No sale

 Yesterday Elon Musk announced he won't be bailing Trump out, at least not openly (those superPACs are tricky blighters).  Today it was Vivek Ramaswamy's turn.  He suggested to Neil Cavuto that the cash-strapped "billionaire" turn to "grassroots supporters" for whatever they have left after buying Trump Bucks, imaginary trading cards and classy gold shoes.  I would never have suspected Ramaswamy of having a sense of humor.

It looks like Retired Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson won't be much help, on account of he hasn't been an admiral since July of 2022.  That's when the Navy responded to the inspector general's report on Fast Times at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue by busting him down to captain, reducing his pension by $15,000.  Naturally, he blames the Biden administration which, if it were really vindictive, would have demoted Michael Flynn to lieutenant colonel by now.  Yes, that's a hint.

Never mind.  The Trump brand is still a vote-getter, bringing Mark Robinson the nomination for governor of North Carolina.  He proclaimed Robinson "Martin Luther King on steroids," although he's probably just obese.  What else do they have in common?  Robinson is a transphobic Holocaust denier who is anti-choice, multiply bankrupt, and has a tiny problem with the IRS.  Like looking in a mirror, right, Donzo?  Wait, there's more:  In 2020 he told the Republican Women of Pitt County, "I absolutely want to go back to the America where women couldn't vote."  Astonishingly, only one of the Women said "That's right!" though I imagine the rest all voted for him.  (Ladies, ladies, no one's forcing you!)  

The endorsement was classic Trump racism.  No matter how much he "loves" Robinson, it would never occur to Trump to compare him to a white man ("He's Viktor Orban on steroids!").  Between Klan meetings Fred pounded into him that they are different from real people.  Never rent to them, they'll wreck the apartment and sneak out without paying.  He truly believes that.  In what's left of his mind he's running against Barack Obama, who comes from one of those places where they speak languages nobody understands.  Poisoning our national blood!  Brought in by Biden to vote!  As if voting isn't complicated enough for those of us who were born here.

In the current government spending bill there is a provision expanding gun rights for veterans who have been found mentally incompetent to manage their own affairs.  In a miracle of lousy timing Robert Card, the Army veteran who killed eighteen people in Lewiston, Maine, was reported to be suffering from traumatic brain injury resulting from his work as a grenade instructor.  I'm sure nothing like that will happen again.  Nice work, Jared Golden of Maine, and the other six Democrats who voted for it.

Elon Musk also has no use for women except as devices to pop out more Musks.  MacKenzie Scott won a divorce settlement from Jeff Bezos equivalent to the gross national product of some countries and has donated more than $2 billion to organizations promoting affordable housing, race and gender equity, early childhood education and the like.  Musk sneered, "Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse should be listed among 'Reasons that Western Civilization died.'"  Coward that he is, he then deleted it.  Elon should have a sit-down with Vladimir Putin, who is always claiming to be the savior of civilization, too.  These guys need a quiet hobby, like coloring or Jenga.

There is still no cease-fire in Gaza and the US is building a temporary port on the Mediterranean coast to bring in relief.  CNN has aired footage of starving children -- at least fifteen have died of malnutrition.  If these are "crisis actors" they should win a special Oscar on Sunday.