We hear a lot these days about the upcoming election in 2024 and, not astonishingly to me, there are a large swath of Americans who will support Trump until “the well runs dry.” That’s notwithstanding he’s our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING four times INDICTED with 91 FELONY counts (ex) president who’s led three successive elections where the majority of Americans have rejected his neo-Nazi bonafides. I regret I’ve had to refer to many of the MAGA Americans I’ve listened to – trying to understand their logic – as STUPID. So, if you’re on the “fence” about 2024 let’s take a close-up look at what you’ll be deciding:

There was another MASS shooting last night in Lewiston (No, Marjorie Taylor Greene – not “Lewistown”) Maine with AT LEAST 18 dead (three more in the ICU) and, once again, the predator using an AR-15 type weapon of war. Who continues supporting this gun violence? Yep, republicans!

Who is attempting to take availability of reproductive health care from America’s women? Once again, republicans!

What political party is working to restrict VOTING RIGHTS in America? You got it, republicans!

Who are working to BAN books in libraries across America? You’re right again, republicans!

What group is trying to “deconstruct the administrative state” in America? (That means our institutions of government) republicans!

Who is it attempting to kneecap Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid? Answer: republicans!

Which party in America is sucking up to Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban, etc.? Answer: republicans!

Which party believes storming the nation’s Capitol and injuring over 140 Capitol and Metro Police officers is “normal visitor activity?” Almost (but not) unbelievably, republicans!

Who supports a candidate for president who wants to tear up our 240+ year old constitution? Answer: republicans!

Which party believes members of the military who defend our constitution against civilian overreach? Answer: republicans!

Which party believes our founders were lying when they wrote our constitution to prevent the commingling of church and state? Answer: republicans!

Which party is supporting a candidate for president who has stated “If you don’t believe in ‘our’ religion” you should be deported. Answer: republicans!

Which party believes their candidate to be “above the law?” Answer: republicans!

Which party has taken LYING to an exponentially higher level? Answer: republicans!

Which party doesn’t believe in the Climate Crisis? Answer: republicans (by and large)

Which party has turned the House of Representatives into a laughing stock? Answer: republicans!

Which party has a member creating real world National Security problems? (ie blocking ALL advancements needing Senate confirmation) Of course, the answer is republicans!

Which party has been responsible for MOST of the national debt they complain about? Not shockingly: republicans!

Which party is supporting OVERTLY racist candidates – up and down the “ticket?” Answer: republicans!

Which party has members who vote against legislation and then, back home, take credit for the legislation’s success? Answer: republicans!

Which party believes that, in order to provide help to Israel, there MUST be more tax breaks for their BILLIONAIRE benefactors? Answer: republicans!

These are just a few of the things I believe any American who is a “republican” might think of before committing to vote for our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING four time indicted facing 91 FELONY counts (ex) president. He’s openly stated “I’m your retribution” – which means, “I’m going to get revenge on my ‘enemies.'” I can’t bring myself to believe a majority of Americans will vote for this thug – but, republicans are counting on the (supposed) fact they don’t need a “majority” to “win.” (It’s all about the Electoral College)

Make no mistake, the supporters of Trump are busy as I’m writing this on ways they can CHEAT in order to “win” the 2024 election. I’m presently reading “Proof of Conspiracy” by Seth Abramson which is like reading a 500 (or so) page indictment of how Trump CHEATED to “win” back in 2016. While MOST of us know about the Russian interference in the 2016 election, MOST of us don’t know (I WAS included in this category) Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, and Israel were all involved in funneling support to Trump’s campaign as well. I read the Mueller report twice and, apparently, I missed this part. I believe Mueller knew at least part of that as part of the COLLUSION he claimed there was no “law” to enforce and he didn’t have the stomach (or ????) to pursue a CONSPIRACY charge regarding many of Trump’s surrogates during the 2016 election (and, some foreign nationals).

My point here is I believe many of the “republicans” who are lined up to support Trump “come hell or high water” will be very unhappy should he be able to CHEAT his way to another “victory.” Several state legislatures, for example, have given themselves the POWER to override the “will of their people” should the vote not result in their preferred outcome. The key states are Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. There’s a lot of right wing “stuff” in each of those states. Stay tuned………..

Final Thought: Trump is LIKELY to have been CONVICTED of at least some of his alleged CRIMINAL conduct by the time of the November 2024 election. Once again, he’s been accused of 91 FELONIES in four different venues. Just like when he claimed ALL of the two dozen or so women who accused him of sexually assaulting them are/were LIARS (one of them has proved her case in a court of law) he’s suggesting, in the face of all of these charges, he “didn’t do anything wrong.” Well, if you actually believe that I’ve got a bridge…………

One more thing: If you’ve read the actual text of Section 3 of the 14th amendment of the constitution – and, like the conservatives on the US Supreme Court, you believe in an “originalist” view of the constitution – you’ve got to believe Trump has NO place on the ballot for any public office in “these United States.” Here’s the text so you can decide:

Section 3 Disqualification from Holding Office

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

PS – to my brother-in-law in Pittsburgh, I was too lazy to reread this, hoping you’re not too busy :o)

I copied this article from “Raw Story” a publication I subscribe to and Mr. Hartman says at the end “Pass it on” so, that’s what I’m doing. Thom Hartman is one of my favorite authors and he has a national radio program on Sirious XM.

Thom HartmannOctober 10, 2023 2:38AM ET  

Photo by Blake Cheek on Unsplash

“Saved at the last minute” is pretty much the story of our culture.

It’s built into our major salvationist religions, particularly Christianity and Islam. Even when killed or facing death, Jesus and Muhammed managed to ascend to heaven at the last minute and claim eternal life.

By this worldview, no matter how terrible a life you’ve lived, if you say a handful of magic words at the last minute before you die, you’re guaranteed a spot in paradise. There’s always the last minute.

It’s at the core of most all of our fiction, and a good chunk of our nonfiction. In the old Greek dramas it was deus ex machina — the god in the machine — when Our Hero was finally trapped in an impossible situation but then a platform is cranked down from the ceiling of the amphitheater with a god on it, who waves his hand and makes everything okay again.

In our modern movies and novels, it’s the last-minute discovery of the cure, a take-down of the bad guy, or the discovery of the fatal chink in the aliens’ armor. It’s the miraculous oil that keeps the menorah burning bright through the crisis or the earthquake that brought down Jericho’s walls.

Even in the field of nonfiction, nearly every book — no matter how dire its topic — wraps up with a section or chapter that essentially offers the “here’s what you can do” solutions to everything from acne to climate change to the fascist takeover of America.

This belief that something or someone will ultimately save us no matter how badly we screw things up is why we’re procrastinating with climate change and fossil fuels. It’s why we’re hooked on lotteries. It’s presumably why Merrick Garland put off doing anything about Trump for two years, apparently thinking Congress would rid him of that “meddlesome priest.” It’s why we celebrate Jack Smith, our savior.

There are fundamental issues that brought us to the verge of fascism and we’re ignoring them every day:

— Income inequality and the role of tax cuts in it.
— Worker insecurity and the role of the GOP war on unions.
— A climate-change-driven refugee crisis on our Southern Border.
— Political bribery by our Predator Class and the corrupt Citizens United decision.
— Billionaires and foreign governments buying politicians.
— Media consolidation under the control of rightwing billionaire families.
— Corporate monopolies.
— Racism, homophobia, and misogyny.

We ignore them all because we believe “somebody will eventually save us” so we don’t need to do the hard work of putting our nation, our working class, and our democracy back together.

For most of my life, religious salvationists have disparaged those of us who consider ourselves both spiritual and religious but don’t buy the salvationist aspects of our monotheistic religions. They mistakenly reverse the arrow of causation, arguing that without religion there can be no morality when in fact religion plagiarized morality from every human society that has ever existed.

Genuine morality is deeply buried in our collective psyche, and doesn’t require a savior figure or grand discovery to bring it to the surface.

As much as it pains me to say it (my personal urge toward salvationism is as strong as anybody else’s), nobody is coming to save us.

Salvationists take that as a statement of resignation, of surrender to crises bigger than we are. I take it as both a challenge and an opportunity. By abandoning reliance on others for our salvation from climate change, income inequality, political corruption, and all the other ills of our modern society, we can then shift responsibility for our future to the people most capable of doing something about these problems: ourselves and the governments we can influence.

Joe Biden is not going to save us, and neither are Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. Without entire movements of people like you and me behind them, politicians are relatively impotent: we are the ones who have to save our nation and the world.

Don’t despair. Moments of crisis are also moments when the possibility of transformation is at its greatest.

When the Founders of this nation signed their own death warrants by publicly taking on the most powerful army and navy on Earth in 1776, they were no doubt worried. But they also saw it as a chance to create something wholly new.

As the author of the Declaration of Independence wrote in a June 5, 1824 letter to Major John Cartwright:

“Our Revolution commenced on more favorable ground [than the foundation of English or Biblical law]. It presented us an album on which we were free to write what we pleased. We had no occasion to search into musty records, to hunt up royal parchments, or to investigate the laws and institutions of a semi-barbarous ancestry. We appealed to those of nature, and found them engraved on our hearts.”

Similarly, an optimistic Thomas Paine wrote:

“The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. … We have it in our power to begin the world over again. The birth-day of a new world is at hand.”

When Abraham Lincoln faced fully half the nation in armed rebellion holding to a fascist notion of America as a permanent nation of slaveholders, he wrote to a friend:

“The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me.”

When Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1932, the Republican Great Depression was approaching its zenith; a third of Americans were out of work and hunger stalked the land. With just as much corrupt intent as we see today in Jim Jordan or Donald Trump, nakedly fascist politicians were preparing to carve the country up and split the spoils.

Which is why President Roosevelt told America in his first Inaugural Address:

“This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself–nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. … In such a spirit on my part and on yours we face our common difficulties.”

While Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt offered leadership during troubling times, in each case it was the people themselves to whom they reached and from whom they expected delivery from the nation’s enemies and crises.

And the American people didn’t let them down. We made it through the Revolution, the Civil War, and the Republican Great Depression, just like we will make it through this Trump- and Putin-fueled crisis of democracy.

In each of those three previous crises, American oligarchs stood up against democracy. They supported the British in the 1770s, the cotton barons in the 1860s, and even tried to kidnap and assassinate FDR in the 1930s.

Every time, they were held to account by the American people.

President Obama said it best, perhaps, in February 2008 when he was running for the Democratic nomination for president:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

“We are the change that we seek. We are the hope of those boys who have so little, who’ve been told that they cannot have what they dream, that they cannot be what they imagine. Yes, they can.

“We are the hope of the father who goes to work before dawn and lies awake with doubt that tells him he cannot give his children the same opportunities that someone gave him. Yes, he can.

“We are the hope of the woman who hears that her city will not be rebuilt, that she cannot somehow claim the life that was swept away in a terrible storm. Yes, she can.

“We are the hope of the future, the answer to the cynics who tell us our house must stand divided, that we cannot come together, that we cannot remake this world as it should be.”

America has faced numerous challenges and difficulties on the way to becoming a multiracial pluralistic democratic republic. We’ve overcome most of them over time and moved forward, step by step, toward what the Preamble of our Constitution calls “a more perfect union.”

A washed up reality TV star and a handful of rightwing billionaires represent a current-day threat to our republic, but it’s not one we can’t overcome.

Trump and his lickspittles aren’t even a shadow of the power that the King of England held in 1776; can’t hold a candle to a brilliant tactician like Robert E. Lee (who we still defeated); and are hardly as powerful or convincing as Hitler or Mussolini.

That’s the marvelous and magical thing about democracy: it almost always finds a way to overcome obstacles and improve itself, even in the face of impossible odds and utter tyranny.

The only way we lose this country is if we give up. Which is why it’s now up to us — and we are not without passion or resources.

So let’s rededicate ourselves to the ideal expressed by Lincoln at Gettysburg:

“[T]hat this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Pass it on…

I’ve pointed out in several of my previous posts about one of the complaints coming from republicans – that we have a “two tiered Justice system” – implying it is “weaponized” against Trump and, in the words of Matt Gaetz, “American patriots.” (Gaetz obviously referring to the defendants in the January 6th INSURRECTION) I’ve suggested that the republicans are correct, it’s just they are totally confused. For example, there are an unending number of examples of “Black and Brown” Americans along with poor Americans sitting in jail cells as I’m writing this waiting for their “day in court.” (Including many of the J 6th defendants) This, while Trump continues to spew one THREAT after another on his (un)Truth Social web fiasco which has caused NUMEROUS prosecutors, judges, and witnesses to experience Trump’s organized Crime onslaught of slights and name calling leading to them receiving a flood of THREATS coming from Trump’s (using Steve Bannon’s word) STUPID followers.

Trump continues to attack Jack Smith on his website, on TV interviews (why would any legit journalistic site give him the platform?), and in his rallies to his rabid followers. He goes after the judges involved and the other prosecutors (he’s got a plethora of upcoming court “experiences” on the near horizon) plus he’s gone after witnesses, potential witnesses, and by inference potential members of any of the juries. And, as everyone knows, no one will know where the danger is coming from until, well, it’s too late. Trump suggested General Mark Milley (who’s got a memoir coming out) should be “executed.” (Leading to Paul Gosar, one of the DUMBEST of the members of the House suggesting Milley should be HANGED)

Over the past week we’ve seen Trump sitting, and pouting, in a New York courtroom as he’s facing the RUIN of his “Trump Organization” business – at least in New York. He’s already been found to have committed mass “fraud” and he’s been ordered to surrender the licenses he has to operate his businesses in New York. From what I’ve read he’s been, essentially, ordered to sell his real estate holdings in New York – including “7 Springs” (which I have no idea what that is) and, based on the whining I heard from Don Jr. he’s going to have to sell his “cabin” – simply because it’s listed as an “LLC.” During his three days at the trial Trump has managed to royally piss off the judge – after he went after the judges clerk on his (un) Social truth site. He was placed under a GAG order from the judge – which is the first judge to actually hold him to account, even though he continues to push the boundaries set by the courts as a condition of his release. To me, the timidity of the judges in his cases are simply making things worse and it won’t be long until someone is saying to them “I told you so.”

Trump’s been doing this garbage so long it appears he believes it’s his “first amendment” right to criticize anyone he wants – including overt and covert suggestions his supporters resort to VIOLENCE on his behalf. Personally, I find it impossible to even consider the thought the American people would even consider voting him back into office – but, thinking that way is likely a “fool’s errand.” Not only has Trump shown a willingness to CHEAT but, in fact, there’s no doubt in my mind, he’s CHEATING as I’m writing this. Trump is nothing more than a glorified mob boss, but the reality is he’s got a LOT of people in the “background” with a lot of money and a lot of reasons to want him back in the “White House.”

For starters, anyone who’s been paying any attention at all fully understand Vladimir Putin is depending on Trump – and/or the House republicans to block the U.S. from providing aid to Ukraine allowing him to “win” the war. Clearly about 80% of the American public wants the U.S. to “stay the course” until Ukraine has pushed Putin out of their sovereign land. But, republicans in Congress have been blocking “stuff” “we the people” overwhelmingly support for, well, about as long as I can remember – probably back to the “rise” of Newt Gingrich in the 1990’s. So, it should surprise no one to find out Putin is busy with his “active measures” campaign using social media to convince Americans of how evil “liberals” are.

But, as usual, there’s always more with republicans. I read Robert Mueller’s report on the Russians interfering in the 2016 election, actually TWICE. However, as I’m reading now (a bit tardy I must admit) Seth Abramson’s “Proof of Conspiracy” I’m picking up on things either I missed or Mueller’s investigation missed. (I’m pretty sure it was me) Not only was Putin actively working to help Trump “win” in 2016 but so was a group of Middle Eastern Countries led by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and – get this – Israel. They were pulled together by a group of under the radar “intelligence” operatives (mainly from Israel – and likely supported by Benjamin Netanyahu) who met with Eric Prince – who was financially committed to the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emerites (UAE) – in a secret meeting on the “Red Sea.”

I’m not planning to give a book report here (it’s a challenging read – FULL of information), but suffice it to say, Trump thumbs his nose at the LAW stating you can’t submit or receive help – in any form from a foreign country or foreign national. I’m still not sure why this didn’t get more attention from Mueller, but there can be no doubt the leaders of these country were DIRECTLY providing aid to Trump’s 2016 campaign. Of course, that’s now “water under the bridge,” but do you really believe these people won’t be providing him financial and logistical support in the upcoming election? One of the groups involved – affiliated with Israel intelligence – became connected to Cambridge Analytica – a secret “data gathering” outfit located in the U.K. and the work of Steve Bannon and Robert Mercer – two of America’s most prolific (alleged) neo-Nazi’s.

I’ve written about this before – Cambridge Analytica (Read Mindf*ck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America by Christopher Wylie) was able to “hack” into Facebook’s data – with virtually NO trouble prior to the 2016 election and “snag” personal date from 57 MILLION American households with the express purpose of categorizing the data and manipulating the unsuspecting Facebook users via, you guessed it, Facebook. (They did the same thing with the BREXIT vote in Great Britain leading to their breaking away from the EU) They “manipulated” the data into identifiable groups based on the data they STOLE from Facebook. (And, to this day Mark Zuckerberg claims Facebook bears no responsibility for “Trumpism”) The Trump campaign then fed ACTUAL “fake news” to the Facebook users based on their “tendencies.”

To compound the effect of what they “discovered” Cambridge Analytica “partnered” up with the Russians and this group of Middle Eastern protagonists who were dead set on making sure Hillary Clinton did not become the U.S. president. The group from the Middle East – led by “MBS” (Mohammed bin Salmon), MBZ “Mohammed bin Zayed” president of the UAE, The president of Egypt (el-Sisi I believe), the intelligence officers from Israel, a guy named George Nader (with close connections to Putin and MBZ), and, of course Mr. Prince (whose sister became Secretary of Education under Trump). At least Nader and Prince (my memory is foggy) met with Don Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner in Trump Tower prior to the election and they were hell bent on finding ways to “smuggle” money to Trump’s campaign through intermediaries situated in the states with the aforementioned governments pledging their support for Trump’s campaign. By all accounts they funneled MILLIONS into Trump’s “coffers” including “a lot” of money for his transition and inauguration celebration.

When you look back on Trump’s four years in office this all makes total sense. I remember reading about Prince meeting with Nader (and I can’t remember who else someone from Russia) in the Seychelles prior to reading Mueller’s report and Mueller touched on this and other “stuff” related to Prince – which, at least to me, suggested Prince is as gifted a LIAR as Trump. Keep in mind, Prince (he of Blackwater fame during the Iraq fiasco) moved his operation to the Middle East (presumably to avoid American investigations) and agreed to set up a mercenary force for MBZ – who wanted Prince to protect the assets of the United Arab Emerates – not trusting “Arabs to fire on other Arabs.” If this all looks “murky” you’re correct. Do you think these people won’t be at it again in 2024?

I say this because when you look at Trump’s circumstances – 4 INDICTMENTS, 91 FELONY “counts,” his organization being dismantled because of his continual FRAUD, another sexual assault lawsuit on the horizon with the likelihood of a judgement in excess of $10 MILLION (which seems like “small potatoes” compared to what he’s facing in the NY Fraud allegations. When you listen to him he sounds as if he’s totally deranged (he claims President Biden has lost his “marbles” when he’s the one making the egregious gaffes) – he recently claimed he won the popular vote against – get this – President Obama. He even accused President Biden from threatening to get “we the people” into – get this again – WW II. He screws up pronouncing anyone’s name where it’s more than one syllable, and he continually proves he has no idea what’s in the U.S. Constitution. (Apparently MILLIONS of his sycophants don’t know that either)

The House is in a shambles right now and, God help us, some in the House are planning to vote for Trump as the next Speaker of the House. Is this possible? Well, yes and no. It is true the Speaker does NOT have to be a member of the House itself. However, there is a rule that no one facing an indictment with MORE than 2 years prison time can be part of the House of Representatives. Will republicans simply ingnore this rule? Likely, yes. But, time will tell! Stay Tuned……..

Final Thought: Just like Trump’s ILLEGAL activity and his trampling of American norms has become almost part of his daily routine, leaving “we the people” NUMB to the reality, so far, nothing has been done to stop him – we also have Justices on the Supreme Court who have, allegedly, been violating ethical norms which are part of any courtroom in America – save for the Supreme Court – so routinely that the judges are lashing out at their critics as opposed to facing up to the unethical (possibly illegal) behavior.

Of course, in particular, I’m talking about Justice Clarence Thomas who seems to be the object of stories about his unethical behavior (yes, possibly illegal) on as regular recurring a basis as the pain in my spine from the degenerative bone disease I was born with and which shows up on an almost daily basis. The latest “foopah” which has become public regarding Thomas’ cozying up with the BILLIONAIRE class is the reports he has attended AT LEAST two of the “Koch network’s” BILLIONAIRE fundraisers/corporate gettogethers. These are the people who have directly benefited, for example, from the “Citizen’s United” SCOTUS decision.

Sadly, this is the period in American History where corruption seems to be a part of the system from top to bottom. Trump is the prime example, but there’s also Robert Menendez, the Democratic Senator from New Jersey who’s under indictment for some serious, you guessed it, CORRUPTION. Just as Trump continues to run for the presidency Menendez refuses to resign his position – despite calls from 31 members of his caucus (at last count) urging him to do so. And, of course, there’s the examples of the justices listed above. And, there’s not time nor space here to list all the CORRUPTION (known) that is going on all the way down through state governments to local officials. It really is getting ugly out there. And most, but not all, of the known CORRUPTION is the work of various republican officials around the country. I’ve been saying this for over 20 years (15 of which are on this site) that until the republicans are voted into the HISTORY books in large enough numbers to nullify their shenanigans this nation is in a spiral toward third world status. Let’s just hope that in all the “stuff” “we the people” are facing that our commitment to the rule of law here and the Ukrainians is interrupted. Yikes!!!

If anyone is questioning my 20 year “plan” of lobbying for “we the people” to vote “today’s” republican party (it is continually getting worse – while that almost seems impossible) into the History books all you have to do is make sure you’ve paid attention to House republicans over the previous 3 or 4 weeks. Between listening to Matt Gaetz (him of the alleged “sex trafficking of a minor” – that the Justice Dept. didn’t have the “stones” to prosecute) making daily threats to pull the rug out from under Kevin McCarthy’s “speakership” and listening to McCarthy, himself, the speaker with NO moral compass (some suggest he’s without a spine) accentuate the “stink” of this republican party America is looking at some dark difficult days moving forward.

Gaetz has made it clear there IS going to be a “government shutdown” which we can all argue over whether it’s Gaetz (and his “freedom caucus” – what a misnomer) fault or the fault of McCarthy who “sold his soul” to the right wing extremists in the House back in January in order to get his hands on the Speaker’s gavel he’s been yearning for over the past decade? Keep in mind, the “framework” for the economy going forward was established back when there was a bipartisan debt ceiling agreement earlier this year. Was there ever any question Gaetz and his “cohort” would renege on that agreement? Of course not, they were incensed that the agreement required bipartisanship – that without democrats voting for it, well, they would have been able to cause a U.S. default. I guess a “government shutdown” is the next best way to damage our economy for these right wing wack jobs.

McCarthy recently, unilaterally, “opened an impeachment inquiry” into President Biden – I’m certain with the hope it would mollify the so-called “freedom caucus,” but, of course, that was wishful thinking on McCarthy’s part. Keeping in mind, ALL of the so-called “evidence” linking Joe Biden to alleged nefarious activities of his son Hunter in Ukraine has been debunked over and over again. But, with republicans, that’s not the point. Their focus is to convince their “uneducated voters” that Biden was taking MILLIONS in coordination with his son. Evidence is beside the point – their goal is to somehow get politics “greatest LOSER” – our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called four times INDICTED two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president – back into office. Here’s what might be the end result of this fiasco – Trump’s son-in-law may end up being investigated. (OK I can hope) I’m predicting Hunter Biden will be acquitted of the “gun charge” – a charge which should never have been filed.

After all, Kushner’s $2 BILLION from the Saudi’s and close to another BILLION from the Emerati’s, the Qatari’s, and others makes Hunter Biden’s alleged $3.5 MILLION from his time on the board of Ukrainian Energy Company Burisma look like chicken scratch. But, again, the “investigations” of the Biden’s are not aimed at anything representing the “truth,” but simply to bring down Joe Biden’s (and VP Harris’s) approval ratings. Unfortunately, the so-called “liberal media” in America could often be referred to as TV for STUPID people. One of the things about America I cherish is the freedom to think for oneself – if we choose – but, with the emergence of “Social Media” along with outlets like Fox, Newsmax, etc. we’re seeing a “master class” in brainwashing coming from the “right” in America with help from foreign entities who would benefit for America’s “democracy” (it’s a democratic republic) to fail.

Trumpo is openly saying the “bad” part out loud. He’s going to attack our free press if he’s re-elected, he’s going after the Justice Department, the Military, the intelligence community, and the many institutions which have turned America into the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. He’s going after “Black and Brown” people, Jewish people who vote for democrats (most of them in America), young people who are demanding action on climate change and gun violence, and, of course, the largest voting block in America, women. If he’s re-elected the Supreme Court could easily become even more tilted toward the corrupt right wingers who already sit there. And, the list goes on. Of course, his most pressing “plan” if re-elected is to stay out of JAIL. His base is largely composed of the “STUPID” voters who watch Fox “news” – as referred to by Bannon – and, of course, he’s openly praised his “uneducated voters” on more than one occasion

Speaking of “uneducated voters:” Steve Bannon finally said something I could easily agree with. He said, “Fox ‘news’ (my quotation marks) is “TV for STUPID people.” If you’ve listened to or had conversations with ANYONE who’s a Fox viewer you know Bannon is correct. Of course, Bannon has turned on Fox for only one reason – his fuhrer (Trump) has turned on Fox. Maybe all of this will help bring Fox down – where it belongs – right next to Trump in the History books!

Now, don’t get me completely wrong here. I know MANY people in my peer group (I’m 76 and white) who watch Fox “news” who, other than talking about politics, I consider to be good hard working Americans. I know one YOUNG person, in particular, (OK, not really in my “peer group”) who I consider myself very close to who won’t watch Fox anymore because “they’re not ‘conservative’ enough.” (They said bad stuff about Trump) He now gets his “news” from Newsmax. Some of the stuff he’s said to me has been so outlandish that, at one point, I responded (without thinking) “you can’t possibly be stupid enough to believe that, it’s an anti-semitic trope.” Well, it took just one look into his eyes to realize, “yes he was.” He was making comments about how America is really two countries and other “details” I can’t remember, but his rant included the typical anti-semitic reference to the “Rothchild’s.” Him, along with every other right wing Fox viewer – or, in this case, a former Fox viewer – are almost impossible to dialogue with. That said, I would stand in front of a bus for this young man.

Getting back to Gaetz. Save for the timidity of AG Garland and the Justice Department, Gaetz would have his own serious legal problems. For whatever reason, in a situation where the Department had the “receipts,” they chose not to prosecute Gaetz for the alleged “sex trafficking of a minor” – among other alleged offenses related to the crimes of his former acquaintance Joel Greenberg. This made Gaetz attacks on Merrick Garland in the Judiciary Committee the other day seem somewhat ironic (at least from Garland’s perspective). Gaetz, after the Garland hearing – and on Fox speaking to Marie Bartiromo, said of Garland, ” Merrick Garland will sit there and he’ll answer my tough questions and he’ll smirk at me or he’ll obfuscate and then, guess what? He goes back to the Justice Department, and the coffers are full with money from the American taxpayer that gets turned against the brave patriots in this country.” (Apparently referring to the “J-6” defendants) That “charge” against the man (Garland) likely responsible for Gaetz still sitting in Congress and walking the streets a free man.

Here’s some more of the nonsense coming from Fox “news” as the looming “shutdown” will be a time for even larger “tales” being spun: Sean Hannity on the “border,” ” You know you talk about the self-induced problem at the border. It’s never been this bad. At the end of three years, I believe the number will be somewhere probably north of 8 million illegal immigrants that he has facilitated into the country, and now we have a new policy of just flying them in directly from the countries they come from, so it doesn’t look so bad.” First of all, Hannity’s numbers are absurd (surprise surprise) and suggesting Biden’s “facilitating” the migrants is more than absurd – I couldn’t figure out how many “illegal immigrants” have entered the country during Biden’s first 2 1/2 years in office, but what I did find was that approximately twice as many are expelled as manage to remain. And, as I’m writing this all I could think of is what is causing all these people to risk their lives to come to this country? – where nearly half the population will despise them – and, obviously, the circumstances from where they came are horrific. The source of the problem lies in their home countries and, at some point, maybe we will help find a solution there.

Coming from the mouth of Will Cain: (I have no idea who he is but he’s apparently a “host” on Fox) ” This is not a policy failure, this is a policy success for the Biden administration. This is the execution of a policy. And, Lee, there’s no nation. There’s no nation-state without a border. We’re watching the destruction, on purpose, successfully, of the nation-state of the United States.” And, as Bannon suggests, their (Fox’s) audience buys this crap.

And Jenine Pirro: ” The people who want us to be petrified that the world is coming to an end — and I think according to some it should already have come to an end — they just want to make sure that we live a minimalist life while they prosper based upon all the money they make from the green energy bill that was touted as the Inflation Reduction Act. And, you know, while we suffer, they don’t want us to have gas stoves, they don’t want us to have fans, they don’t want us to have gas cars and they are just interested in making sure that we’re as miserable as possible. You shouldn’t be eating meat. You shouldn’t be doing anything that we’re doing.” Holy Brainwashing – How did this woman get on TV? OK, Bannon’s correct – as I said above! I could go on and on – to Rupert Murdoch I say “good riddance.” Your place in History will also be right next to Trump and Benedict Arnold.

These are stalwarts of the republican party saying – well, whatever might gouge the darkest places of their audience the deepest. I pointed out to someone (who I love – she’s in my extended family) that Fox “news” is full of LIES. She said she didn’t believe that. I asked her whey she thought they paid Dominion Voting Systems $787,500,000 to settle their defamation lawsuit. She didn’t believe that either. (Of course, Fox was not FORCED to correct the issue on the air so that people like her would understand what LIARS they really are.) She doesn’t believe Trump is a LIAR and she believes he actually “won” the 2020 election. This is why I KEEP saying “The republican party’s got to go!” And, there is a difference from “spinning” an issue toward your point of view and out and out LYING. It’s almost as if LYING is a requirement of being in leadership of the republican party!

Final Thought: It was announced today that Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of the board of Fox “news” and “News Corp.” My first thought was how many ways can I say “GOOD RIDDANCE?” (OK, I said that already) I know one of the ways would be with a single finger salute should I get the opportunity to face up to him in person. It’s been reported the nearly $800 MILLION he paid out to Dominion was in order to avoid testifying in their defamation lawsuit. (His deposition was FULL of provable LIES) All of the Fox “news” LYING will likely reemerge in 2024 as the defamation case of “Smartmatic” software comes into the headlines. Will Fox “news” survive? Well, I hope not – but, something will fill the void if they don’t. Murdoch set the stage for how to make lots of money be creating division in America – keeping in mind he’s an Australian – and LYING as routine. My succinct message to Mr. Murdoch: “Eff You!”

Finally bipartisanship: Today the Justice Department indicted New Jersey Senate Democrat Bob Menendez on charges of corruption. Corruption? Are you kidding me – based on the evidence included in the indictment Mr. Menendez apparently doesn’t feel as if he’s sufficiently compensated for his job in the Senate. The Justice Department executed a search warrant last year where they found over $500,000 in CASH over $100.000 in GOLD BARS and a Mercedez Benz convertible which was apparently a “gift” to his wife. The indictment seems as “cut and dry” as some of the indictments of Trump. Here’s a large difference: Democrats in New Jersey are demanding Menendez resign and he’s been removed from his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Of course, Menendez is “innocent till proven guilty” and a trial, if it gets that far, won’t happen until next year. Stay tuned…..

Undoubtedly, Melendez will be another example of the “two tiered” Justice system republicans continue to complain about. I suspect Melendez will be walking the streets “free” while awaiting his trial date while someone at the lower “tier” (like where I reside) whether White or – well, certainly Black or Hispanic – would be sitting behind bars waiting for their “day in court.” Are Melendez or Trump any less dangerous to our republic than the “J-6” defendants? Go Figure!!!

The republican led House of Representatives is apparently proceeding with an “Impeachment Inquiry” on Joe Biden based on conspiracy theories related to his son Hunter Biden. Now, keep in mind that if Special Counsel David Weiss indicts Hunter Biden, as he has suggested, I believe the odds are strong that Biden will be acquitted. (Sure enough, Weiss indicted him) I mean, public evidence suggests the charges will relate to him paying two years of taxes LATE – but, ultimately, paying them. Plus, when he was using drugs he purchased a gun and lied about his drug abuse. (Was he buying the gun to kill himself???) The gun was thrown away within two weeks of when he bought it and was never loaded. In both instances it would be a rare occasion for ANYONE to be charged. What are the right wingers in the House going to do if H. Biden is acquitted?

Republicans are doing their usual right wing smear job – intended fully to reduce Joe Biden’s poll numbers – as they attempt to connect Biden in some kind of way to nefarious behavior when he was Vice President. Here’s what’s curious to me: It was when he was Vice President – not while he’s been president – even if they find something from 8 years ago – just think of what would happen if we looked back to four or five years prior to Trump running for the presidency. What if Jared Kushner’s behavior while in office PLUS while after he left office squeezing a couple BILLION out of the Saudi’s and another BILLION from other Middle Eastern Countries – for an “investment group” which he was unqualified to manage. (Kushner’s reported “return” is a salary of a “cool” $25 MILLION per year. (As the saying goes: “Nice work if you can get it.”)

Personally, I have no problem with republicans opening this “inquiry” because it will simply further show “we the people” the incompetence of republicans given the “keys” to a functioning government. While this “inquiry” is proceeding it appears House republicans are going to “shut down” the government because, well, they have no idea what they’re doing and that’s what they do. Here’s what they’re good at: Blaming others for their own inadequacies. When they shut down the government one thing is certain – they will find myriad ways to BLAME Biden and the democrats. And, because so many Americans are (sorry) STUPID when it comes to politics, many will believe the LIES.

Republicans also want to IMPEACH several other members of Biden’s cabinet – including Merrick Garland. I say, “have at it.” If that’s what they call governing, well, then if America doesn’t do what I’ve been lobbying for the past 20 years and vote these people into the History books they/we deserve what we get. Trump is all about “retribution” and he’s got a long list of those he wants to “get even with” (although, I believe, not ONE of them has been accused of 91 FELONIES). Trump, of course, is planning to use his re-election bid as his “get out of jail free card” but I’ve got news for him – none of the prosecutors are playing “monopoly.” He’s in deep “doo doo” and he well could be confined by the 2024 election (even pending appeal). We’ll see if the “two tiered” justice system republicans continue to complain about continues – for example, what member of BLM post 4 INDICTMENTS with 91 alleged FELONIES would be walking around with his or her freedom? (OK, that was rhetorical – the obvious answer is NONE!)

Now, does Biden need to push back against all these frivolous “charges” coming from the House? Well, of course he probably must because, in essence, the goal of the republicans is to cause people to believe s@#t that doesn’t even resemble something which is true. Being “true” is beside the point. Today, I was thinking how Biden could push back, including if something like a presidential debate would be where it would happen. Here’s how I think that pushback should go.

Picture Biden and Trump debating with Trump pushing the same old $3.5 Million payment to Hunter Biden from the Mayor (or his wife) of Moscow – a truly bogus claim which has already been proved (over and over) to be false. Here’s how Biden should answer: “Hunter was not a “senior adviser” in my office at the alleged time AND no one has accused him of squeezing or even trying to squeeze $2 BILLION out of anyone but agreeing to accept $3.5 Million. I can’t imagine anyone having a son, or for that matter a son-in-law who would take $2 BILLION from anyone who his father had close political relations with. Now, keep in mind, the charges against my son (they will have been resolved by this time) were for paying his taxes late and, of course, I don’t condone ANYONE paying taxes late – or, for that matter, not paying taxes at all – which I don’t consider to be ‘smart.'” (Mike drop!)

Trump’s foremost objective, at this point in time, is attempting to (somehow) stay out of jail. I’m sure he believes the best way to do that is to cheat his way into the “White House” once again. At the same time he continues to use the “Big Lie Theory” (originated in Germany by Adolf Hitler) in an attempt to pollute the jury pool in his upcoming trial(s) along with ginning up his rabid followers in order to encourage violence should he be convicted in any of his trials. The judge, the prosecutors, the grand jurors, the potential jurors, the witnesses – ALL of them he’s attempting to put in the “crosshairs” (figuratively or literally) of these MAGA “crazies” you see driving around with a Trump flag flapping from the back of their pickup truck.

Jack Smith has FINALLY requested the judge put, in essence, some tape across Trump’s mouth when it comes to talking about the case pending before her court. Of course, he won’t listen to her and he’ll keep pushing until she, quite possibly, has to have him locked up. (Likely, if it gets to that, she’ll put him under house arrest in Mar-a-lago – unless that doesn’t work either. Will he FORCE her to actually jail him – thinking his followers will attempt to “spring him?” You might ask, why does he just keep “flapping” his mouth? Some people actually think he’s the deranged one. I’m not there.

He (and his republican sycophants) keep repeating their LIES over and over with the belief if they do so enough people will believe the LIES to actually be true. Trump simply needs to get ONE juror to refuse to even consider the evidence against him and he will either be acquitted or he’ll get a “hung jury.” Would Jack Smith (and Merrick Garland) try him again? (Personally, I doubt it) On top of that the House republicans are doing the “Hillary Clinton treatment” on both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris – and, you have to wonder if the democrats understand what is happening? Or the so-called “liberal media?” By repeating LIES about Joe Biden re: Hunter Biden OVER and OVER again they are causing more and more Americans – who are unsuspecting – to believe the garbage they’re spewing is actually true. If you remember, they did this post Ben Ghazi on Hillary Clinton. Enough Americans believed the LIES to have an affect on the 2016 election.

I’m presently reading “Proof of Conspiracy” by Seth Abramson which lays out – step by step – how the Russians, along with the Saudi’s, the Emirati’s, the Egyptians, and the Israeli’s were part of a conspiracy to help Trump “win” the 2016 election. We’re already seeing signs of this “conglomerate” forming for the 2024 election. Do you really believe our elections don’t have interested parties overseas? Just think about it. Vladimir Putin is already at work attempting to prop up Trump and do you actually think the Saudi’s or the Israeli’s or the Emirati’s don’t want Trump in office once again? MBS and MBZ didn’t fork over close to $3 BILLION to Jared Kusher out of the kindness of their hearts! If you know about these two, their hearts are not “kind,” And if you think Benjamin Netanyahu has a “kind” heart, I’ve got a bridge to ……… These are all countries and leaders operating under the guise of authoritarianism. (i.e. fascism – defined here) These are all rulers who benefited from Trump’s first (and hopefully only) term in office.

Here’s the bottom line – the elected republicans in the House and Senate are either corrupt along with Trump (remember, almost 150 of them voted to overturn the 2020 election even after the INSURRECTION) or totally COWARDS – knowing what’s “right” but afraid to say so because their job means more to them than their country. These are ALL people who took an oath to the constitution and a case could be made that every one who attempted to participate in Trump’s coup d’etat SHOULD be ineligible to be part of this or any government entity in the United States by virtue of section 3 of the 14th Amendment to that very constitution. And, to think they’re using a propaganda strategy devised by Adolph Hitler makes it even worse for me. I don’t know how many times I’ve thought: “Earth to media; Trump (and republicans) are using the propaganda tools of Hitler’s Nazi Germany!” Would that matter to MAGA republicans? Likely not (if you’ve ever had a conversation with someone who watches Fox “news” you know what I’m talking about), But “we the people” SHOULD know why Trump et al keep LYING – over and over!

Final Thought: Trump has been bullying his way through life since his father listed him the heir of his apartment conglomerate. (Many referred to them as “slumlords”) For those of you who still question whether or not Trump is a RACIST – it all started way back when the Justice Department “dinged” them (Him and his Dad) for refusing to rent to African Americans. That was followed by Trump’s famous full page add suggesting the “Central Park Five” (who, by the way, were ALL innocent) be executed for the crime they didn’t commit. And, on and on, up until he was the “front person” for the “birther” movement, followed by labeling Mexicans as murderers and rapists, and then referring to African nations as “Shithole countries.” As someone I can’t remember who it was once said – when someone shows you who they are, believe them.

Today was the day of INDICTMENT #4 for our TWICE IMPEACHED (now) four times INDICTED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president along with a plethora of the lawyers who were scamming to overturn the 2020 presidential election AND, apparently, some others who were involved in the FAKE elector scheme PLUS those who were STEALING voter machine data in “Coffee County” Georgia. I believe there were a TOTAL of 19 people listed in the INDICTMENT along with about 30 “unindicted co-conspirators” and they were INDICTED under the Georgia RICO laws. (RICO = Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) Fani Willis has much experience prosecuting organizational CRIMES via this act.

If Trump is found GUILTY once this case goes to trial (Ms. Willis stated she would like to have the case at trial within six months) There are MINIMUM sentences and there’s NO way to avoid jail time if convicted. In total there were 41 counts in the indictment. So, here comes the real attempts by Trump to BULLY his way into threatening witnesses, jurors, the prosecutors, the judge (who hasn’t been identified yet) and anyone else who Trump identifies as the “enemy.” And, it is in anticipation of these attempts to manipulate potential jurors and witnesses that I’m thinking about tonight.

Now, in my mind, Trump has already crossed the “line” which would have caused me or you or just about anyone else to be thrown in the “slammer” for violating the conditions of his BAIL release agreement. I’ve pointed out here several times for republicans who are complaining there’s a “two tiered” justice system that Trump is the epitome of PROOF that is correct. He’s facing something approaching 100 FELONY counts at this point in time (more to come???) with several LIFETIMES in potential jail sentences via convictions and, yet, here he is going wherever he chooses and saying whatever he chooses while those who’ve been far less DANGEROUS have been sitting in jail since they were originally indicted following January 6th, 2021. (It was Trump, himself, who said “remember this date forever”) How much DANGER will Trump be allowed to create before a judge says “enough already” and treats him like any other DEFENDANT. I’ve said here more than once that it will be when Trump realizes he’s pushed the limits to the point where his “liberty” is threatened that will be the day he fuels up his 737 and heads for a country with no extradition treaty with America.

It appears there could be a “clashing” of potential TRIAL dates between Jack Smith’s January 6th case, the case brought by Alvin Bragg in Manhattan, and this indictment – all potentially setting trial dates in early 2024. I’ve heard several expert lawyers – for some time now – suggesting Trump’s greatest danger lies with the investigation of Ms. Willis. Some of the names I recognized aside from Trump’s in his “criminal enterprise” are Rudolph Giuliani, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, MARK MEADOWS!, Sydney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro and a bunch of names I didn’t recognize. As I said above there are 30 unindicted co-conspirators – many who likely have been “flipped” by Ms. Willis and are testifying against Trump. (It will be interesting to find out who those people are – I remember, for example, seeing some interest in Senator Lindsay Graham and General Michael Flynn – neither of them listed as “co-conspirators.”)

Graham actually was one of Trump’s sycophants who made a phone call with Brad Raffensperger (and possibly other Georgia officials) seeking whether Raffensperger could disqualify ballots based on “signature” issues. First, I’m guessing the calls to Raffensperger were recorded – so Graham’s claims which differed from Raffensperger’s observations could have made Graham a “co-conspirator” so I’m just wondering if he’s one of the 30 “unindicted co-conspirators.” In addition, Michael Flynn was ordered to testify to the “Special Grand Jury” and he’s not listed in the main part of the indictment. Could these two be, in Trump’s words, “rats?”

What we have, in reality here, is confirmation for those of us who’ve been calling Trump a mob boss for the past several years. I mean, if you’ve taken the time to read about Trump’s life prior to walking down the escalator, in 2015, to label Mexicans as “rapists,” none of this is surprising. What has been surprising to me has been the length of time it’s taken to make these charges, keeping in mind it will be another year until these cases have gone to trial. And, true to Trump’s history, he will be attempting to manipulate witnesses and jurors all along the way until, as I’ve said, a judge decides to put a stop to it by revoking his BAIL.

As I watched this INDICTMENT – the FOURTH one – play out last night I was struck by an observation which was trying to put me in Trump’s head. We had BOTH a group of WOMEN involved in the details involved in getting the indictment from the Grand Jury to the judge unsealing it, to Fani Willis’ press conference. Not only a bunch of WOMEN but many of these WOMEN are/were BLACK. Can you just picture Trump’s response to that reality? Will his fuming spill over to his LOSER Social Media platform? Certainly, by now, Trump as a RACIST can’t be a surprise to virtually anyone, can it? (Well, many of the people I know who identify with the white nationalist base of the republican party genuinely don’t “get” they are caught up in a purely racist movement – they’ll say, “Racist, who me?”)

So, I wrote the above a few days ago (I guess I’m getting lazy) but I have to note what I saw in Trump’s (un)Truth Social soon after the Georgia INDICTMENT. First of all Trump referred to those in Georgia who are seeking to put him in jail as those who “rigged” the election for Joe Biden. Now, he made this reference because he just couldn’t help himself from sending a “dog whistle” (with a “bull horn”) at the end of his posting when he referred to the Georgia officials as “RIGGERS.” If you’ve read this far I’m sure you understand fully what his message was. And, as I had predicted above it’s just got to literally drive him mad he’s being held to account by African American public officials in three jurisdictions. (Alvin Bragg in Manhattan, Letitia James the Attorney General of New York (who will likely have the first trial – a Civil Trial which could bankrupt the Trump org.), and, of course Ms. Willis the DA of Fulton County Georgia.

It’s taking me forever to post this, so I’ll do so now without (as usual) re-reading it. My Final Thought has to do with the fact I have refused to stop attending Church services knowing I’m on the “opposite team” from many at the church. I continue to struggle knowing Trump’s “base” is largely a bunch of “Christian conservatives.” I’ve pointed out here the parallels with the Third Reich in 1930’s Germany. It grieves me to realize so many people who claim to believe in Jesus Christ can be so devoted to someone like Trump – in many cases even suggesting he’s some kind of “deity.” To me, if anything, he’s the “anti Christ.” I look forward to the day when the “dam breaks” and these people realize who they’re actually supporting. Most “experts” I’ve read suggest that it will be difficult for MANY of Trump’s supporters to accept they’ve been wrong all this time. And, of course, Fox “news” (and the other right wing propaganda sites) will continue spewing LIES as long as it keeps them profitable. (Apparently, $787,500.000 wasn’t enough to fully get their attention. Go figure!!! Stay tuned…….

What’s so hard for “we the people” to understand? Donald Trump, simply put, acts like a wannabee Mob boss – full stop! Doesn’t use email. Doesn’t write stuff down. Tears up evidence and/or throws it in the fireplace. Even tears up evidence and attempts to flush it down the toilet. (I’ve got some advice for Trump if he ever ends up in the “White House” again. We just replaced a toilet with one which will “flush a dozen golf balls.” He should have those installed despite the fact they aren’t made of gold.) Trump talks almost in “riddles” as he “orders” his sycophants to do bad stuff without himself being held accountable for what they did. (Have you noticed it’s those around him who end up hiring lawyers?) He even is often referenced to have lamented “Where is my Roy Cohn?” – the Mob lawyer who helped Joe McCarthy back in the 50’s intimidate those he viewed as his “enemies.”

Trump has been BULLYING his way through life since his days being mentored by Mr. Cohn. By some accounts he’s been involved in over 3500 court cases. He’s famous for stiffing his lawyers, his workers, banks, and virtually anyone doing business with him – at some point. (Do you wonder why his attorneys are referred to by many as the “B” squad or the “JV’s?”) Trump’s gone through BANKRUPTCY six times – usually coming out on the other side far better than his creditors – only to go back to “business as usual.” He’s been credibly accused of fraud numerous times, he’s been fined for “laundering” Russian (and other foreign interests’) money and, apparently, those fines didn’t stop him from the procedure. Russian’s are famous for “laundering” money via real estate purchases in the U.S. – many times via Trump.

Of course, anyone who’s been paying attention is aware of Trump’s boasting of his sexual exploits of women – most notably on the “Access Hollywood” tape where he boasted he could grab women by their “pussies” – because “when you’re famous they allow you to do it.” (That boast has now cost him $5 MILLION – plus interest until he pays – and, likely the cost is going to go WAY UP after his next court appearance with E. Jean Carroll – with the plaintiff asking for an additional $10 MILLION plus punitive damages for Trump’s continued verbal abuses. And, keep in mind, Ms. Carroll’s complaint against Trump is far from the only one.

So now, with Trump’s base of rabid “conservative Christians” seemingly solidly behind him – despite ALL the heresy listed above (plus much more) – Trump continues to “double down” on his ILLEGAL conduct leading to January 6th, 2021 (conspiring with many members of the republican Congress) claiming he “didn’t do anything wrong.” FIVE people DIED during the insurrection – plus members of the Capitol Police took their own lives in the days following – over 140 members of the Capitol and Metropolitan Police forces were injured – some of them permanently – and Trump continues to complain he is innocent of any wrongdoing. That’s the “Roy Cohn” in him. Never admit you made a mistake.

Well, today is the day Trump’s NEXT indictment may “come down the pike.” It appears Jack Smith is not intimidated by Trump and will not be thrown off course by anything Trump might do. Trump is promising to be the “retribution” for his right wing “sycophants” – presumably he’s talking about all those who’ve been charged and convicted for their actions of January 6th, 2021 plus those who haven’t been tried yet PLUS the many who haven’t even been indicted. Reports are that online “sleuths” have identified a total of 3000 of those who stormed the Capitol of which about 1/2 have been indicted already.

THIS indictment is going to be for a (former) president of the United States attempting to pull off a coup d’etat – an attempt which is continuing as he is, astonishingly, trying for attempt number two. Here’s what voters MUST keep in mind when they go to the polls for the next (MANY) elections: Trump would NOT be still a “thing” except for the cowardly republican members of Congress who KNOW how WRONG Trump is, but don’t have the guts to say so publicly. They had TWO opportunities to end this American NIGHTMARE and FAILED miserably both times. In the first IMPEACHMENT Adam Schiff predicted, accurately, that Trump would “do it again.” Schiff challenged republicans to put the Trump “experiment” to rest by voting to convict him in the Senate and, save for Mitt Romney, the whole bunch of them ended up “shaking in their boots.”

I point this out because it won’t be sufficient for America’s voters to simply vote Trump into the History books (right next to Benedict Arnold), they need to vote a BUNCH of his republican sycophants right next to him in these pages (which, undoubtedly, republicans will want those pages removed to make it all “well.” These History books will be unavailable in places like Florida. Attention: Breaking News:

Well, it has FINALLY happened. Trump has been INDICTED for his attempted coup d’etat of January 6th, 2021. There are FOUR counts in the INDICTMENT and there are six “unindicted co-conspirators” – apparently including Rudolph Giuliani, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, Sydney Powell, a couple more who I’m not too familiar with (I think one of them’s last name is Chesebro). It appears Trump has been indicted by himself (presumably to get the case to trial “sooner rather than later”) with the others likely expecting to be indicted at some point down the road. Will this make Trump’s “base” continue to believe he’s “innocent” (even though they know/should know better). I can’t remember where I read this but recently I was reading about the “base” of the Nazi’s back in the 1930’s and the author of the article was talking about “wilfull stupidity.” That appears to be what is happening among “we the people” as Trump continues to act like a Mafioso.

“Conservatives” have embedded themselves in the mis/disinformation of right wing media – at this point, much more than simple “you watch Fox ‘news’ don’t you?” This all falls into the category of willful stupidity. Republicans have traditionally based their “schtick” on “law and order” and strong national defense. Trump has turned that MO upside down. Now, I’ve been suggesting a streak of racism amonst republicans since the days of Richard Nixon (especially Ronald Reagan) with Trump taking the “Tea Party” which was founded in reaction to “we the people” voting in an African American as our president to full out white nationalism. They’ve been saying “we want our country back” since the day Obama was elected. (I always say, “back from what?”)

From the days following the attempted coup d’etat of January 6th, 2021 I’ve been saying the TRUTH will come out “drip by drip.” Well, the drips have turned into a stream of the TRUTH of what happened in the days following Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 presidential election. (By over 7 MILLION votes) Actually, Trump was setting the “stage” for the coup months before the actual election. He had a plan to declare victory well before the votes had been counted because his advisors told him (accurately) the election day votes would be counted first and they were likely to skew in his favor in early returns. The “Stop the Steal” scam was planned well before the actual election. (In reality, the idea for “Stop the Steal” was devised back in 2016 by Roger Stone – who, by the way, along with Steve Bannon should be sleeping a bit uneasy these days because this CONSPIRACY went well beyond the six listed co-conspirators. (See the “Willard War room”) Trust me, Jack Smith will assure us all, “The investigation is continuing.”

Right wing politicians are going to be claiming there’s a “two tiered” justice system. And, I’m going to totally AGREE with them. For example, Trump will be arraigned on August 3, 2023 where he will likely enter a plea of “not guilty” on all charges. By rights he’ll be fingerprinted (again) with nary a “mug shot” – which hasn’t happened yet (do you think you’d get that “perk?” He’s being charged with FOUR counts (felonies) that range in potential punishment ranging from 5 years to 20 years in the sentencing “guidelines.” He’ll likely be allowed to walk out of court on his own recognizance. Who else would get that perk? Many of his suckers er minions who stormed the Capitol on January 6th, 2021 were held without bail because of the danger they posed to “we the people.” Now, seriously, do you believe they caused a greater danger than Trump? Who else can be facing around 80 FELONY charges and still be walking around free – shouldn’t Trump (at least) have to wear an ankle bracelet? Shouldn’t he have to turn in his passport? Shouldn’t there be an appropriate BAIL for the CRIMES alleged? (Remember, he’s got his own jet and it would be easy for him to “split” seeking asylum in, like, Russia – OK, I can hope, can’t I?)

The reality is Trump is the poster child for how we have a two tiered justice system. He’s being prosecuted with “kid gloves..” I know people who’ve been stopped for a DUI who’ve faced tougher responses from the “government” than what Trump has faced – to this date. Maybe the judge in Washington D.C, will make an attempt to hold Trump to account as if he’s being treated like any other citizen. To me, the fact he’s running for president once again is irrelevent. His CRIMINAL conduct shouldn’t be excused because he’s trying to regain the “White House.” I do have to add, if “we the people” are “wilfully STUPID” enough to put Trump – or, for that matter, another republican in the “White House” well, we deserve what we get – which, likely will be the end of our democratic republic as it’s evolved over the previous 240+ years.

Final Thought: If it’s not HOT enough for you this summer (the HOTTEST July on record) to get your attention regarding the NECESSITY to act regarding the Climate Crisis I don’t know if there’s hope for you. For people like me (soon to be 76) and Trump and Biden – it’s potentially not at the critical stage – depending on where you live (I hope it’s not Florida or along the Gulf of Mexico Coast or the Atlantic Coast or the Midwest Tornado zone or………… OK, I hope you get the idea) – it’s what we’re leaving for our children and grandchildren which causes me grief. If it wasn’t for republicans (and democrats like Manchin and Sinema) we’d be much farther along in an attempt to mitigate the effects of fossil fuels on the atmosphere.

If you’re a woman, well, why would you vote for a republican? Unless of course you believe it’s your role to tell OTHER women how to control their own bodies. I was talking to my granddaugher today and some of these issues came up. I told her I was never in favor of abortions, but in the first pregnancy of her grandma (my first wife) when she sufffered a miscarriage, at the time, I had no idea the procedure the doctors used to treat her as she was bleeding profusely as her body was attempting to pass the fetus was, in effect, an abortion. Had this happened today, in Texas, her life would clearly be in danger – with doctors refusing to act until such time as her life “on the line.” Not only would that be STUPID, but it would also likely (in our case) have made the ensuing pregnancies which resulted in my two daughters unlikely. Over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that if you don’t believe in abortion, don’t have one. It’s not your business regarding other women.

All circumstances are different. To me, these two issues – Climate Crisis and abortion SHOULD be enough to guarantee republicans don’t win an election again until the (CORRUPT) Supreme Court becomes “balanced” – it’s been a right wing court for at least the past 25 years and it’s going to be, likely, worse for the next 25 years. Vote in another right wing republican and it will likely get worse – Ron DEESantis has already said he’ll put in more extreme judges than Trump. And, we’re talking about many more judges than just the NINE on the SCOTUS.

Yes, as always with republicans, there’s a lot more. There are issues with VOTING Rights, Civil Rights, Gun violence, Public Education, Higher Education, Environmental issues, challenges with rebuilding the infrastructure of America – our infrastructure needing at least twice as much “rebuilding” as we’ll get from the “bipartisan infrastructure Act,” and much more. The issues with income inequality are real and serious and it will take resolve for our politicians to actually vote to increast taxes on the BILLIONAIRE class. It will take resolve for our Congress to actually place restrictions on our social media “apps” – like “TWITTER,” and “Facebook,” “Instagram,” “What’s App,” etc. etc.

The bottom line is if America’s young people (35 and younger) choose to vote, there is only one way for people like Trump to “win” – and, that is to….. OK, you’re one step ahead of me, to CHEAT! I can hear my granddaughter as I’m writing those words – “uh dough” – (try to picture Homer Simpson as you read those words). As sure as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West Trump is busy planning how to best CHEAT as he’s facing the THIRD criminal indictment relating to his lawbreaking with IMPUNITY – obviously believing he’s “above the law.” His followers who claim there’s a two tiered justice system actually believe Trump should get SPECIAL treatment because he’s running for president once again. Apparently, they haven’t endured enough LOSING as of yet – but, the reality is they think there SHOULD be a two tiered justice system and Trump’s “tier” should be one step ABOVE the rest of us. We will soon know if America really is a “nation of laws and not men.” Stay tuned………………

I’ll publish this rant a couple days after Trump’s LATEST indictment – hopefully, by the time of his arraignment – but, I’m going to actually re-read this one and try to fix as many of my mistakes as possible. I’m sure my brother-in-law in Pittsburgh will double check me. (And, by the way, Pittsburgh is one of my favorite places in the U.S.A. – I hope to visit there sooner rather than later. I met so many awesome people a few years back when I spent a couple months in Pittsburgh – and, I’m talking Pennsylvania) and Pennsylvanians will likely be KEY in making sure Trump never gets near the “White House” ever again.

Today it was announced Trump has received a “target letter” from Jack Smith regarding the INSURRECTION of January 6th, 2021 giving him four days to choose whether to go before the Grand Jury and defend himself – which EVERYONE knows he’ll NEVER do. What this means is it’s very likely Trump’s NEXT indictment will happen at some point next week. (The week of July 21st through July 26th.) It will be interesting to see how detailed Mr. Smith will be – by all accounts he’s purported to be very detailed and thorough – and, how many of Trump’s co-conspirators will get caught up in the indictment.

It could be in the HUNDREDS – although I’m not convinced Smith will go that far although the CONSPIRACY seemed to cover numerous states across this nation. (Just this day the Attorney General of Michigan has charged 16 FAKE electors for their participation in Trump’s scheme with a series of FELONIES.) It could/should include several members of the House of Representatives (and, maybe, Ted Cruz?) including Jim Jordan, Scott Perry, Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mo Brooks, Louie Ghomert, and many others – including the crazy lawyers (Giuliani, Eastman, Clark, and others) Mark Meadows, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, plus Ginni Thomas (read some of her texts which are public knowledge) all the FAKE electors and those who recruited them and, possibly, Jared Kushner (if Smith charges the frudulent campaign fundraising of about a quarter BILLION dollars which was never used for the purpose stated in the solicitations.)

I’m writing this prior to the anticipated indictment to remind myself to spend some time speculating on where Smith may be going with this (alleged) indictment. The way I see it, there could be more than one way to decide what is the best course of action. And, one of them, quite possibly, would be what they’ll face in the courtroom of Aileen Cannon in Florida during the lead up to the trial in Trump’s Classified Documents case. I don’t believe the government prosecutors trust Ms. Cannon to cause the trial to fall into the “Speedy Trial” which the constitution “requires.” Therefore, does Smith want to have ANOTHER case which could get pushed up against the 2024 election? Obviously, that will be Trump’s plan – assuming republicans are STUPID enough to nominate him once again for the presidency.

If the charges are limited I believe it will be due to the expediency Mr. Smith wants in regard to this investigation which is about ONE year past due – based on where it should have happened. I’ve been part of the resounding chorus of Americans who’ve questioned the bona fides of Merrick Garland and there seems to be evidence, as many worried, it took the January 6th Select Committee’s report to get the Justice Department off their collective asses – instead of keeping their focus on the sycophants who Trump DUPED into doing his dirty work on January 6th, 2021 – even Trump, at the time, said “remember this date forever.” I’m just trying to help him do just that!

Reports have emerged there will be THREE categories in the indictment. I won’t speculate other than to say it appears Smith doesn’t feel charging Trump with SEDITIOUS conspiracy – along with the “R’s in Congress” who he was scheming with – not to mention the lawyers and those pushing the “fake elector” scheme – make no mistake, Trump and his minions were attempting to OVERTHROW our government and truth be told, he’s continuing his plan to turn America into a FACIST state – despite his (projection) words suggesting Biden is the “facist.” Remember, these republicans – and Trump especially – operate in a fact free world. They feel not the slightest need to back up their outrageous comments with anything even resembling facts.

I’m hearing/reading warnings about what will happen should Trump somehow get re-elected – but, keep in mind, he’s “written” the “playbook” and, I believe any republican will attempt the same authoritarian takeover of our government should Trump not be the republican nominee. Trump is running out in self preservation mode because I can imagine he FEARS jail more than anything else – and, he believes he can avoid his legal troubles by getting re-elected – just as he avoided them during his 4 year reign on “we the people.” Question: Are the American people STUPID enough to want another four years of this thug? Lord help us!

Here’s the deal – many hard right “Christians” are totally OK with a facist dictatorship – I actually know some of them. They profess to be “conservatives” – BUT they support Trump and if you ask them “what is a conservative?” They get mad at you for being inquisitive. Some will simply say anyone who opposes abortion. Most progressives like me aren’t “pro abortion” – they’re pro letting a woman have autonomy over her own body. It’s appearing more and more as if “conservatives” want to turn back the clock to the days when “a woman’s place is in the home.”

I’ve read several articles of late warning “we the people” of the grave challenges of the 2024 election – which, to an extent, I would totally agree. But, what I’m not hearing/reading is the imperative people (democrats, independents, and disaffected republicans) show up in MASSIVE numbers and vote AGAINST republicans – not only in 2024, but for the foreseeable future as these republicans – who are the “offspring” of America’s “oligarch” society (and, of course, they call people like me an “elitist”) – have not/will not be deturred by political defeat. They just keep coming back like a “bad dream.” (Their access to money is unlimited and their desire for what Karl Rove refered to as a “permanent republican majority” requires serious CHEATING – the perfect scenario for Trump)

That’s one issue I have with progressives. They win an election and think all is well. That’s what republicans count on and what happened with Obama’s election leading to the reign of Trump. Hopefully, it won’t happen with Biden’s election – even if Biden wins a second term. These republicans (white nationaists, ie “deplorables”) will just attempt to raise even more hell. They include more “deplorable” people than just Trump.

Have you paid attention to Elon Musk lately? He has so much money he was able to buy a platform where he could spew his right wing HATE for $44 BILLION – and, in essence, run it into the ground while giving neo-Nazi’s a spigot for their HATE once again. And, the other major social media networks (Facebook and Youtube) have relaxed their “rules” allowing the right wing HATERS to have more avenues for spreading their “garbage.” Social media outlets have been the perfect sounding board for mis/disinformation.

It is the use of these social media networks that people integrated into the White Nationaist movement with the militia movements and other right wing “movements” using these platforms to “recruit” their radicalized minions (Just as foreign radicals like ISIS uses social media for recruiting). Trump’s intention is to bring right wing radicals “on board” to, once again, do his “dirty work” using social media. Consequently, the sheer number of Americans who are willing to throw our consitution to the wayside continues to grow as Trump, and other republicans, attack “we the people” using “culture wars” because that’s what energizes their base.

Hopefully, young people, women, African Americans, Latina’s, LGBTQ Americans, and old white “liberal” Americans like me are getting the message. I may not be around for the 2028 election, but I can guarantee you these white nationalists lining up behind Trump will be – whether Trump goes to jail or not. Trump has given them the “playbook,” they’ll find another “fuhrer” if that becomes necessary. The fact Trump’s base is largely composed of “conservative Christians” is eerily similar to Hitler’s base back in the 1930’s. Reminds me of the saying, “Those who ignore history are bound to repeat it.”

The way I see it, “we the people” MUST vote against republicans for at least a generation – or, until the “FREEDOM Caucus,” Keving McCarthy, Mitch McConnell and MOST of the rest of “present day republicans” (who have NO guts when it comes to challenging Trump) are voted into the HISTORY books. The courts are stacked against progressives – which is by design. State governments are passing voter suppression laws in alarming numbers (thanks to the Roberts SCOTUS) and, it’s imperative to fight (via the courts) against these laws. The SCOTUS is likely going to be made up of this “conservative” majority for a couple decades. Voting in another republican to the “White House” simply makes that reality much WORSE.

Here’s what republicans understand: There’s more of us (meaning progressives) than there are of them – so, to WIN they have to CHEAT. This didn’t start with Trump. Republicans CHEATED back in 2000 when the presidency was “stolen” from Al Gore via an earlier version of the Supreme Court. (A decision resulting in the Iraq (illegal) war – er, FIASCO. The history of the republican M.O. – “The end justifies the means” is what has led to their willingness to CHEAT – which they find creative ways to accomplish their goal – win at all cost!

And, beware, republicans have a history of supporting “third party” candidates in order to siphon off votes from the democratic candidate – a “sheme” which has not been well reported by our “liberal media.” When Reagan beat Carter republicans supported a “liberal republican” – John Anderson – who took votes from dsiaffected democrats – keeping them from voting for Carter. When GW Bush was granted the presidency by the Court, it wouildn’t have been even close save for Ralph Nader running on the “Green Party” ticket and, of course, Trump benefited from the impossible candidacy of Jill Stein – not only helped by republican money but Ms Stein was even a guest of Vladimir Putin prior to the election. I’ll let you put two plus two together. Go figure!

The bottom line here is “we the people” MUST be participants in the upcoming elections (for the next 20 – 30 years) with the goal of voting AGAINST republicans. The future for our children and grandchildren (if you’re old like me) depends on it. If this summer hasn’t convinced you the Climate Crisis is real – well, brace yourself for this fall when the HURRICANE season hits full force. (And, the wildfire crisis is already upon us) And, it’s hard for me to understand why any woman would vote for a republican because their goal is to make abortion illegal with no exceptions – nationwide.

Remembering when my (first) wife was having a miscarriage I couldn’t help but think had we lived in today’s Texas her life would have been in danger (without seeking medical help outside the state – but, the situation was an emergency which would have threatened her life had doctor’s been reluctant to, in essence, perform an abortion allowing her to bear children at a later date. What that means is there are now states in America where a woman getting pregnant potentially puts her life in danger. Yikes!!!

The gun crisis, the education crisis – and, I could go on and on – there are so many issues where the “will” of “we the people” is not addressed because of a one word answer: republicans! I spent the last 23 years of my working life teaching 6th graders in Middle School. To this day I remember when GW Bush instituted the “No Child left behind” legislation shortly after taking office in 2001. It was cleat to me, at the time, republicans were turning up the “heat” on their desire to undermine public education. Well, it’s now at the “boiling” point. And, progressives need to “fight back” at the ballot box in order to save/strengthen our public education system.

These are just some of the reasons why it’s IMPERATIVE for America’s voters to reject republicans at the polls for the next couple of decades – or, until these radicals who’ve taken over the republican party are voted, as I’ve often said here, into the History books – books that should NOT be removed from the shelves in the libraries. Along with the importance of VOTING for “we the people” it’s also IMPERATIVE the Justice Department prove that “no one is above the law” by prosecuting those who CONSPIRED with Trump to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The sooner Trump is in a Court of Law being forced to defend his actions the better.

Prosecuting Trump and voting out republicans will be an important first step in preserving our Constitutional democratic republic which has endured over 240 years with lots of “hiccups” (OK, bad stuff) but has proven the Constitution is a “living document” which is why “we the people” continue to push our nation toward the “ideal” that “all men (and women) are created equal.” Striving for MORE inclusion instead of attempting to “turn back the clock” reversing hard fought gains in Civil (and human) Rights over the past 60 years. I’ll end this by saying, once again, Trump has come closer to turning America into a fascist nation than Hitler ever did! It’s up to “we the people” (and the Justice Department) to ensure he NEVER accomplishes his goal!

Final Thought: I mentioned above Elon Musk and his takeover of “Twitter.” He has shown his true self since that point in time – at least to me (a non social media user). I WAS a strong supporter of Tesla because it’s obvious to me “we the people” MUST find an alternative to fossil fuels “sooner rather than later.” To me, that means Musk deserves credit for supercharging the push for electric cars (although Chevrolet was farther along regarding electic vehicles than most people understand – but, Musk was the “instigator” of the EV “revolution” in my mind.)

That being said, at this point, there is little to NO chance I would ever purchase a Tesla. I see Musk as one of the “American Oligarchs” who are willing to use their money to, in essence, “burn the house down” – with the “house” being America’s “democracy.” He’s in the “good ole boys club” of Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, and others who are pouring their money into politics behind some really “Trumpian” candidates. Naturally, there’s a whole lot more “Oligarchs” in America who have, in essence, bought many (if not MOST) of America’s political “leaders.” Musk is just “advertising” his right wing “bona fides” on his new toy, Twitter – and it just almost makes me sick to my stomach. Reminds me of the proverb (once again) that “money is the root of all evil.” Stay tuned……

How could America have evolved to the point where today’s republicans, in both the House and the Senate (not to mention the presidential candidates), could possibly be so “effing” (to use a phrase from the January 6th Committee’s report) STUPID. And, yes, I’m talking about you, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Mike Lee, Tommy Tuberville, Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, Louie Ghomert, Scott Perry, Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and, sadly, a bunch more. And, then there’s the HUGE segment of republican COWARDS who know what their party is doing is WRONG, but don’t have the guts to SPEAK OUT! It really is shameful.

In this present Congress republicans are accomplishing NOTHING. They can’t even pass the 2023 Defense Appropriations bill without creating a public “stink.” And, of course, the Defense Department can’t promote ANY officers because Tommy Tuberville, who says “White Nationalists are simply Americans.” (Well, he’s somewhat correct – in that many of them are – plus they’re , by definition, RACISTS. Truth be told, there’s White Nationalists in many other countries around the world) Tuberville continues to broadcast he’s an “effing” IDIOT. (How do people like this get voted into Congress?)

So, the latest item republicans are wrapping their minds around in their 24/7 attempt to keep Joe Biden’s “poll numbers” down involves, naturally, more STUPID (and dangerous) “stuff.” Joe Biden put 3000 American reservists on notice they may be shipped off to Europe to give a break to troops already stationed there (about 100,000 are there as I write this). Oh my god, the republicans are seemingly pooping all over themselves. The aforementioned Cruz and Lee (along with assorted right wing “pundits”) are suggesting Biden is attempting to start WW III. Yikes! The absurdity never seems to end.

However, when you take a sober look at what Biden has been doing for the last 18 months, it’s exactly the opposite. I would like our “liberal media” to put the moniker “Neville Chamberlain” on these republican IDIOTS. For anyone who hasn’t been paying attention or hasn’t read anything about American and World History, Chamberlain was the British Prime Minister who took Adolf Hitler at his word in order to avoid a war – well, we all know how that turned out. (It’s more complicated than that – but, suffice it to say, Putin’s goal was NOT simply Ukraine) Biden has done a MASTERFUL job in unifying (and expanding) NATO in the face of Putin’s naked aggession and, now, the only issue is how is Putin/Russia going to “save face” as they are LOSING badly. (Their hope is to hang on long enough for Trump to retake the “White House” – that’s the ONLY way they succeed in Ukraine).

Honestly, it’s really tiring watching all the BS coming from the “right” in our country. The so-called “conservatives” want to “defund the DOJ and the FBI” – which, of course, would allow Trump to violate even MORE of our laws – in fact, when you think about it, the laws would only apply to “liberals” (like me, apparently) and “Black and Brown” people. Trump didn’t get much done in his four years of chaos, but he’d be able to be a full time “president” should he “win” once more – because he’s got a lot of REVENGE to conduct. And, how could he win you might ask with 60% (or more) of Americans viewing him unfavorably? Of course, by CHEATING!

And, CHEATING is now being “baked in” to the republican party beyond what even I could have imagined. I’ve been lamenting for over 15 years (here) that “we the people” MUST vote these THUGS into the History books – Trump’s place will be right next to Benedict Arnold and there are a plethora of republicans who apparently want to be in that same section of the book. Trump tried to overthrow our government. To me, that makes him a traitor! (Don’t believe me? I heard him with my own ears on national TV say: Mike Pense had the power to overthrow the election – you can read for yourself HERE) Not only a TRAITOR, but DELUSIONAL!

Here’s the main reason why republicans are going to be searching the “bottom of the barrel” for smears on Biden. The economy continues to “chug” along, spitting out jobs at an hisoric rate, inflation is coming down, infrastructure jobs are “happening” and ramping up all across the country, soon America will be producing her own Semi-conductor chips – manufacturing is up, and, actually, people’s attitudes about the economy are going “up” as well. We KNOW there’s about 35% of America who will never be satisfied – and, there’s a lot of democrats who want a younger candidate than Biden – but, when push comes to shove, I believe defeating TRUMP once more will be priority one in the 2024 election.

Young people, women, African Americans, Latinos, and supposed “liberals” like me – actually, old people who care about preserving our nation’s heritage (wart’s and all) for our Children and grandchildren will need to VOTE in record numbers to overcome the potential for CHEATING republicans have “baked in” to several of the state legislatures around the country. The most blatant example, to me, came in Texas, where the state legislature gave itself the authority to intervene in “Harris County” – because, you know, voter fraud! (Which doesn’t exist except for peoplle voting twice for Trump) What does exist in Harris County is a bunch of “liberals” who vote for democrats. This kind of BS is happening because of decisions by the Supreme Court which gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – suggesting “voter suppression is no longer an issue in today’s America.” (Apparently, you can graduate from Harvard Law School and still be STUPID)

It is the Court, in fact, which gives “liberals” and especially WOMEN the motivation to VOTE in record numbers. And, I’m not just talking about voting Biden into a second term, but give him a Senate majority large enough to overcome the “Blue Dog” democrats (and, turncoat Kyrsten Sinema) – plus, of course, get these wacked out republicans out of control of the House. If you haven’t been paying attention, the only thing the House republicans have accomplished is – well, NOTHING! We will soon be experiencing the latest in the (getting) long line of republican led government SHUTDOWNS – and, trust me, the right wing republicans (the freedom [?] caucus) in the House will be slobbering all over themselves as if they’ve finally accomplished something. Of course, they’ll blame Biden, and MILLIONS of their sycophants will believe them!

They (the House republicans) are attempting to cut off all aid to Ukraine – apparently, to stop the embarrassment Vladimir Putin (and them?) are feeling about the Russian failure to do a “blitzkrieg” right into Kyiv back in Feb. 2022. Honestly, listening to Marjorie Taylor Greene makes my stomach curdle but she’s been put into a position of POWER in the House so I have to listen. Do the people of Georgia understand what they’ve stent to Congress? Or, does she actually represent the mental capacity of the people of her district? Gives you a good idea why republicans want to ban books in public school libraries – and, why they don’t want our children being allowed to feel “uncomfortable” in school (unless they are Black, Latina, LGBTQ, or ????) by hearing/reading of the TRUTH about our nation.

I used to have breakfast with a “conservative” who eventually got sucked into the Trump CULT to a point I was unable to comprehend. At first, I started noticing some of the things coming from his mouth which were outright “conspiracy theories” that made no sense. This man raised three African American children whom he adopted (and, who called him “Dad”) which was one of the main reasons I felt comforable having a dialogue with him – though we came from polar opposite political viewpoints. What really got to me (as he was making antagonistic comments via email during the pandemic) was when I put two and two together with some of his words which were – simply, no other way to look at it – racist. I was a bit shocked. I won’t go into detail anymore than to say he said he didn’t belive in “democracy” and certainly didn’t feel inner city Black people should have the right to vote. (including his children) He said other stuff, but that pretty much left our conversations with no place to go. (He was also predicting the “Civil War” you hear when you’re tuned into far right wack job websites – as if he was a “believer” AND, of course, he believed the “election was stolen” – why? Because Trump said so!)

Like so many other “conservatives” my friend claimed to be a “conservative Christian.” I continue to struggle with how any “Christian” could “square” the actions and words coming from Trump with the “teachings of Jesus.” I have to force myself to believe they must be indulging in the “Old Testament” in ways to justify the ILLEGAL conduct carried on by MANY of their republican “leaders” – not to mention the “organized CRIME” level of conduct coming from Trump on a regular basis. Yes, we are ALL flawed humans, but somehow I have to force myself to continue my belief in Jesus while “Christians” all across America are acting as if the Bible doesn’t exist – even knowing “twisting” the meaning of scripture is difficult to avoid – using my own case as an example – I can’t avoid my preconceived notions each time I read/listen to it.

I’ve said this before many times here, Trump is violationg laws with IMPUNITY to the point where people have become numb to what he’s doing – forcing themselves to accept that it’s OK. But, if a democrat were doing what Trump has done? OMG!! When Trump was in office hardly a day went by when Trump didn’t push the boundaries of what is acceptable in America. One institution after another was challenged as he proved again and again he had little to no idea what is actually in our constitution. Steve Bannon was purged from his administration in the first two years but he laid out the goal of Trump’s administration in one succinct phrase: “Deconstruct the administrative state.” That will be the “new” plan on “steroids” should “we the people” be STUPID enough to grant his wish to obliterate our democratic republic. Trump is actually “saying the quiet part out loud” in this respect as his “campaign” is heating up. It will be all about REVENGE – with House republicans are attempting to initiate his REVENGE during the remaining two years of their “rule” in the House.

House republicans have attempted to IMPEACH Joe Biden with “trumped up” (pun intended) conspiracy theories they, like their CULT leader, are unable to support with actual evidence. They spout they want to IMPEACH Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, and, anyone else who they believe is acting in the best interests of this nation. The bottom line for these republicans is that POWER is more important than our constitutional democratic republic. They are unwilling to attempt to cause a majority of American voters to actually vote for them based on the issues. I recently read a book by Kurt Andersen titled “Fantasyland” and he documents the willfulness of Americans to fall/have fallen for “BS” (my characterization) from the earliest days of our republic right up to what is happening now. Based on Andersen’s “thesis” it should be no surprise a CON artist like Trump could DUPE a large section of our public.

Final Thought: It was reported today that Trump has received a “Target Letter” from Jack Smith regarding his attempt to overthrow our 2020 election. Apparently he was given four days to report to the Grand Jury in order to give his “side” of the issue. Do you believe Trump will show up to testify on his own behalf? Of course not – he can’t complete three sentences without spewing at least one outright LIE. This will be the THIRD indictment of Trump – he’s already facing 74 FELONY counts – and, for me, this is the most important investigation. (Although, what he was doing with all the CLASSIFIED documents could be almost as dangerous to this nation – we’ll probably never know the full extent of who he shared that material with or whether he managed to monetize the documents???)

I pointed out soon after the January 6th, 2021 INSURRECTION and following the U.S. Senate refusing to CONVICT Trump of what they ALL knew he was guilty that “the TRUTH will come out” drip, drip, drip. I also questioned Merrick Garland’s “stomach” for indicting a former president – which likely wouldn’t have happened except for the January 6th Select Committee’s report and had Garland not FINALLY decided to turn the investigation over to Jack Smith. It has taken MUCH too long to get to this point, but, if the DOJ had decided against holding Trump (and, hopefully the “R’s” he mentioned when attempting to get the head of the Justice Department to “Just say the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the R’s.”) accountable that would have entrenched there is no “rule of law” in America if you’re rich and powerful.

I believe the main reason Trump is running for a second term is because he’s trying to head off these prosecutions which actually threaten his liberty. (So far, not working too well) His “base” is sticking with him because the rest of our political system is/has been fighting to help this nation evolve from her – what I called above – warts (specifically racism) – what Ron DeSantis refers to as “wokeism.” I’m not the only person suggesting when you see the republicans using the term “woke” (which they likely don’t understand what it actually means according to the “slang” where it originated) you can substitute the word “Black.” It’s imperative the young people of America vote in HUGE numbers.

I realize young and more progressive voters are frustrated we have an 80 year old president, but I would suggest to them he’s accomplished MORE than ANY president since, likely, LBJ. And, there’s more he can accomplish if VOTERS give him MORE democrats in the Senate and democratic control of the House – instead of these wackjobs who are “running” things there as I’m writing this. And, the issues are PARAMOUNT: Climate Crisis, Guns, Voting Rights, Women’s rights, the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, Education (including forgiving student loan debt and making university education affordable), and, of course, the preservation of our “democracy.” The stakes couldn’t be higher and my hope is voters finally listen to me – vote AGAINST republicans. Once we PURGE these right wing despots out of office it will be time to get back to debating the differences between progressive and conservative policy. (If you want an example of an ACTUAL conservative – check out Liz Cheney – who I have little in common with except that I RESPECT her courage and honesty)

There are too many CRITICAL issues facing “we the people” to put up with the republican REVENGE “tour” any longer. VOTE!!!

If you’ve been around here you KNOW I’m no fan of Donald Trump and I look forward to the government figuring out how to put someone in jail along with a Secret Service delegation. Personally, I believe the solution to that problem would be solved by charging Trump with the same SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY the “Oathkeepers” (that is a misnomer if there ever was one) and “Proud Boys” who are facing decades in prison for their role in the January 6th, 2021 INSURRECTION at the Capitol in Washington D.C. Should Trump be convicted of Sedition I believe his “pension and Secret Service detail” would go away – based on Section 3 of the 14th Amerndment.

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment says: “No Person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and VicePresident, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.”

My thoughts may be a reach, but I DO NOT believe Trump should be able to stay out of PRISON should he be found GUILTY by a jury of his peers, full STOP! That all being said, my thoughts today are going in a different direction. I suppose what I’m about to do is what is normal coming from Trump and his sycophants – and, that is deflection. I keep hearing OVER and OVER republicans attempting to SMEAR Hunter Biden – who has reached an agreement with the Justice Department regarding his tax issues and issues around his former drug addiction. So, today I want to talk about Jared Kushner. How he’s managed to stay out of TROUBLE is beyond me, but there’s lots of public evidence suggesting he SHOULD be investigated for some of what he did while serving in Trump’s “White House.”

First of all, I’ll leave you with a link that does a better job than I’m about to do regarding Kushner’s shenanigans while in Trump’s administration. Before I go any farther you can click HERE if you care to read a timeline of what I believe makes Hunter Biden’s issues pale in comparrison. While Hunter Biden allegedly failed to pay income taxes for a couple years (he ultimately repaid his tax obligation) and purchased a hand gun while using drugs, Kushner was busy in his role in the “White House” apparently attempting to coerce the Qatari’s (their sovereign wealth fund) to bail him out of a (stupid) investment in a property located at 666 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, N.Y. Keep in mind, we’re talking about around $1.5 BILLION. (666 is the number of the Devil, just sayin…)

Kushner’s behavior was WRONG in more “avenues” than his entreaties to pressure the Qatari’s to bail out his disaster at 666 Fifth Avenue. He was KNOWN to be having SECRET converstations with the Saudi’s leader, commonly referred to as MBS (Mohammed bin Salmon) using the Facebook ap “What’s Ap” where he could communicate without anyone else knowing what was said – like the government records which are required for all government business while you’re officially part of the official government. Kushner wasn’t the only “White House” official doing business “behind closed doors” (Trump, himself, had several “off the record” conversations with Vladimir Putin and most in has admin. were using private cell phones while on governemtn business). But, Kusher was actually meeting in person with the Saudi Leader (and apparently others) secretly and pressuring for a blockade on Qatar. But, republicans are focused on Huner Biden! Yikes!!

As they say, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Not only was Kushner pressuring the Qatari’s while in the “White House,” but after checking out from the government, almost within a month, he was groveling from the Saudi’s for a couple BILLION dollars for the purpose of starting an investment firm – which he was not qualified for and from which he (supposedly) will give himself $25 MILLION as a yearly salary. Nice work if you can get it.

Keep in mind, Trump – who has been accused of brandishing Classified documents after leaving the “White House” (actually, while he was there, also) has been doing his own deals with the Saudi’s and the (disgusting) LIV golf league which has been sending Trump boatloads of money for the use of a couple of his golf resorts. Every time I hear about the next (the result of a MAJOR “grift”) tournament I can’t help but think of the empty folders marked “Classified” at Mar a Lago – with no document to fill the folder with – and wonder where they went? Do you really believe Trump took EMPTY folders out of the “White House” and just left them on the floor of his office (or in his desk)? Pllleease!

Let’s face it, Trump committed so many CRIMES right out in daylight that people have virtually become numb to his CRIMINAL conduct. So, it should be no surprise that, when Jared Kushner was repeatedly walking over the “line” in his communications with MBS only to squeeze a couple BILLION out of the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund soon after January 20th, 2021, the federal authorities didn’t have the “stomach” for even an investigation. Do you really believe that TWO BILLION had anything to do with his “grifting?” (Attention House republicans) Kushner’s (alleged) abuses make Hunter Biden look like a first grader. I can virtually guarantee you there will NEVER be an investigation of Mr. Kushner’s grift. (For one thing, the DOJ only has so many investigators – and Trump’s keeping them busy)

Final Thought: I can’t end this rant without talking about republicans in general. I realize most American voters are busy trying to make “ends meet,” and they’re trying to educate themselves on issues by trusting news outlets and politicians to be telling the TRUTH. Here’s the problem with that, and I’ve been pointing this out for well over ten years. The republican party and the “news” outlets who blindly support them long ago adopted the “Big Lie Theory” of the Nazi’s from back in Hitler’s time. In FACT it was Hitler himself who “devised” the “theory” and it was Joseph Goebbels who put into practice. The theory is simple: If you repeat a LIE over and over, eventually your “audience” will believe it’s true.

I noticed this back in the early days of the Rush Limbaugh years on “talk radio.” It became obvious the “talking points” (ie LIES) were coordinated through some venue I had no idea what it was – I just noticed republicans and their pundits all using the EXACT same “key” terms as they were LYING to “we the people.” I also noticed that, for some reason, our “liberal media” wasn’t/isn’t picking up on this. Those with the megaphone on, for example, cabel TV “news” (ie MSNBC – which is what I watch when I watch anything) seem bewildered by the absurdity of many of the republican LIES (and LIARS). But, they don’t seem to “connect the dots.”

This is exactly why Trump is so valuable to republicans/white nationalsists. He was/is willing to PATHOLOGICALLY lie to his minions faces and he’s proved that it works. In reality, the “Big Lie Theory” and the other key to Nazi propaganda back in the 1930’s: projection means to accuse your adversary of doing exactly what you’re doing and vilify them for it. Moreover, when you watch/read about the republicans in the House you have to wonder “how STUPID” have American “conservatives” become? It really is astonishing to listen to/read about some of the stuff coming out of the mouths or republicans in the House. (Not to mention their voters) Clearly, they are hell bent on doing whatever destruction is required to our American institutions allowing themselves to be guaranteed they regain/remain (in) power.

There’s too much STUPIDITY for me to list it all here, but if you’re still reading this posting it would be wise for you to get ahold of the transcript of, for example, a recent hearing where the object of republican “ire” was Christopher Wray – a lifelong conservative republican appointed by Trump to be the head of the FBI. Republicans have convinced themselves that January 6th, 2021 was simply “legitimate political discourse.” Apparently, the injuries to over 140 members of the Capitol Police and the D.C. Metropolitan Police was all “self inflicted.” ???

And, when some of these (crackpot republican members of the House) get going on the Covid-19 pandemic it makes me wonder if there really are “Jewish Space Lazers?” Seriously, you should make sure you understand what some of these people – apparently in the so-called “Freedom Caucus” are saying. And, when you listen to them and connect them to their own constituency it begins to make it clear why the so-called “blue states” are continually needed to bail out the economies of the “red states.” And, buckle up, because some of the “red states” are going to be needing even larger “bailouts” during the upcoming Hurricane season – more on that below,.

One More Thing: Tonight I got a bit sick to my stomach as I watched exerpts of John Kerry testifying to a House Committee which was, in essence, claiming there’s no “climate crisis.” They accused Kerry and those (of us) who believe as he does as – wait, this will surprise you (OK, that’s my 6th grade sarcasm) – being “grifters.” I know, coming from republicans like Scott Perry (who was right in the middle of the CONSPIRACY to overthrow our government on January 6th, 2021) this would be a “shocker” (Yep, more sarcasm – what else can I do?). The next thing you’ll see will be Perry accusing Joe Biden of being a “grifter” while suggesting Trump’s fundraising schemes are all “above board.” (I’ll let Jack Smith convince me of that)

Here’s the deal. Republicans in the House from Florida were attempting to BLAME Joe Biden and democrats for the FACT the Farmer’s Insurance Company has become the FOURTH Insurance company to abandon Florida in the past few years. The cost of Homeowner’s Insurance in Florida is, according to the info I saw tonight, is 42% higher than the average people elsewhere around the country are paying. (Possibly with the exception of Texas and California, places also being inundated by the weather events of Climate Crisis.) If you don’t understand the reality of what is taking place, the water off the coast of Florida (I believe by the everglades) was, today, 98.1 DEGREES. We are soon to be facing the Hurricane season and, apparently, it will be up to the American taxpayers to pay for the damage which is likely to happen this year to Florida, Louisiana, Mississippie, and Texas (among others).

It’s not just Florida. Texas and Louisiana (and, other Southern states) are vulnerable to ever more powerful Hurricanes. California will soon be in the wildfire season – in fact, the state of Washington, where I live, is likely to have a significant wildfire season this year. I live close to the Columbia River at a reasonably high elevation (from the fear of flooding) but, I believe it has rained here ONCE (other than a drizzle the other day) since, I believe. the latter part of April. That’s something like 75 straight days of sunshine. Enjoyable by old guys like me, except that I know the reality facing my children and grandchildren.

I put solar panels on our property back in 2015 and my wife and I drive electric cars (mine is mostly electric – a Chevy Volt in which I have put about 10 gallons of gas into the generator each year since I purchased it in late 2016). The last documents I’ve seen suggest solar and wind power will surpass fossil fuel production by around 2030. Let me remind you, the water temperature off Florida’s coast today was 98.1 degrees Farenheit. If that was a human’s temperature, not to worry. However, it’s clear our planet has a “fever.” A serious “fever.” (One expert pointed out the Coral Reef’s off Florida’s coast are DYING – that is really BAD – and, it’s happening around the world) Stay tuned………

OK, I have to add this: The “bipartisan infrastructure” bill has now spawned over 3000 projects across America – in “blue” and “red” states. To me, the most interesting part of all this, other than to really upgrade America’s infrastructure to a point where we are competitve with other countries around the world would require double the investment, is all the republicans who voted AGAINST the bill showing up at the “ribbon cutting” ceremonies claiming CREDIT for whatever that project was designed to fix. Really, today’s republicans have NO shame!