Don't blame Melania, blame campaign
Poor Melania.
Seriously. A speech writer, or at least a speech editor, failed her.
Certainly using Michelle Obama's 2008 convention speech was an excellent model for inspiration. But someone didn't help Melania Trump change enough words to reflect her own heart, thus she and the Trump campaign found themselves Tuesday morning in the vortex of a plagiarism controversy.
But give Mrs. Trump her due. On the stage she had poise, beauty and a convincing delivery. She was regal, doing a job - making a televised speech in front of an estimated 30 million people - that clearly was not high on her bucket list. Someone failed her, and the omission shows yet again how the Trump campaign seemingly is held together with string and bubble gum.
The irony of ironies, of course, was whose words were used as the model for Melania Trump's speech.
The GOP has spent seven and a half years maligning the Obamas' values at every turn. For heaven's sake, Michelle Obama even came under fire from the Republicans for trying to make school lunches healthier. So it defies any reasonable explanation how Melania Trump and GOP handlers came to borrow from an Obama convention speech.
Oh, but wait. Michelle Obama did make a warm, heart-felt and compelling speech in 2008.
Truth be told, the Trump campaign didn't even use the best parts of it. They couldn't. Mrs. Obama talked of experiences in law and in community organizing that neither of the Trumps have. And it wouldn't be quite the same to talk about modeling and Trump University.
Tennessee legislature shows itself
Don't ask, don't tell.
That's apparently the motto of the Tennessee General Assembly.
A newly released 48-page report from the state Attorney General's office found that Republican Rep. Jeremy Durham, elected in 2012, used his power and position to sexually harass women and was enabled by a Capitol Hill culture that involves deals over drinks, late-night meetings and a good-old-boy network that looked the other way.
Speaker Beth Harwell told the Tennessean newspaper in Nashville that nothing could have stopped Durham, who used his nearly five years in elected office to methodically harass or sexually take advantage of at least 22 women.
"I don't think anything could have avoided what happened. He violated our current policy, and I think he would violate any policy," Harwell said last week.
Durham, 32, resigned his majority whip post in the House of the Representatives after three women went to the Tennessean newspaper with complaints about text messages sent by Durham. The women had sought help from other lawmakers, lobbyists and legislative staff members and colleagues - to no avail. The women did not file formal complaints because they feared for their jobs. Indeed, as the Tennessean pointed out this week, the Capitol's culture is one where the House and Senate ethics committees haven't met for a combined 15 years (though legislative affairs are not uncommon).
After the Tennessean began reporting on this story several months ago, Rep. Harwell and other lawmakers sprang to action, seeking reports and making "new policy" to outline more points of contact for people who believe they've been sexually harassed.
But the Franklin representative wasn't forced to resign. In fact, he's running for re-election (though he did "suspend" his campaign when the 48-page report came out).
Just in April, Durham co-sponsored the so-called transgender bathroom bill that suggested monitors make sure boys in skirts would go only to boys' bathrooms because if they went to girls' bathrooms they might harass or attack little girls. Certainly one would think that Durham would know the mind of a harasser.
But shouldn't Durham's fellow leaders do more? Everyone in the General Assembly has known Durham's reputation - even warned their interns - for years, yet they did nothing else except circle the wagons around him.
Think forward, lawmakers. Make sure you do something to keep the Jeremy Durhams out of operation.
Dog days of summer would be welcome
We learned a new weather phrase this week. Heat dome.
A high pressure system stuck over us and a huge swath of the country's mid-section that, combined with high humidity, traps and heats the air but offers no relief with cooling precipitation.
Translation: It's too hot to think. And dangerous.
Add to that the fact that Chattanooga and much of the Tennessee Valley is 10 inches below normal for rain.
Stay safe out there. We may soon be setting some new records.