GOP Eagerly Embraces Trump

EDITORIAL:

The GOP Embraces Trump

Trump is a criminal. He is dangerous man. Stop him.

EDITORIAL:

Corruption, Bigotry, and Intolerance 

The last thing America needs is another four years of Trump in the White House tweeting crazy ass nonsense 24 hours a day, indicting his enemies, attacking the media, and defaming private citizens from a seat in the Oval Office. Come on America, we are definitely better than this guy.

By D. S. Mitchell

 

The Last Thing America Needs

Donald J. Trump, the last thing America needs in public office, has seen his poll numbers skyrocket among Republicans, as his criminal indictments mount. Trump, the forever grifter, is making millions selling his mugshot on T-shirts. The Grand Old Party of Lincoln has collapsed. What we now have in its place is total acceptance of the unacceptable.  Gun packing white supremacists, torch carrying Neo-Nazi’s, vitriolic officials denying the obvious truth, Joe Biden won the election. When Republican politicians like Liz Cheney, and Mitt Romney can’t talk sense to these crazies, and instead leave the party to become unaffiliated voices; it just proves that today’s Republican Party is not the party of your father-or your grandfather; and certainly not Lincoln.

Against The Trump Plan 

When all the votes for the 2020 presidential election were counted, Joe Biden’s ballot tally totaled 81,283,098 votes, or 51.3% of the vote. Donald Trump only garnered 74,222,958 or 46.8% of the vote. Miscellaneous other candidates captured a meager 1.8% of the vote. In other words, Joe Biden, kicked Trump’s butt, besting the Mango Mussolini by over 7 million plus votes. Go Brandon!

In MAGA World, The Biggest Flag Wins

But, those numbers were obviously out of sync with Trump’s election plan. Trump demanded recount after recount, all the while inflaming his supporters, convincing them, falsely, that he was the victim of voter fraud, mostly in the black and brown big cities of the country.  Votes were counted and recounted and lawsuit after lawsuit brought by Trump challenging the election were dismissed. Everyone from the bloated and lawless Bill Barr to Cybersecurity Director Chris Krebs called Trump’s claims of voter fraud, “bullshit.” But, three years later, I still see signs proclaiming, “Trump Won!” usually accompanied by an oversized American flag.

On A Personal Note

I admit it, I’m angry. The MAGA election deniers have highjacked the American flag, as if it is their private property. Pre-MAGA I would fly the flag in front of my house every President’s Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day (my son’s birthday), the 4th of July, and Labor Day, I no longer display the flag on the above noted holidays, but instead I now keep my treasured flag in a drawer. The last thing I want is for anyone, at anytime, to assume I’m a Trumpie. I am furious that these MAGA lug nuts have so brazenly, as if they are the patriots, stolen the stars and stripes as decor for their civil disobedience. I am convinced these fake patriots are an existential threat to our democracy. It isn’t a far stretch to imagine Trump using armed militias to implement Bashar al-Assad tactics to hold on to power if he is ever returned to the White House.

As It Plays Out

Because of Trump’s lies, our country has grown even more painfully divided. Instead of the bloated orange fruit fly conceding the election, to Joe Biden, like every other loser before him has, Trump chose to create chaos, dissent, and mob violence. Authoritarians do that sort of thing, call the validity of elections into question. If Trump becomes the Republican nominee in 2024 I am sure we will see more armed election observers,  more lawsuits, more threats of violence, more white supremacist saber rattling, and more talk of Trump as a lifetime president.

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The Trump Crime Family Under Scrutiny

OPINION:

The Trump Crime Family Under Scrutiny

91 indictments should be enough to stop Trump's re-election, but so far the leader of the Trump Crime Family seems to feel political push back

OPINION:

The Scandal of the Trump Crime Family

The X-Prez has been the head of a crime family operating in full view and in defiance of law enforcement for decades. Time for the Trump Crime Family to be brought to justice. Let’s start with a Senate Investigative Committee; then we can have dueling congressional hearings. Way past time to ask tough questions about Ivanka’s patent hanky-panky in China, the Trump DC hotel, and Saudi Arabia’s billions warming Jared Kushner’s wallet.

 

By D.S. Mitchell

News Alert

Attention! For those in the country that haven’t gotten the news: Trump was voted out of office. Joe Biden kicked his fat, orange, ass. Trump lost by nearly 8 million votes. Period. Dot.

Disqualified

If Trump is allowed to appear on the ballot and potentially gain a second presidential term it will encourage him and others to continue their attack on our democracy, most likely ending the American experiment. Trump has declared repeatedly he will suspend the U. S. Constitution, he has also suggested women should face criminal charges for obtaining an abortion, and his threats to jail his “enemies” is chilling. The unhinged threats of the head of the Trump Crime Family cannot be ignored. The weaponization of the IRS and the DOJ will allow Trump to destroy the lives of anyone he choses. That’s ‘effin scary. Think about what Trump has said about judges, prosecutors, war heroes, and average citizens; seriously endangering the lives of those he targets. WTF? Since when is it okay for a man with the presidential bully pulpit to attack election workers? It’s clear. Trump’s concept of the presidency is similar to the North Korea model.

91 Felony Charges, to date

Holy shit. Trump is the first president of the United States, in 234 years, to be criminally indicted. 34 felony counts in New York, over allegations that he falsified business records to conceal hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, a porn star. 40 felony counts in Florida for hoarding classified documents and obstructing government efforts to collect them. 4 felony counts in D.C. related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In Georgia, the Fulton County DA has indicted Trump on 13 counts of election interference in that state. These are criminal charges, Trump is also facing multiple civil lawsuits. My goodness, folks, Trump is a walking crime wave. He is totally unfit for office and a group of people are trying to keep this lawless king pin off the ballot.

Groups in Multiple States

Groups in multiple states, both Republican and Democrat, are making efforts to block the twice impeached former president from running for office ever again. The basis of the strategy is to use Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to prevent Trump from running for office. The 14th Amendment is post civil war legislation intended to deal with insurrectionists in the aftermath of the Civil War. Insurrectionists and anyone who had given aid and comfort to insurgents were legally barred from running for office.   How fitting for this Twenty-First century insurrectionist.

Conclusion

Stopping Trump should be the major job  of every democracy loving American. We don’t need an indicted criminal running 0ur government for his personal and family profit. No to Trump. No to MAGA. Save Democracy, vote blue, vote Joe Biden and Kamala Harris 2024.

OPINION: Trump A Criminal Candidate

OPINION:

Donald Trump, Criminal Candidate

Trump desperately wanted to hold onto power despite substantial loses at the ballot box.

OPINION:

Donald Trump, Criminal Candidate

D. S. Mitchell

The Biggest Flag Wins

When all the votes for 2020 presidential election were counted, Joe Biden won 81,283,098 votes, or 51.3% of the vote. Donald Trump won 74,222,958 or 46.8% of the vote. Miscellaneous other candidates captured a meager 1.8% of the vote. In other words, Joe Biden, kicked Trump’s butt, besting Trump by over 7 million votes. But, those numbers were obviously against Trump’s plan. Votes were counted and recounted and lawsuit after lawsuit brought by Trump challenging the election were dismissed. Everyone from the bloated and lawless Bill Barr to Cybersecurity Director Chris Krebs called Trump’s claim’s of voter fraud, “bullshit.” But, still you see signs saying, “Biden Lost!” usually accompanied by an oversized American flag.

As It Plays Out

We should be celebrating that more people turned out to vote in the 2020 election than at any other time in history. But, we aren’t. In fact, because of Trump’s lies our country is more divided than ever. Instead of the bloated orange fruit fly conceding the election, to Joe Biden like every man before him has, he chose to create chaos.

More Violence and More Lawsuits

In 2016 the Trumpers told us “elections have consequences” as we progressives huddled in our fetal positions, terrified of a Trump presidency. It is now 2023 and those same Trumpers are telling us that despite Trump’s staggering loss both in the Electoral College and the popular vote we libs should sit down and shut up, ‘because it’s obvious Trump won’. If Trump becomes the Republican nominee in 2024 I am sure we will see more armed election observers,  more lawsuits, more threats of violence, more white supremacist saber rattling, and more talk of Trump as a lifetime president.

Is It That Bad?

A majority of Americans,  especially Black, Brown, Native Americans, Asians, and other marginalized communities, who are at the mercy of this country’s historic, systemic, police abuse and seemingly incurable racism, voted Donald Trump out of office. I want us to celebrate that so many Americans voted to oust his criminal ass, but there is much need for introspection and intense soul searching about those who continue to feverishly support him in his fight to propagate the big lie. My god the brazen fucker is running for president again.

A Cup Of Coffee

I’m ready this morning to have a cup of coffee, eat an apple and reflect on why more than 74, 000,000  Americans would chose a man like Donald Trump to lead this country? His incompetence and stupidity is legendary. We’d already seen the chaos in operation, day after day, over four years in office. Some close to him have called him a “fucking moron.” These words come from those who know him best, yet these voices are ignored by his minions. Or should I be calling them cultists.

Nothing Moves His Base

For the last several days I’ve scoured old newspaper and magazine articles putting together a list of the known criminal activities of Donald Trump. Although well-known to his followers, his criminality seems to have no effect on their loyalty or their intoxicated enthusiasm. Monster flags whipping off the back of pickup trucks advertise their loyalty to Trump, not the United States. Wake up guys. Trump is a fraud and you, his small donors, are his biggest suckers. Recent reports indicate $40 million dollars of donor money has been spent so far this year on Trump defense attorneys. Get real, please, Trump and his whole crew belongs in Sing-Sing, not the Oval Office.

The Habit Of Corruption

Trump is no stranger to corruption and criminality. He has been embedded in it his entire life. As President, he took it to a new level. The Trump administration was without a doubt the most corrupt presidency in American history. No wonder he keeps screaming “fake news” when responding to reporter’s questions. Trump desperately needs to undermine the legitimacy of the fourth estate.  Donald John Trump has so much to hide.  If his devout followers would listen to the information that is available everywhere, they would drop him like the proverbial  hot potato. But, for some reason they are both deaf and blind to the truth. Truth matters, and Trump couldn’t find truth with both hands. Just to refresh the reader on Trump’s criminal history:

It All Started With Daddy Trump

1.) Donald and his father blatantly participated in housing discrimination against people of color and they were sued by the Justice Department.
2.) The Mafia and Donald worked together through the construction trades in New York city.
3.) He hired undocumented Polish workers to rehab the Trump Tower and then refused to pay them.
4.) Trump was fined $750,000 for anti-trust violations during his attempt to take over a rival casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

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12 Reasons Trump Was A Flop & Joe’s Not

OPINION:

12 Reasons Trump Was A Flop & Joe’s Not

Joe Biden won the largest victory in U.S. history

OPINION:

12 Reasons Trump Was A Flop & Joe’s Not

By Anna Hessel with Wes Hessel

We are admitted President Joe Biden supporters. We just wanted to take a couple minutes to thank Joe for not being Donald Trump and point out 12 reasons Trump was a flop and Joe’s not.

COVID Catastrophe

  1. COVID was out of control during the Donald‘s limp excuse for a presidency. He denied the severity of the illness, having fired the pandemic preparedness team put in place by the Obama-Biden administration. Millions died, the economy shut down; life was on hold, and we all suffered. Once President Joe Biden was sworn in he immediately arranged for free vaccines, free COVID tests, and we all received the highest amount of stimulus payments since COVID began. He  instituted a needed mask mandate during the first portion of his administration to arrest the spread of the disease. Now, although COVID still exists, it is far less severe, now it is closer to the flu that the Republicans claimed it was, when it was actually deadly. Life is finally nearly normal again. Thank you, President Joe Biden.

The Real Illegal

  1. Jack Smith currently has Trump federally indicted, facing thirty-seven counts in the (1)stolen documents case, not to mention the recent (2)guilty verdict in E. Jean Carroll‘s civil defamation and sexual abuse case, and (3) AG Alvin Bragg in NY city is after him for the Stormy Daniels payoff. (4) Latitia James the NY state AG has filed a $250 million dollar civil suit against Trump, family and company alleging wide spread fraud. (5) Fani Willis, Fulton County, Georgia, DA is amassing evidence for her looming criminal election interference case against the former president, indictments expected in August 2023. And, (6) Jack Smith again, looks like he has been busy investigating the January 6th events orchestrated by Trump. And if that’s not enough to keep Trump busy there is (7) Jack Smith‘s fake electors investigation.
  2. Trump instigated an insurrection. Trump invited the insurrection because he didn’t want to let go of power. He couldn’t admit he was a loser. No other president in history has done anything like this. In the United States; the loser steps aside for the victor.

The People Have Spoken

  1. President Biden received more votes than any other presidential candidate in history, yet Trump is still claiming the election was stolen from him. He tried to claim victory before the votes were even counted. Trump tried to discredit or invalidate the votes of 80 million Americans.

An A– And Class

  1. Forty-five decided to skip President Biden’s inauguration. Trump left his vice president to attend, skulking out of D.C. like the coward he is.
  2. The Donald held up a Bible he does not read in front of a church he does not attend. To worsen the image, he held the Bible upside down. Joe Biden, however, went to church before he was inaugurated, and said a sincere prayer during his inaugural address.
  3. Trump wanted to waste taxpayers’ money on dictator-style military parades, but Uncle Joe is a military serviceman’s father and placed wreaths and flowers on graves.
  4. Forty-five gave our nation the first staple in her belly button first woman. Silicon free, Mrs. Biden is a beautiful, gracious, an accomplished educator with a doctorate in education. There is no comparison between the two. Notice I was unable to use the word ladies here, since I only consider Dr. Biden a lady. President Biden is also responsible for the first female Vice President Kamala Harris, a woman of color and class. Our First Gentleman, Doug Imhoff, is a fine man of Jewish faith, strong in a world of sickening anti-Semitism.
  5. During the Trump regime, there was rioting in the streets, a global pandemic, and rampant racism, not to mention sexism and other blatant discrimination, but Joe Biden respects all races, all religions, all genders, and all sexual preferences equally. Joe served as second in command under our first black President, they helped to make America great together. Saving the auto industry and passing the ACA (Obamacare) health care bill are just two of their very many outstanding accomplishments. Joe also respects women – our President is responsible for the Violence Against Women Act. Forty five “grabs ‘em by the p—-“.
  6. The Bidens have have been married nearly 45 years – Joe is a widower who has loved wholly two women, separately, never cheating on either; Trump has committed adultery on a number of occasions yet the right wing “Christians” worship the Donald; as a liberal Christian, I worship God, and respect President Biden. These same Trumpster lemmings have overturned reproductive freedom, when in fact many of these men impregnate women without any responsibility, expecting them to carry pregnancies, and raise children with no support at all. A child should never be abused by circumstance, that’s not pro-life. It does take a village to raise a child for eighteen years, which “pro-birth” Republicans don’t want to acknowledge.

The Right Way, Not The Right-Wing Way

  1. The Donald is strongly supported by the far right gun lobby. Joe is all about sensible gun laws, against assault rifles, and a proponent of universal background checks. With gun violence destroying families and neighborhoods we need a man like President Biden to end the slaughter.
  2. Forty-five’s dictator buddy, Vladimir Putin has declared war on the Ukraine, and invaded a sovereign country for no legitimate reason. While Trump is hiding out in his bunker, our President is visiting the Ukraine because he is a man of compassion and courage. It makes no sense to me why President Biden’s approval rating is between 41-49% depending on the poll, in my view he saved the country. He ran against 45, beat him handily thus stopping the Trump madness. I can go to church, the library, the hairdresser, theaters, shopping for groceries, no longer having to shelter in place or, in most cases, wear a mask anymore in public. Unemployment is at a low, and most of our nation has medical care, not just a moneyed few. America is back working and thriving. The war in the Ukraine, and the Chinese economic collapse has caused inflation; President Biden does not set gas or food prices, he is trying his best to rebuild our economy. America’s welcoming arms are open wide again. Our nations citizens are working, living once again without fear of a deadly pandemic. We are back in the Paris Climate Agreement, the threat of climate change’s potential future devastation recognized, because we have a President that listens to science while still trusting the Lord. I personally thank God for President Biden. He has my full endorsement for his re-election campaign. My spouse and myself, we are a proud Biden-Harris household. God bless our President and God bless America…Go to Biden Victory Fund and support Joe and Kamala with some hard cash to build a better America.

EDITORIAL: Can We Protect The Country From Another Donald Trump?

EDITORIAL:

Can We Protect The Country From Another Donald Trump?

I don't know if there are enough tools in the toolbox to insulate the presidency from greed and corruption

EDITORIAL:

Can We Protect The Country From Another Donald Trump?

Make no mistake about it, the Trump administration “created an ethics crisis. Our lawmakers must advocate for firm rules to ensure these egregious ethical abuses never happen again.” Robert Weissman, Public Citizen president.

How The F**k Do We Fix This?

Fascinated

Like many other Americans, I’m fascinated with the January 6th Committee hearings. Jumpin’ Jehosafats! What the f*ck? A president of the United States actually tried to overthrow the government with a coup? You mean those folks at the Capitol on 1/06/2021 weren’t just tourists? ‘Fake electors’; did what? Trump grabbed a Secret Service employee by the throat, when the man refused to take him to the Capitol to participate in the riot. Holy Moly. When was the last time you heard a U.S. president support  hanging his Vice President? It’s one bombshell after another, and sadly, there’s more dirt coming.

Until Trump

We as a country have been around since 1776, and in all that time each losing presidential candidate accepted the  loss and stepped aside. That is until Donald John Trump. As an average citizen, with a bachelor’s degree in social and political science, I thought we had laws that would protect us from his ilk. I prayed, but I also sincerely believed, the conflict of interest laws, and ethics regulations, plus long accepted norms governing interactions between the White House and other Executive Branch departments would constrain the orange megalomaniac. Boy, was I wrong, Trump pushed all ethical boundaries to the breaking point.

Constant Assault on Institutions

Even I, the ever grousing cynic, did not realize that size of the holes in the system, When a man, in the most important office in the world is intent on subverting federal ethics laws, as well as ethical norms, both in full view, and behind the scenes; as it stands now, there is little to stop him. A couple years ago Public Citizen News Vol 38, NO.6 November/December 2018 offered some suggestions on policy reforms to guarantee that no future president is allowed to wallow in his own corruption. The article concluded that because of Trump, we have learned how to strengthen the system against future rogue presidents. I’m dubious to say the least. Due to the breadth of his assets, his refusal to divest himself of those assets and his disregard for multiple conflicts of interest norms he shook our government to the core, leaving many of us crying democracy itself is at stake.

Public Citizen Advice

1.) Ethics Abuse: Refusing to Divest Assets. During his time in office, Trump maintained ownership of his worldwide businesses. He was, and remains, a national security risk. His businesses made him vulnerable to the influence of foreign powers and corporate interests. Remember Trump leaving the Kurds high and dry in Northern Syria? All that happened because Erdogan threatened the Trump brand in Turkey. Trump spent a third of his days while in office at a Trump property; all the while garnering free publicity for the Trump brand. His Washington, D.C hotel and bar became magnets for foreign officials coming to DC. It seemed the White House doors were open for anybody with a scheme or a scam.

Can It Be Fixed? The Public Citizen suggested that within 30 days of the presidential inauguration, the president and the vice president should be required to divest all assets that pose a risk of conflict of interest. Well, how do they plan on enforcing that? We watched Trump for four years defy every order he got, from any source. If the matter was sent to the Senate as impeachable there is likely to be nothing done. We watched Trump be impeached twice and he skipped away. I say all candidates must place their assets in a trust, revocable only if they lose the election, or fail to win. Certainly, not after the election, because once in office how do we expel them if they refuse to comply?

2.) Ethics Abuse: Refusing to Release Tax Returns. Unlike all other candidates going back to Nixon, Trump refused to release his tax returns. That action, deprived voters of essential information about his financial ties that might effect his decisions as a president. Often the financial entanglements of candidates are deep, but that makes it even more important for the public to have that information.

Can It Be Fixed? Every candidate should be legally required to disclose his/her most recent 5 years of tax returns within 30 days of becoming a candidate. In addition, financial disclosure forms should specify and include information on assets, income, transactions, and liabilities, as well as details including creditors, investors, and customers, of the public officials’ businesses.

3.) Ethics Abuse: Inauguration Influence-Peddling. Trump’s 2016 inaugural committee raised a whopping $107 million from donors, twice as much as raised by Barack Obama’s inaugural committees. Despite pressure from press and congress the Trump committee refused to divulge where the money went, although later tax filings from the group revealed over $26 million went to a party planner who was an advisor to Melania Trump. That insider dealing looked bad, when it came out, but not surprising.

Can It Be Fixed? There should be a cap of $5,000-the federal contribution limit for an election cycle. Further, while in office, presidents should be prevented from collecting money for libraries or other ‘legacy building endeavors’; or at the very least make those contributions subject to the same rules as candidates running for federal office. Also, the Public Citizen recommended rules and disclosure requirements for legal defense funds set up by executive branch officials.

4.) Ethics Abuse: Hiring Family Members One of Donald Trump’s first actions was to give his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared, jobs in the West Wing despite a federal anti-nepotism statute that makes it illegal to appoint close relatives to official positions. Trump disregarded the statute claiming he had the authority to fill White House positions, “without oversight.”

Can It Be Fixed? There is already a statute disallowing this behavior, so the statute should be clarified making it clear that it supersedes other laws related to White House employment.

Conclusion

I have a lot of respect for Public Citizen, and I think their ideas have merit, but they are just a starting point. My biggest problem with these recommendations is that there is no bite to the law. It is important to make the candidate comply before they have the power of the office and no means to enforce rules, regulations. Where’s the $25,000 a day fine? Or, the immediate removal from office (no impeachment trial)? How did Trump get away with so much, for so long? One of the reasons is that there has been no immediate consequences for any of his outrageous behavior.

 

45 Reasons To Invoke 14th Amendment On “45”

OPINION:

45 Reasons To Invoke The 14th Amendment On “45”

OPINION:

45 Reasons To Invoke The 14th Amendment on “45”

 

By Anna Hessel

 History In The Breaking

There is much talk about invoking the 14th Amendment on “The Donald” to prevent him from ever holding public office again.  Senator Amy Klobocher has been instrumental in this fight, as well as Liz Cheney.  Just as a reminder, we must never forget Trump’s disastrous time in office.  Here are forty-five reasons why we must stand firm on stopping the “orange monster” from seeking office again:

The Beginning Of The End…

  1. Trump is responsible for the insurrection on January 6th, 2021 – this is the action that will allow the 14th Amendment to be invoked. He watched the violence unfold on television, doing nothing to stop it, despite being told to end the riot by more than one person close to him.
  2. He caged children at the Mexican border, ripping them from the arms of their parents.
  3. Trump only did one positive thing during his time in office, passing legislation making animal cruelty a felony but he also laughed about pet ownership during a speech and encouraged trophy hunting.
  4. None of us ladies want to be grabbed by the “pussy”.
  5. Trump openly made fun of a disabled journalist, giving license to mock the disabled.

Truth Is Relative

  1. He claims the election was stolen, when in fact Joe Biden received a record number of votes. He claimed victory well before millions of votes were tallied.
  2. He held a Bible he does not read in front of a church he does not attend for a photo op.
  3. Trump is a racist against any non-Caucasian race and encourages white supremacy and “white nationalism”.
  4. He wants to gut Social Security and Medicare; programs that many seniors and disabled Americans rely upon.
  5. Do we really want to see his orange hair, hear his annoying voice, or look at his unpleasant mug day after day, ever again?

Great Waste

  1. His campaign for the White House consisted of a waste of police force hours and foolish grandstanding. He was scheduled to have a rally in Chicago – extra officers were out in place and “The Donald” was a no-show.  He insults Chicago with comments about the number of murders in the Windy City.  His rallies have played the American people for fools.
  2. Trump lies and insults someone nearly every time he opens his mouth – our nation cannot tolerate another four years of this.
  3. He wanted to spend taxpayers money on a dictator’s military parade.
  4. He brought us a “men’s magazine” model as a “first lady”.
  5. His first lady literally stole a speech from a movie character; Elle Woods, in Legally Blonde.

More Highlights

  1. He is a sexist that encourages violence against women. He has taken women’s rights back decades and another four years of the Trumpster would undo all the progress President Biden has made for women’s rights.
  2. He wanted to fist fight President Biden, choosing violence as a way to bully the man who beat him in the election
  3. He refuses to tax wealthy billionaires, wanting middle-class and lower income individuals to foot the bill.
  4. Donald Trump dismantled the pandemic response team that was put in place by the Obama Biden administration. Instead of trusting science, he downplayed the severity of COVID-19, and then encouraged people to drink toxic bleach.  He refused a mask mandate to save lives.
  5. He removed the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Which Way Is Up?

  1. He considers global warming to be a joke, again refusing to listen to science, preferring to rely on fossil fuel companies, dictators and Russian oligarchs for his information.
  2. Trump has encouraged antisemitism in our nation. Millions of Jewish people have been victims of his racism.
  3. He thinks all Muslims are terrorists and spreads this lie.
  4. Donald Trump is ignorant regarding American history. In a 4th of July speech he said Revolutionary soldiers “took over the airports”, then jumped to a War of 1812 reference of “rockets’ red glare” and Fort McHenry.
  5. Cancer causing windmills, need I say any more about this?

Agenda Schme-enda

  1. He is responsible for Postmaster General DeJoy. “The Donald” wants to see the Postal Service privatized.  Please see my article on Louis DeJoy and the reasons our mail is late.
  2. The disgraced ex-president wants to privatize prisons.
  3. His Supreme Court nominees clearly have a right-wing agenda. The appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson will finally balance and counteract this far right mentality in our nation’s highest court.
  4. Donald Trump is a reality television personality, not an attorney. He bankrupted his own businesses and is unfit to run a country.
  5. He is supported strongly by the NRA and will not even consider common sense gun control.

How Not To Do It…

  1. Donald Trump is the first and only “president” or presidential candidate that blatantly refuses to show the American people his tax returns.
  2. He also is the only outgoing “president” to not attend the inauguration of his successor.
  3. He used the Oval Office for his own selfish wants, not for the betterment of the American people.
  4. He refused to allow his private quarters in the White House to be cleaned. There are rumors that there were mice in parts of the presidential residence.
  5. He discourages healthy lifestyles with a diet of fast food and lack of exercise.

Achievements And Accomplishments

  1. Trump’s bill count ranks last. He claimed to have broken President Harry Truman’s legislative record but according to statistics from the Truman library, “The Donald” has not even come close.  He signed less bills than the six administrations before him.
  2. He was removed from Twitter for his abusive tweet storms.
  3. Trump vetoed $741 billion in military spending as well as a three percent pay raise for our military troops.
  4. He insulted the memory of John McCain and made a horrific comment about “shithole countries”.
  5. “The Donald” proudly compared his press briefings to a Mike Tyson boxing match.

More Greatest Hits…

  1. Trump pardoned Blackwater contractors that massacred Iraqi civilians. This war criminals got away with murdering innocent people that included children and women.
  2. He told impressionable young boys at a Boy Scout Jamboree about a hot and wild party he was invited to.
  3. He is homophobic and had trounced the rights of the LBGTQ community repeatedly.
  4. His buddy “Moscow Mitch” McConnell fights the Democrats on every issue, swearing to stop all President Biden’s appointees if he comes back to leadership.
  5. He praises Putin, the man responsible for the war in the Ukraine. Showing himself as “Putin’s Puppet.”

The Answer Is Clear

We must never forget the atrocious behavior of Donald Trump and we must rally to invoke the 14th Amendment to stop him from another reign of terror.  Please support all efforts to see our Constitution used to curtail the Trumpster from seeking office ever again.  The “legacy” of agonistic torment that Donald Trump has left behind must never be repeated.

 

After Trump, Can Love Break Through?

OPINION: After Trump, Can Love Break Through?

The 1/6 insurrection aftermath is heating up

OPINION: After Trump, Can Love Break Through?

Editor: One year ago thousands of Trump supporters assaulted the U.S. Capitol. January 6, 2021 was one of the most horrific events in U.S. history. There is increasing evidence of behind the scenes maneuvering by Trump and his inner circle to thwart the law and overturn the 2020 election. The work of the 1/6 Select Committee is plowing forward, closing in on the instigators of the insurrection. Donald Trump’s role in the plot to end democracy in the United States is becoming more clear as emails and texts are made public. In the light of the current division in the country Anna Hessel believes it is time to be honest with ourselves, face the truth of what happened on 1/6/2021, bring the culprits to justice, and then move toward healing.

By Anna Hessel

The Crush Of Charlottesville

Back in 2017, I took one of the DNA tests that are so very popular.  Since I was adopted as an infant, my curiosity about my heritage peaked with regularity – I was giddy with surprise to learn that I am multi-racial.  Thrilled that the Lord has chosen to bless me with an interesting rainbow of cultures in a world where racial tensions dolorously abound.  On August 12, I looked on in horror at a group who call themselves ‘nationalists,’ terrorize Charlottesville, VA. One of them drove through a crowd in his Dodge Challenger, injuring 19 individuals and killing Heather Heyer.  Heather was a beautiful young woman, who was a local paralegal.  Little did I know, at the time, this was a foreshadowing of worse things to come.  This hideous act prompted then-former Vice-President  Joe Biden to run for president in 2020. In my opinion, his election is the only good that has come out of this.

Worse Is Yet To Come

On January 6, 2021, a similar, yet even more heinous act of violence occurred at our nation’s Capitol Building.  I find only small comfort in the fact that James Alex Fields, the man responsible for the horrific Charlottesville attack, was sentenced in 2019 to life plus 419 years. The sentence though appropriate does not bring back Heather Heyer.  Nor does it heal the scars, both physical and emotional,  of those who were injured, or who witnessed her murder. This callous disregard for life, an act of cowardice and pure evil, a precursor to the insurrectionists actions one year ago.

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EDITORIAL: Flirting With Nazis Is Dangerous

EDITORIAL: Flirting With Nazis Is Dangerous

The dark days of the Nazi control of Europe led to the death of millions.

EDITORIAL:

Flirting With Nazis Is Dangerous

A Neighbor’s Nazi Experience

D. S. Mitchell

Martin Hartman is a tall slender man. His thinning white hair is brushed back, his jacket zipped against the winter wind, as he leans against his cane for support. There is a deep sadness in his eyes and a soberness in his demeanor. You can tell he has a story, and he wants to share it. Martin Hartman is my neighbor.

Martin was born in Holland in 1924. Prior to the Depression of the 1930’s, his family had owned a prosperous construction business. His family like many others had suffered during those economically depressed times, but by 1940, the 97-year-old said, the economy “had begun to turn around,” things were looking up he confirmed. The future looked promising.

There had been rumblings of war, but few took them seriously, after all WWI was a mere twenty two years in the past. No one could imagine the world once again plunging into conflict. The next few days would change his life and those of his friends and family forever. “I was 16. It was May 10, 1940. We heard bombing and saw planes. It was the German invasion, and the blitz was over in three days.” The squashing of Holland’s defenses was quick, but far from painless.

After the German invasion, they began barricading city blocks and then sweeping the apartments for young men to fill the military ranks due to troop loss. Hartman describes it, “Gradually Nazism crawled into Holland. Good people were killed, or sent to prison . . . Jews and ministers.”

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OPINION: Stop Voter Suppression

OPINION: Stop Voter Suppression

Voter suppression and subversion is nothing new

OPINION:

Stop Voter Suppression 

Election Subversion & Suppression: dilution of voter’s Influence

 

By William Jones and D. S. Mitchell

Look to the Constitution

The U.S. Constitution defines who is eligible to vote. For example, you must be a U.S. citizen over 18 years of age to vote. Each person can vote only once in a given election. Pretty straight forward stuff.

To Clarify

Voter fraud means ineligible votes get counted (ex. husband votes for Trump using dead wife’s mail-in ballot.) Voter suppression refers to any effort to prevent eligible voters from being allowed to vote.(ex. politicians divide up congressional districts to benefit their own political party, diluting the opponents impact at the ballot box.) Any manipulation of the vote goes against the democratic ideal.

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OPINION: Expatriation Fits The Crime

The riots at the capitol have a lot of us thinking about what should happen to the people who participated in the riot

OPINION:

Expatriation Fits The Crime

By I.B. Freely

Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers To the Right

Partisan politics can get confusing. Not least in terms of the descriptors used in particular contexts. A case in point is the January 6th Capitol Hill incident. I am reticent to use either ‘riots’ or ‘insurrection’ to describe the events of that day, because of the party implications of each term. Those on the left preferring ‘insurrection’ and those on the right going more for ‘riot.’ Neither of which are high praise, yet there is only one that qualifies as treason which still carries the death penalty. By calling what happened an insurrection commentators are tacitly calling for the state execution of the participants, which seems like a bit of an overreaction.   

 Fits The Crime

I’m old-fashioned and still believe that the punishment should fit the crime. According to most legal experts, a group not known for their creativity, the worst punishment, short of death, would be for the participants to go to prison. While it seems odd, there are actually other alternatives that are both better and worse than either the prison cell or the electric-chair.

Back Where They Came From

With a group the size of the one at the Capitol, it is a statistical likelihood that at least some of them are naturalized citizens. In other words, those born in another country that have taken American citizenship, patriotism particularly strong among those who were born elsewhere. Much like how new converts to a religion tend to be even more devout. There are some that would say that naturalized citizens cannot lose their citizenship once they have it. While this is true in most cases there are particular exceptions. Treason is the most obvious, but so is joining what are called subversive groups which is considered a ‘violation of allegiance.’ Examples of subversive groups include Al-Queda, ISIS and both the German and American Nazi Party.

A Bit Sticky

Therefore, any naturalized US citizens who join such a group can be considered traitors to the state and are candidates for ‘denaturalization.’ The same goes for those who join armies that are actively fighting against the United States. It is a bit sticky that the argument could be made that the group that attacked the Capitol, some with clear murderous intent, could be considered subversive groups, including and particularly the Boogaloo Boys who have clearly stated their intent to overthrow the Government of the United States by armed insurrection. Any attempt at such an action by a naturalized citizen could well lead to their denaturalization.

 Born In the USA

It might seem crazy but there are circumstances in which those who were born in the United States can lose their citizenship. The most obvious is the process of renunciation in which someone actively says they don’t want to be an American Citizen anymore. This is what happens in most cases, though there are extreme cases in which a naturally born US citizen can lose their citizenship by law. Specifically by committing an act of treason or a set of other crimes against the state that can lead to what is called ‘expatriation.’ A fancy term for exile, which would require one to find another country to live in, as Edward Snowden did, moving to Russia after being expatriated following his exposure of the US spy network which the sensitive darlings at the NSA took personally.

I Dreamed A Dream

It is unlikely to happen, the majority of administrators being gutless self-servers who won’t sneeze without checking with their base, but the idea of the Capitol Hill participants having to make a new life in Putin’s Russia, particularly with the anti-Left sentiment so many have shown, never fails to make me smile.

https://www.calamitypolitics.com/2021/01/11/editorial-surprisingly-unsurprised/