Yesterday while transiting an interstate highway (part of the glorious legacy of the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower) I was unfortunate enough to actually catch a part of a taped interview session of Dear Leader going to great pains to pin the blame for the rise of ISIS squarely on the backs of the intelligence community in this country.

This despite clear and convincing evidence Dear Leader was briefed by that same intelligence community’s representatives not once, but numerous times, going back to 2012, about the activities of a certain group of “JV” terrorists who have suddenly—if you listen to him—morphed into the greatest threat to this nation since Nazi Germany.

While not specifically trained as an intelligence specialist or analyst, your faithful but lately reticent minion was privileged to associate for a period of about seven years with them on an almost daily basis. They taught me a great deal about their trade. I found these people to be of various levels of expertise depending on their seniority, and of course of different opinions regarding different subjects—but one thing I did not find them was to be lackadaisical in their responsibilities or uncaring in their attitudes toward their country. They pore over volumes of information on a daily basis when tasked with researching a given topic. They search minutely for tiny pieces of information that, fit together, can lead to a discernible pattern of some sort or can help a decision-maker that pays any heed to a situation make an informed decision about that situation. Oh, and all of this material has to be sourced and, whenever possible (frequently), backed up with pictures. It is always called for yesterday and requires voluminous documentation proving the analyst’s assertions. Many times the decision-makers decide at the last minute they don’t need the product at all. The analysts may exchange a few looks among themselves, toss the papers, and go back to the normal “grind,” only slightly less challenging. This happens on a daily basis, by the way. I used to watch the process.

I can’t imagine the IC not telling the Anointed One about ISIS, ISIL, IS, or whatever you want to call them. I can imagine Dear Leader turning his responsibility for receiving these intelligence briefings over to one of his aides, advisers, chief of staff, or cabinet cronies, or having them read the intelligence product prepared specifically for him and making decisions or shaping policy on his behalf while he hits the links or attends a fundraiser. This makes sense because, as in previous administrations, those aides, advisers or cabinet cronies have a position they sold to Dear Leader in order to have that post, and would be motivated to “spike” a report that contradicts the position that aide, adviser, or crony sold to the Anointed One to get that job. It interferes with their—and his—world view. They’re running national affairs believing things are as they want them to be, or as they perceive them—not as they actually are.

And I’m left wondering how much damage those golf spikes are going to be causing the wooden floors in the White House. Sort of like Amy Carter’s roller skate wheels, I guess.