Mike Pence was once a public figure (with whom I was personally acquainted) I admired greatly; now I regard him with disgust bordering on contempt

Okay, so I'm about to head out to the back courtyard to begin watering our surfeit of flora. Martha McCallum's "The Story" program is on FNC on the living room television. Mike Pence is her guest. She lays out the facts of a Congressional proposal to dole out federal funds to farmers on the basis of color. She then asks him if he's okay with that.

A direct question that, if honestly answered, begins - even if elaboration follows - with a yes or a no.

Pence begins his answer with "Martha, I couldn't be more proud of this president for . . . " 

I bailed. I headed outside to water plants. 

It was a direct question, Mike. 

There was a time, when he was an Indianapolis-based talk show host, or, perhaps even more certainly, when he was the head of a statewide think tank, when he would have said, "Of course not. That runs counter to everything our notions of fairness and of the role of the federal government tell us."

I'm from his hometown. I've had several one-on-one conversations with him. I have connections to various members of his family.

My point in bringing that up is to convey that I have seen him demonstrate conservative bona fides.

And now he's so gutless that he shirks direct questions about matters of basic conservative principle and instead offers up talking points that make clear how overtaken his very soul is by the power of the cult he agreed to join. 

This is by no means the first time he has demonstrated this degree of fecklessness. 

But this one was a clear case of being given the opportunity to go on record as standing on principle. 

He blew it. 

It's guys like him that have taken the entire Republican party's poll numbers down to the level of the Very Stable Genius vis-a-vis Joe Biden.

It gives me no pleasure to be saying this. This country needs a repository for actual conservative principles. But the entire organization is wholly given over to a megalomaniac who has 99 percent of its politicians by the short hairs. 

You follow the Very Stable Genius off the cliff in the service of his glorification, or your career is done, which it's going to be anyway.

I can't imagine you're going to sleep well tonight, Mr. Vice President.