Recent Comments

1. 27 days ago on Non Sequitur

   Harris IS a presidential-quality candidate!! First, she meets the Constitutional requirements of being age 35 or older, a natural-born citizen and a resident of the US for 14 years. That is all that is technically required. Under these conditions, the country could elect the village idiot if they wanted. And in 2016, the country did elect one, to the detriment of our country. Trump shows his aging problems and possible dementia daily.

   Second, people expect certain things in a candidate, none of which are required. And so, e.g., a proper college education is generally seen as sine qua non. Harris is more than qualified because she holds both undergraduate and law school degrees, while Trump holds only an undergraduate degree.

   Third, people expect appropriate experience. That usually means governmental experience. Again, Harris exceeds Trump’s experience and qualifications, since she has successfully held office at the local, state and federal levels, as DA, Attorney General, US Senator and Vice President. She has had to make decisions, big and small in each of those positions and she has admirably fulfilled her constitutional role as VP, presiding over the Senate and casting a record number of deciding votes, as well as supporting the president in her role as president-in-waiting. Consider the fact that Trump was elected with no governmental experience other than dealing with legal authorities by being sued for fraud and declaring bankruptcies for his failed businesses (really, how do you fail at running a casino,among others). And yet, Americans came to believe business experience translates to governmental experience. IT DOES NOT, in and of itself.

   Finally, in normal times people expected candidates to be of upright moral character. Harris clearly meets this expectation. Unlike Trump, she is not a convicted felon, she is not a vulgarian, she is dignified and will make a great examplar to the world of all that is good about the people of the USA.

2. 28 days ago on B.C.

   Lest you forget: Hillary Clinton conceded defeat Wednesday morning, the day after the election. This is part of her speech:

   “Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans. This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for and I’m sorry that we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country.

   “But I feel pride and gratitude for this wonderful campaign that we built together, this vast, diverse, creative, unruly, energized campaign. You represent the best of America and being your candidate has been one of the greatest honors of my

   “I know how disappointed you feel because I feel it too, and so do tens of millions of Americans who invested their hopes and dreams in this effort. This is painful and it will be for a long time, but I want you to remember this. Our campaign was never about one person or even one election, it was about the country we love and about building an America that’s hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted.

   “We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.

   “Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power and we don’t just respect that, we cherish it. It also enshrines other things; the rule of law, the principle that we are all equal in rights and dignity, freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values too and we must defend them…”

   I have scoured the internet for Trump’s 2020 gracious concession speech, but alas I can’t find it anywhere. Nor can I find any video of Clinton supporters storming the capitol to overturn the results of the election. But I did find video of Trump’s supporters doing that in 2021.

3. about 1 month ago on Luann

   Just went to the solution to verify the clues.

4. about 1 month ago on Doonesbury

   It was absolutely NOT best for the country! It circumvented the normal process of criminal procedure, did not allow for an affirmation of the rule of law and set the stage for the situation we are currently in, where we have a supreme court of conservative ideologues granting what will eventually be seen as carte blanche for the president to do as he/she pleases with no constraints, Robert’s written opinion to the contrary notwithstanding. Further, back in that day with less polarization and a Republican Party that still believed in the rule of law, the political culture would have tolerated the following of normal criminal procedure, after which the then current president, be it Ford or Carter, could have issued the pardon. That might have set a better precedent, although I personally would have opposed a pardon until Nixon did some time behind bars.

   I was on my way home with a friend from Church in VA when I heard that announcement on the car radio. I immediately remarked what a mistake that was; I was probably thinking politically, which it was, but further reflection made me realize what a mistake it was for the country to have once president treat another as “special.”

5. about 1 month ago on Doonesbury

   His huge brain tells him so.

6. about 1 month ago on B.C.

   Lest you forget, I think you should look it up. Gore did challenge the results, but after the Supreme Court decision, Al Gore did not call his supporters to Washington to challenge the electoral ballot count. He actually addressed the nation, saying, "Just moments ago, I spoke with George W. Bush and congratulated him on becoming the 43rd president of the United States — and I promised him that I wouldn’t call him back this time.

   “I offered to meet with him as soon as possible so that we can start to heal the divisions of the campaign and the contest through which we just passed…

   “I say to President-elect Bush that what remains of partisan rancor must now be put aside, and may God bless his stewardship of this country.

   “Neither he nor I anticipated this long and difficult road.Certainly neither of us wanted it to happen. Yet it came, and now it has ended, resolved, as it must be resolved, through the honored institutions of our democracy….

   “Now the U.S. Supreme Court has spoken. Let there be no doubt,while I strongly disagree with the court’s decision, I accept it. I accept the finality of this outcome which will be ratified next Monday in the Electoral College. And tonight, for the sake of our unity of the people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession.

   I also accept my responsibility, which I will discharge unconditionally, to honor the new president elect and do everything possible to help him bring Americans together in fulfillment of the great vision that our Declaration of Independence defines and that our Constitution affirms and defends…"

   I’ve scoured the internet for Trump’s gracious concession speech and it is nowhere to be found.

7. about 1 month ago on B.C.

   Well, I truly believe Harris is the better candidate and will make a better president than the orange felon. I truly believed that Biden was the better candidate and his accomplishments have borne out my belief. I believed that H Clinton was the better candidate and would have made a better president, and Trump’s 4 years in office culminating with his insurrection-leading performance on Jan 6 have again proven my judgment correct. I have never considered voting for the least bad candidate.

8. about 1 month ago on Non Sequitur

   The ubiquitousness of the use of pumpkin has reached new Asian cuisine: a sign at an Asian restaurant in Germany advertised pumpkin (kurbis in German) curry.

9. 2 months ago on Doonesbury

   This was as good a prophecy as ever was to explain the current Republican Party.

10. 2 months ago on Doonesbury

    No, even WW II victor and Prez Ike is not buried there: his grave is in Abilene, KS, I believe.