Presidential Envy

"Whoever envies another confesses his superiority," Samuel Johnson

Kehinde Wiley portrait of Obama unveiled at Smithsonian Institute, 2018

Trump’s envy of his predecessor has become pathological. He apparently was so upset over Barack Obama’s nationally televised graduation message to seniors unable to attend commencement exercises in person due to the pandemic that he went on a weekend Tweet rampage, accusing the former president of all sorts of nebulous crimes his minions of Fox News are labeling Obamagate.  He publicly stated that Obama was “grossly incompetent” (talk about projecting one’s own characteristics onto another) and has broken precedent by refusing to unveil the White House portrait of his nemesis.  Richard M. Nixon’s envy of the Kennedys and fear of opposing Ted Kennedy in 1972 led to Watergate and resignation in disgrace; DT’s asinine accusations against someone possessing class, grace, and gravitas - traits noticeably missing in the current White House - have left him with no credibility at a time when the country desperately needs it in a leader.  In the Washington Post Jennifer Rubin traced Trump’s efforts to de-legitimatize Obama back to the racist “birther” myth that he embraced and wrote: “As it becomes patently obvious that Trump’s presidency will go down as one of the worst in history and that his achievements are minuscule compared with Obama’s, Trump becomes even more frantic to position himself as a superior president. It is the sort of thing a narcissist crumbling under the pressure of his own humiliation would do.”

British writer Nate White wrote about what many of his countrymen dislike about DT:
    Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honor and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief. Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever. I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humor is almost inhuman. But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
    Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.  He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy or a greedy fat-cat. He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.

“Concrete jungle, animals are after me
Concrete jungle, it ain't safe on the streets
Concrete jungle, glad I got my mates with me”

    “Concrete Jungle,” The Specials

Having fulfilled my obligation to post ten album covers of Rock and Roll favorites, I couldn’t resist adding an eleventh and mentioning a few more underrated gems.  Produced by Elvis Costello, the Specials’ self-titled 1979 debut skillfully combined reggae and punk sensibilities into a ska classic that contained both original material and up-tempo renditions of Jamaican classics such as “Too Hot” and “Monkey Man.”  Phil, Dave, their friends, and I practically wore out the vinyl disk dancing to the catchy songs. Other popular choices in the Lane household were: “London Calling” by The Clash with the angry punk classic “Clampdown”; “Better Days” by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes with appearances by Jersey shore buddies Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt, and Jon Bon Jovi; Night Ranger’s “Midnight Madness” (1984) with “Sister Christian” and “(You Can Still) Rock in America.”  My list did not include mainstream Motown classics or well-known albums mentioned by others by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elton John, Bob Seger, Prince, Michael Jackson, Ramones, Cars or Police. Had I focused on the CD era, I would have included groups that I currently have on heavy rotation, such as Traveling Wilburys, Weezer, The Head and the Heart, The War on Drugs, and The Beths (I have been a fan of so-called girl groups going back to the Chantels and Crystals and the Donnas and Go-Gos).

The War on Drugs

In a New York Review of Books personal Auroaborealis3 wrote: “SCRABBLE, SEX AND SPANAKOPITA – not necessarily in that order.  Fabulous femme seeking soulful mate for love everlasting.” Spanakopita, I discovered is Greek spinach pie.  Also, a Chinese-Russian grandmother listed her interests as tai chi, theater, Buddhist meditation and War on Drugs.  Could she mean my favorite band?

 

Anne Koehler’s latest installment of her memoirs received dozens of likes and comments, including my wish to learn more about the man she married:

    My husband had gotten a graduate assistantship to Syracuse University in 1961. I managed to get a job as receptionist first in the Overseas Center and later the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. It was an interesting time. Students protested against the ROTC on campus and the Vietnam war. During one such event the chancellor struck a student with his cane in anger. This made big headlines the next day. In 1964 Bobby Kennedy was running for Senator in New York. He ran against the popular incumbent Republican Kenneth Keating. During a visit to consult with the faculty Bobby Kennedy walked past my desk. He turned his head as he walked out into the hallway and said: "Good Afternoon". Unfortunately, I did not have my camera ready. Part of my job was to sort mail. I remember having for forward mail for later Senator Patrick Daniel Moynihan who had previously been on the faculty there. Syracuse University had many overseas connections from Japan to East Africa I remember meeting freedom fighter and professor Eduardo Mondlane from then Mozambique. He later got killed. We celebrated the liberation of Kenya "Uhuru" as well as an Indian wedding ceremony, performed by an Austrian who had become a monk. Jakobine and Alfred Hobbs became our friends. She was from Denmark and he from South Carolina. Together they traveled around the world in an old London taxicab. Their story was made into a documentary "Alfred and Jakobine.” They owned Tibetan dogs "Lhasa Apsos" for which we babysat at times. Their home was decorated with treasures from their trip and resembled an anthropological museum.

    I will always miss the people and time at Syracuse University’

Eduardo Mondlane

Eduardo Mondlane (1920-1969) was a founder of the Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO).  Expelled from Portuguese East Africa, Mondlane eventually came to America, graduated from Oberlin College, and married Hoosier Janet Rae Johnson while studying anthropology at Northwestern.  At Syracuse University Mondlane taught history and sociology. He was assassinated in Tanzania when he opened a package containing a bomb.  Syracuse still hosts an annual Eduardo Mondlane lecture series on Africana studies.

Jim Reha posted the above"Cold War reenactors" cartoon

Around the Region

Gary sites: sunset at Marquette Park & inland marsh, photos by George Sladic

    “When does a man become a revolutionary?  Just when is that precise instant when he perceives with unmistakable clarity that he is but a humble tenpin in the cosmic bowling game of life.  And others are balls in that game.” Jean Shepherd, “Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters.”

 Johnny Carruthers, Dan Dakich, Matt Lelito

Dakich guards Michael Jordan

At Innsbrook Country Club in Merrillville sportscaster Dan Dakich spoke at the Andrean High School boys basketball banquet.  The 1981 Andrean graduate, who as a junior starred on the a 59ers team that reached the state semi-finals, congratulated the players for winning the class 2A championship.  Famous to Hoosiers fans for holding Michael Jordan to 13 points in IU’s 1984 upset of number 1 ranked North Carolina in the NCAA tournament, Dakich often announces Big Ten games and is especially hard on lackluster defenders. Dakich thanked the players for giving “old guys like me a hell of a thrill this year.”  Pointing out that he still holds the school record for most points in a single game, 49, he challenged sophomore Kyle Ross, who notched 31 against Hammond High, to “break the hell out of it.”  Afterwards, Ross told NWI Timesreporter James Boyd, “What he said motivated me to break that record, and I’m for sure looking forward to that.”  I saw Dakich play numerous times while he was Andrean.  In the state semi-finals against favored New Albany, he scored 32 points, but with no time left on the clock teammate Mike Paulson missed two free throws.  While in college Dakich worked summers in the IUN mailroom and was always affable when interacting with the History department members.

Jim and Marcia Carson were at the Chesterton bridge game after a lengthy vacation in Australian and New Zealand.  They visited the Al Noor Mosque just weeks after a gunman killed 42 Muslims attending Friday prayer. Outside, flowers, messages of hope, and other expressions of condolence were still plentiful.  A man approached Jim and Marcia and offered to take them inside, explaining that he had been at prayer when the assailant started mowing down worshippers right to left and would have been next had not a worshipper, Naeem Rashid, charged at the assailant, sacrificing his life.  It had to have been an incredibly moving experience.  Having been inside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, I could imagine what it was like inside.  Unlike the U.S., where nothing is done in the wake of mass shooting, New Zealand quickly passed gun control legislation. Prime Minister Jacinta Ardem described the mass killing as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.”

Driving west on 80/94 to IUN, signs warned of long delays due to flood water blocking several lanes near Kennedy Avenue.  Things looked OK at the Ripley exit, but before I could reach the I65 South exit, vehicles appeared to be at a near standstill.  I managed to ride on the apron for half a mile and didn’t get significantly delayed.  We’ve had an incessant downpour for several days, and that stretch of the expressway has been susceptible to flooding.

This NWI Times headline caught my eye: “I couldn’t hold it,” man says after urinating outside [North Porter County] government complex, police say.” Enough said.  Another headline read: “Drunken man arrested for nudity at the Dunes [State Park] after trying to enter others’ tents, police said.”  Dean Bottorff, former Post-Trib headline writer, could have improved on these.

Urban League chapter president Vanessa Allen-McCloud is opposing Merrillville attorney Adam Sedia’s selection by the Lake County Judicial Nominating Commission as one of three finalists to fill a seat on the Superior Court. Allen-McCloud noted that Sedia had posted Facebook messages disparaging Mexicans and Muslim immigrants.  One questioned the integrity of Judge Gonzalo Curiel, an East Chicago native, whom he inaccurately accused of belonging to an organization, the National Council of La Raza, that he compared to the KKK. Sedia subsequently deleted the posts and quit using Facebook.  Even though Lake County Republicans favored Sedia, Governor Eric Holcomb selected Hammond city attorney Kristina Kantar.  Downstate a gunman shot two judges, one critically.  The police first announced that they had just left a strip club and later amended the report to simply identify the crime scene as near a White Castle.

Mayors Karen Freeman-Wilson and Duke Bennett of Terre Haute (above) are holding their breath as Governor Holcomb ponders whether to sign the bill allowing land-based casinos in their cities, in Gary’s case near Route 80/94.  Freeman-Wilson told Dan Carden of the NWI Times:“For us, it’s always been about the ability to develop Buffington harbor into the North American Intermodal Gateway.  The movement of the casino out of this corridor will give up the opportunity to work with the private sector to develop this intermodal facility.  And it doesn’t just create economic opportunity for the city of Gary, but it creates it for all of Northwest Indiana.”

Phyllis Smock took a photo showing Ray with the Mueller Report in one hand and Sam Adams in the other.  He wrote:

    The Mueller Report lists at least a dozen examples of obstruction of justice for which Trump is not charged because a sitting president cannot be indicted, according to Justice Department rules. He is under investigation for his fake charitable foundation, which the State of New York ordered closed for being a money funnel for Trump, pretending to be a charity. And the list goes on. It is no exaggeration to say the President of the United States is a one-man crime wave. Only his position as president, aided by an army of private and government lawyers, have kept him from jail. He is not the only culprit. His hand-picked Cabinet officers have been involved in numerous scandals and abuses of power. People serving at high levels in the executive branch who have tried to speak truth to power have been shown the door, often learning of their firing via Twitter.

    The release of the Mueller Report, even in its redacted form, has set the president on edge to the point that he appears manic and paranoid. He is lashing out in all directions with outrageous charges. When Attorney General Barr preempted the Mueller Report with his own spin on it, declaring the president did not collude with Russians, Trump declared victory and pronounced himself vindicated.  But as the details of the Mueller Report started to sink in with Trump and with the public, Trump changed his tune and played the victim. He reverted to his earlier characterization of the Mueller investigations as a witch hunt. 

    Trump went way too far when he said before a crowd at the National Rifle Association that the Mueller probe was an attempt to overthrow the government tantamount to a coup against him and his administration. He said there was corruption at the highest levels of the Department of Justice. He claimed in his speech before the NRA that he beat back the coup without using a gun. He continued to run down the very government that he was elected to lead. It has never been about the government or the safety and security of the American people, it has always been about him, and how he has been maligned and hounded by Democrats.

Ken Orris came across my Portage Shavings at the library and located me at IUN, saying he had to have it.  I mailed him one free and included my latest, volume 48, more than three times the size of 96-page volume 20, with loads of photos in color and, due to modern technology, printed at a cost less than I paid 28 year ago, when the entire copy had to be re-typed and half-tones cost ten dollars apiece.

Former student Jim Reha, now retired from teaching but a docent at Saginaw Valley Naval maritime Museum on board the naval destroyer “Edson” wrote: “They needed an Army guy to keep the sailors in line. Seriously, I enjoy it greatly.  We even have a former mayor of Bay City as a volunteer.”  Reha also teaches military history to seniors at Saginaw Valley State University and will be speaking on JFK’s wartime experiences at a university luncheon. Toni and I were at Jim and Deb’s wedding, and before he moved away he gave me a series of Time/Lifepictorial histories covering twentieth-century American history decade by decade.

 Dick Maloney, Terry Kegebein, Jimbo, Mel Nelson, Frank Shufran; photo by Bob Fox

My bowling team, the Electrical Engineers finished the season in fourth place, up from fifteenth a year ago. I stuffed myself at the banquet; someone always brings delicious corn pudding, and another provides Polish sausage and sauerkraut in a crock pot.  My Cole slaw was popular; this year I provided a bowl and tongs, which made it more accessible than leaving it in the container.  I got Bob Fox to take a photo of the Electrical Engineers, including Melvin Nelson on the DL since January (between me and Frank Shufran; on my left are Dick Maloney and Terry Kegebein), but minus Joe Piunti, who only missed one week all year. Gene Clifford was sporting a black eye and other facial bruises. Turkey hunting, he tried to switch hands at the last moment, and the rifle recoiled, causing the injuries.  “All I got was feathers,” Clifford said, vowing to go out again if it ever stopped raining. Driving through Lake Station, I saw several homes surrounded by flood water, but Deep River had not closed Ripley Street like 11 years ago.

I finally saw the “Game of Thrones” episode “The Long Night,” with the climactic, hour-long battle scene at Winterfell.  Late-night comics had ridiculed how dark the scenes were, but it ably depicted the fog of war and the terror that the white walkers inspired. It was difficult to keep the three dragons straight and I was left uncertain about the fate of several characters, including Lady Brienne, but I loved that it was – spoiler alert – Arya and not Jon Snow who saved the day and saved the Night King.  Just three episodes to go – sigh.  

Dilly Dilly

  “What is this?”

  “This is a spiced honey wine that I’ve been really into lately.  So, dilly dilly, right?

  “Please follow Sir Brad.  He’s going to give you a private tour of the pit of misery.”

         Bud Light TV ad

Of all the commercials that aired during the NFL playoffs over the weekend, Bud Light’s 45-second “Dilly Dilly” spot ranked among the silliest; but it also has become one of the most popular, with several million YouTube hits.  “Dilly Dilly” threatens to join the Seinfeld “yada yada yada” phrase, meaning “blah blah blah,” in common usage, in this case as a statement of approval.  Webster’s actually defines “dilly” as meaning delightful.  Hearing “Dilly Dilly” reminds me of the silly Burl Ives song “Lavender Blue,” which begins:

Lavender blue, dilly, dilly
Lavender green
If I were king, dilly, dilly
I'd need a queen

In our troubled times, with such a dangerous demagogue occupying the White House, maybe a little silliness is called for.  Trump’s latest repulsive statement referred to Central American and African nations as “shithole countries” and expressed regret that more immigrants weren’t from places like Norway.   Sports is a great diversion, and both the Eagles and the Vikings won nail biters to set up an NFC championship showdown that this Philadelphia fan is certain to watch.

On Meet the Press, New York Times correspondent Helene Cooper responded to Trump’s statement about shithole African nations in this manner:

This country has always been seen as a nation of immigrants. And I'm one of them, coming from Liberia, which I guess would qualify for one of those African countries that President Trump disparaged. What I find really upsetting about this is that for so many years, I felt like such a proud American, like this is my country. When my family left Liberia when I was 14, we could have gone anywhere. But I would never have gotten to the point that I got in my life if we had gone somewhere other than the United States.  And that has always made me proud of this country: that you can come to with nothing and make something of yourself. And I feel like we're starting to lose that. And I can't begin to describe just how upsetting that can be personally, but also just how much damage that can do to the United States around the world and how other people look at us.

Also on Meet the Press: former U.N Ambassador and Atlanta mayor Andrew Young.  Asked by Chuck Todd whether he considered Trump a racist, Young replied:

I’m of the opinion that we were born in a very complex, multicultural situation. I prefer to use the term ethnocentrism because it goes way back and it doesn't help to put the label on any single person.  Martin Luther King said that nothing is more dangerous in all the world than sincere ignorance and enthusiastic stupidity.  And I think that could be applied to both parties and just about every member of the House of Representatives, that we don't really grasp the complexity of the times that we're in. And we're trying to simplify it and personalize it. And that will not work.  

When Todd asked if he thought Trump at age 71 was capable of change and redeemable, Young said:

Let me tell you something. I'm a Christian. And if we were not redeemable, we would not be committed to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ as much as we are. We are committed because we are sinners and know we cannot make it on our own. And I think he's kinda got to realize that too.

At the Archives last week, Amherst senior Max Steinhorn was researching Gary voters who supported George C. Wallace in the 1964 Democratic primary, when the Alabama governor carried every white precinct in the city, and, to a lesser degree, in 1968, when he was a third party presidential candidate.  I showed him my Sixties Steel Shavings and L.H. Whittemore’s “Together: A Reporter’s Journey into the New Black Politics” (1971). Wallace railed against “limousine liberals” who ignored white ethnic workers and forced inner city desegregation while sending their own kids to exclusive private schools.

Post-Tribune photo by Zbigniew Bzdak

Weather has caused traffic nightmares.  One day after an ice storm, a utility pole snapped, and a power line fell across 80/94 in Gary near Chase Street, blocking all lanes in both directions for hours. A sign warned me of the problem in time to exit at Route 249.  Some 5,000 Hammond residents lost power.  A few days later, ours went out for six hours. I did get to bowling and rolled my first 500 series of the season with games of 191, 144, and 171 in a losing effort to Just Do It Again.  Nearby, 81-year-old Gene Clifford had a 637 series.  When I congratulated him, he said, “Every dog has its day.” 

Becka’s Chesterton show choir performance went off as scheduled despite the threat of lake effect snow. So did bridge at the condo with the Hagelbergs, Barnes, and Herb and Evelyn Passo, in our group a quarter-century ago.

Becka and fans

I met Anne Balay at Flamingo’s in Miller prior to a gathering at Beach Café to celebrate the life and legacy of Jan Gentry, one of the 40 LGBT steelworkers featured in Balay’s “Steel Closets.”  Anne attended her funeral in a western Pennsylvania coal town and stressed how important Jan had been as a source for her path-breaking book. Anne asked me to participate in a roundtable discussion at October’s Oral History Association conference in Montreal entitled “Talking to strangers: teaching ethical Oral History Methods to undergraduates.”  Most participants are interested in marginalized groups – in Anne’s case, LGBT workers.  I suggested she ask Donald Ritchie, author of the popular primer “Doing Oral History,” to chair the session. My contribution will be to emphasize that interviews should be, in the words of historian Michael Frisch, a shared experience and that the goal should be “eureka moments” when both participants gain new insights.  It’s important that the interviewer believe in the importance of the task and, secondly, not discuss the content in detail beforehand with the subject.

My all-time favorite student Shannon Pontney’s brother Ricky died at age 35.  His father Rich Sr. passed away several years ago after falling and hitting his head.  He and wife Audrey once went with us to a Henry Farag’s Oldies concert with Dion as headliner.  Shannon and sister Megan were fans of Voodoo Chili.  The band learned “Don’t Change” expressly because Shannon was an INXS fan.  Ricky’s death is a real tragedy.  Shannon wrote:

My baby brother: I smelled your sweatshirt today that you wore a day before you died. It still smells like you. I just wish you were here with us. Mom misses you like crazy. She will forever be filled with pain. She will miss your company. I will miss you calling me Shanny and hugging me and laughing with me when I was in Hobart. I will miss your help on March Madness soon too! I wish I could just rewind time.

I almost went to the memorial service for Ricky but couldn’t bear to face the family.  Instead I put on The War on Drugs and listened to “Pain.” Here’s the chorus:

I've been pulling on a wire, but it just won't break
I've been turning up the dial, but I hear no sound
I resist what I cannot change
And I wanna find what can't be found

“Pain” made Robert Blaskiewicz’s “Best of 2017” CD, along with favorites “Can I Sit Next to You?” by Spoon and “Whiteout Conditions” by the new Pornographers, along with a bunch of good songs I hadn’t heard before.  Robert wrote: “It’s been a year of trying to find our bearings in the world, and a lot of songs here speak to that.”  The first selection, “Quiet” by MILCK, is a call for women to be true to themselves.

Tom Eaton, more than twice Ricky Pontney’s age, also passed away after having been stricken with cancer.  His beloved companion and bridge partner Pat Cronin told me that Tom spent his last days in a hospice, where the staff did all they could to make him comfortable.  Like me, he was a big Gary high school basketball fan.  Until recently, he made yearly visits to Paris and Rio; when Phil and I flew to Brazil for an International Oral History Association conference, Tom briefed me on what to expect and how to get around in Rio.  During the World Cup we both rooted for the Brazilians.  A leader in the Miller Citizens Corporation, gourmet cook, gardener, and collector of art produced locally, he was a true friend and sweetheart.

January 16 was Toni and my fifty-third wedding anniversary.  I mentioned to Becka and Angie, who spent the night due to heavy lake effect, that it snowed in Philadelphia the day of our wedding at St. Adalbert’s and that we took off cross-country in a VW the next day en route to California and, ultimately, Hawaii.

Federal District Court Judge James Moody sentenced 72-year-old former Lake County sheriff John Buncich to 15 years and 8 months in prison and fined him $250,000 for supposedly pocketing approximately a tenth of that amount in order to recoup campaign expenses.  After lecturing Buncich about his “shameful” conduct, he was immediately taken away in handcuffs.  During the sentencing hearing Buncich declared: “This is the darkest day of my life.”   I'm no fan of Buncich, but he got penalized for refusing to plea bargain and insisting that he promised nothing to towing companies who made campaign contributions to him and therefore had committed no crime.  His deputy who actually collected the money and copped a plea will likely get off virtually scot free.

Carolyn Potasnik

Barb Walczak’s Newsletter mentioned Dee Van Bebber and my 70.83% game and quoted my bridge partner as saying, “Jim is quite a gentleman, a very nice partner who does not criticize, and that’s always appreciated.”  Honored for becoming a bronze life master, Carolyn Potasnik told Walczak that her mother and uncle were great players and that she learned bridge while in high school:

My friends and I would meet at someone’s house after school and play bridge usually in the kitchen, hence the term “kitchen bridge.”  At college in Bloomington after dinner you would inevitably hear someone call, “Fourth for bridge.”  In Indianapolis at the medical center we played for one twentieth of a cent per point. Then at home I played in several bridge clubs. When I was introduced to duplicate, I was excited and loved the challenge.

During a Senate hearing 83-year-old Utah senator Orrin Hatch was caught removing a pair of nonexistent glasses.  Late night hosts had a field day, and a video of the incident has gone viral.  After he made the gesture, he made a motion as if putting down the imaginary spectacles.

 Deb and Jim Reha

My practice has been to reread Christmas cards when Toni removes them from the front of the China closet.  We have been exchanging Holiday greetingss with Deb and Jim Reha, one of my first students, ever since the 1970s, when he started teaching in Michigan. Once, in my evening Diplomatic History course, he ordered a pizza to be delivered to my classroom.  This year Deb wrote on their card: “Jim loves working for the Saginaw Valley Naval Maritime Museum.  Who ever thought an old army guy would find so much joy on board a navy destroyer.”