The events of the past few days should have convinced any remaining doubters; our government is insufferably, indubitably corrupt. Tip of the hat to Leo Gorcey's "Mugs" character on the old East Side Kids films for popularizing "indubitably." It's a good word. At any rate, these are real monsters, with less principles than mob bosses.

When Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, looking like terrified schoolboys in the principal's office, insisted that Jeffrey Epstein actually did kill himself, Donald Trump lost a significant portion of his base. I think. Bongino muttered, like a witness trying to avoid a torture-induced confession, that "I've seen the file." And now, to the shock of his remaining MAGA faithful, Trump's Justice Department announced in an unsigned memo, that "This systematic review revealed no incriminating 'client list.' There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties." So, exactly what "file" did Bongino see? The evidence that the government explains was "lost" after it was found in a safe at Epstein's sprawling New York pad? The one that contained lots of videotapes?