Trump, the GOP, and a pair of political wishes for 2024

No matter how you view it, politically, 2023 was grim.

Most days brought head-shaking news from the GOP. 

From in-House GOP bickering to the House expulsion of George Santos to lining up a fact-free impeachment of the Democratic president to, stunningly, presenting as their BEST CHOICE to run for president in 2024, an ethically-bereft, twice-impeached insurrectionist facing 91 felony charges in four different courts, who has promised, if elected, to obtain the apparently Confederate-inspired goal of "retribution."

Amazingly (and, truly, terrifyingly so), 2024 doesn't look as though it might be any better.

But our country needs it.

That said, here are my two political wishes for the new year.

First off (and less important than my second wish), I hope the House GOP gets it together. 

They took fifteen votes to elect a Speaker and then ousted him. GOP members physically and verbally assaulted one another. They scrutinized Biden's bank records attempting to prove that a documented loan repayment from his brother and car payments from his son are really evidence of impeachable offenses. And they continued to bend over backwards to appease the demagogue that is the head of the GOP: twice-impeached, four-time-indicted, former president Donald J. Trump.

And it's been done to the detriment of legislating--neglecting pressing needs such as gun control and immigration to pass an historically few number of bills.

I understand that GOP functionality is an enormous ask, though. Hopefully, there will arise a few (or at least one or two?) principled GOP lawmakers to take a stand for what's right. 

The country needs it.

But, sadly, I wouldn't count on it.

My far more fervent wish, and an even bigger ask, I'm afraid, pertains to the upcoming trials of the GOP presidential frontrunner.

Although my hope is that justice will be served, my wish is much more than that.

Juries of my fellow citizens--and their court officers--will hear evidence to determine Trump's guilt or innocence.

Obviously, they'll have to put aside preconceived biases to reach just verdicts.

But it won't be that easy. 

They'll also have to navigate their fear for the physical safety of themselves and their families if they decide to render a guilty verdict--something even U.S. Senators couldn't overcome during Trump's second impeachment, despite recognizing his guilt.

The same fear and threats of violence likely experienced by the District Attorney of Fulton County, GA, or the Washington insurrection trial judge, or the DA's office in New York, or the four Colorado Supreme Court members that found Trump should be removed from the primary ballot (notably, those Colorado Justices voting in favor of Trump WEREN'T threatened by Biden supporters).

So, my wish is that the juries will be able to render fair judgements. And that the threats made by the gullible, evil minions of Trump's army will not be able to thwart such decisions. And that those brave souls serving the country in the U.S. Courts will remain safe.

Our country needs it.

God bless America.

Of COURSE, there's US racism

Someone told me they believed the balance of power between white Americans and Black Americans has evened out since the 1960’s. After all, laws have been passed to reduce discrimination, right? There's more crime in Black-populated communities! And, for goodness sakes, we even elected a Black man to the presidency!  So, how in the world is it that anyone believes that Black Americans are still oppressed?

Simple (or maybe, more accurately, not so simple): a system’s balance of power doesn’t even out in a lifetime.

Or even many lifetimes.

And that power structure started with the first vile act of oppression.

A brief history:

Africans were ripped from their lives and enslaved (as, too, were Indigenous Americans, which is a topic for another day). Then, despite centuries of dehumanization and abuse—and with, because of the abhorrent system, little to no opportunity for education, community, or financial gain--their descendants persevered. The traitorous Confederacy (proclaiming Blacks were inferior and should be enslaved) lost, finally bringing those in enslavement the most basic of human rights, freedom.

But freedom isn’t equality.

Suddenly, there were 12% more free people in the US, Americans who, within the system, had no homes, no finances, and little education. The vast majority were relegated to living in poverty. The “system” didn’t help. Governments codified discrimination via Black Codes and Jim Crow laws, which—especially when combined with persisting attitudes and perceptions—denied educational, housing, voting, and job opportunities to Black Americans (who, because of skin color, were easily singled out). By the time of the Civil Rights push in the 1960s, Black Americans had already endured generations of inequality in the system which generally led to less opportunity for things such as education and financial gain (note: the wealth gap between Black Americans and white Americans continues to increase). Laws designed to reduce disparity and discrimination were passed, but racist and discriminatory attitudes persisted. And they still do. Generations of such policies and treatment that limit opportunity often lead to poverty, which, studies show, is a very difficult inheritance to overcome.

It's true that a higher percentage of people in poverty commit more crime than those not in poverty—regardless of ethnicity—often due to the psychological effects of hopelessness and desperation. Desperate, hopeless people sometimes also turn to drugs, which fuels their own criminal actions as well as that of a community’s drug trade and influence.

Sometimes, crime, instead, is a reaction to a perception of systemic inequality in things such as law enforcement and justice (such as in the summer of infrequently violent protests in reaction to the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis).

And the system reinforces that perception. Those with less education—which correlates directly with poverty—receive longer jail sentences for the same crimes than those with more, likewise as do Black Americans compared to white Americans.

Even not-in-poverty Senator Tim Scott has discussed his experiences with systemic racism, including discriminatory judgments towards him from Capitol police or times (as an elected official) he was stopped for “nothing more than driving a new car in the wrong neighborhood, or some other reason just as trivial.”

Regarding Obama’s election, which some say proves there is no racism in America, studies show his mere presence in the White House actually increased polarization along racial lines (he lost the white American vote by 12 points in 2008 and 20 points in 2012). In 2016, Clinton’s position as a champion for racial equality swung even more such voters to Trump.

Obviously, systemic racism is still here.  And despite what some politicians and their followers insist, Black Americans aren’t the ones pulling the strings. Ingrained societal perceptions and long-time “norms” set up and perpetuated by the white American majority are doing that. Similar patterns are found in the histories of traditionally oppressed people throughout the world.

And personal racism is here, too. In 2020, for example, the FBI noted a 40% increase in hate crimes toward Black Americans. Black Americans are still the number one target of hate crimes.

So, whether or not someone chooses to believe that racism towards Black Americans—in policies and attitudes—exists in the United States, research and history prove that, so horribly, it does.

The GOP goes "fact-free"

House Republicans have gone "fact-free."

The House GOP tries
its new "fact-free" diet

After more than a year of investigations into their fanciful allegations of Joe Biden malfeasance, they have formalized an impeachment inquiry of President Biden--only the sixth one in the history of our country--without the slightest evidence of any "high crimes or misdemeanors" that are required for an actual impeachment. 

Instead, they've uncovered evidence of a loan repayment from Biden's brother, and about $4000 in payments connected to his son Hunter's truck.

They've heard witnesses, under oath, declare they didn't think the President ever had anything to do with the financial business dealings of his son.

They've had their own members, such as earlier Senate Biden investigator co-chair Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, say there's no "hard proof" connecting Joe to any wrongdoing (Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland gave a thorough and scathing response to earlier GOP accusations here).

It's not the same as a previous formal inquiry when Trump was first investigated/impeached for (documented) withholding of Congressionally-approved aid to Ukraine, asking a foreign government for the "favor" of campaign assistance through announcing an investigation into his chief political opponent.

It's not even like when Bill Clinton was investigated/impeached for lying under oath about having an affair with a staffer.

Nope.

To be accurate, no evidence is required to launch an impeachment inquiry.

But it highlights some important GOP priorities--not for the country, but for itself.

Inmate #P01135809

It deflects the actual malfeasance (and two impeachments and 91 felony indictments and liability for sexual assault and defamation and business fraud) of the GOP's frontrunner (unbelievably so) for its 2024 presidential run, Donald Trump. 

And it should take their members' minds off pesky issues such as supporting allies around the world or funding the government before its January default date or having discussions about gun laws or immigration reform. 

So, a GOP-led House--that removed its own Speaker (for the first time in history) and expelled one of its own members (only previously done five times ever)--has now formalized an impeachment inquiry for only the sixth time in the history of our nation.

And this one is fact-free.

Stephen Colbert's take:

Throw Hunter From the Train

Is Hunter Biden being railroaded (with an assist from the GOP) for his tax crimes?

After all, evidence apparently points to his guilt of cheating the US of 1-2 million dollars in taxes.

The GOP's impeachment train
 is ramping up to leave the station

So, prosecution would be expected, with or without GOP pressure, right?

Not so fast.

Biden's attorney, says charges would not have been brought "if Hunter's last name was anything but Biden." 

To be honest, that's pretty hard to argue against.

Let's just look at numbers. In 2019, for example, 148,000,000 individuals filed tax returns. That same year, the IRS recommended tax crime prosecution for just 942 people, primarily for unpaid tens of millions or schemes to bilk other people (and Biden's was neither).

Even so, 942 people?

That's a "whopping" .0006%.

Point zero, zero, zero, six percent.

What are the odds?

Actually, you're ten times more likely than that to get hit by lightning.

A Vanderbilt University tax expert says in an AP article that "the average American has almost as good a chance of winning the lottery as being criminally prosecuted for tax fraud."

But, alas, Hunter Biden is not an "average" American (and he certainly is not winning the lottery). Instead, he's the son of a sitting US President for whom the GOP has a passion to bring down, in an attempt, it appears, as revenge for criminal indictments against their favorite despot, former President Trump. 

Make no mistake, though, this isn't a "witch hunt." There appears to be evidence of criminal activity (just as in Trump's indictments). However, the threat of 17 years of incarceration is unbelievable. Penalties for such tax crime convictions--such as in the cases of Willie Nelson and Nicolas Cage--are most often settled through payment of back taxes and penalties. 

But, um, Biden's already done that.

So, what about the DOJ plea deal with Biden that was reached this past summer?

Um, it was denied by a Trump-appointed judge, coincidentally(?) after the GOP raised a stench about Biden's "sweetheart" deal (although the deal seemed pretty consistent with others in his position). And, following the GOP hue and cry, the DOJ miraculously came up with additional charges without having even gathered more evidence.

So, is Hunter Biden being railroaded (with an assist from the GOP) for his tax crimes?

All a-BOARD!!

Here's a great take by former DOJ Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman (LA Times):

Litman: Hunter Biden isn't being accused of any new wrongdoing. So why was he just indicted again? (yahoo.com)

Is the GOP even for real?

The latest GOP news reads like it's from the satirical "Onion" (or this site's "None-yun")

"The Onion" certainly can't top the GOP

Florida Senator Rick Scott is clamoring for investigations of college football because his Florida State was excluded from the four-team playoff (a discussion of the reasoning can be found here).

So, as GOP Congressional members duck discussions of gun control in the wake of continual mass shootings, push off decisions about funding the federal government, virtually shut down any legislation, hurry to catch up from their own Tommy Tuberville refusing military promotions, threaten/perform violence in the Capitol,  and create fantastical stories of millions of bribery dollars being funneled to Joe Biden (in the guise of two loan paybacks and $5000 in car payments for his son) to fuel a, literally, incredible impeachment effort...

...they want to investigate why Rick Scott's favorite team wasn't picked to play in a college football game?

It's GOTTA be a joke...right?

UPDATE: Rick Scott's #5 ranked Florida State was throttled by number 6 Georgia in the Orange Bowl, 63-3, the "biggest blowout in bowl game history."

There was no further comment from Senator Scott.

George Santos and Even More Terrifying Things

The recent House expulsion of NY GOP US Representative George Santos highlights three disturbing things: Santos's lies and alleged crimes, the trashing of the presumption of innocence, and the immense hypocrisy of the GOP, which continues to back its own indictment-laden leader, of which the last is the most terrifying.

First the good news: Santos is now free to pursue his other interests.

Perhaps he could investigate his "Jew-ish" heritage (including his OJ Simpson-style promise to prove that his Brazilian-born grandparents fled Hitler) or the "kidnapping" of his niece by Chinese Communists (law enforcement, which found no evidence, said, "I'd lean into, 'he made it up.'").

He could parlay into a new career his volleyball stardom from Baruch College or maybe a promotion at Goldman-Sachs.

He could go back to fundraising (he seems to have a soft spot for veterans and their sick dogs).

He could even explore his penchant for alternate identities (whether that of his donors or that of Anthony Devolder or Kitara Ravache).

As vile (and, in some cases, incredibly sadly comical) as Santos's alleged actions are, they pale in comparison to two others.

The first is the expulsion itself. Virtually all of the Democrats and nearly half the Republicans voted to expel Santos. It's disturbing that he hasn't been convicted of a crime. Our country prides itself on the belief that we are innocent until proven guilty. The US House of Representatives apparently no longer believes that. 

(It's notable that the US Senate hasn't expelled its own alleged king of corruption, New Jersey's Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, who is currently facing conspiracy and bribery charges--federal charges he also faced under different circumstances back in 2015--before he's tried in court)

With the Santos expulsion--only the sixth ever in the House, and ostensibly for accused crimes--the US House has thrown under the bus the presumption of innocence (although any decent politician would have likely resigned if they were in Santos's position). Although an ethics committee report was damning, the crimes are still only alleged, and no member of the House has been expelled without a conviction (of the previous five, three had fought for the Confederacy, and two were convicted of federal crimes). 

Despite the lies and alleged criminal actions of George Santos, we should all be disturbed that a precedent has been set for the country that doesn't bother to wait for the determination of the courts. And such a precedent can be the start of a slippery slope for the presumption of innocence.

But it gets worse.

Of the 220 GOP members in the House, 105 GOP members (48%) voted to expel Santos, not because he was a serial liar, but because of his alleged crimes. The House Committee of Ethics found that the NY Congressman “placed his desire for private gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles.”

Which brings us to this: amazingly, most of these 105 GOP members who voted to oust a man accused of 23 felonies and who "placed his desire for private gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles," ardently support for the US Presidency a serial liar, a man facing 91 felonies--backed by a thorough House investigation with virtually all GOP witnesses, as well as accusations and evidence laid out in his four indictments--a man who has pledged retribution, a man who has greenlighted using the DOJ for revenge, a man who has discussed invoking the Insurrection Act, and a man who wanted to seize voting machines (Maryland Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin called them out here).

Despite this ousting, in supporting Trump's continuing candidacy, these GOP members also quixotically back a man who, in fact, “placed his desire for private gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles.”

And that is more terrifying than anything George Santos could have ever dreamed up.

House Expulsion Factoid: The previous last member of the US House of Representatives (of now only 6) to be expelled, in 2002, was Ohio's Democrat Jim Traficant, whose charges included racketeering and bribery.

Just before the expulsion, he said, "I'll go to jail before I resign and admit to something I didn't do."

Traficant served seven years in federal prison.

Speaking of Expulsions: The House didn't even expel Kentucky's William Graves after he killed Maine's Representative Jonathan Cilley in a duel using rifles, in 1838.

Giving Thanks

 

We give thanks for this wonderful country, even with its numerous flaws.

We give thanks for those that seek, speak, and believe the truth.

We give thanks for those who strive to help humankind, both here and throughout the world.

We give thanks for our democracy, that has withstood threats throughout its history to become a hope for Americans and a beacon to the world.

We give thanks for the wonderful spectrum of fellow citizens that provide new ideas, fresh energy, and a reminder that our nation has welcomed those who others once termed “the wretched refuse”--just as when my own immigrant ancestors, or those freed from enslavement, or those whose land was taken from their people, battled for their rights (and still do) for their homes and for their families, helping to make this a stronger, better nation.

We give thanks for the kindnesses shown every day, from inclusion of others with differing viewpoints and lifestyles to those exhibiting civility every day in their words and actions.

We give thanks for our self-determination to choose freely the path of compassion and cooperation over that of selfishness and division.

We give thanks for this remarkable, fragile planet, and for those who work tirelessly to protect and honor it.

And we give thanks for the undying belief that we can continue to make this nation, this world, a better place.

Thank you.

"Thank God It Was Only Incitement..." (from the None-yun)

(The None-yun is LeftBrainedPolitics satire--the first section is real news, the rest, not so much)

(TheHill, 11/18)

An attorney for former President Trump celebrated Friday's ruling that Trump could remain on the (Colorado) ballot. "We're pretty satisfied with the outcome," attorney Scott Gessler...said in an interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins...His comments came after District Judge Sarah Wallace said that while she agreed with plantiffs that Trump "incited" the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the Capitol, that 14th Amendment wording means it does not apply specifically to the presidency. Thus, she ruled in Trump's favor.          

"Phew, what a relief," continued Gessler, "the judge only ruled Trump incited an insurrection."

Noting Collins's perplexed look, Gessler clarified, "With all the other crimes Trump's committed--business fraud, illegal hush money payments, sexual battery, defamation, withholding aid from Ukraine, witness intimidation, obstruction of justice, classified documents, political harassment, and this whole "overturning the election" thing, we were thinking it could have been a lot worse."

"So," asked Collins, "what's next?"

Gessler chuckled. "To be honest, we're hoping to turn this into more fundraising; his gullible base will eat it up if we can come up with a catchy phrase, such as we did with "collusion delusion." So far, though, the only rhyme we can come up with for "incitement" is "indictment," and Jack Smith's already spoken for that one."

"In the meantime," said Gessler," we'll have to just go with the old "tried and true" slogans that have always worked for us: "Witch Hunt!" "They're coming for you!" and "Hunter's laptop!" All the greatest hits..."

Trump, reached outside some courtroom somewhere, pronounced he had been "TOTALLY exonerated."

 

The GOP is a Mess

Well, it's official.

The GOP is a mess.

"Clean-up on the GOP aisle!"

As the House GOP FINALLY passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the government until January/February and headed off to their Thanksgiving break (thanks to support from, I'm guessing, disgusted and disbelieving Democrats), it's time to see where, exactly, the "Grand Old Party" now stands.

And it ain't pretty.

Regarding the House of Representatives, where the GOP holds a majority, some have called their current tenure a "clown car," while others have offered a challenge on the floor to "explain to me one material, meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done." 

And these comments, amazingly (and tellingly) are from their own members!

Seemingly forever bogged down in the morass of Speaker drama, it took 15 votes (and numerous back-door dealings) for long-time favored candidate Kevin McCarthy to earn enough votes to take the gavel, only to have it wrenched away from him--the first time that ever happened in the history of Congress-- just nine months later. And, for three weeks--as wars around the world raged and domestic issues such as inflation consumed the minds of the voting public--the GOP floundered, trotting out Speaker candidate after candidate--Jordan, Emmer, Scalise--who weren't able to secure enough votes despite having received their own caucus's recommendation.

Let that sink in.

GOP members met, debated, and, after careful consideration, voted to advance their recommended choices for Speaker. And, then, time after time, decided, "Eh, maybe not."

And it's only gotten worse since then.

It turns out (as highlighted in an article by the Huffington Post), this Republican-led House has passed only 21 bills this session--the fewest this deep into a session in more than 90 years--that include world-changing imperatives such as minting a commemorative coin and naming government offices after people. And then, FINALLY passing a resolution to continue to fund the government.

And, believe it or not, the mess has STILL gotten worse.

On Tuesday, GOP Rep. Tim Burchett, was "sucker punched" in the kidney by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Fighting for you!

Coincidentally(?), Burchett was one of the House GOP who voted to oust McCarthy from the Speakership. 

In his own defense, however, McCarthy--who, as Speaker, had been second in succession to become US President--proclaimed, "If I kidney punched someone, they would be on the ground."

And, later in the day, a Senate hearing included panel member Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin (yes, that's his name) challenging a witness to a fight right there in the chamber.

In Mullin's defense, he later said, "This isn't anything new. Andrew Jackson challenged nine people to a duel when he was President (my note: Jackson served from 1829-1837), and he also knocked one guy out at a White House dinner. There's been canings before in the Senate, too. Maybe we should bring some of that back."

The caning Mullin refers to took place in 1856, when a pro-slavery Representative attacked (and bloodied) an abolitionist one. 

If this isn't a mess, then I don't know what is.

Well, come to think of it, it IS even worse.

The GOP-led House is spending much of their "effort," not on important issues, but on trying to pin impeachment on anyone in Biden's administration (that of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was already voted down). The current "investigation" into Biden's own "misdoings" has yielded a $200,000 check to Biden from his brother for a "loan repayment" (notably, when Biden wasn't in office). If the GOP actually cared about facts, though, um, they'd note that the same subpoenaed bank records list a $200,000 check Biden loaned to his brother six weeks earlier.

Interestingly enough, the head of that "investigative" committee, Representative Jim Comer, apparently loaned his own brother some $200,000. When Comer was questioned about it, he called Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz a "liar" and, for some reason, a "Smurf."

Say hi to the new GOP! 

So, that's where the GOP is.

Of course, their presumptive nominee to run for President in 2024 is a twice-impeached, four-time-indicted-facing-91-felony-charges, sexual-assaulting, defaming, fraudulent businessman from Florida.

So, um, yeah, that's a mess.

And there doesn't seem to be one GOP member in their own house/House that is capable of cleaning it up.

Trump's Ship Sinking Fast

Like rats leaving a sinking ship, today was greeted by yet another Trump lawyer voluntarily diving into the drink as Capt. Trump and the SS Donald continue to take on water. 

Jenna Ellis--part of Trump's "elite strike force" of attorneys, as well as wingman to the unhinged and disgraced (and, as of yet, unflipped) Rudy Giuliani as they gallivanted throughout the countryside sharing fanciful tales of supposed manipulated ballots and imaginary voter intimidation--pleaded guilty this morning in Fulton County, GA, to a FELONY count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings.

It's just another delicious development in the RICO case of Fani Willis (well, for fans of democracy), as she peels off Trump's co-defendants one-by-one for their testimony to get Trump, the leader of the "big lie," the massive conspiracy to defraud Americans and employing his own avenues to illegally stay in power (so far 4 of 19 co-defendants have copped a plea for reduced sentences in exchange for testimony--Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani have got to be considering taking that dive, as well).

Of the three major "gets" (so far) in terms of the case's witnesses--which includes Kraken attorney Sidney Powell and fake-slate-architect attorney Kenneth Chesebro--Ellis is arguably the weakest link. Powell (pleading guilty to six misdemeanor conspiracy charges) was with Trump in a December 18, 2020, Oval Office meeting as he considered seizing voting machines--and the next day she contacted a company to do just that; Chesebro's infamous memos outlined the steps needed to get Pence to accept the fake slates of Trump electors on January 6. Ellis was more of a constant voice propping up false claims in the media as well as in "hearings" in battleground states that paraded out "witnesses" who shared their impressions of fraud that may have occurred (Giuliani later admitted in court, when push came to shove, he wasn't actually alleging fraud, but rather promoting the idea that it could have happened).

Ellis now claims that she was an innocent, spreading the lies only because she trusted her fellow, more seasoned attorneys.

As such, Ellis isn't the biggest rat on Trump's ship, by any means. But each time Fani Willis's office can get one more known player to plead guilty to being part of a conspiracy, it helps lay the foundation for the feasibility of a LARGER conspiracy, promoted by a larger known player--Donald J. Trump.

With the RICO charges, that's what Willis is aiming for--convicting the "captain" of the conspiracy.

And you can expect more rats to abandon the SS Donald as the water continues to rise.

Ineptitude, Thy Name is Trump

Trump's legal teams can be summed up in one word: 

Inept. 

Time after time, the lawyers representing Trump are, well, terrible.

Former Trump "fixer" Michael Cohen is now a convicted felon. 

Trump's "Kraken" team of head lawyer (and now public disgrace) Rudy Giuliani and fellow schemers Sydney Powell, Lin Wood, and Jenna Ellis, et al.--which Rudy and conservative "media" called the "Dream Team"--all face criminal indictments.

And the mention of the "Kraken" merely conjures up images of Giuliani pushing fantastical election conspiracies from a parking lot next to a sex shop or with bulging eyes and hair dye running down his face.

Just yesterday, another great example of that ineptitude was on display. A New York judge ruled Trump and his company liable for fraud because they jacked up values of Trump properties to obtain more favorable loans.

  .

Take, for a prime example, the valuation of Trump's Mar-a-Lago, Trump's crown jewel and primary residence. Trump valued it at between $400-600 million dollars, which doesn't seem a stretch in that Forbes valued it at about $350 million (based on real estate values and money brought in) in 2022 (although, fyi, the property was valued at under $30 million for tax purposes). All Trump's team had to do was make a case it was worth a little more than the Forbes estimate.

They failed miserably. 

Instead of even proving a $350 million value, the judge decided Trump's crown jewel was worth only between $18-28 million dollars (consistent with that assessed value for tax purposes), remarking that "a discrepancy of this order of magnitude, by a real estate developer sizing up his own living space of decades, can only be considered fraud."

Yikes.

And, of course, such stunning failure of his personally chosen lawyers certainly reflects upon Trump and his judgment itself, don't you think?

Regarding his fraud/overvaluation liability, Trump has said his team will appeal.

I wouldn't hold my breath, if I were Trump.

And, with the previously-demonstrated "prowess" by his legal teams, I don't think I'd be holding out too much hope for my criminal trials, either. 

Trump's New NFT?

Can Biden Win?

Can Joe Biden win another term?

Um, maybe. Depends on a couple things: 1) Issue perception 2) Donald Trump

1) Biden will win no matter what if Democrats can change public perception on three big issues: a) inflation b) immigration c) Biden's age/competence.

a) Inflation is perceived as out-of-control, even though it's still largely a reaction to difficulties with supplies and the labor market (and the world response) thanks to Covid. Overall, inflation is expected to slow even more in the coming months. Most people don't realize that at the end of August, it was 3.7%, down from 7% two years prior (on its way, hopefully, to the "sweet spot" of 2% or so). 

Dems should continue to emphasize downward trends.

b) Perception also sees undocumented immigration as rampant. Just because the GOP hasn't been able to find evidence to back their impeachment threats against Homeland Security's Alejandro Mayorkas, doesn't mean it's not a problem. It's not because of fentanyl smuggling (the vast majority which comes via US citizen smugglers through ports of entry--not through migrants and illegal border crossings), and it's not because of the fictional "open border" nonsense Republicans decry, but numbers are up. 

Democrats need to frame it as a solution to our labor shortage--highlighting the noble immigrant plight of those coming to our country in decades past looking for a better life for their families. 

And Biden needs to embrace the immigration problem. He needs to visit the border. He needs to continually address it and present border policies, framing it as a problem squarely on the shoulders of Congress. 

c) Many people equate Biden's age with competence. Many perceive Biden as old and feeble. Well, he is the oldest President we've ever had (although, at 80, Biden now is exactly the age Trump would be if he were to start another term). And, yes, Biden has had more than his share of gaffes. Biden's lack of interviews and press conferences makes people think he's avoiding them because his responses (and response time) leave something to be desired. Although Trump's innumerable Twitter/X misspellings and recent admonitions about Biden leading us into World War 2 (um, which happened 79 years ago) aren't exactly impressive.

The best way to combat this is to get out there. Meet with the press. Have public rallies. Engage in difficult interviews. To be honest, with Biden the (as of yet) unchallenged incumbent, I don't envision Biden's team pushing for such measures because I don't think that THEY think he'd shine doing so.

There's one more factor to determine if Biden can win: Will Trump be his opponent?

2) If Trump is the GOP nominee--with his grievances, his baggage, and his criminal indictments--Biden WILL win. 

The challenge here, however, is that I don't think Trump will be the nominee. If someone else takes the GOP nomination, and the three issues mentioned here aren't adequately addressed, Biden will have a very difficult task.

But I don't think Biden will continue his run for the White House. I've believed for months that he won't be the nominee (my choice to win has been Gavin Newsom).

So, can Biden win another term? Absolutely. 

Unless he's NOT running against Donald Trump. 

Then, it's anyone's guess. 

ADDENDUM: This poll JUST came out (9/24) and highlights these same perceptions of Biden's shortcomings (and the Democrats better do something about it): Troubles for Biden not just his age in reelection campaign: POLL (yahoo.com) 

Um, U Can't Impeach w/o a Crime

Representative Jamie Raskin issued a press release today that absolutely eviscerates the GOP's Biden impeachment push (you can read his INCREDIBLE assessment here).

The main point: many of the GOP witnesses said they didn't see/think that President Biden had anything to do with Hunter's business dealings. 

And, hmmm, there are absolutely ZERO documents that connect those dealings to the current President.

Even my home state's Trump lap dog--and fake-elector go-between--Ron Johnson (who led a GOP investigative committee about Biden last year) has a couple lines devoted to him in Raskin's release: 

• Sen. Ron Johnson conceded that Republicans have not found any "direct evidence" or "hard proof" of wrongdoing by President Biden.

(you can read the 87-page report--with not one scintilla of Biden wrongdoing--here)

Boy, I bet Trump wishes HIS cases were as evidence-free as this.

And, still, the messed-up, morally-bankrupt, Trump-fearing GOP seems determined to push ahead with a sham impeachment. Unbelievable.

THIS is what the Grand Old Party is reduced to--continuing to do the twisted bidding of its dark overlord, Donald J. Trump.

2024, here we come!

ADDENDUM: Since this post, the intrepid-do-gooders of this committee have found what they claim is evidence of Biden receiving millions in bribes: documented loan paybacks from his brother, and three installments totaling less than $5000 connected to helping his son make payments on his truck.

Uh-oh, Donald...

Proud Boys seditionist Enrique Tarrio was just sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the January 6 plot to prevent the certification of the 2020 Presidential vote--AND HE WASN'T EVEN IN THE CAPITOL THAT DAY!

Which really has got to make Donald Trump think, as well. I mean, Trump probably hoped to use the "But I wasn't even in the Capitol that day!" defense (in addition to the "Free Speech/Presidential Immunity/I'm Great" defenses he's also trying to cook up).

But a jury found Tarrio guilty, and a judge sentenced him to more than two decades in prison.

And Tarrio wasn't even the mastermind of the plot.

Jack Smith has got to be licking his chops.

And Trump should be shaking in his boots.

Celebrate Labor (Day)

 Another Labor Day arrives--burgers on the grill, ice-cold beverages in hand, kids enjoying their last summer freedom before school.

And it's to celebrate labor and the contributions of countless laborers that built this country. And unions helped many of them receive fair pay, hours, benefits. I'm a proud union member, as is my wife, sibling, father, etc. Unions aren't just a "Democrat" thing, it's a nationwide thing, something that has provided fairness to those countless workers whether or not they were officially represented by a union. Many of the things we take for granted in the workplace were/are in place because of unions. 

So, this Labor Day Weekend, I'll take a moment to reflect on my gratitude for those who work to keep this country strong, and I'll consider my gratitude, as well, for the unions that helped us all.

Time to pop a cold one. I think your burger's done.

Happy Labor Day!

Trump's NEW NFT's

 Check out Trump's new NFT's in this edition of the "None-yun"

Trump's Army: Standing Back and Standing By

Just as in the days before January 6, 2021, when Trump told a despicable white supremacist group to "stand back and stand by," his MAGA army of extremists are ready to thwart justice in his criminal trials--just as they (thankfully) unsuccessfully tried to thwart democracy on January 6.

Trump has issued an all-caps warning that "If you go after me, I'm coming after you." 

And Trump has reason to believe his troglodytic supporters will do his bidding. They harassed poll workers. They threatened Georgia GOP officials. They illegally accessed voting machines. They lied and schemed in devious plans to overturn an election. After he told them to "fight like hell," they overran the Capitol in a scary and shameful act of cowardice and fealty.

Now that Trump has been criminally charged (after numerous grand juries found probable cause of criminal actions), his extremist MAGA army is at it again.

Word comes today that death threats have been made to judges overseeing Trump trials. Purported names and addresses of the brave Grand Jury members in Fulton County have been shared by Trump's minions--likely to change their lives forever. Trump's---yes--deplorable extremist backers (about whom disgraced AZ gubernatorial loser Kari Lake remarked all owned guns, btw) will undoubtedly try to do Trump's disgusting, twisted bidding in physical manisfestation.

Already, messages are shared (even on Trump's home for idiots, his TRUTH platform) talking about fighting for our country, which undoubtedly includes doing whatever it takes to protect "The Boss."

Let's hope the jury--or all FOUR juries, actually--are courageous enough to decide their verdicts on the basis of guilt or innocence, not on the fear of violence, once again, committed by Trump's extremist MAGA army.

The Straw that Breaks Trump's Back

As I read through Trump's Fani Willis indictments, my skepticism grew. 

Charge after charge assumed Trump pushed his election lies despite knowing otherwise. Almost halfway through the document's "Acts of Racketeering Activity" section, I still didn't see anything that could definitively pin something onto Donald J. Trump. Just more straw on a camel's back.

You see, Trump is essentially the poster child for plausible deniability. He would implore a mob, for example, to "fight" virtually dozens of times, but then say "peacefully and patriotically" once to cover his butt. And, to be honest, a jury might have a hard time believing Trump was smart enough to oversee a vast conspiracy. Additionally, Trump's law team (Eastman, in particular), would undoubtedly peddle the smoke and mirrors of the plot as simply exploiting ambiguity in the U.S. Constitution.

So, um, yeah, it didn't look promising for those seeking, finally, some accountability for Trump and his actions.

And then came "Act 108." That beautiful, wonderful, magical "Act 108."

"On or about the 31st day of December 2020, DONALD JOHN TRUMP and JOHN CHARLES EASTMAN committed the felony offense of FILING FALSE DOCUMENTS..."

It seems that Donald John Trump signed a filed statement to Georgia containing some of his election lies--that poll personnel left their posts unattended, and that Georgia voters included felons, kids, those illegally/not registered, as well as thousands of the dead--after his attorney, Eastman, had emailed Trump's campaign that, um, he actually knew it contained falsehoods. 

Eastman knew. Trump's inner circle knew. Not a chance that Trump didn't. Not. A. Chance. And Trump signed the document anyway.

And, that, my friends, is a felony. 

And it also blows plausible deniably right out of the water.

Oh, it got better from there.

Trump's calls to pressure numerous Georgia officials to "find 11,780 votes," for example--repeating his lies that both his campaign and lawyer knew were false--added more charges. His actions to enlist Jeffrey Clark to draft a false letter to Georgia officials saying the DOJ found voting irregularities (EVEN if it wasn't sent), all constitute additional felonies in the Peach State. 

And they all can be pinned onto Donald John Trump. Not just one--but, like a zillion--straws on this particular camel.

It's still up to the Fulton County D.A.'s office to prove its case, of course, a case that looks as though it could bring some real accountability to Trump for his actions. A case  that, I believe, will finally break this camel's back.

And it's about time.

Hey, doofus, it wasn't a "Russia hoax"

For all those deniers (and idiots) out there who continue to call Trump's malfeasance during the 2016 campaign the "Russia hoax" (including the current GOP Presidential frontrunner Trump himself), here are ten tidbits that are proven facts, and facts that suggest it would have been negligent if the US DIDN'T investigate Trump's connections to Russia.

1)      Donald J. Trump and 18 of his associates had at least 140 contacts with Russian nationals and WikiLeaks, or their intermediaries, during the 2016 campaign and presidential transition--when there were US intelligence concerns that Russia had worked to influence the 2016 election in Trump's favor. One of which was Trump himself denying he had any ties to Russia while his company was still attempting to build the Trump Tower Moscow.  Mueller Report Shows Depth of Connections Between Trump Campaign and Russians - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

2) Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort,  and Trump's son, Don, Jr., met with someone they thought was connected to Russian government for “dirt” on Trump’s political opponent to help Trump’s campaign—and then lied about the purpose of the meeting, at Trump’s direction. Mueller report: Donald Trump Jr.'s 2016 meeting on Russian dirt (palmbeachpost.com)

3)      Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort passed internal Trump campaign information to a Russian intelligence officer during the 2016 election (despite strong suspicions of Russia attempting to sway the election to Trump) according to a bipartisan Senate report. Final Senate Intelligence Report On 2016 Election Russian Interference Released : NPR, 

4)      Trump publicly asked Russia to “find Hillary’s emails.” Within 24 hours, Russia had hacked into DNC accounts. Flashback: Trump asks Russia for Clinton emails - Bing video (Fox News) ; Russians tried to hack Clinton server on day Trump urged email search | Trump-Russia investigation | The Guardian

5)      Trump advisors (primarily Roger Stone, but George Papadopoulos, too) seemed to have advance knowledge of Russia’s hacking effort and subsequent wikileaks releases—with Stone predicting release dates and some content. New Unredacted Mueller Report's Most Explosive Revelations (businessinsider.com)

 6)      Trump praised wikileaks, an entity the US government previously had declared an “enemy of the state,” and anticipated and  amplified the hacked emails. President Trump in 2016: 'I love WikiLeaks,' Trump now: 'I know nothing about WikiLeaks' | CNN Politics

 7)      Kushner had created a back-door communication channel with Russia—which is not uncommon or illegal/unethical to be done by incoming administrations, but the timing and optics were suspect. Explainer: Was Jared Kushner’s attempted ‘back-channel’ with Russia treasonous — or typical? | PBS NewsHour

 8)      Trump believed Putin over US (and world) intel that had determined that the Russian government had worked to influence the 2016 Presidential election. Trump says he believes Putin over U.S. intel (yahoo.com)

9)      Numerous policies—including Syria withdrawal, non-renewal of INF treaty, disparagement of NATO—seemed to be pro-Russia, despite bi-partisan support for stands that weren’t Trump’s. 37 times Trump was soft on Russia | CNN Politics

10) Two subsequent Trump-DOJ investigations (Horowitz and Durham), concluded that, despite some egregious procedural errors, there was neither political bias nor malfeasance in beginning the Trump/Russia investigation. 

So, why in the world would anyone think there was something to investigate about Trump and Russia? Um, because there was, no matter what lies and misbeliefs Trump and his idiotic
minions spew.