Saint Donald, The Perpetual Martyr

 It must be tough being a republican these days. You not only have to be able to shift gears faster than a driver at Le Mans, but you have to throw your vehicle into reverse in order to change directions in full view of everyone in the grand stands. Such adroit and high speed maneuvers began to take place this past Monday morning when agents of the FBI showed up at Donald Trump's front door.

Some members of the GOP were so outraged at this turn of events they forgot their anger a couple of years ago about calls for the police to be defunded. That's right, suddenly they were demanding the FBI be stripped of its funding. Others, who up until Monday were saying Joe Biden was a senile old man who didn't have a clue about anything, are now maintaining he is the evil mastermind behind the plan to execute the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. A few are howling the search of a former president's residence is proof the United States is becoming a, "banana republic." They seem oblivious to the fact that particular ship sailed on January 6th 2021 when Trump inspired the mob to storm the capitol building in order to illegally keep him in power.

Well, as they say, times change, although not usually so quickly.

Brother Don, predictably, is now in full martyr mode. Indeed, to hear him is to believe no man in history has been crucified as often as he has. He is living proof the deep state exists. That they really are out to get you. 

Some are speculating and a few are hoping the search warrant affair has all but guaranteed him the republican nomination in 2024. The reasoning is it has galvanized and energized his base. This thinking doesn't seem to recognize Trump's cult of ghouls are already galvanized. They have been since 2016 when he came gliding down the golden escalator Let's face it, the man could walk outside, look at the sun and say, "That's a great full moon," and they would believe him. He literally could shoot the poor schnuck in the middle of 5th Avenue and they'd let him off.

Be that as it may a nomination might not be in the offing. It's tough to appear on a ballot after you've been convicted of a felony.

What no one is contesting is that he did possess the documents he wasn't supposed to have--that he did withhold them from the National Archives despite what the law says. There had been months of negotiations held to get them back to where they belonged. He had even turned over some, but refused to come clean on the rest. What no republican wants to admit is that subpoenas wouldn't have worked because Donald Trump is a congenital liar and cannot be trusted to do anything a court requests, or be trusted with government documents no matter what their importance. Yes, the only way to get them back was for the FBI to execute a search warrant.

Some right wing hacks are comparing the search to the Watergate break in. Their recollection of history is astoundingly bad. Either that, or they are depending on the defective memories of Trump's band of hysterics. A legally executed search warrant carried out in the middle of the day by law enforcement officials has nothing whatsoever to do with a gang of Cuban expats breaking into an office during the middle of the night in order to steal campaign strategies and material. They were breaking the law, not following the instructions of a federal judge.

Of course logic and a sense of the law are severely lacing in today's republican party. All they know is, in their minds, their man has been wronged. And, that wrong is enough for some to threaten civil war, not to mention sending scores of demented messages to law enforcement agents and opposing politicians.

It might behoove them, however, to remember what happened the last time these soldiers of heaven took to the streets and committed violence in the name of their guy. In the end, Donald John Trump hung them out to dry.

Such is the one way street named loyalty for the former President of the United States of America.

sic vat est

811-22

The Donald Trump is the Lord Jesus Christ Incarnate Revival: AKA, CPAC 2022

The late author, Hunter S. Thompson once said taking acid in Las Vegas is redundant. One can only imagine how he would have described what happened in Dallas over the last three days. 

Indeed, reality took a deeply surreal, yea, hallucinogenic turn at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference--also known as The Donald Trump is The Lord Jesus Christ Incarnate Revival. How else can you describe an event that started with a speech by the Hungarian fascist Viktor Orban then ended with an address by Herr Trump himself. 

In between these ghoulish bookends were people like the republican candidate for Governor in Arizona, Kari Lake. She told the faithful she won the nomination because MAGA voters, "overwhelmed," the fraudulent machines in her state which were rigged against her. If elected she promised to officially declare Arizona's southern border is being, "invaded." 

My Pillow guy, Mike Lindell was also there. He made sure those in attendance understood elections in 54 different countries had been left up to voting machines. Those countries, he said, "were lost," because once the machines have control they never give it up.

In other words, according to both these loons the age of Skynet has arrived. 

There were others, of course, including a guy in a fake jail cell who represented the poor incarcerated January 6th insurrectionists. According to CNN the, "actor," in this little passion play really was in the mob that day. The reason he was available for the job was because he had turned state's evidence on other rioters who are currently doing time in real lock ups.

Well these republicans have never lacked when it comes to irony, or hypocrisy. 

Obviously Orban and Trump were the stars of the show. Orban, who a few weeks ago delivered a speech that was called, "pure Nazi," by one of his own aides, received a standing ovation after his address. It moved one analyst to declare the GOP is now openly in support of white nationalism. The Hungarian Prime Minister's only uncomfortable moment was when he said his country supported Ukraine in its struggle against Russia. He apparently didn't realize most of the people in that hall actually like Valdimir Putin. 

Our Donald, the alleged billionaire, shook down his supporters for donations to pay for a proposed law suit against CNN. Then he proclaimed both the January 6th coup attempt and the foiled plot to kidnap Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer were faked.

The crowd ate it all up. Hey, what do you expect from a bunch of fat grotesque rubes, many of whom were dressed in outfits so horribly garish and ridiculous it made you think of Porter Wagoner on Peyote. There is no telling how much cash they'll shovel into Trump's law suit plan, not realizing huge chunks of it will go directly to some fraudulent committee, or foundation run by one, or more of his kids, or cronies. 

Let's face it, the only one of these MAGA grifters nailed so far has been Alex jones, but even he received a few kind words from GA congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene who made the speakers list this year. 

Yes, there aren't any lies, conspiracies, or scams too big for the crowd in Dallas this year. Not so long as you keep telling them this country belongs to them and them alone and they are being persecuted by radical leftists only because they are white.

It is, in their twisted brains, the will of God. 

Don't believe it? Just ask Donald John Trump and his pals. They are more than willing to tell you just that.

sic vita est

8-7-22

Fox News Drops The Donald Show From Its Lineup

 What was unthinkable a year ago appears to be happening. Last week the New York Times reported it had been 100 days and counting since former president, Donald Trump made an appearance on the Fox News Network. That's right, Big Don hasn't been shown, or heard from on Fox since April 13th of this year when Sean Hannity interviewed him.

But, as the TV pitchmen say, wait, there is more. At least two major conservative newspapers, The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal, have recently run editorials condemning Trump's actions prior to and during the failed January 6th coup. 

Yes, there looks to be a disturbance in the force. The connections are obvious. All three outlets are owned by the mad Australian, Rupert Murdoch, who serves as the emperor of all right wing media. It would seem he and his son, Lachlin, who is the Fox CEO, have grown tired of Brother Don's act.

Of course this isn't the first time Fox News has gotten crosswise with Donald Trump. On election night 2020 the network was the first to call Arizona for Joe Biden. The announcement came right as the then president was preparing to fraudulently proclaim victory. It also prompted a call from at least one Trump family member, it isn't clear who, to call either the old man, or his kid to demand a retraction. The response was a firm no. According to the Murdoch involved, "The numbers are ironclad."

Then, a couple of weeks ago, The Don was thrown into a rage when his former pals on Fox and Friends cited a CNN poll which found nearly 55% of republicans asked said they preferred Trump no run in 2024. Trump immediately labeled the show, "Terrible," and accused Fox of, having, "gone to the dark side."

There has been oodles of speculation as to why there has been a falling out between the Murdoch family and Trump. Most traditional journalists believe it's because Lachlin especially thinks, Mr. Trump is stuck in the past. Instead of providing any new ideas and moving forward he has become a one note Donnie, obsessed with changing a past which cannot be changed. There is a fear that this obsession will blunt GOP efforts to retake the Senate and House this fall and the White House in 2024. In short, in the eyes of Murdoch and son, he has gone from asset to liability. 

This reversal of fortune has Fox looking for a fresh face and voice to carry the party standard in 2024. There are indications it has settled on one. Recently, instead of covering a Trump stop on his Greatest Hits Tour, it gave Florida Governor and possible presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis 13 minutes of free air time on Laura Ingraham's show. For those 13 minutes it was if Donald Trump no longer existed.

Other analysts have been a tad more mercenary in their assessment of the situation. According to them the Murdochs and Fox consider Don Trump old news. He is like any television commodity which had a good run, but now has grown passe. Or, as they say in the business, the Donald Show has jumped the shark and it's time to put someone new in his time slot. 

After all, in TV, ratings are everything.

Well, 2024 is still two years off and that is a long time in presidential politics. There is no telling what will happen between now and then. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent Donald John Trump has lost Fox News and the vast Murdoch media machine. 

Indeed, the worm may have turned for, Our Donald. And let's face it, your lies don't matter anymore if no one can hear them.

.

8-1-22 

The Man Who Would be Dictator Part 8: Trust in Adolf

 It is not truth that matters, but victory.

Adolf Hitler

By January 6th, 2021 everything had failed, Donald Trump. State election officials from Pennsylvania to Georgia and Arizona had stood fast despite all the cajoling and bullying he could delegate and deliver himself. Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, and a battalion of others had been turned away by over 60 different judges. The string of failures had moved Powell to declare all of them, including the ones appointed by the Trump administration, as corrupt. The increasingly bizarre and fanciful conspiracy theories had either been disproven, or dismissed as bullshit. The Justice Department had refused to act and the highest ranking members of it had threatened mutiny.

The states had certified their electoral votes. His own staff considered John Eastman's legalese fol-de-rol insanity. And the final insult, Mike Pence was proving himself disloyal, not to the constitution, but to, El Presidente.   

In short, time was almost up and the options were down to one. Send in the thugs and stop the congressional certification of the election results by force.

It isn't clear if even Don Trump knew exactly how that was going to be accomplished. Other details, however, have become appallingly obvious. 

First, Mr. Trump really did plan on leading the mob to the capitol building, or at least meet them there. When his Secret Service detail refused to take him there was a shouting match in his vehicle. Although the details may have varied some from Cassie Hutchinson's account a verbal confrontation did occur that the President lost. 

There are reports that Giuliani, who by then could be considered clinically insane, had wanted Trump to enter the building, make some sort of speech to the assembled Senators and Representatives, and perhaps personally lobby them to reject the certification. Presumably this would happen as the insurgents cheered him on and threatened anyone who might object.

Second, when he couldn't make it to the capitol, El Don squirreled himself away in the oval office dinning room, banning even the official White House photographer. During the next three hours, or so, with limited interruptions, he was by himself, glued to the TV. Because the White House phone records for that period were scrubbed there is no telling who he was in communication with, although it is known large numbers of the rioters were paying close attention to his tweets. 

It was during this blacked out time the President of the United States tweeted to the insurgents that his vice president didn't have the courage to overturn the election, driving them into a further frenzy. It was at that moment it became obvious to everyone everywhere. Don Trump was willing to sacrifice the life of, Mike Pence along with any and all members of congress in order to stop the vote count.

Some of  Pence's security detail certainly knew this to be true. A few began sending radio messages asking fellow agents to tell their families they loved them. During those terrible minutes they were increasingly sure their chances of surviving the day were, let's say, limited. The Oath Keepers and Proud Boys were also aware of it. They laughed during their communications and noted Trump had asked them to not hurt Capitol Police members, because they were, "on our side," but didn't mention not harming members of congress.

Hell, even the despicable Missouri Senator, Josh Hawley knew it. A photo of him egging on the crowd with a clinched fist salute before the riot began in earnest was juxtaposed with a tape of him sprinting away from the mob as they breached the building. It was, as one analyst put it, "The most emasculating moment in American political history."

Thanks to an unknown number of text messages deleted by the Secret Service it has even been suggested some elements of the bureau were in on the plot. Busses mysteriously appeared to whisk congressmen and women to safety. Pence himself, refused to, "get in that car," because he didn't trust the driver. Indeed, it could have been, short of murder, the plan was remove everyone from the building to unknown locations, thus stopping the vote.

A little after 4pm that day Trump reluctantly filmed a message telling his warriors to go home in peace, that he loved them. He still maintained the election was stolen, Many credit White House aides, media members, and even his family for convincing him to do so. However, in reality it had probably dawned on him Pence and Congress could not be found and were refusing to leave the premises. The final push was over.

The next day someone convinced him to make a video calling the attack heinous, although he still refused to admit the election was lost. Publicly he still won't.

It is abundantly clear the threat to American democracy isn't over. Trump is still out there and he is going to run again. This year it is reported over 100 GOP candidates from top to bottom have made, "the election was stolen," major parts of their campaigns. Countless others are proud to compare themselves to Donald John Trump and brag they have his support. 

They are a cult of blood thirsty werewolves who have no respect for the republic, or its laws. Not to mention they and their Leader all abide by another quote from Herr Hitler:

If you want the sympathies of the broad masses, you must tell them the crudest and most stupid things.

7-24-22

Chaos, Incompetence, and Cowardice in Uvalde

 On May 24th of this year, Salvador Ramos attacked Robb Elementary School in, Uvalde, Texas. Seemingly within moments after he opened fire police began arriving at the scene in droves. It is now estimated that before the ghastly affair was over law enforcement personnel from various agencies outnumbered young Mr. Ramos 376 to one.

Despite the odds the gunman held off this huge posse of Texas lawmen for well over an hour, as God only knows how many of his victims bled out in a classroom. When it was over 19 elementary school students, two of their teachers, and the shooter himself were dead. The authorities, all 376 of them, escaped harm.

So how did Salvador Ramos survive a massive barrage of gunfire during his reign of terror? Well, it turns out there wasn't a barrage of gunfire massive, or otherwise for over 70 minutes. It has now been revealed that a vast array of authorities stood frozen in a school hallway waiting for someone to take charge. Tragically no one wanted that particular job.

That's right, none of those big bellied good ol' boys wearing their starched white Stetsons and fancy badges--the law in these here parts pilgrim--wanted to take command. No one wanted to lead the charge and take the responsibility for it. In other words, one, or more Robb students might have died while the cops were too busy covering their own asses to save them.

Not all the police were paralyzed in that hallway, of course. There was a good number outside the school restraining the parents of those kids. Moms and Dads didn't give a shit who was in charge, they just wanted inside in order to protect their kids. It was an attitude the police couldn't seem to comprehend.  

The fact is everything about the nightmare in Uvalde reeks of a cluster fuck. Two months before it happened some of Ramos' pals knew he was off the rails. So much so they had begun to refer to him, behind his back, as, "school shooter." Despite a long, sordid, trail of social media postings containing depictions of beheadings and violent sex he was still able to spend more than $5,000 on weapons, ammunition, and things like body armor. People who knew him understood perfectly he was obsessed with two things: violence and instant fame.

The Uvalde School District had six officers, supposedly under the command of Pete Arredondo while the city cops numbered 40, or so paid officers. Coming to aid them were Sheriff department deputies, Texas highway patrol troopers and even federal border and DEA agents. In theory Arredondo was in charge, but according to reports he was too busy looking for a key to the classroom door--which some are reporting was already unlocked--to give any meaningful orders to the troops. 

While the chief looked for the master key and avoided any type of real leadership, Ramos continued to shoot.

Now all those hot shot Texas officials who initially praised the police response, including Texas governor, Greg Abbott are back peddling, ducking, dancing, and trying desperately to evade the terrible truth. That is their boys weren't heroes, they were at best incompetent fools and at worst, cowards.

And children who could have been saved died because of their inaction.

sic vita est

7-19-22

The Man Who Would be Dictator Part 7: Don't be Afraid to Get Crazy in the Oval Office

 Pat Cipollone looks to be an oily, arrogant guy, a shyster perfectly suited for people like Donald J. Trump. Unfortunately for the former president he is also a realist who knows when the jig is up--especially when circumstances are building that could land everyone who works for Don T, including, Pat Cipollone, in a federal prison lost somewhere in the outback of West Virginia. 

That's right pal, loyalty is one thing, but no one is worth going all Thelma and Louise for. 

Imagine Mr. Cipollone's shock when, on December 18th, 2020, he found a small group of would be kamikaze's had somehow wormed their way, uninvited, into the oval office and Doanld Trump's increasingly desperate brain. 

Indeed, it was an A-list of conspiracy theorists and unrepentant sedition mongers. Their number included Sidney Powell, disgraced retired general, Mike Flynn, Overstock.com. CEO, Patrick Byrne, and the grand master of all things outré, Rudy Giuliani. 

On Tuesday Cipollone testified when he arrived he looked around the room, saw Powell and Flynn and in his words, "I was not happy to see the people who were in the oval office." He later said, "I didn't think any of these people were giving the president good advice."

Cipollone had good reason to feel that way. The group had brought along an executive order they wanted Trump to endorsee. It proposed that the head of the Department of Defense order the military to seize voting machines in key states so they could be, "analyzed." In addition the order named Powell a special counsel with the power to charge and prosecute anyone and everyone who had the audacity to say the election wasn't stolen.   

As always Giuliani and the rest, in Cipollone's words showed a, "general disregard," for offering any proof of their charges of voter fraud. Apparently they were beyond that by then. Hey, after they couldn't produce it in 60 plus different court cases, or to a single state legislature the whole concept of proof probably seemed a tad Lizzie Bordenish to them. You know, they couldn't prove she killed her dad and stepmom, but everyone knew she did it. 

The entire meeting collapsed into chaos, which probably pleased Don Trump to no end. Giuliani declared Cipolloni and Eric Herschmann were, "pussies," for not wanting to carry out an unprecedented illegal act, so heinous their names would forever be linked to the downfall of American democracy.

People began to scream at each other. At one point Hershmann told Flynn to, "Sit your fucking ass down." A physical altercation was avoided only when Giuliani was escorted from the building. That's right, not just the room, but the entire White House grounds. Yes, it seemed at that crazed moment the only thing missing was a huge bunch of freshly baked pies and someone yelling, "Hey, Moe!" 

When it was over nothing seemed clear cut. In fact Powell left thinking she might have actually been named a special counsel, but wasn't sure.. Her confusion moved one media wag to say, "If you don't know if you've been named a special counsel, or not, you're probably not the right person for the job."

While the whole surreal scene would have made a fine slapstick film starring the late John Belushi and Bill Murray it wasn't. The future of the United States of America as we know it was on the line.

Trump finally retired, but his overheated knob was continuing to squirm.. His staff, the real one, had vociferously opposed the plan that for a few moments, to him anyway, seemed plausible. His options available for remaining in power had effectively shrunk to one.

It was time to call on the People, His People, to come to the rescue. By God, if no one else will listen, they will.

Early on the morning of December 19th, after Pat Cipollone thought he had diverted his boss from madness and criminality, the President of the United States tweeted, "Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there. Will be wild."

The word had been given. And the monsters immediately began to gather.

7-13-22

Satanic Guidestones in Georgia, Rural Electoral Votes in Colorado and Right Wing Craziness Everywhere

You can say one thing about the American republican party. They are crazy from top to bottom. Indeed insanity and fascism are spread through the ranks equally and without regard to geography.

Take the case of recent Georgia gubernatorial hopeful, Kandiss Taylor. She ran on a platform she called, "God, guns, and babies." She was deadly serious. During the campaign she tweeted, "I am the ONLY candidate bold enough to stand up to the Lucifarian (sic) Cabal. Elect me Governor of Georgia and I will bring the Satanic Regime to its knees--and DEMOLISH the Georgia Guidestones."

Well, okay. She sounds dedicated enough, but, at the same time you might be asking yourself, what are the Georgia Guidestones? Unless you're prone to watching esoteric TV shows on the Travel Channel it is a reasonable question. 

In 1980 a man calling himself R.C. Christian showed up in Georgia and commissioned the carving and installation of several granite monoliths that were erected in a field some 90 miles east of Atlanta. On them were listed a number of guidelines Mr. Christian and presumably others felt mankind should follow in order to preserve civilization and perhaps the human race itself. The same rules were carved in a variety of languages including English, Arabic, Hebrew, and Chinese among others.

The most controversial of those guidelines was that to preserve nature and our relationship with it the human race should limit its world wide population to 500,000,000 people. Another said that while nations should be free to rule themselves international disputes should be settled by a world court rather than--you know--the plaintiff bombing the shit out of the defendant. 

While those suggestions and the others sound a bit more philosophical than satanic they enraged Ms. Taylor who was also telling voters she would enact statutes which would forbid children from wearing, "furry clothes," to school and kids would be taught America was founded on fundamental Christian principles. Almost as an afterthought she claimed the 2020 presidential election had been rigged and Don Trump was the true winner in Georgia.

Luckily for all involved Kandiss Taylor was trounced in the republican gubernatorial primary. She came in third trailing the winner, incumbent, Brian Kemp by 70% of the vote. In true Trumpian fashion she refused to concede her defeat. Her popular vote count was a little over 41,000. To put that number in historical perspective there were 32,000, or so confederate troops who fought at the battle of First Bull Run--an engagement they decisively won even though they faced more than 55,000 Union troops. 

Early Wednesday morning someone set off a bomb at the Georgia Guidestones site, heavily damaging it. The response from the failed candidate was another tweet that said, "God is God all by Himself.  He can do ANYTHING He wants to do. That includes striking down the Satanic Guidestones."

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the attack. It has been reported the perpetrators can get up to 20 years. While not a professional litigator, given her words before and after the explosion, I would strongly suggest to, Ms. Taylor that she come up with an alibi a tad more solid than, "God did it." 

Meanwhile out in Colorado, another republican candidate for Governor, Greg Lopez had a unique idea for his state. He promised that once elected he would scrap the idea of a popular vote in order to replace it with a quasi electoral college style one. 

Mr. Lopez, being a sly one, proposed the, "electoral votes," of rural (republican controlled) areas should out weigh those in urban and suburban (democratic controlled) precincts by nearly two to one. He based his theory on the total percentage of registered voters who actually cast ballots in previous elections. In other words if a county with 10,000 registered voters had a 70% turnout their votes would count more than a county with 200,000 voters who had a 50% turn out. 

Hey, pretty clever, right?

Apparently a lot of people in Colorado thought so. Greg Lopez came in second in the primary, pulling down over 289,000 votes which was 46.1% of the total cast.

As Thomas Paine once wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls." Unless the Roe v. Wade decision and the revelations about Donald Trump's fascist ambitions wake up democrats, savage clowns like these are going to control the House and the Senate just as they do the Supreme Court. And it is going to happen within six months. 

Yes, it might be time to look up the lyrics of, "Oh Canada." That extended trip to British Columbia is looking better with each and every passing day. 

7-7-22