I cannot imagine how I raised a child to believe that “No speech abridgin’ means no speech abridgin’.”

Mark wrote an opinion piece you might want to read.  I’ll let him know to expect comments.

And here’s some more Texas fun.

Our indicted and currently under investigation for additional criminal acts Attorney General Ken Paxton, has decided to use empty sarcasm and self bravado in facing the fact that he kissed Donald Trump’s butt in public view for longer than anyone believed possible and still didn’t get a pardon.

Oh yeah.  You’re not gonna believe this stuff.

My statement on Inauguration Day ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Hb893NG91x

— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) January 20, 2021

On Inauguration Day, I wish our country the best. I promise my fellow Texans and Americans that I will fight against the many unconstitutional and illegal actions that the new administration will take, challenge federal overreach that infringes on Texans’ rights, and serve as a major check against the administration’s lawlessness.  Texas First! Law & Order always!

Here’s how this works.  Paxton sued Obama’s administration over 50 times.  He used taxpayer money to do this. Best I recall, Paxton won once and it had to do with how many days Texas fisherman could harvest Red Snapper.

Paxton’s wife plays guitar, and I think she yodels but I could be wrong about that, so she wrote a little song that she plays all over the state where she sings real cute, “I’m a pistol packin’ momma and my husband sues Obama.”  Seriously. This happens.

It won’t be too difficult for her to find something that rhymes with Biden, so I suspect that Ken wrote this tweet because his wife is loading her pistols and her yodeling kit.

Thanks to everybody for the heads up.

Yesterday, the goofy and well-armed Qanon crowd woke up that they’ve been played for chumps for the last 5 years.  When the power grid didn’t fail, the military didn’t turn on Biden, and Trump actually fled Washington, they suddenly realized that the jig was up and they were the losers.  The Q bullshit not only drove a national insanity, it actually got people killed in the failed attack on the US Capitol 2 weeks ago.  Trump did not declare martial law; the military didn’t take over; Trump is no longer President.  Oops.

On top of the Q crowd getting disillusioned, the hard right social conservatives are not happy with their current lot.  During Trump’s term, he lost the House, then the Senate, and now the White House.  The religious right is now soul searching about how they betrayed their own faith to follow a fornicating, lying, corrupt, spray painted television game show host.  Oops.

Mainstream conservatives are also assessing the damage wrought by Trump.  One, Kevin D. Williamson, posted a scathing rebuke of those who followed Trump in the National Review today titled Witless Ape Rides Helicopter, Goodbye to Donald J. Trump, the man who wanted to be Conrad Hilton but turned out to be Paris Hilton.  It is a must read piece.  A few choice tidbits:

“They pissed that away like they were midnight drunks karaoke-warbling that old Chumbawumba song: In 2021, they control approximately squat.”

“You Trumpish Republicans sneered that Joe Biden was too corrupt and too senescent to win a presidential campaign, that he was one part mafioso and one part turnip.  That turnip just kicked your dumb asses from Delaware to DC. So you rioted. Real smart move, Cletus.”

“‘Trust the plan,’ the QAnon cultists say. Is this what you were planning? I know you are stupid, but you are not that stupid.”

This piece speaks for a lot of conservatives who may not yet be willing to admit Trump’s folly, but you know are thinking it.  Such are the smoldering ruins of the Rein of Trump; with any luck, he’ll get banned from holding office again.  If that fails, certainly his civil and criminal liability will keep him too busy (or incarcerated) to keep him from running again.

And the pendulum swings.

Note: For those who may have trouble reading the Williamson piece on NR, here it is on Yahoo News.

Ted Cruz wore a Come and Take It mask to the Inauguration today of a man Cruz believes stole the election.

It’s true and the Houston Chronicle reported it.

The “Come and Take It” flag has become a symbol of defiance since then. Cruz previously used the “Come and Take It” imagery to push back against those encouraging limited Thanksgiving celebrations during the coronavirus pandemic.

Cruz wore the same mask on Jan. 6 when he voted to object to Arizona and Pennsylvania’s vote counts certifying the election of Biden.

He should have been arrested on the spot.

The Washington Post is reporting that the Army has lied for two weeks that Lt. General Charles Flynn, brother to disgraced and pardoned felon Mike Flynn was involved in the calls from Capitol Hill Police for help to repel the insurrection of Trump’s criminals who attempted to overthrow the government on January 6th.  The Pentagon has now confirmed that Flynn’s brother was indeed in on the calls, and he is now denying that he influenced the decision to delay National Guard response.  Sure.  That’s believable.

I saw with both my eyes Kevin McCarthy stand in the statuary hall of the Capitol and give a gift to President Biden, who he does not even recognize as the legitimate president.

That is gall.  McCarthy wanted the privileges of office. He lost that right when he said the election was fixed.