Final Word from Thursday, October 13, 2016
The one time Hillary Clinton was at a loss for words in her second debate with Donald Trump came when he retorted that if he were in charge of the law in the country, she would be in jail. All she could manage was a forced smile. Forced smiles - usually followed by a chuckle - are also a defensive weapon used by Bohuslav Sobotka when he's in a tight spot, and they've become more frequent since ČSSD suffered a resounding election defeat over the weekend. Miloš Zeman has never been as blunt as Trump and said that if he were in charge of the law in the country, Sobotka would be in jail, but he has indeed called for Zdeněk Bakala to be put behind bars. That's close to the same thing. If Bakala went to trial for breaking the law in the OKD privatization, the question of who helped him to do it would be hard to avoid. This element is entirely missing from the public discussion about the new rift in ČSSD. East with Zeman, or West with Sobotka? Humbug. The far bigger issue for Sobotka and his associates in ČSSD a.s. is how to stay out of jail if Zeman's people are running their party. [Czech Republic presidential United States prison]
Glossary of difficult words
In the jailhouse now - the title of a song first made popular by Jimmie Rodgers;
to be at a loss for words - to be unable to think of something to say;
to retort - to say something in answer to a remark, typically in a sharp, angry, or witty manner;
chuckle - a quiet or suppressed laugh;
to be in a tight spot - to be in a difficult position;
resounding - unmistakable; emphatic;
blunt - uncompromisingly forthright;
rift - a serious break in friendly relations;
humbug - deceptive or false talk or behavior.