Yep, it was a good song by Leo Kottke (which you can see performed here) but it’s generally true in human affairs. By now, it feels like Trump has been Occupant of the White House for months, but it’s only been weeks. The lies he and his representatives have spewed before the public have been nothing short of breathtaking. Unpresidented, as Trump himself would say. And they keep coming.

What’s even more astonishing is that his supporters see his lies as evidence of his genius.

“He’s keeping the press off balance, and that’s a good thing,” said an 80 year old woman who voted for Trump. “This is how you negotiate in business. You never show the other side your hand.” I was at a loss for words to respond. I began, “But the government is not a business…” and then lost heart, knowing fully that I was just blowing air, that it mattered not to the listener that I was giving sound reasons why she might want to reconsider her opinion.

I then cast my mind back to a time, some years back, when Obama told the Syrian leader Assad that there was a red line that he dare not cross, and that red line was the use of chemical weapons. When Assad used chemical weapons anyway, Obama hesitated, then asked Congress for permission to launch a military strike.

This was disingenuous at best, stupid at worst. Obama knew that the Republican Congress wouldn’t vote to set the Statue of Liberty aright if it fell over, were it Obama’s idea to do so. Predictably, Congress rejected his request and nothing was done.

So what did Obama supporters say? “Genius! He put the responsibility on the Republicans and they screwed up! Now Syria is THEIR responsibility!”

You should live in Dave’s hands / at Sunnybrook Park

Counting little days there / turning into dark.

Everybody lies.

To which I would add: Everybody lies — to themselves, especially.