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(SitNews) - "This just in," as we say in the news business.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher recently called Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to complain about President Donald Trump.

This is indeed big news, mainly because Thatcher has been dead for six years. 

But, if the former vice president says he spoke to Thatcher, who am I to question?

Biden later corrected himself and said he was talking about current Prime Minister Theresa May, who is very much alive. Biden called the mistake a "Freudian slip," which is also kind of a strange thing to say.

Ironically enough, Biden make the Thatcher comment during a fundraiser in South Carolina during which he called Trump a "clown."

Trump supporters pounced on the Thatcher reference because they like to portray Biden as a sort of inappropriate, forgetful uncle who shows up every Thanksgiving and, after he leaves, you're thankful you don't have to see him for another year. 

But, never to be outdone, President Trump returned the favor and gave the left, and the media, yet another reason to gesticulate.

I wrote a few weeks back about how Trump finds a way to insinuate himself into news events that have absolutely nothing to do with him.

He did it with the Notre Dame cathedral fire when he offered firefighters some unsolicited advice on how to extinguish the blaze.

This time the topic was the controversial finish of the Kentucky Derby. The horse that crossed the line first was disqualified for obstructing the path of other horses.

Trump tweeted: "The Kentuky Derby decision was not a good one. It was a rough & tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch. Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby - not even close!?" 

The media immediately noticed both the "political correctness" reference and the lack of a "c" in Kentucky. The latter was an honest mistake which Trump later corrected. Nevertheless, the tweet became fodder - as most of Trump's tweets do - for The New York Times, CNN, among others.

"It's about the man behind the tweet. A man who also happens to be the leader of the free world," wrote CNN's Chris Cillizza in a full-blown "analysis" of the tweet.

I don't know what Trump meant by "political correctness" but at least I spent way too much time thinking about it. Was the winning horse an illegal immigrant? Was he banned from speaking on a college campus? Did he wear a MAGA hat to the Derby?

I told you I spent too much time thinking about it.

Democrats, your serve.

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez enjoys sharing videos of herself that make her look clueless. Ocasio-Cortez, keep in mind, is the author of the "Green New Deal" which would cost somewhere between $51 trillion and $93 trillion and features a variety of unrealistic goals including eliminating fossil fuel use in 12 years and rendering air travel unnecessary.

But in the short term, she has bigger fish to fry, or dispose of, as the case may be.

She posted a video in which she reveals a discovery in her new apartment.

Behold! She gives you...the garbage disposal.

"OK everyone I need your help," she says in the video, "because I just moved into this apartment a few months ago and I just flipped a switch and it made that noise and it scared the daylights out of me. I am told this is a garbage disposal...I've never seen a garbage disposal. I never had one in any place I've ever lived." 

Say what you will about Donald Trump but the man knows a garbage disposal when he sees one.

Republicans, back to you.

Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, recently called the presidential candidacy of Colorado Democrat Michael Bennet a "Seinfeld campaign - about nothing."

The reference to the popular sitcom did not escape the notice of one of its stars, Jason Alexander, a.k.a. George Costanza, who tweeted, "I've met Bennett. He is a great man and real choice for POTUS. As for Cruz - the jerk store called and they're running out of you."

If at this point, you're asking, what happened to political discourse in this country?

Here's more breaking news: This is it.

Copyright 2019 Rich Manieri, distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.  Rich Manieri is a Philadelphia-born journalist and author. He is currently a professor of journalism at Asbury University in Kentucky. You can reach him at manieri2@gmail.com His book, "We Burn on Friday: A Memoir of My Father and Me" is available at amazon.com.

 

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