Cartoon Saturday

One full week into July, the Independence Day holiday is over, the agony of the presidential campaign goes on, and the world continues to wonder what happened to the squabbling mess where America used to be ...

Heads exploded across the country when the FBI announced on Tuesday it would not charge Hillary Clinton with any crimes following its investigation of her use of a private e-mail server for government business while serving as Secretary of State*; with the 2016 Summer Olympics only a month away, police in Rio de Janeiro have told tourists and Olympic participant that they cannot protect them; a report on Britain's participation in the Iraq War found that other options had not yet been exhausted, and that planning for the aftermath of the war was "wholly inadequate**;" after two black men were shot by police in separate incidents in Louisiana and Minnesota, a sniper identified as an Army Reservist shot twelve Dallas, Texas police officers during a protest march, killing five of them; and in his continuing quest to appear presidential and statesmanlike, presumptive GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump threatened Republican members of Congress who questioned his actions or failed to support him, saying he would work for their defeat in future elections.

In honor of our elected representatives, still drawing handsome salaries despite doing no identifiable work, this week's cartoons honor the common clown:

Dumb criminals always leave evidence behind ...

Why it's important to plan your stunts carefully ...

I wonder why he didn't run for Congress ...

Teenagers of all sorts can cause trouble for their parents ...

Busted! ...

It's important to compensate when necessary ...

A happy coincidence ...

Everyone's teleworking nowadays ...

Clowns with WMD ... the latest threat ...

It's always important to dress properly for the occasion ...

Don't forget to vote for the clown of your choice in November.

It's going to be another scorchingly hot day here in NoVa, although the temperatures and humidity are supposed to moderate a bit by tomorrow. We will be spending as much of the day as possible in our air-conditioned cocoon, emerging only to grill our famous marinated, cedar-planked salmon for dinner with our friends Ken and Nadja. I have decided not to grouse too much about the heat, though, because as Ned Stark would say ... winter is coming.

Have a good day. See you tomorrow for Poetry Sunday ... more thoughts then.

Bilbo

* If you call it "Servergate," I'll punch you in the face.

** Ya think?