BloggeRhythms

Camille Paglia is the University Professor of Humanities and Media Studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Today, @salon.com, she begins her column by writing: “It’s zombie time at campaign Hillary. Behold the dead men walking!”

Then, farther along in the text, she refers to an occasion back in 2003 which she feels comparative to the current popularity of Trump, as follows:  

“Last weekend, while plowing through my old files for an upcoming book project for Pantheon, I found a written interview I gave in October 2003 to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, which had asked me about allegations of misogyny against the newly elected governor of California. Here is an excerpt from my statement:

“I am still amazed at the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger to governor—a man who has never held political office and who participated in only one serious debate. It is a disturbing sign in any nation when politics have become so inefficient and corrupt that the people turn to an outsider as ‘strong man’ for leadership. This is how fascism is born. Because it is Schwarzenegger’s machismo—represented on a superhuman scale in his films—that California voters want to attack the entrenched special interests in Sacramento, his behavior toward women was irrelevant. Or rather, his behavior actually reinforced his virile image as a forceful personality who pushes through barriers.”

“How eerily history seems to be repeating itself! But this time it is the fate of the entire nation that hangs in the balance. Trump is a stormily dynamic change-maker who will surely win this election unless the Democrats get their house in order and nominate a figure of honor and integrity. Bernie Sanders, who represents the wave of the future, is my first choice, but Joe Biden, with his international experience, would be a solid second. If the kamikaze party wants to nominate an ethically challenged incompetent like Hillary Clinton, then I’ll be voting Green for the second time. Go, Jill Stein!” 

While Ms Paglia’s frustration is unequivocally understandable, her voting strategy certainly isn’t. Because if she feels so strongly against Bill Clinton’s wife, voting for a third party candidate with no chance of election whatsoever is the same as not voting at all. Which would help to virtually assure Clinton’s wife a win.   

And now, a quick note on the weather, coming one day after the POTUS’s warning about warm weather related increases in hurricane activity due to global warming, which he calls “climate change.”

Kelly Gilblom @bloomberg.com, today addresses weather in Britain, yet nonetheless “global warming” is the issue.

Ms Gilblom writes: “The only evidence it’s summer in Britain is the calendar.

“The U.K. is as chilly as it was in parts of December, pushing the price of the nation’s main fuel for heating to the highest level in six months. Temperatures in the U.K. are forecast at 13.3 Celsius (56 Fahrenheit) for Thursday, colder than what it was six days before Christmas last year, according to The Weather Co.” 

Thus, while the POTUS’s current status is often referred to as ”lame,” perhaps the following word should be changed from “duck” to “brain.” 

Next, Jim Hoft @thegatewaypundit.com, titled his short article about a video: “Wow! Obama Tries to Trash Donald Trump and Turns into a Stuttering Mess”

Mr. Hoft then writes: “Poor Barack. He wanted to sound more powerful. He really did!

“The lame duck president went to Indiana today to hold a rally and trash-talk Donald Trump.
 

”Unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned.
 

”He turned into a stuttering mess.

“Barack Obama: If we turn against each other based on division of race or religion. If-if-if-if-if-if-if-if-if-if-if we fall for, you know, a bunch of okie-doke, just because, you know it-it-it. You know, it-it-it-it-it-it sounds funny or the tweets are provocative.

“Someone really needs to check that Teleprompter.” 

And that seems to confirm one of Trump’s most significant qualities. The ability to make others sound as unprepared and foolish as he does. Except, however, one expects that from Trump but not the others. 

Bringing us to today’s update on Bill Clinton’s wife. 

This morning, Judge Andrew P. Napolitano @foxnews.com, who lately seems fixated on seeing Bill’s wife in handcuffs, explains the newly released IG report from a legal standpoint.   

The judge begins: “The inspector general’s report is damning to Clinton. It refutes every defense she has offered to the allegation that she mishandled state secrets. It revealed an email that hadn't been publicly made known showing Clinton’s state of mind. And it paints a picture of a self-isolated secretary of state stubbornly refusing to comply with federal law for venal reasons; she simply did not want to be held accountable for her official behavior. 

“The report also makes clear that had she sought permission to use her own server as the instrument through which all of her email traffic passed, such a request would have been flatly denied. 

“In addition, the report rejects her argument -- already debunked by the director of the FBI -- that the FBI is merely conducting a security review of the State Department’s email storage and usage policies rather than a criminal investigation of her. The FBI does not conduct security reviews. The inspector general does. This report is the result of that review, and Clinton flunked it, as it reveals that she refused to comply with the same State Department storage and transparency regulations she was enforcing against others.” 

From there, the judge goes on to detail what is now new to the public: “When her private server was down and her BlackBerry immobilized for days at a time, she refused to use a government-issued BlackBerry because of her fear of the Freedom of Information Act. She preferred to go dark, or back to the 19th-century technology of having documents read aloud to her. 

“This report continues the cascade of legal misery that has befallen her in the past eight months. The State Department she once headed has rejected all of her arguments. Two federal judges have ordered her aides to testify about a conspiracy in her office to evade federal laws. She now awaits an interrogation by impatient FBI agents, which will take place soon after the New Jersey and California primaries next week. Her legal status can only be described as grave or worse than grave.” 

In conclusion, the judge delivers additional evidence of what he considers inexcusable, punishable behavior on Bill’s wife’s part: “If you are curious as to why the inspector general of the State Department during Clinton's years as secretary did not discover all of Clinton’s lawbreaking while she was doing it, the answer will alarm but probably not surprise you. 

“There was no inspector general at the State Department during Clinton’s tenure as secretary -- a state of affairs unique in modern history; and she knew that. How much more knowledge of her manipulations will the Justice Department tolerate before enforcing the law?” 

Thus, another piece in the puzzle seems to be falling into place. Because, alongside the State Department’s rejection of Bill’s wife’s arguments, there are now two aides suspected of conspiracy, while her computer expert,  Bryan Pagliano, plans to invoke his 5th Amendment rights against possible self-incrimination while testifying before Judicial Watch. All of which appear to confirm Judge Napolitano’s certainty that criminal charges will soon be levied. 

Leading again to the continuing question: Joe Biden, Mayor Bloomberg, Jerry Brown, and Starbuck’s chairman and CEO, Howard Schultz, are you guys reading this?     

That’s it for today folks.     

Adios