REPUBLICANS KICK THEMSELVES

I fear we may be seeing the disintegration of a great political party. The Republican Party. Though a Democrat, I respect and see the need for an opposition party. It keeps everything in balance.

The sub-committee hearing of Hillary Clinton yesterday was a disgrace. I could say Hillary blew them out. The more accurate observation is the Republicans blew it. Beat themselves. A scary thing is the Republicans think they were doing the right thing. They delude themselves. This group would have voted to burn Joan of Arc at the stake.

A few nuts on the Republican side. Gowdy the chairman, or whatever his name is, was nothing more than a side show. He gives the impression he is doing God’s work. Several commentators said what a great prosecutor he must have been in his other life. No way. He would have been a piece of cake for defense counsel.

Jim Jordan impressed me as the outstanding mental case. He is Chairman of Freedom Cause, the group that is screwing things up in the House of Representatives. He is the #1 obstacle person in Congress.

Let me share some additional thoughts by Mike Lofgren. I quoted him also yesterday. A retired 28 year Republican Congressional staff person. He said, “…..the Republican Party is becoming less and less like a traditional political party in a representative democracy and becoming more like an apocalyptic cult.” Also, “By sabotaging the reputation of an institution of government, the party that is programmatically against government would come out the relative winner.”

The Hillary hearing took 11 hours, including breaks. I watched all of it, except for 1 1/2 hours. The political junkie in me ate it up.

I called David in the afternoon. We had bocce last night. Told David I would not be there. I wanted to watch the hearing till it’s bloody end.

I have received the bocce results. We lost 2 games last night, won only 1. We are on a downslide the past three weeks. The number one spot is no longer possible. We may end up fighting to make the playoffs.

I forgot Fantasy Fest starts today. I thought it was next week. Lori reminded me as she was cutting my hair yesterday. Tonight, Goombay. With Don and friends. It has become a tradition. We will meet at 801, do Goombay and end up at Blue Heaven.

I will be on the radio at 12:10 on the KONK New Hour. 104.9. Guy deBoer will interview me about this week’s KONK column Lincoln The Man. Ten to fifteen minutes.

Enjoy your day!

 

WE WON!

I called it wrong. I was sure we were going to lose last night. We did not. God was good! We won 2 out of 3 games. Against the #1 team for most of the past 10 years.

I am glad I was wrong. Me of little faith!

We lost the first game. We were down 11-3. Came back. Lost by one point 16-15. The next two we won. By two or 3 points each game.

It took forever to play. We were the last to finish. Everyone was done and had gone home. It was a point at a time. Both sides grinding it out.

My day began with a haircut yesterday. Lori has been cutting my hair for 15 years. We have become friends.

Then it was Cuban Coffee Queen for lunch. I had 1 1/2 hours to kill before a manicure appointment. The time was some of the best I have spent recently.

Bob Dennard came up to me and said…..You’re Key West Lou! After acknowledging my existence, Bob said he was in Key West for a few days and had been looking for me. The Chart Room evenings and the Cuban Coffee Queen at lunch time.

We finally met! Bob, one great  guy!

We could have talked all afternoon, but I had to get to Tammy’s for my manicure.

Bob presently from Fort Walton Beach. Started off in California. A career service man now retired. Widowed. Sixty four.

He has written five books. I was impressed! Two historical in hard back covers. The other three involving cruising. One of the cruise books centers in southeast Asia where Bob was stationed.

He writes a blog. kokoman.com. Not every day. Once a week, once a month. Whenever the mood strikes.

In addition to searching me out, Bob is researching to write a book about the Chart Room. I shared with him whatever I knew.

No question, we are going to meet again. Hopefully over the weekend.

Got to Tammy’s just in time. I keep repeating. She and husband Ricky personify the American dream. Tammy was born in Vietnam. Ricky in the U.S. Both work 6-7 days a week, 8 in the morning till 8-9 in the evening. No complaints. Expect nothing from anyone. Do for themselves.

Overseas Market is being remodeled. Cosmetically. New trees, new signs, things of that nature.

I remember when the site of Overseas Market was nothing but  a large empty field. The shopping center was built in 1992. I started coming to Key West in 1989. Those early years, there was no Overseas Market.

I recall an update some years later. The whole shopping center was repainted. My recollection is the original color was some shade of pink. The new color yellow.

Time moves on.

This week’s KONK Life column Private Prisons was linked this morning to my Key West Lou website. keywestlou.com.

I have been critical of the judicial system in recent years. I feel a special entitlement as I spent my life as a lawyer. My faith in the system has been restored a bit by two very recent decisions. The Tom Brady one and the Kentucky clerk Kim Davis who refused to marry same sex couples. Both decisions correct based on the issues involved. Right on. Additionally, both courts went no further than required.

I am sick of hearing Trump and further sick of hearing about Hillary’s e-mails. Neither speak to the issues. We are not being told where each stands. I blame the media. We are not being educated as to their respective positions.

College football! Syracuse plays Rhode Island tonight.

How the mighty fall! Syracuse has not fielded a good football team in way too many years. We would never have scheduled a Rhode Island in days of old.

Further discouraging is that in the friday spreads in the newspaper, the Syracuse/Rhode Island game is not even mentioned.

Whatever, go Orange! Loyalty never diminishes.

Enjoy your day!