by John Walters

Kellyanne Trolls

How glad am I that I decided to check out Rachel Maddow’s show last night and visiting, for the entire hour, was Kellyanne Conway. These are two exceedingly bright and tough women, one of whom works for the forces of good and the other, alas, not so much. You should definitely watch this entire interview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F8ejvaNsfY

Early on, this is an exchange:

Maddow: “[Trump’s] saying we’re going to expand our nuclear capability.”

Conway: “He’s not necessarily saying that.”

Maddow: “He did, he did literally say ‘We need to expand our nuclear capability.'”

Later in the interview, Maddow, who’s as sharp as any political commentator on TV, missed an easy layup. After rightly pressing Conway on Trump’s proliferation of lies about Martha Radditz and only getting Conway to concede that if there’s an apology coming from the Trump camp, it may not be public, the topic moved to Melania Trump’s $150 MILLION lawsuit against an unknown blogger (not this unknown blogger, though I do hope that’s coming in the future).  When Maddow asked Conway whey the First Lady to-be is pursuing that suit and Conway replied that she deserves a public accounting of the blasphemy directed at her, Maddow missed the opportunity to go for the kill and ask why Trump wasn’t affording Radditz the same courtesy. She missed on that one, and she’s likely kicking herself this morning about it.

Watch the video. It’ll be fun to talk about in a year or so when we’re huddled in our underground bunkers with no internet.

2.  A Good Gig?

Would you play the inaugural ball if you were an A-list act? Reportedly, the following acts have flat-out said, “No” to requests by Team Trump to perform at the inauguration: Celine Dion, Elton John, David Foster, Ice-T, Andrea Bocelli and the Dixie Chicks.

Seems like Donny is upset because no one famous wants to attend or work his party:

 

The so-called “A” list celebrities are all wanting tixs to the inauguration, but look what they did for Hillary, NOTHING. I want the PEOPLE!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2016

Comedian Patton Oswalt wrote a short Facebook post last night suggesting A-Listers should accept Trump’s offer and then populate their acts with minorities, LGBT’s, etc. That they should use the platform to advance more progressive issues.

I respectfully disagree. Nothing will speak louder, at least on this night, than the entertainment community standing together as one and shunning Trump and his ideals. Besides, men like Trump and his cronies are used to having coloreds and spics work their galas. That doesn’t mean they view those people as anything close to equals; even if you’re Elton John, who’s gay, you’re just the help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlMdYpnVOGQ

Don’t play Sun City during apartheid, and don’t play Trump’s inaugural. It’s a similar crusade.

3. Damn, It Feels Good To Be a Gangsta…On NBC

What is Bob Costas doing here? This was last night at Lincoln Financial Field before the Giants-Eagles game. True gangsta Rodney Harrison—Did you ever see him hit people in the NFL?—called out Costas on the hat and then got a little more personal (psst, Rodney: I’m not sure if the biters are real, but you could’ve called him out on the dye job and the surgical work around the eyes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KrSpXiTeu0

4. There Are Still Wonderful People in the World

This is Dr. David Margolis, a pediatric oncologist in Milwaukee. He noticed that Nordstrom’s was selling a rock in a leather pouch for $85, so two weeks ago he decided to start collecting rocks and selling them for the same price with the idea that all of the money would go toward charitable works at the Milwaukee Children’s Hospital. He’s already sold more than 700 stones and here’s the really good news: The folks at Nordstrom’s heard about it and kicked in $50,000 in matching gifts. In just a fortnight’s time Margolis has raised more than $100,000 for research, art and music therapy, and other needed items to make the lives of children suffering from cancer better. If you want to help, hit this link.

As Dr. Margolis told me earlier this morning, “What I love about this time of year is that everyone is thinking about other people first. Why it can’t be like that 24/7, 365 is an entirely different conversation.”

5. The Italian Job

Police in Milan stopped a Tunisian man just after 3 a.m. local time and asked for his papers—just like in those old World War II films. The man replied by pulling a pistol from his bag and firing at them. One officer was wounded but in the exchange they killed Anis Amri, the Berlin truck massacre suspect.

It’s not as sexy as ordering up a nuclear arsenal, but good old-fashioned police work eliminated the suspect less than 96  hours after the crime. No costly trial. No years of incarcerations. Finis. Salut!

Music 101

Closer To The Heart

“And the men who hold high places/Must be the ones who start/To mold a new reality/Closer to the heart, closer to the heart….” Good luck with that, Geddy. Did you see whom we just elected president? This is a classic Rush song from 1977, off the A Farewell To Kings album.

Remote Patrol

Shakespeare Live!

PBS 9 p.m.

On the 400th anniversary of The Bard’s death, the Royal Shakespeare Company performs a greatest-hits package of his work from Stratford-Upon-Avon.  Performers include Judi Dench, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Lithgow, Helen Mirren (it’s suddenly hot in here) and Ian McKellen. Get yourself cultured up! You can live without watching Troy vs. Ohio in the Dollar General Bowl.