Poker In The Service Of Freedom

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The Wall Street Journal dips into the bottomless well of presidential pastimes to discuss poker and its role in the defense of the West.  Harry Truman’s lifelong devotion to gambling is approvingly reviewed, with side discussion of Winston Churchill’s legendary alcohol consumption and failings at cards.

  Poker was played on the eve of Churchill’s storied Iron Curtain speech, allowing writer James McManus to wrap himself in ominous clouds of doom.

The Cold War was just weeks away. The ability to read who was bluffing and who wasn’t would be more important than ever.

 

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Ronald Reagan: Show And Tell

 


A Killer Tree, A Pony And A Welfare Queen Walk Into A Bar…
 

The delightfully named David Rambo taking his skills learned producing “CSI” to the crime scene that was the Ronald Reagan presidency.The packagers of  Harry Truman and Teddy Roosevet’s pissy endearment for the one man stage have turned their attentions to the beloved former president.

Reagan will supply the one-liners musty even in their day, and Rambo is to bring the sparkle.

Sadly, this meant the departure from the project of Hollywood right wing icon Lionel Chetwynd, who from the rather rough clay of George W. Bush’s 9-11  http://www.calgary911truth.org/my_weblog/images/2007/05/04/295_card_tells_bush20500817229210.jpg   response fashioned a heroic narrative. DC 9/11 - Time of Crisis  

The Bush Legacy: See You In Court!

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Fantasies of George W.Bush finally answering the numerous suits, inquiries and subpoenas pending against his administration after he leaves office received a cold shower Thursday from the New York Times, which reports a crackpot Harry Truman legal theory may have empowered presidents to tell Congress, the courts and polite society generally to screw off.

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Mr Plain Speaking was freshly out of power and interested in dodging congressional subpoenas, so his lawyers cooked up a theory giving presidents executive privilege even when no longer executiving.  Edward M. Cramer was a junior attorney on the scheme, and told the Times  “I think, legally, we were wrong.”

This Truman Doctrine returned in the 70s when Richard Nixon cited it as precedent to not answer questions about Watergate.

“Mr. Cramer recalled, “Nixon used it, and we said ‘Oh, Jesus, what have we done?’ ”

We can only imagine how far Bush will run with this notion. He has already played with the law on Presidential Archives, issuing an executive order which may delay document release into perpetuity.  Bush invented new rights for ex-presidents and their heirs to mess with the release of presidential papers, potentially giving crack head  Noelle Bush or legendary whore-hound Neil Bush say in the release of their father’s, uncle’s, grandfather’s or brother’s history.
Gettin’ ‘Er Done, Hope-Style!   obama-calm-down.jpg

Democrat’s appetite for the truth may fade with time. Barack Obama has already invited the opposition to whine about any under-rock peering, saying:

I would not want my first term consumed by what was perceived on the part of Republicans as a partisan witch hunt, because I think we’ve got too many problems we’ve got to solve.”

Our best hopes for justice, or at least messing with, may lie abroad.
No Time Like The Present!  european-vacation.JPG

George Bush famously barely traveled overseas, but others in his Administration traveled widely. Everything may change after January,  when mischievous foreign prosecutors may launch investigations and indictments of war crimes accusations against Bush and armies of lesser administration figures.

We’ve all enjoyed the spectacle of Henry Kissinger dodging investigators looking into his Chilean adventures.

Imagine the fun to be had next time Donald Rumsfeld visits the chocolate makers!

Margaret Truman: The Ghost Who Types

The Voice From Beyond  truman-flame.jpg

America’s most prolific dead presidential offspring/author has struck again.  Margaret Truman, Harry’s daughter, has checked in again with yet another Washington “mystery.”  Murder Inside The Beltway is perhaps the most insipidly titled of her, shall we say uninspired crap novels.

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Miss Truman “authored” a string of ‘em before her January death.  She’s entombed with her parents and husband at the Truman Library.

Sarah Palin’s Truman Show: The Trouble With Harry

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The McCain campaign practice of repeating lies even in the face of their refutation  has spread to their apologists.

Even after National Treasure Thomas Frank blew up Sarah Palin’s Truman-homage-via-quoting-a-nut-who-wanted-FDR-dead, The Weekly Standard claims that “”So far no one has picked up on the significance of Palin’s invocation of Harry Truman in her convention speech.”

It’s all about the rise of natural aristocrats.  Steven F. Hayward deploys a little Founder-Rama genuflection to Adams and Jefferson,  then honers Truman [and Palin, in this alternative universe]  by wheeling out one of the mustiest of nineties cliches:

Gettin’ It.

“Her reference was more than just a bridge to a heartland-versus-Beltway theme. Truman, recall, was the only president of the 20th century who was not a college graduate…In retrospect it is clear that Truman “got it.” He didn’t need any more “experience” to master the job.

Pass the corn.