Jasmine Crockett Honors A Dishonorable Man While George W. Bush Gets A 9/11 Glow-Up

Apologies for the lengthy rant, but this week's Snips & Snobs was a real head-scratcher of terrible men being rewarded for ...

I don't know. These men deserve nothing.

Today's terrible men are the constantly embattled singer Chris Brown and former President George W. Bush, whom some are wearing nostalgia goggles for, like he's not a war criminal who started two violent, devastating wars with countries that didn't even attack us on Sept. 11th; walked all over civil liberties so the current occupant in the White House could run over them; and crashed the economy on multiple fronts.

It's an R&B local terrorist versus a big-time, international weapon of mass destruction who doubled as a woefully deficient man who should have been baseball commissioner, not "leader of the free world."

How many people would have died if he'd just screwed up Major League Baseball? Pretty sure the number would have been zero. And the nicest thing I can say about Brown is that he hasn't killed anyone. Unlike Bush, who is responsible for the slaughter of millions of Iraqis and Afghans, and the killing and maiming of our troops abroad.

A waste of precious lives and money.

But hey, at least Michelle Obama likes him!

Let's get into it. We got a lot of ground to cover...

A Dance Before Dishonor

In a tremendous lapse of judgment, Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett turned heads (and some backs) Saturday when she honored Brown with a Congressional Record for his career in music during a stop on his co-headlining tour with Usher Raymond in Arlington, Texas.

TMZ reports:

Crockett told the crowd she "couldn't miss this night" before recognizing Breezy – and Usher – for their decades in music and entertainment, saying she wanted their impact officially documented in the Congressional Record.

And, naturally, Jasmine couldn't resist sneaking a little politics into the party ... joking there are "a few scammers up in D.C." before telling the hometown crowd they had a "real one" standing right there in Dallas.

Breezy clearly appreciated the love ... pulling Crockett in for a hug before thanking the crowd and telling Dallas he rocks with them "for real."

Raymond also received an honor from Crockett for his career.

"A real one," Brown, a man best known for dancing, singing, and his consistent mistreatment, disrespect, and violent abuse towards all humans—including and especially women—was honored for ... well, I'm not really sure. A lot of people have great careers in music, so I'm not quite sure what Brown is doing that all the other popular musicians he's accused of beating haven't done! Maybe Frank Ocean—who Brown famously beefed and fought with—doesn't have a long enough rap sheet to deserve such recognition?

The move was mostly met with confusion from the multitudes of Black women who wrote Brown off in 2009 after he was accused of battering then-girlfriend, now billionaire makeup mogul, Rihanna. But for everyone screaming that was more than 17 years ago, Brown has been very busy racking up accusations and various battery charges since then, proving so many of his naysayers right for naysaying.

So I don't know what to make of Crockett's decision here. Most of her critics online are simply calling her "a bird" and sports journalist Jemele Hill criticized Crockett's "political strategy" (or lack thereof).

(P)olitical messaging needs to be clear, concise and direct. This was bad strategy because whatever message she wanted to be received, wasn’t. People aren’t talking about midterms. They’re wondering why Jasmine Crockett would do this. That means the plan backfired.

Prior to this incident, most of Crockett's most vocal supporters were Black women, many of whom who don't like Chris Brown. It'll be interesting to see how she responds, if at all.

So until I can track Crockett—a fellow St. Louisan—down and ask her what on earth she was thinking, can someone please tell me what Brown has done for the community beyond entertaining it?

I'll wait.

While I wait, here's a not-so-short, possibly incomplete list of Brown's controversies in chronological order: (Sources: People Magazine, CNN, Billboard, TMZ)

A Timeline of: 'WTF? You're Honoring This?'

2009: Brown is charged with felony assault and terroristic threats against his then-girlfriend, Rihanna. He pleads guilty to the felony and takes a plea deal that includes five years of probation, domestic violence counseling, and community service. He apologizes on video and on Larry King's show. His fans, then mostly teenage girls, forgive him.

2012: After attending a Halloween party—dressed as a terrorist—Brown is slapped with violating his restraining order due to his ex-girlfriend Rihanna also being at the party.

Also in 2012: Brown and Drake get into an altercation in a nightclub in SoHo. During the 4 a.m. altercation, reportedly five to eight people were injured. Among them is San Antonio Spurs player Tony Parker. He has to have surgery to remove glass from an eye he nearly lost. Many speculate the fight was over Rihanna, to whom Drake was romantically linked. Years later, Brown called the incident a joke and said it stemmed from a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding that almost cost an NBA player his eye. Hmmm.

2013: Brown allegedly fights singer/songwriter Frank Ocean over a parking space outside Westlake Recording Studios in West Hollywood. He is accused of assault after punching the "Novocane" singer. Ocean does not press charges, but a member of his entourage and Brown sue each other.

Also in 2013: Brown is accused of a hit-and-run in Los Angeles. It causes his probation to be revoked. The charges are eventually dropped, but he has to do an additional 1,000 hours of community service.

Also in 2013: Brown is charged with felony assault after he beats up a fan in Washington, D.C., who wanted to take a picture with him. He's accused of breaking the fan's nose after punching him, but the charges are reduced to a misdemeanor. Later that year, Brown goes to rehab, but still ends up spending some time in jail in 2014 after he's kicked out of rehab for violating its rules.

Also in 2013: About that rehab incident, Brown reportedly busted his mother's car window out with a rock during a family therapy session, according to his probation officer. He was later sentenced to three months at an anger management rehab facility.

2014: After a stay in rehab, doctors diagnosed Brown with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, claiming his past behavior was rooted in self-medicating to deal with his woes. (For the record, I also have bipolar disorder and PTSD, and have never been in a fight and have no criminal record of any kind... Like most people living with these mental illnesses.)

2015: Canada bars Brown from entering the country. He claims it was because of his criminal record. Concert promoters Live Nation claim the ban was due to "immigration issues."

Also in 2015: A man decides not to press charges against Brown after he is accused of misdemeanor battery in Las Vegas. The man claimed Brown hit him after they quarreled over a basketball game at the Palms Casino Resort. Brown denied any involvement.

Also in 2015: Authorities in the Philippines detained Brown on possible fraud charges stemming from a New Year's Eve concert that Brown was paid $1 million for in 2014, but that never happened. Organizers accused him of canceling the show after he pocketed the cash. They eventually let him go after several days in custody.

2016: Las Vegas police investigated Brown after a woman accused the singer of beating her and stealing her cell phone at a party at the Palms Casino Resort. Brown's rep tells People Magazine that the statements against him are "unequivocally untrue" and that the alleged victim was having a "total meltdown" while behaving wildly.

Also in 2016: Mike G, Brown's former manager, sues Brown for assault, false imprisonment, and battery. G, who was hired by Brown in 2012 to help rehab his public image, claims Brown beat him up and locked him in a room. The lawsuit settled out of court in 2019 after Brown and G reconciled and reached a confidential deal.

Also in 2016: Brown is accused of threatening a woman with a gun in his home. A police stand-off ensues where Brown takes to social media to complain about being targeted and defamed. The whole mess goes away when text messages reveal the woman said: "Brown kicked [her] out of his house because [she] called his friend jewelry fake." The texts go on to reveal she was "going to set him up and call the cops and say that he tried to shoot [her]."

2017: A California court issues Karrueche Tran, Brown's ex-girlfriend, a 5-year restraining order against him after she reveals in court that he threatened and harassed her via text messages and voicemails. Brown did not appear in court and denied the allegations. In a statement, he says he will not "allow these evil-hearted people to label me and lie because they think it will skyrocket their career. Just stay away from me."

2018: Brown gets arrested with a felony battery charge after an incident in 2017 in Tampa, Fla., where Brown is accused of punching a photographer who took a picture without asking permission. The state of Florida eventually dropped the charges.

2019: Brown was detained in Paris on possible charges of aggravated rape and various drug infractions after a woman went to the police and filed a complaint. Brown denied the allegations, and the Paris police eventually dropped the probe. Brown later sued the woman for defamation.

2021: Brown gets into an argument with a woman who accuses him of striking her while inside an LA residence. Nothing happens, as no charges are filed.

Also in 2021: Housekeeper Patricia Avila sues brown in Los Angeles, claiming she suffered physical and psychological injuries after Brown's dog attacked her sister, Maria Avila, who was also working as a housekeeper in Brown's home. Brown claimed he warned the women about the dog, which was there for security reasons at his Tarzana home. During the trial, it was revealed the women were not made aware of the dog's presence in the backyard and that Brown, rather than call for help, fled after the dog attack, fearing a "media circus." The court ordered Brown and his company to pay $13 million.

2022: Brown is accused of raping a woman in 2020 on a yacht owned by Sean "Diddy" Combs after the accuser files a $20 million civil lawsuit against Brown. The whole mess devolves after Brown submits text messages and voicemail that imply the relationship was consensual. The woman withdraws her case, and the judge dismisses the lawsuit. Brown would later sue Warner Bros. for defamation and lose after they highlighted the woman's story in a 2024 docuseries, Chris Brown: A History of Violence.

2024: Brown is slapped with a $50 million lawsuit for allegedly attacking four men backstage in a "brutal, violent assault" after a show in Fort Worth, Texas. Members of Brown's entourage and his tour's promoter, Live Nation, are also sued. Brown and his team are accused of throwing chairs at the men while "repeatedly kicking, stomping, and beating them," according to the complaint. On top of that, Frederick R. Overpick, who worked security at Dickies Arena, sued Brown and his entourage for $15 million. He claimed he was injured after helping the men who were allegedly assaulted.

2025: Brown is arrested on an outstanding warrant in Manchester, England, stemming from an incident in which he is accused of bashing music producer Abraham Diaw over the head with a bottle of Don Julio Tequila at a London nightclub in 2023. Diaw would file a civil claim for $16 million in damages. This year, Brown pleaded guilty to affray (a charge for starting a brawl that terrorized ordinary people), and the other charges of assault, having an offensive weapon, and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm were dropped.

But, as always, his fans, now 30+-year-old women who should know better, forgive him.

And give him awards.

And are members of Congress.

George W. Bush—A Cuddly War Criminal

I'm glad Bush has a sense of humor about him being woefully unprepared on the day the Twin Towers fell, painting a picture of the iconic photo of the fear and oh-shit-ness on his face as his aide, Andrew Card, told him we were under attack.

But I don't!

I, a humorless troll, am still upset that nearly 3,000 people died on Sept. 11, 2001 due to his mismanagement and negligence, no matter what revisionist historians say.

I'm also still mad about the subsequent "shoot first, ask questions later" wars he, along with former Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, ruined millions of lives over. The then Secretary of State Colin Powell tried to tell these fools, "You break the country, you buy it," and that you can't wage war on the cheap, but then he turned around and burned up all his capital, saying Iraqi leader and violent dictator Saddam Hussein was going after "yellowcake" uranium in Africa to make a "weapon of mass destruction," which wasn't true. Also, Hussein did not attack us on 9/11. I repeat, Saddam Hussein did NOT attack us on 9/11, and none of the hijackers were Iraqis.

Then Bush, out of the fear and tragedy of 9/11, created the Department of Homeland Security and its policing arm, ICE, which is now being used as the personal, violent water-carriers for this current messed-up GOP administration.

Basically, Bush was the blueprint that the Trump Administration used to create the mess we have today. It was under Bush that presidential powers expanded in unprecedented ways. It was under Bush that kidnapping and torture of foreign combatants (both real and imagined) were considered A-OK. It was under Bush that civil liberties were eroded, and those who pushed back against the administration's narrative were targeted. It was under Bush that the levees failed, and the city of New Orleans wound up underwater after Hurricane Katrina, and then THIS MAN waited six days to actually show up (he was on vacation in Texas), neglecting one of the oldest cities in the continental United States, as more than 1,300 people died while many others suffered in the Superdome, a tragedy from which Black New Orleans never fully recovered.

Also, the auto industry failed on his watch. The housing crisis happened on his watch. The deficit grew thanks to the misguided wars on his watch. Inequity grew under his watch. Billionaires were rewarded under his watch. And Black people continued to be discriminated against and targeted with extrajudicial violence under his watch.

I'm not saying Bush was the worst president. That title now belongs to the current occupant of the White House. But he's a close second, falling somewhere between James Buchanan, who allowed the country to split and set the stage for the Civil War; Woodrow Wilson, an overly-educated, "Lost Cause" racist; and Andrew Jackson, an exceptionally violent and cruel racist.

Y'all can debate who's worse! They all suck to meeeeeeee!

Some Blessedly Short Takes

Will My Dad Stop Watching 60 Minutes: Signs point to probably not until they truly piss him off. Watching 60 Minutes has been a Belton family Sunday pastime my entire life. But I warned my dad a few months back that changes were a-coming from its new MAGA-adjacent head of CBS News and former NYT opinion columnist Bari Weiss. This past Sunday was the first 60 Minutes completely controlled by the Weiss regime and featured a "soft-ball" interview between CBS News's Norah O'Donnell and Secretary of ... I'm not calling that department that, and noted DUI-hire, Pete Hegseth. And oh, it also featured an interview with Lil Boosie over how the got fleeced for trying to bribe his way to a presidential pardon. Eye meet roll. (CNN)

I Became A Journalist The Same Year As 9/11: I wrote on ye olde Substack how 9/11 shaped me as a newbie journalist back in 2001. It was also the worst year of my life until 2020 came along and said, "hold my beer." (The Substack of the Writer Formally Known As The Black Snob)

THE BLACK SNOB's Dress & Drama Sale and Brunch: Ya girl has too much stuff, so she's hosting a sale of her TONS of clothes that embarrassingly still have the tags on them on Sept. 27th in Brooklyn. I'm also selling some gently used items, purses, formal wear, shoes, art, and more. So, if it's your dream to shop my closet and eat some olive oil cake I made, consider this your chance to have a dream realized! (Register here for Dresses & Drama)

If you made to the end of this, congratulations! I promise to just break these up into separate posts next time.

But until next time!