Some post titles and featured images require explanation. This is one of those times.
The featured image of a 19th Century stove illustrates one of my favorite Lincoln stories. Lincoln came by his nickname, uh, honestly but Honest Abe had some shady subordinates. Foremost among them was Lincoln’s first Secretary of War, Simon Cameron who was the boss of the Pennsylvania Republican party. How shady was he?
“In response to a query from Abraham Lincoln about Cameron’s honesty, fellow Pennsylvanian Thaddeus Stevens remarked, “I don’t think he would steal a red hot stove.” Cameron got wind of the barb and demanded an apology, to which the droll Stevens replied, “I apologize. I said Cameron would not steal a red hot stove. I withdraw that statement.”
That’s really a Thad Stevens story but Lincoln was involved and is a much better hook. Hooks are as important in blogging as in songwriting.
On to the post title. It’s a venerable baseball term, that’s defined by the Dickinson Baseball Dictionary as:
The gab, gossip, and debate that take place during the winter months when baseball is not being played. These discussions replaying the past season and anticipating the next occurred at such gathering places as saloons, poolrooms, general stores, barbershops, and drugstores where there was a coal- or wood-burning, potbellied stove at the center of the conversational group.”
Simon Cameron wouldn’t have touched a red hot stove but he might have taken bribes by the light of one.
End of, hopefully, concise title explanation.
MAGA’s hot stove league is always in season. The grifting never stops. It seems to have accelerated recently:
Ever since Donald Trump returned to the White House, his administration has taken a sledgehammer to anti-corruption efforts, destroying policy after policy dedicated to preventing bribery and money laundering in the country. But this week brought the biggest blow yet: The Treasury has obliterated a recent rule to deter devious shell companies, handily reopening the American economy to anyone looking to hide their illicit wealth.”
Billionaire Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has declared this to be “a victory for common sense and American small businesses.”
Common sense is not a quality Bessent is known for. He’s a married gay man serving in an administration full of folks who would love to ban gay marriage. In the law, that’s called an act against self-interest.
Instead of a victory for small businesses, it’s a triumph for money launderers. Besides, what would billionaire Scott Bessent know about small business? He was a hedge fund creep before becoming a Trump lackey.
Trump 2.0 is loaded with examples of egregious corruption. The Trump brothers are suddenly stake holders in Eisenhower’s military-industrial complex who have received contracts totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Fake Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is making the Pentagon safe for corruption.
Now that I think of it, Hegseth *is* stupid enough to touch a red hot stove if Trump ordered him to. Schmuck.
Cue musical reference. Just change girl to stove and Bob’s your felonious uncle:
Patrimonialism suffuses Team MAGA. The Kaiser of Chaos regards the treasury as his piggybank and the White House as his personal property. That’s why he felt free to deface the Oval Office and demolish the East Wing. Trump is so drunk on power that he’s filed an emergency appeal of his ballroom case loss with the Supreme Court. Who ever heard of a ballroom emergency? This case is a test of how far gone SCOTUS is. Stay tuned.
The Supreme Court immunity decision inspired new levels of MAGA grift and graft. It’s often called a green light to steal; I’d liken it to giving a junkie a brick of heroin and being shocked when it’s all gone. The Insult Comedian is overdosing on greed and gold.
The corruption of Trump 1.0 looks quaint in contrast to the current orgy of thievery. We’re hearing less about hotel rates and more about government contracts. The vandals are looting the treasury while Scott Bessent looks the other way. He’s disgraced his office, at least he hasn’t renamed his position like Hegseth who’s an even bigger disgrace.
Oversight is on the way. It’s time to cool off MAGA’s hot stove league with Democratic control of Congress. They won’t want to play ball, but nothing worth doing is ever easy in politics.
Repeat after me: MAGA is power drunk on greed and gold.
The last word goes to Robert Lester Folsom:
