I’ve been suggesting for YEARS that back in 1980, when Ronald Reagan was running for president against Jimmy Carter, while (I believe the total was) 59 Americans were being held hostage in Tehran, members of Reagans campaign had somehow managed to make a deal with the Iranians to hold the hostages until Reagan was inaugurated. It always seemed obvious to me – they were released, essentially, at the same time Reagan took the oath of office. What was my proof? I had none, other than my ability to make inferences. The coincidence just didn’t add up. (And, of course, I was no fan of Reagan – who was the master at racist dog whistles)

Well, now – while Jimmy Carter has entered Hospice care meaning his life will be ending some time soon, more than likely, Ben Barnes, who was moving up the “ladder” in Texas politics back in 1980, travelled to several Middle East countries with former Texas governor John Connelly on the “mission” to convince the Iranians they “would get a better deal” if they held the hostages until Reagan was officially the president. Mr. Barnes, who is now 84 apparently can’t live with the “secret” any longer and wanted to go public. Does he want Carter to know before he dies? I suppose that’s his motive – but, I suspect President Carter knew all along – just as I have suspected. (And, give Carter credit because we’ve never heard a “peep” from him in this regard)

There are plane records of Connelly and Barnes traveling to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel in July of 1980 (In the middle of the campaign) on “private business.” According to Barnes they passed the “request” along on each stop to people with connections to Iran not to release the hostages (“Reagan would give Iran a better deal”). There had been an investigation into this possibility, but it centered on former CIA director William Casey, who at the time was Reagan’s campaign chair. Barnes apparently shared some of the details with others who have corroborated he, at the time, told them what he an Connelly had done. So, now, I don’t have to point this out “without evidence.” For me, it will be a sad day when Jimmy Carter passes away, but he’s had a LONG and fruitful life. In my eyes, Carter is the one true Christian man who’s held that office in my lifetime (well, i feel that way about Obama as well).

With the exception of Dwight Eisenhower, in my lifetime, I’ve known only republicans who’ve made it to the “White House” to be LIARS and cheaters. Of course, Nixon was really bad, but Reagan set this nation on the course we’re dealing with today with the so-called “debt crisis,” HW Bush was up to his eyeballs along with Reagan in the Iran/Contra scheme and, of course, it was the Right wing Supreme Court who chose GW Bush/Dick Cheney in 2000 and they managed to alter HISTORY negatively in more than one way. (Iraq, Afghanistan, and the financial disaster of 2008) Of course, it just keeps getting worse with republicans and Trump, I thought, would be the epitome – but, who knows Ron DeSantis is lying in the weeds with his fascist eyes focused on the Oval Office. Could he be even worse???

In the case of each of these presidents starting with Nixon they’ve ALL managed to avoid accountability for their ILLEGAL conduct. And, now Trump is facing almost CERTAIN indictment – maybe “times four” – and, his followers are threatening a response which, in the eyes of one I read about the other day, “makes January 6th look llke child’s play.” I say, “bring it on.” We might have to build more jails to handle all these people who claim to believe in law and order but can’t handle the reality their white nationalist views are in the minority and they can’t violate those laws with impunity – that the laws are meant just for people like myself. Additionally, it’s going to be getting worse for them the more they spew their HATE.

OK, I started this post a couple days ago – and, what do you know? Today, Trump was FINALLY indicted – FOR THE FIRST TIME. I’ve pointed out here several times there are two items on my bucket list (I’m 75) – the first, I’d like to shoot my age in golf. I came within about 3 shots a couple years ago, but my deteriorating body will likely make that “wish” unatainable. The other “wish” was to live long enough to see Trump going to jail for (at least) one of the MANY “alleged” CRIMES he’s committed – what appears to me, with impunity. He’s been DARING the Justice system to indict him since well before the day he came down the escalator in New York claiming alarm at Mexicans. As the Justice system has zeroed in on him his racist “dog whistles” have simply intensified. Most notably to me, the anti semitic charges that Alvin Bragg is a “Soros backed……….” along with accusing Bragg (who is Black) of being a “racist.” Interesting accusation coming from the mouth of the TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) – now indicted – president who referred to countries in Africa as “shit hole” countries.

The “law and order” members of the republican party will come to his support with, also, a torrent of racist “dog whistles.” Ron DeSanctimonious has already started the flow of dangerous rhetoric, in his feeble attempt to be Trump’s successor, claiming “Florida will not be a part of any extradiction of this ‘Soros backed’ indictment” – trying to have it both ways, as usual. To me, Trump is disgusting and DeSanctimonious is sleazy. They both are counting on what Trump has called his “uneducated voters” to continue to be “uneducated.”

Here’s the reality, from my point of view. I’ve still got a couple of years to live if I’m going to witness Trump going to jail. I also anticipate he’ll be defending himself from at least THREE different indictments. Two more likely coming from Jack Smith in FEDERAL charges – possibly covering as many as 4 – 6 different charges (I read the Jan. 6th report and they referred him for AT LEAST four different FELONY indictments). Depending on what has been discovered regarding what he was doing with all the TOP SECRET documents he was hoarding at Mar a Lago there could be another 2 – 3 charges. It seems apparent, OBSTRUCTION of Justice is obvious and, if you remember, the original warrant for the search included evidence the Espionage Act may have been violated. Depending on where that last one ends up, it COULD be the most significant of all the potential charges. (TREASON???)

Here’s what we’re going to see as the next couple years unfold – not to mention having a candidate for president under indictment – making us kind of like Israel. We’re going to witness how RICH people are able to manipulate our justice system evern MORE than what has taken place over the past 7 years. There will be an untold number of delays due to Trump’s legal team stretching this out as far as possible. I’m sure Trump’s number one hope is that he might somehow regain the “Oval Office” in order to stop all these prosecutions. Personally, I don’t believe that would stop anything – although, I can’t bring myself to believe there are enough Americans (including his “uneducated voters”) to vote him back in office. The way the primaries work, I can see him regaining the republican nomination – which would cement in history another of the examples of republicans being STUPID, which I’ve documented since his first day after LYING about his “oath.” (Trump’s ONLY oath is to himself)

If you’ve been around this site for the past few years you know that for at least a couple of years I referred to Trump as “individual 1.” It never made sense to me that Michael Cohen would be prosecuted and go to jail for a crime he committed “At the direction of and for the benefit of” inividual 1. I stopped referring to him with that “name” after it became apparent the Justice Department did not have the stomach to charge Trump once he was out of office and no longer benefited by the Justice Department “memo” saying a “sitting president can’t be indicted.” This reality was, when it became apparent to me, when I first began to question the courage of Merrick Garland – who, I believe, doesn’t have the “stones” for indicting a former president. We’ll see when Jack Smith comes to a decision whether or not Garland goes along with it if Smith wants an indictment – on, either of the potential charges.

When it gets right down to it, Trump’s “hush money” payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal very likely allowed him to (NARROWLY) “win” the 2016 election. As I’ve pointed out for years, this would make him a true modern day republican – win at all costs. Cheating and breaking the law be damned – “the end justifies the means.” This is nothing new in republican circles, but, Trump couldn’t stop there. If you read the Mueller report (I read it twice) you know the Trump campaign DID “collude” with the Russians and Mueller pointed out there’s no law against “collusion” – although, he also pointed out the only reason Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner weren’t charged for their meeting with the Russians to “get dirt” on Hillary Clinton is because they were too STUPID (my characterization of his words) to understand they were breaking the law by having the meeting.

Of course, as it always is with republicans, there’s more. Trump’s attampt to BRIBE Volodymyr Zelensky led to his first IMPEACHMENT and, likely, was also a violation of law when he held up duly authorized aid to Ukraine by Congress. He felt he was “exonerated” because Bill Barr LIED to the American people about the Mueller report which “memorialized” about TEN examples of OBSTRUCTION of Justice – which Mueller made a point to explain how serious OBSTRUCTION is. Naturally, that wasn’t enough either, so Trump had to attempt to OVERTHROW a “free and fair election” on January 6th, 2021 – which he will LIKELY also face INDICTMENT for. And, his republican minions will continue to spew their illogical and dangerous rhetoric as they attempt to defend the indefensible. It’s really time the Justice Department PROVE we are “a nation of laws and not men.”

We’re already hearing people suggest Trump could run for president, and be president, from jail – should he be convicted. I have to argue with at least some of that. If Jack Smith follows the recommendation of the January 6th Select Committee and charges Trump with INSURRECTION and, should he be found guilty, then via the 14th amendment to the constitution he would become ineligible to hold any office – I forget the exact words and I’m too lazy to look it up – in our government – most surely, that of being president. I can’t seem to get off the edge of my seat! Stay tuned………….

Final Thought: Many “progressive” lawyers seem to be giving the rest of us sage advice: In America all defendents are PRESUMED to be innocent until proven guilty and, of course, that’s true in Trump’s case. Reports are that DA Bragg will have a challenging job on his hands proving his case “beyond a reasonable doubt.” At this point, to me, the outcome of this case is irrelevant – Trump’s actions in the Stormy Daniels case very well could have changed the course of History – and, at the minimum – since Michael Cohen was sent to PRISON for doing the “dirty deed” (in Cohen’s words) for Trump, it’s only fair Trump “face the music” in this case. If his lawyers can prove he’s innocent so be it. But, next Tuesday in Manhattan Trump will be getting finger printed, DNA tested, and getting a “mug shot” in the same building where the “Central Park 5” did the same thing in 1989. They were falsely accused and Trump spent something like $85,000 on full paid adds suggesting they should face the death penalty. Isn’t karma a b@#ch?

I’m looking forward to the culmination of the investigation in Fulton County Georgia along with the two investigation by Jack Smith. Naturally, in Georgia, the white hierarchy is busy in the background. Georgia’s legislature just gave themselves the power to remove any County DA they disapprove of. Do you really think that wasn’t because of Fani Willis and the Fulton Co. DA’s investigation, where the “Special Grand Jury” members have already suggested they approved indictments of 12 people (which would likely include members of the legislature which passed the egregiously racist law along with Trump and some of his associates.) Seriously, this kind of stuff has been going on in the South since the inception of this country. You don’t have to do a lot of reading about American history to understand today’s white establishment in the South are the offspring of parents who very well could have been directly involved in the LYNCHINGS of the early 20th century. (Of course, the white people elsewhere in America were, in large numbers, just as racist – seems to be a theme in America, doesn’t it?)

It appears a significant portion of Georgia wants to move on from that terrible racist past, but, in reality, those who have the “controls” could care less what people like me think of their actions. Once again, “the end justifies the means.” Read “Caste” by Isabel Wilderson and you’ll get a sobering view of American history. I told my son today, the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know. For example, I’ve studied the early period of Germany as Hitler was coming to power. (Read the biography of Diedrick Bonhoeffer) But, I never understood the Nazi’s studied how the Americans were keeping the African American population “under control” as they devised their “strategy” of “Aryan purity.” It really is sobering the more I read about our actual history. And, keep in mind, today’s students who are being shielded from the TRUTH of American History are no different from those of us “Baby Boomers” who had textbooks full of LIES back in the 50’s and 60’s.

Let’s hope Fani Willis finishes her investigation without interference and that Trump is forced to defend himself in each one of the pending investigations in addition to the one already charged. I really hope Jack Smith is close to charging decisions because, to me, it’s already too late. Over 1000 of the “minions” have faced charges or are in jail for following the encouragement of Trump on January 6th 2021, yet Trump still walks free along with his co-conspirators and further, his brainwashing of his CULT following continues, unabated. I believe Merrick Garland was FORCED to investigate Trump’s conspiarcy (which COULD include up to 100 people from where I sit – although, that’s unlikely) because of the January 6th Select Committee’s public hearings. The evidence of CRIMINAL conduct by Trump and MANY of his close associates is OVERWHELMING. Let’s get on with it!