Only the Best People: President Trump has dumped his pick for Director of National Intelligence, blaming the press for besmirching Texas Congressman John Ratliffe. Trump tweeted, “Our great Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe is being treated very unfairly by the LameStream Media.”

  Ratliffe is far from the first Trump appointee who has failed to make the grade. The press found out that Ratliffe had exaggerated his credentials as a former federal prosecutor in East Texas, pumping up his experience putting terrorists in prison and shaping the George W. Bush counterterrorism policy.

  Reporters couldn’t find any record of Ratliffe prosecuting terrorists. Ratliffe was also found to have embellished his role in busting a poultry producer that employed illegal immigrants.

Choke Hold:A New York administrative law judge yesterday recommended the firing of the New York cop who infamously choked to death a man being arrested for illegally selling cigarettes on a New York Street. Eric Garner died as he was put in a choke hold by Off. Daniel Pantaleo. His dying words, “I can’t breathe,” became a rallying crying against unnecessary use of force by the police. 

  The New York police commissioner must now decide whether to fire Pantaleo, angering the cops, and pleasing Mayor Bill de Blasio, who ran for mayor on a platform of police reform and has been dogged by this case for five years.

Light Not Darkness:Of all the odd things going on in the early days of the 2020 presidential election, the New Age spiritualist Marianne Williamson, who has no chance, has captured the attention of the political commentators.

 NY Timescolumnist David Brooks writes that, “It is no accident that the Democratic candidate with the best grasp of this election is the one running a spiritual crusade, not an economic redistribution effort.”

 Citing Williamson’s words about President Trump in the last debate, Brooks says, “She is right about this: ‘We’ve never dealt with a figure like this in American history before. This man, our president, is not just a politician; he’s a phenomenon. And an insider political game will not be able to defeat it. … The only thing that will defeat him is if we have a phenomenon of equal force, and that phenomenon is a moral uprising of the American people.’”

 Brooks says Williamson embodies the values Democrats need to win; Unity, Honesty, Pluralism, Sympathy, and Opportunity.  He writes, “Trump has put himself on the wrong side of all these values. So Democrats, go ahead and promote your plans. But also lead an uprising of decency. There must be one Democrat who, in word and deed, can do that.”

  Right Now that’s Marianne Williamson, who couldn’t get elected dog catcher. 

The Roundup:American rapper A$AP Rocky has left Sweden on his private jet after spending a month in prison on assault charges. A judge ordered his release until a verdict expected Aug 14^th, but Sweden has probably seen that last of A$AP.— Contradicting the police version of events, a coroner ruled that the shooter who killed three people at the Gilroy, Calif. Garlic festival took his own life and was not killed by the cops. — Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló resigned as promised yesterday, stepping aside for veteran politician Pedro Pierluisi to be sworn in as his replacement. — A sandstone cliff collapsed at a popular surfing beach in Encinitas, Calif., killing three people.

International Bromance:In an attempt to charm North Korea’s rocket-launching dictator Kim Jong-un, President Trump tweeted that, “I may be wrong, but I believe that Chariman Kim has a great and beautiful vision for his country, and only the United States, with me as President, can make that vision come true.”

  So far Kim’s vision is limited by the lack of lights at night, but Trump said, “He will do the right thing because he is far too smart not to, and he does not want to disappoint his friend, President Trump!”

  In other news, Trump continued to trash Baltimore Congressman Elijah Cummings.

Moneyball:The Philadelphia Phillies furry green mascot “The Phillie Phanatic” has roused and entertained the team’s fans for 41 years. Now he’s declaring free-agency.

  The Phanatic was created by a design firm in 1978 that wants to re-negotiate its contract and the Phillies are suing to keep him. The Phillies say a 1984 agreement gave the team the rights to the mascot forever, which is funny, because the players won the right to free agency in 1975.

  The Phanatic’s creators want him paid well or freed to inspire fans for other teams. Since he’s silent, no one will know he has a Philadelphia accent. 

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