Palm, meet forehead

I read in the New York Times this morning a guest column by Kevin Dowd, the Republican brother of hot air purveyor sharer of meaningless musings columnist Maureen Dowd. A few annotated excerpts that will perhaps illuminate why I find the current national political "debate" to be so inane and frustrating.

I have tried to confine comments to four topics:

1. The Courts

Trump delivered on his promises to shake things up with a slew of executive orders undoing much of Barack Obama’s burdensome regulations and, more important, started to reshape the lower courts decimated by Obama’s appointments. The nomination of Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court may be his most lasting legacy.

As an initial thought, I always hear about "burdensome regulations" (as though people couldn't find another adjective, but I digress). I am still waiting to hear the from the person who is burdened by these "burdensome regulations" to tell me what the regulation is, the quantum of the burden, and what the burdened party would prefer.

As to the courts, I have yet to see the Obama, Clinton, Bush II, Bush I, or Reagan appointees who were a mere three years out of law school and never tried a case. We now have the name "Brett Talley" in the federal judiciary, with an irreducible salary and lifetime appointment. #MAGA, I guess?

Also, as to "lasting legacy" and Neil Grouch, the lasting legacy associated with that is that we will not again see a Supreme Court nominee confirmed by an opposition party. Mitch McConnell and company poisoned that well by stealing the seat from President Obama/Merrick Garland. This cannot be undone.

2. Foreign Policy

Trump’s presidency is unorthodox, but his blustering against Kim Jong-un is the only way to deal with a bully. And since Kim will want to get back at Trump, and Kim’s rockets may be able to reach only the West Coast, we’re probably all right until he can hit a red state.

This is simply appalling. For starters, this was the same line of argument as to how to deal with Saddam Hussein. Remember how Barack Obama got us involved in a never-ending war in Iraq? Me neither.

Further, what is this about we're "all right until he can hit a red state?" This is the kind of joke I hear all the time from my Republican friends, who nonetheless get their heckles all up should someone, say, take a knee during the national anthem or "jokes" that the victims of a random mass shooting had it coming because they were likely Republicans. Neither joke is funny. I fail to see why it is that Republicans are so comfortable de-humanizing their political opponents, devaluing their lives, and questioning their patriotism.

3. Health Care

Democrats say Obamacare needs only a tweak. My youngest son just received his bill for health care. It came with an annual premium of $8,100. At that price, I think he will continue to vote Republican.

Interesting point, from a partisan whose party's best idea on healthcare is that it should cost more. This gets back to the healthcare debate and the reason why Republicans couldn't pass any sort of "replacement" for the Affordable Care Act: they've been lying about both the ACA and their plans for replacement for years.

4. Taxes

If Republicans cannot pass tax reform, they are not Republicans and deserve to be fired. 

Too bad their ideas as to "reform" are about as helpful as their ideas on healthcare. If you think that the Simon family has been getting the shaft and the citizens of Speedway, IN, have been getting a free ride, then by all means support the present tax "reform" on offer. I, for one, bristle at the idea of some poor Simon heir only getting the first $11,000,000 in inheritance tax free. (sarcasm)

Republicans like to call everything they do "reform." Is it "reform" when you make the current system worse? If I crash my car into a ditch, have I "reformed" my bumper?

I could go on, but I'm tired of this.