If you're surprised by the fact that Donald "Trump" Trump is now a leading contender for the GOP nomination for president, well then, clearly, you haven't been paying attention.
Trump is, without a doubt, the biggest, richest, fastest, classiest, most elegant star in the Republican universe.
When he speaks, he doesn't just speak for himself—he speaks for people like Sheriff Joe Arpaio; and for Rich Lowry*; and for Rep. Steve King; and for Monica Crowley; and for Sen. Ted Cruz.
Truth be told, Trump gives voice to what millions of Republican primary voters are thinking, but dare not say out loud (for fear of ending up in one of President
Obama's FEMA camps).
Now, I'm not a (self-certified) psychiatrist, man, but I sometimes play one on the internets.
In that capacity, let me say this: You do you, GOP.
Morning lineup:
Meet the Press: Sen.Ted Cruz (R-TX); Roundtable: Chris Cillizza (Washington Post), Kathleen Parker (Washington Post), Carolyn Ryan (New York Times) and Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele.
Face the Nation: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA); Roundtable: Ruth Marcus (Washington Post), Mike Allen (Politico), Peter Baker (New York Times) and Talk Show Host Fernando Espuelas.
This Week: Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R); Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR); Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD); Roundtable: Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), Anne Gearan (Washington Post) and Bill Kristol (Weekly Standard).
Fox News Sunday: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R); Kelly Shackelford (Liberty Institute); Evan Wolfson (Freedom to Marry); Roundtable: Brit Hume (Fox News), Jackie Kucinich (USA Today), George Will (Washington Post) and Juan Williams (Fox News).
State of the Union: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT); Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R).
Evening lineup:
60 Minutes will feature: a report on errors to the Social Security Administration's Death Master File which can result in fraudulent payments costing taxpayers billions (preview); a report on a controversial procedure that could stop the spread of dangerous genes that have stalked families for generations (preview); and, an interview with actor Steve Carell (preview).
On Comedy Central...
Jon Stewart took stock of the international backlash against Donald Trump. (07/02/15)
Note: The Daily Show will be airing reruns this week.
In other fighting words...
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) argued that gay marriage is offensive to the Civil War dead.
"Our president during the Civil War was, of course, Abraham Lincoln, who was known as the most biblical of presidents, somebody who quoted the Bible a lot," he said. "In the Civil War, some 600,000 people died in a country that was much less populated than that today. And it was a much more religious country and I think a lot of people who died fighting in that war felt they died fighting for a religious cause, you know, 'Battle Hymn of the Republic' and all that.
"I think it would shock those people who died in that war to find out the constitutional amendment which was ratified kind of as a culmination of their great efforts and their great deaths would be 150 years later, a little less than 150 years later, used by these five robed, arrogant, robed people to take this constitutional amendment and say that that constitutional amendment that was drafted after the Civil War was in fact an amendment designed to say that same-sex marriage had to be legal."
He added that the decision is "particularly offensive" given that the 14th Amendment was "drafted by a people who felt they had just engaged in a strong religious war to further a Christian lifestyle by getting rid of slavery."
Meanwhile...
Former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) voiced concern about what's coming next.
"We've already found a secret memo coming out of the Justice Department," DeLay claimed. "They're now going to go after 12 new perversions, things like bestiality, polygamy, having sex with little boys and making that legal. Not only that, but they have a whole list of strategies to go after the churches, the pastors, and any businesses that tries to assert their religious liberty. This is coming and it's coming like a tidal wave."
[Radio host Steve] Malzberg, who was predictably shocked by the news that Department of Justice was now going to seek to legalize things like pedophilia, asked DeLay to clarify that that was what he had just claimed and DeLay assured him that it was.
"That's correct," he said. "They're coming down with 12 new perversions. LGBT is only the beginning. They are going to start expanding it to the other perversions."
And, speaking of slippery slopes that lead to bestiality...
Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) urged President Obama to quit worrying about made-up problems like so-called "global warming," and start focusing on the real threat to life as we know it.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson wondered what Santorum would do to stop the institution of marriage from "collapsing" after Friday's Supreme Court ruling.
"The most important power that a president has — and obviously I'm running for president — the most important power the president has is the power of the bully pulpit," Santorum opined. "Can you imagine if instead of if the president spent all his time talking about global warming, if he talked about the importance of marriage and fathers and mothers taking responsibility for raising this children in healthy homes?"
"And actually promoting marriage," he continued. "And actually have programs that support the idea of marriage and togetherness in order to raise children."
"That, to me, is the most important thing we can do as a society, is begin to lift up marriage as an institution that's important for the survival of our country because too many children are falling through the cracks."
It gets wetter.
- Trix