We all know our democratic republic is at a challenging historical moment.  Last week, the President’s speech to Congress made no effort to narrow the schism between red and blue views of our country’s future.  This situation is made even more difficult because he promotes a world where a legion of fact-checkers find opportunities to ply their trade almost daily.  His speech was just the latest example.  You can’t call his degrading statements about the economy he inherited a misrepresentation when it is such an obvious lie.  That’s especially true when everyone not tethered to his whims knows better.  In October 2024 the Economist magazine said, “The American economy is the envy of the world”. That’s also true of his previously debunked claims, regarding gas and oil production, the effect of tariffs on our economy,  and hundreds of billions in government waste.  Unsupportable claims everyone.  A few years ago a Republican friend told me “We both want the same thing for our country”.  I gave her the benefit of the doubt.  Today, that could not be further from the truth.