by Barry Hastings

Yes, by God, Donald Trump has done it — brought off the political coup of the 21^st century, which does everything but assure his election to the presidency in 2016. He’s secured the endorsement of the great Alaskan stateswoman (now relocated, divorced, and dealing with dysfunctional family matters in upstate New York), Sarah “Failin,” one of the two or three most ignorant people ever to secure a spot on a national political ballot.

I’m still flabbergasted by the enormity of his accomplishment. He says he may consider her for a cabinet post. Good Lord. I’m awestruck… speechless… stunned.

Of course you remember Sarah. Questioned about U.S.-Russian relations, she claimed to know something about the bears, “cause on a clear day, she could see Russia from the front porch of her (former) Alaska home.”

A week or so ago, her daughter (who’s given birth to two illegitimate children) told the media she’s, “not going to give-up her virginity any more (she’s not quite as well educated as Mom).” A very well brought up, and Alaska-educated girl – just like mom. (I imagine Sarah’s ex could tell some strange tales.)

On another Palin family matter, her son recently was arrested on a drunk, disorderly, and assault charge for beating up his girlfriend while carrying a concealed pistol.

I wish I could remember all the stupid twistings of American history she uttered, contributing to McCain’s demise in 2008. Incredibly ignorant, poorly educated and informed woman, with the screechiest voice I’ve ever heard. Her whole damn family’s gone rogue.

Of course, I hadn’t planned on writing about her — hoped I’d never see her or hear that irritating voice, again. But this sudden rush of Palin family news puts her right back at the center of the Republican political scene. Fundamentalist religious zealots in the GOP absolutely adore her.

One thing we can be sure of, she won’t take her family out on the campaign trail. Where she’s concerned, I’m prepared to let her bloopers speak for her (and the wisdom of that whole herd of political prostitutes).

Geez, I can’t get to what I wanted to write, but I must move on, as events have moved me to do.

The Horse’s Hindquarters, Governor Rickie Snyder (his voice almost as irritating as Failin’s), started “passin’ the buck” almost immediately after stealing Harry Truman’s famous line, “The buck stops here!” He (very slyly) blamed everyone but himself; the feds, his appointees, the mayor of Flint, his appointees, again, for a problem he fully understood for at least three months, and opted to let the poisoning continue while he searched (high and low) for a way around, not out of, the conundrum. (Try the truth, Rickie, and maybe a warning next time.)

His spoken words, however, repeated again, and again, were, “We need to do more,” and, “We need to do better” and, “I’m sorry,” and, even more tiresomely meaningless (to those poisoned), “I accept responsibility.” It was tiresome. But that’s the way nerdy people speak when they’re caught up in a FUBAR.

The man who caused the water problem in Flint, Rickie recently was appointed emergency manager to solve problems with Detroit schools. It wasn’t exactly a promotion, rather an attempt to get him out of the line of fire. Poor kids. Maybe he’ll divert some Flint River water to Detroit. (Hey! They’re not beyond trying it.)

God, I had to laugh at The Donald, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Jeb Brush all trying to cash in on Ronald Reagan’s (phony) tough guy reputation over the past week. Reagan was not a tough guy, but a twerp. Before he took office, but after he was elected, President Carter asked him to lend weight to a request they free the 52 hostages taken at the American Embassy in Tehran. Reagan gave him the cold shoulder, and refused, causing months more agony for hostages, and their families.

Not wanting to get involved with military action in such a shaky and unpredictable region, he let Carter sweat it out. The hostages were released almost immediately after RR was sworn into office.

But it didn’t take him long to get involved with Iran (illegally) – Iran/Contra/Iran-Gate (of Ollie North and Admiral Tom Poindexter fame). A congressional investigation reported later, “(Reagan) bore ultimate responsibility” for allowing, “a cabal of (anti-communist) zealots,” to seize control of his administration’s foreign policy.

Reagan persistently, and consistently, claimed to have, “no recall of events.” (A psychic told Nancy to have him say it.) Another congressional investigation, about the same time (1986-87), found his administration had illegally sold arms (including Hawk missiles) to Iran in 1985, and traded them for hostages held at the time in Lebanon by pro-Iranian militias, then used profits from those sales to arm right-wing Contra guerrillas in Nicaragua, breaking more than several U.S. laws in each process.

Funny thing here is, his administration was working overtime to stop arms sales to Iran by our allies. Maybe they were trying to monopolize the loot.

Then there’s the truck bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, with many associated deaths. It was followed within months (October ’83) by a similar bombing of a U.S. Marine Corps Barracks on the Beirut waterfront. Nearly two hundred fifty marines were killed there, and Reagan never took a step toward finding and killing, those responsible.

When it came to fighting, he preferred picking on the Great Powers, like Grenada, and Panama. (And he FUBAR’d each of those operations, as well — with help from our military, which was still shaky from the Vietnam years.)

So yeah, you can look at Reagan as a tough guy if you’d like (I ain’t gonna’ sue ya), but Ronald Reagan was all mouth, little action, except against those who had little, if any, ability to fight back; and who hadn’t done near as much harm to our nation and constitution as had Ronald, himself.

I know the righties don’t like this, but they shouldn’t run their mouths before they know the facts. I do. And RR’s creeping dementia is no excuse. It conveniently seemed to develop as he got deeper into trouble.