Mental and Physical Deterioration and the State of Greater Trumpistan

 According to Wikipedia, U.S. Senator, Mark Kelly (D-AZ) flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm as a naval aviator. In addition, he either piloted, or commanded four space shuttle missions as a NASA astronaut. During his naval service, Senator Kelly was awarded two Defense Superior Service medals, one Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Air Medals with Combat V, two Navy Commendation medals--one with the combat V, one Navy Achievement medal, two Southwest Asia Service medals, one Navy Expeditionary medal, and two Sea Service Deployment ribbons. He has also received a NASA Distinguished Service medal. 

The short version of all that is, the guy is a fucking hero. Mark Kelly not only has, The Right Stuff, he is, The Right Stuff.

A little while ago Kelly and five other members of Congress--all of them veterans of the military, or intelligence services--posted a video reminding military personnel that under the Uniform Code of Military Justice they had the right and the duty to refuse orders that are constitutionally illegal. The word, disobey was not mentioned and nothing they said was new, or revolutionary.   

Right wing hacks, Donald Trump chief among them, immediately went what can best be described as ape shit. Trump accused the six of sedition. He called them traitors. He reminded everybody the penalty for sedition is death. He even reposted a tweet from a follower which said, "Hang them. George Washington would." Right on cue, Kelly and the rest began to be inundated with anonymous death threats. 

Then on November 24th an, "official," and lengthy message showed up on social media from Pete Hegseth's Department of War. (Department of Defense wasn't macho enough for Trump.) It read in part, "The Department of War has received serious allegations of misconduct against Captain Mark Kelly USN (Ret.) In accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. S 688, and other applicable regulations, a thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court martial proceedings or administrative measures." Further on the message there was a warning to all military retirees that they can be still be charged in military court if they also speak out.

In other words, the Secretary of War--Defense--whatever, is threatening to put an American hero on trial. To do so he will be using regulations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice as an excuse. The reason will be because--that's right--Mark Kelly and the others cited parts of the very same Uniform Code of Military Justice--parts Hegseth and his keeper, Donald Trump don't like. 

Welcome to MAGA world.

It doesn't stop with Kelly (Who learned of his possible recall and court martial by hearing about the post.). The other five elected members of congress, Representatives, Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio, Chrissey Houlahan, and Senator Elissa Slotkin have all been told the FBI wants to, "interview," them. Although we probably haven't gone that far yet, if I was one of them, I'd insist on an interview in a public place located on a ground floor. After all, it's never too early to start being careful. 

So what we have here are six sitting members of the United States Congress being investigated by the DOJ--besides all the Hegseth mumbo jumbo, the FBI wants to talk to Kelly also--for exercising their right of free speech. Not to mention simply making a point, which MSN noted, is, " grounded in longstanding military law." 

We also have a President who is showing obvious signs of mental and physical deterioration that is desperately attempting to turn the American Republic into an autocratic state. A Greater Trumpistan if you will.

Donald Trump has never respected the institution of democracy, and he has certainly never understood the need for it. He has also always been an amoral narcissist of the most dangerous sort. Now, since he has surrounded himself with the sort of toadies who holed up with Herr Hitler in the bunker during the last days of WWII, he is completely untethered from any sense of constitutional restraint. Couple that with an old man who is, let's say, a tad off the normal GPS routes the rest of us follow and the end game here could be very bleak and dark indeed.  

Yes, it might not matter if republicans are finally starting to rebel against his policies and his grip on their souls. It might not even matter if the democrats win control of the House next year. 

None of it might matter, because it might be too late. As Jon Stewart observed, "He isn't building that big ballroom at the White House for the next guy."

11-26-25

To Follow Orders, or Not to Follow Orders, That is the Video

 A couple of days ago a video showed up on social media that featured U.S. House members, Chris DeLuzio, Chrissey Houlahan, Maggie Goodlander, and Jason Crow. U.S. Senators Elisa Slotkin and Mark Kelly were also involved. All six have a couple of things in common. First, they are all democrats. Second, they all either served in the military, or the federal intelligence community before being elected to office.   

The gist of the video, which addressed current members of the American military and intelligence services was, " You can refuse illegal orders." They drove their point home even further by adding, "You must refuse illegal orders." You know, the ones that violate the Constitution, the document everyone has sworn to support and defend. Those admonishments, by the way, aren't anything new. No one who has ever worn an American uniform has ever sworn to support and defend anything else, including Commander in Chiefs. 

There are two United States military oaths for enlisted men. Both open with the line about supporting and defending the Constitution. Further on it varies slightly depending on enlistment in the National Guard, or the regular military.  The full-time military oath reads in part, "I will obey the orders of the President of the Untired States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice." The oath for the National Guard says. "I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the Governor (of whichever state) and the officers appointed over me, according to law and regulations." 

In addition, members of the military--and presumably intel services--are taught that, "following orders," is not a defense for committing illegal acts. We pretty much ruled that out immediately after the end of World War II when hundreds, if not thousands of Germans used it to justify their participation in the mass murders of Jews, Gypsies, Gays, and anyone else deemed an enemy of the state. To put it simply, just because Herr Himmler told you to do it, didn't mean you should.

To many of us, the video seems like a reasonable reminder. Especially given the President, Donald Trump is threatening to occupy American cities with not just units of the National Guard, but members of the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard--acts he claims he can do whenever he wants no matter what the courts say. (Even the resurgent white nationalist, Oath Keepers want in on this action. Recently founder Stewart Rhodes said, "Right now, under federal statutes, President Trump can call us up as the militia if he sees it necessary.")

The reaction to the video from the right edge has been a tad hostile. Displays of faux horror and outrage are common. Words like dangerous, irresponsible, and treasonous have been bandied about. Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson was quoted as saying, "...I will say unequivocally that it was a wildly inappropriate thing for so called leaders of congress to do to encourage young troops to disobey orders." (No one in the video encouraged troops to, "disobey," orders, but why quibble over details.)

None of Johnson's ire, or anyone else's for that matter, compared to the reaction from the White House though. 

What we saw in response to the video from the President of the United States was unhinged madness. He first posted, "Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!!LOCK THEM UP???" Later he reposted a message from a follower which simply said, "HANG THEM." Later still, he wrote, "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR. Punishable by DEATH!" Finally, the President reposted a series of comments from users on his forum, Truth Social. Among those he included posts that claimed the video was an act of insurrection. and another demanding the democrats be, "indicted." 

That tone and content is the type of shit you'd expect out of Adolf during his last days in the Berlin bunker. It is rabid lunacy so far out there it begins to morph into dark surrealism.

So much so, when I read the messages, I immediately flashed to the ventriloquist/comedian, Jeff Dunham. One of the characters in Dunham's act is a skeletal dummy named, Achmed, the dead terrorist.  

Yes, that's right, Donald John Trump, President of the United States, has lost every last one of his marbles. He has become the embodiment of a ventriloquist's prop--a ghoulish caricature of a human being whose tag line is, "Silence! I kill you!"  

Three plus years to go. Fuck. 

11-21-25

Cracks in the Red Wall as the President Goes All TACO

 As I said on Friday night abord Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should  vote to release the Epstein Files, because we have nothing to hide, and it's time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent  Victory on the Democrat "Shutdown."

First sentence from a Donald Trump social media post regarding the DOJ's file on the late Jeffrey Epstein.

Well, no one will ever accuse Donald Trump of being the king of simple sentences, but we all have to admit that when it comes to the random use of caps, the man is an absolute prince. Beyond literary style what we see here is a rage filled tactical retreat. For the first time Trump's bullying, cajoling, and outright lies didn't work with republican lawmakers. The President was facing abject defeat in the House of Representatives, so, suddenly, in his words later in that message, "I DON'T CARE!" 

Oh, really? 

Just last week Trump attacked republican Congressman Thomas Massie, a co-sponsor of the Epstein discharge petition, on social media, saying in part, did he, "...get married already??? Boy that was quick!" (Massie's first wife died suddenly in June, 2024.) The President ended the post by writing, "His wife will soon find out that she's stuck with a LOSER!" In another social media message Mr. Trump claimed only, only very bad or stupid republicans would vote to release the files. When Marjorie Taylor Greene refused to back off supporting the house petition, Brother Don began calling her, "Marjorie Traitor Greene."  

That's a lot of anger for someone who doesn't care.

Trump's sudden change of heart doesn't mean the files will actually be released. There are, let's say, other options. First, once the House approves, the measure becomes a legislative bill which must pass the Senate and be signed into law by the President. It's unclear at this moment if the republican controlled Senate will even consider voting on it. If they do, they can propose amendments and changes--something House Speaker, Mike Johnson practically begged them to do this morning. If there are changes the altered bill goes back to the House and the whole Mobius strip of American law making begins in earnest. When and if there is a final bill, Donald Trump has to sign off on it. He said he would, but the man just proved himself to be bipolar at best, so who knows.  

Finally, Trump has the DOJ stopgap. Last week he ordered the Department of Justice to investigate democrats, past and present, who were hooked up with Epstein. Attorney General Pam Bondi can stop the entire process by saying the files can't be released because of the, "ongoing active investigation." 

Meanwhile others have taken a different tact. Defense attorney, Alan Dershowitz, who hung out with Epstein--he admitted he got massages from some of the girls, but insisted he, "always kept my shorts on."--claimed Epstein's only conviction stemmed from paying for sex with a, "17 year, 10-month-old," girl. 

Then there was FOX News/podcast personality, Meagan Kelly. She told her online audience she had talked with a confidant of Epstein who told her, "That in his view, Epstein was not a pedophile...he was into the barely legal type. Like, he liked 15-year-old girls. I'm just giving you the facts that he wasn't into, like, eight-year-olds."

Ah, so there were some limits to all the depravity. Apparently, however, in that world, once a girl hit puberty, no matter what her age, she became--how should we say it--fair game.

Hopefully, Ms. Kelly and her source will excuse us if we all aren't as reassured by such steadfast moral restraint as they seemed to be. Not to mention Mr. Dershowitz's age technicality.        

This morning, as MSNOW and CNN covered a news conference on the Capitol steps held by victims of Jeffrey Epstein, At the same time, FOX News was reporting the success of ICE raids in Charlotte, NC and running clips of alleged, "narco-terrorist," boats being blown up off the coast of Venezuela. Last night, FOX host, Sean Hannity focused on the bureaucratic snafus holding up the rebuilding of burned-out homes in California. In other words, on FOX, the Epstein affair isn't an after-thought, it isn't any kind of thought at all.

There is no telling where this will end up. There are too many variables, too many potential roadblocks. However, we have now seen the first real cracks in the solid red, MAGA wall. And we've watched the President, when faced with his first legislative defeat during his second term, go all TACO just like he did on some of his tariffs. 

Suddenly the prospect of the guy coming irreparably unglued seems like a distinct possibility. In fact, while it might just be wishful thinking, ladies and gentlemen, from here it feels like, Donald Trump, his administration, and perhaps the entire MAGA cult have started to circle the drain.   

    

11-18-25

Donald Trump Running Scared as the Cheer and Pom Squad Defects

 The Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they'll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they've done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects. Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap.

The opening two sentences of a November 12th, 2025 social media post sent by Donald Trump, President of the United States and former chum of convicted pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein.

Included in that number of, "very bad, or stupid," republicans is Lauren Boebert R-CO, Nancy Mace R-SC, and Marjorie Taylor Greene R-GA. All, former leaders of the Team Trump Cheer and Pom Squad.

According to multiple sources Boebert, who has supported the release of the entire DOJ file on Epstein and his activities, was invited to a little chat with top administration officials in the White House Situation Room. That would be the same place where the President monitors top secret military operations, like that late night visit Seal Team 6 made to Osama bin Laden's house. The purpose of the official purpose of the meeting with Boebert remains vague, however there is no denying, Donald Trump wants her to change her vote on the motion to release the files. Although Trump didn't personally attend--perhaps he was receiving some mysterious, yet vital hormone therapy--he and Boebert spoke on the phone during the meeting.

According to a report on MSN Mace and the President have been playing, "phone tag," the last day, or so as he tries to convince her not to support the release. The report claims she sent Trump a direct message on Wednesday explaining exactly why she was supporting the release. MSN says she ended the message by writing, "I will NEVER abandon other survivors." 

Apparently Marjorie Taylor Greene isn't either. Of course, her break with Trump began during the shutdown when she realized her own kid's healthcare costs were going to skyrocket thanks the President's policies. She also might have other motives. Speaking about Greene's sudden swerve to the left, mass shooting survivor turned democratic activist, David Hogg said simply, "She's running for President." 

Rumors are that more than a few House republicans are ready to jump ship when it comes to the Epstein files. It doesn't take much to figure out why. Let's face it, it is tough to justify a vote that hides the crimes of a run amok child sex trafficker. With re-election now less than a year away is that really a hill worth defending? Not to mention, it has finally dawned on many of these clowns that sooner rather than later, Donald Trump will no longer be the Ring Master. The guy is constitutionally barred from running again and by 2028 he'll be 82 years old for God's sake. By then he will resemble a melted lump of cheddar cheese.

Donald Trump started this whole mess. During the 2024 Presidential campaign he promised he would release the Epstein files. Looking back on it now, it feels like he did so, just to make a part of his base happy--that part which is the direct descendent of the now deceased QANON. That part which desperately wants to nail all those wildly rich, famous, and decadent fuckers who they are convinced were committing unspeakable crimes without any worry of being caught. It is that part of the MAGA verse who wanted to bring down everyone from British Royalty to Hollywood elites, and Bill and (hopefully) Hillary by God Clinton. It never dawned on any of them their boy, Donnie would also be in the mix.

Trump knew he was though. It's why he tried to sweep the whole thing under the rug earlier this year by in effect saying, "Keep moving, nothing to see here. Well at least nothing I want you to see.

In one of the Epstein emails recently released, he writes to Ghislaine Maxwell, "I want you to realize that that dog that hasn't barked is Trump. (The redacted name of a victim) spent hours at my house with him, he has never been mentioned." Maxwell replied, "I have been thinking about that..."

I bet she was--and still is. No wonder Ms. Maxwell currently resides in a minimum-security federal prison, despite her status as a convicted sex offender. Reports are she routinely receives her meals via room service and at times is allowed to play with puppies.  

The DOJ file on Jeffrey Epstein is massive. It is so massive it is unclear if Donald Trump even knows its full content. What is clear, however, is Donald Trump thinks he knows what is there. And--what he thinks is there, scares the living shit out of him.

11-14-25

Cold Facts on the Cold Case of Alina Fitzpatrick

 These are the cold facts of a cold case. A shade over 14 years ago, on November 4th, 2011, Alina Fitzpatrick went missing. She was a student in the Putnam City School District which is located on the west side of Oklahoma City. Her body was found in an empty lot in far eastern Oklahoma City on November 9th. She was discovered nude with a gag stuffed in her mouth. She also had suffered recent bruises, cuts, and contusions--signs of a beating. Later, an autopsy showed her body had a level of meth in it which, could be considered toxic. In other words, her death might or might not have been caused by an overdose. To this day, her official cause of death remains, "undetermined." Alina Fitzpatrick was 17 years old when she was killed.

That's right, no matter how the medical examiner, or more importantly the OKC Police chose to name it, or investigate it, Alina Fitzpatrick was killed--as in murdered. 

There were signs things were going sideways in Alina Fitzpatrick's life before she disappeared. She had recently dropped out of Putnam City North High School and enrolled in the Putnam City Virtual Learning School. She had said she was being bullied. It was an accusation the school district denied or at least claimed they had no record of. She had also complained she had begun to receive, "strange," calls on her cell phone. Friends said she was talking about changing her number. It is unclear if she ever did. 

On the night she went missing she was dropped off near the intersection of NW 23rd and Western Ave. Reports are she was headed to a nearby apartment complex. No one knows, or at least publicly says they know, if she ever got there or not. Later that evening her phone was turned off. The next day she was reported missing. 

At the time the city was consumed by the gruesome murder of Carina Saunders. Most of her dismembered body had been found in a duffle bag in an empty lot six miles due west of where Alina was last seen. Thanks to the Bethany Police, who were investigating that case, local news outlets were rife with wild, lurid rumors and the names of potential suspects and witnesses. The discovery of Alina Fitzpatrick's nude and abused body on November 9th--which would have normally shocked the town--barely made a ripple in comparison. 

Weeks later, after the state ME finally released the lab results from Alina's autopsy, the investigation pretty much ground to a halt. On January 20th, 2012, OKCPD spokesperson, Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow told the media, "Officers are keeping a file on the case, but are not currently investigating her death as a homicide."

Or, to put it another way. We're busy with other stuff, but if you hear anything, call us. 

Days later, Bryan Dean, who was a reporter for, "The Oklahoman," questioned Wardlow's seemingly dismissive attitude toward the case. OKC Police Captain, Dexter Nelson responded with what then and now looks like a dance number from the musical, "Chicago." He told Dean, "Homicide is just a legal term. It gives us legal grounds to prosecute someone. We are still investigating it as a suspicious death. You investigate them the same way." Then Nelson went on to say, "The contusions and cuts and bruises were not enough to cause death." Finally, perhaps as a concession to Dean--his wife was friends with Alina's mother--Nelson admitted, "It is obviously unlikely she overdosed naked on the side of the road." (Nelson failed to mention it was also, "unlikely," she voluntarily gagged herself before doing so.)

That January 29th, 2012, understatement is, as far as I know, the last time the OKCPD officially commented on the murder of Alina Fitzpatrick. 

In an email, Dean said, "The police consider it an overdose and they have little confidence it will ever be solved." 

Years later an anonymous comment on this blog claimed the authorities knew who did it, and the person was in jail on other charges. It's unknown if the poster was telling the truth or just blowing smoke. 

If Alina Fitzpatrick had survived she would be 31 now. Of course, if she really was slipping down the rabbit hole of hard drugs she might not have made it this far on her own. And maybe neither has her killer, or killers. Let's face it, longevity isn't a hallmark of meth fueled lifestyles, either using, or selling.

Whatever the case, no one deserves the end Alina suffered from both her killer and the police who were supposed to provide her and her family justice.

Tragically though, as some say in a different context, "Out here it might be cruel, but it damn sure ain't unusual."

sic vita est

11-10-25

A Bad Night for the Great Gatsby Party

 No, the roof didn't cave in on Donald Trump's MAGA/republican party in last night's odd year elections. However, it is safe to say the timbers overhead began to creak and groan ominously. While statewide elections were few and far between the democrats won each and every one--by a lot. 

Even in Maine, a measure to require voter ID's and restrict absentee ballots failed by 30 plus %. Another, calling for a red flag law on gun ownership won by nearly 27%. For those wondering, the 2020 census showed the state of Maine's population is 61.6% white alone. 12.4% black alone, 18.7% Hispanic alone, and 6% Asian alone. 10.2% belong to two races, or more. Those aren't exactly the numbers which would typically indicate the state is a hot bed of what House Speaker Mike Johnson describes as, radical left, Marxist, Antifa types.

In Virginia democrats won the gubernatorial election by 14.6%. Up in New Jersey, despite people like Sean Hannity predicting a GOP win, democrats carried the governor's race by 13%. Both Mikie Sherill in NJ and Abagail Spanberger in VA ran against MAGA backed candidates. NJ republican, Jack Ciattarelli, now a three-time loser for that office, had been lauded by Donald Trump himself as being, "Pure MAGA."  

Then in California the only thing on the ballot was Proposition 50. It was and is, democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom's response to the Trump inspired gerrymandering plan to fix the 2026 congressional elections. In places like Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina republican controlled legislatures are arbitrarily redrawing congressional districts, hoping to increase the number of seats held by those, "Pure MAGA's. Prop 50 asked the people of California to allow their democratically controlled legislature to do the same. 

The reaction from the Trump administration was as expected. The day early voting began on the issue, the President posted, "The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the voting itself, is RIGGED. All Mail-in Ballots where the Republicans in that State are Shut Out is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!" Not long after that Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt posted, "There is blatant FRAUD with their mail-in voting system. FRAUDULENT ballots are being mailed in under the names of other people and illegal aliens! There are COUNTLESS examples. And we are looking into executive action." 

Newsom's response was to describe Trump's post as the, "rambling of an old man that knows he's going to LOSE." As for Leavitt's, "there are COUNTLESS examples," she was right--sort of. No one has counted a single case of fraud, at least not yet. The general public and media seemed t shrug off Trump's rant with a collective yawn. When the Big Orange Guy saw the reaction, he dropped it completely. Yesterday, Prop 50 passed by 25 plus %. It appears the majority, in California anyway, believes voter approval of redistricting is just as constitutional as unendorsed legislative redistricting. 

The DOJ's half assed attempt at voter intimidation in NJ and CA looked to have no effect. While some paranoids (Here's looking at you, self) thought there was a real possibility of squads of ICE and Border Patrol agents kicking ass and taking names at polling stations, it never happened. Maybe because in both states, local poll monitors were there to monitor, not voting, but the federal monitors. Or maybe it was a trial run to test the waters before the big show in 2026. If it was the results couldn't have been encouraging to Brother Don, or his band of authoritarian kleptocrats. 

It didn't help that on the Saturday before the election--the same night 42 million Americans were losing government subsidized food assistance and millions more were finding out the cost of their health care was skyrocketing--Trump threw his crowd a wildly decadent, "Great Gatsby," party at Mar a Lago. It featured balloons, champagne, 1920's costumes, and even shapely girls lounging in rotating oversized champagne glasses. The invitation read, "A little party never killed anyone." That line moved Jon Stewart to ask, "Did anyone there even read the book? The party did kill someone. In fact, it killed two someone's."  He went on to describe the glittering soiree as a, "Marie Antoinette," moment.

Finally, there was the New York City mayoral election. Zohran Mamdani won a four-way election by gathering 50.4% of the vote. His closest competitor was democrat, running as independent, Andrew Cuomo who received 41.6% of the vote. The republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa managed a mere 7.1%. Trump, knowing Sliwa had about as much of a chance as Custer at the Little Big Horn, endorsed Cuomo at the last minute.  

Actually, republicans, including Trump, might consider Mamdani's victory as sort of a sub rosa win for them when it comes to next year's congressional elections. They will be able to claim the democrats are all headed so far left they aren't even democrats anymore, but rather like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, raving socialists. Or, as Sean Hannity likes to put it, Communists. Not to mention, in Mamdani's case, a socialist who is also a Muslim. He is, at least in their minds, the perfect wet dream of an opponent. It doesn't matter that he is the mayor of a single U.S. city and his policies and decisions won't have a thing to do with the vast majority of Americans. It doesn't even matter he will not be on a single ballot anywhere next year. He's a fucking socialist/communist/Muslim son of a bitch out to destroy America and in his spare time make us all convert to Islam. 

Think not? Just wait for it.

Last night Donald Trump went on social media and wrote, "TRUMP WASN'T ON THE BALLOT AND SHUTDOWN WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT." He was probably right. Without the 79-year-old Donald Trump on the ballot the whole despicable MAGA sales pitch quickly falls apart. And, thanks to the shutdown, the public is turning against the GOP once again and not the democrats. 

Well, let's face it, the Mango Mussolini might be able to shoot someone in the middle of 5th Ave. and get away with it. However, no one gets a free pass when they take food off the tables of 42 million Americans while raising the cost of health care beyond reach. 

There are some things you just can't lie your way out of. 

11-5-25

Icing Elections in California and New Jersey, Erasing January 6th, and Nobel Fantasies

 A week ago the U.S. Department of Justice released this statement regarding elections on November 4th scheduled in California, New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City. "Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process, and the Department of Justice is committed to upholding the highest standards of election integrity. We will commit the resources necessary to ensure the American people will get the fair, free, and transparent elections they deserve."

At the same time the DOJ said it would send election "monitors," to Passaic County, NJ and also to, Kern, Riverside, Fresno, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties in CA. 

While everyone in the nation is, or at least should be in favor of, "fair, free, and transparent," elections some of us might be forgiven for becoming a little suspicious of the DOJ's deployment of, "monitors," to specific locales in blue states during off, off year state elections. Let's face it, other than caterwauling about election fraud in 2020, which they have never proven, this administration's main election focus has been to rig upcoming ones. How else can you describe the dismantling of the voting rights act piece by piece and a campaign of congressional district gerrymandering so openly criminal and undemocratic it even makes guys like Viktor Orban blush?

So, other than transparency, what could be afoot here? Well, for one thing, Passaic County's population is now 44% Hispanic, Kern County 54.9%, Fresno 53%, Riverside 49%, and Los Angeles County is 48%. And while Orange County's Hispanic population is 34% another 21 plus % is Asian. You think Stephen Miller's boys might be interested in who shows up at the polls in all those places? Hey, what better way to goose those arrest numbers that have been lacking. Not only that, but there is the added benefit of suppressing the total number of voters which is always a good thing for republicans. (Or it could end up that just the threat of ICE and Border Patrol at polling locations will scare away scads of potential voters.)

However, if Miller's SA does show up to take names and kick ass the shock and horror show effect will be enough to cause millions to question if their right to vote is worth the risk. Indeed, on Tuesday, just chuck them all in ICE detention centers for a couple of days without any sort of due process. Fuck with not just their heads, but everyone's. Meanwhile, if they do resist both Miller and Trump will be able to claim the, "radical left," is committing election day violence. You can almost hear El Donald addressing the troops before he sends them into hostile strongholds like, Bakersfield, Paterson, and Anaheim: The enemy from within has attacked. The use of excessive violence is not only authorized but encouraged!

  Granted, paranoia might be involved here, but even the most naively optimistic among us must admit there has been some awfully strange shit going on lately.

You know--like those two Assistant U.S. Attorneys who were put on indefinite administrative leave the other day. Carlos Valdiva and Samuel White were pulled off a case involving, Taylor Tranto who was one of the January 6th rioters pardoned by Donald Trump. Not long after he walked free, Taranto was busted near Barack Obama's house. (He had the address thanks to Trump, who posted it on his social media account.) Taranto was armed to the teeth and had been publishing online threats. In a pre-sentencing memo Valdiva and White had included a line about the January 6th attack which said it was carried out by, "thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters." It didn't even take 24 hours for them both to get sacked and the memo to disappear. from court records. When a replacement memo was filed there wasn't any mention of January 6th.

 Then on October 7th the Swedish Royal Academy of Science awarded the Nobel Prize in physics to John Clarke, Michael Devoret, and John Martinis. Thursday Donald Trump reposted this message from his Secretary of Energy, Chris Write. The Secretary wrote, "A former Lawrence Berkeley National Lab scientist won the Nonel Prize in physics for work in Quantum Physics. Quantum computing, along with AI, and Fusion are the three signature Trump science efforts. Trump 47 racks up his first Nobel Prize!" 

 Clarke was the only one of the three to ever work at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. He is British. The experiments the three men won for were designed and performed during 1984 and 1985. 

Obviously when re-writing history one has to act quickly, ruthlessly, and with fanciful panache. It clearly isn't a job for the meek.

But then neither is making sure this country is always run by right wing white guys. 

10-31-25