TRUMP FIDDLES WHILE HEGSETH BURNS - 12.5.24

Dec 5, 2024

The discussion dives into Donald Trump's chaotic transition period, emphasizing his missteps that led to political turmoil. A surprising plea from Pete Hegseth’s mother adds a humorous touch to the criticism. There's a fascinating debate on whether Biden should pardon Hunter and others, highlighting political calculations. The talk shifts to baseball, contrasting Shohei Ohtani's impact with political reflections on democracy's fragility. The integrity of the sport is fiercely defended against proposed rule changes that prioritize profit over passion.

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ANECDOTE

Trump's Mishandling of Nominations

Trump's mishandling of the Matt Gaetz nomination highlighted his amateurish approach.
This foreshadowed similar issues with Pete Hegseth's potential nomination for Secretary of Defense.

ANECDOTE

Hegseth's Mother's Plea

Pete Hegseth's mother appeared on Fox News, pleading with Trump to support her son.
She refused to commit to testifying on his behalf in Senate confirmation hearings.

ANECDOTE

Hegseth's Drinking Allegations

Multiple sources at Fox News reported smelling alcohol on Hegseth and hearing him complain about hangovers.
This raised concerns about his suitability for the Secretary of Defense position.

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SEASON 3 EPISODE 76: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN

A-Block (1:44) SPECIAL COMMENT: I'd like to thank the one person doing the most to undermine and derail the Trump transition, and dissipate any momentum he might have.

Trump himself.

He learned nothing from Matt Gaetz and so Pete Hegseth spends another day "twisting slowly, slowly in the wind." We are now reduced to Hegseth's mother pleading directly on Fox to Trump - staring in the camera as she does so - to continue supporting her idiot child for Secretary of Defense. But when asked if she'll testify on his behalf to the Senate confirmation hearings she refused to commit to it.

Amazeballs.

What's relevant here is that among the big names mentioned as Plan B is yet another Republican congressman. If he gets the job rather than Hegseth or DeSantis or Ernst, the GOP will have a House margin of one (1) vote - which isn't a margin at all.

ALSO: I TOLD YOU SO. Sunday night I suggested not only should Biden pardon Hunter but that he should pardon everybody else he thinks of. Last night Politico reported they're talking about it, but that only the names Adam Schiff, Tony Fauci, and Liz Cheney came up.

And in case like me you thought Chris Cillizza and Chuck Todd were the same person, have I got a shock for you.

B-Block (33:43) SPECIAL COMMENT NO. 2 - I have been pondering when we started on the road to Trump - or at least when we discovered that what should be the final guardrail to protect American democracy, the President himself, wasn't a guardrail at all. I've settled on January 19, 2009 and read you what I wrote and said that night and even what sounds awfully like a prediction of the advent of Trump Brand Stupid Fascism.

C-Block (52:00) IN SPORTS: Have you heard about it? The worst sports idea of all-time? "The Golden At Bat" as proposed by Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred. It is a gimmick as stupid as if you stopped the 7th Game of the NBA Finals and had the title decided by a free-throw shooting contest. And it's supposed to "attract young people to the game" which is a euphemism for "we expect you fans to be intensely concerned with how much money we owners make."

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