Fools and Sycophants on Stage and a Perfect Portrait of Inmate #P01135809

 There are several words which can describe the behavior displayed by eight republicans who claim to be running for the GOP presidential nomination on Wednesday night. Embarrassing is one, humiliating is another. The term nauseatingly subservient also comes to mind. 

By the night's end only one of the eight, Nikki Haley seemed to understand what the debate was actually designed for--a forum for candidates to display their views and policies, All the while explaining to the public why they should vote for them, not the guy who wasn't there. 

A couple, most obviously, Vivek Ramaswami, appeared to be on stage only to audition for the absent Donald Trump's running mate. Ramaswami probably did score some points in that regard by declaring if elected his first act would be to pardon Donald Trump of all crimes he might be convicted of. He also claimed global warming was a deadly hoax, (more people have died from EPA regulations than have because of global warming) and if president he would stop all aid to Ukraine. Finally he announced Donald J. Trump was the greatest president in the 21st century. Which, of course, begged the question no one thought to ask, if you think that Vivek then why are you running against him?

In a test of their non existent courage the panel was asked to raise their hands if they would support Trump if he ran his campaign from a jail cell. In a slavish, stomach turning, display of servitude all, but two raised their hands. Only Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson distanced themselves from the cult.  The braying crowd went wild. In that terrible moment any credibility Nikki Haley had managed to craft evaporated. 

Indeed, by the end of that undignified shouting match they had all proved themselves to be nothing more than fools or sycophants. There wasn't a president among the bunch.

The road is now clear for The Big Orange Guy. Short of Donald Trump's plane going all Yevgeny Prigozhin nothing can stop him from grabbing the republican nomination. 

And then came Thursday. Yesterday evening Trump made an appearance at the Fulton County Jail. He is now inmate #P011358009 and is currently free on $200,000 cash bond, secured through a local bail bondsman. His mug shot was available for public viewing almost immediately after his booking.

Today Trump started selling tee shirts with his jail; photo on the front, just above the words, "Never Surrender."  The irony of it seemed to be lost on him, and his fans. The shot was available only because Donald J. Trump had surrendered himself to the Fulton County authorities. Trump's campaign stole the catch phrase from Ron DeSantis, but that's okay. The Florida governor won't be suing it much longer anyway.

MSNBC's Lawerence O'Donnell believes the mug shot shows a fearful Donald Trump. There are those on the right who see his face reflecting tenacity and courage. I see none of those things.

Looking at that instant frozen in time now forever, all I see is rage and hatred. And as far as I'm concerned, in the end, it is the most perfect portrait of Donald John Trump that any of us will ever see. In that horrible mug we witness the antithesis of everything America is and should strive to be. 

It is the photo of an absolute, unrelenting, monster.

sic vita est

825-23

Clint Dixon vs Some Sort of Leftist Celebrity

 Down in Georgia this coming October the Prosecuting Attorney Qualifications Commission will convene for the very first time. The commission was created by an act of the Georgia state legislature. The measure was signed into law by republican Governor, Brian Kemp. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the commission is empowered to, "Sanction, or oust prosecutors found to be neglecting their duties, or responsible for an array of other violations." 

That, "array of other violations,: caused a problem for democrats in the legislature during the debate over the commission's establishment. As did the sneaking suspicion the commission was being set up mainly because Fulton County DA, Fani Willis was investigating one Donald John Trump, among others, for attempting to overturn the 2020 Georgia's election results. Many democrats pointed out the legislature already had the power to impeach DAs. However, supporters of the bill claimed the power of impeachment wasn't enough, it didn't have enough teeth, and was too slow of a procedure. 

That's right, baby. If she indicts the chosen one we need to move quickly. Don't let the democrats bog us down with debates and rules. Nip it in the bud. As Hunter Thompson used to say, "Cut off the head and the body will die.'

Yesterday state senator Clint Dixon issued a statement which said that as soon as the Prosecuting Attorney Qualifications Committee goes into session he will file a complaint against Fani Willis. He was inspired to file the complaint, he told the Journal-Constitution because of Willis', "unabashed goal to become some sort of leftist celebrity." 

Dixon wrote on social media, "Once the Prosecutorial Oversight Committee is appointed in October, we can have them investigate and take action against Fani Willis and her efforts to weaponize the justice system against political opponents. This is our best measure and I will be ready to call for that investigation."

In other words, Don't worry Don, we'll stop her before you ever get to court.

It would seem the democrat's suspicions were well funded. The republicans in Georgia are now trying to do exactly what everyone predicted they would when the motion was still pending. The words legislative overreach has yet to come up, although they should.

As should the term, blatant political power grab.

Trump has said he will show up at the notorious Fulton County jail to be booked on Thursday. Since the jail is open for bookings 24-7 at least one NSNBC analyst is predicting he will arrive there the night of the republican debate in order to steal coverage from it. It wouldn't surprise anyone if he did something like that. The man just can't stand it when he isn't the center of attention. Personally I have my doubts though. Knowing Trump he will want a crowd outside cheering for him. After all, when you disappear into a dank dungeon rife with body lice and buggery, even for less than an hour, morale is everything.

Until that unknown and inauspicious date does arrive what we do know for sure is that Donald Trump will get booked. That goes for the 18 indicted con-conspirators also. We also know if Trump, or any of the rest fail to surrender themselves by noon Atlanta time on Friday warrants will be issued for their arrests.

And finally we know with absolute certainty is there isn't a thing the former president, Clint Dixon, or some two bit committee of right wing hit men can do about it. 

It is the law.

8-22-23

Abagail, Travian, and Reverend Steve: Law and Order MAGA Style

 Hey you stupid slave n...er. You are in our sights, we want to kill you, and if Trump doesn't get elected in 2024 we are coming to kill you, so tread lightly, bitch.

Part of the voice mail left for Federal Judge Tanya S. Chutkan by Ms Abagail Jo Shry of Alvin, Texas.

Ah yes. Law and order, MAGA style. Ms. Shry also threatened the Judge's family, but that first line pretty much captures the spirit of the entire message. When asked why the right wing of the GOP hates American law enforcement so much, one wag on MSNBC said,  "They still support the police, FBI and the court system, but only when they are after other people."

For those wondering what this has to do with Donald Trump, Shry's charming voicemail came one day after Mr. Trump posted this on social media. "You come after me, I will come after you." As always, the former president is always an inspiration to millions of his adoring fans.

This isn't anything new of course. We are all aware of the whole bloody affair of January 6th, 2021. However the brute mobster type behavior goes even further and happened beneath the radar, at least until now.  

Included in the list of conspirators filed by Fulton County DA, Fani Willis are two names only a few were aware of. Travian C. Kutti and Stephen Clifford Lee have mad the big time, along with Trump himself and sycophants like, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell , and Mark Meadows. It is reported by the Chicago Sun Times Lee is a pastor at a suburban Chicago Lutheran (Missouri Synod) church. Kutti was a publicist for Kanye West. 

Willis has both of these clowns on tape aiming to convince Atlanta election worker, Ruby Freeman to admit to crimes she didn't commit. In other words they wanted Ms. Freeman to confess that she was involved in a massive democratic plot to rig the election in Georgia by counting fake ballots. 

Reverand Lee showed up at Freeman's door, a number of times prior to Jan. 6th. She wouldn't let him in. He then would sit in his car in front of her place, apparently waiting for her to leave. Ms. Freeman, who had never seen him before finally called the cops. When questioned by an officer Lee claimed he was there to do, "pro bono, work" for her. 

After it dawned on him Freeman wouldn't talk, Mr. Lee called Harrison Floyd, the leader of an outfit called, "Black Voices for Trump." Pastor Lee told Floyd, Freeman wouldn't talk to a white guy, so Floyd then recruited Kutti who flew to Atlanta on January 4th, 2021. 

Travian Kutti had not only worked as a publicist for Kanye West--she had previously been a publicist for singer, song writer, and convicted sex criminal R. Kelly, so she fit right in. Freeman refused to talk to her also. When a neighbor asked Kutti what was going on the publicist told her she was a, "crisis manager," there to help Freeman. She still claims that's what she was doing.

Later Kutti got Ms Freeman on the phone and told her she was in danger. Freeman called the police again. Both of them ended up in a room at the station where Kutti spent an hour telling her she was there to help and Freeman needed protection because she was a "loose thread," in something a party was trying to tidy up. In addition Kutti told Freeman if she didn't confess--actually perjure herself--she would go to jail within 48 hours. 

Thanks to the courage of Ruby Freeman none of this went any where. However, because of a couple of police body cams it did land Travian Kutti and Stephen Lee in some very deep shit.

Lee is represented by a lawyer named David Shestokas. He was a member of Trump's legal team in Pennsylvania when Big Don challenged the 2020 election results there. He has yet to comment on the case. It is unclear if Kutti has an attorney at this time, but she wrote on social media that she is appalled by the charges. She ended the post with a quote from Kanye West which read, "The media is trying to crucify me like I'm Christ." Ye, nee Kanye West issued a statement saying Kutti was not associated with him when she was putting the squeeze on Ruby Freeman. 

Hey, even the rats know when to abandon hip.

Abagail Shry told Home Land Security Agents that yes, she did make the call to Chukan, but she didn't have any plans to travel to Washington. It didn't make any difference. She was arrested and is now represented by a public defender.

And just think, I haven't even mentioned that the names and addresses of the Atlanta Grand Jury members that indicted Donald Trump and the rest are now circulating in MAGA chatrooms across the internet. 

Given what has and will go down you have give Donald John Trump his due. The man does know how to destroy a republic.  

8-17-23

Donald Trump and the Line that Doesn't Exist

 In 2019 the future Fulton County DA, Fani Willis defended a guy named YSL Mondo when he was charged with aggravated assault. In her capacity as District Attorney her office is now prosecuting him and about 14 others under RICO statutes. Ms. Willis has never attempted to hide her previous defense of Mondo. It is a matter of public record.

In January of this year Mondo was interviewed in Rolling Stone about the case. He told them, "This is not her character, not who she is. I done had auntie-to-nephew, mother-to-son types of talks with her." He went on to tell the magazine he thought Willis was under political pressure to prosecute and others were, "pulling her strings."

Is there a single word about sex in any of that? I didn't think so.

Enter Donald John Trump.  

Last week the GOP front runner addressed a rally in New Hampshire and said this, "They say there is a young woman--a young racist in Atlanta--they say, I guess, she was after a certain gang and she ended up having an affair with the head of the gang, or a gang member. And this is a person who wants to indict me." He added , "She's got a lot of problems. But she wants to indict me to run for some other office. By the way she wants to indict me for a perfect phone call. This was even better than my perfect call with Ukraine. Remember that?"

Why yes we do, you corrupt son of a bitch. In the call to Ukraine you told Volodymyr Zelensky you would let him have the missiles congress had already promised, but only if he would dig up dirt on Hunter Biden. In the perfect call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger you told him he needed to find you 11,000 plus votes to overturn the legitimate results of the presidential election in the state. You mentioned to him that he could go to jail if he didn't do what you were asking him to.  

This morning Trump took to social media to post another attack on Willis. He opened with, "Why is Phoney (like PERFECT PHONE CALL get it) Fani Willis, the severely underperforming DA of Fulton County who is being accused of having an affair with a Gang Member of a group that she is prosecuting leaking my name in regard to a Grand Jury..." It goes on and on and on--mostly in one exhausting sentence, but you get the drift.

Of course what the Don didn't mention is he is the only person out there, or at least he was, who is accusing Ms. Willis of having an affair. And like most of his facts he just made it up. Mondo certainly didn't say he had a sexual relationship with her. Neither has any one else in the music industry who is supporting him and his crew. 

Don't think this bullshit won't spread in right wing circles like a wildfire though. Laura Loomer posted on what used to be Twitter, "Atlanta DA, Fani Willis who is targeting Donnald Trump in Georgia is a straight up THOT. Turns out she failed disclose a previous relationship she had with a gang banger she was supposed to be prosecuting. Baby girl belongs in a trap house. Not a courthouse." 

For those of you without the street cred of Laura Loomer, THOT is an acronym for "That Ho: Over There." Trap house is slang for a building drugs are sold out of. 

Many of us have stopped wondering when Donald Trump will cross over a line which is just too much for the American people. We've become convinced no such line exists. Too many of us embrace and adore the supreme ugliness he personifies. Ultimately people like Laura Loomer and those cultists at his rallies cheer him on, not because he is Donald Trump. They all love him, because he is them.

8-13-23

Westboro Baptist Hits the Beach

 The last few years have been quiet ones for our old pals at Westboro Baptist Church up in Topeka, KS. Maybe it's because all their anti-gay thunder has been stolen by people like Ron DeSantis and more lately the crazy orange faced guy. Maybe they finally figured out showing up at the funerals of dead service people carrying signs that say things like "We're glad he, or she is dead," is counterproductive. Maybe, just maybe the whole bunch came down with a severe and collective case of sanity.

Okay, we know that last one isn't right, but we can always hope.

The church, which describes itself as an unaffiliated, "primitive," Baptist establishment was founded by Fred Phelps in 1955. It claims to have 70 some odd members, most of them related in one way, or the other to Fred. The Southern Poverty Law Center once described the church as, "arguably the most obnoxious and rabid hate group in America." With a homepage titled, "godhatesfags.com," it is tough to deny the charge.

Fred Phelps died in 2014. He was so mean and filled with rage (Bill O'Reilly once kicked him off his show because he was completely out of control) it is easy to speculate the old man slit his own throat while shaving. Alas, that wasn't the case. He died of cardiovascular disease at the age of 84. Since he went into the great beyond the has been a void at the top of Westboro, which more than anything else explains their albescence from public view these last few years.

Last week the church issued a news release saying Hawaii--the whole state, not just the big island--wll be destroyed this coming Sunday, August 13th. They were vague on the details of how, but obviously the Good Lord will take care of those in a few days. 

They were more specific on the why, though. According to the folks at Westboro Hawaii will suffer death and destruction because the churches out there have failed to curb the state's sinful ways. In other words they aren't falling in line with the theology of a, "primitive," Baptist Church with 70 members located 3,777 miles away. 

To make sure some of the state's population is saved and, no doubt, in order to take advantage of the off season rates, members are flying to Maui this week. While there they'll preach the Gospel according to Torquemada and catch a few rays on the beach. On Sunday, despite the deadly chaos, the plan is to appear outside of three different churches on the island for about 30 minutes at a time. It remains to be determined how the congregation will return to Topeka after the cataclysm, although, as we all know, God helps those with nonrefundable tickets and fresh tans.  

Interestingly, the news release spoke of generic sin and the failure of the local clergy to root it out, but homosexuality wasn't specifically addressed. We can assume the absence of Phelps the elder is behind this, newer, kinder, apocalyptic world view.  That old fuck was so obsessed with buggery he would have never let it go unmentioned.  

Well, times change. Besides, these days it would seem the persecution of the LGBTQ community is best left to the state, rather than clerics.

That's right, brothers and sisters. Fred Phelps could condemn people to hell, but why wait for divine retribution when a government can come up with a quick and final solution in the here and now?

Just ask them in Florida.

8-8-23

The Rabid Watchdog

 There is one thing we know for sure about the 21st century. Thanks to the internet anyone who wants to can become a journalist. You don't need to go to school for it. or have any sense of ethics anymore. You don't need to pretend you are impartial, or fair minded. All you need is a smart phone, maybe a microphone, and a YouTube channel. Throw in what passes for a studio down in the basement, or in your spare bedroom and wham bam you are the next best thing to Tucker, by God, Carlson.

All of which brings us to the Right Side Broadcasting Network. RSBN, as they like to call themselves, was established in 2015 by, Joe Seales in Auburn, AL. The network coasted along, pretty much in the shadows that first year. Then along came Donald John Trump.

During Trump's 2016 presidential campaign RSBN sent out crews to each and every Trump rally and lived streamed all of his speeches. They were so dogged at it the network became the, "Official Streaming Site," for the Trump run. They were touted on his Facebook site and viewership went through the roof. The YouTube channel received millions of hits that year.   

The Trump people were so grateful to Seales and his people RSBN was granted White House press credentials during his administration so they could expand their coverage of all things Trumpian. This coverage continued during the 2020 campaign and to this day. If  Donald Trump utters even a single word you can catch it on the network. At the moment the YouTube channel has 1.57 million subscribers.

In order to keep up with the times and not end up like those notorious lefties at Fox News RSBN has had to adopt the militancy of the hard core MAGA cultists. In other words, the crazier Trump's fans have become, the crazier their reporting has become.

The other day they sent correspondent Mathew Alvarez to Erie, PA in order to cover the action. Before the rally began he approached a Trump admirer and asked him why he was there. The front end of the rube's answer was your standard Trumpist nonsense. After he called Joe Biden a disgrace Alvarez chimed in and said, "And so are the lefts, RINOS (Republicans in name only ie. anyone deemed not sufficiently loyal to Donald Trump) and the globalists."  The initial response to Alvarez's observation was drowned out by the reporter saying, "globalist."  then the man repeated himself, looking directly at Alvarez while Alvarez looked at him. 'I say Kill 'em all, " he said. "Kill 'em all." Then he laughed. The response of Mathew Alvarez was, " I agree with that." 

Ahh yes. 21st century journalism at its best.

Mr. Alvarez moved on after that, telling a woman, "Ma'am I love your shirt. I stand with Trump. What a great shirt to wear." The Twitter video which is out there thankfully cuts off there.

It didn't take long for someone at RSBN to figure out advocating the murder of political opponents wasn't the best of ideas, even at a Trump rally. Hey, let's face facts here. YouTube has a few rules about shit like that. Someone was quickly in Alvarez's ear. Later he said, "So if there was something that happened, where somebody was speaking out there, I didn't hear those words spoken. It's very loud outside. All I know is I'm here for God, for this country, for truth, for President Trump, that sort of thing. Definitely not a proponent of anything like that happening." 

A co-host said, "They will take a clip of that and run with it. (Presumably they being people like CNN and MSNBC) We all know that's not what you meant." Alvarez responded with, "I didn't say it, I didn't hear the guy say it."

Well Matt, you might not have said it, but you heard exactly what that crazy old fuck said and you agreed with him. And everyone who has watched that video knows it, no matter what you and the rest of those dreadful clowns at RSBN say.

The term, "fourth estate," refers to the watchdog role of a free press. But who watches the watchdog? Especially when it has come down with rabies.

The ghost of Joe Goebbels is proud. 

8-1-23