Best sleight of hand since Houdini

If I were to ask you, politically speaking, what was the first thing to come off the top of your head right now, what would you say? I'm assuming that the words "Obama", "wiretapping", and "FBI" would figure prominently. Two words that will probably not show up: "Jeff Sessions". And that, gentle readers, is exactly what DJT wants. Sessions is guilty, pure and simple. It doesn't matter what he spoke to the Russian ambassador about; that's not the issue. What matters is that he did it and lied under oath about it. DJT is mad as hell now, because:

1) he was on such a high after his speech to congress, and this really pissed in his cornflakes. 

2) he basically ordered Sessions not to recuse himself and he did it anyway, practically admitting where there is smoke, there is fire. 

3) it's another nail for the Russian election tampering coffin. 

So, panic sets in. DJT pulls out the distraction playbook, publishes a 14 year old picture of Chuck Schumer eating a very classified, top-secret Krispy Kreme doughnut with Vladimir Putin. "See, you have more contact with the Russians than I do! #innocent". NO ONE buys it. Now he's even more panicked and downright PISSED; "how dare they not accept my patented bullshit at face value? I'm going to Mar-a-lago; later, losers!" And off he goes...

DJT decides he needs more; something more bigly, if you will. Something that the press can't help but run with. "I was wiretapped, and Obama ordered it! Yeah, that's it, that's the ticket!" The press collectively has a WTF moment, and immediately tries to get details/verify/confirm/refute (as is their job with an accusation so unprecedentedly outrageous as this, honestly), and Jeff Sessions is back burnered; literally, yesterday's news. 

Do not be taken in. 

Sessions did not disappear; DJT popped a wiretap firework out of the end of his magic wand, and when you jumped in your seat and focused on that for a second, he slipped Sessions into his pocket when you weren't looking. Don't be fooled. The there is still there, no matter what Sean Spicer says. Jeff Sessions broke the law, under oath and on camera, while being interviewed to become the top law enforcement official in the United States.

Don't let him get away with it. 

The Speech... "All Hat and No Cattle"

"as well as last week’s shooting in Kansas City"
 - That's right, kids. It took him a whole week to even mention it."

"And we’ve spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas, while our infrastructure at home has so badly crumbled."
- OK, we can give him that one.

"Dying industries will come roaring back to life."  
"Our terrible drug epidemic will slow down and ultimately stop."
"Above all else, we will keep our promises to the American people."
- My ENTIRE ass it will"

"As we speak tonight, we are removing gang members, drug dealers and criminals that threaten our communities and prey on our very innocent citizens. Bad ones are going out as I speak, and as I promised throughout the campaign."
- Also good ones, who have done nothing more wrong than be here illegally and want to work within the system to become legal.

"the vast majority of individuals convicted of terrorism and terrorism-related offenses since 9/11 came here from outside of our country."
- Just not from the seven countries he banned people from coming from. Damn Saudi Arabia for their support of terrorism but their good choice in hotels!

"I directed the Department of Defense to develop a plan to demolish and destroy ISIS"
- I frequently direct my dog to bring back a ball; so far, we've had the same amount of success. Wishing doesn't make it so. 

"we have chosen Judge Neil Gorsuch"
- Admittedly, it could have been much, much worse.

"Tonight, as I outline the next steps we must take as a country"
- The next portions of the speech could be described as anecdotal at best and vague at worst. The Harley-Davidson bit was nice (who doesn't love Harleys), but how is he going to do all this? Throw us a friggin' bone here.

"We have the worst financial recovery in 65 years."
- From the worst financial crisis since 1929

"Here are the principles that should guide Congress as we move to create a better health care system for all Americans."
- Here followed five principles that would actually make good additions to the ACA. I can't believe I have to say that John Boehner was right; he wants to fix ACA and take credit for something that, without years of GOP obstructionism, we could have had in the first place!

"and to promote clean air and clean water" 
- by gutting the EPA

"I have ordered the Department of Homeland Security to create an office to serve American victims. The office is called Voice, Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement."
- Immigration crime? You came up with the acronym first and filled it in later, didn't you?

"I just spoke to our great General [Jim] Mattis just now who reconfirmed that, and I quote, “Ryan was a part of a highly successful raid that generated large amounts of vital intelligence that will lead to many more victories in the future against our enemy.” 
- I have a quote for you too: "When we look at evidently very little actual intelligence out, the loss of a high-performance aircraft and above all the loss of a highly trained special forces member of SEAL Team 6, I think we need to understand why this mission, why now, what happened, and what the actual output was," [Former commander of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (among others), Admiral James G.] Stavridis said."

(http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/yemen-seal-raid-yielded-no-significant-intelligence-say-officials-n726451)

"Our foreign policy calls for a direct, robust and meaningful engagement with the world."
- Which we will accomplish by crippling the State Department

"America is willing to find new friends, and to forge new partnerships, where shared interests align."
- "Whatever you say, Mr. Putin. You're the boss." 

If being "presidential" simply meant spewing platitudes and soaking up applause, DJT would be a natural. The problem is that he got up in front of a joint session of Congress with a whole lot of snake oil and the mainstream press seems to be buying into it. Did he really say anything different as compared to what he's been spouting before? Not to my listening. Did he come up with any details about how he's going to accomplish the miracles he's promising? Not to my listening. He can play the part of the President when he wants to, but Martin Sheen did it much better. He can play the part of the President when he wants to, but this speech was, as they say, "all hat and no cattle."