I’m going to write a small (I hope) piece on how STUPID Trump continues to be as this issue with all the documents he STOLE from “we the people” as he left Washington DC with his “tail between his legs” back on January 20, 2021. Let’s deal with Trump’s “defense” one absurd claim at a time. First of all is “These are mine” – the MOST absurd of the claims – Trump believing he could take whatever he wanted from the “White House” to Mar a Lago. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to understand EVERY document created while in office is subject to the Presidential Records Act – meaning it/they go to the National Archives to be filed away for “posterity.” Before the now infamous FBI’s exercizing a search warrant for the documents still at Mar a Lago this past August we KNEW he had taken documents ILLEGALLY and, we also KNEW, that, while in office, he had destroyed documents by tearing them up/ flushing down a toilet (I’m not kidding) or “torching” them in a “White House” fireplace.

So, This was KNOWN and then we learned Trump had LIED (or had his attorney LIE) to federal Agents about the remaining documents (at the time, they turned over 30+ CLASSIFIED documents) stating there weren’t any more – yep, a LIE. (is that a “little lie?”) This LIE led to the search of Mar a Lago where thousands more document were found along with over 100 more sets of CLASSIFIED documents – some of the mose extreme sensitivity – documents apparently causing the DOJ to suggest the Espionage Act may have been violated. This is where some of Trump’s claims become absurd, from my standpoint. It’s as if everything Trump does regarding these documents and his attempt to STEAL them from “we the people” just makes it wose for him.

First of all, it appears the most OBVIOUS legal liability Trump is facing would be the OBSTRUCTION of Justice violation outlined in the original search warrant. To me, that charge has nothing to do with whether or not Trump magically did a mind meld on the documents to declassify them, but, in reality, NONE of the three areas of concern – meaning “there was probable cause a crime had been cimmitted – as put forth in the warrant – require documents to be “CLASSIFIED.” Of course, Trump has managed to manipulate the proceeding to make it all about whether or not the documents were “DE classified.” The claims are absurd on their face – but, let’s assume somehow Trump de-classified the documents.

The violation of the Espionage Act has NOTHING to do with whether the documents are classified – it has to do with whether or not there are documents directly having to do with defense department documents – probably, documents which include secretive material. Yep, had Trump actually “de-classified” the documents that wouldn’t change whether or not they were documents which pertain to secretive defense department information. Reports are there were extremely sensitive document having to do with the nuclear program of Iran and the intelligence capabilities of the Chinese. Some are suggesting, prosecutors won’t prosecute if the documents weren’t classified.

But, there’s another way to look at this. As HIGHLY classified documents, it appears there’s a good chance these documents would NOT be able to be used in court as evidence because of the sensitivity on their pages which could NOT be shown to anyone who might be on the jury – not to mention, all the others involved in a criminal proceeding. However, if Trump actually DID de-classify them – well, then anyone can look at them – which likely would be his defense regarding all the people he’s shown them to in the past year and a half. Should this be the case, then it would make sense the DOJ would file CHARGES against our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president for violating the Espionage Act. Oh yes, and don’t forget about the OBSTRUCTION charge. (If you read Mueller’s report – I did TWICE – you know how significant OBSTRUCTION is)

Trump SHOULD have simply returned ALL the documents when first prodded, but EVERYTIME he comes up with another “strategy” to defend himself, he gets in DEEPER. God help us if, in the upcoming mid-term elections, “we the people” are STUPID enough to put these LYING republicans back in control of Congress. I SHUDDER to think what the next two years will be like – instead of signing legislation, President Biden will be signing VETO’s. And, how “we the people” can have such a low “approval” of Biden blows me away. I’ve said here several times here Biden wasn’t my choice for the democrats – but, clearly, I was WRONG. He was the perfect candidate for the present times. I truly hope progressives show up at the polls on November 8th and that the suppression bills of republicans won’t succeed in overturning the results if democrats win.

Final Thought: Every day I feel more of a sense of grief for the Ukrainian people – those FIGHTING the Russians and those who are being forced from their homeland by Russia’s fascist dictator. We KNOW the Russians are TORTURING Ukrainian captives, we KNOW they are purposely bombing civilian targets and the energy system, and we also KNOW the Ukraine forces have the Russians fleeing from one place after another in the South and East. Here’s what I think – EVERY time the Russians blow up a Power station or blow up a residential structure the Ukrainians SHOULD take another “chunk” out of that bridge connecting Russia with Crimea. Additionally, I’m not sure why this “war” is confined to Ukrainian soil. Why aren’t the Ukrainians venturing in to begin making this war more “painful” for the Russian people. I “get” the threats of nukes – but, the WORLD can’t allow Putin’s threats – made because he’s LOSING – to carry the day. It’s kind of the same feeling I have with Trump’s threats about what will happen if he’s indicted. These kind of threats simply can’t rule the day. Putin, Trump, these are right wing organized criminals. They are both pathological LIARS and obscene narcissists. They represent a faction of the WORLD’S population which needs to be STOPPED! Sooner rather than later!

OK – the American people kept the Senate in the control of the democrats – by “razor thin margin” and, also by a razor thin margin, they put the republican wack jobs in the House back in charge. One thing we can count on – they’re going to “get to the bottom” of Hunter Biden’s life come hell or high water. Will they impeach Biden? I almost hope so. We are going to be faced with two years of the republican revenge tour. Honestly, not sure how I will respond to all this – I’m getting tired of writing about the republican “crime family.” It was reported today that Merrick Garland has appointed a “special counsel” to complete the INVESTIGATIONS of Trump and his fellow CONSPIRATORS regarding the January 6th, 2021 along with the investigation of the STEALING of classified documents from the National Archives. Who knows, some of these republican members of the House who are flapping their lips regarding to their plans for the House once they take over might end up with more to think about. People like Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert, Scott Perry, Andy Biggs, and others were reportedly part of the planning for the overthrow of our government on January 6th. Stay tuned………………

Keep in mind: Several of the major democratic accomplishments of the previous two years won’t really take full effect until this next two year cycle. Here’s the reality of American politics: not a single republican voted for any of this (except the “bipartisan infrastructure bill”) and they’ll be at the head of the line taking credit for the after effects. For example, when inflation comes down, the republicans will be falling all over each other to take credit (even though it’s already started to come down). When THOUSANDS of good paying jobs are created by the “Chips Act” there you’ll find republicans attempting to take credit! Count on it!!!

It’s just a few days until the 2022 mid-term elections in America and, in the county where I reside (in Washington State) a typical “America 1st” LIAR is likely to become our next representative in the House – because, as a republican leaning district, our previous representative, Jaimie Herrera Beutler got “ousted” for having the audacity to vote for Trump’s IMPEACHMENT after he instigated the INSURRECTION on our nation’s Capitol. Just this morning I was watching a football game and, sure enough, there was Joe Kent looking straight into the camera and LYING about his opponent – and, conversely, about himself.

Take for example the actual republican “platform” as put forth by Rick Scott, the head of the republican Senate campaign committee, called the “American Rescue Plan.” Part of this “plan” would lead to an increase on the income taxes of MOST Americans earning less than $150,000. Well, sure enough, there was Kent this morning accusing his opponent of proposing tax increases on Americans earning less than $150.000. Just that one statement demonstrates why Kent is perfect for today’s republicans – not only is he proving his competence as a LIAR, but, he’s demonstrating his ability to use projection as a poltical tool. (Putting your own shortcomings onto your opponent – republicans are expert at this)

I’ve paid attention, as much as I can – because there’s not much publicity with this campaign – to this contest and I’ve done considerable research on Kent – who has been affiliated with one white nationalist after another – which hasn’t been publicized much in my view. In his profile publicized after he filed for the election Kent said the congressperson he most identifies with is Matt Gaetz – he of the suspected (alleged) “child sex trafficking” issue – which Merrick Garland apparently doesn’t have the “stones” to allow an indictment. Maybe Garland is thinking the indictment of Donald Trump will be all “we the people” can stomach at one time but Gaetz isn’t the man you want hanging around with your young daughter. Mr. Kent, mark my words, will be palling around with Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jim Jordan and, well, you can figure out where this is going – the gang who attempted to help overthrow the 2020 election.

My hope, of course, would be that those republicans who voted for Herrera Beutler in the primary would not be able to stomach Mr. Kent enough to vote for his opponent, Marie Perez – who is a small business owner in a small community in the eastern part of this district. (The totals for Beutler and Kent were very close.) I also checked Ms Perez out – via her website – and was pleasantly surprised to find a very pragmatic progressive. After visiting her website I sent her my MAX donation of $25 – I’m an old man without enormous resources so I have to spread my donations around in small amounts. (The penalty for that is the 250 email messages in my inbox every day – many coming from who knows who running in places all around the country.)

I don’t stop the flow of emails to my inbox because I believe the time I have to spend each day deleting several hundred messages is the least I can do in regard to this upcoming election because there are people who I decide I need to send a few dollars to – usually a guarantee they’re going to lose (unfortunately, from my standpoint). For example, some of the people I’ve sent money to lately are Tim Ryan (in Ohio), Katie Porter (in California), Raphael Warnock (in Georgia), John Fetterman (in Pennsylvania – several small donations), along with donations to various groups – like the Lincoln Project, Vote Vets, and I can’t remember the others. Anyway, I feel obligated to participate in this election in, I understand, a very small way.

I wish I could do more for Marie Perez but my body is somewhat failing so I don’t get around too much these days – but, I did, for the first time in my life, write a letter to the editor of our local newspaper – yep, we still have an actual newspaper which gets delivered to our paper box every day – except Monday. Interestingly, I know people saw the letter, because I got a message from one of my former teaching partners (actually, he was a long term sub for me when I had my knee replaced back in 2004). I know he’s a republican – whether my opinion struck home with him I don’t know – but, the gist of my letter was asking republicans to take the time to consider whether or not Kent is OK to them.

Are they OK with having a white nationalist, a LIAR, and an election denier as our representative? Sadly, according to all the pundits, it will take a miracle for Kent to lose simply because the county where i live is chuck full of republicans who vote republican reflexively. I can say this for sure, because I know and talk to many republicans who have no idea what republicans actually stand for. To most of them it’s all about the abortion issue. But, also, most of them are clearly not understanding how racism as infiltrated their party. The bottom line for me is, it will be embarrassing to live in the county which sends Joe Kent to Congress! I hope it doesn’t happen, but it appears likely it will – another republican election denier in Congress trying to latch onto Marjorie Taylor Greene as a way to access POWER. Yikes!!!

Final Thought: I can guarantee you that if the “miracle” I referred to above actually happens you will see attacks on the election department in my home county. Republicans will be up in arms and they’ll definitely claim “the election was rigged.” I don’t think it will get to that point, because Kent is clearly favored to win, but I actually hope it does. I’ve taken my votes and my wife’s votes to a local drop box in the hope there would be some wack job attempting to intimidate people who are voting – like what we’re seeing in places around the country. I was definitely going to confront whoever may have chosen that route with my crippled up body. Oh well, it’s a good thing we don’t have to deal with that stuff around here.

How did we get here? A certified wack job breaks into the home of Nancy and Paul Pelosi with a couple hammers, finds Pau Pelosi, 82, sleeping and, to make a short story shorter he ends up bashing Mr. Pelosi in the head with one of his hammers, cracking his skull – right in front of the Police Officers responding to a 9-1-1 call. And, sadly, as could be expected, some of the deranged members of the so-called MAGA movement show up on Social Media with, what they believe to be “funny” responses – the most notable, to me, coming from Donald Trump Jr. (Is he FINALLY making his papa proud?) The absurd “tweets” went right up to the new “chief twit” Elon Musk who proved immature, spoiled brats can be just as STUPID as immature sons of TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) presidents who are also spoiled BRATS!

Well, from this perspective, this is – REALLY – the work of Vladimir Putin – at its foundation. Putin started his “active measures” against America and other Western Democracies, where he discovered he could use the freedoms we take for granted against us long before he helped Trump “win” in 2016. This is where the actual “fake news” became commonplace. Misinformation flooded Social Media platforms and the Russians, later in conjunction with Trump’s 2016 campaign, became expert at targeting their mis/disinformation on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. (Mark Zuckerberg’s passion for making as much money as possible left Facebook a “sitting duck” to the Russian misinformation “troops.”)

I have to add, members of the republican party were highly susceptible to this attack on our nation – I mean, I remember being assaulted as a “liberal hippie” back in the 1960’s once I realized the TRUTH about the Viet Nam War – and, once again – in a nuanced manner – after the ILLEGAL invasion of Iraq in 2003 when I expressed my outrage at a small Community Church I was attending – where the demonizing of “liberals” was already imbedded into the brains of many republicans. Iraq was like “Deja Vu all over again” to me regarding my experience during the Viet Nam era and, once again I was ostracized as a “liberal.” (I have to add that, since then, several members of that church have apologized)

So, republicans were easy prey for Putin – and, eventually Donald Trump. Credible reports suggest the Russians started “grooming” Trump back in the 1980’s. He’s what they would call an “unwitting idiot.” But, Trump was perfect to carry on the work of Putin in America because of his narcissistic pathalogical LYING. Both Trump, and Putin, have proved our Justice Department is easily intimidated. Trump has been “stepping over” one legal “boundary” after another – for well before his four years in the “White House” – and he’s still walking free and sending INTIMIDATING messages to Merrick Garland and the rest of those in the department. And, of course, Putin was simply laughing at Robert Mueller indicting his hackers involved in the “active measures” caompaign.

If you’ve read about the organization Cambridge Analytica, set up in England prior to the “Brexit” campaign, and responsible for the hacking of Facebook allowing both the republican party (via Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner) and the Russians to pinpoint the “tendencies” of 157 MILLION Americans prior to the 2016 election – flooding Facebook with phony advertising full of “fake news” and, not only turning MILLIONS of Americans against Hillary Clinton, but beginning the process of indoctrinating Americans (radicalizing) leading to days like January 6th, 2021 (and the INSURRECTION) or, more recently October 28, 2022 when one of these radicalized (STUPID) people broke into Nacy Pelosi’s home and nearly killed her husband – with a HAMMER no less.

There can be no doubt where this dude’s motivation came from. He’s a strong Trump supporter, a QAnon afficionado, a white nationalist, an anti-semite (I guess those two go together, don’t they?), I suppose those on the “right” would refer to him as “scum” had he been a “liberal” attacking a republican. And, of course, they (republicans) would expect democrats to respond in an empathetic way had “the shoe been on the other foot.” Here’s the IRONY which we see repeated OVER and OVER with republicans – the republicans REQUIRE you to be a LIAR to have any chance of success in their “party” – and, of course, the reason this THUG who attacked Mr. Pelosi justified his actions because Ms. Pelosi is the leader of the “party of lies” (apparently, the democrats) This happens ALL the time!

Republicans after republicans were finding ways to obfuscate, dissemble, deflect, divert, or, sadly, make light of what happened to Mr. Pelosi. To me, how can you make fun of someone who’s had his head bashed in by a hammer – republicans are defensive because they KNOW their cowardice and rhetoric is what is motivating people like this to attempt to KILL or KIDNAP politicians who they believe disagree with them. The lady who might end up as Arizona’s governor (Kari Lake) made light of the attack, Donald Trump Jr. showed a couple “tweets” making a joke of what happened with a couple disgusting entries into Elon Musk’s new toy. I have to add, I’m sorry Jr. – but, your choice of “briefs” made me shake my head – I guess we used to call it “underwear.” I haven’t worn anything resembling your apparent “briefs” since I was in the eighth grade – that’s over 60 years ago. I’ve seen photos of your Dad in his tennis outfight wearing the same choice for “underwear” – as visible through his tennis shorts. Eeauu! Yikes!!!

Is this going to get better? Well, it seems not anytime soon. As I’ve been saying for years, until the Justice Department holds those “at the top” to the same laws which those of us at “the bottom” are susceptible to – this will continue. There are right wing “militias” all across America which want to start the next “civil war” and, should democrats prevail in the November elections that could happen sooner rather than later. (My biggest concern in such a scenario is how many of our Police and or National Guardsmen have been sucked into the right wing MAGA movement?) Who knows how many democratic members of Congress are in the “crosshairs” of these right wing wack jobs? And, what will republicans do in response to an uptick in right wing political violence? What happens when a member of Congress is killed? Will republicans remain quiet? Will they make more jokes? (Well, assuming it’s a democrat)

I have to wonder how will republicans respond when the “shoe is on the other foot.” Keep in mind, the last time I checked, you’re not checked for your political affiliation when you purchase and AR-15 for example. As far as I know, African Americans can purchase weapons too, I think. I have no idea what lies ahead, but I seem to have an active mind. And, NONE of this is particularly FUNNY – I hate to share that with people like Trump Jr., Elon Musk, Ted Cruz, Jim Jordan, etc. etc.

That being said, I have to add, as I’m thinking about “how did we get here,” the so-called “Tea Party.” A backlash to “we the people” doing the “unthinkable,” in the eyes of people like Charles and David Koch, by electing a “person of color” as the 44th President of the United States. To this day I believe Barack Obama is the MOST popular political figure in America – but, the TRUTH is, it was the “Tea Party” which set the stage for the emergence of Donald Trump via the so-called “birther movement.” And, it’s been the “Tea party” members who have slowly taken over the republican party allowing IN people like David Duke, Don Black, and a host of others involved in the white nationalist movement – which, as I liked to say at the time, was “hiding under the rocks” until the election of Obama.

Trump is the master manipulator – well, with the exception of Putin – and, now they’ve succeeded in accomplishing Putin’s “wet dream” of turning America into TWO factions fighting at each other’s “throats.” Of course, the faction “close to Putin’s heart” is the one headed by Trump who created a MASSIVE cult following across America – full of people like the guy who attacked Nancy Pelosi’s husband. I mean have you no shame? The man was in his sleep and he’s 82 years old – and the dude cracked him over the HEAD with a HAMMER! OMG!!!

Less than a week (from when I’ll likely publish this rant) will be the mid-term elections of 2022 which most “experts” expect will allow republicans – the same group which keeps causing disastrous results in their INCOMPETENT leadership – to take control of Congress. We’ll be right back into the malaise which encompassed our country during the LONG four years of the rein of our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president. Here’s what they’ve promised: they’re going to, of course, vote to impeach Joe Biden. Maybe they’ll do it twice because, well, Trump has taught them the value of LYING and REVENGE. They are promising to go after Social Security and Medicare – by threatening to BLOW UP the American (and maybe world) economy over the debt ceiling. (Democrats have until January to get rid of the Debt Ceiling requirement – which is pretty much STUPID in its own right – and, I can virtually guarantee you will still be there in January)

Of course, republicans are planning to make the so-called Trump “tax scam (er cuts)” permanent. That would simply mean they would be “permanent” until the next time democrats gained control of Congress (which would hopefully be in two years – although “election deniers” say it will be “never” if they “win” in November). Republicans have shown they are OK with the use of VIOLENCE to get their way. They consider democrats weak – because democrats keep focusing on governing and they don’t fight back against republican overreach. Republicans will also impeach Merrick Garland in an attempt to protect Trump from the legal accountability he so deserves. (Plus, they’ll attempt to defund the Justice Department to block attempts at indicting Trump and his co-conspirators – which, I believe, includes the wife of Clarence Thomas) Some of them carry copies of the constitution around with them with no idea what it says. Trump is NOT “above the law” and it’s up to Mr. Garland to hold him to account. There are mixed messages as to whether he has the courage to do so, I’ll believe it when I see it. But, that’s how we got to this ugly place – a combination of Vladimir Putin enabling (and mentoring?) Trump to take advantage of cultural issues which were lying “under the surface” when Barack Obama was elected President. God help us!

Final Thought: I’ve been saying there’s a war for the heart and soul of America for about 20 years and I’ve lamented that democrats don’t seem to understand what is happening. Some of them are starting to “get it” but others seem to still be acting as if this election is just another election. The usual way Americans discover an issue is critical is when it’s too late. I’m not saying it will be “too late” if democrats fail to show up in November (and, who knows if “showing up” will matter in states with new election suppresion laws in place?) but, as I’ve said for years, it’s much easier to lose rights than to get them back. And, this Supreme Court is set on overturning some “rights” Americans have come to take for granted – well, again, I’m talking about democrats – rights which were fought for over the years and “assumed” part of our future – and, I have to believe the overturning of Roe was just the “tip of the iceberg.” Here’s how they think – if they could overturn Roe and democrats still not respond at the ballot box – well, “katy bar the door!” As Steve Bannon, himself, says, “buckle up!” Stay tuned…………………..

One more thing: I have a brother-in-law who lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (a KEY state in this coming election) who, apparently, thinks what I write is too depressing. He’d like something “positive.” My plan was to write about ALL the accomplishments of the Biden administration despite the Congress which has been “hamstrung” by the 50/50 Senate “majority” – with two reclacitrant democrats. The amount of legislation they passed would be historic under any circumstances, let alone in this combative climate. I hope to write about that, but even that could seem depressing should republicans take control of Congress next week. However, we’ll see……….

Look, Donald Trump is NOT the first threat to America’s Constitutional democratic republic. He’s just the most brazen threat in my lifetime and he’s managed to “light up” the white nationalists in America who were “hiding under the rocks” until Barack Obama was elected President in 2008. And, Trump continues to DARE the Justice Department to stop him – and, honestly, I’m not sure Merrick Garland has the stomach for what that would entail. Trump’s “entourage” continues to “grow” as people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and others fall in line as they see Trump as their “vehicle” into the so-called “mainstream” of American politics. And, they’ve got a good “friend” on their side. MONEY!

If you’ve followed the so-called “Koch Brothers” (now “Brother”) at all over the past 40 years you’d know Charles and David Koch began their political careers in the John Birch Society, they INHERITED an oil business which led to “Koch Industries” one of the most successful privately held businesses in America – each brother worth over $50+ BILLION the last time I checked a couple of years ago. David Koch passed away in 2019, but his brother Charles hasn’t slowed down a bit. The Koch’s have been responsible for the Heritage Institue, the Cato Institute, and, other right wing “think tanks,” plus they were largely responsible for the success of the “Tea Party,” and ALEC (The American Legislative Exchange Council) has their “fingers” into state legislatures all across the nation “helping” republicans get their legislation “right.” (funded by the Koch’s and their rich peers) It goes on and on, but the bottom line with (now) Charles Koch is he has an UNLIMITED amount of MONEY to spend on his “wishes.” And, he’s in his 80’s and seems willing to “tear the house down” before he dies. (Largely to protect the fossil fuel industry)

And, when you look at some of Trump’s most egregious “policies” (in that there were any “policies” at all) you can see the “importance” of making Mr. Koch and his network of DONORS happy. Koch industries, of course, is a business with its “focal point” in the oil industry. (Surprise, surprise) The Trump administration’s blocking of environmental regulations was received by Koch and his surrogates with enthusiastic approval. Keep in mind, the Koch Brothers inherited a fortune built by their father who went to the Soviet Union back in the 1930’s in order to sell a device used in the refinement of oil to Joseph Stalin – a device he couldn’t sell in America because it violated registered patents. He came back from Russia a multiple millionaire (in 1930’s dollars) and, thus, the beginning of Koch Industries. Plus,. their father, Fred Koch was part of the original John Birch Society. (If you’re not familiar with the “Birchers” I suggest you look them up)

Is it a requirement of children who oppose America’s democratic republic and who inherited their WEALTH to be from fathers named Fred? (Just sayin) While the Koch’s may have come around a bit over the years in regard to their alleged RACIST beliefs (again, check out the John Birch Society) it appears the same can not be said for our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president – who seems to be going farther off “the rails” every time he gets closer to receiving and INDICTMENT for one of his MANY choices to violate our system of laws – laws he feels as if don’t apply to him.

So, here’s the bottom line at this point in time. It’s (today) three weeks until the 2022 mid-term elections and, astonishingly, (at least to me) the predictors continue to suggest republicans are going to take control of (at least) the House of Representatives. Lately, I’ve been using the word “stupid” more and more – simply because I can’t come up with a better explanation for what is happening in this nation I’ve grown to love over the past 75 years. I’ll attempt to explain why I believe this in as succinct of terms as possible. Let’s start with the FACT over 50% of the American population is WOMEN. Well, are WOMEN going to VOTE in this election in order to protect their right to determine their own course of action regarding their health care. Of course, we all know, Roe v Wade was a victim of democrats failing to show up in 2016 allowing Donald Trump to move into the “White House.”

Mitch McConnell had the political instincts to refuse allowing Merrick Garland a vote when Barack Obama nominated him for the Supreme Court back in 2016 – motivating right wing (republican) voters much more than democrats during the campaign for president back then. The result was not only one “stolen” Supreme Court nomination for Trump, but, of course, two more before Trump was “fired” by “we the people” in 2020. Honestly, today I was listening to some democrats complaining that the overturning of Roe is the fault of democrats not doing enough over the years to “codify” it when they had enough votes. To me, that just goes to prove “stupid” in America is “bipartisan.” The democrats have no one to blame but themselves for failing to show up to vote – apparently believing there wasn’t much difference between Trump and Hillary Clinton. I’ll say it once more – STUPID!

So, now democrats, once again, have an opportunity to support Joe Biden to achieve some ground breaking success, but, they’re “unhappy” – so, they’re either not going to vote – or, for heaven’s sake – vote for republicans. Here’s what they’re voting for – if they’ve been paying ANY attention at all. First, they’re voting for maybe the most SPINELESS politician to come along in years to put Kevin McCarthy as the Speaker of the House. In essence, what they’re voting for in reality is giving POWER to people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz (he, another politician Mr. Garland doesn’t have the stomach to prosecute – even for child sex trafficking), Jim Jordan, and the whole right wing crew that goes along with them. They are going after Social Security and Medicare, they want a NATIONWIDE abortion ban, they’re threatening to cut off funding for America’s support of Ukraine, and, of course, they will try to IMPEACH Biden soon after taking control. For what reason – do they need a reason??? And, will democratic voters blame democrats in Congress should republicans gain control of the House? The bottom line is there are MORE democrats than republicans – so ………………………

Personally, I’m not willing to speak kindly to anyone who comes across my way who tells me they didn’t vote or voted for a republican and then complains about the absurd amount of chaos we’re experiencing as we have to endure them in office for the next two years. Here’s how republicans are going to go after Social Security and Medicare (both dear to my 75 year old heart) – they’re going to use the debt ceiling to extract – I don’t even know what they want to extract and I’m not sure they do – cutbacks which will affect us old people. The first thing I thought of the other day when it was announced Social Security recipients (full disclosure – I’m one of them – I paid into it for over 50 years before retiring) are due to receive an 8.7% increase in benefits come January 1, 2023 was that this will make it even MORE of a target for republicans. Are Americans even paying attention to all this?

I keep hearing reports the polling says the most important issue for most Americans in the election is “inflation.” And, I place much of the BLAME on this to the TERRIBLE messaging abilities of the democratic party. Without a doubt, inflation is a serious issue. But, one of the most important? Is inflation more important than the preservation of our democratic republic? Not to me. (And, when you take a close look at the republican scheme if democrats lose in November it could be quite some time (past my remaining lifetime) before the damage can be reversed – if ever (And, I don’t believe that’s hyperbole). Do women care about whether there’s a nationwide ban on abortion care? Remains to be seen. Do seniors care about whether they continue to receive their Social Security benefits? I hope so, but, again, it remains to be seen.

Do young people want the proposed forgiveness of up to $20,000 of student loan relief? Enough to actually vote? Well, republicans are busy, as I’m writing this, attempting to block the Biden administration from being able to follow through on this proposal. Do Americans really want responisible gun legislation? Well, if so, why would you vote for a republican? Are Americans bothered by the FACT republicans LIE pathologically – right to their faces – with impunity? Apparently, not – at least anyone who would vote for a republican. In FACT, the LYING has become even more egregious as we get closer to the election. Don’t believe me, just give Marjorie Taylor Greene about a minut of your time – she’s full on “MAGA.”

I could go on and on, but if “we the people” fail to show up to vote this November we deserve what we get. And, keep in mind, we MUST show up in MUCH greater numbers than republicans because of the gerryandering which has taken place over the past couple of census results. Plus, if you’ve had your head in the proverbial sand, you may not be aware of some of the voter suppression bills passed in various “red” states since our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president convinced about a third of the country the 2020 election was “stolen.” This was done without a shred of evidence. (Every example of actual voter fraud I’ve read about was committed by republicans finding ways to vote more than once – but, even those instances were MINUTE when compared to the total number of votes cast) Here’s how we KNOW the 2020 election was NOT stolen – Donald Trump FAILED in his attempt to do just that. And, republicans are already working on STEALING this upcoming election and those which follow.

Some of the “improvements” fall into the “what are you talking about” category – like, in Georgia it’s now a FELONY to give someone waiting in one of the long lines (they create purposely) either something to drink or something to eat. I’m not kidding. But, as usual with republicans, it gets worse. The Georgia legislature gave themselves the incredible power to overturn the results of the election should they disagree with the outcome. For example, if miraculously, Stacy Abrams would upset Brian Kemp in the race for Governor, the legislature could simply overturn the results and declare Mr. Kemp the victor. The same goes in the race between Raphael Warnock and Hershel Walker. Other state legislatures have followed sut since – like, I believe in Arizona. And, keep in mind with the gerrymandered districts, many states with a 50/50 split between republicans and democrats have significant republican “majorities” in their legislatures. For example, Wisconsin is a state with a demoratic governor which also voted for Joe Biden in 2020. They have eight members of Congress and SIX of them are considered “shoe ins” to win as a republican. Their state legislature is strongly republican despite, again, over HALF of the electorate voting for democrats in statewide elections. And, this is not uncommon. (Do both parties participate in gerrymandering? Yep, it’s just that, as usual, democrats are far less successful at it)

Let me finish this rant by going back to the issue of inflation. First, people SHOULD understand despite things seeming “peaceful” here, in Ukraine there is a brutal war where the Ukrainians are “fighting like hell” (to borrow a phrase from Trump) to preserve their democracy – and, it’s having an effect on inflation worldwide. In fact, in America inflation is less of a problem than in MANY other places around the world. Worldwide I say? Yep, the world is still coming out of the pandemic and supply shortages are a problem all across the globe. It’s totally unfair to blame Biden and the democrats. Do Americans really want to suggest the FACT their wages have increased is the cause of inflation? Do they want to go back to lower wages? Is the FACT more Americans are working today than at any time EVER in our past a problem for our working class people? Truly, I hope not. Are there any Americans who’ve noticed the price of a barrel of oil has dropped by about 30% in the past few months, but the price of gas at the pump has increased by the same amount? Does anyone else find that suspicious? (Apparently, this rise in prices is not “across the board” – but, is affecting those buying gas where I live)

Here’s the deal, there are a plethora of reasons why Americans should give Joe Biden an INCREASE in the number of democratic Senators plus continued control of the House. I’ve listed a bunch of them, but there are many more. And, just stop and think – what policy suggestions are coming from republicans which are first, HONEST, and second something aside from fearmongering? What suggestions do they have for making our lives better? Personally, I haven’t heard one. I keep hearing a bunch of absurd LYING. I, personally, live in the district of a republican Congresswoman who voted to IMPEACH Trump after the INSURRECTION and, of course, she lost in the primary to a Matt Gaetz wannabee, Joe Kent, who, in the first “debate” with his general election opponent – well, it won’t surprise you – LIED through his teeth, over and over. You’d have thought he was a Reagan republican. Question: Is Joe Biden the duly elected president of the United States? Answer: “Yes.” Question: “Was the 2020 presidential election stolen?” Answer: “No.” I just hope Trump saw the answers he gave to those two questions – let alone some of the others. Because Kent was a full throated “election denier” prior to that debate performance. Does Trump care how these questions are answered. You’d think Mr. Kent is a moderate – of course, in Congress he’ll be anything but!

Final Thought: Some instances of how I’m expecting the upcoming election to give me stomach problems (at least temporarily) will be in a few governors races. For example, I really have to wonder about the people of Texas and Florida as it appears both Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott are headed to victory. Plus, in Georgia, it looks as if Stacy Abrams will need a miracle to come out ahead of Brian Kemp (without the legislature intervening). What’s up with the people in Texas (where Abbott has abused his power repeatedly – from this viewpoint) and in Florida it seems to me DeSantis is worse. DeSantis is attempting to be the republican nominee in 2024 and he seems to believe continually pushing his behavior up to and over the legal lines will get him more republican votes. Sadly, he appears to be correct! And, Abbott, if you remember, he had his border fiasco costing Texans BILLIONS and he’s apparently done NOTHING to protect Texans from a power grid dangerously susceptible to freezing temperatures – likely to arrive this winter. What is wrong with these people? (Especially in Texas where they have the opportunity to elect a true friend of the working class in Beto O’Rourke – go figure)

I’ve said this so many times now it’s hardly worth repeating, except that it very CLEARLY is! The upcoming elections – and, I’m talking about well beyond this November’s mid-terms – will be critical to the future of this nation. Not only do “we the people” need to elect democratic majorities in both houses of Congress (plus the “White House”) but we need to elect LARGER majorities – especially in the Senate. I say this because this year’s election could hinge on the response to the “Dobbs” decision of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade – but, as the saying goes, “we aint seen nothin yet!”

This present court is RULED by ideologues who are not only way off to the right of the mainstream in America, they are YOUNG! They’re going to be there for years to come. Think about this Neil Gorsich occupies the seat which SHOULD be held by Merrick Garland (let’s hope that comes back to “bite” MAGA republicans), Brett Kananaugh was credibly accused of committing sexual assault and gave an embarrassing performance in his confirmation hearing, and Amy Coney Barrett had her nomination rushed through during the 2020 election just weeks after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg – all three of them could be credibly accused of LYING during the confirmation hearings regarding “stare decisis” and their respect for “prededent.” Add to that Clarence Thomas is married to a possible co-conspirator in the attemtped coup d’etat of January 6th, 2021. And, I have to also add, I believe Samuel Alito was just waiting for more right wingers so he could institute his personal agenda on “we the people.”

I say that because, especially if you’re one of the MILLIONS of Americans who don’t pay much attention to politics, ANY time “we the people” get weak-kneed and allow republicans to control the Congress in, say, the next GENERATION, the danger exists that this 6-3 right wing majority could get worse. My personal hope is that those investigating the January 6th coup attempt will follow through with the investigation into Ginni Thomas which clearly, with what is already public knowledge, is a connection to Trump’s attempt to overthrow the government. For heaven’s sake, in her recent testimony to the 1/6 Committee it was reported she re-iterated her belief “the election was stolen.” Do you really believe in the 24 months encompassing the lead up to the coup attempt to her testimony of a few days ago she didn’t talk to Clarence about this? The only way I could respond to that is “Come on man!”

Ms. Thomas has been quoted as calling her husband her “best friend” and she’s also been quoted as saying she shared her thoughts only with her “best friend.” Of course, she denies she EVER talks to her husband about her politics, but, if you believe that I’ve got a bridge…………… OK, you know the rest. Here’s who she was “hanging out with” right before the election and all of the texts we now know she sent to Mark Meadows – Connie Hair, the chief of staff of Louie Ghomert – yeah, the man many consider the STUPIDEST member of Congress and one who is plum full of conspiracy theories. (You know, like the one Ms Thomas actually believed about Joe Biden – and other democrats – being sent off the coast of Guantanimo and executed – YIKES!! Who believes that kind of nonsense? Well, Ginni Thomas for one! And, her husband?????

If Mr. Thomas was forced to resign from the court that would balance things out a bit and, then, the situation wouldn’t be quite as dire – but, when you see the commitment of republicans to flood the judiciary with idealogues and partisans – there can be no let up in the importance of refusing to vote these people into positions of POWER – as I said – for a GENERATION. (If you’ve been following the rulings of Aileen Cannon in Trump v the United States you’ve seen a good example of what “conservatives” view as a “judge”) The reality is there are enough gerrymandered districts in the U.S. that the House of Representatives will, likely, always be at risk. For example, in the 2022 mid-terms I can see the possibility the TOTAL vote count for democrats running for the House could exceed 10 MILLION more votes than republicans and democrats could still lose their majority.

However, as it’s the Senate which confirms members of the Court, it’s much more important for democrats to control the Senate than the House. And, I’m talking, again, for the next GENERATION – or until either the court is expanded or a couple of the right wing judges retire or are impeached. Impeached you ask, incredulously? Well, in reality, Judge Kavanaugh allegedly LIED during his confirmation hearing which would not only make him a candidate for IMPEACHMENT, but also could lead to a CRIMINAL charge – LYING before Congress. Will this ever be followed up?

Highly unlikely, but, there is a “wave” of young people coming onto the political scene in America – people fully invested in the ideals from which the present day republicans live in fear – like, for example, Health Care issues (including, WOMEN’S health issues) the CLIMATE CRISIS – how many Hurricanes, Wildfires, etc. need to cause BILLIONS upon BILLIONS in damage before it registers with “conservatives?” (Not to mention the loss of life and the THREAT to the Earth’s very future) – How many MASS shootings must happen before sensible gun reform takes shape? – and, I’m talking, for instance, of an assault weapons ban – How large does the national debt have to grow before we grow our economy from the bottom up and tax the WEALTHY in fair accordance to their WEALTH? (Instead of the other way around) How many Americans must live without fulfilling their God given potential before we make public education FREE through four years of State College? (Heck, in Denmark, they PAY people to go to college! That’s called INVESTING in your people! I could go on and on, but I think (hope) you get the idea.

“Conservatives” will be shouting “Communism” or “Socialism” via their propaganda megaphones like Fox “news,” “Newsmax,” “Breitbart,” etc, etc. all the while attempting to convince whoever is susceptible to their “stuff” that they are not only “conservative,” but they also claim to be “Christian.” Well, to the “Christian” in them – as they are spewing this garbage propaganda, I would suggest a reading of Acts Chapter II in the New Testament. “44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,” Socialism? Communism? Pisha!

Republicans, in my view, long ago forfeited the right to expect “we the people” to believe a word they say. I’ve heard most all of my life that “all politicians lie.” Well, likely true – because I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who could credibly suggest they’d never told a LIE. (I believe the fairy tales about George Washington and the “Cherry Tree” for example, are just that, fairy tales) However, I do believe it is true there are honorable men and women in this world – including some who end up in politics. It’s just that republicans have fallen so FAR “off the wagon” that LYING has become NECESSARY for their existence. To me, this is exactly why Donald Trump became the de facto leader of their party. While he was in office he was LYING at such a clip it was almost impossible to keep up with tallying all the “misstatements” – as they were called by the team at the Washington Post who kept track. By the time Trump left office the total was in excess of 35,000 LIES! As the saying goes, when Trump’s lips are moving, he’s LYING!

Once again, I have to add here, while I do believe Trump is a pathological LIAR, i find the republican party’s adherence to the LYING more calculating. I’ve long suggested republicans adopted the “Big Lie Theory” of the Nazi’s in WW II – concocted by none other than Hitler, himself, I believe in “Mein Kampf” – where stating a LIE over and over will lead to people eventually believing it’s true. I actually sometimes believed Trump actually got to the point where he would believe his own LIES as the words rolled off his tongue. This is why, for example, his lawyers refused to allow him to be questioned by the Mueller investigation because they believed, at a minimum, he would LIE to the investigators. They actually considered him a f@#king LIAR!

My point is the republicans don’t deserve for “we the people” to believe a word they say. It’s as if they fully believe “we the people” are STUPID! And, are they correct? I guess that remains to be seen. I would say it’s safe to say their “base” is showing all the signs of STUPIDITY because, for example, most of the MAGA republicans I know, when I suggest to them Trump is a LIAR, they say something like “no way.” He LIES directly to their FACES and they cheer. Many of these people were devotees of Rush Limbaugh and willingly called themselves “ditto heads.” To me, admitting their inability to think for themselves. And, when I force myself to listen to (as much as I can stomach of) Sean Hannity or Tucker Carlson I just cringe that this kind of raw propaganda can survive in 21st century America.

And, trust me, I fully understand, Biblically speaking it says, “Judge not lest ye be judged,” and as I was listening to the sermon at the Church I attend today I was reminded, ONCE AGAIN – it’s difficult for me to be “all in” simply because there are so many Christians I can’t force myself to trust. For example, racism has become a “non-starter” for me (I was raised by an overtly racist father) and, to me, you can’t be a MAGA republican without “courting” racism, opposition to health care has become a “non-starter” for me, opposition to the Climate Crisis, opposition to assault weapons – essentially, you could sum it up as being a republican (with rare and welcomed exceptions) has become an issue for me. Every republican I know watches Fox “news” – which says it all! (Well, I do know a few who watch “Newsmax”)

Virtually EVERY MAGA republican causes me to simply turn away. Along with the issues I mentioned above, for example, listening to republicans complain an election – which was free and fair – was stolen makes me want to gag. And, on top of that, supporting suppressing the votes of African Americans – because you don’t believe they should have the right to vote (when their ancestors “immigrated” here well before NEARLY every MAGA republican – not that that should matter) repulses me. And, Oh, by the way, now republicans are going after the voting rights of young people and old people, like me, who might vote for democrats. I can’t help but “judge” that behavior – and, could NEVER approve it!

The bottom line, for me, is Donald Trump has been attempting to tear down our fundamental values and norms for the past 6 years – “deconstructing the administrative state” – as Steve Bannon – American’s ambassador of fascism – and, as I’ve been saying for YEARS – there is a war going on for the heart and soul of this nation. Trump “lanced the boil” and brought people like David Duke, Don Black, Marjorie Taylor Green, Jim Jordan, Scott Perry, Matt Gaetz, and sadly (I’m afraid) from my own district – soon to be embarrasment in D.C., Joe Kent into the “mainstream” of American politics. To me, our so-called “liberal media” isn’t sophisticated enough to call this for what it is. They’re still fooled by Fox “news” so-called “fair and balanced” LIE. Remember, no matter where it’s coming from, it’s still CORPORATE media.

To me, step one in the defense of our democratic republic will take place this coming November and MOST of the pundits and prognosticators are predicting exactly what I’m hoping here WON’T happen – that progressives FAIL to turn out in numbers large enough to STOP, at least for now, this right wing PLAGUE which has been spreading across America for the last few decades – in my mind, since the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. It’s almost as if, in America, things have to be at the critical stage – analogy: the forest has to be on fire – before it gets the attention of enough poeple to do something about it. Have we reached that point? We’ve got about 40 days left before we find out.

If you’ve noticed, one of the two links I have on this site goes to the “Daily Kos,” a progressive blog. Aside from the small dollar donations I make to various candidates (unleashing THOUSANDS of emails into my inbox) for the past couple of elections I’ve been writing letters to people identified by the “Kos” as potential voters encouraging them to participate. (I also give $5 per month to the “Kos”) These letters are sent in a non–partisan manner – simply encouraging them to particiapate in the election. (I’m sure the targeted voters are progressive leaning – but, I simply encourage them to vote)

I will send 20 letters in about three weeks and I encourage anyone else who is trying to find a way to help out in this election to log into the “Daily Kos.” This only takes an hour or two to write the letters (they help – plus they have other ways to volunteer) and the cost is just 20 “forever” stamps and 20 envelopes. Just a thought if you’re wondering how you can help. If enough people volunteer, who knows? Maybe we can STOP the MAGA republicans from doing to America what Hitler failed to do in WW II! (Think that’s hyperbole? Check out Trump’s recent “rally” in front of a bunch of QAnon freaks – where they were giving him the “Seig Heil Salute.” Trump is full on into the QAnon conspiracy nonsense now!)

Final Thought: A while back I wrote my thoughts about the issue of abortion. This was prior to the Supreme Court overturning Roe V Wade, although I knew that was their (republicans’) objective. I pointed out, in my earlier life (I’m now 75), the first pregnancy I was involved in ended in a miscarriage. My wife started to bleed vaginally as her body was attempting to reject the fetus which had died. I rushed her to the hospital and they did a procedure which, in essence, was an abortion. It never crossed my mind, at the time, it was an abortion because neither of us would have even considered “such a thing.” So, since the overturning of Roe and the subsequent draconian legislation popping up all across the country – including republicans proposing to make a NATIONAL “abortion” ban, I’ve given the topic even MORE thought and I’ve heard many similar instances which have led to critical threats to women’s health.

Now, in numerous states, we would have been PREVENTED from having the procedure which, thankfully, eventually allowed for two beautiful daughters to be born subsequent to that horrible day. There are states where my wife (at the time) would have been forced to carry the DEAD fetus until such time as she would have been at a critical stage regarding her LIFE. In fact, there are some states which don’t even include an exception to save the life of the MOTHER! To me, all of that is unthinkable. There are SO many ways these abortion bans are negatively impacting the health of WOMEN all across America – it’s, well, disgusting! I predicted, prior to the Court overturning Roe that combined with the January 6th Committee hearings and the Roe decision that might just be the impetus to swing the election in November against the trends being predicted by the prognosticators. There are, after all, a LOT of WOMEN in America – over 50% of the population by my “last count.” There’s not much I could agree with Liz Cheney prior to the 1/6 Committee, but I do agree that it appears to be time for WOMEN to assert themselves more into leadership positions in our national government. How could they do worse than men she’s around in today’s republican party?

OK, I have to add: I didn’t think I was going to believe this when Joe Biden ran for president. I actually like Biden and believe he came around at just the right time. While the political forces in America were knocking heads after Biden had done HIS first IMPERATIVE, which was defeating Trump – and the so-called “liberal media” was doing – I don’t know what – Biden was governing. The Covid Releif Bill, to me, was the best piece of legislation aimed at “the bottom up middle out” that I could remember since, well – dating back to the days of LBJ. He got us out of Afghanistan – and, don’t bore me with the “it was messy.” What the hell would you expect? One of Trump’s last actions as our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president was SURRENDERING to the Taliban. And, based on the agreement Trump made with the Taliban, it’s a miracle it wasn’t “messier.” Yes, there were people left behind, but that was simply going to happen – and, it was either “get out” or send in another 20,000 or so troops. A surge was a “non-starter!”

Biden’s biggest problem was the Senate “majority” was of the thinnest kind. And, with Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema (to me, Sinema worse than Manchin) it was impossible to pass anything which required even a “carve out” of the filibuster. Will all the voter suppression laws passed in various states make it impossible for democrats to win in places like Georgia, Texas, Arizona, or other “swing states?” Very possibly, unless progressives vote in record numbers come Nobember. But, the Biden Administration got more legislation passed in its first two years than, again, any administration I can remember – back to LBJ.

They got the infrastructure bill passed with republicans who voted against it taking credit all across this land (there were, of course, republicans who voted FOR it! – a miracle in itself). They got a “Chips bill” passed bringing the manufacturing of computer chips back to America, they got the so-called “inflation fighting” bill passed – or some such name as that – which contained a START in Climate Crisis legislation and they got a bill aimed at gun violence – much less than needed – but, a “start” passed, along with bills to address medical needs of veterans plus MORE. After all that, it appeared maybe Biden was actually going to address the serious nature of what’s at stake this NOVEMBER and agressively campaign! A very busy schedule. An ACTUAL president!

But, maybe the MOST important thing Biden accomplished – in the face of a tyrant in Moscow ILLEGALY invading her neighbor – and, of course, I’m talking about our 21st Century “Hitler,” Vladimir Putin sending war CRIMINALS into the sovereign nation of Ukraine – was unifying and mobilizing the NATO alliance to come to the aid of Ukraine and make it clear if Putin went “one inch” onto NATO soil he would face the full wrath of the entire European NATO alliance – the one Trump had come close to undermining. I believe the History books may call this Biden’s greatest achievement no matter how the rest of his term in office ends up. Remember, I’ve used the STUPID term in reference to many of my countrymen (I’m sure they might respond in kind) but, traditionally, in America, politics ends at the water’s edge (The Ocean if you’re, well ST…………). Of course, just another “norm” upended by MAGA repubublicans. in fact, there are many republicans who’ve sided with Putin in this ILLEGAL invasion. (Yep, I’m talking about you Tucker Carlson and, of course Putin’s greatest fan, Trump himself – Trump called Putin’s invasion “genius” – although, remember, he called himself a “genius.”) Many republican “officials” have expressed their “America First” frustration with Biden coming to the aid of Ukraine!

Not only is NATO stronger than anytime in my memory (maybe back to the fall of the Soviet Union) but, Putin’s adventurism has caused both Finland and Sweden to request to be included in the ALLIANCE. And, of course, Ukraine is trying to become part of the European Union and, when all is said and done I believe Ukraine will become part of NATO. Putin is now threatening to use nuclear weapons, but, I believe, even that is a really poor idea for Russia – and, I believe there are people in Russia who are more level headed than Putin who will put a stop to him before the rest of the world does it for them. A nuclear war is a devil’s bargain – and, if the Russian “nukes” are anything like their military – well, I don’t want to speculate because I hope it doesn’t come to that – but, stopping Putin in his tracks was imperative and it appears the Russian troops are presently on the “run.” The Ukrainians are incredibly courageous and, to me, much smarter than their Russian counterparts – but, the bottom line is Joe Biden has provided the leadership necessary to STOP Putin in his “tracks.”

Of course, the American people (and, again, to me, a large segment of our “liberal media”) are busy complaining about “inflation” and “high gas prices” – when “inflation” is a world wide issue – far worse in most places than America – and, compared to the rest of the world, our gas prices are NOT “high.” That’s a topic for another day, but Biden is attempting to stop WW III and, it appears, successfully (although, we won’t know for sure for a bit yet) and the American people SHOULD be giving him high marks for his world wide leadership. Will it happen? Probably not! But, my prediction is, the HISTORY books will give President Biden the high marks he deserves. (Fox “news” and the other right wing propagandists I’ve mentioned above continue to (using the “Big Lie Theory”) paint Joe Biden as an old (he is old – older than me) feelbly minded soul. (Of course, he’s much more physically active and mentally acute than Trump ever thought of being – go figure!) They make “fun” of the reality Biden is a stutterer! Surprise, surprise! Some of these republicans are rotten to the core!

That all being said, someone like Gavin Newsome is looking better all the time to me, as a national leader! I, also, believe it’s time for younger leadership – it just can’t come from the republican party – unless, for example, someone like Liz Cheney would emerge. While I fully disagree with her politics, there can be no doubt she’s got guts and she’s willing to put her principles and her oath to the constitution above her position in Congress! Well, you’re right, I’ve digressed!

Shortly after Donald Trump took the oath of office for the office of President of the United States back in 2017 I wrote: “Trump will come to rue the day he chose to run for the office of president.” Well, I believe that day likely has come. For God’s sake, let’s get this out of the way: Trump is CORRUPT up to his eyeballs! It appears the authorities, who seem to work at a “snail’s pace,” are FINALLY closing in on our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president. For anyone paying attention it’s no surprise the investigations seem to be virtually EVERYWHERE. There’s the investigation from the Fulton County DA regarding Trump’s (along with his sycophants) attempt to overturn the presidential election in Georgia, the pending civil suits – most prominently coming from New York’s AG which very well could put an END to the Trump Organization, the Manhattan DA (who seems timid in charging Trump with the FELONIES his former investigators said publicy were committed), The Southern District of New York’s US Attorney’s office and the IRS – both who received CRIMINAL referrals from New York’s AG’s office – and, of course the Justice Department’s investigations into the STOLEN Top Secret documents plus the January 6th INSURRECTION ivestigation.

Astonishingly, the republican party has degraded to the point where many are, apparently, threatening violence should Trump be indicted for ANY of the above CRIMINAL activity. For heaven’s sake, Trump has been “allegedly” violating the laws of this great land, in essence, his entire life. Members of the republican party – meaning, those who have been elected to Congress – have succumbed to the thirst for POWER they think comes with bowing to the knee of someone as disgusting at Trump. Plus, republicans all across this land continue spewing the nonsense that Trump is still the president. If you haven’t been watching close enough, Trump and his minions believe the votes from areas where there is a large number of African Americans voting shouldn’t count. Something, in their minds, is terribly wrong when these people are not only allowed to vote, but are encouraged to vote.

Naturally, republicans in state legislatures all across America have been busy passing laws which are intended to make it more difficult for “people or color,” young people, and elderly people in areas where there are many democrats more difficult to cast their ballots. This should give anyone with any knowledge of history a bit of a “red flag” as to what these people are up to. To me, it’s obvious – they want to make changes to our system which will allow the next coup d’etat to succeed. For me it’s hard to believe that states like Georgia and Arizona have passed laws which will allow their legislatures to send the “fraudulent set of electors” to the next Congress as the “real set of electors.” That is, if they don’t like the results of the election, they’ll simply change it. In Georgia (and, likely elsewhere) republican members of the legislature are already busy purging poll workers so that they can put in their own sycophants. Yikes!!!

Again, if you’re paying attention to the WORLD of politics, you know that, first, Tucker Carlson held his Fox “news” show in Hungary kissing up to Viktor Orban and, subsequently, the republicans invited Orban to speak at their CPAC get together. They also, invited the newly elected neo-FASCIST prime minister of Italy, Georgia Meloni to speak at one of their gatherings a while back. She has been publicly seen with America’s neo-fascist leader Steve Bannon who seems to pop up around any of the European right wing neo-fascist leaders like Orban, Meloni, France’s Marine le Pen, and, likely, others. There can be no doubt there is a neo-fascist movement all across Europe (including, sadly, Sweden) and, as I’ve pointed out many times on this site, Trump is the “linchpin” of all this, because if he can turn America into a fascist nation then the world will be facing what Hitler and Musolini failed to accomplish back in the 1930’s and during WW II.

I really hope Americans are paying attention to all of this. Most of us who are “baby boomers” had parents who participated in stopping Hitler and Musoline in WW II. My father, apparently, did hiis service in the Pacific in the fight against the Japanese. He NEVER talked to me about what he endured in his service. I can only imagine what it was, but he just didn’t want to talk about it – likely because of the memories it would stimulate. The bottom line is people like my father FOUGHT the Germans, Italians, and Japanese in WW II largely to prevent the spread of fascism to this nation (and Europe) – and, now, it’s back again (fascism, that is). I’ve written about this many times in the past year pointing out how the word “fascism” is used recklessly by republicans who seem to have no idea what fascism actually is. What Trump, Bannon, Putin, and others are pushing is a return to fascism in a way Hitler and Musolini failed back in the Second World War.

On that note, I’ve written numerous times about the critical nature of ALL the upcoming elections regarding keeping republicans from gaining control of the “White House” or Congress. If you haven’t noticed the POWER republicans have accomplished by STACKING the Supreme Court with right wing idealogues, well, you just have had your head in the sand. Trust me, the next Court session will include MORE decisions based on the political “whims” of the right wing politicians who put them in POWER. And, I have to add, sadly, the word POWER. That, of course should NEVER be the case with a Judge at any level, let alone on our nation’s highest court. But, the reality is this court MAJORITY will be there well beyond my lifetime. Voters MUST prevent the court’s majority from “growing” – which can only happen via a series of elections where “we the people” vote against republicans.

Today, for example, gave a great look into why it’s so important to vote AGAINST republicans. I’ve been writing for the past year (since her text messages to Mark Meadows became public) that Ginni Thomas, wife of Judge Clarence Thomas, seems to be a “shoo in” should the Justice Department charge Trump and his co-conspirators of SEDITIONS conspiracy, of being part of that conspiracy. I’ve defined a conspiracy AND SEDITION several times and, to me, there’s no doubt Ms. Thomas was part of the “plan” to overturn the 2020 election. Today, she testified to the January 6th Select Committee and claimed, once again, “the election was stolen.” When you look at some of her texts you get the feeling, “the light’s on, but nobody’s home.”

However, EVERYONE who were part of the planning, financing, and encouraging of the coup d’etat attempted by Trump qualify as co-conspirators. Will our Justice Department actually indict the wife of a sitting Supreme Court Justice? Well, Merrick Garland is facing decisions which will likely determine the future of our republic – as to whether or not people actually believe in America Justice is blind. Of course, most of us understand members of the African American communities have carried an undo burden regarding “justice” in America. Thankfully, African Americans all across America are aggressively standing up for their rights – which, of course, “triggers” the white nationalists who make up a significant share of the republican party. If “no one is above the law” then, I believe, Ginni Thomas will be part of a large group of right wing republicans who will be charged with CONSPIRACY to overthrow a free and fair election in America. Honestly, it doesn’t get much worse than that!

And, do you think she really doesn’t talk to her husband about her far out right wing agenda? Do you think he’s unaware of what his wife is up to? To me, believing that would be absurd. I’m reminded of a judge who resigned from the Court around the time I was first eligible to vote – Abe Fortas. I don’t remember all of the details, but I vaguely remember the Justice Department (Remember, Nixon was the president and John Mitchell the Attorney General) got Fortas to resign be threatening legal action against his wife. I point that out because I believe a fair settlement of Ms. Thomas’ likely CRIMINAL exposure would be for judge Thomas to resign giving Joe Biden the opportunity to replace him with a judge similar to Merrick Garland, who SHOULD have been confirmed during the Obama administration – which would leave the court presently at a 5-4 conservative majority – with the likely swing voter being Justice Roberts.

I’ve listed here many times, off the top of my head, people who appear to have been part of Trump’s conspiracy to overthrow the will of the people. Remember, if you are ANY part of the planning, even periferal, (and Ginni Thomas was integral in the scheme from all the texts which have been made public) you’re part of the CONSPIRACY. In fact, I have to wonder when will someone in the “mainstream media” point out Ginni Thomas was part of the CONSPIRACY to overthrow our government! And, of course, Trump was the kingpin of it all. To say I’m anxious to see if Merrick Garland has the wherewithall (guts) to prosecute ALL of those who participated (Remember, there are several members of Congress) would be an understatement! Stay tuned……………….

Final Thought: It was reported today that Edward Snowden was granted Russian citizenship today via a decree from none other than Putin, himself. My first thought was, “How will Snowden respond if he’s drafted into the military to fight in Ukraine? Stay tuned……………

Also: Everytime I see an ad on TV regarding the technology industry, urging people to call their Congress person telling them to “back off” the idea of breaking up the Tech monopolies, I do a little research to find out who’s paying for the ad and, in almost every instance, the answer is either Facebook or Mark Zuckerberg himself. The lastest ad was put out in the name of the “American Edge Project” and you have to dig a little deeper to discover this “project” was originally put together by Facebook. They do a good job of hiding that FACT on the website of the “American Edge Project” but, as usual, this is Zuckerberg attempting to line up support to keep his MONOPOLY in tact. Will Congress actually break Facebook/Meta up? We can only hope………………

Oh to have been a “fly on the wall” a few weeks ago when Donald Trump was trying to figure a way out of his latest CRIMINAL exposure, another attempt to avoid accountability for egregious violations of the American “rule of law.” In an apparent act of STUPIDITY, he was attempting to KEEP a whole bunch of documents belonging to “we the people” including some documents labeled “Top Secret/SCI” – the most sensitive of documents which ALL members of the government need special clearances to view. And, he was LYING about them! Trump said, “they’re mine.” The government replied: “Not so fast!” More CRIMES for “The Donald?” I was visualizing Trump directing his lawyers to find a “Trump Judge” in order to “throw a wrench” into the obvious legal proceeding he was facing. That is, find a way to slow the process down. (He was warned about keeping these documents before he had exited the “White House.”)

Well, it appears they’ve been successful, at least temporarily. They found a judge, Aileen Cannon, who has granted Trump’s wishes with what MOST legal experts I’ve listened to (including William Barr – who I hesitate to call a “legal expert”) are suggesting this order from the bench would be laughable other than it, at least temporarily, has thrown that “wrench” into the Justice Department’s investigation. I’ve come to the conclusion the Justice Department MUST appeal this decision because if they don’t the absurdity of what she said could become “precedent.”

Obviously, I’m not a legal expert, and, based on what we’ve heard lately, it would appear William Barr accidentally took some “truth serum” and is busy shamewashing his record by agreeing Trump was WRONG in all facets of this “I stole THOUSANDS of documents, including the most sensitive of TOP SECRET documents – but, ‘I’m still the president so it’s an OK CRIME,'” because Barr, no doubt, is now on Trump’s s@#t list. He’s actually suggested Trump should be INDICTED and would likely be found GUILTY of CRIMINAL activity. Duh!!!! (Don’t forget, he also testified to the January 6th Committee and called Trump’s claim the “election was stolen,”
“BULLSHIT.”)

However, before you start falling for Barr’s shtick, keep in mind it was William Barr who, in essence, turned the Justice Department into a political arm of Trump’s CRIMINAL impulses. And, of course, if you’ve been following any of this you know if Trump is having an “impulse,” it’s very likely CRIMINAL. Barr interfered in investigations in both the Southern District of New York and the D.C. Attorney’s office – A quick reminder: Roger Stone, Mike Flynn, and Steve Bannon got favorable treatment NONE of the rest of us lowlifes would have received – plus, it was reported tonight on MSNBC that Geoffrey Berman witnessed Barr sticking his nose in one case after another answering to the whims of Trump himself – to me, allegations which very well could open Barr up to OBSTRUCTION of Justice charges. If you remember, Robert Mueller “memorialized” around 10 instances of OBSTRUCTION which he didn’t charge because of the OLC memo stating a “sitting president can’t be indicted” and, which Barr attempted to “whitewash.” (Successfully, apparently) Did they BOTH obstruct justice?

Well, now, tonight, Mr. Berman said it was Barr’s Justice Department which got Trump – as individual 1 – purged from the charging document which helped send Michael Cohen to prison for the Campaign Finance Violations eminating from the payoffs to a couple women who Trump didn’t want the voters, in 2016, to know he’d had affairs with while Melania was pregnant with (or raising) his final son. I’ve wondered on this site why hasn’t Merrick Garland pursued Trump who was, originally, listed as “individual 1” for coordinating the scheme along with Mr. Cohen and the editor of “The Enquirer.” Well, apparently, Trump’s participation in the scheme was “bleached” due to ORDERS from Barr. So, Barr doesn’t get to resuscitate his reputation now after all he did. (Remember, he out and out LIED about the Mueller report to “we the people”)

On this site I referred to Trump as “individual 1” for a couple years because that’s the “name” the Southern District of New York gave him as the “unindicted co-conspirator” with Cohen in the payoffs to the two women. (One of them is a “porn star”) I started referring to him again as Donald Trump recently because it became apparent the Justice Department wasn’t going to hold him accountable for that CRIME. It appears there are so MANY CRIMES to investigate when it comes to Trump that this one isn’t even in the “top ten.” Another issue which frustrates me is those TEN instances of OBSTRUCTION Mueller “memorialized” so that a prosecutor could investigate them once Trump was out of office. And, Don’t forget the “civil actions:” The NY AG is potentially attempting to shut down the Trump organization due to accusations of FRAUD, women have lawsuits against him in regard to his sexual misbehavior, and there are credible civil lawsuits against his actions/inactions on January 6th. A bad look for someone who can’t find competent lawyers, wouldn’t you say?

AG Garland, obviously, decided against pursuing the potential OBSTRUCTION charges stemming from Mueller’s investigation long before all of Trump’s other legal liabilities became so obvious. It seems as if that decision will seem like an “Oh well,” after ALL of the other Trump liabilities have been resolved. A reminder: Trump is facing potential CRIMINAL liability in Georgia’s probe of his attempt to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election, his potential liability in Manhattan for various instances of FRAUD continues to be an active investigation, the January 6th INSURRECTION and charges of SEDITION loom VERY large, and, of course, ALL the documents referenced above – some creating exposure to the Espionage Act could be the FIRST place Trump faces “the music.” As I’ve said here before, the January 6th INSURRECTION could lead to a charge of SEDITION, but, in my view, add to that the STEALING of the documents owned by the Archives of the U.S. and discovering who got access to the Top Secret/SCI files COULD lead to a charge of TREASON! Put a bid Q on that! (Don’t get it, see below!)

I’ve been saying for years now, Trump will end up in the History books right next to Benedict Arnold. You can take that for what you may. And, a BUNCH of his sycophants – including Fox “news” hosts and other right wing “journalists” will be right there next to him – AND, this will include many sitting members of Congress as of this writing. The s@#t is getting very close to the “fan” and Trump very likely is feeling the “walls” closing in on him. That may explain some of his recent public remarks – highlighted by a “rally” he held this past weekend in Ohio, supposedly to support JD Vance’s Senate campaign in the Buckeye state. I say “supposedly,” because, as usual this rally was all about Trump and his blaming others for all his troubles. He did mention Vance, however, as he shared with the crowd they should support him because he was “kissing my ass.” What an aSSet! This was a crowd full of QAnon fanatics and they were saluting Trump almost as if he was Hitler reincarnated!

I’m just not energetic enough to write every day and, as I’ve said many times, it’s almost impossible to keep up with Trump’s CRIMINALITY. Sadly, in that same vein, our so-called “liberal media” has long ago succumbed to the temptation to “both sides” all the issues facing America these days and “chasing their tails” in regard to reporting on Trump. Because keeping up with Trump is dizzying. And, Trump takes full advantage of that – he gets away with one outrageous comment or action after another because the “mainstream” media just isn’t set up to “call it like it is.” And, of course, Merrick Garland, God Bless him, is either timid regarding the likelihood he SHOULD be indicting a “former president” or he’s detail oriented to a “fault,” causing him to be oblivious (or so it seems) to the need for him to ACT (expeditiously) in regard to INDICTING maybe the most DANGEROUS person in the world. (OK, I can’t really put him over his idol, Vladimir Putin, in that regard – so the “Second most……………”) Or should I say, the most DANGEROUS person he COULD indict?

I started calling Trump a “mob boss” a couple years before he LOST the 2020 election (by OVER 7 MILLION votes) and a fascist, maybe a bit before that. I’m finding it interesting to hear more and more “pundits” using those terms these days in regards to Trump and “MAGA” republicans. The CULT is like a massive organized CRIME syndicate. When you watch closely the investigations into Trump and his surrogates you see investigators comparing their investigation to previous investigations of organized CRIMINAL activity. Along the lines of the saying: If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Well, in a simpler analogy – If Trump talks like a mob boss, acts like a mob boss, looks ………………! Well, put 2+2 Together!

Final Thought: I read the other day something, in the Washington Post, which is what I call “parr for the course” reporting – I read it over and over – in a publication I actually have a subscription to. Much of their reporting is OK, but stuff like this really rankles me. The report was about how the number of “foreign born” people in America had reached record levels under Joe Biden. The evidence? Well, they were using the results of the census which took place in 2020. The first thought which came to my mind was: “Who was president in 2020?” Of course, the answer is no, it wasn’t Joe Biden it was Donald Trump. While this doesn’t matter to me, it’s the reporting which bothered me. Obviously, Trump was president when the census took place – so, why didn’t the reporter acknowledge that? I have no idea, but it really did bother me. The “misinformation” propaganda in America is coming at “we the people” from all directions! I believe America is a “nation of Immigrants” – the so-called “boiling pot” and we all descend from “foreign born citizens” if you check out our heredity – some have families which have been here longer, but, to me, it matters not. (Of course, many African Americans families “got here” way before most of the rest of us) Stay tuned……………..

Another way this same issue “rankles” me is when I hear reoports of the “increase in crime” under Joe Biden using data collected in 2020. For God’s sake people, that would be information which occurred during the term of Donald Trump. Trump figured out how to use and manipulate the media early on after he gained the nomination back in 2016 and the “media” hasn’t caught up yet. Will it? Well, we’ll have to wait and see – and our republic’s future could hang in the balance.

Also: Trump world is so full of LIARS that not much surprises me anymore. So, Mike Lindell had his phone seized by the FBI and, in his complaint, he said, while speaking into a computer “zoom” screen, “I don’t have a computer, I do everything on my phone,” caught my attention. Was he at the library? Go figure!

“Coming Attraction:” I’m planning an attempt to compile my thoughts about the upcoming Supreme Court session. In the past year we’ve seen the result of Trump/McConnell/McGahn stuffing the courts with right wing (young) judges. The Supreme Court made FAR more egregious decisions aside from overturning Roe. “We the people” MUST understand that allowing republicans to control Congress can ONLY make the issue with the courts much more grave. A really good example of what I’m thinking has to do with Judge Aileen Cannon – the judge who, in essence, made a decision in support of Trump which, according to almost every legal expert I’ve listened to. is untethored to the law. I have to wonder how many more judges are there around the country who are willing to sully their own reputation among the legal community in order to “bend” to the MAGA movement? Regarding Judge Cannon all I can say is YIKES!!!

I’m sharing this article I read at “Daily Kos,” to which I donate monthly – it’s written far better than I ever could – author “Hunter” Daily Kos staff, dated Wednesday September 7, 2022. Titled “Bret Stephens is still indignant over President Biden calling out Republican extremism,”

We’re all going to be long dead before Republican Party officials and pundits get over their outrage at President Joe Biden’s condemnation of Republican extremism. You can already see it building into the sort of mythology that has led to past claims like “You being rude to Mitt Romney made me vote for a narcissist, racist, tax-dodging incompetent blowhard” and “I didn’t want to become a Nazi, but the casting choices in the new Lord of the Rings show left me no choice.”

The Republicans most responsible for guiding their party into convenient hoaxes over irritating truths and casting aside every agenda not explicitly premised on retaliation against enemies are still going strong in their complaints that calling “MAGA” Republicans “semi-fascist” was just too unbearably rude. So here comes The New York Times poster boy for insincere rhetoric, Bret Stephens, who still hasn’t gotten over his resentment—and he’s going to make that everybody’s problem.

Those who choose to read Stephens’ complaints don’t even need to make it to the first ad break to remember why we here have learned to ignore the Times opinion pages. From the invocation of Abraham Lincoln as an example of how, with class, you should call out seditionist nation-killers, to the first petty snipes that Joe Biden Isn’t Being Bipartisan, the theme of this and every column is that it doesn’t matter what grotesquely malevolent things Republicans might propose or actually do, if you don’t meet them halfway on it then perhaps it is you who are the problem. Tsk, and so forth.

Yes, the problem is that Biden cast too wide a net in disparaging MAGA Republicans, insulting not only “those who cheered the attack on the Capitol” and “Oath Keepers” and “Proud Boys” but also Republicans whose do-good religious convictions simply require America to adhere to their personal religious beliefs and no others, enshrining anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ convictions in U.S. law.

Well that’s not very fair now, is it? It’s not very nice to condemn not just the people who insist that they be allowed to start killing their political opponents, but also the nice Jesus folks who simply want to institute religious rule that criminalizes beliefs that aren’t theirs. In the same speech, you say? Shocking.

Incidentally, there appear to be exactly zero conservative demands for a government theocracy based on any of the actual stuff in their holy book, and that still remains puzzling. There are no “faithful Catholic or evangelical Christian” groups whose “deeply held moral convictions” are founded on a belief that the United States government must, as a matter of religious conviction, feed the poor unconditionally or heal the sick even if the sick can’t pay for it. None. It is not a thing—pick any New Testament red-lettered text and you will find exactly zero faithful conservative groups demanding that the American government abide by those words right now. No Marco Rubio Bible quotes deployed to demand anti-poverty programs. No evangelical rallies demanding bread and fishes for everyone. Zip, nada, zilch.

Instead, the demands of the conservative “faithful” revolve solely on all matters sexual and on hard-gripped demands that the government enables their own preferred discriminations. That doesn’t sound like “faithful” religious fervor at all; that sounds like culture-war fervor that’s been tucked under a religious veil so as to sell itself as something more dignified than it is.

So here’s a thought, while we’re at it. Maybe until we see these large-scale conservative religious rallies demanding government better feed the poor, at the very least, we don’t need to give a unique level of respect to religious “faithful” who have determined that the most important parts of their faith are the parts where everyone else needs to do as they say. Maybe these people are no better than the other groups who want to remake America into an anti-democratic state rather than accept cultural losses. Maybe we are allowed to have contempt for them that is equal to their contempt for us—bless their hearts.

Anyhoo, Bret The Indignant soon makes his way to the central point of his column, which is the same as every other column by conservatives insisting that no blame be placed for all that stuff they, personally, have done to lead the movement into a cesspit of hoax promotion and fascist ideology. Bret’s assertion is that “Biden claimed to distinguish MAGA Republicans from mainstream ones and then proceeded to conflate them,” a partisan dig that “may resonate with partisan Democrats who have never seen a conservative they didn’t consider a bigot or a fool.”

That’s not true, Bret. In addition to the bigots and the fools, there are also the insincere and the enablers—public voices who press conservatism to believe untrue things, like supposed conspiracies about climate science or insistence that COVID-19 (which has killed over one million American citizens) is being exaggerated in danger because conservatism’s enemies just, uh, hate barbershops.

No, Bret’s point is that, as someone “who has long thought that Trump represents a unique threat to democracy” because of his whole attempted-violent-coup thing, Republicanism and its enablers are blameless here. Or at least blameless in comparison, so stop being mean to them.

No really, that’s his point.

“The gravest threat American democracy faces today isn’t the Republican Party, MAGA or otherwise. It’s Trump. He’s one man, sinister but also buffoonish. To defeat him, the core task is to make him seem small, very small. Biden’s misbegotten speech did precisely the opposite.”

And here we see why Bret Stephens is, without question, one of the most thickheaded, dishonest, and useless pundits in the current sphere—and why The New York Times opinion pages are at this point considered the scribblings of stubborn and pampered children. It may not be possible to misread the current moment any worse than Bret Stephens has—and it is such a brazen misreading that, like much of his other work, it cannot possibly be innocent or gullible.

No, Bret Stephens would very much like you to blame Donald Trump, the man, for the nationwide collapse of Republicanism into anti-democratic hoax promotion and party-enabled sedition, and treat “the Republican Party, MAGA or otherwise,” as innocent bystanders to the chaos.

Again, this is so insincere as to almost assuredly be malicious. If this is punditry, then punditry is nothing. If this is punditry, it would be better for the Times and other papers to replace their editorial pages with advertisements or straight-up pornography.

Donald Trump is one man. That much is certain. And one man, without the complicity of others, could do exactly jack to destabilize the country or to mount an attack on the U.S. Capitol. If it was one man who attacked our democracy and stormed the Capitol, American law enforcement officers would have shot him dead at the first barricade, and the rest of us would have moved on with our lives without bothering to remember his name.

But Donald Trump is not the only fascist here. He is not the sole criminal. He is not the one changing election laws to enable party-overseen do-overs based on notions of bamboo-impregnated false ballots or, in Georgia, a straight-up determination that if the state is trending against Republicans, Republicans need to institute whatever new rules are necessary to claim that trend is “fraudulent.”

Donald Trump was the one who attempted to extort the wartime Ukrainian president into announcing a politically useful hoax—and it was the Republican Party, from partisan officers to the House to the Senate, that validated the act and immunized him from punishment. Donald Trump was the one who rallied a known-to-be-armed crowd of militia members, organized thugs, and enough cannon-fodder rabble to sufficiently overwhelm police lines—and it was the same Republican Party that insisted again on no punishment and attempted to block each investigation of the facts, and to this day insists that every investigation of the violence is partisan and illegitimate.

That is not Trump. It is not Trump who is running in hundreds of statewide elections, flatly lying to the public by claiming that Joe Biden was not legitimately elected because unseen forces “stole” the election from Republicans. It is not Trump parroting, again and again, claims that vote counts in minority-heavy areas were fraudulent while the vote counts in white conservative neighborhoods were, of course, legitimate.

Donald Trump does not control Fox News, and is not the core promoter of a neo-Nazi conspiracy theory suggesting that Democrats or “globalists” are packing the country with refugees in order to dilute white “culture.” Trump is not the one giving standing ovations to European protofascists, is not the one cheering madly whenever the free press is denounced as enemies of the state, is not the one retooling Florida schools so that respect for gay teens is strictly barred by law. He is not the one demanding the banning of books by Black authors. He is not the one appearing on national airwaves, even now, to insist that a Republican president scraped out of the White House after promoting a violent attempted coup has every right to take the most classified of national security secrets with him to be used in whatever future manner he personally sees fit.

And what of the voters, then? What of them.

Are we to truly claim that those who still scream at Trump rallies, those who still cheer when Republican candidates shout out disproven hoaxes and demands for political vengeance on law enforcement—are we to claim, then, that those members of the Republican base who still back Donald Trump and those who continue to elevate Donald Trump even after Trump attempted, unsuccessfully, to erase a United States election are not at fault here.

Are we claiming that the millions of members of the Republican base who are throwing out the few Republicans willing to punish Trump for a coup—Republicans like Liz Cheney and others—in order to install hoax-promoting, coup-backing replacements are mere bystanders here? An entire party base that has purged, relentlessly, those who would stand in the way of Trump-styled fascist overthrow—are we insisting now that chastising them is too far?

So Jim Jordan is not to blame. Kevin McCarthy is not to blame. Lindsey Graham and his call to Georgia officials, the Republican-controlled state governments who feted Rudy Giuliani and other crooked fabulists on their tour to discredit our elections, the Republicans of the Senate continually allowing Trump to go further rather than reproaching him for his anti-American acts, a Republican National Committee that backs Donald Trump even after a coup, Republican elected officials far and wide that back Donald Trump even after the coup—all of it is beneath mention, all of it would go away if that man would simply crawl into a golf course sand trap and die.

What a lovely thought. What an absolutely smashing premise: The Republican Party, “MAGA or otherwise,” ought not to be criticized as agents of fascism no matter what acts they have done or what fascist measures they have screamed support for. It is not a problem; a dignified approach would be for the non-conservatives to meet the Republican Party halfway, treating them with respect, ignoring their reflexive and now Republican primaries-mandated protection of Trump’s every corrupt act, treating the attacks on civil rights, on the non-“faithful,” on schoolchildren, on books, on scientists, on journalists, on facts themselves as separate and apart from the fascist moment it has brought us to.

How very wonderful it must be to have a perch from which you can oversee an entire movement’s descent into corruption-fueled dishonesty and hoax promotion and insist that it is all quite reasonable, none of it is linked to the outcomes we now see, and treating it with more dignity instead of less is what the great Abraham Lincoln would have done up the very day a seditionist terrorist murdered him. Others might take a different message; when faced with once-government officials announcing that they would no longer abide by the results of United States elections and would instead be forming a new government that ignored those results, Abraham Lincoln sent the United States military to defeat the seditionist movement by force of arms.

Is the sitting president not sending U.S. troops to capture not just Donald Trump, but each of the Republicans who are still announcing that our elections are invalid and that they no longer need to abide by them? No? Then it seems to me we are still meeting modern Republicanism at a proper middle ground.

The Republican Party attempted a coup and continues to defend a supposed right to do so. A Republican base insists that the coup was valid and insists on an ability to erase future elections that they, personally, do not deem valid. It is all based on movement leadership that continues to intentionally boost false hoaxes over true information, and one that especially focuses on the demonization of enemies with claims of “groomers” and “indoctrination” and “replacement.”

It is a fascist movement. Republicanism, the “conservative” movement, is aligning itself with fascist propaganda techniques, targeting longstanding fascist enemies, embracing theories of justified violence and justified nullification of democracy. If Trump died tomorrow, Republicans would align behind the next cruelest voice they could find and continue.

And Bret Stephens and the other would-be “conservatives” who insist even now that these acts are mere foibles, compared to deeper conservative ideologies that the punditry has refused to acknowledge simply no longer exist, continue to enable the continued degradation of the party with the insistence that it not be condemned for its own acts. The only fascists here, according to Stephens, are … who? Trump, and perhaps those that engaged in literal violence to topple the government, and absolutely none of the powerful Republicans who time and time again made sure that Trump’s most corrupt acts went unpunished so that he could move on to attempted coup and ongoing national security crisis.

The truest form of punditry, and the type of column that pundits favor above all others: We can’t be blamed for this. We may have advocated for it, we may have used it to our advantage, and we may have based a career around a willingness to ignore facts in favor of power-seeking delusions until the technique became the very basis of all political news coverage, but it’s not our fault. It is appalling that anyone now is talking about blame or chastisement merely because it all went to absolute hell, yet again.

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For the past several months I’ve been at the forefront of people urging the Justice Department – and, of course, Merrick Garland – to demonstrate “no one is above the law” as the EVIDENCE of Donald Trump’s CRIMINAL attempt to overthrow the will of the people in the 2020 presidential election has just continued to “drip, drip, drip” into the public domain until the House Select Committee on January 6th began their hearings. Then the EVIDENCE came FLOWING out in a manner which leaves the question of Trump’s CRIMINAL liability almost a moot point.

The question became more of not did Trump commit CRIMES but, how many? And, of course, all of this EVIDENCE was beside the point that Trump allegedly committed OBSTRUCTION of Justice in regard to the Mueller investigation upwards of TEN times – which Robert Mueller “memorialized” for a future prosecutor to investigate once Trump was out of office and no longer protected by the OLC memo stating a “sitting president can not be indicted.” Additionally, Trump seemed to “skate” out of cupibility with the Campaign Finance violations which helped send his former “fixer” to prison – regarding the payoffs of two women just prior to the 2016 election regarding alleged illicit affairs while his wife was pregnant with his last son. (What kind of person employs a “fixer?”)

In regard to the January 6th, 2021 CRIMINAL liability I’ve heard several possible CRIMES which Trump COULD be indicted for. For example, the Judge who oversaw the case in California regarding emails Trump lawyer John Eastman was attempting to hide from the January 6th Committee’s investigation. The Judge suggested both Trump and Eastman “very likely” committed at least two FELONIES in their scheme to overthrow the election. I believe the CRIMES were OBSTRUCTING an official government procedure and committing FRAUD against the United States. Of course, I’m no lawyer and I’m working from a very old memory, but I believe I’ve got that one pretty close to what was actually written.

As the January 6th Committees hearings proceeded it became clear that Trump’s (and a whole bunch of his sycophants) very possibly COULD be charged with is “Seditious Conspiracy.” A quick search on the web defines SEDITION as

1. Conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of a state.
2. Insurrection; rebellion.
3. A factious commotion in a state; the stirring up of such a commotion; incitement of discontent against government and disturbance of public tranquillity, as by inflammatory speeches or writings, or acts or language tending to breach of public order: as, to stir up a sedition; a speech or pamphlet, abounding in sedition.

Sedition is one of the MOST serious of CRIMES someone can commit in any country – most Americans (like me) probably NEVER considered someone elected to the office of the president in the U.S. would ever stoop to this level. But, here we are. And, when you EXAMINE the EVIDENCE it’s hard to conclude something other than Trump committed SEDITION. And, when you look up the definition of CONSPIRACY ( An agreement to perform together an illegal, wrongful, or subversive act) you quickly recognize there are a PLETHORA of Trump surrogates who are potentially part of a Sedition Conspiracy.

This is all REALLY bad. In fact, to me, until Trump came along it was unthinkable – this is the kind of CORRUPT behavior you see in authoritarian regimes around the globe – not in the U.S. And, the Justice Department will have their hands full in prosecuting these CRIMES because there are a bunch of top level republicans who seemed to have participated in the conspiracy. And, this group of co-conspirators clearly includes the wife of one of our right wing Supreme Court Justices along with several members of Congress, a bunch of lowlife republican Trump sycophants – like Mike Flynn, Roger Stone, Alex Jones, etc. etc. PLUS about a hundred republicans in several states who signed fraudulent “elector” documents which were sent to the Senate as part of Eastman and Trump’s scheme. (And, many more!)

I’ve been thinking Garland and the Justice Department MUST be fully investigating this egregious lawbreaking – but, as I’ve been saying since the day Trump came down the escalator in New York and began spewing his racist garbage – there’s ALWAYS more. And, the “more” this time has taken the focus of just about everyone off the reality that our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president tried to overthrow our elected government. How could this be? Well, further cementing the reality we had a pathological CRIMINAL in the “White House,” the “talk of the town” is now focused on the reality Trump STOLE something like 30 boxes of documents which belong to “we the people” and SHOULD have been in the National Archives before Trump left Washington D.C. as the LOSER of the election. For some unknown reason these documents ended up in Trump’s resort/home at Mar a Lago.

Obviously, Trump doesn’t believe the LAWS apply to him, so he simply packed up these boxes – containing extremely sensitive national security information of the TOP SECRET variety – and carted them off to Mar a Lago – and who knows where else. The Justice Department had to carry out a search of Trump’s resort because he refused to return the material when given the opportunity (over and over) – and, of course, he LIED via his attorneys to the Justice Department officials who came calling to get the boxes returned to the Archives and, naturally – as he seems to believe he can – he simply refused to comply with a subpoena directing him to return the documents. There are reports suggesting his refusal was based on him saying “They’re mine, not theirs.” (More behavior which reminds me of my oppositional sixth graders)

It was public knowledge, earlier in the year, that around 15 boxes of documents had been returned. What “we the people” (who are paying attention to all this) didn’t understand at the time was the level of classified material which was in those boxes – mixed together with all kinds of other stuff – suggesting the real possibility these TOP SECRET documents had been viewed by who knows how many people who frequent Mar a Lago. Possibly endangering the LIVES of people who are part of America’s intelligence community around the world.

The Archives KNEW there was MORE and along with the Justice Department gave Trump every opportunity to simply return the “stuff” and that would have been the end of it. But, Trump simply doesn’t/can’t work that way. He really does remind me of the students I had when I was still teaching who had oppositional defiance disorder. Often times those students would exhibit the characteristics of narcissism – although I’ve NEVER seen anyone as narcissistic as Trump. And, of course, once the Justice department was forced to use a search warrant to get these documents back – Trump instantly began searching for ways to portray himself as the vicitm. Including the threat of violence coming from his “MAGA” supporters.

So, the focus has been directed completely away from Trum0’s SEDITIOUS behavior in regard to the INSURRECTION of January 6th, 2021 to the real possibility he compromised some of the most sensitive TOP SECRET information in our government – documents which SHOULD have NEVER left the secure location where they were when he confiscated them. Why on earth would someone do something so STUPID and clearly against the law – and, then attempt to OBSTRUCT the Justice Department’s attempt to get them back. As I’ve said many times, Trump violated so many laws/norms in the past 6 years that it’s been like chasing your tail trying to keep up. If it is determined Trump shared some of this material with others – especially others from foreign governments – I believe his LEGAL liability will become TREASON. (A step up from SEDITION)

This past weekend Lindsey Graham – to me a real lowlife with no conscience who is concerned ONLY in his own re-election – suggested if Trump is indicted there will be riots in the streets. I have no idea what his motivation was – apparently, telling the Justice Department he believes Trump should be “above the law?” Of course, I’ve written for years my frustration that the “high ups” in previous administrations (it always seems to be republicans) are “let off the hook” for clear ILLEGAL behavior. Reagan and HW Bush in Iran Contra – no accoutability. GW Bush, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, and others regarding the authorization of TORTURE after their ILLEGAL invasion of Iraq, and now Trump. Here’s the reality – every time a president gets away with breaking the law – the next time it happens it gets worse.

Many are suggestingt Trump shouldn’t be indicted BECAUSE he’s a former president – even though he was TWICE IMPEACHED. They worry about exactly what Senator Graham is predicting – that Trump’s followers will react in a violent manner. I say “fooey” to that notion. At some point “we the people” need to demand this lawbreaking be STOPPED! And, the way to do it is to hold Trump accountable to the LAWS he has clearly broken. He continues to believe Garland doesn’t have the stomach for what would come next. I say, if Trump is NOT indicted what will come next will be far worse than what we’re talking about now – and, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Trump or one of his wannabees (yep, that’s you DeSantis) could somehow regain the “White House” and our Justice Department will be virtually eliminated – except to carry out the REVENGE these republican are alread imagining should they retake control of our government. (The FIRST thing out of Kevin McCarthy’s mouth after the FBI exercized the warrant to search Mar a Lago was a threat aimed at AG Garland – that’s how they work)

Are “we the people” sophisticated enough to recognize the threat which America is facing as we get closer to November? Will democrats, independents, and disaffected republicans be capable of coming together to put a halt to this “slow moving coup d’etat” which republicans are planning via the November elections? (Some which may already be “fixed”) I keep saying “the next election is the most important in my lifetime” – but, once again, here we are. And, until we vote enough of these republicans out of office, EVERY election going forward will be the same. Clearly, Trump has managed to create a CULT following of people who are susceptible to manipulation and conspiracy theories. When I see someone with a Q on the front of their shirt I can only shake my head. How does someone become so STUPID as to believe that nonsense? I have no idea, but the reality is many Americans are susceptible to his kind of propaganda. Lord, help us!

Final Thought: The sooner AG Garland acts to STOP Trump and his lawbreaking via an indictment the better we all will be in this nation – regardles of the reaction coming from Trump’s white nationalist “militia” base. And, I kind of agree with Graham that Trump shouldn’t be prosecuted for STEALING thousands of pages of CLASSIFIED documents unless it can be proven he allowed others to see what was in the boxes he was hoarding at Mar a Lago. I would like to see AG Garland indict Trump for his SEDITIOUS attempt to overthrow a free and fair election in this country – an unbelievably egregious CRIME! (Well, with what we now KNOW – it really is believable) If he must be charged in regard to STEALING classified documents and endangering national security related documents, then I would hope he could do it in conjunction with the CRIMES committed against “we the people” via the INSURRECTION. Stay tuned…………………….

Some republicans (like Graham) are comparing Trump STEALING these documents to Hillary Clinton using an email server in her home for official business. On its face – the comparison is LUDICROUS. For starters, Mrs. Clinton was criticized for being “careless” in regard to email messages which contained “classified” information – some messages which were determined to be “classified” after the fact. In the investigation Mrs. Clinton CO-OPERATED – she NEVER attempted to shirk her responsibility or blame the media or blame ????? – including voluntarily accepting the “invitation” to sit for an FBI interview. I read a book written by Peter Sztrok, one of the leaders of the investigation where he suggested it was almost a waste of investigative time. In CONTRAST, Trump has been uncooperative from the outset, he’s clearly LIED about what was in his possession, and he CERTAINLY won’t agree to sit for any FBI interview regarding whether or not he broke the law by STEALING all these boxes of ducuments. (Many with Top Secret labels) Lots of people would like to see Trump sit for an FBI interview – where they could ask him “Why did you do this?”

I have to add: Trump is so DESPERATE for people to “love” him that it’s been reported he’s now posting QAnon stuff on his FAILING app “Truth Social” because he’s portrayed as somewhat a “deity” on that platform. I don’t belong to any of these social media outlets, but the danger they present is real. People need to understand how wacked out Trump is becoming in his narcissistic desperation. Michael Flynn is another in Trump’s “orbit” who has been reported to be part of the “Q” orbit. What on earth is going on? These people need to be sent back under the “rocks” where they were hidden when Barrack Obama was elected and democrats need to be aggressive in FIGHTING against this NONSENSE going forward. As Joe Biden likes to say, “We’re better than this.” It’s incumbent on “we the people” to send a clear message to republicans this November! Will voters show up and send a message to these wacked out republicans? (Some of them – republicans who support fascism – very well might “win”)

OK, I kept forgetting to write this: I’ll try to make it simple and feel free to comment if you’re not a bot. Do you really believe Trump has turned over ALL of the documents he STOLE from us – meaning “we the people” – some might refer to “us” as the “American people.” Those documents – and any other official documents from when Trump was still in office BELONG to the National Archives – via the Presidential Records Act of 1978 (All you republicans can thank Richard Nixon for that one)

If you are actually someone (or thing) which reads what I write on this “blog” you must know in the title I point out I was a sixth grade teacher in the last third of my working life. I taught in a high poverty Middle School for around 23 years and I’ve been active on this site since around 2008 – although, my opinions on issues like the NEED to vote the republican party as it exists today (actually, it’s MUCH worse now than it was when I first began making that claim) into the HISTORY books. Of course, it appears there haven’t been enough people listening to me YET, because they keep pushing the party farther to the RIGHT every year – when it seems they couldn’t go any farther and have ANY chance for political viability it just keeps getting worse.

A while ago I wrote that the Supreme Court’s extreme agenda would motivate many democrats to actually vote this coming November and that the January 6th Select Committee in the House would also motivate people to vote AGAINST republicans. Well, I hope I’m correct, but we won’t know for about three months and, trust me, these republicans can cause a LOT of DAMAGE between now and then. Six years ago I started writing about the potential DAMAGE Donald Trump could cause for “we the people” and now, there’s a “wave” of republicans who are trying to out-Trump Trump on the chance they could replace him on the 2024 ballot. Circular firing squad? Whatever!

By November, both sides – those who oppose Trump and those in his cult – could be extremely motivated. Remember, in several states the legislatures have passed laws which actually allow them to overturn the results they don’t like. This makes this an “uphill climb” for democrats – who, by most prognosticators, will lose control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. However, the issue of ABORTION has motivated WOMEN all across America to vote in November. On top of that, it appears more and more Americans are becoming aware our democratic republic is, in essence, on the ballot this November. Could things get a lot worse? Well, duh! If republicans take control of either House of Congress you can bet the next two years will be “Trump-like” painful. History tells us democrats will fail to vote in large numbers in November! Yikes!!!

The optimist in me continues to hope “history” is wrong and “we the people” will turn out in record numbers for a mid term election. The republican LURCH to the “right” has been widely referred to as “Trumpism,” but I believe this “lurch” began many years ago and Trump was just the perfect “vehicle” to pull America’s white nationalist core into the “mainstream” of republican politics. Trump is a pathological LIAR and, sadly, the REQUIREMENT for any politician wanting to be “electable” on the republican side of things is having a willingness to LIE! And, we’re talking about bold faced LYING. You watch these candidates LYING and you get the idea they’re ALL a bunch of pathalogical LIARS – if you’re not familiar with someone who LIES that often they actually begin to believe their own LIES are “true” as the words flow off their tongues. KellyAnne Conway coined the term “alternate facts” to rationalize what is happening.

I know MANY people in my peer group (Baby Boomers) who’ve been lifelong republicans and they reflexively vote for republicans. I was talking to one of them today, a retired dentist, and he said, simply put “I always vote for republicans.” I asked him if he was aware that one of the top republicans in the House has credibly been accused of “child sex trafficking.” He said, no! Who is it? I said, “Matt Gaetz.” He had no idea who Matt Gaetz is and said, “Well, he’s go to go!” I thought to myself “I need to invite him to lunch where we can have a discussion about what he’s actually voting for” – because, to a large degree, he has no idea. And, in our district, our representative, who voted to impeach Trump, Jaimie Herrerra Beutler, she was defeated in the primary by a Matt Gaetz wannabee – named Joe Kent. Our district, years ago, was gerrymandered into a reliable republican district and, undoubtedly, there are MANY republicans who will vote for Kent with no idea what he stands for.

Kent will fit in nicely with Marjorie Taylor Green, Lauren Boebert, Jim Jordan, Gaetz (until he’s FINALLY indicted – come on Mr. Garland, do your job!) Paul Gosar, and the rest of the white nationalist republican caucus. It really is deflating for someone like me to see this great nation beginning to rot at her core. I likened it to dry rot a few years ago – it starts in a small place and, if not radicated, it just continues to spread getting worse EVERY year. Depending on the vote in November, it could get to the point where it’s in danger of “rotting” our system of government to the point where it will be unrecognizable. The DANGER posed by this is aimed directly at women, members of the LBGTQ community, the “Black and Brown” community, and, sadly, the younger Americans who are recognizing in increasing numbers the perils of the Climate Crisis.

Make no mistake – republicans recognize – and have recognized for years – they represent a MINORITY of the voting public so they’ve been busy working on a scheme to gain MINORITY control of our system of government – and, as I’ve said MANY times here, their “thinkers” are so far ahead of the democrats it’s almost no contest. I’m not the only one who’s wondering how much the democratic leadership understands the challenge facing “we the people” in this coming election. It’s NOT “business as usual.” Republicans have clearly gained CONTROL of the courts and they’re busy working to pass voter suppression legislation in virtually EVERY “red” state in the country. Their plan is to “fool proof” their “grasp” of the Electoral College for upcoming presidential elections and they’ve already gerrymandered enough districts nation wide to require democrats to have MILLIONS more votes nationwide in Congressional elections to have any chance of controlling the House.

Remember, when we’re talking about the Senate, it’s even worse than the House. For example, there are around 40 MILLION people in California and they get two Senators. South Dakota and North Dakota have around a Million and a half people – COMBINED – and they get FOUR Senators – almost always guaranteed to be republicans. Wyoming has less population statewide than the city I live right across the Columbia River from, Portland, Oregon and they get two Senators. The republican Senate caucus – whether in the “majority’ or not – represents a significant minority of the American people – ALWAYS! This is why we’re always seeing issues where LARGE majorities of the American people FAVOR one side of the issue and the republicans in the Senate ALWAYS stand in the way.

That is, unless they can manage to “win” the “White House” along with controlling the House. Remember, the last two republicans who “won” the “White House” did so with a significantly fewer number of “popular votes.” Bush/Cheney in 2000 actually “won” the presidential election via a declaration by the Supreme Court – with a 5-4 republican makeup AND, of course, with a 5-4 decision along “party lines.” For some reason “we the people” simply accepted that result – KNOWING that had the court allowed the Florida recount to be completed Al Gore more than likely would have been president (and, of course, there would have been NO Iraq invaion – just sayin!) Trump LOST by 3 MILLION to Mrs. Clinton and over 7 MILLION to Joe Biden – and, of course, Trump and ALL his minions are still claiming the “election was rigged.”

Let’s be clear, the only way the 2020 election would have been “rigged” would have been had Trump actually managed to get more Electoral College Votes than Biden. Trump did everything in his power to remain in office – likely anticipating legal entanglements he was facing once clear of the OLC memo which protected him from indictment while he was in office. Trump is so “dirty” that NUMEROUS acts that SHOULD have fallen under criminal scrutiny have simply been “washed away” – because there’s seeminglly always a new accusation of illegal activity every week. Just when I was thinking Trump was about to be indicted for SEDITION regarding his actions around the INSURRECTION it appears he’s facing possible INDICTEMENT for violating the ESPIONAGE Act. Sedition, Espionage, hell, what’s next? Actually, the only way it could get worse for Trump is if he’s charged with TREASON!

And, the FBI simply doing a search based on a “probable cause” warrant has the Trumpisphere “sh@#ting nickels.” It’s as if the very SAME people who were chanting “Lock her up” at Hillary Clinton over the use of an email server in her residence believe Trump should be able to break ALL the laws he wants to. We’ve listened to republican “leaders” attempting to “whitewash” the January 6th INSURRECTION, for example, for almost two ;years now. In the immediate aftermath even republicans were lambasting Trump for the attack on the Capitol, but it took only a couple of weeks and all of a sudden the INSURRECTION was “legitimate political discourse” or it was “regular visitors to the Capitol simply taking pictures” – as if all of us who watched it unfold right in front of our eyes were seeing things which weren’t there?

Trump SHOULDN’T get a “pass” from all his LAWBREAKING simply because he WAS the president (the TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president) – he is now what you’d call a “citizen” – and, he’s subject to the same laws as the rest of us. There are close to 1000 “ditto heads” being prosecuted because Trump whipped them into a fury and then directed them to attack the Capitol and “fight like hell or you won’t have a country anymore.” And, Trump – of course – continues pushing his “Big Lie” to this day – and, demands the same of anyone else calling themself a republican and wants to be in office. What this tells me is there are a LOT of STUPID republicans out there to continue believing this nonsense. And, worse yet, they continue sending him money.

Occasionally the republican mailing lists find my name somewhere and I get one of their – in this case Trump’s – emails asking for (the last one) $45 – apparently because he was the 45th president (although the ONLY one IMPEACHED twice – maybe he should ask for $2). When you look carefully at the solicitation – which I did – having, of course, no intention of helping his grifting – you see that the emails are designed to suck you into recurring donations you won’t notice (unless you check your bank balances regularly) until you’ve “donated” way more than you intended. Fortunately, for me, my email “app” has a “junk” option and I can block any more of this “junk” from coming my way. Josh Hawley managed to get through the firewall the other day and his email showed him with his fist raised to the INSURRECTIONISTS (a couple hours before he was hightailing it to a secret place in the Capitol’s depths running from the MOB he had just saluted) apparently, he thought that picture would be enough to get me to donate to his grift as well!

The bottom line is this republican party is fully willing to resort to fascism (and, that’s NOT hyperbole) in order to gain and maintain POWER. They’ve succeeded in polluting the courts with Trump appointees (which, may ultimately be their undoing) and they are working on a scheme to ensure republicans win elections up and down the ballots – or else! As I said above, if those in charge of the legislature – in several states now – don’t like the results of an election, they can simply “undo” it. Especially, when it comes to presidential elections and the electors coming from that state. (More evidence the Electoral College is as outdated as the way we choose our Senators) Americans MUST understand that, if they don’t like the decisions coming from the Supreme Court, EVERY election for the forseeable future is critical – any time republicans control the Senate they are committed to blocking judges nominated by a democratic president or ramming through right wing idealogues should they also control the “White House.”

Final Thought: I’ve been over this NUMEROUS times in the past four or so years – NO ONE should be “above the law” if we are truly going to remain a “nation of laws and not men.” The idea being thrown around by Trump and his sycophants that should he be prosecuted – right now they’re referring to his VIOLATING the Presidential Records Act and possibly the Espionage Act along with OBSTRUCTING the investigation – they will sick their violent extremist mobs into/onto the “streets.” To that I say, “so be it.” To me, the sooner we get this over with the better. For heaven’s sake, it SHOULD be clear to anyone paying close attention to the EVIDENCE presented by the Select January 6th Committee that Trump is LIKELY guilty of SEDITION – maybe the Justice Department can combine the charges regarding his flagrant misuse of CLASSIFIED documents and his inciting the INSURRECTION. I’ve been saying for years, Trump belongs in the history books right next to Benedict Arnold!