Bob's Hailstone Chronicles 7-10-25 PM
Bureaucracy Fatigue and Burger Theater
Bureaucracy Fatigue and Burger Theater
When the News Breaks, Bob Bends It Back
By Jim Reynolds
www.reynolds.com
Grook: The Bureaucrat’s Curve
They shuffle slow, and talk in code,
They draft delays in every load.
But just when truth seems lost or bent,
Bob throws a pitch that’s heaven-sent.
Introduction: Wiffle Curve vs. the Red Tape Fastball
Today’s headlines feel like a game where everyone’s swinging with their eyes closed. Bureaucracy grows like mold, fast food becomes a campaign platform, and ICE cashes in while New York stores bolt their doors. But Bob? He’s reading seams like it’s ’62. Welcome to a world where the spin’s not just in the press—it’s in the burger grease and doctor’s clipboard.
The Return of 'All-of-the-Above' – Ruy Teixeira, Substack
Teixeira urges Democrats to revive their broad-based electoral strategy, warning that progressive purity tests are narrowing the party’s appeal. He champions a back-to-basics approach that prioritizes economic concerns over fringe activism.
Bob: "Turns out 'all-of-the-above' works better for energy than for pronouns."
Jim: "Pragmatism is now on-brand for liberals? I’ll believe it when I see it."
Leans: Message-Triage ModerateFed Has To Be Cleansed of Deep State Groupthink – Larry Kudlow, New York Sun
Kudlow slams the Federal Reserve for its progressive groupthink and lack of intellectual diversity. He warns that unchecked ideological orthodoxy among central bankers is distorting fiscal policy and undermining economic realism.
Bob: "Too many PhDs, not enough price tags."
Jim: "I get the feeling Larry doesn’t care for Jerome."
Leans: Inflation-Hawkish RightWhat ICE's Big Payday Means – Nicole Narea, Vox
ICE received a multi-billion-dollar boost in funding, sparking debate across the aisle. Supporters see a long-overdue investment in immigration enforcement; critics argue it will exacerbate fear and expand mission scope beyond humane limits.
Bob: "They finally funded the guys doing their jobs. Shocking."
Jim: "More money for law enforcement? We can’t have that."
Leans: Law-Enforcement Friction LeftBrennan Backstory: Obama’s Only CIA Guy – John Kiriakou, PBD Podcast
Kiriakou recounts how John Brennan was the lone CIA figure to publicly back Obama in 2008, earning trust that may have shielded him from scrutiny later. The podcast raises questions about personal loyalty and institutional integrity.
Bob: "That wasn’t vetting—it was an audition."
Jim: "With just one month left in office, who did Obama call to cook up a phony Intelligence Community Assessment?"
Leans: Insider History UnearthedChance to Hold Brennan Accountable – Hans Mahncke, The Federalist
Mahncke outlines the legal and moral rationale for reopening scrutiny into Brennan’s role in launching the Trump-Russia narrative. He argues this is not revenge but the beginning of long-deferred accountability.
Bob: "Better late than never, but never’s been getting good mileage."
Jim: "Brennan? Federalist? Russia? This one writes itself."
Leans: Accountability-Delayed RightAnti-Bureaucracy Measure Runs Into Bureaucracy – David Dayen, American Prospect
Reformers attempted to trim regulatory bloat with new anti-red-tape laws, only to find those efforts strangled by... more red tape. Dayen documents the ironic collapse of anti-bureaucracy within bureaucracy itself.
Bob: "Red tape has a union now."
Jim: "Government logic: To reduce paperwork, please complete Form 27-B."
Leans: Ironic Gridlock Center-LeftWhen Political Bias Infects the Doctor – Bethany Mandel, Washington Examiner
Mandel highlights how DEI activism is infiltrating clinical settings, pushing physicians toward ideological conformity at the expense of neutrality and trust. Patients are increasingly seen as political data points.
Bob: "Paging Dr. Woke."
Jim: "Trump’s medical leadership team needs to directly address this."
Leans: Hippocratic Irony RightOne Big Beautiful Bill or One Big Mess? – John Hood, RCP
Hood dissects a massive new legislative package combining worthy reforms with contradictory loopholes. The result: something everyone can hate, and few can explain.
Bob: "You can’t spell omnibus without 'bust.'"
Jim: "Every line of this bill comes with an asterisk."
Leans: Complexity-Confused CenterShoplifting Creating NYC Food Deserts – Steven Malanga, City Journal
Malanga exposes how crime and lax enforcement are driving grocery stores out of urban neighborhoods, especially in poor areas. What began as social justice reform now threatens basic food access.
Bob: "You broke the lock and lost the fridge."
Jim: "Same pattern of losing strategies."
Leans: Crime-Pays Progressive ReversalCulprit Making U.S. Unhealthy: Toxic Fat – David Kessler, Financial Times
Former FDA chief Kessler blames ultra-processed food for America’s rising obesity and metabolic disorders. The piece argues food science has engineered addiction, echoing tobacco tactics of decades past.
Bob: "We didn’t just supersize the fries—we shrank the willpower."
Jim: "I see fat people."
Leans: Metabolic Crisis Alarm LeftBorn Again in Liberty – James Eustis, RCP
Eustis pens a heartfelt tribute to U.S. citizenship as a global beacon of hope. From refugees to idealists, people still risk everything to earn a place under the stars and stripes.
Bob: "Still the best club in the world, even with the fees."
Jim: "We’re flawed, but we still beat the alternative."
Leans: Immigration-Optimist Center-Right
End Note:
They tried to feed us junk policy and call it nutritious. They dressed up bureaucracy as abundance. They even made ICE the villain and the burger the hero. But Bob’s still got that no-hole wiffle in his hand, reading every stitch of spin. Some days, the seams show. Some days, they fray. But as long as there’s light and air—and a little truth left—we’ll keep swinging. See you next storm.