You don’t get a MacArthur “genius” grant just for thinking big; you get one because your big ideas work extraordinarily well. Mary Halvorson, who was awarded the grant last year, has earned hers by moving from strength to strength. Ever since she began recording in the mid-2000s, she’s projected a strikingly personal voice on the electric guitar; you only need to hear a few seconds of her fastidious fingering and extravagant pitch bends to know it’s her. And while Halvorson’s groups generously showcase the idiosyncratic skills of her bandmates–among them saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn–her compositional style, with its intricate melodies and sudden tempo changes, is as distinctive as her playing.
Halvorson has upped her game again with her latest ensemble, Code Girl. Though she’s cowritten lyrics before, in the group People and in her duo with Jessica Pavone, this is the first time she’s been solely responsible for them. On the project’s self-titled 2018 debut, the elusive imagery of her lyrics turned steely and supple when sung by Amirtha Kidambi, and her writing for the band’s new Artlessly Falling is even more ambitious. Each song follows the rules of a different poetic form; “Muzzling Unwashed” uses the repeating lines of a villanelle to consider how coverings can entice and repel, and the found poem of “Last-Minute Smears” extracts nauseating substance from the verbal smokescreen of Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony before Congress. Halvorson’s bands tend to get bigger with time, and Code Girl is no exception. Kidambi returns from the first record, as do drummer Tomas Fujiwara and bassist Michael Formanek (both of whom play with Halvorson in the collective trio Thumbscrew). Saxophonist and vocalist Maria Grand, a new member for this record, adds rich complexity to the arrangements, singing counterpoint and harmony with Kidambi as well as braiding horn lines with trumpeter Adam O’Farrill. And the great English singer Robert Wyatt, whose solo albums were a huge influence on Halvorson, has come out of retirement to add his trademark fragile dignity to three songs. v
Time was when the future looked rather grim indeed for the latest Neos show, 45 Plays for America’s First Ladies, which opens October 8 in a streaming production. It’s the launch of the Neo-Futurists’ 32nd season. But back in 2016, the show was shelved indefinitely in the wake of a presidential election that nobody saw coming.
“Then, we assumed we’d be creating something that would have been this beautiful capstone to the 2016 election and centuries of history, where the final play would be about the first woman president. Obviously, that didn’t happen,” says Bilal Dardai, who cowrote 45 Plays with fellow Neos Andy Bayiates, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Sharon Greene, and Chloe Johnston. “After the (2016) election, we put the project in a drawer because we were all, frankly, too stunned to work on it. We sometimes felt like, ‘What’s the point?'”
For a while, it seemed the play that was set to be a companion piece to 2012’s 44 Plays for 44 Presidents would go no further. The triumphant note of 44 Plays–which ended with a Neo salute to then-President Barack Obama, and which was itself an extension of the original 43 Plays for 43 Presidents from 2002 and the George W. Bush years–was difficult to muster after Obama’s successor took office, Dardai says. Yet in the intrepid Neo fashion that has sustained the collective through the tumult of more than three decades, the artists of 45 Plays found a point and used it to puncture any despair-induced stasis.
“As a group, we eventually got up and dusted ourselves off. The stories we’d researched, the things we were hoping to tell–we realized they were still relevant and in some ways even more so in the context of the Trump presidency,” Dardai says.
Directed by Denise Yvette Serna, 45 Plays is as it sounds: a series of playlets about the First Ladies of these United States, Martha to Melania. The six-person cast includes a pair of Neos from each coast and Chicago: Andie Patterson and Brenda Arellano from the Bay Area, Hilary Asare and Robin Virginie from New York City, and Vic Wynter and Ida Cuttler from Chicago.
They’re performing 30-second to four-minute playlets ranging from musical numbers (Barbara Bush gets a line dance, Edith Wilson an oompah-pah waltz), burlesque (Julia Dent Grant), haiku (Nellie Taft), horror puppets (widower Andrew Jackson and his “First Lady” niece, Emily Donelson), live painting (Lady Bird Johnson), dramatic scenes, monologues, interpretive dance, and audience participation bits.
Some scenes will be prerecorded in and around the cast members’ homes, Serna says, while others will be streamed live from the Neo-Futurarium. In 1992, the company moved into this space above a onetime funeral parlor (now home to a concern that conducts clinical trials on various treatments for memory loss, pain management, and various mental health disorders, among other things). In the times of live performance, visitors moved through a “hall of presidents” (fanciful portraits of each POTUS through history) before entering the lobby.
“Part of what got us moving again was the idea of telling the stories of the women who got pushed out of the spotlight, whether by their own desire, or by custom, or by their husbands. It’s a way of looking at women and how they’ve been perceived and treated here over the course of history. We want people to be thinking about this as we get closer to the election,” Serna says.
Rehearsals have been a mix of typical Zoom frustrations (group choreography has been tricky) and ingenious breakthroughs. Serna is about five years ahead of the curve when it comes to rehearsing virtually. In 2015, she and Jack Paterson founded Global Hive Laboratories, a concern aiming at no less than creating an internationally shared practice among theater artists, where geography is not an insurmountable boundary and empathy among different global cultures could be fostered by technology. Global Hive’s current projects include an international call for testimonials about the emotional impact of COVID-19 and a devised piece started in Italy back in February.
In some ways, Serna says the limitations wrought by COVID-19 have been freeing. “I think the artists are less precious about their work,” she says. “We’ve been upfront. We don’t have a lot of time. We’re going to make a shape together and fill it with your talent. I think that can make people more comfortable with leaving their comfort zone. Someone who wouldn’t necessarily audition for a rock musical can be like, ‘OK, I’ll wail in my living room because, well, why not?'”
Dardai’s deep dive into the lives of First Ladies yielded some historical gems not often found in textbooks. For example: We haven’t yet had our first female president, but mayhap we’ve had our first gay male president. Consider, if you will, confirmed bachelor James Buchanan, who campaigned hand-in-glove with his longtime companion, William King.
“Andrew Jackson referred to them as Aunt Nancy and Miss Fancy. He knew what he was implying, true or not,” says Dardai. It fell to Buchanan’s niece, Harriet, to fulfill First Lady duties. “When I think of mediocre men, I think of James Buchanan,” Serna adds. “It was Harriet who was in charge of seeing that this man who wasn’t really prepared to be president could survive in the office.” Harriet too, it seems, was not married to conventional 19th-century gender roles: she was known to thrash visiting dignitaries at bowling.
As 45 Plays dives into the sweep of history, it becomes clear that several of the First Ladies were more odious than conventionally taught history implies. Sure, Martha Washington freed some of her slaves, but she did so only after George died and left a will declaring all his slaves would be free upon her death. “Martha saw that as an invitation to murder her. She freed them not because of morality, but because she thought it was a safety issue for her,” Serna says.
While the budget for 45 Plays is close to the bone, Serna was adamant it cover three things: a top-notch professional editor to ensure the quality of the stream, a sound budget that allowed the show to have a uniquely memorable sonic identity, and funds to subtitle the entire production.
At its core, 45 Plays is upheld by the Neos’ founding principles, tenets that have survived 30 years of history.
“We always lean in on speaking the truth and being ourselves,” Serna says. “As much as we’re playing characters and in a script, we have opinions. At the end of the show we drop the artifice. The actors talk to each other. They break the fourth wall.” She adds, “I hope the audience leaves with a better understanding of how subjective our history is. There will always be things we miss. There will always be things we need to educate ourselves about. We have to hold each other accountable. We have to.” v
HOUSTON — Houston Texans coach and general manager Bill O’Brien has been fired, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the move.
The firing comes after Sunday’s loss to the Vikings dropped the Texans to 0-4 for the first time since 2008.
After assuming the role of general manager in the offseason, O’Brien received almost universal criticism when he shipped superstar receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona for running back David Johnson and draft picks.
The pressure on O’Brien only intensified as the Texans limped out to the terrible start with Johnson struggling as their running game was the worst in the NFL and with the defense allowing the most yards in the league.
O’Brien was in his seventh season in Houston where he compiled a 100-52 record. He won the AFC South four times in his tenure, including the past two years.
The game of basketball is intertwined with Chicago’s culture. Whether it’s because of the Chicago Bulls or the countless blacktops scattered throughout the city, it’s no surprise that Chicago is one of the biggest basketball cities in America. And when it comes to our streetball scene, no one does it better. NBA stars like Derrick Rose and Dwayne Wade are direct products of Chicago streetball and honed their craft on some pretty famous blacktops in the city. With over 150 courts to play at, there’s plenty of choices for hoopers to enjoy a pickup game wherever they find themselves. With so many options to choose from, we’ve taken the time to pick some of the most iconic basketball courts in Chicago.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Jackson Park
First up is Jackson Park which is located in Chicago’s Woodlawn community. With two courts to play on in this park, players should have no issues finding a game here. Jackson Park is considered to have some of the best-kept courts in the city, as the rims and nets are always in good shape. Park-goers also have access to tennis courts, multi-purpose fields, and a turf field to entertain themselves and stay active all day long.
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Photo Credit: Pixabay
Foster Avenue Beach Court
This next iconic basketball court in Chicago is the Foster Avenue Beach court. While there is only one court located at Foster Avenue Beach, the views here are breathtaking. Players here have the luxury of seeing some nice views of the lake and city. Some beach access also provides a nice opportunity to cool down in the water after a quick pickup game.
We’d be foolish to not include this court in our list. Streetballers might not have access to playing at the United Center, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get there one day. Players like Derrick Rose and Dwayne Wade, who grew up hooping in the streets of Chicago, eventually found themselves in the NBA. Both ended up playing for the Bulls at some point in their career, giving them a chance to play at the United Center. It doesn’t happen all of the time, but if you’re a young hooper in the city, it doesn’t hurt to set your goals high.
A post shared by Cris Rivera Rosales (@zumbachicago) on Jul 11, 2020 at 11:06am PDT
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Horner Park
The final park on our list is Horner Park located in Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood. The entire area is a hub for athletes as there are nine softball fields, three baseball fields, two soccer/football fields, four outdoor basketball courts, and five tennis courts. So, on the off chance there isn’t any room for you to join a game of hoops, there’s plenty of options at Horner Park.
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One of the best ways to enjoy the newly-crisp October weather in Chicago is to have something to keep you warm while you sit outside for the last of the Windy City’s bearable light-jacket evenings. The tip of your nose might be a little cold, but you can keep your insides nice and warm with the help of some top-notch beers as you celebrate the annual season of German-style foods, brews, and music—otherwise known as Oktoberfest. Though fun and frivolity might be approached a little differently this year, you can still enjoy the simple pleasures of beer and pub grub at the best Oktoberfest bars in Chicago.
Reserve a table and settle in for a night of German dishes and ales. Follow up your schnitzel and fries with a cold hefeweizen at this trendy Lincoln Park spot perfect for Oktoberfest celebrating.
What better place to celebrate Fall Beer Season than a brewpub that (1) has a great overall selection of beers from which to choose and (2) has its own particular Oktoberfest German-style lager on tap? Head on over to Logan Square for one of Chicago’s best beer-drinking experiences.
In addition to a long list of different types of local and regional beers (including brews from 3 Floyds and Bell’s), you can find a Hofbrau Oktoberfest straight from München, Germany, as well as the local Maplewood Festbier for more specifically honoring Oktoberfest season at this West Town hangout.
While the beer list here isn’t as extensive as some of Chicago’s other brew-centric watering holes, Funkenhausen isn’t lacking in any essentials; its menu’s motto reads “Wine. Stein. Dein.” and it offers exactly those three things. Grab a “Big Garlicky Pretzel” and some Kasespaetzle, then wash it all down a Hofbrau Oktoberfest or Maisel’s Amber Hefeweizen for a strong finish.
Lori Lightfoot is the…Rona Destroyer? What?
Need a reason to drink at one of the best Oktoberfest bars in Chicago? This should do it.
Laschet’s sets itself apart with an Oktoberfest-specific menu— which is chock-full of German snacks and entrees— as well as an impressive list of German ales, including those of the Oktoberfest, pilsener and lager varieties (among others).
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Given the unique landscape, it’s no surprise that Chicago is home to some of the Midwest’s finest golf courses. One of these famous front nines is the Sydney R. Marovitz golf course located in Lincoln Park. Since opening in 1932, the course has established a long history of being a great spot for golfers all over the city to play a round.
The Sydney R. Marovitz golf course didn’t always have such a long name. In fact, not all of the land it was built on always existed either. Back in 1929, the city started a three-year-long project to build a golf course on the lake. When costs started to build up, funding (unfortunately) didn’t. This led to half of the holes being built as planned, all of which run parallel to the lake. It’s construction finished in 1932, and the course opened to the Uptown community with the name Waveland Golf Course.
Fifty-nine years later, the course changed its name to the Sydney R. Marovitz golf course. Despite its size compared to normal 18-hole courses, Sydney R. Marovitz does manage to present an entertaining challenge to golfers at all skill levels. A minimum of two bunkers border each of the nine greens. Even the most skilled players have to keep their driver accurate with the number of trees surrounding each hole. There’s definitely a reason this course is one of Chicago Golf Reports’ best nine-hole courses.
And yes, Chicago golfers, the course is currently open for play. The Chicago Park District encourages those interested to book in advance online, as they can’t guarantee open tee times. Masks are required inside of the clubhouse facilities, golf shop, and are encouraged when social distancing is not possible. Golf carts are still available to rent while playing, and the course has established strict disinfecting schedules that enable it to remain open.
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If you can manage to follow social distancing rules, the combination of city views and challenge that is Sydney R. Marovitz golf course makes it the perfect spot to play nine downtown.
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Featured Image Credit: Sydney Marovitz Instagram Page
A recent tweet by Illinois State football featuring fullback Tim McCloyn
The country is certainly divided in any number of ways. One only has to glance at the headlines, click on TV news or scroll through social media to see it. College football programs are no different.
Players may hang out away from the field — including within the locker room — in different groups. One may follow and like conservative posts while another may retweet Black Lives Matter comments and photos.
Players and coaching staffs come from different backgrounds, so how do people with often polar opposite beliefs and experiences work to understand each other?
“It’s important that you have a vision as a leader. That you’re very clear about what that vision is,” Illinois State head coach Brock Spack told Prairie State Pigskin during the summer. “It’s up to the assistant coaches to work the plan toward that vision and stick to the mantra if you will and the goals in mind and the identity that we have here. That will never change. That’s part of the recruiting process. You have to tell a kid we’re not painting a beautiful picture. Hey, it’s not going to be easy. This is what we’re about so there’s no surprises when they get here.
“But nothing really prepares them for that until they’re here. The same with a new coach or a coaching staff, you have to (tell them) ‘this is who we are, this is what we’re about, so don’t be surprised when that’s executed’. Our program is founded on discipline and toughness and work ethic and accountability. If you can’t figure that out, we’ve got some issues. I make it very clear.”
Turbulent times
Illinois State has certainly seen its share of turmoil in recent months. ISU student-athletes organized a campus-wide boycott of practices and team activities, demanding changes to create racial equity in the department following an “All Redbird Lives Matter” comment by athletic director Larry Lyons in a conversation about race. That statement, referencing the school mascot, seemed similar to the phrase “All Lives Matter,” which is widely interpreted as a dismissive critique to the Black Lives Matter movement, according to a Sept. 1 Chicago Tribune story by Shannon Ryan.
Lyons later apologized for his statement and has since held group video chats with various teams. In addition, Lyons said he would “create a listening forum, enlist anti-racism and cultural diversity education training for himself and other staff, and he committed to reviewing department hires including a therapist with expertise in serving students of color,” according to Ryan.
Illinois State has also initiated a diversity movement and has been highlighting minority athletes’ voices such as the lead quote by senior fullback Tim McCloyn at the top of this story.
In a late August Pantagraph story by Randy Reinhardt, senior ISU running back Jeff Proctor said Lyons “apologized and said he was there for us. He doesn’t expect us to believe in his words, but he’s going to show us. That was good hearing that from him.”
Proctor added, “Personally, I believe actions speak louder than words. We’re waiting to see.”
A few days later, Illinois State announced the promotion of four assistant football coaches to new positions. All four are African American; three are former ISU players.
On Oct. 2, ISU announced that Lyons planned to retire at the end of the calendar year. The Pontiac native has spent 33 years as an athletics administrator at ISU.
Meanwhile, in late September, ISU announced that offensive coordinator Kurt Beathard was “no longer part of the program” after he put a sign on his office door that read “All Lives Matter to Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.”
A Reinhardt story further stated, “Three sources close to the football program also told The Pantagraph that a “Black Lives Matter” poster was taken down from the Illinois State locker room in the Kaufman Football Building recently. The sources asked not to be identified for fear of retribution from university officials.”
School officials would not discuss the announcement; Reinhardt noted, however, Beathard did state, “That locker room crap is wrong. I took the sign down somebody put on my door. That’s it, I didn’t take anything off that wasn’t put on my door. I wrote the message.”
Following Beathard’s dismissal, ISU announced in press release that Ghaali Muhammad-Lankford and C.J. Irvin are now co-offensive coordinators.
Student-led awareness
Meanwhile, social justice movements swept through the other three Illinois Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) campuses.
In Carbondale, an SIU Unity walk/run was held. The student-led organization sponsored the event to raise awareness for social injustice and systematic racism with proceeds benefitting the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Illinois.
“We want to become closer as a community, especially in times like these as there’s no more importance to show how united we are as a community,” said SIU punter Jack Colquhoun in a wsiltv.com story. “And I think you know, with the football team, and all of athletics in general, we can bring everyone together and really create a positive message in the community.”
Nick Hill (photo courtesy of SIU)
Saluki head coach Nick Hill said, “You don’t want to ever look back and think that you wasted the platform that you’ve been been given. For whatever reason I’ve been blessed to have a platform here in this community. And I believe to use your voice, use a voice for someone that doesn’t have the platform to have the voice that I have.
“And my message has been clear from the beginning is to be there and to speak up for people that might not. It’s that together and unity and diversity is the way because that’s the world that we live in . . . to be kind to one another and to be okay with not understanding everything, but having the willingness to learn and listen.”
In Macomb, a Black Lives Matter gathering and march was organized by the Black Student Association, an on-campus group.
(photo courtesy WIU)
“We had players participate in that,” WIU head coach Jared Elliott told Prairie State Pigskin. “Our players know that they have the full right and ability to express their rights and their beliefs and their voices in how they want to. That’s important right now with a lot of what we’re going through as a country, societal and even more into the microscope of it’s here in our area and on our campus. It’s important that our kids have the ability to do that.
“When it comes to social issues, I am in complete support of every member of our team. We stand by them, we lock arms with them. We have our players’ backs. That’s what any family member would do. We do view the program as a family, and so I think it’s a good thing for our players to have the ability to stand for what they believe in and to have a voice.
“Our kids have handled it in a very mature way. They’ve respected differences of opinion. We’ve got a lot of good teammates. It’s been very positive here in our program.”
A BLM march also took place in Charleston.
“A very, very, very high percentage of players attended. We as coaches were all there,” EIU head coach Adam Cushing told Prairie State Pigskin. “It was organized by student-athletes, and we had a group of us meet here (at the stadium) and go over together. When we got there, there was an even bigger group of the football team over there.
“I was really, really impressed by the young men’s understanding of what they’re saying when they go out and walk. I think that’s critical. That it’s not just because it’s cool. It’s that they understand what they’re saying and that they understand that it’s something that needs to be continually brought to light. Raising awareness is just as important as how important it is to stand next to one of our Black players and coaches and say, ‘I believe too and I want the world to be better for you the same as it’s better for me’.”
Cushing, the former Northwestern assistant now in his second year at EIU, elaborated on the diversity within a locker room.
“We have to lean into a couple of conversations. We have to talk about all the things that are happening in their world — in our world,” Cushing said. “I say all the time that I would hate to have negotiated a college experience with camera phones and all these things. You think about their (players’) realities. And I keep picking up this device (picks up phone), and their person-to-person communication is less. They may say, ‘I talked to so-and-so today’. No, you didn’t; you texted with them for three minutes. You didn’t talk to them. You didn’t explain your position. You didn’t try to understand. In the end, seek to understand and then seek to be understood. I think that’s a lost art.
(photo courtesy Daily Eastern News)
“So, we have to have conversations about the racial justice in America and how it affects and white privilege and how it affects us. And Black Lives Matter. And the different ways that somebody that’s Black (views things). I wasn’t raised in that same world. And that the kids that I’m raising right now aren’t raised in the same world as (assistant coach) Mark Philmore’s and have to have a different set of conversations and operate under a different set of boundaries. That’s one of the reasons I love football. You can have uncomfortable conversations. You have a family atmosphere that comes from all those backgrounds. Different races. Different cultures. And those lines can get blurred.”
Cushing continued, “One of our players said this in our most recent conversation on this topic; that race and culture are different and it’s hard to discern between the two. I learn every single time that we do this and hope that it’s the same experience for everybody involved in the conversation. The old adage that was pounded in my head over and over again that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. And so, is every student ready?
“No, but that doesn’t mean that we stop teaching. We just have to continue to have those conversations that most want to avoid in light of political correctness or ‘man, it would be way easier if we didn’t have this conversation.’ It would be easier, but I couldn’t put my head on that pillow at the end of the day if what we did was a disservice to student-athletes. Open, honest communication is what will build the trust. I can say things like I wasn’t brought up in that same world and not thought to be racist because it’s just ignorance and not ignorant in the negative way, I just don’t know. So all of those conversations are what football programs are going through and tackling right now, and I think it’s a great thing that people are doing it in a safe space. That they have a preexisting amount of trust. We’re from totally different backgrounds, I’m from here and you’re from there, let’s talk honestly. That’s why football can be what’s right with America.”
Wednesday: A look at player power & voice in 2020 and beyond
Blog co-authors Barry Bottino and Dan Verdun bring years of experience covering collegiate athletics. Barry has covered college athletes for more than two decades in his “On Campus” column, which is published weekly by Shaw Media. Dan has written four books about the state’s football programs–“NIU Huskies Football” (released in 2013), “EIU Panthers Football (2014), “ISU Redbirds” (2016) and “SIU Salukis Football” (2017).
Dateline: September 26, 2020. The White House Rose Garden. Washington D.C.
The occasion is the official announcement of the newest nominee to the Supreme Court. Donald Trump is making official his choice of Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the highest court. It’s party time at the White House. There’s a who’s who of the Republican party in attendance.
We didn’t know it at the time but the future justice had dealt with her own case of Covid-19 earlier this summer. Knowing that now, how strange was it to bring her family to an event where there were little mask-wearing and social distancing? Her family was sitting in the front row, next to first lady Melania Trump.
Irresponsible? Totally! And this is a person that will be deciding on the most important cases and laws for a generation!
What was supposed to be a huge celebration and display of power, turned into a COVID-palooza. Hmmm…perhaps if Trump wins re-election, he can turn this into a yearly event. It could be like his own personal Coachella or Lolla. Let’s take a look at the players on this year’s bill :
The President of Notre Dame, Rev. John Jenkins and Chris Christie, as the warm-up acts. Followed by short sets from Kellyanne Conway, Sen. Thom Tillis and Sen. Mike Lee. Finally, it’s time for the headliners, Melania and Donald Trump!
Seven great acts. All positive Americans!
What a great day of entertainment. Next year he can bring us Bill Barr, Kid Rock and Ted Nugent? Tickets at Maga.com. Doesn’t that make you want to come back? Yeah, I know…me, neither.
There have been two events at the White House Rose Garden since August. The first was the presidential nomination acceptance speech of Donald Trump and now this one. Both turned out disastrous. They led to ridicule and now illness.
Good times at the Rose Garden. See you in the summer of 2021. Bring your mask or not.
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
Retired WLS-Ch. 7 reporter Frank Mathie and his wife, Mary, on Thursday sold their four-bedroom, 2,355-square-foot vintage Prairie-style house in Wilmette for its $725,000 asking price.
Republicans are whining (again) that Joe Biden should refrain from campaigning until Little Donnie recovers.
Irony doesn’t quite cover it and even the word hypocrisyis too kind by an order of magnitude. Pure evil is the only term that comes to mind.
Fairness is not a Republican virtue. You would have to jump out a basement window to get to their level.
Moscow Mitch stole a Supreme Court nomination from President Barack Obama TEN MONTHS before an election and is now trying to push through a confirmation just days before this election.
The Republicans who said that the Mueller Report exonerated Trump knew they were lying. They knew that they failed to uphold their oath to defend the Constitution.
By the time the impeachment trial rolled around, Republican senators were so far down the slippery slope that they had no problem conducting a “trial” with no witnesses and no documents.
Republicans have gerrymandered democracy into oblivion, closed down polling places and ballot dropoff locations and pulled everything they could from their bag of dirty tricks to suppress opposition voting.
If you’re old, non-white or attending college, don’t ask your Republican neighbor for a ride to the polls. You might wind up in a dumpster.
Trumpsters who have been saying, You lost, accept it are now saying We will not accept loss.
Trump’s a compassionate guy, though, if you forget about him retweeting that the only good Democrats are dead Democrats.
It’s probably not fair to bring up Trump’s horrendous mocking of disabled reporter, Serge Kovaleski, either.
Or his mocking of Hillary Clinton for having pneumonia and mocking of Joe Biden for wearing a mask.
He even mocked Joe Biden for visiting his children’s graves. He attacked John McCain POST MORTEM.
Trump’s most heinous act, though, has been the constant attack on America’s gold standard medical community and his deliberate attempt to undermine confidence in hard science.
His politicization of the simple act of wearing masks is as criminal as his lying about the pandemic and his complete failure to respond to a pandemic in any meaningful way.
Trump threatened to stop Biden from running with an executive order. Wait, what?
He’s probably got a filing cabinet full of meaningless executive orders, including the one that’s supposed to protect preexisting conditions, which have enjoyed protection under The Affordable Care Act since 2010.
Protection that Trump is petitioning the Supreme Court to eliminate, a case that will be heard next month.
Trump called dead soldiers suckers and losers. He said that he likes military people who don’t get captured. He didn’t want any disabled veterans marching in his July 4th parade. No one escapes his disdain. No one commands his respect.
Trump had been pounding Joe Biden about his age, his stamina and his social distancing. There is no chance in the world that Trump would pause the hate machine if Biden became sidelined for any reason whatsoever.
Two Republican senators on the committee that will vote on Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination have tested positive for COVID-19, but Senator Tom said that they will be wheeled into the room to confirm Barrett if necessary.
There is a time to take the high road, but when trying to unseat a lawless, corrupt bully, the high road could take Joe Biden back to Scranton, PA.
For the sake of the country and his supporters, the Biden train needs to keep heading toward Washington, DC without detour.
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Bob “RJ” Abrams is a political junkie, all-around malcontent and supporter of America’s warriors. After a career path that took him from merchandising at rock concerts to managing rock bands to a 27-year stint in the pits of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, he’s seen our nation from up and down.
As Regional Coordinator of the Warriors’ Watch Riders (a motorcycle support group for the military and their families) Bob plays an active role in our nation’s support of America’s warriors and their families.
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