2/27/2024

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            It looked like you had a blast last night with Seth Meyers & Amy Poehler bragging about how great LaGuardia is these days & announcing a possible Ramadan ceasefire in Gaza. The jokes about Taylor Swift & conspiracy theories were amusing. Thanks for showing the nation that you have a sense of humor & can take some ribbing. We need to see more of that.

            It’ll be interesting to see what happens in MI’s primary today. Folks are wondering if your walking the UAW picket line is going to yield votes. NPR featured a couple of union members from the Ford plant who aren’t sure if they’ll vote for 45 again. They also talked to some students at Wayne State. They are disappointed that the 2024 ballot will look the same as the 2020 ballot. How do you think Nikki’s going to do?

            This AM I amused myself by imagining a book club with you, me, KMH, 45, Heather Cox Richardson, Annette Gordon-Reed & Tucker Carlson (TSMC). We could talk about Scot Marciel ‘s 2023 book, Imperfect Partners, about the US & Southeast Asia where he provides “deft analysis of the delicate art of diplomacy in a highly diverse region.” The two chapters on Burma would make for some interesting dialogue.

While 45 & TSMC may not be readers, in book clubs all over the country members attend when they haven’t read the book. I included the two female historians even though they don’t have expertise in Asia, because they are brilliant & articulate & know about US government. I believe you have met them both.  Perhaps we could get some new ideas for Burma from talking through some of our past mistakes.

            I hope you & KMH have a good meeting with the boys from the Hill. Jake Sullivan claims that Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, “can bend the course of history.”  That’s a bit dramatic, but I hope you all figure something out. 

            BYBS,