Rage and disappointment

I’m old enough to remember the role played by a couple of investigative journalists from the Washington Post in revealing the Watergate scandal and bringing down the presidency of Richard Nixon. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a writer. This was probably the point when that ambition began to focus on wanting to be a journalist.

I read All the President’s Men. I went to see the film with my mother. I was in awe of these guys.

Yes, I know that was a long time ago. I know Bob Woodward is now very much an establishment figure, but I’ve still maintained my schoolgirl crush on him. And a couple of years ago I did enjoy reading his book Fear about the incompetence and corruption of the Wankmaggot White House. There really wasn’t anything in the book that I didn’t know or suspect, but it was a fun read nonetheless.

And now Woodward has a new Wankmaggot book out, Rage, in which he reveals that as far back as February the President knew exactly how dangerous coronavirus was. Woodward has him on tape saying so.

My first reaction was: Bloody hell. Then I flew into a rage of my own.

As I said last week when the story broke, If Bob Fucking Woodward had the president on tape, back in February and March, talking about how catastrophic Covid-19 was, he should have released the tapes then. He should not have sat on them for months. The money-grubbing bastard could have saved countless lives. I hope no one buys his fucking book.

When I saw that Woodward was going to be the guest last night on Stephen Colbert’s show, I hesitated about watching it. And then I thought, well, hopefully Colbert will properly take him to task. Woodward would try to squirm out of it, but hopefully Colbert would stand firm and tell the bastard in no uncertain terms that he cost people their lives, that he was guilty of gross contributary negligence.

Dream on, lady.

About 45 seconds into this segment, Colbert comments that Woodward has been criticised for not releasing the tapes back in March. Yes, I thought, here it comes. No, I quickly realised. Instead we got Colbert saying, “I believe that wasn’t necessary, because we actually knew what the truth was and if you watched the president you got a real sense that he was lying to cover up and try to save the reputation of his administration. I don’t think that was secret knowledge that the president was sharing with you.”

Oh, Stephen, Stephen, Stephen, you do disappoint. Of course we knew the truth. And by “we” I mean everyone who’s always seen the president for the venal, mendacious cocksplat that he is. Of course we knew he was lying. That’s not the fucking point.

The point is that the Wankmaggot’s hardcore supporters, that 35% of US voters who truly are a basket of deplorables, believe every bloody word that comes out of his boastful mouth. If they don’t hear it from their idol, it’s fake news. Hearing him say back in the spring that the virus was airborne, that it was worse than the worst flu in living memory might just have persuaded some of these idiots to take the pandemic seriously. Not all of them would have believed it, even hearing their hero say so. Some of them absolutely wallow gleefully in their ignorance. But enough of them might actually have wondered why what the Wankmaggot said in public was completely at odds with what he was saying in private, might have begun to grasp the severity of the situation, might have put on a fucking mask. Many lives might have been saved.

Of course we’ll never know, because Woodward did not do the right thing. He was sitting on gold dust and he wanted to collect. I’ve completely lost any admiration I once had for the man. Asshole.

And I am so disappointed in Stephen Colbert. Yes, he’s an entertainer, not a news anchor, but he’s also been one of the most vocal critics of the Wankmaggot. He has to know the implications of Woodward’s inaction back in the spring. I can’t believe he let him off so lightly.

Shame on them both.