Greeson: More Trump backlash, racist Dr. Seuss, Corker replacements, Monday heroes

Jay Greeson
Jay Greeson

Sometimes you have to wonder whether the Trumps believe they can do anything that pleases people.

Sure, there are a lot of things that could be better, and we've talked about some of them.

But for the love of "Green and Eggs and Ham," First Lady Melania Trump tried to donate 10 books - Dr. Seuss books - to a school library in Cambridge, Mass., and her gesture was rebuffed.

To make matters worse, the "thanks but no thanks and go stick it" letter from elementary school librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro teetered between preachy and sarcastic - including use of language most of us would chastise our elementary school kids for using - and was downright rude.

photo Jay Greeson

Soeiro also played the race bookmark on the selections, which included some of the all-time controversial titles like "Oh the Places You'll Go" and the "Cat in the Hat."

Man, the takeaway here is two-fold. The adage that no good deed goes unpunished is still as true as ever. And sadly, we as a society are more accepting of this type of rude behavior than ever before.

Speaking of the president...

Earlier this week, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner died. As a lot of folks were looking back on Hefner's legacy, good and bad, some took some excerpts from a 1990 interview with Donald Trump that are more telling 27 years later.

It plays from the pages of that 1990 issue with The Donald on the cover as follows:

"I don't want the presidency," Trump said. "If I ever ran for office, I'd do better as a Democrat than as a Republican - and that's not because I'd be more liberal, because I'm conservative. But the working guy would elect me. He likes me. When I walk down the street, those cabbies start yelling out their windows."

The interviewer then pressed and asked - back in 1990 mind you - what would be the first thing President Trump would do in the Oval Office.

"Many things," Trump replied. "A toughness of attitude would prevail."

We'll see if that proves true close to three decades later.

Sign of the times

What a crazy week. Among all of the craziness of the week - and it's been everywhere - CNN had this headline on its website that perfectly depicts how far out of whack all judgments on importance are at this moment:

"If North Korea aims a missile at us, will NFL players kneel or support veterans?"

I really wish I was kidding about that.

Senate replacements

Well, sadly, my guy Bob Corker has said he will not seek a third term in the U.S. Senate. Alas. I am a fan of his work.

With that news comes the flood of names - everyone from Peyton Manning to Andy Berke and just about every famous Tennessean this side of Dolly - rumored to be interested in Bob's chair in Washington.

Manning has wisely said thanks but no thanks.

Berke is mulling things over before making a decision, which pretty much describes the last six years of his slow-moving service as our city's mayor.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said he is praying on it, which roughly translated means he's waiting to see if his billionaire daddy is good with that. He'll have to wait for an answer since Daddy Haslam has some Butch Jones issues to deal with.

(Side note: Want to know someone else praying for Haslam to make a run into national politics? Dana Carvey, who is a spitting image of the Tennessee Republican. Man, with what Trump did for Alec Baldwin's career, Haslam going to Washington could get Carvey some much-needed work.)

Monday's heroes

Normally I tip my visor for folks doing good things around us. I almost went with the Make-a-Wish folks because a) it is a glorious organization and b) September was childhood cancer awareness month.

But I'll go here, because with all the outside angst around the NFL, I need to share the good stories, too.

Here's betting the NFL is going to plead with the pregame shows to find as many stories like this one this Sunday: Deshaun Watson is giving last week's game check - roughly $27,000 - to three cafeteria workers at the Houston Texans facility who lost everything in the hurricane last month.

Watson was raised by a single mother in a house built for them in Gainesville, Ga., by former NFL running back Warrick Dunn's work with Habitat for Humanity.

Way to go, Deshaun. That's impossible to protest, my man.

Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343.

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