The Daily Dose/February 7, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience…
USA! USA! This whole impeachment process was a mess. First off, had they really wanted to, the House probably could have come up with several, perhaps many, more articles of impeachment against President Trump. They weren’t interested in that, though, probably because they knew there was little chance of Trump being convicted and they were content merely to get his impeachment into the historical record. The country was fairly well served by their efforts, but hardly completely well served.
USA! USA! II: The US Senate, however, served no one and nothing – except the Republican Party, of course – well with their conduct. They should be ashamed of themselves for the sham of the trial they conducted.
Fly In The Ointment: Now, to be fair, the trial was theirs to handle as they saw fit. Heck, they could have dismissed the articles on the first day and no one could have said boo. It probably would have been better than the sham they offered us.
Dry, Technical Matter: You look up trial in some dictionaries and the definition offered is “an examination of evidence” which, of course, did not happen here. The Senate only allowed statements by both sides, which is not a trial but merely a hearing. The Senate was derelict in their duties because the Constitution specifies a trial and not a hearing.
Get Out Your History Books: Misfit impeachment proceedings are the norm in America, though, and it’s probably difficult to expect otherwise. By definition, impeachment is a partisan process and the other two presidential impeachments were hardly models for law school textbooks, either. Andrew Johnson was impeached and tried for having the nerve to fire a cabinet member, a violation of the Tenure of Office Act, a measure that the Radical Republicans in Congress had approved over Johnson’s veto and an act that would later be repealed and later deemed invalid by the Supreme Court while considering a similar measure.
Oh Yeah: And we recall thinking Bill Clinton’s transgressions didn’t really warrant impeachment and trial, either.
Get Your Official Daily Dose Policy Right Here: President Trump, in what has to be the Upset of the Year, said it best, calling the proceedings:
The most unfair trial in the history of the US Congress.
He’s right, the first truthful thing he’s said since he took office. It was unfair, to our country and to the history books. We deserved better.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow moves some snow. Today’s Diary.
Then I noticed the carport had over three feet of snow on it…I looked inside the carport and the roof was sagging however it’s always sagging, even in the summer and, tragically, there isn’t a baseline sag figure to reference so I couldn’t tell if this was normal sagging or if collapse was imminent…So I got the roof snow removing implement out…
Click here to get in on the laffs: Sparrow, The Bottom Ten, the funniest books you’ve ever read. We offer 4Ever and Ever access, or cheapskates can purchase books and columns individually.
On This Date
Great moments in us.
In 1991 – 10 Downing Street, the residence of the British prime minister, comes under mortar attack from elements of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during a meeting of Prime Minister John Major and his cabinet. The mortars were fired from a van 200 yards away, with one landing in the backyard and two others missing entirely and landing in a nearby grassy area. Four people, none of them Major or members of his cabinet, were injured.
In 1976 – Darryl Sittler of the Toronto Maple Leafs establishes a new NHL record for most points in a game, accounting for ten in an 11-4 win over the Boston Bruins. Sittler had six goals and four assists and broke the record of eight points in a game that had been done many times. Sittler had two assists in the first period, three goals and and two assists in the second period and three goals in the third period. The record still stands.
In 1970 – Shocking Blue is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for their only week with Venus. The song went to #1 in eight other countries, including Spain and Belgium, peaked at #8 in Great Britain and remains the group’s only Top 40 hit. In 1986 Bananarama took the song to #1, making Venus the fourth song in Hot 100 history to go to #1 for different artists. The feat has since been accomplished five other times.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only. Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul. – Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
The Righteous Brothers’ last Top 40 hits were two versions of Unchained Melody, one a re-issue of the original and the other a new recording. Both made the Top 20 in 1990. The song had originally reached #4 in 1965.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
What was the first song in Hot 100 history to go to #1 for two different artists? – Answer next time!
