Wives Tales

Just when you thought politics couldn't get any lower, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz proved that we haven't hit rock bottom yet!  The two are  now locked in a middle-school battle over their wives.

Here's a recap of what's happened:

1. The uproar started when someone or some organization posted a past photo of Trump's wife in a provocative position.

2. Cruz denied that he or his organization had anything to do with the photo, but Trump tweeted that Lyin' Ted's pants were on fire.  Trump also threatened to "spill the beans" on Cruz's wife Heidi (that she once attended the Emmett Lee School for Boys as Heinrik Nelson -- pictured below). 

3.  Trump then tweeted an unflattering picture of Heidi Cruz and crowed, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

4.  Cruz took the next shot by posting Heidi Cruz's most recent nude selfie (pictured at the right), and then he tweeted that the only thing "real" about Donald Trump is that Trump "got real small hands"  (pictured below).

We suspect that we haven't seen nor heard the last from Trump or Cruz on this brouhaha. 

To be honest, the kerfuffle reminds us of an epic freestyle rap battle where the participants battle with "yo momma" jokes -- only the clash this time is about their wives.  However, did you know that "yo momma" jokes date back to the late 1800s?  The phrase "yo momma" can be traced back to Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request).  He used it for the first time in his now-classic poem "When Nature laughs -- yo momma must" (below on the left).  Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "If Nature smiles -- the Mother must" (below on the right). 

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
 
When Nature laughs – yo momma must
I’m sure, for many a whim
Of her eccentric expressions –
Be the Person to blame!

By Emily Dickinson:
 
If Nature smiles – the Mother must
I’m sure, at many a whim
Of Her eccentric Family –
Is She so much to blame?