Knight of the Long Lies

   "Nobody knew health care could be so complicated." -- Donald Trump
   "We learned a lot about arcane rules." -- Donald Trump

   You should have learned the rules before you got into the game.-- Pug Mahoney

   If at first you don't succeed, go away.

   The president lamented his loss when his "repeal and replace" health care plan collapsed after only 18 days, blaming Democratic opposition for the failure.
   Fact check: Democrats in Congress were uniformly opposed to the Trumpcare disaster from the get-go, and it was a fractured Republican party that refused to cave in to the dictates of the amateur president, leading to the collapse.
   The GOP spent seven years ranting about repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare because it was put in place during the administration of President Barack Obama. But in all that time, they didn't get around to formulating a plan. Moreover, the new president, Donald Trump, vowed during the campaign that it would be overthrown immediately once he was in office.
   Didn't happen. Despite all the arm twisting and threatening, House Republicans did not fall in line and bow to the demands of the Trumpster. When it became clear that there were not enough votes among Republicans in the House to overcome solid Democratic opposition, the master salesman gave up and walked away.
   Instead, he went off to play golf.
   As a result of his many trips to his own hotels and resorts -- for which the government picks up the tab -- the Secret Service has asked for another $60 million for its current budget to cover security costs for the First Family. This would include the Florida resort trips as well as the family residence in Manhattan, where Mrs. Trump is staying so their son can finish the school year.
   And have you noticed that many of his trips around the country include stays at Trump-owned hotels and other facilities? This brings a lot of free publicity as well as revenue for the family businesses.
   Also, daughter Ivanka has received top security clearance with an office in the West Wing, and her husband Jared Kushner remains close by for contacts with the many foreign dignitaries, bankers, developers and others who come to visit.
   Meanwhile, a top government official has ruled that it's OK for a Trump-owned hotel to remain in the old Post Office building in Washington, despite a contract provision that says no government official can benefit from a lease of government-owned space in the building. The official said it's OK because Trump has agreed not to take any profit from the lease arrangement. Not personally, anyway. The family gets the revenue.
   Sounds OK until you remember that the government official who approved the arrangement is himself a Trump appointee.
   Can you say Conflict?

   Meanwhile, news media folk of all kinds -- straight news reporters, investigative journalists, pundits and opinion writers -- are having a field day every day uncovering the long string of falsehoods, inaccuracies, misleading comments, inappropriate or unethical if not illegal contracts and agreements, as well as flat-out lies -- that leading members of this Whine House crew attempt to foist on the American electorate.
   An informed public is the best defense against demagogues and dictators.