As I am sure you’ve heard by now, Robert Mueller has a triple digit IQ.

Trump pardoned Arpaio for one reason  – to send a hollering message that he is gonna pardon anyone indicted by Mueller.  Oops.

Mueller can fix that.

Mueller is teaming up with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. “One of the people familiar with progress on the case said both Mueller’s and Schneiderman’s teams have collected evidence on financial crimes, including potential money laundering,” he notes.

Trump can pardon anybody facing charges from Mueller, but not from Schneiderman. It is probably significant that Mueller is letting this fact be known to Trump’s inner circle. Trump’s biggest source of leverage over Mueller just disappeared.

Checkmate.

Arkema Group, one of the world’s largest chemical companies, warned us yesterday that their chemical plant, 30 miles from Houston, was likely to explode this morning because the plant has been without electricity since Sunday.  As a precaution, a one and half mile area around the plant was evacuated.

Early this morning the first in what is expected to be several explosions sent plumes of smoke in the air.

Brock Long, administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Thursday that evacuations are based on “plume modeling,” which is used to predict the geographic extent of a hazard area from an explosion.

“By all means, the plume is incredibly dangerous,” Long said of what’s occurring in Crosby.

However ….

Company officials said the smoke is believed to be a “nontoxic irritant,” authorities added.

This morning, the CEO of the company responded on tv — “Toxicity is a relative thing.”

No it is not.  Either it’s gonna hurt you or it ain’t.  And whether it hurts you or kills you ain’t even relative — it’s one of the other.

Remember when Texas decided it was not going to monitor chemical plants any longer because that was too heavy a burden on free enterprise?  So this right here is your Dan Patrick Memorial Toxic Plume.

Well howdy doody, I smiled first thing this morning.

California Senator Kamala Harris (D) announced during a town hall on Wednesday that she would support Sen. Bernie Sanders‘s (I-Vt.) “Medicare for All” bill, which would institute a single-payer health insurance system.

“I intend to co-sponsor the ‘Medicare for All’ bill because it’s just the right thing to do,” Harris announced Wednesday at a town hall in Oakland.

Indeed it is.  Maybe it’s just me, but I think it’s also the politically smart thing to do. It’s damn time that Democrats stood for something except election.

She will change the conversation and that’s a good thing.

So I was watching the electric teevee and on comes Ted Cruz to talk with Katy Tur, who has ten IQ points, a unwhiny voice, and real hair on him.

So Katy asks Ole Ted, “Why is it that you want aid for Texas now but you opposed aid for Sandy relief to New York?”  Ted smugged smiled and replied in that chastising voice he’s got, “Katy, now is not the time to play petty politics.”

Oh sure, but right after Hurricane Sandy was a great time to play petty politics.

When I was a little girl my Aunt Lillian used to tell me that if a crab pinched you, it wouldn’t let go until sundown. That’s not true but it’s enough to scare a little girl from putting her hand in the crab basket and tormenting the crabs. I’m just praying it is true for Katy Tur and she won’t let go ’til you can ice skate in hell.

If Ted Cruz accidentally cuts himself, he bleeds petty politics.  And there’s so much in him that if you sew him up, he’ll spring a leak somewhere else.

And it is true that while Trump didn’t see even an inch of water in the streets of Corpus, any destroyed property or see one person tragically impacted by this, Cruz dropped by the George R Brown shelter housing 10,000 people and shook a few hands before dashing out. I think he was hoping to leave some bumper stickers. (I just made that up but it’s probably true.)

Y’all, I hate this man.  I hate the way he treats his wife and children. I hate how when he prays, he puts his head down and used that time to figure out way to screw people. I hate how smart he thinks he is. I hate how he has no friends and enjoys being hated. I hate this tiny little boots he wears.

This morning we awoke exhausted, drained, and weary to the bluest sky I’ve ever seen, fluffy white clouds, a slight coolish breeze, and a big ball of fire in the sky.  There were moments to rejoice.  I had coffee on the front porch, thanking God for a short reprieve to recharge and fight again.  I would have had my coffee in the back yard but the swimming pool looks like we ought to throw up our hands and just stock it with catfish.

The second round starts today for Beaumont and small cities east.  That’s where Houston Petrochemical companies supply most of America with gasoline.  If you’re smart, you’ll fill up now.

My small town is still facing the rise of the Brazos River.  It’s such a long river that it takes days for the water to hit us before it pours into the Gulf of Mexico.  They really just have to get out their slide rulers and guess where all that water will end up because we have no idea what drainage ditches and tributaries are blocked with debris at this point.  The best guess is that the river will crest on Friday morning and that the oldest parts of the city, about a two mile area, will remain a literal island for 3 – 4 days. We won’t be able to get in or out except by boat. The upside is that we have a small hospital, a grocery store, more taco huts than Mexico City, a movie theater, and more good folks than jackasses.  The main downside is snakes, alligators, and fire ants seeking high ground.

Here’s what you can do to help.  A few of you have asked me where you could donate a little money where it would do the most good. I am donating to the AFL-CIO Texas Worker Relief Fund.  I know these guys.  John Patrick, the president of the TEXAS AFL-CIO  is a friend of mine and he’s meaner than ten acres of snakes. I know for damn fact that he will squeeze every penny you give him to do the most good. Click here to donate.

If I hear of any more in need, I will let you know.