PALM LOUNGE

 I met City Commissioner Ben Neece for lunch at The Palm Lounge. The Judge and I have shared plenty of legal and personal adventures together. We don't see each much these days with Coronavirus hanging over the community. I don't get around much anymore as the song goes and I seldom visit downtown these days with the pandemic.

"I see you closed The McHale Report office. I thought we could depend on your commitment to downtown until infinity," began Ben in his usual accusatory manner.

We're breaking up the operations. The staff has departed. I'm going to maintain it from home, but I'm not going to write about Brownsville politics as I once did. I'm tired of the bullshit.

"What did you think about the elections?"

I'm glad Garza and Aldrete won at the college. We knew that Lopez would win at the Port, but I was surprised that Reed eked out a win over Graña, but in the end the gringo worked and Graña chose to take a siesta throughout the campaign.

"What about the school board elections?"

I'm happy Daniella and Eddie beat the shit out of Erasmo and Carlos. Castro and Elizondo have big mouths but small balls. They want power and exploit the voters' dissatisfaction to build support, but we saw that their lack of integrity has left them with no credibility. Jessica Gonzalez crushing Phil Cowen was the biggest shocker of the night. If Marisa Leal holds on to her ten-vote lead in the recount, the board will be better for Minerva Peña's departure. She has more than worn out her welcome. I felt sorry for 'Big' Joe, but at 84 he didn't have his mojo anymore. All the pundits predicted Denise Garza would win. I find it sad, thought, that in Jessica, Marisa and Denise we have three very uneducated persons overseeing educators, but such is the beauty of democracy.

"Did you think that the sheriff's race would be closer?"

You hear enough rumors and you believe there is truth to them, but in the end it will be a cold day in hell before a Republican good ol' boy named Chambers from Harlingen will defeat a Democratic Mexicano named Garza from Brownsville. Plus, the pinche Republican was unfit for the job. They didn't call him the Lawless Lawman for nothing. He had a more extensive record than the majority of the inmates he was going to oversee had he prevailed.

"Is Biden going to eke it out?"

I sure hope so. He is at the threshold at 253 to 232 with 270 the goal, but Trump has runners on base in the bottom of the ninth and with a home run he executes yet another come-from-behind miracle.

"When will we know the final result?"

When they stop counting?

"When will that be? It's been two days. Tomorrow? This weekend?"

They are going through the ballots in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. Trump is leading in the first two, but votes are trending toward Biden and he could win both. In the other two, Biden is leading, but votes are trending toward Trump and he could win both. And when the counting ends, the litigations begins, particularly if Trump falls short of the magic number.

"Anything else, bro?" 

Not much, 'mano. Still looking for salvation, but we're never going to achieve that transcendent state if we're afraid to take the first step.

"Another beer?"

Sounds good.

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