Minneapolis Is Apparently the Hill that The White House Wants to Die On, Part XII

Most readers will have seen the big news from yesterday by now, namely that "Border Czar" Tom Homan announced that ICE will end its "surge" in Minnesota, and will be drawing down the number of agents on the ground in upcoming weeks.

There is much that is squishy in that announcement, like how long it will take, and how many ICE officers separate "a surge" from "not a surge." That said, while allowing for the fact that Homan is a rather dishonest man who might be lying, it does look like there will be a retreat, at least for now.

The motivation here could not be more plain, particularly given the timing. Yesterday, the last-ditch attempt to resolve the impasse over DHS failed. There is no long-term funding bill, and there is no can-kicking funding bill, and the members left Washington on Thursday night for a weeklong recess. So, DHS will shut down on Saturday, and while ICE will have the money to keep operating for a while, other parts of DHS won't, as we wrote yesterday. And the White House's messaging will be: "Why are the Democrats shutting [TSA/the Coast Guard/etc.] down? ICE isn't in Minnesota anymore."

While the plan here is clear, we don't think it will work very well. At this point, ICE is very unpopular, and the various abuses are well known. Even if a third person is not gunned down in broad daylight, Renee Good and Alex Pretti aren't going to suddenly become distant memories. Indeed, the current administration strategy could ultimately serve as proof-of-concept for the Democrats: "See? We filibustered DHS funding, and now ICE has backed off. We need to keep pushing!"

Both parties expect the funding battle to linger for a long time, because on both sides, the base has drawn a line in the sand. For example, before fleeing Washington yesterday, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) told reporters: "I can't see the Dems voting for anything because they're not going to get pounded for funding ICE. And the Republicans on my side are not going to get pounded for hurting ICE." Keep in mind that the most recent, record-setting shutdown involved the entire federal government, and lasted 43 days. DHS is just one department, and the Democrats would really like to get to a point where ICE has burned through its rainy-day fund, and has to cease operations for a while. So, the number of days this time around could hit triple digits.

Meanwhile, what is going to happen with ICE going forward (assuming this draw-down is genuine)? Homan called the operation in Minneapolis "a success." Then he appeared on Fox for a nice chat with one of their entertainers, and decreed: "This is like any other surge operation. L.A., it ended. Los Angeles, it ended. Charlotte, it ended. New Orleans, it ended. This is ending the surge, but we're not going away. And let me say this, over 800 flights a day land in St. Paul, Minnesota. If we need to come back, we'll come back."

That does not sound like someone who has "learned a lesson" from the disaster in Minnesota, and who intends to plot a new and different course. Homan knows that what happened in the North Star State was politically very unpopular, and that ICE was rendered much less effective due to mass resistance. However, he also knows that the White House remains eager to go after alleged undocumented immigrants, and that significant elements of the base are pleased as punch with what is going on.

At this point, let us add another piece to the puzzle. The Wall Street Journal ran a piece yesterday full of dirt about DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her paramour, Corey Lewandowski. Most of it was stuff you would expect from the National Enquirer rather than the WSJ, and we will be honest that we don't really care how often Lewandowski stops by Noem's house for a pickle tickle. But there are two important things that come out of the piece. The first is that Noem and Homan hate each other. The second is that Noem is a show horse, one who loves, loves, loves to be in front of the cameras (to the extent that even the White House is unhappy about it). Homan is much more a below-the-radar operator.

So, with the information currently available, we would guess three things are going to be true: (1) that Noem will remain on the sidelines, and she might even be fired; (2) that Homan will remain in charge of ICE operations for the foreseeable future and (3) that Homan will keep cracking down, but will do so in as low-profile a manner as he can (for example, by raiding private businesses, where camera crews might not be able to follow). Whether this will work, well... we'll have some thoughts in subsequent entries in this series. (Z)

Trump vs. the Judiciary: Judges Fire a Shot, or Two, or Three Across the White House's Bow

The animosity between Donald Trump and his minions and the federal judiciary is reaching a fever pitch. Exhibit A is yet another defeat in Trump's ongoing efforts to steal future elections. In service of her Dear Leader, "Attorney General" Pam Bondi has been going around to various states to demand voter rolls and other non-public information about registered voters. She sent a letter to Michigan demanding full names, birth dates, addresses, driver's license numbers and partial social security numbers for all of the state's voters. When Michigan told the DOJ to pound sand, it sued. And now, the DOJ has lost. Judge Hala Jarbou, chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan and a Trump appointee, dismissed the suit on the grounds that federal voting laws do not require states to turn over the information demanded. This follows dismissal of similar suits in Oregon and California. Cases from the other states are still pending.

Exhibit B is the DOJ's defiance of court orders stripping U.S. Attorneys of their titles after a finding that they were unlawfully appointed. While Alina Habba and Lindsey Halligan eventually stepped down, Bill Essayli and Sigal Chattah are still serving as the top federal prosecutors in Central California and Nevada, respectively, despite also being disqualified (though Trump has nominated a permanent replacement for Chattah).

Last month, a court found that John Sarcone was unlawfully serving as U.S. Attorney for the northern district of New York. Instead of stepping down, he assumed the title of "first assistant" and continued in the top job. But without Senate confirmation, even a lawful appointment is only temporary and when his 210-day term expired this week, the Vacancies Act states that, in the absence of a Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorney, the district court judges in that district must select a U.S. Attorney. On Wednesday, the judges appointed Donald Kinsella to the position and swore him in during a private ceremony. On Thursday, the White House purported to fire Kinsella by e-mail. This was followed by a social media post from Deputy AG Todd Blanche, firing Kinsella and excoriating the judges for doing their jobs.

It's unclear what happens now or if the district judges have any recourse. There's no indication that the Department of Justice has appealed the ruling disqualifying Sarcone; it seems to just be ignoring it. Conceivably, the judges can file a suit for declaratory relief to get a ruling on the legality of their appointment of Kinsella. But more to the point, to have the DoJ publicly defy all the judges in a particular district and then brag about it on ex-Twitter is astounding. It also compromises public safety. The reason those judges refused to keep Sarcone in the job is because he is unqualified and incompetent. Kinsella, by all accounts, is an experienced federal prosecutor, which is critical for these offices to function effectively.

On another front, after Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) exercised his First Amendment rights by recording a video reminding military personnel of their rights to refuse illegal orders, he was censured by Secretary of Defense Pete Kegseth, er, Hegseth and a hearing was scheduled to reopen the determination of his retired grade, including his pay grade (he retired from the Navy with the rank of Captain). Kelly sued to stop this proceeding from going forward, arguing that as a retired military officer, he enjoys the same rights as any other American, including the right to speak out against the unlawful use of the military.

Yesterday, Judge Richard J. Leon, district court judge for the District of Columbia, agreed and granted Kelly's motion for a preliminary injunction prohibiting any change to his retired grade. Leon (a George W. Bush appointee) was not subtle in his rebuke to Hegseth and the Department of Defense: "This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees. After all, as Bob Dylan famously said, 'You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.'" As we've written, federal judges are serious and typically understated in their written opinions. Here, Leon's ruling contains at least seven exclamation points. One example: "To say the least, our retired veterans deserve more respect from their Government, and our Constitution demands they receive it!" And our personal favorite: "Horsefeathers!" This is one exasperated judge.

Leon agreed with Kelly that retired military personnel do not have the same restrictions on speech that active-duty military do. And that is doubly true when one is also a sitting member of Congress, as Kelly is. The court also agreed that Hegseth and the Department of Defense censured him and initiated a proceeding to downgrade his grade and his pay to retaliate against Kelly for exercising his First Amendment rights. The judge cited an amicus brief signed by 41 retired officers who said they are afraid to participate in public debates on the conduct of government out of fear of reprisal. "That is a troubling development in a free country!" The Court also found that Kelly had suffered "irreparable harm" as a result of the government's violation of his free speech rights: "And the Supreme Court recently confirmed that '[t]he loss of First Amendment freedoms, for even minimal periods of time, unquestionably constitutes irreparable injury.'"

Judge Leon concludes, "Rather than trying to shrink the First Amendment liberties of retired servicemembers, Secretary Hegseth and his fellow Defendants might reflect and be grateful for the wisdom and expertise that retired servicemembers have brought to public discussions and debate on military matters in our Nation over the past 250 years. If so, they will more fully appreciate why the Founding Fathers made free speech the first Amendment in the Bill of Rights! Hopefully this injunction will in some small way help bring about a course correction in the Defense Department's approach to these issues."

Where this case goes from here is anyone's guess but Hegseth can, of course, appeal. That would be incredibly short-sighted, as it would give another, higher court a chance to extol Kelly's military service, his bravery and all his sacrifices. In Leon's written opinion, he devotes several paragraphs to Kelly's background and his determination to continue to assert his rights in the face of intense governmental pressure to shut him up. He even compares Kelly's criticisms to Alexander Hamilton's questioning of "President Adams's fitness to command during the Quasi-war." Of course, Hegseth specializes in short-sighted. Cue the woodwinds and the snare drum. (L)

Oy, Vey!: Carrie Prejean Boller May Have Shaken Things Up

If today were not Friday, the headline of this item would have been "Who is the next Jew up?"

What could be the meaning of such a headline? Well, for our purposes, the current Jew up is George Soros. He is at the center of a million right-wing conspiracy theories, primarily as the funder of pretty much every protest big enough to make the news. This line of thinking channels centuries-old antisemitic tropes about how everything in the world is secretly run by Jewish puppetmasters. From where we sit, it's hard for us to accept that someone can indulge in that particular conspiratorial tradition without revealing something instructive about themselves.

The wee problem, for the conspiracists, is that Soros is 95. He's already handed off control of his business empire, and he can't be too far removed from shuffling off this mortal coil. So, when he's gone, who will become the new focus of the conspiratorial thinking? The right-wingers who want to deny the legitimacy of any and all protests NEED someone to play the role of puppetmaster. And again, thanks to centuries of antisemitic propaganda, the pump is primed for that person to be Jewish. Hence the question: Who is the next Jew up? Our guess is Soros' son Alexander, who is only 40 and who now manages his father's financial interests. Our dark horse guess is Steven Spielberg, who is wealthy, liberal, Jewish and very recognizable.

The larger point here is that there is a substantial undercurrent of antisemitism in many modern right-wing movements, and in nearly all far-right-wing and right-wing populist movements. And there is certainly such an undercurrent in Trumpism. Beyond the conspiratorial thinking that could practically have come out of the pages of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, there are also plenty of out-and-out antisemites who don't even bother cloaking their views in encoded language. That list includes Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Nick Fuentes and several others who have rubbed elbows with Donald Trump on more than one occasion. The people who actually work for the administration tend to be more cautious, most of the time, but not always. For example, before he got canned, ICE Obergruppenführer Greg Bovino indulged in antisemitic remarks at the expense of U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Daniel Rosen on more than one occasion. It's true, Bovino did eventually lose his job, but he didn't lose it because of what he said about Rosen.

We don't believe, for a moment, that Trump or his underlings actually care about antisemitism, per se. And we've heard from many readers who feel the same way. For example, reader M.R. in San Diego wrote in to comment on Trump's effort to exclude Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) from the annual meeting with the 55 state and territorial governors: "Also worth mentioning is that Polis is Jewish. The 'least antisemitic president' actually hates Jews unless they are: (1) in his family, (2) helping him personally, or (3) Roy Cohn. Add that Polis is a gay Jew in a state Trump feels he should have won, and his snub makes more sense."

We think it is not controversial to say that Trump's pretensions, when it comes to Jews, are fueled entirely by self-interest. The faux Zionism that the President and his underlings perform has little to nothing to do with Jewish self-determination or creating a safe space for those victimized by antisemitism elsewhere. It is driven by two things: (1) that support for Israel pleases evangelicals, who see Jewish control of that area as a precondition for the commencement of end times, and (2) that support for Israel is a poke in the eye of Islamic nations, most obviously Iran.

Trump's "concern" about antisemitism, specifically, is also motivated by self-interest. Specifically, he and his underlings have figured out that if they claim that [UNIVERSITY X] is antisemitic, then that gives cover for the administration's war against higher education. In just the last week, Trump used Harvard's alleged antisemitism as pretext for demanding $1 billion from the school. A few weeks before that, the administration sued the University of Pennsylvania because it did not comply with demands to hand over a list of all Jewish students and faculty. We don't exactly know what purpose such information would be used for, but anyone who has any sensitivity whatsoever when it comes to antisemitism would surely appreciate the unpleasant historical overtones of such a demand.

We think the two previous paragraphs cover about 95% of what fuels the Trump White House when it comes to Jews. And if this faux Zionism and faux concern about antisemitism also peel off some conservative/conservative-leaning Jewish voters, then that's just a bonus.

But again, the problem, politically speaking, is that there's a lot of antisemitism interwoven with Trumpism. And while the antisemites have largely played along for the first year or so of Trump v2.0, things are definitely fraying at the seams. That brings us to Carrie Prejean Boller, who is (or maybe was) a member of the White House's Religious Liberty Commission. Her qualification for that post is that... she was once a contestant in one of the beauty pageants that Trump owned. She's also a far-right, pro-Catholic activist and a good friend of Owens.

There is, of course, zero chance that the White House's Religious Liberty Commission is actually intended to promote religious liberty. It's meant to promote the notion that the White House cares about the religious liberty of people who follow the "correct" religions. This week's meeting was specifically tailored to communicate that the administration really and truly cares about antisemitism. As long as they were talking about left-wing antisemitism (on college campuses), then everyone was happy as a clam. But then Prejean Boller decided to wade into the question of whether it's antisemitic to oppose Israel, and things quickly went off the rails. And once the meeting was adjourned, the squabble continued on eX-Twitter. We'd say that if you want to understand where Prejean Boller is coming from, her re-tweet of an Owens tweet pretty much tells the tale: "Zionists are naturally hostile to Catholics because we refuse to bend the knee to revisionist history and support the mass slaughter and rape of innocent children for occult Baal worshipers."

In response to all of this, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-TX), who is also chair of the Religious Liberty Commission, told Prejean Boller that she's no longer a member. She is refusing to abide by that, and says she will only accept removal if the order comes from Trump himself. So, the President is theoretically going to have to pick a side, after having spent a year-plus trying to be Switzerland in this particular dispute.

Will he actually take a side? And will this drive a wedge between members of his base? We have no idea. But we do know that this is one of several uncomfortable alliances that has made Trumpism possible. And the more time that goes on, and the more he fails to deliver after having promised everything to everyone, and the closer he gets to being out of power, the harder it is going to be for these uncomfortable alliances to hold together. (Z)

Arizona Politics: A New Twist in the Governor's Race

The Democrats know who their candidate will be in this year's gubernatorial race in Arizona. It's the incumbent, Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ). The only other person to file paperwork, on the Democratic side, is Saint Omer "Captain" Ettré Divine K.A.K.O.U., who identifies himself as High Commander of The One Saints, Overseer of The Undead Saints Academy, First Guardian of The Thirteen Court Guard Saints, Resident of High Heaven CENTRAL and Servant of the Flame. Seems like his plate is pretty full, even without the governorship. In any event, our vast experience with politics and political analysis allows us to predict that Hobbs will eke out a victory and advance to the general.

As of yesterday, the Republicans also have a pretty good idea of who their candidate will be. Karrin Taylor Robson, who finished second to Kari Lake in the previous Republican gubernatorial primary, was first out of the gate, in late 2024, and managed to land Donald Trump's endorsement, along with the labor of some of his key people (like pollster Tony Fabrizio). Since then, however, the wheels have largely come off. Robson was having trouble with fundraising, first of all. More importantly, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) jumped into the race. Biggs has two things going for him, relative to Robson, at least from Trump's perspective: (1) He's more fervently MAGA, and (2) he has a penis. So, he ALSO got Trump's endorsement. The President didn't have the fortitude to withdraw his initial endorsement, but he did tell Fabrizio and the others to stop working with Robson. Yesterday, she saw the writing on the wall, and dropped out.

That leaves two Republicans still standing; in addition to Biggs, Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) is also in. However, Biggs has the backing of Trump and Schweikert does not. Further, Biggs has the support of Turning Point USA, which has a lot of influence in Arizona Republican politics, and Schweikert does not. And Biggs is also outraising Schweikert. So, expect the race to be Hobbs vs. Biggs. That will gladden the hearts of Democrats, because Robson is a stronger general election candidate than Biggs is, particularly in the likely political environment that will be in effect in November. Biggs' best hopes are: (1) that Hobbs, who is not a great campaigner, drops the ball and/or (2) that it's a "throw the bums out" year all around, and that incumbents from both parties take a drubbing. The problem here is that, in midterm elections, voters usually focus their wrath on bums who are members of the party that holds the White House.

And speaking of Lake, she is apparently trying hard to have a third act. She already blew a gubernatorial election in 2022, and a U.S. Senate election in 2024, so now she's lowered her sights and wants to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She visited the White House late last year, and waited for hours to see Trump, in hopes of landing his endorsement. Not only did Trump not have time for her, but several of his low-level advisers made clear there is "no enthusiasm" for her to run for office again. Lake has been a Trump sycophant for years, and has taken a hatchet to Voice of America on his orders, and this is her reward. Yet another person who refused to see that with Donald Trump, loyalty goes only one way (and also see below). (Z)

I Read the News Today, Oh Boy: Dream Chaser

We only had one hint as to last week's headline theme, and here it is: "we'll say that a popular TV doctor of the early 2000s would have a big advantage, we think." And here is the solution, courtesy of reader M.H. in Ottawa, ON, Canada:

The theme this week: words and phrases with "house"!

• TrumpWatch 2026: The President Is Making It Harder and Harder to Believe He's Not a White Supremacist—White House
• The Midterms, Part I: Garden State Election Too Close to Call—Garden house
• The Midterms, Part II: Only GOP-Held Seat in Nevada Will Be Open—Open house
• The Sports Report: MAGA to Sit the Super Bowl Out?—Outhouse
• In Congress, Part I: In DHS Negotiations, Neither Side Wants to Play Ball—Playhouse
• I Read the News Today, Oh Boy: The Moon Is Made of Green Cheese—Greenhouse
• This Week in Schadenfreude: Melania Documentary Is Officially a Flop—Flophouse
• This Week in Freudenfreude: Speaking Truth to Power—Powerhouse

And the early-2000s doctor in question is, of course, Gregory House from House, M.D.

This item's headline adds "Dream" to the list.

Here are the first 50 readers to get it right:

J.F. in Fayetteville, NC M.K. in Long Branch, NJ K.F. in Berea, KY J.T. in Philadelphia, PA D.D. in Bucks County, PA W.V. in San Jacinto, CA M.W. in Altea, Spain E.S. in Cincinnati, OH S.T. in Coventry, England, UK J.H. in Lake Forest, CA R.E. in Birmingham, AL B.M. in Chico, CA M.S. in Canton, NY P.A. in Redwood City, CA J.T. in The Villages, FL G.M.K. in St. Lucia/Mishawaka, IN A.O'N in Wiesbaden, Germany T.K. in Manchester, MO P.H. in Bozeman, MT M.M. in Dunellen NJ J.N. in Zionsville, IN K.R. in Austin, TX M.T. in Simpsonville, SC B.F. in Baltimore, MD J.M.R. in Chappaqua, NY

L.R. in Nancy, France B.P. in Salt Lake City, UT R.G. in Washington, DC G.K. in Blue Island, IL D.M. in Oakland, CA H.B. in State College, PA E.W. in Skaneateles, NY M.K. in Seattle WA R.B. in Chaska, MN B.B. in Avon, CT D.B. in Glendale, CA M.Z. in Sharon, MA C.W. in Littleton, CO D.H. in Clancy, MT S.K. in Ardmore, PA J.S. in Pittsburgh, PA M.B. in Albany, NY R.S. in Milan, OH M.H. in Ottawa J.E. in San Jose, CA P.H. in Fort Lauderdale, FL J.R. in Austin, TX J.S. in Huntington Station, NY T.P. in Kings Park, NY D.L. in Springfield, IL

The 50th correct response was received at 10:17 a.m. PT on Sunday (remember, we posted a day late).

For this week's theme, it relies on one word per headline, the Minneapolis headline is NOT part of the game, and the theme is in the category Sports and Leisure (though only because it definitely doesn't fit in any other Trivial Pursuit category). For a hint, we'll say "Bottoms Up!"

If you have a guess, send it to comments@electoral-vote.com with subject line February 13 Headlines. (Z)

This Week in Schadenfreude: White House Does Tim Cook Dirty

You would think that, if you've become the leader of a company that is one of the world's largest and best-known, you would no longer have to engage in the sort of bootlicking that lower-level employees have to do. But, as it turns out, rising to the top of the corporate ladder just means that you get to lick a higher quality of boot.

Case in point: Apple CEO Tim Cook. It is probable that, as a gay man who leads a very left-leaning company, he's not MAGA. But he desperately needs to make certain that Apple does not get hit with mega-tariffs, or with other such measures. So, he's puckered up, time and again. Cook gave Trump a Mac Pro (retail price: $6,999), despite the fact that Trump has no idea how to use that computer (or any other computer). Trump may or may not understand the significance of getting a Mac Pro, a large, unwieldy, but very high-powered machine designed for professionals who do complex video and audio editing. Mac Pros are assembled in Austin, TX. Cook obviously understood that Trump would not know how to use the computer since he gave Trump the base model, which is basically useless. A proper configuration with plenty of RAM and SSD would cost at least double that. Gold plating is extra. A MacBook, which would have made more sense as a gift, would have been a worse choice because MacBooks are made by Foxconn in China. Cook wrote a personal, $1 million bribe check to Trump's inauguration committee. Cook got in on the act of giving Trump silly awards, and presented the President with a custom-made plaque, complete with gold base. And, of course, Cook attended the Melania screening at the White House, and pretended to like the film.

So, what was Cook's reward for all this sycophancy? Well, this week, he was attacked by Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, accusing Apple of suppressing conservative voices on its Apple News+ platform. Ferguson claims the company may be in breach of the FTC Act.

Ferguson's argument is thinner than Twiggy, circa 1967. However, he knows that making a stink like this will generate some publicity, and will also please the boss in the Oval Office. Undoubtedly, Ferguson is also aware that Cook remains desperate to protect Apple's interests, and that he's folded like a cheap suit many times in the past. So, it is probable that Cook will announce some tweak to Apple's algorithms that will prioritize more right-wing content.

Needless to say, we do not have responsibility for a trillion-dollar company, so we cannot fully appreciate the situation that Cook finds himself in. However, we do know that Trump is a bully, and his underlings are bullies, and that when you give in to a bully, you encourage them to come back for more, again and again. We take the position that the smarter play is to stand up to Trump, who tends to back down in those situations, and to find another target to pick on. And, if Trump does not back down, well, that's why Apple has an army of lawyers. Instead, Cook chose the easier and more cowardly route, and now he's reaping the whirlwind. There's certainly some schadenfreude in that. (Z)

This Week in Freudenfreude: Jumpin' Jack Flash, It Was a Gas, Gas, Gas

Staff dachshund Flash, being a purebred, had his name bestowed upon him by his breeder. It was not a particularly apt name, as staff dachshund Otto could run circles around the slow-moving Flash. His full name, Jumpin' Jack Flash, did not make things more accurate, as Otto could also jump circles around him (if that's the correct way to put it).

Still, Flash's first forever home, which he came to as a puppy, had many trees and many squirrels, and he delighted in spending hours and hours tracking squirrels and trying to catch them. The squirrels were largely clever enough to stay way up in the trees, and so way out of reach of those short legs. Still, if they came down to ground level, they would get chased (though never caught). That's hardwired into the breed, and somehow Flash got endowed with a double helping of that particular instinct.

Also hardwired into the breed is a strong independent streak, and Flash was endowed with a double helping of that, too. His original human, Bob, signed him up for obedience school, as Bob had done for all of his dogs. If the woman leading the class is to be believed—and why would she lie about a thing like this?—Flash was the only dog ever to flunk out. They did let him walk in the graduation ceremony, but he didn't get a diploma.

Flash and Otto came to know each other when they were both about 9 months old, which is around the time dog park trips can commence. It was Bob who took notice of another black-and-tan dachshund puppy of similar age (Otto was born on December 21, 2010; Flash just 4 days later on December 25). So, Bob introduced himself, and became a close friend. Flash and Otto quickly became close, as well, not the least because Bob became Otto's designated dog-sitter on teaching days.

Flash and Otto were soon a well-known pair at the dog park. On Halloween, for example, all the dogs at the dog park are in costume, and Otto and Flash would usually go as Batman and Superman:

That's Otto on the left, Flash on the right.

All of this is not to say that the two dogs were alike, because that most certainly was not the case. Dozens and dozens of visitors, vets, people at the dog park, etc. all made variations of this comment: "Wow! They have such different personalities!" Otto always liked to play with other dogs; Flash not so much. Otto loves himself a good dog toy, for Flash a good dog treat would be much preferable. Otto very clever, Flash very tough. On walks, Otto was the navigator, Flash the security.

One story, among many. Several years ago, Otto was chewing on a nice beef bone that Flash wanted. Otto briefly put it down to get a drink of water, and Flash snatched it out from under him and started gnawing away. Otto was never going to challenge Flash directly, but after a few minutes of considering the situation, he suddenly ran to the front door and started barking loudly. Always interested in intimidating a bad guy/gal/dog, Flash dropped the bone and ran over to join in on the barking. At that point, while Flash kept barking at the phantom that Otto had conjured up, Otto peeled off, ran over to and grabbed the bone, and disappeared into the bedroom.

Bob died, suddenly and unexpectedly, in October of 2020. That is when Flash moved on to his second forever home. Over the nearly 10 years that Bob served as dog-sitter, Otto spent thousands and thousands of hours at Flash's home. And then, Flash came to live in Otto's home. Though so different in personality, the dogs knew each other so very well, they got on splendidly. That said, when it was feeding time, the bowls had to be put in different rooms to forestall any food-stealing shenanigans.

It's different for smaller and larger dogs, but by the time Flash made the move, he was either in his senior years, or right on the cusp of them. And as time went on, well... time is undefeated. He was once terrified of Fourth of July fireworks, but the ones in 2024 didn't bother him at all. Turns out, his hearing was failing him. Similarly, his vision began to fade, too. Oh, and he slept a lot, even by dachshund standards. Most of that sleeping was on a bed, underneath the desk from which this blog is written. Anything from the last 5 years that's signed with a (Z), there's a 99% chance that Flash was just 2 feet away while it was being produced.

It was a good thing that Flash slept so much, though. As he slowed, as his eyes weakened, as his hearing went away, his dreams were the only place he could once again track squirrels. And they were the only place where he could once again be with Bob, whom Flash loved dearly.

As readers have undoubtedly guessed by now, as of Tuesday morning, Flash sleeps forever. He had a long and happy life, and that realization is a source of freudenfreude, even at a sad time. If the universe is a just place, in even the smallest way, then right now he is with Bob again, and he has a nice, big field full of squirrels to track, and a nice, big bowl of steak to replenish himself with at the end of the day.

Good-bye, Flash. You were a good dog.

Have a good weekend, all and, if you have a moment, think a good thought for Mr. Flash. (Z)

---

Previous report         Next report

---

If you wish to contact us, please use one of these addresses. For the first two, please include your initials and city.

• questions@electoral-vote.com    For questions about politics, civics, history, etc. to be answered on a Saturday
• comments@electoral-vote.com   For "letters to the editor" for possible publication on a Sunday
• corrections@electoral-vote.com To tell us about typos or factual errors we should fix
• items@electoral-vote.com            For general suggestions, ideas, etc.

To download a poster about the site to hang up, please click here.

---

Email a link to a friend.

---The Votemaster and Zenger