You Were Swell, Dolly

Tributes, quotes and some song highlights, plus our usual commentary and cartoons.

Still free to subscribe to this nearly daily newsletter! Greg Mitchell is author of fourteen books and director of five films for PBS since 2022. In a previous life, he was a longtime editor at the legendary Crawdaddy. His latest film “Woody Guthrie and The Ghost of Tom Joad Today” is now streaming everywhere via PBS.

Two of our regular political cartoonists, Michael de Adder and Dennis Goris, turned to the passing of a legend yesterday. More Dolly down below.

Lucian Truscott IV:

In the past, his “enemies” have caved. But when he yelled at Europe for not supporting his war on Iran…crickets. They didn’t care. This time he’s yelling at Canada, and Mark Carney isn’t listening. Carney is showing the world how to deal with an insane American president.

He’s standing up to him. In effect, he’s saying something that Donald Trump isn’t used to hearing: bring it on. Carney is what the world has been waiting for. He’s a profile in courage.

Brodner:

Tina Brown:

Chief Justice John Roberts is one of the sharpest portraits in Jacob Wesiberg’s excellent new book, coming in September, Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era. He describes how Roberts treasures his self-image as a priest of the law, the umpire who loves to scold colleagues for sounding “overwrought” or “intemperate,” while also being a closet ideologue, whose lifelong project has been to shift power from Congress to the judicial and executive branches.

Roberts thinks he can have it both ways: to pose as the impeccable custodian of judicial probity while also granting presidential immunity to a despot in the White House. “For all his intellect and self-awareness,” Weisberg writes, “Roberts could not, or would not, see that defending the Supreme Court as an institution meant stepping up to defend the rule of law itself. His judicial restraint had become judicial surrender.”

We badly need Weisberg’s book. In the last few years we’ve expounded so much emotion and despair over Trump’s crass contempt for the rule of law and democratic norms, but not enough on the key people who let it happen. It’s fascinating, and instructive, to see the multiple ways supposedly upstanding titans of the establishment give themselves permission to become creatures of expedience.

Farewell, Dolly

So many people, famous and little known, have weighed in on her greatness and personal warmth and especially her many good deeds that I don’t have much to add. And by now you’ve seen videos of her most famous songs. Like others, I remember her from those early Porter Wagoner show appearances. This apparently was the first, when right from the start she (and he) declared that she was no “dumb blond.”

Loved her quote:

“Well, God and I have a great relationship, but we both see other people.”

Then there was: “What do you want people to say about you one hundred years from today?” “Boy, she looks great for her age.”

Naturally I will highlight her cover of Woody’s “Deportee” from back when, unlike today, it was rarely recorded.

Yes, she recorded and sang live Dylan not long ago, even played a little harmonica:

And who can forget when, after funding early COVID vaccine research, she was taped taking the shot herself, urging others to do same, and adapting “Jolene Jolene” to “Vaccine Vaccine.”

One of my favorites, with the rest of the Trio (Ronstadt and Emmylou), covering Neil’s “After the Goldrush.”

Dolly with Mavis asking “Why”

Covering Cat Stevens’ “Peace Train” with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

From Tunes to Toons

Bramhall:

Ohman:

Bennett:

Photo Finish

From my camera to you: Just past dawn on the Pacific, Sonoma County, CA