President Trump’s inauguration speech

Trump’s inaugural address was dispiriting.

It sounded like one of his rally speeches. He is now the president of a nation of Republicans and Democrats. He has to work with the narrow majorities in the House and Senate. Rubbing their defeat in their faces is not presidential.

He should have been more statesman-like, such as thanking his predecessor, in preserving the dignity of the office and traditions.

The notion that we should send a mission to Mars is moronic. His insisting on “taking back” the Panama Canal wasn’t appropriate at all. And, the low point came when he seems to have accused his “enemies” of being complicit in the assassination attempt against him. 

At any rate, his critique against the status quo was stinging but also a bit disconcerting. 

It is staggering to recall that things like securing the border, deporting criminals, government policy that there are only two genders, and judging people on their merits rather than their race and gender would have been uncontentious, if not trite, in earlier times.

Some good policies were mentioned (such as free speech) and there’s something infectious in his sure-footed optimism about the future he intends to bring about. 

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A sad spectacle by the outgoing President Biden.

A last-minute wave of “preemptive” pardons issued by Biden to protect his family and some of Mr. Trump’s adversaries. These pardons are all part of partisan gamesmanship now. 

Both parties scrounging for “oligarch” money (which the Democrats got more of than Trump). And yet, strangely, Biden - having pardoned his son for crimes yet to be uncovered - plays a pallid parody of Eisenhower’s warning about the MIC.

History will likely be the best judge of these people.

The Fauci pardon, however, is especially bizarre. The evidence is overwhelming about Fauci’s role in funding the virus creation, lying about its origins, orchestrating a cover-up, lying to Congress (infamous Ron Paul exchanges), then pushing the lies about the efficacy of the vaccines to the public. What reason do Democrats have to “protect” him? He was working on behalf of the Republicans. So, why do Democrats need to protect Fauci from investigation by Republicans?