Scott Pruitt.

Y’all, Pruitt took lying lessons from Trump.

Remember when he said that he did not know about the enormous raises two of his staffers got? He was totally unaware of it.

Turns out, it was through his urging.

In mid-March, Sarah Greenwalt, senior counsel to the administrator, wrote to HR in an attempt to confirm that her pay raise of $56,765 was being processed. Greenwalt “definitively stated that Pruitt approves and was supportive of her getting a raise,” according to an administration official who has seen the email chain.

Can you even imagine if Pruitt was serving in the Obama administration?  Sean Hannity would be outraged. Outraged, I tell you.

The question is how does the swamp get worse than ever?

The answer, of course, is that the Pruitts, the Trumps (and the Tom Prices and on and on) are people who serve interests far more powerful and nefarious than they are. Big money has taken over the political system, and hired people like Pruitt to run it on their behalf.

Pruitt is meeting with Trump this afternoon.  And the devil is giggling.

Thanks to Larry for the heads up.

Leave it to Sid Miller, Texas Agriculture Commissioner, who is a rodeo clown by profession – seriously, to outwit Donald Trump in a headline contest right now.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in late 2016 appointed to the state’s Rural Health Task Force a former physician and Miller campaign donor who had his medical license revoked or suspended in three states.

But that’s not all.

In Iowa, Rick Ray Redalen’s medical license was first suspended when he was convicted of perjury in a case involving his marriage to his 15-year-old former stepdaughter.

And there’s more …

As a doctor, Redalen worked in emergency rooms and as a primary care doctor and has had his license suspended or revoked in Minnesota, Iowa and Louisiana.

The disciplinary action against Redalen by Minnesota’s medical board was due to “psychiatric and drug problems,” according to a 1995 Des Moines Register article.

Other than that, Redalen comes with the best credentials to serve on boards in Texas – he knows somebody.  Todd Smith is a long time friend and political consultant to Miller.  Smith also happens to be making hundreds of thousands of dollars from Redalen’s company. Redalen’s company make tele-medicine machines.

And, of course, Redalen is using his position on Miller’s board to push for tele-medicine in rural Texas.

But, Redalen says he won’t make money on the deal and we should believe him because he promises not to commit perjury again.

Redalen also made large financial contributions to Sid Miller’s campaign. And he loaned Miller his motor home.

In July of 2017, Miller reported an $80,000 in-kind contribution from Redalen for “Use of Prevost Motor Home Bus.” During the 2016 presidential race, Redalen said he campaigned for Donald Trump by touring in his bus, which features an image of Redalen’s face along with messages opposing the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

Sid Miller, the circus clown.

Thanks to everybody for the heads up.

In making nighttime news …

The F.B.I. on Monday raided the office of President Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, seizing records related to several topics including payments to a pornographic-film actress.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan obtained the search warrant after receiving a referral from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, according to Mr. Cohen’s lawyer, who called the search “completely inappropriate and unnecessary.”

When your lawyers have to have lawyers, you just might be … in a damn mess you can’t swim out of.

Lemme see if I have this right.  Investigating Bill Clinton for consensual sex is perfectly fine when Ken Starr was doing it, but not when it happens to Trump.  Oh yeah, that makes sense.

This just in:  Agents also raided Cohen’s room at the Regency Hotel in New York.  Agents stayed for several hours.

Thanks to Deb T. for the heads up.

Conservative pollster Frank Luntz was on Fox News yesterday and some graphics people on the network probably lost their job.

Talking about the detrimental effect that Trump’s tweets were having on the electorate, someone accidentally showed this graphic about how much networks are trusted —

Howard Kurtz immediately saw the mistake and sternly said, “That is not the graphic we are looking for. Hold off.  Take that down, please.”

Too late.

Thanks to everybody for the heads up.

Florida is gonna be a might interesting this election season.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) announced on Monday that he’ll challenge Sen. Bill Nelson (D), setting up a marquee battle that could help decide which party controls the Senate.

Trump won Florida by less than a percentage point.  Trump and Scott are closer than skin on a sausage.

It’ll be a blood sport but it will also probably be the most expensive political race in the country.  Florida loves to spend money wildly on its politicians.

The big question hanging in the air is this: Will Scott’s giving in just a little on gun control with his three day waiting period piss off the NRA but also make the energized kids and Democrats mad because it’s far too little far too late?  It’s hard to totally hack-off both sides but he might have done it.

And … about 100,000 Puerto Ricans resettled to Florida following hurricane Maria.  They vote 2 to 1 for Democrats.

It’s gonna be genuine fun for political scientists to watch this race.