Fascist Follies: The Latest Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Adventures of the American Republican Party

 There is an organization out there known as College Republicans United. Their annual national confab is scheduled to be held in Prescott, AZ at the end of July and it is being hosted by the Arizona State University chapter. After asking around the ASU students got three Arizona county republican committees to sign on as sponsors. In addition one of their speakers was scheduled to be, Jake Angeli-Chansley, aka the QAnon Shaman of January 6th fame. 

The other day College Republicans United put out an online flier advertising the event. The ad, for the first time, revealed the keynote speaker in Prescott. It was none other than Nick Fuentes, an avowed neo nazi and sometimes dinner guest of Donald J. Trump. 

The news proved too much for the three county republican organizations who immediately demanded their names be taken off the flier. Angeli-Chansley found Fuentes' presence so far over the line he canceled his appearance, saying the considered Fuentes, "disgusting." 

A spokesperson for the Maricopa County republican party said they sponsored the event only because the students, "had tricked," them. 

As Rachel Maddow pointed out last night, while the county parties had walked away from the event, College Republicans United remained all in. Fuentes remains on the bill. He will definitely speak to all those bright eyed young republicans on July 30th. Just to make sure everyone knows where these young conservative minds are at, Fuents' opening act will be one Ryan Sanchez who goes by the charming online alias, Culture War Criminal.

Back on July 1st Big Don himself showed up in Pickens, South Carolina for a rally. He and his people claimed there were 50,000, or more there. The Secret Service and other organizations put the crowd size at closer to 15,000. What ever the case , Maddow also reported many of them were handed fliers urging them all to form a new political party which would, "ensure a white majority," in American politics forever. No one seemed to object, probably because that's what everyone there dreams about anyway.

Speaking of all things white, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville told a CNN reporter his definition of a white nationalist was, "an American." The exchange began when Kaitlan Collins asked the Senator if he stood by a statement he made on talk radio in which he said white nationalist should be allowed to serve in the military. Tuberville blathered on and on about he supported the military and he was all for any patriotic American serving in it. 

When Ms. Collins pointed out racism is a pretty important part of being a white nationalist, the Senator responded, "that's your opinion." 

Meanwhile, when he is back in Washington, Senator Tuberville has personally held up the promotions of over 200 senior military officers that require Senate confirmation. His reason for messing with the military he says he supports so much? He is opposed to a DOD policy which provides paid leave and travel expenses for female members of the armed forces who need to get an abortion. In other words all your fucking careers are stalled until I, Tommy Tuberville get what I want. 

Ah, quite the tactician.  

There is more of course. We haven't even touched on brawls between Michigan republicans where ribs were broken and kicks to the testicles were delivered. Or the Ohio GOP who is attempting to pass a measure requiring 60% of the voters to approve a  pro abortion referendum as opposed to the 50% which is the current statute. 

Yes, the current state of the Grand Old Party seems a tad chaotic. Not to mention fascist and delusional. 

Hey, need more proof?

The other day a reporter pointed out to Donald Trump republicans hadn't carried Nevada in a presidential election since 2004. Trump was asked how he planned to reverse the trend. The front runner for the party's nomination told the journalist, "Actually I won big in Nevada in 2016 and 2020, but the elections were rigged."

And some people wonder why I've never voted for these sons of bitches.

7-11-23

Ryan Walters Erases Racism in Tulsa--Sort Of

 Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction graduated from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. Harding is the largest private university in that state with an enrollment of a 3,687. The school is ranked the 263rd best college in the United States, meaning it isn't the academic powerhouse Carlow State University is, but it does beat the hell out of Our Lady of the Lake University down in San Antonio, Tx. At last look 5% of Harding's undergrads are African American.

The information provided isn't necessarily an attempt to disparage the Superintendent's education., but rather part of an inquiry into why the guy is so bat shit crazy. 

On Thursday Mr. Walters, who bears a disturbing resemblance to former Oklahoma football coach, Lincoln Riley, spoke to a roomful of people in Norman. Someone asked him why shouldn't teaching a history of the Tulsa race massacre be considered a part of Critical Race Theory, a subject which drives Walters and other conservatives to the brink of apoplexy. The Superintendent answered by saying, in part, "So I would say to you be judgmental of the issue, of the action, of the content of the character of the individual, absolutely, But let's not tie it to the skin color and say that the skin color determined it." 

Now a reasonable person might interpret Mr. Walters' message as saying that while teachers can tell their students a lot of bad people did bad things in 1921Tulsa you shouldn't teach them race had anything to do with it. In some quarters this is known as erasing history. In others, rewriting it.

The reaction to the statement was swift, loud, and widespread. Our boy Ryan even managed to get condemned by at least one major cable news network analyst.  

To his dubious credit, Ryan Walters appeared to realize he had gone a race war too far. Yesterday he began a series of song and dances that would have made Bob Fosse proud. 

He had been misquoted he said. Then he was quoted by the OKC ABC TV outlet the media had twisted his words in order to manufacture a controversy. He told both KOCO TV and The Oklahoman newspaper the race massacre was an evil part of our history and race did play a part in it. He just didn't want kids now days to feel ashamed of the color of their skin because of it. Always the republican mouthpiece, The Oklahoman said he had clarified his remarks. Yes, yes you might have been on tape saying that stupid shit, but we understand what you really meant. 

Brother Walters isn't a stranger when it comes to saying or doing strange things. A while back he claimed Oklahoma public schools were stocking hard core pornography in their libraries which could be accessed by students. When asked to prove it, he sent out emails and had staffers hand deliver sexually explicit material to state legislators. Unfortunately, he never said which schools had the questionable literature on hand, leaving everyone to wonder if it really came from a library, or it was porn he had picked up at a Quickie Mart in Arcadia, Oklahoma. 

As of this date the question remains unanswered.

The Oklahoma Superintendent is also a big fan of an organization called, Moms for Liberty. So much so he was a speaker at their national "summit," last year. They cheered him wildly when he advocated for the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education. Moms for Liberty are so vociferously anti teacher, Critical Race, Theory and pro state/religion fusion the Southern Poverty Law Center has identified them as a hate group.

Well, you have to expect lunacy like this when the person you elect to oversee public education hates public education and the people who teach it. 

Before Ryan Walters got into politics, he was a history teacher at the McAlester, Ok high school. He was a finalist for the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Award. After what we've learned about him the last few years it is now easy to believe that nomination says more about the academically corrupt leadership of Oklahoma's educational establishment than it does his ability. 

But hey, he still has that Lincoln Riley thing going for him.

7-8-23

The Supreme Court Says You Can Discriminate Even When No One is Around to Discriminate Against

 303 Creative is owned by Lorie Smith. Ms. Smith's company designs websites for businesses and individuals who pay for the service, much like you'd pay for a meal in a restaurant, a hammer in a hardware store, or a ride in a cab. In other words Lorie Smith is a business owner who runs a for profit operation that sells it's products to the public. 

Well, not all the public. Smith contends her religious beliefs prevent her creating wedding web sites for same sex couples. She is so convinced that somewhere in the bible--one presumes the Old Testament--it says you shouldn't design web sites for gays she hooked up with a bunch of hot shot lawyers from something called the Alliance Defending Freedom. 

Those crafty boys from the ADF took Smith's case all the way to the Supreme Court of these United States using the premise her work is art and therefore falls under the free speech clause of the first amendment to the constitution. 

Yesh, it seems like a stretch doesn't it. Although, one supposes it isn't any more of a stretch than the premise of Smith's suit in the first place. You see 303 Creative has never been contacted by a gay couple, who wanted, or needed their services. Lorie Smith's grievance isn't a real thing at all, This great fear of dealing with gays is simply in her head--a complete hypothetical. 

In short Ms. Smith wanted to hang a virtual sign in her store window which reads, "No Queers Allowed," but, before she did she needed to make sure no one could sue her ass because of it.

She and her lawyers picked the right court to make it happen. We know at least one third of the conservative super majority is bought and paid for by radical right billionaires. Both Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito are fully owned subsidiaries of Harlan Crow and Paul Singer. respectively There is also some inconclusive evidence Brent Kavanaugh has received iffy financial aid in order to pay off old debts.  

Both Kavanaugh and Thomas have histories of questionable sexual behavior. During Kavanaugh's confirmation he was accused of rape. During the Thomas confirmation law Professor, Anita Hill accused the future justice of repeatedly making unwanted advances. Both survived thanks to the GOP's unquenchable thirst for right wing judicial power. Morality, be it based in Christianity, or other faiths, takes a dim view of rape and sexual harassment. None of that came into play for the republican majority during either hearing.    

Neil Gorsuch, a Donald Trump devotee wrote the majority opinion for the decision. According to the Justice, the first amendment prohibits the state, or anyone else from, "...forcing a website designer ta create expressive designs speaking messages which the designer disagrees." He also wrote the constitution protects a person's free speech, "Regardless whether the government considers the speech sensible and well intentioned, or deeply misguided." 

So they can say what they want, but you don't have to write it down for them, no matter what your ad says you do for a living.

All of which is nice, but avoids the real issue at hand, which is no one fucking asked Lorie Smith to create anything she disagreed with. in the first place. Her lawyers and six members of the Supreme Court just wanted to make sure she and anyone else in this land of freedom and opportunity can discriminate against whoever they want, so long as it is in the name of their God. 

Next stop Muslims. You can count on it.

7-2-23

A Wild and Weird Weekend in Russia

 This past weekend proved one thing for sure. You never know what those wild and wacky Russians are going to do next. Well, that and Vladimir Putin and his military commanders are more akin to soap opera characters than they are actual strategists and tacticians.

So much so an ex-convict and former restaurant owner appears to handle combat situations better than they have. At least that is the way it seemed 48 hours ago. 

Yevgeny Prigozhin is the sole owner of what is called the Wagner Group. They are a high profile mercenary outfit. Before the quagmire in Ukraine they were primarily known for their, let's say, work, in Africa. So much so they are the de facto rulers of the Central African Republic where they provide their services to the so called president of that nation. In exchange they get to cart away huge amounts of gold and diamonds. 

It isn't clear if Vlad Putin asked for the Wagner Group's help in Ukraine, or he accepted an unsolicited offer from Prigozhin. Whatever the case Putin provided them with ammunitions and arms and allowed them to deploy alongside his troops. In other words he made the same mistake the Rolling Stones did at the Altamont concert. He let a Russkie version of Hell's Angels work security.

As one can guess the Russian army, especially it's field commanders didn't appreciate the situation. There was antagonism, and mistrust between both sides which became so bitter there were even a few instances of outright violence. Then last week Prigozhin accused Russian higher ups of launching a missile attack which killed a dozen, or so of his men.

On Friday, Prigozhin went into an uncontrollable snit and ordered his group to march on Moscow. Wagner Group mercenaries quickly moved into Rostov on the Don, taking over the Russian army's southern command headquarters. Then their tanks began to roll north. Prigozhin refused to call the action a coup, or a mutiny. It was a march for justice, he said. He added the Wagner Grup wasn't out to depose Putin, but they were going to get rid of the senior army commanders. 

Then came the weird part.

Wagner Group armor was within 125 miles of Moscow when Prigozhin suddenly called the whole thing off. Official accounts said a deal was struck, brokered by the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin would go into exile in Belarus while his men could either walk away free,, although unarmed, or be accepted into the regular Russian army. 

All this only a day after Prigozhin claimed his men would shed their blood for justice and Putin had called his former buddy a back stabbing traitor..

The entire bizarre affair began and ended so quickly American media and politicians are at a loss to explain what actually took place. One Fox correspondent claimed the whole episode was a false flag operation meant to lull Joe Biden into thinking Putrin is weak. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said she was convinced the American deep state had paid Prigozhin to pull off a coup. Of course her analysis might be a tad suspect. A little later she tweeted she believed the television in her home was being used to spy on her. (It came on by itself, she wrote, and the screen showed a man with a laptop computer looking at her.)

A whole gaggle of contributors to all three major cable news outlets felt Putin had been politically wounded by the brief uprising. Others noted the Wagner Group took the headquarters in Rostov without a fight and was virtually unopposed on the road trip toward Moscow. More than a couple pointed out the Russian president had no one to blame but himself for the situation.  After all, he is the one who helped arm Prigozhin's boys and allowed them to operate on Russian soil. 

A good point. Other Russian elites in power have to see this too. Just as they have to see how badly botched the entire Ukraine adventure has been. 

All of which leads to the final question raised by the events of the weekend. Exactly how long will those around Vladimir Putin put up with this sort of humiliating shit?

We might know the answer to that one sooner than we think.

6-26-23  

Donald Trump Arrived Thinking He Was Invisible

 Donald John Trump has been on this planet since June 14th, 1946. During his 77 years here Mr. Trump has done whatever he has wanted whenever he wanted with very few consequences. Oh he has lost financial judgements on occasion, but they've never been stiff enough to slow him down. Litigations and lawyers come and go, but Don Trump just keeps merrily rolling along.

Decades of legal success and impunity, abetted by brigades of toadies who affirm his every decision, has convinced him that that he, Donald Trump can do no wrong. He can, "grab 'em by the pussy." He can alter the paths of hurricanes with a map and sharpie. He can go home with secret documents that include the nuclear capabilities and weaknesses of the United States, its friends and enemies. He can even show off proposed options for American strategy in the event of a war with Iran.

All of it, not because he was president, but he is Donald Trump and what he says is his, by God, is his. Hey, what do you expect from a man who years ago told a reporter he never asks the Good Lord for forgiveness. 

Monday night the former president went on Fox News to do an interview with correspondent, Bret Baier. Unlike the fools at CNN Baier came prepared and to what had to be Trump's surprise he isn't a Sean Hannity style sycophant. In addition the people at Fox refused to let Trump play to a studio full of adoring fans, depriving his ego of the nourishment it constantly craves. The setting was stark and simple. Him, Baier, and the unflinching eye of the camera.

What happened next led more than one TV wag to wonder aloud how many Trump staffers and lawyers jumped out of windows during the broadcast. Yes, it was that bad.

When asked why he kept the boxes of documents Trump began to babble. He went from, they are mine, to they are part of the presidential records act, to they weren't classified, they were newspaper and magazine clippings, to the government never asked for them nicely, to he hadn't had time to look through all of them, to they were mixed in with golf shirts, pants, and shoes and he didn't want the National Archives to get his personal items.

It was a performance so unhinged, Fox contributor, Brit Hume remarked afterward that the former president's answer, "verged on being incoherent.'

Hume was being too kind. Most came away believing Donald Trump, in his own grammatically warped way, had just confessed to committing a federal crime. Even those who didn't see it that way had to acknowledge they had just witnessed a man completely out of rational excuses. Indeed, it appears the next stop for Big Don is the, "I thought the dog ate them," defense. 

There was more. When Baier asked him about how he would regain the confidence and votes of suburban women--a demographic which heavily contributed to his 2020 loss--Mr. Trump denied he had lost the election. He ranted about magical tapes which show hard evidence of election misdeeds committed by those who hate him. He completely ignored those suburban women he needs so desperately. It was a display of delusion so profound one has to wonder what sort of terrible drugs he was on.

Reports now say after the interview Donald Trump came away thinking he had nailed it. Those who saw him say he believed his answers were a display of strength and competence which proved his innocence and value as president. 

Not exactly. What was actually proven Monday is Mr. Trump isn't an unstoppable messianic leader, or even some Lex Luthor evil genius type. Instead, he looked to be a stammering old uncle with dementia. One who showed up for a family reunion stark naked, convinced no one could see him.    

6-21-23

Sometimes Being a Martyr is Good

 There is one thing that we all have to admit about Donald Trump. The crazy fuck owns the media, even that part of it which hates him. You just can't get that ol' boy off the news. That and he knows exactly how to build a cult following which is as unshakeable in the face of disaster as Herr Hitler's SS was in 1945. 

At his Bedminster Country Club Tuesday night he called Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith things like a radical left thug and a lunatic. The audience laughed and applauded. When he told them, "I alone can save the nation." they cheered in wild ecstasy. Later, as Fox News showed a split screen shot of the speech along with Joe Biden giving an address at the White House, a chyron read, "Wannabe dictator speaks at the White House after having his political rival arrested." 

Today Mr. Trump posted on social media, "Really big fund raising, even greater polls since the radical left indictment hoax was initiated by the misfits, mutants, Marxists, and Communists."    

Ah yes, quite presidential. And just think, the 2024 election is still, 17 months off. The mind reels when trying to imagine the tone and content of Trump's campaign a year from now. 

Now, here is the weird part about the whole indictment thing. Donald J. Trump could have walked away from it with little, or no legal consequences.  

According to a Wahington Post report, before Mar-A-Lago was ever searched Trump lawyer, Chris Kise offered to make a deal with the DOJ. Trump would offer to return all the documents he had in return for a promise of no federal charges being filed. Other lawyers retained by Trump urged him to take a more aggressive position with the feds. Their advice played right into Trump's conviction the boxes in the bathroom were his and his alone and his monumental ego.    

Trump told Kise no. No one, approached the DOJ, Chris Kise resigned, and as we saw Tuesday Donald Trump ended up in the dock facing charges so serious he could spend the rest of his life in prison. Whether he truly understands that, or not is still up in the air. 

Well, sometimes being a martyr is a good thing, and you can't get beatified without a little persecution. Besides, what are a few criminal charges compared to a quick two plus million bucks,--especially when Walt Nauta is available to take the fall.

After his arraignment Donald Trump made a brief campaign stop at a Cuban joint called, the Versailles Cafe. He told the adoring crowd, "Food for everyone." Minutes later he skipped out, leaving his supporters to fend for themselves. If someone were to confront him about the moment there is no doubt he'd look you in the eye and say something along the lines of, "I never said the food would be free."

There couldn't be a more perfect metaphor for Donald Trump's presidency and his messianic bloviating. He says a lot really loudly but comes up short on the fish and loaves. Then, in the end, he always let's somebody else get nailed to a cross to pay for his sins.

6-15-23

Arraignment Day: Chris Christie Gets It: The Bathroom Doors at Mar-A-Lago Lock: And, There are a Lot of Them

 Here is an idea. Let's blame him. He's the one who did it.

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie speaking about Donnald Trump's federal indictment.

When it comes to the 2024 race for the republican nomination the former New Jersey governor is the only one in the field who seems to get it. All the rest of that growing herd of clowns and jokers seem to think they can somehow eat into Donald Trump's base by not saying bad things about him. Christie alone appears to understand that strategy just won't work. Let's face it, no one ever got a Manson family disciple to leave George Spahn's ranch because they claimed Charlie was being persecuted.

In many cases it is almost as if defending Donald Trump's acts and pronouncements, no matter how indefensible they are, has become an involuntary response. You know--like your heart beating faster when you are fleeing from a threat. Then again it might simply be because the GOP has had so much practice doing it over the years they see no reason to stop now.

Whatever the case, some of those supporting Donald Trump, especially House members, have made statements that are, let's say, a tad out there. Speaker Kevin McCarthy reassured us the strategic plans for an invasion of Iran were safe because the bathroom where they were being kept had a lock on the door. It is unknown if the Speaker, who is third in line for the presidency, knew the lock was located on the inside of the door, or not. Florida republican Congressman, Byron Donalds speculated that because there are 33 bathrooms at Mar-A-Lago the one where the papers were stored was probably not accessible to the public.

Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs didn't bother with either bathroom locks or availability. He cut straight to the promise of violence. On Twitter he told readers we had entered, "a war phase." Like his pal, Donald Trump, Congressman Biggs has never served in the military and has never seen combat. Neither has failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, but that didn't stop her from telling a crowd the government would have to go through her and 75 million other NRA members to get to Donald Trump.

Trump himself has said repeatedly, "The boxes are mine." Now he is hinting that the FBI planted the secret documents during their search of his residence. And as always he has attacked Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith with a series of personal insults, some of which include Smith's wife,

Yes, you can say many things about Donald Trump, but you'll never be able to accuse him of mature, or even rational behavior. 

On MSNBC last night, Trump's niece, Mary told Lawrence O'Donnell her uncle has no fear of going to jail. The reason he doesn't is because Donald John Trump cannot imagine a universe that includes him being incarcerated.

Maybe that universe doesn't exist. Or, maybe it does. Yesterday Bill Barr, former Attorney General and Trump toady told FOX News, if even half the stuff in the 37 counts brought against him are true, Donald Trump is, "toast."

We can only hope.

6-13-23