I sense a PhD in 2029 for the graduate student who writes about and analyses the results of a five year longitudinal study of the increased or lessened production of graven images by, and the incidence of coveting in, young people in Louisiana.
Happy buyout-aversary, EZ! I, for one, am grateful that you continue publishing thoughtful commentary on current events. We need more of your measured style of discourse in today's world of hysterical shallow slogan-based 24-second news cycle. And I'm also happy you're able to indulge your other hobbies and have more time for yourself.
I am so glad that EZ is still part of the civic conversation. I liked his column, but I like this interactive forum even more.'
In my "give it a chance" category of shows I recommend Longmire. The first 2-3 seasons were produced for A&E, then it moved to Netflix where show lengths could vary, and season-long and multi-season long story arcs were more significant. I liked both phases of it. At first, I found it refreshing to watch a show which followed the old format that I grew up with. I would not recommend giving it a chance for 2-3 seasons. If you don't like it by the end of season 1, then it's probably not for you.
Loved that show, and now I love everything Zach McClendon is in. I recommend Dark Wind now. It's on AMC +. Nina Metz recommends Interview with a Vampire on AMC+ as the best show on TV, but I couldn't get into it even though I was friends with Eric Bogosian in college. (Name drop!)
Going through the list of Trib buyouts, the sole person I'm glad not to be reading or even seeing anymore is of course John Kass & his asinine moutza, tomatoes & his stupid dog!
And that crook Burke got an early Xmas present from dimbulb judge Kendall. I'll bet that non-apology apology Burke said was written by his lawyer, after the lawyer paid on of Kendall's former law clerks for advice on what would make her give him a lighter sentence. i sure hope the US Attorney's office appeals the sentence & gets a better result than this joke of a sentence for a life-long crook!
I thought it very rich that Burke was successful in delaying his trial for 5 years - and then his attorney had the temerity to plead for a lesser sentence due to his age. Apparently, we lawyers have NO shame . . . .
Eric I disagree with your assessment on Burke's sentencing as only retribution. I think it will be a deterrence, considering how powerful (and White) Burke is and how that did not help him. Yes, there will be more public servant miscreants who are caught grifting, but there will be an unknown tally of others who did not cross the line out of fear of prosecution.
I agree with Eric. How many Chicago politicians have gone to prison over the past several decades? Has it slowed down the corruption?As we type, how many examples are there in the news of alderpeople and others taking money to which they are not entitled, especially the pandemic loans?
Amen! The fraud in PPP loans was widespread. I had a small 8 person company. My partner asked if we should apply for PPP. I read the questionnaire and could not morally answer yes to is it "necessary for continuing operations". But many did! I researched some financials from some not for profits (financials are public and easier to understand). Their 2020 and 2021 and 2022 revenues and earnings were not materially affected by Covid and some had record years, yet they all answered yes to the above question. One took a $3.3mm PPP in 2020 as a liability, moved it to revenue in 2021 when it was "forgiven". Made $11 million that year and their investment portfolio was up another $47 million. I hate to think about what some other private companies did.
As an original and always satisfied P.S. subscriber, Happy Anniversary ! It is fascinating how things usually work out well for people in the face of great original uncertainty.
EZ - really enjoyed your annivesary celebration piece. don't know if you consider yourself 'retired' or 'semi-retired' or some other status.
'True, the Picayune Sentinel is less remunerative than my Tribune job, but I have lots more time now for hobbies, friends and family. The balance feels just right. When people ask how I’m doing, I say that I’ve never been happier or more content, though, of course, the normal concerns and anxieties of a 66-year-old are always buzzing around my brain.'
i retired a little over 6 yrs ago. if you replace 'Picayune Sentinel' with pickleball in the clip above,'Tribune' with my former employer, and '66' with 71, i couldn't have said it better. when posed the Q posed to you above, i tell the Q-poser 'i'm blissfully retired.'
I'm glad you're happy and happy that your life is less stressful after the buyout.
However,
Look at those names. Look at all of the talent there.
As a person who still reads and subscribes to newspapers, this was devastating. You're here; Rex is at usa today, Clarence is still at the Trib, Kass, I don't care about. And everyone else? All of that talent? To the four winds? Sad, sad, sad.
I stopped subscribing to the Tribune not long after the buy-outs. The idea of paying for a paper that featured the odious, oafish Kass, E-list rightwingers (Victor Hansen, Cal Thomas, etc.), half-witted editorials, and the worst editorial cartoons of any newspaper was mitigated by EZ, Rex Huppke, Clarence Page, Steve Chapman, etc., and what used to be good baseball coverage. With the latter almost all gone what was the point? I believe in newspapers too. I subscribe to the Sun-Times and NYT on paper and the Washington Post and Guardian online, though. if the Post is taken over by the dregs of Fleet Street, I will have to reconsider.
Eric, you were a good writer at the Trib, and you continue doing this with your own paper.
Talented singers/musicians create their own label, so you have done in the writing biz.
Do you get a lot of hate/ inappropriate stuff in relation to the paper? Is this troll guy unusual or do you need to shift through a bunch hate messages with each edition?
I get less vitriol by quite a bit, and should have mentioned that. Readership here is more self-selecting and the conservative voices who weigh in and react tend to be smart, civil and on point.
That said, the vitriol I used to get tended to amuse me more than annoy me.
Congratulations on the 3rd anniversary of your “retirement.” I’m approaching my 15th and again having trouble understanding how the time went by so fast.
Your list of the Trib staff members who accepted the buyout recalls the Trib’s transition from Rocky Road to thin artificially flavored vanilla.
I read your column, primarily on my iphone and although I can see the pictures and any wording in the pictures without much problem, the underlying text is extremely small. The rest of the column is easily viewable. Can you see if anything can be done about this? It seems to be assumed that I am only using a computer to read these. Help us older folks!!!!
Our two "just give it a chance" shows are Schitt's Creek and What We Do in the Shadows. Friends kept insisting they were worth it. And we're so glad we gave the shows time. We absolutely love them, binge watched them and rewatch often. We love to laugh, and those shows deliver.
I stayed away from "Schitt's Creek" because the title was so juvenile. The upside was that it was still fresh for me and my wife during the pandemic, when we really needed the comic relief. It's a wonderful show.
I may have to give Schitt's Creek another chance. I have bandwidth for at most one show at a time, and only watch with my family. We started that but then got off if it for some reason -- probably because one of our top shows came out with a new season (Fargo, Better Call Saul, Barry). I have long been a fan of Eugene Levy, Catherine Ohara, and Chris Elliott (going back to SCTV and early David Letterman)
It was episode 4 for me. I must admit I used to get the 17th and 19th mixed up with two of my children's birthdays before cell phone calendars. When Moira said "The middle name of an ungrateful child is hardly a priority!", I was hooked.
For me, it was also that episode, when Moira told the kids they have no interest in what they're doing, and Johnny says, "Idea. She means we have no no idea what you're doing." LOL.
My expectation is Biden will win the presidency easily if it is a fair election. But I also suspect there is a lot of behind the scenes work being done in the swing states to steal the election. Also, I fear if Biden wins there could be an attempted revolution, given the stockpiling of weapons by large numbers of individuals, along with some police and military personnel who are ambivalent toward or even desiring that Trump be installed as president/dictator.
Yo Fred, there may be some sporadic violence if Biden wins, but nothing major. You need what is called “ Command and Control” to mount a successful revolution.
The clowns you refer to are like cats each doing their own thing. Look at January 6th, these folks had overwhelming numbers, but some were looting, others pooping in the corridors, others texting, some actually fighting the police… They never accomplished their goal.
Finally, if you expect to be successful in a big way, you need control of the air, and that isn’t going to happen.
If Biden wins, he will be ready to defend against any violent opposition.
If I were a bettin' man, I'd agree with you. The odds are way against a revolution being attempted. But I fear they're way more organized this time. Also there could be foriegn powers involved.
Wow, what a great point no one is even discussing! Now that I think about it, isn't it already happening? New laws restricting ballot access? Fake electors? How many MAGAs will justify cheating by claiming that turnabout is fair play?
Concerning the upcoming debate, I just have this gut feeling Trump will either cancel or walk out of the debate.
Trump is not preparing for the debate, has no grasp of any policy issues and is already projecting his need for drugs in order to deal with the debate. Interesting that the media reports that Trump accuses Biden of using drugs, but does not question Trump about what drugs he may be taking.
If the moderators hold his feet to the fire (like Leslie Stahl did in her interview), I do not think he can finish the debate.
He does not have an audience to play to, the microphone control will stop him from continuous attacks of Joe Biden, he cannot drift over to Biden’s area to intimidate and he is not prepared on the issues. It is a losing proposition for Trump which leaves the normal coward solution for him- no show or walk off in a huff. I guess the debate will prove me right…or wrong.
I doubt it, but I hope you’re right. I am still fearful that Joe will run out of gas before the debate is over. I think the Hunter travails have taken more out of him than he acknowledges. He seems to be walking and talking older in the past couple of weeks. Hopefully he’ll get a good night’s sleep Wednesday and show up ready to roll on Thursday.
OK, you're worried he'll run out of gas before the debate -- 90 minutes! -- is up, but you're NOT worried he's not up to running the whole darn country? Where is ANY kind of logic in that? Biden is too old, too cognitively impaired, too frail. Other countries see us, rightly, as weak. Signed, a double hater.
Beth, I assume you are going to watch the debate. Let us know what you think after the debate. If you are right, and Biden is cognitively impaired and frail, that should be obvious during a 90-minute debate. My bet is that Biden will clean Trump’s clock.
I don't disagree. But you and I both know that rating results will depend on whose side a viewer was on before the debates. You and I may consider ourselves fair and objective. But how many, particularly on the right have already determined who won?
Well, I've seen him when he has been definitely frail and then I've seen him when he's on fire. Not sure who will show up Thursday! And I'm also not so fully attuned to what happens as people age to base everyone on one 90-minute period. But yes, I will be watching.
A lot of what you may have seen when he appeared frail may have been what they call “cheap fakes.” See article below. That’s what’s nice about 90 minutes with no notes and no teleprompter. If someone is suffering from cognitive issues, it will come out. You make the call. I would love to hear your views after the 90 minutes.
The difference is that I trust the people around Biden to carry on with proper, legal, in-the-best-interest-of-the-world policies if (which I don't believe) he is not up to the day to day. I have no such trust with anyone in a tRump White House (and I do believe tRump is a few bricks shy of a load).
It's fine to be disappointed by the limited and imperfect choices we are presented, but in the face of what Trump represents, what kinds of people he will appoint to be judges and heads of regulatory agencies, the kinds of policies he will encourage from the legislature, criticizing Biden as too old or "cognitively impaired" (really? compared to Trump?) is infuriatingly misguided. It's like complaining that the lifeguard saving you from drowning is not good looking enough or pinched your underarm when he was pulling you ashore.
Well, here's where disagree. I think there are MANY things wrong with him cognitively and given immigration, inflation and the absolutely disgraceful exit from Afghanistan (oh, I forgot forgiving students loans), he is surrounded by terrible people. Signed, again, double hater and a pox on both their houses.
Presidential elections often present us with two unlikeable choices. In this election, we are asked to choose only one really important thing. Do we want the candidate who dismantles our Republic, maybe irreparably, or do we want the candidate who keeps it intact, imperfect as it is? We NEVER get the perfect candidate. Humans, and their attempts at governance are ALWAYS flawed. We cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the at-least-tolerably good. I hope those in your camp, Beth, will just hold their noses and vote for the Dems in November. Our current system of governance has room for improvement—and avenues for its pursuit. Under the 2025 Plan, yeah, not so much.
As Biden disassembled Trump's border policies on Day 1, that argument does not hold water. Biden changed all kinds of Trump policies. He could have changed this one, too. And, as a longtime participant in "Change of Subject," at one point EZ would chastise those who use such identifiers as "tRump." I get you don't like him. I don't either. I don't know who I'm voting for yet (though it's not Biden!)
I sense a PhD in 2029 for the graduate student who writes about and analyses the results of a five year longitudinal study of the increased or lessened production of graven images by, and the incidence of coveting in, young people in Louisiana.
My pet peeve is hypocrites. Posting the 10 commandments will enable teachers to give examples of hypocrisy of the government representatives.
Happy buyout-aversary, EZ! I, for one, am grateful that you continue publishing thoughtful commentary on current events. We need more of your measured style of discourse in today's world of hysterical shallow slogan-based 24-second news cycle. And I'm also happy you're able to indulge your other hobbies and have more time for yourself.
I am so glad that EZ is still part of the civic conversation. I liked his column, but I like this interactive forum even more.'
In my "give it a chance" category of shows I recommend Longmire. The first 2-3 seasons were produced for A&E, then it moved to Netflix where show lengths could vary, and season-long and multi-season long story arcs were more significant. I liked both phases of it. At first, I found it refreshing to watch a show which followed the old format that I grew up with. I would not recommend giving it a chance for 2-3 seasons. If you don't like it by the end of season 1, then it's probably not for you.
Loved that show, and now I love everything Zach McClendon is in. I recommend Dark Wind now. It's on AMC +. Nina Metz recommends Interview with a Vampire on AMC+ as the best show on TV, but I couldn't get into it even though I was friends with Eric Bogosian in college. (Name drop!)
Going through the list of Trib buyouts, the sole person I'm glad not to be reading or even seeing anymore is of course John Kass & his asinine moutza, tomatoes & his stupid dog!
And that crook Burke got an early Xmas present from dimbulb judge Kendall. I'll bet that non-apology apology Burke said was written by his lawyer, after the lawyer paid on of Kendall's former law clerks for advice on what would make her give him a lighter sentence. i sure hope the US Attorney's office appeals the sentence & gets a better result than this joke of a sentence for a life-long crook!
Well, somebody got up on the grumpy side of the bed this morning!
I thought it very rich that Burke was successful in delaying his trial for 5 years - and then his attorney had the temerity to plead for a lesser sentence due to his age. Apparently, we lawyers have NO shame . . . .
Part of the reason I got out. Clients have even less shame. I came to hate everyone I worked for, against, and with. There is life after law!
Eric I disagree with your assessment on Burke's sentencing as only retribution. I think it will be a deterrence, considering how powerful (and White) Burke is and how that did not help him. Yes, there will be more public servant miscreants who are caught grifting, but there will be an unknown tally of others who did not cross the line out of fear of prosecution.
I agree with Eric. How many Chicago politicians have gone to prison over the past several decades? Has it slowed down the corruption?As we type, how many examples are there in the news of alderpeople and others taking money to which they are not entitled, especially the pandemic loans?
Amen! The fraud in PPP loans was widespread. I had a small 8 person company. My partner asked if we should apply for PPP. I read the questionnaire and could not morally answer yes to is it "necessary for continuing operations". But many did! I researched some financials from some not for profits (financials are public and easier to understand). Their 2020 and 2021 and 2022 revenues and earnings were not materially affected by Covid and some had record years, yet they all answered yes to the above question. One took a $3.3mm PPP in 2020 as a liability, moved it to revenue in 2021 when it was "forgiven". Made $11 million that year and their investment portfolio was up another $47 million. I hate to think about what some other private companies did.
Salute to you David O., always nice to find an honest businessman.
As an original and always satisfied P.S. subscriber, Happy Anniversary ! It is fascinating how things usually work out well for people in the face of great original uncertainty.
EZ - really enjoyed your annivesary celebration piece. don't know if you consider yourself 'retired' or 'semi-retired' or some other status.
'True, the Picayune Sentinel is less remunerative than my Tribune job, but I have lots more time now for hobbies, friends and family. The balance feels just right. When people ask how I’m doing, I say that I’ve never been happier or more content, though, of course, the normal concerns and anxieties of a 66-year-old are always buzzing around my brain.'
i retired a little over 6 yrs ago. if you replace 'Picayune Sentinel' with pickleball in the clip above,'Tribune' with my former employer, and '66' with 71, i couldn't have said it better. when posed the Q posed to you above, i tell the Q-poser 'i'm blissfully retired.'
I'm glad you're happy and happy that your life is less stressful after the buyout.
However,
Look at those names. Look at all of the talent there.
As a person who still reads and subscribes to newspapers, this was devastating. You're here; Rex is at usa today, Clarence is still at the Trib, Kass, I don't care about. And everyone else? All of that talent? To the four winds? Sad, sad, sad.
I stopped subscribing to the Tribune not long after the buy-outs. The idea of paying for a paper that featured the odious, oafish Kass, E-list rightwingers (Victor Hansen, Cal Thomas, etc.), half-witted editorials, and the worst editorial cartoons of any newspaper was mitigated by EZ, Rex Huppke, Clarence Page, Steve Chapman, etc., and what used to be good baseball coverage. With the latter almost all gone what was the point? I believe in newspapers too. I subscribe to the Sun-Times and NYT on paper and the Washington Post and Guardian online, though. if the Post is taken over by the dregs of Fleet Street, I will have to reconsider.
Great minds . . .
I, too, subscribe to the Sun-Times, NYT, Post, and Guardian, along with my local papers, but not the ones infected with Gannett's disease.
The commandment that the FPOTUS’s followers need to review is “Thou shalt have no gods before Me.“
Eric, you were a good writer at the Trib, and you continue doing this with your own paper.
Talented singers/musicians create their own label, so you have done in the writing biz.
Do you get a lot of hate/ inappropriate stuff in relation to the paper? Is this troll guy unusual or do you need to shift through a bunch hate messages with each edition?
I get less vitriol by quite a bit, and should have mentioned that. Readership here is more self-selecting and the conservative voices who weigh in and react tend to be smart, civil and on point.
That said, the vitriol I used to get tended to amuse me more than annoy me.
Congratulations on the 3rd anniversary of your “retirement.” I’m approaching my 15th and again having trouble understanding how the time went by so fast.
Your list of the Trib staff members who accepted the buyout recalls the Trib’s transition from Rocky Road to thin artificially flavored vanilla.
I read your column, primarily on my iphone and although I can see the pictures and any wording in the pictures without much problem, the underlying text is extremely small. The rest of the column is easily viewable. Can you see if anything can be done about this? It seems to be assumed that I am only using a computer to read these. Help us older folks!!!!
Lots of good visual txeets today even with the teensy type. I was really torn between the clowns and the shark.
You can make the text bigger by spreading the screen with your fingers. Just like you do when you zoom in on a photo someone sends you...
Happy anniversary. We're so glad you're happy. We're happy too! :-)
Our two "just give it a chance" shows are Schitt's Creek and What We Do in the Shadows. Friends kept insisting they were worth it. And we're so glad we gave the shows time. We absolutely love them, binge watched them and rewatch often. We love to laugh, and those shows deliver.
I stayed away from "Schitt's Creek" because the title was so juvenile. The upside was that it was still fresh for me and my wife during the pandemic, when we really needed the comic relief. It's a wonderful show.
Me too! I thought there's no way it could be a good show with that kind of a title.
I stayed away fro "Schitt's Creek", because of my undying hatred of Chris Elliot!
I may have to give Schitt's Creek another chance. I have bandwidth for at most one show at a time, and only watch with my family. We started that but then got off if it for some reason -- probably because one of our top shows came out with a new season (Fargo, Better Call Saul, Barry). I have long been a fan of Eugene Levy, Catherine Ohara, and Chris Elliott (going back to SCTV and early David Letterman)
I think it took us to the third or fourth episode to get into it. Power through, you'll be glad you did.
It was episode 4 for me. I must admit I used to get the 17th and 19th mixed up with two of my children's birthdays before cell phone calendars. When Moira said "The middle name of an ungrateful child is hardly a priority!", I was hooked.
https://www.facebook.com/comedycentralafrica/videos/721707748525208/
For me, it was also that episode, when Moira told the kids they have no interest in what they're doing, and Johnny says, "Idea. She means we have no no idea what you're doing." LOL.
BTW, that is the most eloquent way of telling someone to go f*** themselves I've ever heard, and the most richly deserved, too, LOL
My expectation is Biden will win the presidency easily if it is a fair election. But I also suspect there is a lot of behind the scenes work being done in the swing states to steal the election. Also, I fear if Biden wins there could be an attempted revolution, given the stockpiling of weapons by large numbers of individuals, along with some police and military personnel who are ambivalent toward or even desiring that Trump be installed as president/dictator.
Yo Fred, there may be some sporadic violence if Biden wins, but nothing major. You need what is called “ Command and Control” to mount a successful revolution.
The clowns you refer to are like cats each doing their own thing. Look at January 6th, these folks had overwhelming numbers, but some were looting, others pooping in the corridors, others texting, some actually fighting the police… They never accomplished their goal.
Finally, if you expect to be successful in a big way, you need control of the air, and that isn’t going to happen.
If Biden wins, he will be ready to defend against any violent opposition.
If I were a bettin' man, I'd agree with you. The odds are way against a revolution being attempted. But I fear they're way more organized this time. Also there could be foriegn powers involved.
Wow, what a great point no one is even discussing! Now that I think about it, isn't it already happening? New laws restricting ballot access? Fake electors? How many MAGAs will justify cheating by claiming that turnabout is fair play?
Concerning the upcoming debate, I just have this gut feeling Trump will either cancel or walk out of the debate.
Trump is not preparing for the debate, has no grasp of any policy issues and is already projecting his need for drugs in order to deal with the debate. Interesting that the media reports that Trump accuses Biden of using drugs, but does not question Trump about what drugs he may be taking.
If the moderators hold his feet to the fire (like Leslie Stahl did in her interview), I do not think he can finish the debate.
He does not have an audience to play to, the microphone control will stop him from continuous attacks of Joe Biden, he cannot drift over to Biden’s area to intimidate and he is not prepared on the issues. It is a losing proposition for Trump which leaves the normal coward solution for him- no show or walk off in a huff. I guess the debate will prove me right…or wrong.
I doubt it, but I hope you’re right. I am still fearful that Joe will run out of gas before the debate is over. I think the Hunter travails have taken more out of him than he acknowledges. He seems to be walking and talking older in the past couple of weeks. Hopefully he’ll get a good night’s sleep Wednesday and show up ready to roll on Thursday.
OK, you're worried he'll run out of gas before the debate -- 90 minutes! -- is up, but you're NOT worried he's not up to running the whole darn country? Where is ANY kind of logic in that? Biden is too old, too cognitively impaired, too frail. Other countries see us, rightly, as weak. Signed, a double hater.
Beth, I assume you are going to watch the debate. Let us know what you think after the debate. If you are right, and Biden is cognitively impaired and frail, that should be obvious during a 90-minute debate. My bet is that Biden will clean Trump’s clock.
I don't disagree. But you and I both know that rating results will depend on whose side a viewer was on before the debates. You and I may consider ourselves fair and objective. But how many, particularly on the right have already determined who won?
Well, I've seen him when he has been definitely frail and then I've seen him when he's on fire. Not sure who will show up Thursday! And I'm also not so fully attuned to what happens as people age to base everyone on one 90-minute period. But yes, I will be watching.
A lot of what you may have seen when he appeared frail may have been what they call “cheap fakes.” See article below. That’s what’s nice about 90 minutes with no notes and no teleprompter. If someone is suffering from cognitive issues, it will come out. You make the call. I would love to hear your views after the 90 minutes.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/14/cheapfake-biden-videos-enrapture-right-wing-media-deeply-mislead/
The difference is that I trust the people around Biden to carry on with proper, legal, in-the-best-interest-of-the-world policies if (which I don't believe) he is not up to the day to day. I have no such trust with anyone in a tRump White House (and I do believe tRump is a few bricks shy of a load).
It's fine to be disappointed by the limited and imperfect choices we are presented, but in the face of what Trump represents, what kinds of people he will appoint to be judges and heads of regulatory agencies, the kinds of policies he will encourage from the legislature, criticizing Biden as too old or "cognitively impaired" (really? compared to Trump?) is infuriatingly misguided. It's like complaining that the lifeguard saving you from drowning is not good looking enough or pinched your underarm when he was pulling you ashore.
Maybe getting old, but nothing wrong cognatively and surrounded by good people; vs. a maniac surrounded by synophants.
Well, here's where disagree. I think there are MANY things wrong with him cognitively and given immigration, inflation and the absolutely disgraceful exit from Afghanistan (oh, I forgot forgiving students loans), he is surrounded by terrible people. Signed, again, double hater and a pox on both their houses.
Presidential elections often present us with two unlikeable choices. In this election, we are asked to choose only one really important thing. Do we want the candidate who dismantles our Republic, maybe irreparably, or do we want the candidate who keeps it intact, imperfect as it is? We NEVER get the perfect candidate. Humans, and their attempts at governance are ALWAYS flawed. We cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the at-least-tolerably good. I hope those in your camp, Beth, will just hold their noses and vote for the Dems in November. Our current system of governance has room for improvement—and avenues for its pursuit. Under the 2025 Plan, yeah, not so much.
Wasn't Biden locked into the withdrawal from Afghanistan by an agreement signed by the tRump administration? I don't think I'd put that one on him.
As Biden disassembled Trump's border policies on Day 1, that argument does not hold water. Biden changed all kinds of Trump policies. He could have changed this one, too. And, as a longtime participant in "Change of Subject," at one point EZ would chastise those who use such identifiers as "tRump." I get you don't like him. I don't either. I don't know who I'm voting for yet (though it's not Biden!)
Beth, there are still just two choices. Don't let perfect be the enemy of sane and civilized. Sorry about the trials with your mom.