Res Ipsa Loquitur is a legal term meaning, “the thing speaks for itself.”  It’s a complicated legal principle but it basically means “I don’t need to offer any further proof because – ta da! – there it is.”

Our friend Alfredo over at the Dairy Queen just sent me a story about res spa loquitur happening right here in America. And it is perhaps the best written story of the year.

Donald Trump’s official “independent ethics advisor” is a guy named Bobby Butchfield.  Bobby’s wife Teresa, who is 53 years old, got caught earlier this year making the ooh la la in a parking lot with a 23 year old inmate at the county jail. It all sounds very tawdry until I tell you that they made those sparks in the backseat of her Maserati, which gives in an undeniable touch of class.

It seems that she would bring him cigarettes and he would bring her. That’s all – just bring her.

Yesterday, she enter a plea of  no contest to the charges and paid the $2,500 fine, which is about the same she spends for lunch.

And when it’s all said and done, the straying spouse pleads out of all the crimes and walks away with a fine that amounts to pocket change and the inmate who thought they would get something out of this deal returns to jail with nothing but a couple cigarettes and cougar scratches.

And then comes a piece of word smithing so very fine …

When this chapter of American history draws to a close, this is where the GOP will find itself. Staring at an empty house and broken reputations while Trump skips into the sunset having trashed the office they gifted him and the MAGA hats will go right back to living hardscrabble lives and wondering why they never got anything out of this deal but 5 or 6 fleeting moments of excitement as they served as blowup dolls for the old rich people on the other end.

And that’s the truth.

Thanks to Alfredo over at the Dairy Queen for making my day.

I never, ever, in 400 dog years believed that I could ever say anything resembling kinda-nice about Jeff Sessions.

But, Damn, the rightwing has disowned that boy.

Jerry Falwell, Jr. and Gary Bauer are calling for Trump to fire sessions.

Junior

Jerry Falwell Jr., a top conservative religious leader, said Monday he urged President Donald Trump to fire Jeff Sessions over his handling of investigations into Russian election meddling, saying the attorney general has lost evangelicals’ support.

Okay, so Jeff Sessions has done one honorable thing in his whole pathetic life and now I know it’s honorable because Jerry Falwell, Jr. wants Session’s butt for it.

I have decided that the rightwing defends Trump so vigorously because they believe he’s going to bring about Armageddon. They might be right about that.

James Inhofe, that screwy Trumpite in Oklahoma, is the guy who would let Trump shoot somebody on Main Street and claim the guy committed suicide.

Inhofe said that McCain was “partially to blame” for Trump acting like a real jerk over McCain’s funeral.

“Well, you know, frankly, I think that John McCain is partially to blame for that because he is very outspoken. He disagreed with the President in certain areas and wasn’t too courteous about it,” Inhofe said.

How dare anybody cross Donald Trump, especially people who are not here to answer back because those are the most fun to trash.

You know, even if we do get rid of Trump, we still have to deal with his supporters and, Honey, they are a crazy bunch.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott should be required to hang a For Sale sign around his neck.

Here’s what happened.  Lubbock is a town in west Texas best known as the home of Texas Tech University and the birthplace of Buddy Holly. They haven’t done much you could call distinguished since then.  Some big wig out in Lubbock by the name of George McMahon decided he’d attend a fancy fundraiser for Abbott and was so damn proud of it that he gave the teevee station an interview.

In the interview he burped up a state secret right there in front of God and Aunt Meryl.

He said – outloud, mind you – that he was going to give Greg Abbott $10,000 because …

“You make a large donation to the governor, and in turn you are eligible for appointment to the Board of Regents,” he told the ABC affiliate station, KAMC, referring to the Texas Tech University board.

That a secret in Texas unknown by people who cannot do math and think an abundance of coincidences is pretty much normal.  Which means Republicans.

The Governor’s office was indignant.

“What this individual suggested is not only false, but also illegal,” said Ciara Matthews, a spokeswoman for Abbott, in a prepared statement. “Because of the unfortunate comments, the donation was returned. This is not how the Governor does business.”

Hell yeah, it’s illegal and that’s exactly how the Governor does business.  Every  board member at Texas Tech has donated to Abbott’s campaign, sweetening his campaign war chest by $1 million.  And, of course, they are all male.

Remember George McMahon, the guy who openly tried to buy a Board of Regents position for $10,000?

“It’s not a bad thing,” McMahan said in an interview with the Chronicle. “It’s common knowledge that that’s the way it works.”

Abbott returned McMahan’s check and de-invited him to the fundraiser.

Probably because $10,000 wasn’t near enough.

Thanks to Beverly for the heads up.

Republican voter fraud?

The alleged signature forgeries continue to pile up in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, where paid campaign staffers for Rep. Scott Taylor (R-VA) have now been credibly accused of forging at least four dead voters’ signatures, and dozens of others’, on petitions to get an independent candidate on the ballot.

This is double dirty stuff because they did it to get an independent candidate on the ballot to take votes away from the Democrat.  So they played “Fool The Voters” and registering dead people makes that all the easier to win.  In short, they suck.

Lookie here, a Texas woman on probation voted before her supervised release for a felony and she got 5 years in prison for it.

Another woman, Maria Ortega, was a resident of Texas with a green card.  She thought the green card gave her the right to vote.  She got 8 years of hard time.

However, I do suspect that these Republican white boys will not be going to jail.  Because … you know …

Thanks to Sarah for the heads up.

If this doesn’t make you get out and work for a Democratic victory, you have no sense of justice and you are not my friend.

Congressional Republicans are getting ready for hell. Axios has obtained a spreadsheet that’s circulated through Republican circles on and off Capitol Hill — including at least one leadership office — that meticulously previews the investigations Democrats will likely launch if they flip the House.

Go to the link to see the list of investigations requested by Democrats and only stopped because of Republican control.

These demands would turn the Trump White House into a 24/7 legal defense operation.

Well, I kinda think it’s already that, but adding to it would be charming and delightful.