Still Life with Peaches~~Pierre-Auguste Renoir
One can never tell if the precipitous decline in the general, fundamental, social amenities and standards today is down to boys having been too drunk at school or not drunk enough~~we recognize that there is a very fine line between the one and the other. A crucially, fine line.
Today, while Lovey and I awaited the very painful loss of our beautiful ORB at Pimlico in the Preakness Stakes this late afternoon, I killed time talking with my friend Allan, chartered member of the morning coffee klatch~~who~~for reasons known best to him, raised with me the issue of impeachment~~a word meaning, if I recall my little, Latin, to entrap, entangle or ensnare.
I was caught altogether off guard~~couldn’t think what, or whom, he meant. Was this to do with my ORB? I, suddenly, felt myself~~entangled, entrapped, ensared~~had Allan and the klatch impeached me? I sure hope no for me~~but I worried after ORB.
Annoyed, vexed, but simultaneously thankful, of the distraction from worrying on our ORB prior to his dismaying defeat, we wrote this to Allan:
“Sometimes, I wonder how it is that many lads I know went all the way through the tedium of schools~~sometimes even good schools~~without learning the difference between “the rules” and the “other rules.”
To wit~~today, I pen this, while anxiously awaiting something actually important to go off~~The Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in Baltimore~~to lads confused about “the other rules.”
“My dear lads~~relax~~the plain truth is that the Lower House can impeach any President for any reason it wants~~any reason~~this is Realpolitik~~not Mrs Haley’s History on goody-goody two-shoes citizenship~~in Mrs Haley’s class there are put forth~~nicely-nice ettiquettes~~ for impeachment~~~the rules~~but in the real world of Realpolitik we find~~the other rules~~~~and discover that~~the only predicate for impeachment is for the Lower House to have the horses, and the desire, to vote out articles–to entangle, entrap, ensnare~~this is, dears, res ipsa~~it is beyond dispute.”
As to if or no, it is advisable to vote articles in given instances, well, fellas~~that’s the rub.
John Daniel Begg
Allan, ever dutiful and inquisitive, wrote back:
“So, John, in your opinion do you think he should be impeached??
ORB?? I hoped ORB would not be entangled, entrapped or ensnared.~~God. no!!
It was still well short of ORB’s post time with destiny so I wrote Allan back~~quickly and, perhaps tad testily:
“I’ve no opinion as to that, Allan–none whatever~~I’m likely the only boy in America who would say that to you~~and, frankly, if I had an opinion, it wouldn’t matter as I am not in the Lower House~~all the power to vote out articles resides in the Lower House~~I am simply trying to clear up confusion about who wears the trousers in this city~~Ergo…If the Lower House were to vote out articles~to entangle, entrap and ensnare~~
Sliced peaches~~Laurie Justus Pace~~oil art credit
~~~~to impeach~~~thus, slicing up the fruit~~thus entrapping, entangling, ensnaring~~
~~the Upper House would, in its turn~~seek to get to the heart of the matter”~~comme ca
Roberta Reb Allen~~art credit~~
“The Upper House must get to the heart of the matter~~the dead center of the peach itself and decide, if or no, the articles voted by the Lower House, hold sufficient water or no.
That’s it~~as with most things taken to the bedrock~~to the~~what is that horrid word the lawyers use–oh yes, the gravamen~~the seed corn~~ of the matter~~this is all really rather simple.
Comes into this mix, now rather late, Mike–who puts this question–but, guys–I am retired, infirm and reclusive–try to limit these curve balls–despite so~~
Mike asks~~~”John—We have impeached Presidents before. Do you think Executive Orders are legal without approval of Congress?”
Tired now, but trained a gentleman young, I wrote back~~~
“Mike–Likely not, but I am not a lawyer~~THANK GOD~~–but again–it’s all a sort of a game–a power gambit–some readers from the klatch are confused–but they did not read carefully–while all I write is in part satire–it is also in dead earnest–who has power as against who is right or wrong.
I distinctly remember being here when Nixon resigned–do you remember his reason–“I have lost my power base in Congress and can no longer govern.” People laughed and said–that’s so Nixon–but–his statement was also true–if you have a sufficient number of men who will stand behind you in the Lower House, you cannot be impeached–for any reason.
Reciprocally, if you have no power base in Congress–you can be impeached for any reason whatsoever–in fact–for no reason at all–this is why when people speak of legalisms respecting this matter to me, I have to take them aside a bit and pull their coats, because impeachment has absolutely nothing to do with law–it is about raw political power–and only that.–JOHN”
Bedevilled, ensnared, entangled, entrapped~~in a word~~impeached~~so sorry, lads~~so sorry~~
ORB and young Joel Rosario, now themselves, impeached~~now ensnared, entrapped, entangled~~ taste of the bitter dust of bedevilling defeat in the 2013 Preakness stakes (Group-1)
What is so terribly complicated is to console Lovey after the defeat of her dear ORB~~a matter of actual material consequence as opposed to the idle gossip preceding~~taken up to keep our minds from worry over our ORB.
Lovey is to bed~~some drinks after~~and she is not happy. She asks~~over and over: “Thurston~~how could ORB possibly have lost–HOW??” Can you bear to watch? I can’t~~
A~HA~~~Allan, a~ha, Mike, A~ha~~ my dears of the coffee klatch~~would it only be that the ripe peach of ~real life~ were as easily sliced and dissected as are the trivialities of politics~~would it only be that.
We pray God make that so.
Rejoice and Glad!!
Amen.
John Daniel Begg
At
Washington DC
Saturday, 18th Mai, Anno Domini Nostri Iesu Christi, 2013
Still Life with Peaches~~Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Peaches, explored from yet another angle, may satisfy Allan, Mike and other political lads, yet fail to solve the mystery of ORB’s misadventure in Baltimore today~~or, in the slightest, console Lovey.
JOHN DANIEL BEGG 