Donald Trump vs the MSM. Who will win?

President Trump understands that the MSM is out to get him.  They have a giant megaphone, and with only a few honorable exceptions, they all speak with one voice.  They don't like Donald Trump, and they plan to make his term as president as miserable as they can. 
   President Trump has been pretty vigorous in trashing the MSM for dishonesty and slanted stories.  He understands publicity and public relations as well as they do. The presidency is still a bully pulpit.   He understands that mud sticks.  When they smear you, you have to say something, the public isn't going to forget the smear.  If they don't hear the target defend himself, they assume he is guilty.  They assume that an innocent man will defend himself against the smears, no defense, and the guy is probably guilty.  Trump understands this, and had defended himself vigorously, and so far, it has worked for him.  His twitter account is smoking hot, and it puts President Trump's views in front of the entire nation, and the MSM does' get a chance to slant or edit his views.  The MSM has been bitching about Trump's tweets because they cut the MSM out of the game.  It's like FDR's famous fireside chats in the 1930's.  Roosevelt's words went nationwide unedited and unslanted. 
    And the MSM has damaged it's credibility during last year's campaign.  Now, few Americans believe what they see on TV or read in the papers.  When Trump slams the MSM, the voters are inclined to believe him.
   I don't see a truce coming.  I think we are going see a head on collision between the President and the MSM.  There is a fair chance the MSM will loose. 

Do you love your plastic?

Every one gives it out.  Political parties, veterans aide groups, charities, the NRA, everyone.  Make a contribution, and you will get a membership card. Sometimes high grade plastic, like a credit card, sometimes cheaper cardboard.  Same size and shape as a credit card. The one from Judicial Watch was transparent plastic, a cute touch. 
  Why do we care?  Perhaps Walter Mitty rides again.  A vision of striding up to a closed and guarded door, flashing our membership card, the guards saluting and opening the door.  Right.  Happens all the time. 
   Do we think down deep that since they look like credit cards they might actually be credit cards?  With money on them?  Dream on.
   Dunno why, but before attending a party function I often stick the party member ship card in my wallet.  And, I don't chuck these things, I put them in my desk drawer against some future need.  Right now the stack of 'em is an inch thick. 
   And, come the next dear-member-please-send-money letter, I am just a tad more inclined to write out a check if I have a membership card in that one inch stack. 

The TV is on, and the Inaugural is the only thing happening in the whole wide world

Early this morning the Fox crew was getting some "man in the crowd" shots.  Big crowd, all enthusiastic, lotta red Trump hats, some NRA hats, rain gear.  Everyone one in the crowd was happy the chant USA. USA, or Trump, Trump.  I'd call it solid support. 
   The parade didn't get off until nearly 4 PM, it will be dark before the last marchers get past the reviewing stand.  They had a platoon of Redcoats, Brown Bess muskets and all, march by.  Melania Trump showed up in a stunning blue suit that made her look like a million dollars. 
  Other than the drizzling rain that lasted on and off all day, it was a good show. 

I'm getting sentimental in my old age

I watched today's before the inagural festivites, laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier followed by a concert at the Lincoln memorial.  After some good Nashville country music the choir sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic, and fireworks burst in the sky, I found tears in my eyes. 
   It's a good thing to have a big national celebration every four years, just to make all us citizens feel good about our country. And those 60 odd democratic Congressmen who are not coming to the inaugural are missing something good.

So are these guys politicians or what?

As of last night we have 50-60 democratic Congressmen saying they will not attend the inauguration tomorrow.  Trump is going to see this as a slight or even a slap in the face.  And Trump is president for the next four years, maybe more.  And to get anything to happen in the US of A, the president has to get behind it.  At least to speak well of it on TV.
  These 50-60 democrats must have things they want to get done.  They are all serving for another two years, and they have decided to start off by irritating Trump.  Which is going to make it harder for them to get Trump to do anything, OK anything, say nice things about something they care about, appoint their friends to federal office. 
   The job of a politician is to cut a deal between opposing sides.  Part of cutting a deal is not insulting one side.  These Congressmen seem to have forgotten that, they are doing insults before Trump is even inaugurated.  Good luck getting Trump to help you out on anything, even just renaming a Post Office in your district.
   We shall see.  Maybe in two years a lot of these guys will be replaced with Republicans.  

So I watched Obama's last press conference on Fox News

Obama spoke for an hour.  H managed not to say anything of substance in all that time.  Obama is a master of the modern political speak, smooth words, motherhood and apple pie, nothing anyone can disagree with, but never a number, never a fact, never a promise of real action.  Pablum, meaningless pablum.  And that is all we have gotten out him for the last eight years. 
   Politicians spoke better in the old days.  "Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." " The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."   "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."  "We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight them on the landing grounds... We shall never surrender."  In eight years Obama never said anything in that class.  
   Trump is a better public speaker than Obama.  He can stir the emotions of the crowd, and talk about concrete things, a wall, a tariff, taxes.  After listening to Trump, there is no question in anyone's mind where Trump is coming from and where he wants to go.  

What Seventeen Intelligence Agencies?

Several times this month, the MSM has stated that all seventeen US intelligence agencies support this or that.  Seventeen? Do we really have seventeen different intelligence agencies?  I know of CIA and NSA and DIA.  And I guess the National Reconnaissance Office (surveillance satellite operators) counts.  But does the FBI count as intelligence? They are supposed to be police.  What about Secret Service?  They are supposed to be presidential bodyguards and federal anti counterfeiting police. 
   Anyone know of the other thirteen intelligence agencies? Like what their names are and what they are supposed to be doing with my tax money? 
   Somehow I feel that we could shut down  five or six such agencies, and save money and improve our knowledge of what's going on in the world.  Certainly CIA's record over the years has been so bad as to make me doubt anything coming out of CIA.