Weighty Questions Being Weighed by National Enquirer

Seen at the supermarket
on August 11, 2016.

Why is Donald Trump's newspaper of record so obsessed this month with running fictional stories about the weight of the most prominent Democratic women?

Seen at the supermarket today, September 1, 2016.

There is no way that Michelle Obama has gained 95 pounds this year or that Hillary Clinton has gained 103 pounds, no matter how skilled the Enquirer's Photoshop magicians may be. Could this have anything to do with Donald Trump's own health, or questions about his official sub-200-lb weight?

The nation's favorite checkout-counter reading endorsed Donald Trump in March, and he returned the favor in July.

"I've always said, Why didn't the National Enquirer get the Pulitzer Prize for Edwards, and O.J. Simpson, and all of these things?" -- Donald J. Trump, July 22, 2016

UPDATE 7/19/2022: My original video link from 2016 has gone black, so here's another link from Mediaite with Trump's praise of the Enquirer: https://www.mediaite.com/online/donald-trump-wonders-out-loud-why-didnt-the-national-enquirer-get-the-pulitzer-prize/

President Obama's Endorsement of Hillary Clinton. (Four More Years. Four More Years.)

It's time to show the world our resounding repudiation of the ugly trumpism that has defined 2016's campaign so far. That should be easier with Barack Obama on the campaign trail for Hillary.

I'm With Her

I was almost ready to type this headline last week after Hillary Clinton won in New York (despite my enthusiastic vote for Bernie Sanders), but with her wins tonight in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, my first choice for president in 2016 does not have a path to the nomination, despite taking Rhode Island tonight (and keeping Connecticut close as I write this). It's also clear that Donald Trump, after easily sweeping all five Republican primaries tonight, will be the GOP nominee. Beating someone as dangerously xenophobic, egotistic, bombastic, and simplistic as Donald Trump is too important this year. And Hillary Clinton's supporters lined up behind my first choice Barack Obama in 2008, so it's time for me to return the favor.

I've been a vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders on this blog and at @TrueBlueLiberal on Twitter since he announced his candidacy last May; I changed my registration to Democrat immediately, and contributed to his campaign, and voted for him in New York last Tuesday, but now I'm With Her until November.

Time for Neil Young to Write a Cease and Desist Letter

I've asked this before about Paul Ryan and RATM and Chris Christie and Springsteen, but don't Republicans realize that songs have lyrics?

In the middle of this morning's meandering speech at Trump Tower, Donald Trump finished the sentence "I am officially running for President of the United States and we are going to make our country great again" and immediately looked up toward someone in the ceiling and gestured for music. The recognizable guitar riff from Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" played for a few seconds before the Donald went back to scapegoating Mexico, Mexicans, and Obamacare.

We got a thousand points of light

For the homeless man

We got a kinder, gentler,

Machine gun hand

We got department stores

and toilet paper

Got styrofoam boxes

for the ozone layer

Got a man of the people,

says keep hope alive

Got fuel to burn,

got roads to drive.

Keep on rockin' in the free world...

Does he know the song has words other than those in the chorus? These kinds of misunderstandings have a long GOP history going back at least as far as Reagan praising Springsteen's "Born in the USA," but maybe Trump really is as smart as he thinks he is; maybe he is using Neil's lyrics to indirectly attack yesterday's new candidate, Jeb!, by going after his father's kinder and gentler thousand points of light?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE @ 8pm EDT: Not only has Neil Young's manager Elliot Roberts confirmed that The Donald didn't have permission to misuse Neil's anthem this morning, but that Neil Young has endorsed the anti-Trump, Bernie Sanders.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's the moment he points at the unseen minion in the ceiling to play Neil's riff: