Congressional Republicans have released what they say they believe is a super-secret memo showing that the investigation of President Trump’s ties to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election was compromised by pro-Democratic political meddling.

I’be rad the memo in its entirety. No one with a real life should bother. But just in case, here are a few thoughts. First, it’s hardly a top-secret memo. It was devised and written by Republicans. Guess what its conclusions are going to be?

Second, it’s disputed by the FBI and the Justice Department. And lest you forget, those agencies are headed by men appointed by Donald Trump, so when they find this memo flawed, they have some additional credibility. It’s not like they are Democrats objecting to it.

Of course Democrats are objecting to it. they have their own memo, which for some reasons Republicans in the House of Representatives don’t want to release. But there are exceptions in the GOP, one of them Sen. John McCain, who says of the republican memo, “This serves no American interests – no party’s, no president’s, only Putin’s. If we continue to undermine our own rule of law we are doing Putin’s job for him.”

Next, guess who has issued a statement saying that the Republican memo absolves Russia of any evidence of meddling on our politics? If you guessed Vladimir Putin you are correct.

Does this memo begin to stink of political opportunism, and not just a little? It is a bold attack on our law enforcement system, a system that Donald Trump and many Republicans claim they support. It is brutal in that regard, and it should be shamed, even by the President’s addled base in the House.

One Democratic senator called the memo “a laughable hack show.” I couldn’t put it better. (By the way, someone in the House needs to learn how to write; the memo has a high obfuscation level and reads as if written by an overwhelmed 10th grader. Shame.

Donald Trump’s physician says the President is in “excellent” physical and mental condition. I want that man for my doctor.

Really. If I went to my doctor with the shape and issues that inhabit Donald Trump’s body, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t say I was in excellent condition. Then again, if Trump — with all his (let’s be honest about this) obesity and test result problems — is in excellent condition, I must be in super excellent health. I must remind myself to congratulate my doctor for taking such remarkable care of me.

Let’s briefly go over those test results for Trump to see some o the issues they raise. First of course is the question of height. It seems Trump has managed to reverse nature and the laws of gravity by actually growing at least one inch in his 71st year. On his drivers license he was 6-2, but his doctor found he measured 6-3. Hmmmmm. If that seems peculiar, consider this: the official label of “obesity” is conferred on a man who is 6-2 and weighs 239 pounds, as Trump supposedly does. Amazingly, at 6-3 he’s one pound shy of being officially obese. Hmmmm again.

But the medications he takes may explain some other concerns. We know that he takes Crestor, a statin, for his high cholesterol (and he’s in excellent health???) and Propecia to keep from going bald (which would seem a better look than what he has presently). The side effects of using Propecia include impotence (ask Melania) and swelling of the hands (which in Trump’s case would be very desirable). It also causes some problems with dizziness and weakness (as when dealing with Putin).

But when you mix those two drugs together you discover a whole new world of side effects including (no joke; you can look it up) confusion and memory problems along with even more swelling of hands (another benefit for the small-handed Donald). So, confusion and memory problems? Like not remembering at one hour what you said the previous hour? And confusion, like … well, everything you can think of that involves Trump speaking.

So, putting all this together, I’m astonished he got rated excellent, not to mention was cognitively aware. Aware, at least, to the extent of being able to read a clock and draw a camel. What else do we need our President to do, anyway?

Oh well. I’d write some more but I’ve got to give my doctor a call and thank him again. I’m feeling pretty great right now.

Remember the 1990s and President Bill Clinton? Remember when Republicans closed ranks to strongly oppose the President for his sexual activity with Monica Lewinsky? Remember when they sought to impeach Clinton? Those were, it seems now, the good old days when sexual misbehavior by presidents mattered.

And if you do recall those times, you might be puzzled why the Republicans are so quiet now when another President is guilty of an extra-marital sexual encounter. And he paid her off to keep her mouth shut. Wow. Shouldn’t that be just a tad offensive not to mention immoral?

Donald Trump, we now learn thanks to the Wall Street Journal (not exactly a left-wing liberal newspaper), had his attorney pay a porn star not to talk publicly about her sex play with Trump. The payoff occurred just a few weeks before Trump’s election in 2016, and the incident with the porn star took place in 2006. (Thee are reports Trump has also paid off another porn actress to keep her mouth shut about her affair with him.)

So Trump was screwing a porn actress a year after his marriage to Melania and at a time when she had just had their baby. Where is the same disgust among Republicans that they showed for Bill Clinton? Where is any sense of decency and morality? Why are pious evangelicals who believe in Trump so quiet about this misbehavior? Perhaps for the same reason they are happy to skip over Trump’s serial adultery with all of his wives. Perhaps they are just too darned busy defending the President for his racist remarks denigrating immigrants of color.

Oh well. Can we expect anything else from supporters of the man whom one United States Senator (Elizabeth Warren) calls “a racist bully?” We certainly have no reason to expect anything better from this President.

It just can’t be ignored. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, declared that America doesn’t want immigrants from “shithole countries” (his words) like Haiti and Africa but does want them from countries like Norway, a nation almost entirely populated by white people.

So is this President a racist? It’s impossible to know what’s in his heart – assuming he has one — but his words and his actions declare boldly he is indeed a racist. There have been too many words, too many actions left undone, to find Donald Trump anything but a serious racist who does not like people of color and finds them unworthy.

So, that means our country is being overseen by a man who could as easily oversee the operations of the Ku Klux Klan. Or the Nazi sympathizers in our society. How completely revolting.

Then, there is this thought that comes to mind: Those “shithole countries” he mentioned have something genuinely important that we don’t have: Donald Trump isn’t their leader.

How much do we really know and understand about President Donald Trump? Here’s a quick quiz to help you figure that out. (Answers below)

Question 1: What makes Donald Trump laugh?
A. Imagining Sloppy Steve Bannon naked.
B. Imagining Mitch McConnell naked.
C. Imagining Stephen Miller naked.
D. All of the above.

Question 2: How do we know Donald Trump is a stable genius?
A. Because he says so.
B. Because he is “really, like smart.”
C. Because Stephen Miller says he is.
D. None of the above.

Question 3: What really motivates Donald Trump?
A. Cheeseburgers.
B. Cheeseburgers.
C. Cheeseburgers.
D. Cheeseburgers.

Question 4: What principles guide Donald Trump’s foreign policies?
A. What do you mean “principles?”
B. Mexico will pay for it.
C. Make America Great Again.
D. Most of them are rapists and bad guys.

Question 5: Why do Donald Trump and his wife Melania sleep in two beds at the White House?
A. Because there aren’t three beds.
B. Because he gets cheeseburger crumbs in his bed.
C. Because she hasn’t slept since election night.
D. Because he has small hands.

Question 6: Why does Donald Trump play so much golf?
A. Because he’s the only one who keeps score.
B. Because who doesn’t like an occasional day off from work?
C. Because those golf carts are so much fun.
D. It gets him out of the White House.

Question 7: Who are Donald Trump’s favorite people?
A. Vladimir Putin
B. Anybody Putin says he should like.
C. Ivanka
D. Michael Flynn. Paul Manafort. George Papadopoulos. James Comey. Sean Spicer. Steve Bannon. Oh hell, just skip this one.

Question 8: What health issues does Donald Trump have?
A. Overweight.
B. Incontinence.
C. Dementia.
D. At least all of the above.

Question 9: How wealthy is Donald Trump?
A. We don’t really know because he keeps his income taxes secret.
B. If you don’t count the bankrupt casinos?
C. If you don’t count the money-losing golf resorts?
D. Not nearly as much as he says.

Question 10: How old Donald Trump?
A. Not too bad, thanks.
B. That’s a terrible old Joke.
C. I know.
D. It’s still sort of funny, though.

ANSWERS:
1. D. (duh)
2. D.
3. A, B, C, D or possibly E (pizza you can eat with a fork?)
4. C.
5. D perhaps.
6. A, B, C, D.
7. A
8. D.
9. D.
10. Wait, I’m still laughing.

Donald Trump boldly declares himself not only a “stable person” but also a “genius.” He might indeed make a worthwhile person to work in a stable, but the matter of self-proclaimed genius brings us to memories of several previous inhabitants of the White House.

Many of us recall Franklin D. Roosevelt’s words when he was elected President and confronted the challenges of the Depression in 1933. As he explained publicly at the time, “I’m going to walk right in the White House and fix this, and I’ll make Mexico pay for it,too.” Of course he may or may not have exactly “walked” into office, but we all got his meaning, right?

And certainly historians can point to Woodrow Wilson’s election in 1916, on the eve of World War I, when he questioned the birthplace of his opponent, Charles Evans Hughes (you forgot this?) and warned that only people with big hands truly deserve to be President.

And then was President James K. Polk who not only vowed to have Mexico pay for it but actually made them pay for it by surrendering land which became the states that Mr. Trump wants to block off from Mexico. You see, all the blame for this immigration stuff goes back to Polk, who was possibly born in Kenya.

Finally, though few know about it today, there was the debate that took place among the Founding Fathers when George Washington became President and ordered his staff to find a special place for him to put his wooden teeth at night. “Is he mentally fit for office?” wondered John Adams. Washington put everyone at ease, however, when he issued a proclamation stating that he was a genius and that in the future everyone would have a wooden teeth cabinet built by Mexican immigrants. And the Mexicans would pay for it, too.

Connecticut magazine, the glossy glance at what the better-off-than-us are up to these days, has come out with its annual “Best Restaurants” issue. It’s always fun to see what’s included and left out since we all have opinions about our favorite eateries. The mag includes reader’s picks as well as the expert’s opinions, if by expert you mean people whose expertise is mostly that of the better contributors on Yelp.

That’s not intended as a slur on anyone, certainly not to those honestly credentialed gourmands. Nor is it meant as a rebuke to Connecticut magazine, which I often enjoy. But the truth is the magazine’s issue should more correctly spotllight the “Best Restaurants Not Located in Litchfield County.”

I mean, of the several hundred dining establishments mentioned on its pages, the magazine gets to Litchfield only about a half dozen times (unless you count White Horse Pub near New Preston each time it gets a mention, which is also about a half dozen). It’s a fine restaurant and deserves its accolades.

But truth be told, so do several restaurants in the town of Litchfield, like West Street Grill, Saltwater Grill and @the Corner for starters. They are virtually invisible in this listing. You can also find the Fife and Drum in Kent and establishments in Sharon and Norfolk that should be included (and not just included but written about).

So why iS this? Well, mostly it’s because the magazine’s readers live along the populous I-95 corridor, from Bridgeport and New Haven up to Mystic, and in and around the capital Hartford. Restaurants in those areas obviously collect most of the votes. That’s the way it is. Even if everyone who dines out in Litchfield County were to vote, it likely wouldn’t make much difference.

But it’s a tad different when considering the “experts.” You could be forgiven for thinking they didn’t spend a lot of time in the northwest corner. At least that’s better bet than believing they didn’t like what they found. In any event, of course, it’s all about opinion, and everybody’s got one.

As a resident of Litchfield, I’m clearly prejudiced about what’s in this 30-mile or so area. And I’ve found a lot of delicious food tastefully prepared and served with elegance. I’ve also found and relished some terrific diners and pizza parrots and burger joints. (Write if you want details) Admittedly I haven’t sampled nearly as many choices as are found along I-95, but then I’m not an “expert.” Just an eater….

I know there are so many reasons not to anticipate 2018, many of them associated with Donald Trump. But there are many, many more reasons to celebrate and look forward to a better year, among them, of course, the chance to elect people to office who aren’t unprincipled backers of Donald Trump.

So, instead of griping let’s rejoice as we look ahead and these promising moments:

Connecticut was declared the 17th happiest state in America in 2017, so 2018 leaves us golden opportunities to climb over Vermont (13th) and New Hampshire (10th) to become the cheeriest of New England.

Connecticut enjoyed a white Christmas in 2017, and from the looks of the weather so far that will persist long past the Fourth of July and into Christmas of 2018. Jingle bells….

You can now purchase Hartford Whalers license plates. Let’s skip over why anyone wants a tag celebrating a long defunct hockey team.

Hartford’s Bradley International Airport has begun earning its title, now offering cheap seasonal flights to a variety of European destinations. And it’s a whole lot easier to fly out of Bradley than Boston’s Logan Airport.

Massachusetts will begin selling legal recreational marijuana in 2018. Oh well, at least it’s not a long trip to Mass.

It’s only four months until some shoreline lobster houses open for the year….

Roy S. Moore is dead. Well, not literally, possibly not even politically, though we can hope. But at least for the 2017 US Senate election in Alabama, the semi-literate accused child molester is dead and gone. We all feel relief, and let us all join in wishing that Moore’s accusers may find some measure of joy n his defeat. They certainly deserve our thanks for their bravery in speaking out about the things Moore did to them; their courage led to his humiliation at the hands of the sane Alabama voters.

And there must be a special place in hell reserved for those Alabamians and others who verbally crucified those brave women during the campaign. Those women suffered calumny after calumny and stood their ground against the “Moorons.” And shame on the Alabamians who denied the women and voted in behalf of one of the least qualified humans ever to enter a campaign for the United States Senate. What a disgrace Moore would have been.

And speaking of disgrace, there is President Trump. May we hope that his turn is coming sooner rather than later. After all, it is Trump who has 16 women (is that count still rising?) who allege they have endured his sexual groping and abuse. And really, does anyone doubt that given Trump’s words, attitudes and behaviors?

The White House spokesmen say that the issue of Trump’s groping women was settled with his election last year. Well, no it wasn’t, not by any means. First, Trump wasn’t elected by a majority of American voters; Hillary Clinton was, remember? And second, the election was not a referendum endorsing Trump’s grotesque sexual misbehavior. It turned out to be more of a referendum on how many voters disliked Clinton in a campaign filled with mistakes.

Trump’s continuing public debasement of women — most recently his tweet suggesting a New York senator “would do anything” for votes — is disgusting. It points to the honesty of those women who have spoken aloud of his groping of them in years past. Trump has even lied about his voice when he spoke of “grabbing the pussy” of women — right after he acknowledged it was his voice.

He is a proven liar (124 times already this year!). Nothing he says can be believed, but not merely because he has no relationship to truth and honesty but also because he has failed to demonstrate he is capable of understanding and upholding any of the myriad roles of the President of the United States.

We know that. Today we also know that there is hope. We know that the words of courageous women who have been wronged can be heard and recognized. And heeded. We thank all of them. May their honesty somehow lead us to the dismantling of the Trump administration and a vindication for decent people the world over.

It is disgraceful by anyone’s measure.

Now President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee have decided to endorse Roy S. Moore for senator from Alabama. That’s right. They have actually endorsed this bumpkin degenerate in spite of his his public behavior as an alleged sexual abuser of young girls.

And yes, of course the semi-literate and legally chastised Moore is disgusting. But To receive the okay from President Trump and supposedly adult members of the RNC is terrible. Is there no one in the GOP with any sense of decency?

Well, perhaps not. After all, our President has been accused by 16 women of sexual abuse. He’s fine with it, denying any of it happened when everyone knows it did. And by everyone I mean almost everyone in the Republican party. No one raises their voices to accuse Trump. Instead they urge Democrats to get rid of their party’s sexual abusers. But no word about their own congressional members and most definitely nothing about the President of the United States. A Republican, you remember.

That’s disgusting. Voters in Alabama have a choice between an accused serial sexual abuser of young women and a Democrat. So many of them will vote for the dim-bulb sexual abuser. Alabamians may deserve that they get. But the rest of America doesn’t, and if Moore winds up getting to Congress we hope that everyone — that means Republicans, too — will do everything possible to get rid of this disgraceful, vile, unapologetic and abhorrent person.