by Barry Hastings

It does my heart good to see South Carolina’s “military expert” and racist U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham facing ignominious withdrawal from the GOP primacy races. I could have told him several years ago, “No one is going to trust your claims to be a ‘military expert’ any quicker than they’ll believe you’re a man to handle race relations in an equitable manner.”

Fair play forces kicked their butts over the issue a century and a half ago, and we ain’t goin’ backward — today, tomorrow, next year – ever. In both GOP primary polling, and against Dems, this phony is as close to zero as one can get without being there. I see little chance for change in his future. What a way to exit — with Donald Frump using you to mop the floors.

And what cowards the whole balance of the GOP has proven to be before attacks on constitutional rights of Hispanics, by this loud-mouthed ignoramus. Four years ago, Trump called Mitt Romney’s “self-deportation” program for illegal immigrants, “Maniacal, and mean-spirited.” My guess is (like most Republicans I see and hear) he’s never read the Constitution, and doesn’t really care what it says. Just about any Republican you want to speak with will tell you God dominates every page of the document, when in fact, the word “God” (capitalized or not) never appears at all in its articles and sub-sections.

Religion, as a subject for regulation by government, appears but twice, and both times in a negative sense — “There shall be No State Religion,” and “There Shall be No Religious Test to Hold Public Office.” Period. Class dismissed.

May I suggest some enterprising reporter ask the Donald about his personal religious views. I’ll bet the ensuing stir would be as big (and unattractive) a stew as their slew of pathetic presidential candidates.

When it comes to morality — where money is concerned – Donald will pass, thank you. Women? How many ex-wives will religious nuts in the GOP tolerate? The ignorant rednecks supporting Trump at the moment appear willing to accept at least a few. Scott, Bobby, Marco, and the rest of that peripatetic crowd are run, run, running, going no place. (I wouldn’t count on Trump to be around at the end, though, unless it’s as a third party candidate. If Republicans gang up on him, it might happen. Third parties don’t fare well here, generally speaking)

You know, it might seem that Hillary has dug herself a deep hole with her private e-mail server, but, in truth, who can blame her, given the proven (a case a week for what seems a long time) insecurity of computer systems across government, both federal and in the states, in all fields of endeavor.

In recent weeks, for example, systems in Defense, Intelligence, State, Homeland (in)Security, Social Security, and other government divisions and departments, have been entered, and looted, by Russians, Chinese, North Koreans, at least one terror organization, and a million petty and gross thieves, probably more. I think it was probably a wise move on her part. And remember, where intel is concerned, our intel and security organizations are as big a threat to us, as theirs.

Very sad news from the South last week, Wednesday through Saturday, regarding President Jimmie Carter’s health and likely future. He is a remarkable man, an outstanding example of a real Christian gentleman, who served the nation from the day he entered the Naval Academy, to the moment he told us of his last burden, last week. He’s many times been named the most respected American by peoples of nearly every ethnicity. He worked hard all the time, all his life.

In 1980, he proclaimed what was, and is, the Carter Doctrine. It is the first declaration of the Persian Gulf region being a vital U.S. interest. He announced it it response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (silly asses), and to serious unrest in, where else, Iran (our spooks were always screwing around there and basically are at the root of our whole problem with Iran). From way back in the day. . .

The best the Army, and Air Force could put together, failed the President, and the nation, badly, during the operation to rescue more than 50 hostages eventually held for more than a year. (The new President-elect, Ronald Reagan, refused to lend weight to Carter’s attempts to free the hostages through negotiation.) The hostages were then in a very bad position. Iranian Ayatollahs and what-nots, knew a rescue attempt had been made, and further action would probably have meant immediate execution.

It was a sorry time, following on another sorry time (VN), and the country that had spent the national treasure and half-a-million GI’s to save the world hadn’t had a really carefree moment since the “Good War” ended.

I’d like to get into — for a bit — how that hostage rescue mission failed, and why, which seems to me to be …  Karma. Later, that.

I really admire President Carter. He faced tough challenges, protected and defended the nation, and is dying a much admired man, around the globe. He very much deserves emulation.