Bob’s Hailstone 08-01-25
Bob’s Hailstone 08-01-25
By Jim Reynolds | www.reynolds.com
Grook:
Laws shift like fog upon the coast,
The guilty cheer, the silent roast.
One tribe’s crime becomes a cause,
While truth is bound by clapping laws.
Unifying Introduction
The dam is cracking, but the media insists it’s a decorative feature. This week’s stories bring fresh document dumps, rising backlash in academia, and the usual doublethink from the intelligence establishment. Even Brennan has resurfaced to assure us there’s “nothing to see.” Meanwhile, Wall Street profits off moral virtue, Big Pharma silences its critics, and Columbia’s deal might spell the end of elite protectionism in education.
Trump Held Firm, Got Exactly What He Wanted in Trade Deals
Phil Mattingly, CNN
Trump’s trade negotiation strategy—once described as dangerous brinkmanship—now gets a reluctant salute from CNN. Mattingly outlines how the former president stuck to his demands and forced key trading partners to yield. The piece avoids calling it a win outright, but the facts do that job just fine.
Leans: Left – weary corporate realism
Bob: They called him reckless, but he played global poker like a pit boss with a spreadsheet.
Jim: The narrative pivots when the scoreboard can’t be edited. If CNN continues to at least try to be truth-adjacent, they may survive the Trump presidency. Otherwise, they are toast. This .. WAS CNN”.
Another Major Document Release
Matt Taibbi, Racket News
Taibbi delivers another dispatch from the belly of the surveillance state. The documents expose further misconduct by federal agencies, including cross-agency coordination to suppress dissent. The tone is grim and methodical—expect more establishment backlash.
Leans: Independent – institutional skeptic
Bob: It’s not paranoia if the footnotes confirm it.
Jim: They say sunlight is a disinfectant. Apparently, Taibbi’s got a blowtorch. [We wrote concise and condensed articles here at Reynolds that covered the same publicly available material — in real time.]
These Referrals Are Baseless, They'll Be Dismissed
John Brennan, MSNBC
Brennan pops up on MSNBC to pre-dismiss upcoming legal trouble, calling it partisan theater. There’s no self-awareness that he may be performing the very act he denounces. Viewers are reminded that “national security” is still the fig leaf of choice.
Leans: Left – smug-Left sanctimony
Bob: When the godfather of gaslighting says it’s baseless, duck.
Jim: The architect always denies the blueprints when the building starts to collapse.
Obama Is in a Very Tricky Spot Legally and Politically
Sean Davis, FOX News Radio
A fiery radio segment explores the possibility of legal consequences creeping toward Obama over legacy intelligence operations. The host stresses how much of the apparatus was “outsourced blame.” The segment is light on evidence but heavy on conviction.
Leans: Right – gloriously unrepentant
Bob: He governed like Teflon, but history leaves a greasy trail.
Jim: If Obama’s legacy ever takes on water, there’s no lifeboat big enough.
Democrats Should Give Up on Hating Trump
Ruy Teixeira, Substack
Teixeira makes a pragmatic pitch: Democrats should focus on governing, not loathing. He notes that policy failure is often masked by emotional theatrics. The essay is calm, data-driven, and quietly scolding to his own tribe.
Leans: Center-Left – policy pragmatism
Bob: You can’t build a platform out of vengeance and hashtags.
Jim: When even their pollster-in-residence tells them to grow up, the base changes the subject. Author is becoming the “voice of reason” for the untethered left. Historically, not fruitful.
From 'He's Crashing the Economy' to 'It's a Mirage'
Byron York, Washington Examiner
York tracks how economic talking points about Trump have evolved—often contradicting each other. From recession panic to “it’s just a blip,” the shifts are less about data than narrative maintenance. The hypocrisy is sharp, and York skewers it cleanly.
Leans: Right – skeptical realism
Bob: Today’s panic is tomorrow’s memory hole.
Jim: If you can’t gaslight the numbers, try distracting the audience.
Columbia Deal Is a Blueprint. Higher Ed Should Fear What's Next
Nicole Narea, Vox
Narea covers the Columbia antisemitism fallout and settlement deal, suggesting it could lead to sweeping compliance reforms in elite universities. The piece is cautious but signals a potential reckoning.
Leans: Left – strategic concern
Bob: Ivory towers are starting to sprout fire escapes.
Jim: When Columbia flinches, others take notes—or subpoenas. Just one more seismic turn of events that would have been impossible to imagine a year ago.
Trump Forces Universities To Protect All Students
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, USA Today
The writer hails a Trump-era policy resurgence aimed at protecting Jewish students on campus. Citing recent legal wins, she argues this marks a shift from DEI politics to enforceable equality. The tone is hopeful, defiant, and clear.
Leans: Right – civil rights re-anchored
Bob: Equity is finally getting a legal spine.
Jim: They preached protection for all—until “all” meant someone inconvenient. Since when did we start getting non-lefty articles from USA Today?
Biden Failed on the Border, But Dems Can Still Win
Neera Tanden, RCP on SiriusXM
Tanden admits Biden’s border handling was weak but insists the party can pivot by focusing on economic narratives. She’s threading a needle between public frustration and election math.
Leans: Center-Left – tactical spin
Bob: Border collapse is now a messaging challenge.
Jim: Spin it all you want—Arizona still has eyes. America won’t forget what Democrats did to the southern border. This wasn’t policy—it was betrayal. And we’ll be living with the consequences for the rest of our lives. They need to keep paying the price, in elections and in history.
Big Pharma Demolishes Vinay Prasad for His Honesty
Alex Berenson, Substack
Berenson defends Prasad, who’s under fire for exposing Pharma’s data manipulation. The backlash is aggressive, with corporate and social media forces uniting to silence dissent. Summary constructed from teaser, web, and X.
Leans: Right – whistleblower sympathy
Bob: Telling the truth is hazardous to your revenue stream.
Jim: The real virus is transparency.
The Moral Arbitrage Driving Wall Street Profits
Oren Cass, Commonplace
Cass exposes how ESG branding lets hedge funds profit off politically insulated bets. He outlines the mechanisms clearly, showing how moral signaling conceals cynical speculation.
Leans: Center-Right – institutional criticism
Bob: When virtue goes public, somebody's cashing in.
Jim: Wall Street found a way to monetize your guilt—and get a tax break.
How Apple Helped China Become a Tech Superpower
Kainoa Lowman, Am. Prospect
Lowman chronicles how Apple’s global strategy fueled China’s tech rise. The story is rich with data, showing complicity from American execs. The piece warns this is only phase one.
Leans: Left – reluctant economic realism
Bob: Freedom comes preloaded with export controls.
Jim: The factory of the future is authoritarian with a minimalist design.
Secret Service Stops Ex-Chief's Security Clearance Renewal
Crabtree & Eustis, RCP
The piece breaks down internal friction in the Secret Service over a former official’s access. The cancellation follows leaks and partisan tension. Implications for chain-of-command trust are discussed.
Leans: Center – internal accountability
Bob: Trust is the first thing to expire in D.C.
Jim: Even the watchdogs have watchdogs now. Maybe they need watchdogs, too.
Billy Joel Repeats 'Very Fine People' Hoax in Documentary
Brianna Lyman, Federalist
Lyman calls out the pop legend for citing a debunked claim in his new doc. The article argues the media myth continues because it’s politically convenient.
Leans: Right – narrative correction
Bob: Piano man sings fake news in F major.
Jim: When legends repeat lies, it’s not nostalgia—it’s propaganda. If Billy’s movin’ in — I’m movin’ out. Don’t ask me why. You already know.
Israel's Gains Against Iran Won't Translate Into Peace
Dalia Kaye, Foreign Affairs
Kaye argues recent tactical wins won’t ease regional volatility. She cautions that long-term diplomacy is still essential.
Leans: Center-Left – caution-first policy
Bob: You can win battles and still lose bedtime.
Jim: Peace by attrition is still war.
Bugs Bunny Trial: The Loony Legal Offensive Against Netanyahu
Gadi Taub, Tablet
Taub uses humor to critique Israel’s legal assault on Netanyahu. The piece blends satire with serious constitutional concerns.
Leans: Right – judicial skepticism
Bob: When the courtroom goes cartoon, real democracy gets flattened.
Jim: The gavel’s lost its gravity.
Don't Overlook Hillary Clinton
Kenin Spivak, RealClearPolitics
Spivak suggests Clinton could still re-emerge in 2028 or as a kingmaker. He reviews her alliances, positioning, and untouched campaign funds.
Leans: Center-Right – skeptical foresight
Bob: She’s not gone—just waiting for history to forget.
Jim: The ghost of 2016 haunts the server room. Time will tell if she can evade RussiaGate fallout. Kingmaker? Hard to be a pawn broker from prison.
🪶 End Note
The contradictions are not mistakes—they’re doctrine. From campus crackdowns to trade wins, from myth maintenance to legal slow burns, the stories tell a single tale: power pretends to forget, but the people remember.
All stories referenced here come from the RealClearPolitics homepage. For full articles, visit the site directly.
Friday Optional Extra
MONK’S CAFÉ – DAY
Jerry and George sit at their usual booth. George is waving a crumpled copy of the day’s RCP story list. Jerry sips coffee, amused but skeptical.
GEORGE:
(reading)
“‘Another Major Document Release,’ ‘Trump Got What He Wanted,’ ‘Brennan: Referrals Are Baseless.’ Jerry! It’s all unraveling! It’s like Watergate, but without Deep Throat!”
JERRY:
So what are we up to now—Scandal Season Four? Do we get a new theme song each time, or just recycled outrage?
GEORGE:
And Taibbi’s out there again with files and footnotes! Who keeps giving this guy access? I can’t even get my bank to reset a password without ID and a blood sample!
JERRY:
Brennan says everything’s baseless. That’s rich—he was the architect of “baseless.” It’s like the arsonist blaming the fire for being flammable.
GEORGE:
(leans in)
And Billy Joel—Billy Joel, Jerry!—is pushing the "very fine people" hoax again in his documentary! I loved that man. He gave us “Vienna.” Now he gives us CNN with a piano intro.
JERRY:
Well, you can’t always be the Piano Man. Sometimes you’re just a guy in a tux playing “Misinformation Rag.”
GEORGE:
And the border? The Democrats torched it! Now they want to pivot? You don’t leave your door wide open for three years and then install a deadbolt the day of the HOA inspection!
JERRY:
They treat betrayal like a branding problem. “Just relabel it as inclusive migration acceleration and keep moving.”
GEORGE:
I swear, if I committed half of this stuff, I’d be living under an assumed name in Newark.
JERRY:
You already are living under an assumed name in Newark.
(They clink coffee cups. Freeze-frame. Theme riff plays.)