As time goes by

On Monday, Fox News Channel ran with the story that former presidential press secretary Jen Psaki made an error, or lied, when her new book claimed President Joe Biden did not look at his watch during a dignified transfer of the remains of troops killed in Afghanistan.

Fox went crazy, the New York Post played it on Page One and right-wing radio started humping the story Tuesday.

To which I say, who gives a flying flock?

This is news? 

Yes, to the right-wing jackals making a mound of poop out of a mole hill. And it was a giant megaturd on antisocial media.

But — wait!

Remember the left-wing jackals doing the exact same thing when George H.W. Bush glanced at his watch during a 1992 debate with Bill Clinton and Ross Perot?

U.S. News and World Report took that to be a sign of disengagement, but at least apparently got Bush to admit he was tired of the debate. Political advisers immediately start warning clients not to wear wristwatches during debates.

With Biden glancing at his watch, the Right was wetting their panties as if he had been checking emails on his cell as the remains of our heroes were being transferred. For the Right it was a twofer — a clean shot at Psaki, with a carom hitting Biden.

Checking your watch might be habitual, it might be to see if a ceremony was on schedule, it might have been because you have a following event, or, OK, maybe you were bored.

“Simple gestures” reflected “deeper meaning,” USN&WR found an expert to say.

You can find an expert to say anything you want to hear, believe me.

The Post also found some Gold Star families to complain.

I have nothing but the utmost sympathy and respect for families of the fallen, but that doesn’t mean their hurt feelings are valid.

This is what our national discourse has become — a perpetual, partisan, polarizing game of gotcha, with each side desperately grasping for anything, no matter how fragile, to use as a bludgeon.

Washington political reporters are the biggest weenies on the planet with their overwrought language, mixed with their desire to create controversy. I remember the hysteria on the Right when Al Gore left his podium and walked up to George W. Bush during a debate, clearly to rattle him. Bush turned his head, looked at Gore, nodded, and kept talking.

There was even greater panic on the Left when Donald J. Trump left his podium and stationed himself behind Hillary Clinton as she was speaking during a debate. Trump wasn’t within five feet of her, but Dems were calling it assault, almost a #MeToo attack.

Is it me? Am I insenstive?

More people remember the wristwatch from 1992 than anything any of the candidates had to say.

It’s time for the commentators to grow up.

I know. Fat chance.