Overplaying your hand

 Buoyed by Rasmussen polls, timid judges and the groveling of the rump Republican Party, Trump may have convinced himself that he is halfway to another four years of dictatorship and revenge.  Nevertheless, he decided he wanted to be the Libertarian candidate, too.  It did not go well, which is to say it was glorious.

Rand Paul may have convinced him that these people are pushovers.  But his usual bluster was greeted by booing and cries of "Bullshit!" which drowned out the small MAGA contingent.  He even promised to put a Libertarian in his cabinet, though he probably could not name one.  Apparently they don't care if the January 6 "hostages" are pardoned, though they applauded the promise to free Ross Ulbricht, the Silk Road drug dealer.  A delegate from Alabama complained about the "eight million" border crossers, which sounds like the sort of thing Libertarians would encourage.  (She also worried about a war between Bosnia and Serbia -- I don't know where that's coming from.)  In the end, the convention nominated Chase Oliver, described as "an account executive and HR representative," so that's different.  But the jeers and cries of "Fuck you!" are what Trump will remember, accustomed as he is to adoration from carefully screened crowds and puppy-like interviewers.  Maybe he should have pulled out the Alphonse Capone material or mocked someone with a disability.

Trump's holiday greetings are always a caution and especially so after that ordeal.  "Happy Memorial Day to All...Human Scum...a woman who I never met before [E. Jean Carroll]...Interview with Allison Cooper [Anderson Cooper]...Arthur Engoron, N.Y. State Wacko Judge...NO JURY, Mar-a-Lago at $18,000,000" --  the usual incoherence and defamation, now with added homophobia.  He didn't even get around to attacking Joe Biden or praising Putin.  And he's GRRRR! about the rules of trial procedure in literally every state:

Yes, on Day One he will order that the defense go last.  And they can pass out cookies to the jury.

Trump's new hobby is ranting about how close he came to assassination at the hands of jack-booted FBI thugs who invaded his beautiful, classy home in search of stolen documents (he was only six or seven states away when they knocked on the door and showed the warrant to the maid).  Since his phony outrage tends to endanger the lives of all FBI agents (remember the clown with the nail gun in Cincinnati?), Jack Smith asked Judge Aileen Cannon to impose a gag order on any further comments.  This is about as likely as a Florida blizzard, so Smith now has more ammunition in his quest for a real judge appointed by anyone but Trump, which means the case could finally get back on track.  Thanks, Donnie, and thanks to the gentlelady from Georgia, Rep. Butch Body, who alerted him to the fine print in the warrant.  As Lena Lamont would say, you're a real pal.

It's so hard to know what will backfire on you like Jack Benny's Maxwell.  The public library in Donnelly, Idaho, has become adults-only in response to one of the state's lunatic laws about protecting kids from the "harmful" topic of sexuality.  I'm no expert on kids but I remember being one.  When they find out about the building full of forbidden objects called "books" they will not rest until they get their hands on one.  When they find out about Project Gutenberg and other sites where thousands of books can be read for free, well, congratulations, Hi-Dee-Ho, you've created a generation of people who will never accept ignorance and superstition.  More, please.

Where are they now?  James Carville, who ran Bill Clinton's campaign in 1992, is back with unsolicited advice for the Biden campaign:  "Don't talk about fucking Gaza and student loans.  That's so out."  The timing could have been better, as the Israeli assault on Rafah and killing of 46 Palestinian refugees in a tent camp further isolated Israel and its number one ally.  Today's Guardian carries an expose of Israel's decade-long campaign of spying and intimidation against the International Criminal Court, which would like a word with Benjamin Netanyahu.  It's going to be harder than ever to not talk about Gaza.  Only the end of the school year has diminished protests by students who don't want to be complicit in Israeli atrocities and are prepared to be expelled, jailed and blackballed by future employers to make themselves heard.  Speaker Mouse Turd has invited the Republicans' favorite war criminal to address a joint session of Congress as part of his campaign to replace Biden with Trump.  Now is precisely the time to talk about Gaza and to match words with action.  Delaying the shipment of a few bombs will not cut it.  Not after Rafah, and World Central Kitchen, and the mass graves.

Now I come to think of it, Carville's last warning was that the Democrats have too many Black women out front and the menfolk feel threatened.  I can't believe he got Clinton elected.  What is Mary Matalin putting in his jambalaya?