I’m going to have to watch this movie again. The reason being, there has always been a part of me which has somewhat visualized Lindsey Graham as a clone of Charlie Wilson… minus the girls.
He still gets a C- from me even after I watch the movie again. And to be clear…if Gerald Ford had pursued any path which would have allowed Richard Nixon to hold any federal office ever again…I would grade Gerald Ford at an F-.
So I want to be clear on that point.
I actully somewhat liked Lindsey Graham till he sold himself completely out after the January 6th flip-flop.
My prayers are with Lindsey Graham. Life on this plane of existence moves along. None of are perfect. We try, but it’s tough being perfect.
We simply do our best and prayer for forgiveness at the end of the day.
A great question to ponder for historians once the emotions and dust settle.
There’s a part of me which actually liked Lindsey Graham before his toxic flip-flop on what Donald Trump did just before, during, and after January 6th.
If you remove that act of ego and political cowardice… I could make the defense of Lindsey Graham as being a substantial figure in American politics these past twenty-five to thirty years or so.
His life resume is impreesive. At the age of 19 he adopted his then 13 year-old younger sister after both of their parents died within a period of 15-months.
He graduated from law school, and while in the Air Force became a JAG. His Air Force career spanned 33 years as he rose to the rank of colonel. After his retirement from the Air Force…he became a member of the Air Force Reserve.
He never married.
He became the Republican whom succeeded Strom Thurmond in bright-red South Carolina. He was elected to four terms as a United States senator and would have been elected to a fifth term if he had felt inclined after his current term expired.
Lindsey Graham was one of the Three Amigos along with John McCain and Joe Lieberman. Together, they formed what I would describe as a pragmatic threesome of United States senators who didn’t always follow rigid party lines. They were self described maveriks, buts always Americans first.
So far so good with Lindsey Graham as far as I’m concerned..
In 2016…Lindsey Graham ran for the GOP Presidential nomination. Despite being qualified and funny and glib at times…Lindsey Graham never even made it to the first team tier of candidates in that presidential run.
During his brief candidacy, he stated point blank …”Donald Trump was not fit as a human being to hold the office.”
Yet because of his political ego and desire to be in the limelight as a person of genuine influence ‘In the Room’ so to speak… he unfortunately strayed from his intial statements of Donald Trump.
Some have called him the Trump Whisperer…that’s too kind. What he became in fact was Donald Trump’s No. 1 enabler even ahead in line of the likes of Tucker Carlson, Ted Cruz, Sean Hannity, Ted Cruz, and even our own Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma.
His flip-flop on January 6th is the single act though which causes me to seriously downgrade Lindsey Graham’s rightful place as a very good United States senator and an American with a great individual story with a substantial place in our history books..
On that flip-flop alone as a historian …I would downgrade Lindsey Graham from a grade of an A to perhaps a C-.
Maybe that’s too harsh. Maybe with time I’ll lessen with the feeling he helped someone who should have been sentenced to a felony conviction for January 6th..to instead a second term as president.
Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon, but he also ended Nixon’s career in American politics.
I wonder what John McCain and Joe Lieberman would think of my evaluation of Lindsey Graham’s political legacy?
In closing, this Sunday was to be Lindsey Graham’s 64th appearance on Meet the Press. Only John McCain made more appearances on MTP. Think about that.
But in closing, then ask yoirself…if Lindsey Graham hadn’t become Donald Trump’s chief enabler would any of us even be talking about either one of them on July 12, 2026?
I don’t think so.
Linsdey Graham didn’t do what Gerald Ford did in 1974, and for that lack of courage our country is staggering through a second presidential term six years after January 6th. Because now Donald is not only unfit, but too old to occupy the office.
We can fairly well see what the roster is going to look like with the departures of Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and Branden Carlson. All of those rosters spots were in the range of No. 11 thru No. 15 when it got down to the Thunder playing the Spurs for the Western Conference championship.
With Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort signing short term extensions it would appear to me No. 1 through No. 10 in the rotation is set.
The biggest question mark for me is the role of Lu Dort compared to the role of Cason Wallace as this season unfolds. Who comes off the bench and who closes games?
I would think Brook Barnhizer and Mara will occupy No. 11 and No. 12 with Kenrich in the veteran Swiss army knife role at No. 13.
In regards to Isaiah Joe… he was a great team player during his stay in Oklahoma City. I also thought he worked hard on his defense this past season to become a much more solid two-way player.
I was actually surpsrised at how little both he and Aaron Wiggins played in the Spurs’ series given that Jared McCain is not a great defensive guard.
Anyway, best of luck to Isaiah Joe with his new team the young and contending Detroit Pistons. I’m hopeful be carves out a solid role as a guard coming off the bench in Detroit. I can’t think of an instance when Isaiah Joe was anything less than a class act while with the Thunder.
What a day of World Cup soccer on Tuesday as defending champ Argentina and Cinderella Switzerland advanced to the Elite 8.
The first game with Argentina storming back from a 2-0 deficit in the final ten minutes is as good as it gets in a soccer match. Just incredible stuff from both teams. Argentina sneaks out of Atlanta alive as a 3-2 winner to continue its quest for another Cup championship.
I thought we were going to have a riot on the field and in the arena after this game, but you have to love the passion from the players and fans. Just incredible to witness the fan bases from both countries in Atlanta giving the USA the genuine feel of what the World Cup is all about.
Minus Donald Trump’s quid pro quo bribe of FIFA Prez Infanti…this World Cup in the U.S. has been a marvelous exhibition to the rest of the world of what America… even with Donald Trump as president is capable of providing to those with the dream and the work ethic to pull off in their own individual journeys.
The Switzerland vs. Columbia game went scoreless at 0-0 and was eventually decided in a shootout won 4-3 by the gritty Swiss team.
How ironic…the day after Team USA’s somewhat gutless defensive performance against Belgium…we witnessed a Swiss team play textbook defense, and in a sense as the game wore on.. played somewhat deliberately to get to the shootout.
I will be amazed if Team USA has the same coach much longer after what we witnessed in the Belgium debacle. When you’re playing at home, plus the largest U.S. television audience ever for a soccer game watching, with your literal soccer life on the line, and simply don’t show much heart…that’s a genuine problem.
Our first qurterfinal game tomorrow pits France vs. Morroco. I love the striker for France, but I love the overall toughness of Morroco as well. I would think this should be a very entertaining game.
Again… I’m never watching an NBA Summer League game again. It’s too pedestrian what what I want to do on my blog for whstever time I have left. But I will note Sam Presti kept Kenrich Williams for another season which is very cool from my view. Very nice, Sam Presti.
That’s it for me tonight from World Cup Soccer Central.
Trump did it again. He put his POTUS 47 curse on Team USA as he did in that one game in Madison Square Garden in the NBA Finals…except at this point in the World Cup it’s lose one game and you’re done.
Team USA is done following Belgium’s pretty much wire to wire dominance in a Sweet 16 game played in Seattle.
No…I’m not blaming Trump. This is on the player’s of Team USA. They never came out of the gate. They never engaged in any aspect of the game. This is on them, or we could just say Belgium is a much better team than Team USA and Balogun’s presence in this game one way or the other had zero impact on the outcome.
Balogun never got one clean shot on goal in this game. The same would be said for his running mate Pulisic who did never got a clean shot on goal either. Team USA had two shots on goal maybe and never scored a live ball goal in ninety minutes of play.
Conversely…Team USA gave Belgium four goals. Literally gave Team Belgium four goals either through bad defense in the box, bad goaltending, or turning the ball over in the box area.
This was brutal and unfortunate that Team USA’s World Cup came to an end in this manner considering all the excitement and goodwill hosting the World Cup has created around the world.
The viewership on Fox has been incredible in this World Cup in America. I hope for the sake of soccer the ratings stay healthy even with Team USA’s exit from the tournament.
I’m still in because I’ve loved watching even the games not involving Team USA. I think what this game showed is that USA soccer hasn’t really improved to the point where a team can make a serious championship run any deeper than the Sweet 16. Unlike Team USA in ice hockey…the soccer program hasn’t found that magic sauce just yet.
So now I need to decide who my new favorite team is in the Elite 8. Morocco, France, Norway, England, Spain, and Belgium are in. Two more Sweet 16 games need to be played… Argentina vs. Egypt and Columbia vs. Switzerland.
I’m probably leaning towards either Norway, Belgium, or Switzerland. None of these countries do anything I can think of which annoys me and I just need to decide of the three who I’m rooting for to hoist the Cup.
I’m gonna miss the Take Me Home Country Roads thing though. I liked that vibe it gave off. It seemed like for a three to four week period or so everyone in our country had a common goal. Even I agreed with Donald Trump on something, and that’s the beautiful thing about sport in that it brings us together.
Before I address Trump and FIFA President Infantino’s apparent quid pro quo relationship with POTUS 47…allow me to give a shoutout to former OU golfer Chris Gotterup for his epic fourth round 62 yesterday which was good enough for a two-stroke win in the John Deere Classic.
Nice job…Chris G. BOOMER!
So…did Trump finally do something of genuine substance by pressuring FIFA President Infantino to rescind a horrible call by a tainted Brazilian soccer zebra named Raphael Claus which would have sidelined Folarin Balogun in this evening’s USA-Belgium soccer matchup in the World Cup?
Yes…this is where I have to give Trump some positive credit for using the bully pulpit and whatever dirt he has on President Infantino to actually right an eggregious wrong by this sketchy South American game fixing referee who made this horrific call in the USA-Bosnia soccer match late last week.
Would FDR and/or President Obama have used their bully pulpits as well in this instance? Yes…I think so. This isn’t just a random bad call in a random sporting event…this deals with the removal of Team USA’s best striker and goal scorer on what was obviously a crooked call by a nefarius zebra with possible mob ties even deeper than those of Trump.
So, yes, on this one I agree with Donald Trump…and let me add– on this blog if Trump does something right–I won’t hesitate giving him credit. Given… this is one of the few times I can think of where I actually agree with Donald Trump on something he has done as POTUS.
USA vs. Belgium tonight in Seattle with the winner advancing to the Elite 8. I wonder if the Seattle crowd would boo Trump tonight as he was booed at Madison Square Garden if he made an appearance tonight at the soccer match?
Exclusive coverage on this monumental game to follow on okcthunderground.com. I’ve changed my mind on covering the Thunder in the NBA Summer League. Thomas Sorber isn’t even going to play. MJ and the Underground are like USA Today in that we only cover the truly substantial beats in America and around the globe.
The fact it rained four inches in Deer Creek at dusk didn’t really matter. It was a great day and night anyways. We did fireworks with the kids on Father’s Day…so the rain didn’t matter to us.
Great food from Earl’s with the ribs, fried okra, and blueberry cobbler stealing the show. My one ice cold bottle of Coors Edge with zero alcohol was perfect. Great music blaring throughout all day and evening.
An amzing World Cup game where France finally subdued Paraguay 1-0 in a soccer game turnwed knife fight. That was a hockey game on grass is what that was in Philadelphia yesterday. Plus…FIFA pulled their head out of their ass and rescinded the red card on Team USA’s best striker and leading scorer… Mr. Balogun. That whole deal was bullshit.
Yeah…L get it. The entire European continent thinks Donald Trump is a douchebag. And, yes …he is a douchebag, but don’t take that out on a soccer player from America. It shouldn’t have even been a yellow card. It was a play-on type of play.
The New York and Boston fireworks and music were by far better than the obligatory Lee Greenwood and Donald Trump show which seems to resonant with our most zealous white racists in America. The one thing I did like about Trump’s show was the 25 or 6 to 4 kickoff music of the 850,000 explosives and firework cartridges which in Trump’s mind must make up for the size of his —-* . MJ did however love that intro by Chicago on the loud speaker even though it was presumably lip-synced. But Trump lost me when the bald, overweight white guy tried to solo ‘YMCA’. That was the end of MJ’s night.
That one sent Mike J to the the showers and then to bed. It was painful to observe as a compassionate human. I played this instead and ended the night the right way.
But to the rest of America…hang in there. Simply hang in there and look for the good in others every single day and don’t ever forget why God put you here. Stay on that path.
Size of comment deleted only because it was the Fourth of July and we should look for the best in others…even Donald Trump.
Hope you and yours have a special Fourth of July. It’s a very special Fourth for me in that for the first time in just less than four years there’s no flashing red light looming on my cancer journey.
The wife and I are staying home at the mini-ranch and just taking it easy. We did fireworks with the kids when they were here for Father’s day… although MJ may do his own more modest display at dark.
There will be Earl’s barbeque ribs. There will be a Thunder Summer League game at 2:00. There might be a World Cup game which won’t match up to yesterday’s Argentina-Cape Verde overtime thriller.
Maybe one or two zero-zero ice cold Coors beers. A piece of blackberry cobbler, possibly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream wouldn’t suck.
And music….yes!!! There will be music. Always music.
But most of all it will just be Mindy and I taking it easy, and me most of all, realizing how lucky I am to share this life with her on this very special Fourth of July.
Just be a responsible, accountable Good Samaritan. This doesn’t require an overthink. It doesn’t matter what denomination of spiritual thought you adhere to…’Just love thy neighbor….and love your country.’
Anyway….I’ll get back to the Thunder roster reconstruction next mid- week after the USA-Belgium game. Whew…Jalen Brown to the Sixers–Thunder fans, that’s what I mean by a limited championship window.
All you Rush Limbaugh Dittoheads and Donald Trump Maga Birthers…just take a deep breath and…’love thy neighbor’ this special Fourth of July week-end.
I’m tired of listening to whining from the far left, the MAGA dimwits, and the overall Birther types. My feelings on Donald Trump have been very clear on this blog.
However, It is at this point in my life I am proudly an equal opportunity disdainer of these people ad their daft conterparts on the far left. I truly am.
You people spend so much time hating on one another it can be no surprise you’ve yet to discover the American Dream or even begin to realize how fortunate you are to be born as an American citizen.
Your passive-submissiveness and weakness makes MJ want to puke.
The group which sickens me the most are the young, under 30 years of age white males. Your weakness in relation to other American generations is appalling.
The great Warren Buffet once said: “If you’re born as a white male in America with full citizenship rights… you’ve at birth won the lottery three times.”
So…instead of whining, making excuses, and failing to even remotely consider what it still means to be an American in 2026… MJ would suggest, ” You possibly grow the f–k up and realize how God blessed you by simply being born in this country in the first place.”
I hope that wasn’t too direct, but at some point especially with the 4th on Saturday…I feel as if it needed to be stated on my blog.
God bless America, and may all of you remember…every day you breath as a free person you’re living the American Dream. So don’t piss it away. This Saturday is special.