Give him that old-time religion

 Who's annoying Trumpelthinskin today?

The ratings are in from the venerable and non-partisan Nielsen company.  On CBS, NBC and ABC, 26.05 million people watched the inauguration, a 32-percent drop from the last two.  And it was a national holiday, so a lot of people were home.  So sad.  Time for James Comer and his Comettes to launch one of their investigations.  Time for the courtiers to insist that billions watched on other platforms, if they know what's good for them.

The Leader was back at the National Cathedral for a National Prayer Service yesterday and despite his having been "saved by God" he let someone else lead it.  It's a decision he must regret because Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde did not hold back, asking mercy for gay, lesbian and transgender children as well as "the people who pick our crops...who labor in poultry farms and meat-packing plants and work the night shifts in hospitals."  From an Episcopalian, that's-fire and-brimstone preaching.  The response was predictable:

 

Got that?  She owes "the public" an apology.  Very boring and uninspiring.  Not very good at her job.  He's enraged that he can't "YOU'RE FIRED!" her.  And the flying monkeys were not far behind:  Tommy Tuberville promptly identified the bishop as one of the "radical left spewing hate all over the place," while Mike Collins demanded her deportation (she was born in New Jersey, a country Georgia Mike may not recognize).  Free speech didn't last long.

The Leader's description of Washington as a "crime infested hell-hole" has proven to be a self-fulfilling prophecy with his release of more than 1,500 January 6 rioters, many convicted of violent offenses.  The Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police "firmly believe that those convicted of such crimes should serve their full sentences."  Only last year they were among the Leader's warmest supporters.  Did they not believe him when he said repeatedly that he would pardon all the insurrectionists?  Michael Fanone believed him.  The former officer who nearly died defending the Capitol told Morning Joe of his family's continuing harassment by Trumpanzees:  "My mother has been the victim of swatting incidents...while she was raking the leaves in her front yard, she had an individual pull up in a truck and throw a bag of shit on her."  I didn't know Margie Greene owned a truck.

Daniel Ball saw his January 6 charges dismissed after the blanket pardon but was promptly arrested on federal gun charges.  Ball is described as "a two-time convicted felon with prior convictions for domestic violence battery by strangulation and resisting law enforcement with violence."  Once a MAGA, always a MAGA.  I wonder if the 34-time convicted felon will rush him a special individual pardon for past services.  

Remember Silk Road, the online marketplace for illicit drugs?  The Leader spent much of last year ranting about the "millions of illegals" bringing drugs across the borders, but he has no problem with purchasing them online.  Why else would he pardon Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, sentenced to life in prison in 2015?  Here's why:  he called Ulbricht's mom to praise "her and the Libertarian movement, which supported me so strongly."  Libertarians want all drugs legalized and consider Ulbricht a political prisoner.  Drug dealers make use of cryptocurrency, another of the Leader's obsessions, so it all fits.  Does this mean he'll stop threatening to invade Mexico and destroy its drug cartels?  Who the hell knows anymore?

In a possibly related development the Ku Klux Klan is distributing leaflets in Kentucky urging immigrants to "leave now."  That's Kentucky, the state that keeps electing libertarian Rand Paul to the Senate.  Wheels within wheels.

I hope seniors on Medicaid had the foresight to stock up on drugs for diabetes, kidney disease, heart failure and other conditions because the Leader has rescinded the Biden-Harris administration's prescription drug cost reductions scheduled for next year.  Maybe Ross Ulbricht can hook you up.

The Leader is threatening Russia with super-bad tariffs if they don't settle the Ukraine war as he promised to make them do.  (What do we import from Russia?  Caviar?)  Russia Tonight is as protective of its Leader as Newsmax and Fox of ours, so they shot back with a photo of our Leader dozing off at the Prayer Service:  "Trump must be tired after signing all those executive orders, deporting all those people and abolishing all those genders.  Melania makes sure he doesn't pull a Biden and fall asleep."  Dueling snark, and I'm here for it.

And in petty little brat news, the Leader cancelled Secret Service protection for John Bolton, no doubt hoping that Iran will carry out its assassination threat.  As Walter Einenkel wrote, "Bolton is a crummy person who ran into a more powerful crummy person.  The concoction that creates a fascist is power, vindictiveness and pettiness -- and it doesn't hurt to be a little stupid in order to delude yourself.  Trump's got it all."

And now, so do we.