Trump Makes a Big Promise to His Beautiful Christians

 Four more years, it'll be fixed, it'll be fine, you won't have to vote any more, my beautiful Christians.

Donald J. Trump speaking at the Turning Point, "Believer's Summit," in West Palm Beach, Fl. Friday night.

There it is. The man couldn't make it any clearer than that. However, just to make sure some wouldn't misinterpret his words, he continued with, "In four years, you don't have to vote again. We'll have it fixed so good, you're not going to have to vote." 

That's right, America. Donald John Trump just pledged to a gaggle of Christian Nationalists that if he is elected all this messy democracy shit will be done away with. He and his people, with the Project 2025 blueprint in hand will make sure voting and free elections go the way of the Brontosaurus. 

While Trump was uttering these vile words his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio was accusing Vice President Kamala Harris and other, "childless cat women," of pretty much trying to destroy America's future, a future he insists they have no stake in because they've never had kids. In fact, the Senator went so far as to contend single and childless couples shouldn't have a say in how the republic is being run because they lack progeny. According to him the votes of people who have children should, "count more," during elections. (It's unclear if Mr. Vance got the memo from his boss explaining that if they win in November there won't be any more elections.)

Meanwhile former Trump advisor, Sebastian Gorka was in the UK talking to the far right outlet, GB News. He described Kamala Harris as, "This disaster whose only qualification is having a vagina and the right skin color." Others on the right disagree. Social media propagandists are claiming the Vice President doesn't represent Black Americans because her mother is Indian and her father is Caribbean. For old time's sake, some have even dusted off the birther nonsense, claiming she is ineligible because of her parents' immigrant status. (Harris was born in far off Oakland, CA.) And while they haven't attacked her color per se, online Neo-Nazis are condemning her because her white husband is Jewish. (Although when it comes to being of Indian descent the Nazis have raged at Trump's choice of Vance since his wife is Indian.)

Others on the right have gone down the usual crude rabbit hole by saying, Kamala Harris' success is solely because of her willingness to have sex with party big shots. To prove this accusation some have circulated fake photos of her posing with deceased sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. The irony of the posts seems lost on them since there are plenty of genuine photos of their idol, Donald Trump standing next to and talking with Epstein. 

Given the circumstances one has to suppose autocracies aren't built by those who worry about such details.

As for the republican nominee himself, Trump appears flummoxed by the whole tectonic shift of the democrats to Harris. At a St. Cloud, MN rally last night he described the Vice President as a low IQ individual, then accused her of being a radical pro-abortionist.  Brother Don told the crowd, she wants to legalize abortions right up to the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy, including even to, "after the baby is born." It is a gruesome lie so preposterous many of his supporters know it isn't true. But, hey, right now it is all he has, so he has to run with it.

Of course, we can count on Trump re-visiting the mess on the southern border, which he helped perpetuate--another of those pesky details best ignored. Right now, he and his xenophobic pals are calling for the mass imprisonment and deportation of immigrant families, including their children who were born here. We don't know at the moment if Mr. Trump is aware of the 14th amendment to the Constitution which was passed in 1868. It says, in no uncertain terms, if you are born here you are a citizen of the United States of America. Even if the Donald does know about it, it's doubtful he cares. As long as two years ago he was sending out social media posts calling for the suspension of parts, or all of the Constitution.

Ah, the road to a dictatorship is sometimes long and winding. 

Yes, it is time for all these media types to stop saying Donald Trump has autocratic, "tendencies." The man is promising us a dictatorship. He is on the cusp of declaring himself, "President for Life," the, "Big Kauna," the, "El Supremo."

Tendencies are a ship that has sailed. Donald John Trump is an ardent autocrat and he isn't even trying to hide it any longer. We know it and his fans know it. The huge difference being those trailer park fascists like it.

7-28-24

Joe is Out, Kamala is In and Don's Free Ride is Over

 Well, we know one thing for sure about joe Biden right now. The man can keep a secret. The word came yesterday out of Delaware he was dropping out of the 2024 Presidential race. It was an outcome many had hoped for, but no one saw coming, at least not yesterday. In fact, indications are as late as Saturday evening not even his closest advisors had a clue he was done.

Hell, at this point no one seems sure if even his wife knew for any length of time. Maybe Biden himself didn't know, perhaps it was a spur of the moment instant of deep despair that caused him to pull the plug--a snap decision of sorts, even though he has never seemed a snap decision type of guy.

We do know he caught the national media with their collective pants down. There weren't any pre-announcement leaks on this one. None of the usual, "An anonymous, but reliable source has told me Joe Biden is quitting the race tomorrow," type of scoops. It was, as far as anyone knew just another Sunday of talk shows during which assorted hosts and guest would talk about the President's age and fading mental capabilities.

The truth is however, on Sunday, July 21. 2024 Joseph R. Biden proved that, even though he might not be able to articulate it as well as he used to, politically he is still as sharp as any tack in the world. He saw the writing on the wall, read it, and understood it. He was going to lose in November to a madman. And when he did the democrats might well lose the Senate and the House also, handing Donald Trump complete control of the United States government. 

That outcome would doom democracy as we know it and plunge the nation into the abyss of autocracy for, perhaps, generations.

The reactions of the cable news networks were about what you would expect. On MSNBC the talking heads each took a few moments to praise Biden's courage, selflessness, and service to the nation. They would then immediately pivot into leading cheers for Vice President, Kamala Harris. As the evening went on things took on the feel and tone of a pep rally their joy and enthusiasm building. They gleefully announced the names of democrats endorsing the Vice President and a tsunami of donations flowing in now that Biden was out. 

On CNN it was far more subdued, and more attention was given to the historical nature of Biden's withdrawal. Later in the evening photos and names of democrats who were quickly jumping on the Harris bandwagon were shown. The sheer number of them seemed to strike awe into hosts and guests alike. 

Over on Fox, Laura Ingraham focused on the chaos in the democratic party and informed us the democrats were now in complete disarray and Trump was unstoppable. Then along came Sean Hannity and the conspiracies. (Hey, it wouldn't be Fox without conspiracies.) The reason Barack Obama had failed to endorse Harris, he said, was because he was plotting with a cabal of unidentified democrats to hand his wife, Michelle, the nomination. Hannity then dragged Newt Gingrich out of the attic to confirm this nefarious plan. Gingrich who decades before had been thrown out of the House Speakership by his own party, assured us, "There is no way that convention (the democratic one) is going to nominate Kamala Harris."

As the Newt was telling us this CNN was reporting all 50 state democratic party chairpersons had endorsed the Vice President. Not only that, but six convention delegations had already decided to switch their votes from Biden to Harris.  

The avalanche of support was such that by this morning it appears any democratic challenger to Kamala Harris could well be committing political suicide. In short, the democrats are tired of this shit and they want to go after Trump right now without any more internal debate.   

Today the focus at Fox and in other right wing propaganda mills has been on Biden again. If he is not mentally fit to run a campaign, they are saying, then he is unfit to finish his term. Whether it is thick headed stupidity, or flat out denial, none of them seem to realize Joe Biden just proved his is fit enough to serve out his term. Or perhaps loyalty to one's party and love of the republic is something so alien to them they simply can't recognize it. 

Whatever the case it is a new show now. There are 106 days before the election and former D.A. Kamala Harris has to turn this campaign around. She has to get on the road and vigorously prosecute the convicted felon she is running against. Metaphorically speaking, she has to go all Jack McCoy on the lying son of a bitch.

And while the far right might steep themselves in more conspiracies and holler about democrats rigging their own nomination process, they know it. 

They have to, because now they are the only political party in town who has an ancient candidate rambling wildly in the wind--spewing out incomprehensible gibberish about shit that has nothing to do with reality.   

 Indeed, with Joe Biden in the race Donald Trump might well have gotten away with shooting some poor sap in the middle of 5th Ave. Now though, with Biden gone, at least the media won't be looking somewhere else when he does it.

7-22-24

The King Enters the City as Joe Biden Self Isolates

 It has been a rough few weeks for Joe Biden and the democratic party. It all started with Biden's debate disaster in Atlanta where he seemed lost, confused and reduced to a mumbling mess. All the while that was happening, Donald Trump ran wild with an endless series of lies so preposterously insane not even Vlad Putin would have delivered them. 

Since that evening the Biden campaign has floundered as democrats, aided and abetted by nihilistic left leaning media outlets have mounted a crusade to get the President out of the race. A prime example was on display not that long ago during MSNBC's "Morning Joe," timeslot. The hour began with host Joe Scarborough moaning about the media focusing on Biden rather than Trump's incoherent lunacy. Then the next two, or three minutes clips of a Trump rally in Florida were shown and analyzed. After a commercial break the show resumed and for the remainder of the hour the only subject was Biden's political viability and the growing number of democrats jumping ship.

Then came last Saturday afternoon. Thanks to a scrawny, apolitical, completely unbalanced kid and a monumental breakdown of security Donald Trump almost got his head blown off. Thomas Crooks missed and Donald Trump, in the eyes of his already adoring followers became a Devine Presence on earth. 

This week, as the Republican National Convention began as scheduled in Milwaukee, Biden announced he had tested positive for Covid--for a second time during his term--and was, "self isolating," in Delaware. A couple of days prior to this self isolation stories began to leak in the media that he might be willing to step aside if certain conditions were met. Now, the same media which was hammering away at him has begun to report senior democrats in congressional leadership positions are telling him he either ought to drop out of the race, or at least seriously consider it. 

Suddenly it isn't just back benchers trying to get their names on the national news by calling for Biden to drop out. Now reports are democratic heavy weights like Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, House Majority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, and former Speaker, Nancy Pelosi are telling him he can't win. In addition, they are reportedly saying if Biden remains on the ticket democrats won't win a majority in the House and could well lose the Senate. The prospect being Donald Trump would have not only the White House, but all of Congress, plus the Supreme Court. It would be a situation as Orwellian as it gets. And, if these reports are true, it means Joe Biden has lost the people in government he respects the most and absolutely needs if he is to continue governing. 

Even with them, it has now become painfully obvious both cable and network news departments are not going to let the issue go. We all knew that would be the case with outfits like, Fox, News Nation, and One America Network, but Biden's age and mental ability is now an obsession with CNN, MSNBC, and the rest. From here through the election every gaffe, every stutter and every slurred word will be magnified 10 fold in their reporting. Every slight pause, or stumble will be counted as more evidence Joe Biden is too old and feeble for the job.

Meanwhile, back in Milwaukee, the republicans held what amounted to a prolonged Palm Sunday procession. They spent the entire week paying homage to, The Holy One who has now entered the city to revolutionize everything--although it is doubtful he will overturn the tables of the money lenders since his mega-doners own them all. He even wore his, "Red Badge of Courage," for them with his bandaged ear. 

At this moment in time there isn't a Trump fan out there who isn't 100% confident of victory. Since the debate everything has gone right for them. Hell, the only thing the assassination attempt did was prove to them God is on their side. That Thomas Crooks did actually kill a human being during it was only briefly recognized last night.

Reports say Trump's acceptance speech ran to 93 minutes, (I spent the time watching an old Roger Corman movie) proving that despite his wounded ear the man still loves to hear his own voice. According to the same reports the first 20 minutes, or so focused on the assassination attempt and featured a moment of silence for its victim. Afterward he apparently dove straight into the MAGA deep end. Everything I've read and seen describes it as a vintage Trump diatribe filled with lies, weird tangents, and personal grievances. It lasted so long one outlet reported that by the end of it the crowd had been drained of all enthusiasm and interest. 

Obviously, some Messiahs display more brevity and articulation than others. Not to mention lie a lot less.

At tis point Trump's continued rhetorical nonsense, plus his sometimes overt racism, and his, let's say," outdated visions of what women's health care should be prove that despite all that has happened lately he remains beatable. The problem democrats have is do they have the best person to do that in line for their own nomination?

Increasingly it looks like they don't. Because right now that person sure isn't, President Josheph R. Biden.

7-19-24

Nightmare in Butler, PA: Tommy Crooks and the Motives of American Assassins

 According to Donald Trump, God and God alone prevented, "the unthinkable," from happening Saturday afternoon. Tragically for Corey Comperatore and his two surviving daughters the Good Lord didn't prevent anything when it came to him, or them. Mr. Compeartore was killed as he sat in the grandstand at an American political rally, supporting the candidate of his choice. His friends have said, Mr. Comperatore was a firefighter who regularly attended church services.

He was shot to death by a man using an AR-15 assault style weapon. It is the type of rifle progressives have been trying to ban for years. The proposed ban has been blocked time and time again by far right republicans. Stopping the ban has been a source of pride for the right wing. So much so, Don Trump has bragged on the campaign trail that when it comes to any sort of gun control, he has, "done nothing," to curb the sale, or availability of them.

The shooter was named, Thomas Matthew Crooks, aged 20 years. The gun was owned by his father, who reportedly owns, quite legally, 20 weapons, or one for each year of his late son's brief life. It is unknown why the elder Crooks needs an arsenal that size, but one could legitimately speculate some degree of paranoia is in play at his household.

The immediate response from republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene included her conclusion, "Democrats wanted this to happen." She added, democrats, have, "wanted Trump gone for years and they're prepared to do anything to make that happen." Then she threw in, republicans, "are in a battle against the party of pedophiles." 

Obviously dialing back the rhetoric isn't found on the Congresswoman's to do list.  

At this time we know very little about tommy Crooks. What we do know is he was a registered republican, although he had donated $15 to a progressive PAC the day of Joe Biden's inauguration. We also know the day he murdered Corey Comperatone while trying to kill Donald Trump he bought 50 rounds of ammunition for his old man's gun. He was so withdrawn he had very little presence on social media. His cell phone contents, according to reports, are still being analyzed. 

Such facts don't really paint the portrait of some run amok leftist radical, no matter what the Congresswoman from Georgia says. The truth is most American political assassins are, at best, politically, let's say, confused, or have other motives. John Hinkley shot Ronald Reagan in order to impress a girl. (Presumably she was, but not in the way he had hoped.) The only reason Arthur Bremer tried to kill, then democratic candidate George Wallace was because he realized he couldn't get close enough to Richard Nixon. (Bremer's motive was that he wanted to become famous. Before he shot Wallace he wrote in his diary that his only regret was the act wouldn't make him famous enough)

Seven months before he blew Jack Kennedy's brains out, Lee Harvey Oswald took a shot at retired U.S. General, Edwin Walker. Walker had been quoted as saying the three main threats to America were socialism, communism, and John F. Kennedy. On that April night, Oswald missed, reportedly by an inch. The weapon he used was the same one found that November day in the Texas School Book Depository.

Two different people tried to murder Gerald Ford. One, Sarah Jane Moore claimed she wanted to spark a violent revolution which would change America. The other was Squeaky Fromme, who was a member in good standing of the Manson Family. She did it because, well, killing people was what members of the Manson Family did.

Yes, our assassins and would be assassins are a varied lot. In truth there are only two things they all have in common. One, they were all bat shit crazy. The second, is everyone of them got a gun legally. Indeed, even Oswald, who used a fake name to order his rifle through the mail could have gotten it using his real name, but he didn't want the weapon traced back to him, at least not directly, after he killed someone--anyone. 

That's right Marjo, there was no grand conspiracy at play in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. It was simply another insane act like all the ones we've seen before. Besides, and trust me on this, the very last thing democrats wanted, or needed was to make a martyr out of Donald John Trump. And, as so many republicans have gleefully pointed out ever since Saturday, that is exactly what happened. Despite the one true martyr in this nightmare being Corey Comperatore. A man who, like far too many before him, was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.   

sic vita est

7-15-24

The Latest Adventures of Ryan Walters

 You can accuse the Oklahoma Department of Education Superintendent, Ryan Walters of a lot of things, but you'll never be able to say he doesn't know how to get his name in the media. In fact, if there is ever an award given to someone for relentless self promotion Walters will win it, hands down. Even if the nominees include a guy named Donald J. Trump. 

The other day Brother Walters sent out a memo--apparently nationwide--ordering all school districts in Oklahoma to include the Christian Bible to be taught in every classroom, from the 5th grade up to Oklahoma public school students. The memo read in part, "The bible is one of the most historically significant books and a cornerstone of Western Civilization, along with the Ten Commandments. They will be referenced as an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like as well as for their substantial influence on our nation's founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution."

To make sure everyone knew he wasn't just joking around at a press conference--there is always a press conference--after the memo was sent Walters said that any teacher who refuses to teach the Bible will lose his, or her state license. Then he bragged that every classroom in Oklahoma would soon have a Bible and that if need be the state would pay for them.

The Superintendent wasn't clear on which version of the Bible would be required study--you know, King James, Gideon, Reader's Digest. He also didn't explain where the money for them would come from, or which publishers would be the vendors, or why he believed the Supreme Court of Oklahoma would consider such a purchase constitutional. He did go on the cable news network News Nation, however to say, liberals and their, "woke agenda," had removed Bibles from public schools, but Oklahoma, thanks to him, Ryan Walters, was putting them back in. 

It's unknown at this time if News Nation called Walters up for the interview on their own, or if was arraigned by the Virginia based PR firm, Vought Strategies. That is the firm hired by Walters and paid for by the taxpayers who is in charge of promoting not just the Superintendent's own agenda, but the Superintendent himself.

What is known, however, is that Ryan Walters is either wrong, or flat out lying when it comes of a lot of the things he says. The influence of the Bible on the founders was both slim and subtle at best. They were products of the age of reason, not some Christian revival. While almost all of them believed in God, many considered themselves Deists. In other words, yes, there is a Creator, but that Creator has a universe to run so humans are on their own when it comes to politics and the rest.

George Washinton might have been a member of the Episcopal Church, but he refused to take communion his entire adult life. John Adams was a Unitarian who didn't believe in the divinity of the Holy Trinity. Thomas Jefferson wrote about the nobility of religious skepticism. And, for those evangelicals out there, the name Jesus, despite what you might think, does not appear anywhere in either the Declaration of Independence, or the Constitution, although a prohibition on any sort of faith based requirement to hold public office does.  

In addition, no one has ever banned Bibles from public schools. It is completely legal to use it in comparative religion classes as long as is taught in the same context as any other faith's dogma. All this, "woke," shit Walters howls about is mostly in his own mind. To this day I'm not even sure what the, "liberal woke agenda," is. No one has ever thought to send me a copy.

The truth is Ryan Walters is simply a Christian Nationalist. That's where all that western civilization crap comes from. It is a hot button term for them, found time and time again in their literature. The whole aim is to eliminate the separation of church and state and have Congress, or the Supreme Court declare us officially as a, "Christian Nation." You know, like Iran did when they declared themselves an Islamic one. 

Well, the Oklahoma State Department of Education probably won't be plagued by Ryan Walters for long. Everything about the man reeks of unbridled ambition. Right now he is a mini Donald Trump, or at the very least, Marjorie Taylor Greene He has the same ego, thirst for attention, and brute vitriol they do. The only question is when does he attempt to be the full sized version. A Trump/Greene 2.0 if you will. Odds are we will find that out in 2026 when the Oklahoma Governor's chair opens up.

Until then the only thing we can do is wait for the newest parade of legal battles this clown just guaranteed and that we all will have to pay for.

7-8-24

The Six Trumpy Supremes to the Founders of the United States: Gentlemen, You Were Wrong

 Richard Nixon called. He wants his Presidency back.

Rachel Maddow

 On July 2, 1776 the American Continental Congress passed a resolution submitted by Virginia delegate, Richard Henry Lee. It read, "These United Colonies are, and of right ought to be free of and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." The vote was 12-0 in favor, with one abstention.

The final draft of the Declaration of Independence would not be adopted until the 4th. It had been written to explain the Congressional vote to not only the public, but the British King who we were telling, in effect, to screw off, we aren't going to put up with this autocratic, divine right bullshit any longer.

Yesterday, July 1st, 2024, almost 248 years to the day after Light Horse Harry Lee's resolution passed, six members of the United States Supreme Court ruled, oops, the founding fathers were wrong. We actually do need to have a King, or dictator who is above the law and can do whatever the hell he, or she wants. The only restriction is it must come under the heading of, "official acts."

Oh well, the Great American Experiment in constitutional democracy and law was fun while it lasted.

Justices, John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, otherwise known as the usual suspects, all voted for in favor of an imperial Presidency. All six were appointed by republican Presidents. You remember republicans, they used to be referred to as the law and order party and they were once, pre-Trump, proud to be in favor of smaller government. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, all appointed by democrats--those alleged big government knows best people--strongly dissented.

Roberts immediately told the three dissenting Justices they were over reacting to the ruling. House Speaker Mike Johnson went on Fox to assure the nation all is well and no President, or Vice President would ever take the ruling to its extreme possibilities. After all, they are elected by all the people he said, and therefore are ultimately answerable to them. Unless, of course, some President doesn't like the election results, declares mass voter fraud, then nullifies the whole thing through an official executive act. You know, like Donald Trump would have done in 2020 if the court had come up with this neo fascist shit back then instead of now.  

Trump's lawyers didn't hesitate. They immediately petitioned New York Juge, Juan Merchan, asking him to set aside all the guilty verdicts handed down in the hush money trial. Short of that they asked Merchan to at least delay sentencing because of the questions of Presidential immunity raised by the ruling. In fact thanks to parts of the ruling almost all evidence against Trump and future Presidents will be inadmissible in courts from top to bottom. Indeed, Trump may have fucked Stormy Daniels and covered it up before he was President., but he wrote the check for the actual payoff to Daniels, via Michael Cohen while he was sitting in the Oval Office. It doesn't matter the check was out of the Trump Organization account, he was, in his mind, performing an official act.

The Supremes kicked the whole January 6th case back to Judge Tanya  Chutkan and told her to hold hearings to determine what could be considered personal acts as opposed to official ones. The court ruled yesterday Trump's efforts to weaponize the Justice Department in order to overturn the results of the 2020 election are official acts. Roberts added that El Don's attempts to coerce Vice President Mike Pence into fouling up the electoral vote are also, "presumably," official acts.

It has limited Judge Chutkan to only decide if any of the attempts to pressure local officials to throw out the results of their states Presidential election results are official, or personal. If Chutkan rules any of those attempts are personal you can count on Trump's legal team to appeal the ruling, or rulings right back to the same corrupt sons of bitches who have already said he is immune from practically everything. It went so far as to open the door for Trump to sell ambassadorships, take bribes from foreign officials with little, or no consequences, and yes, order the FCC to pull the plug on media outlets like MSNBC just because they say mean things about him. 

That's right, thanks to this ruling during a second term, Donald Trump's autocratic lunacy won't be limited by the law, but only his own twisted imagination. 

No wonder Dick Nixon's ghost, wherever it might be, is raging in the night. The only mistake the unlucky bastard made was committing his felonies five decades too soon.

7-2-24