West: News like Abbott and Costello

BY MIKE WEST

Yours truly is taking a "time out" from national politics.

And why is that?

Statements from President Trump and coverage of them on TV and the internet have me so confused.

In fact, I feel a little like Lou Costello....

Who's on first? The late Lou Costello was a comedian back in the day. Way back. Costello and his partner Bud Abbott were considered America's top comedians back in the 1940s. (Actually, that was way before my time, but TV picked up their act and the internet continues it to these days.

Well anyway, Abbott and Costello's best-known routine centered around baseball.

LOU: I love baseball. When we get to St. Louis, will you tell me the guys' names on the team so when I go to see them in that St. Louis ballpark I'll be able to know those fellows?

BUD: All right. But you know, strange as it may seem, they give ball players nowadays very peculiar names.

LOU: Funny names?

BUD: Nicknames, pet names. Now, on the St. Louis team we have Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third---

LOU: That's what I want to find out; I want you to tell me the names of the fellows on the St. Louis team.

BUD: I'm telling you: Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third.

LOU: You know the fellows' names?

BUD: Yes.

LOU: Well, then, who's playin' first?

BUD: Yes.

LOU: I mean the fellow's name on first base.

BUD: Who.

LOU: The fellow playin' first base for St. Louis.

BUD: Who.

LOU: The guy on first base.

BUD: Who is on first.

LOU: Well what are you askin' me for?

If you don't remember that comedy routine, the text above should clue you in. It's total confusion ... almost like trying to have a conversation with Courier Columnist Dan Whittle.

Anyway, the end result makes my head hurt and makes me twice as confused as I was before.

That's exactly like what's going on in Washington. And there's plenty of blame to share, but at this point, determining the real cause is impossible.

That's why I'm ignoring the Washington news for a yet-to-be determined period.

So until things straighten out a bit, my eyes are closed and my ears are plugged. It's not like I can really do anything about any of it.

Of course, the TV news is still on at my house. My dear mother-in-law is there and she loves Donald Trump and can't hear enough about him, his family and his achievements.

Even crazier is all the political items on Facebook. Don't get me wrong. I like Facebook and keeping up with friends both far and near, but I dislike all of the political stuff on there. I won't even get into the fake news. I'm constantly blocking all those folks.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against our new president. It's all the chaos that I can't stand. Both sides are yelling and I tend to ignore it. It's all BLAH, SCREECH, BLAH to me. They need to calm down and get back to work.

Please! Dadgummit.