The Weekend That Was: Linick and Amash Are Out and Raving Lunatics Are Guaranteed Guns in Oklahoma

It should have come as no surprise Friday when Don Trump sacked State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. After all, in the prior five plus weeks America's El Supremo had fired three other IG's for various reasons, the most prominent of which is they were actually doing their jobs.

According to initial reports Linick was canned because he was looking into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's habit of having staffers, whose salaries are paid by the taxpayer's, doing valet type work. These tasks included walking the Secretary's dog, Sherman. Sherman it seems is a bit of a celebrity on Instagram because Pompeo likes to posts photos of him doing things like watching TV and enjoying his birthday party. Last year, Linick is said to have also investigated Pompeo for having aides pick up ol' Sherm from the groomer and booking restaurant reservations for the family.

If all that sounds to you a tad nit picky of Mr. Linick and quite an over reaction even for a Trump wannabe like Pompeo I'd be forced to agree. However, today, both CBS and CNN are reporting there is more to it than tax payer funded dog walking. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-NY is saying the Department of State IG was fired because he was looking into Pompeo's, "decision to fast-track an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia."

Last year Trump had declared an emergency in order to cut congress out of the loop when it came to arms sales to the Saudis citing the second biggest bugaboo of this administration, Iran. At the time congress, still outraged at the brutal killing of journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, wasn't in the mood to sell anything to, "The Kingdom," much less arms.

Now, Pompeo, who recommended, Linick be fired, and Trump have removed the only person in the government who was keeping an eye on the deal. All of which fits perfectly with the Trump adage, "When it comes to doing business, there is no such thing as good oversight."

In other news, on Saturday, Congressman Justin Amash, I-MI, tweeted, "After much reflection, I've concluded that circumstances don't lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate." Amash also cited the Coronavirus plague and a shrinking economy as influencing his decision.

What he didn't say is evey poll showed him at around 5%. One doesn't win the White House with that sort of number. However, it could be just enough to throw the election Don Trump's way--guaranteeing Amash's next and only appointment in the House would be to the subcommittee researching the energy potential of Dung Beetle flatulence. Indeed, sometimes, as hard as it is to believe these days, reality does overcome ego.

Finally this weekend, in a local note, Oklahoma Governor, Kevin Stitt signed into law Senate Bill 1081. The act's sponsors, republicans, Nathan Dahm and Jay Steagall proudly described their new statute as the first, "anti-red flag," law in the nation.

Oklahoma City's daily paper, The Oklahoman described the bill this way. "It prohibits Oklahoma cities and towns from enacting any policy that would allow a court, or other entity to restrict gun access to people deemed to be an imminent danger."

Yeah, you read that right. As of today in Oklahoma any drooling lunatic who hears Sam's dog talking, sees Lizard People spying on him, and has made violent threats cannot be legally stopped from buying, or possessing a firearm.

The Oklahoman reports more than a dozen states currently have, "red flag," laws preventing such insanity. Steagall claimed each and every one of those laws--you guessed it--"violates the second amendment and the right to due process."

And yes, ladies and gentlemen, thanks mostly to that pristine logic, the bar is most certainly open.



5-18-20