The day in incompetence, continued
By Dumb guy even for MAGA standards Doug Collins — currently the head of Veterans Affairs, which would tell you how much Trump values veterans had he not made that abundantly clear already — appeared before Congress with the expected results:
The GOP chairman, Jerry Moran of Kansas, told Collins that there is “understandable concern among veterans and VA staff, as well as many of us here on the dais.”
Yet, asked by Moran to name the “most significant areas of concern for the VA,” Collins returned to whining: “I think one of the most interesting things for me in the first 100 days is constantly fighting rumor and innuendo.” Moran objected to Collins’s goal of eliminating 83,000 jobs, saying there “ought not be a set number that you’re trying to reach.” And the chairman cautioned that those “who entered public service to care for veterans” should be treated “with gratitude and respect.”
Collins couldn’t manage to adhere to such sentiments, as he repeatedly condemned the “broken” bureaucracy and systems of the agency he runs. Instead of reason, he reacted to the senators with Trumpian rage. He informed Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut), the ranking Democrat, that “you have no knowledge of what you just said.” When Moran made a simple request for Collins to pull the microphone closer, the secretary snapped: “So I’m going to have to swallow it, okay?”
But the hapless secretary got tangled in his own fury. “There’s not been 83,000 people targeted for firing,” he raged, mocking this as nothing more than “a nice talking point.”
“It’s your talking point,” Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire) pointed out. “We’re quoting you saying that’s your goal.”
“It is our goal,” Collins shot back.
Not for the first time, I found myself wondering: As Trump and his appointees try to vandalize the U.S. government, could the Republic be saved by their incompetence?
Sadly, that’s about the best we can hope for,
Speaking of ineptitude, trying to distract myself from the pending horror of a Leafs/Oilers* Stanley Cup finals I flipped over to watch some of the Celtics collapse du jour. Their 4Q shooting chart is amazing:
I am not a basketball savant, but 1)that does seem like a few too many low-percentage 3s when protecting a large lead, if less extreme than Game 1, 2)the bigger problem would seem to be being unable to hit shots from anywhere. I know Thibedeau is a great defensive coach but wow.
*As an incompetence footnote, 17 white was given a penalty for “embellishment” on this play. NHL playoff officiating!
embellishment??? what pic.twitter.com/OInXxCk1P2— Shayna (@shaynagoldman_) May 8, 2025