Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

To the editor:

Coming soon: either a resumed partial government shutdown on Feb. 15, or President Trump’s assumption of autocratic power through a border security “emergency” declaration. Why can’t reason prevail?

Above all, Trump does not want to be branded a loser. Trouble is, he set himself up for losing with his daft build-the-wall promise and by letting right-wing commentators goad him into trying to extort funds for that wall. And then his shutdown gambit lost to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-San Francisco) rational, iron-willed resolve.

Trump’s history as a business loser, with multiple bankruptcies, doesn’t help. He has no way to shrug off his bankrupt governance and start anew as a world superpower’s chief executive. So he finds himself with just two face-saving options, neither of which bodes well for America.

Rank narcissism doesn’t provide grounds for impeachment, but risking our democracy’s viability surely does.

Marta Tehrani, Santa Monica

If the committee of Republicans and Democrats now meeting on Border Security is not discussing or contemplating a Wall or Physical Barrier, they are Wasting their time!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2019

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Here is Roger Kimball’s latest column. I have tears in my eyes after reading it.

The bike at the top is that on which Eddy Merckx set the hour record in 1972. The bike at the bottom is that on which Chris Boardman set the hour record in 1996. Click to enlarge.

Here is Kurt Schlichter’s next-to-latest column.

This afternoon, at an Exxon station in Arlington, Texas, I paid $1.999 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline. What're y'all payin' in your neck o' the woods?

On Jan. 16, Sen. Pat Toomey voted to defeat a bill to stop Donald Trump’s efforts to ease sanctions on Vladimir Putin and his allies, chiefly the Russian billionaire, Oleg Deripaska. Mr. Toomey is a lap dog of President Donald Trump’s, having no integrity to stand up for what is right for our country to protect the United States against our chief adversary, Russia.

Mr. Toomey also refuses to protest the economic tragedy Mr. Trump is subjecting our country to with his demand to have his wall. Such a wall would be easily evaded by tunneling, cutting or throwing drugs over the barrier. He is like a defiant child holding his breath until he is given what he demands.

The Republican-controlled Senate must conduct intelligent discussion to determine the best way to protect our southern border. Most drugs come in to our country through other points of entry, not south of the border.

Thomas Hathaway

Shaler