s America.
Let me expose how your own reasoning is blurred by what I perceive is your rather rabid hatred of Trump.
1. You say Trump has contradicted himself. Not so. He merely said that before he got the letters of Sessions and Rosenstein, he was prepared to fire Comey anyway. No contradiction. No inconsistency. The AG’s and AAG’s letters simply confirmed and fortified what he was going to do anyway. He wrote he “accepted their recommendations”, but he clearly stated thereafter that whatever they had recommended, he was going to fire Comey anyway.
2. You say Trump “involved himself in the Russian investigation.” Acting FBI Director McCabe testifying before Congress said Trump in no way interfered with the Russian investigation. McCabe further testified that the firing of Comey did not and was not going to change or impede the Russian investigation in any way. McCabe also refuted several other lies published by the MSM: for example, the infamous lie spun by the NYT that Comey had asked the AG and Congress for increased funding for the Russian investigation.
So, some advice: 1. minimize throwing stones at people (i.e., minimize the ad-hominem attacks); and 2. be careful what you read in the leftist press and hear on leftist news channels.
P.S. I agree with DanC: I don’t like it when Trump, Hillary, Maxine Waters, Colbert or anyone else unduly attacks a person’s character. Neither did Andrew Jackson, and if you insulted him or his family, he’d take you out and shoot you, fair and square, in a duel. The height of character assassination came during the Clarence Thomas and Judge Robert Bork hearings—Teddy Kennedy lead the defamers against Bork; the Left organized a high-tech verbal lynching of Thomas. One of the worst character assassins today is Howie Carr. Yesterday he impugned a State Senator by calling him “an unindicted co-conspirator” in the Probation Case without informing his audience that the Federal Appeals Court overturned the Probation Case, saying no crime was committed by anyone in that case.
So, enough of the character assassination. But remember, in political speech we can poke fun at our opponents with non-malicious creative phraseology such as Pocahontas and “low energy” Jeb and crying Chuck Schumer.
3. One final thought on the malicious lies perpetrated by the leftist Media. Remember, last year when News first broke of the alleged Russian role in the hacking of the DNC emails. Remember Candidate Trump’s very funny joke: “I hope the Russians find Hillary’s missing 30,000 emails.” Well, today, the Media says that joke is “evidence” of Trump encouraging the Russians to interfere in America’s election. More malicious lies, more hysterical smears from the leftocracy! In fact, the lead editorial in the Boston Globe by a former SEC lawyer made that very ludicrous charge!
Bill, who are you addressing?
Bill C your ability to deflect and comport half truths and attempt to put words into Trump’s mouth that make more sense than his actual statements is really turning into an art form for you. You are starting to be there with the likes of Kelly Anne Conway in your ability to completely deflect and normalize the idiot in the oval office’s behavior. How do you seriously write this stuff? It is crazy. You guys cannot even look objectively at this anymore. Just face it, you supported a complete raving mad lunatic and are complicit in the destruction of the office of the Presidency. How do you explain Trump today now saying that it wasn’t really the DOJ who (inappropriately) advised him to fire Comey, he had already made the decision. They blatantly lied yesterday and he admitted it to Lester Holt in today’s interview!!!! How can you simply ignore and/or defend this?
Who cares if the Democrats called for Comey to be removed previously. The two issues do not have to exist in a vaccuum, the Democrats could have rightly pointed out Comey’s error in his 10/28 letter, and at the same time it is completely inappropriate for Trump to have involved himself in the Russian investigation. This is not one or the other, both issues can exist at the same time. It is pure cognitive dissonance on your part.
According to CBS News et al: The Sequence of Events regarding Comey’s Firing:
Shortly after 5 p.m. The White House emails the FBI to notify the agency that Comey is fired. Keith Schiller hand delivers a letter to the FBI’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
5:30 p.m. Andrew McCabe is called into a meeting and appointed acting director of the FBI.
(Roughly) 5:30 p.m. Mr. Trump calls U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein and other lawmakers to say he was removing Comey.
5:40 p.m. Spicer notifies members of the press Comey has been fire. At the same time, the White House Press office emails the press Comey has been fired and attaches the three letters (from Trump, Sessions, Rosenstein.)
There are no “leaks.” Everything is done above aboard and openly.
Please, Bill. What you’re saying here is that everyone but Comey was notified! It’s not my fault your boy is a weenie who couldn’t bear to fire Comey face to face, and who blamed his deputy attorney general for Comey’s dismissal.
Like I said DanC, “Name -calling” doesn’t advance an argument.
Hmmm…. The firing of James Comey is the Numero Uno puffer-upper story de jour…. Yet Matt, a man interested in and knowledgeable of the prosesses of the FBI, gives the it a pass. Hmmm…. Instead he tosses on the grill a few old, dishonestly presented, meatless burgers. Hmmm…. Methinks our good host so approves Comey’s upending that he cannot bring himself to join the partisan chorus of disapproval. Hmmm…. Guess, sometimes the local pussymarch organizer just asks too much of a man with a conscience.
Hi Matt,
It’s amazing to think that with literally thousands of capable white men to choose from, the nation’s angry white men selected Donald Trump as their president. This looks more and more like an affirmative action strategy to me, since it’s become impossible to imagine Trump getting this job on the merits.
I see the president lacked the cajones to fire Comey face-to-face, and instead dispatched a retired NYPD cop to FBI Headquarters with the president’s termination letter in hand. Needless to say, no checked to see whether or not Comey was even around. Then the closely guarded secret of his dismissal was instantly leaked to the media and, oh my, what a mess!
In order to improve the optics of the situation, Trump seems to have invited every Russian this side of Vladivostok to the Oval Office for various smiling photo ops. Comrade!, er, Former Comrade! Whatever.
And, true to form, Trump tried to escape individual responsibility for even this decision by claiming that his deputy attorney general was the driving force behind Comey’s ouster.
Did I hear somebody say FAKE NEWS?
Isn’t this the same buffoon who, while speaking in the Austrian language, told a Navy corpse-man that he had visited 50 of the 57 U.S. states ?
Bill’s assessment is correct. Sen Feinstein and Clapper were recently asked if they had seen evidence of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Both answered not at this time. This after almost one year of an investigation. As former CIA Director Morrell said there may be smoke but there is no fire, not even a candle. Somewhere around 2040 evidence of collusion may be found along with the real killers of O J’s wife and Mr Goldman.It will be in Al Capone’s safe. 2. How does one explain the liberals denouncing Comey’s firing in May when they were calling for it six months ago? Any hypocrisy here. 3. Great news. The Russian FM met with Tillerson and Trump. Progress towards a Syrian peace may have been made. It would be a blessing if the war could end and all refugees return home. Obama/Hillary along withe the Turks, Saudis and Qataris created that conflagration by funding and arming the jihadists. Hundreds of thousands dead. Millions displaced. If they can stop that war then hopefully they can stop the one in Yemen. PEACE
1. Trump’s critics can only resort to name-calling; they consistently do so, hysterically!
2. Condoleeza Rice (no buffoon) and many other learned individuals have lauded Trump’s decision making and choices for cabinet. His choices for supreme court justice and vice president are excellent. He has successfully run world-wide enterprises. He’s a billionaire. He won the Presidency.
3. Even Maxine Waters who’s been crying “impeachment” for months, admitted yesterday that she’s seen no evidence of “collusion.”
And so it goes . . . .
Trump is the name caller in chief. Look at his Twitter Feed. It is completely insane for you to use that as your first talking point.
Matt:
1. The buffoons are in the MSM who crudely twist Trump’s words.
Trump spoke in the present tense about Fredrick Douglas: He said that more and more Douglas IS recognized as a great leader. An absolutely true statement! The Biased Ignoramuses in the leftist Media said Trump thought Douglas was still alive. The Buffoons!
2. On Andrew Jackson: Jackson did prevent a civil war, when he promised the Nullification types and secessionists in South Carolina, that if they continued to agitate against the union, he would march the Army down and hang everyone of them from a tree. Their incipient rebellion ended. Had he been President in 1860, it’s possible he would have snuffed out the rebellion at its inception. As H.R. Brands the historian said, if you aske any American who was “the hero” of the first half of the 19th Century they’d name Andrew Jackson. His victory at New Orleans convinced all of his toughness and leadership.
No one questions that WWI could have been prevented. (Read: John Keegan, Norman Davies, Pat Buchanan, Eric Larsen) Few doubt, if Hitler were confronted early on, WWII may have been averted. None doubt that if WWI were averted, WWII never would have occurred. Historians concur that the former sowed the seeds of the latter. Strong leadership can change history.
3. As far as the “bloody river” monument: with an estimate of over one hundred thousand killed and wounded in Virginia during the Civil War, almost all fields, creeks and rivers could be called “bloody.” (Total dead in Civil War 640,000; total wounded 440,000; total missing 400,000) Trump’s golf course is in Sterling Virginia in Loudoun County.
The “bloody” appelation may be local lore. Moreover, Loudon County is one mile from Harper’s Ferry and 40 miles from Antietam(Antietam Creek flows into the Potomac above Sterling VA)
Check This Out: In VA counties where no “major” battles were fought, the bloodiest Virginia county in the Civil War was Loudon County.
“Loudoun County’s population was deeply divided over secession, and tensions and hostilities against one-time neighbors added to the death and destruction wrought during the war. Bitter partisan warfare kept hostilities active even when the armies were far from Loudoun County. Because of its importance to the Confederacy and the partisans who inhabited it, the Loudoun Valley was put to the torch in The Burning Raid in 1864. It has been said that no county in Virginia that did not witness a decisive battle suffered more than Loudoun.”
More on Loudon County, home of Trump’s Golf Course:
“Loudoun County’s numerous Potomac bridges, ferries and fords made it an ideal location for the Union and Confederate armies to cross into and out of Virginia. Likewise, the county’s several gaps in the Blue Ridge Mountains that connected the Piedmont to the Shenandoah Valley and Winchester were of considerable strategic importance. The opposing armies would traverse the county several times throughout the war leading to several small battles, most notably the Battle of Balls Bluff.”
“The fertile Loudoun Valley, with its wealth of produce and livestock, was of vital importance to the Confederacy and ideal to provide forage for the Union army.”
Unstable? Not even four months after he was sworn in, the word impeached is being used. The events and timeline of what happened before the election pertaining to Mike Flynn and contacts between members of the Russian government remain murky.The firing of the FBI director now leaves the Russian investigation in whose hands? These events seem like something out of a South American country.
The word “impeached” was used well before January 20.