Biden: Not dead yet?

Following Biden's debate debacle last night, many people (me included) determined his election chances were dead in the water.

Not so fast.

Today, in Raleigh, NC, Biden pulled a Mark Twain--he delivered an incredibly coherent and powerful speech.

Biden's NC speech today shows he's
still in this thing

Unbelievable, in fact. 

I mean, WHERE WAS THIS GUY LAST NIGHT?! 

Biden said the things he should have said in a way that would have made him the frontrunner. 

Hands down.

Unbelievable.

If he can be more like today and less like he was last night, 

Biden's campaign is not dead yet.

Here's a short clip

For 187 minutes, Trump did nothing

Just a reminder: For 187 minutes on January 6, 2021, Trump supporters pummeled police officers, and

Trump did nothing.

As Trump's supporters hunted down his Vice-President amid chants of "Hang Mike Pence!"

Trump did nothing.

While our country's elected Congressional representatives frantically hastened to take shelter from a violent, advancing mob,

Trump did nothing.

And when Trump supporters marched through the US Capitol carrying flags supporting Trump and the Confederacy--on their way to ransack Congressional offices and occupy the Senate chambers--

Trump did nothing.

Even when Trump's own staff and family implored him to stop the carnage--because they obviously believed (correctly) these were Trump supporters who would stop with his order to do so--

Trump did nothing.

Well, that's not entirely accurate.

Trump sat in the White House.

He watched it all unfold on Fox News.

He told his staff he wished not to be bothered.

He called Congressional members hiding in the Senate chambers, attempting to solicit support to delay
certification of the election results.

He created a video that told this violent mob that he agreed with them and that they were very special.

That's what Trump did during the 187 minutes that the US Capitol--our Capitol--was under siege.

That's not a leader. 

That's a selfish, cowardly, disgusting excuse for a human being.

And the GOP thinks such a piece of garbage should be President again?

Unlike Trump, you can do something.

Vote Biden.

GUILTY!

 A jury of Donald Trump's peers has found the former President of the United States GUILTY OF 34 FELONY COUNTS.

This is a jury that had been selected with Trump's attorneys through jury selection. This is a jury that faced down the fear of possible retaliation by a vengeful criminal and his rabid and misguided minions. This is a jury that listened to all the evidence and decided that Trump did, indeed, have a hand in falsifying business records in an effort to influence the 2016 election.

Not a witch hunt.

Not a political persecution.

Only accountability for criminal actions committed by Donald Trump.

It's justice.

Finally.

Hallelujah.

Unbelievable stats about Trump

Some stunning numbers from the GOP presidential frontrunner:

The GOP's not the only one pulling for a Trump victory

0 popular vote wins

1 liability for sexual assault

2 impeachments

4 indictments

91 criminal charges

187 minutes of silence while Capitol stormed

11,780 votes demanded of Georgia

130K $ in hush money to porn star

430M+ $ owed in court judgments

Wow.

I mean, just, wow.

Today's observation: Which genes are which?

Trump continues to defend his mental acuity by invoking his genetic connection to his MIT professor uncle:

"You know, I had an uncle. He's the longest serving professor, Doctor John Trump, in the history of MIT, with same genes, we have genes, we're smart people, we're smart people."

And, yet, he never mentions his genetic connection to his father that died from Alzheimer's.

An example of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment about which Trump references to brag about his mental competency. And what it really means.

The Inevitability of Trump

Well, here we are.

With DeSantis's departure, the GOP nomination field for President has whittled from fourteen to two.

And, hey, Nikki Haley, who are we kidding? 

It's coming into focus--the GOP nominee will be Trump

The GOP nominee will be Trump.

Polls show Trump with an average margin over Haley of fourteen points in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. And, for the following week, Trump's up an astounding 36% in SC over South Carolina's favorite daughter. So, even if somehow, some way, Nikki Haley were to garner more New Hampshire votes than Trump, it would just delay the inevitable: Donald Trump, the twice-impeached, four-time indicted, 91-felony-count-facing, sexual-assault-liable, business-fraud, former US President--despite facing charges of hoarding classified US documents and promoting conspiracy theories to overturn an election--will be anointed the GOP's nominee to run for president.

Unbelievably, you read that right. 

As it stands right now, even more than half the US GOP Senators--some of whom have called Trump a "con artist," a "pathological liar," or a "race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot"--have now endorsed his candidacy. The same party with lawmakers who claimed Trump's rhetoric was responsible for January 6 are now embracing the candidate who, as President, disregarded the US Constitution and attempted to thwart democracy. And, in the very near future, it will be official.

The Republicans want this despicable, bullying, narcissist as their president--this man who lost the 2020 White House, House, and Senate, and brought embarrassing numbers to the GOP in 2022, as well. 

Fortunately, it isn't exclusively up to the spineless/gullible morons who have cast their lot with Trump.

Despite most polls calling a Biden/Trump rematch in a dead heat (i.e., most are within the margin of error), polls also show that Trump's support would drop double digits if he were convicted.

Well, that's assuming that the voters they polled follow through on their morals and convictions more than most in the GOP have done.

If so, then, despite Trump's inevitable nomination, his ascendency to the presidency will be anything but.

Just like Ron DeSantis, Trump will not spend the next four years in the White House.

It's inevitable.

ADDENDUM: Politico just published (1/22) a thorough analysis of Trump's court cases and electability: Will Trump’s Jan. 6 Trial Take Place Before the Election? - POLITICO

Racism: Today's "Trump Daily Despicability" Entry

Today's entry into the Trump Despicability Index is no secret: Trump is racist.

And he knows how to play his racist audience for support.

Trump's racist assertions about Haley are lies

He's previously done so quite obviously: promoting Confederate "values" with his "Fine people, on both sides" comment about Charlottesville, or his inspiring of the ultra-racist and Trump-supporting Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by" during a Presidential debate when asked to condemn their repulsive tenets of white supremacy.

Now, just as he did for Barack Obama, Ted Cruz, and Kamala Harris, Trump has added Nikki Haley to his resume of racism by promoting the baseless and disgusting conspiracy lie that she, too, is ineligible for the presidency because she is--wait for it--not a US-born citizen.

Um, except she is (as are Obama, Cruz, and Harris).

Haley was born, indisputably, in the US--in Bamberg, South Carolina.

And, according to the US Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment (which also talks about disqualification for insurrection, btw), "All persons born...in the United States...are citizens of the United States..."

So, why does Trump do this?

Because he wants the racism daily double--he thinks his doing so will "delegitimize" a political opponent (who is not "white" like him and his followers) AND he gets to rally and infuriate his gullible and angry base of deplorable voters that are still burning from the "indignity" of a Black man being elected US President in 2008.

And, in this heavily MAGA anti-immigrant climate (well, non-European immigrant, anyway), it's just a bonus for Trump's rabid base that Haley's parents were both immigrants (who, btw, Trump says are "poisoning the blood of our country").

Hmm, also immigrants were Harris's parents and Cruz's father (Obama's Kenyan dad had been studying in the US with his Kansas-born wife when Barack was born). (Parenthetically, Melania's an immigrant, too, albeit of white, European heritage).

This isn't a coincidence.

And this isn't a mistake.

This is a former president and current candidate for that office purposely playing the racist card to pull the cockroaches from the dark recesses of our society out into the light so they will cast their votes for him.

THAT'S Trump's strategy.

If that's not despicable, nothing is. 

Trump: Daily Despicability

Inmate #PO1135809

Donald Trump is despicable.

He doesn't care about the people.

He doesn't care about the law.

And he continues to prove it day after day.

Men wait outside a soup kitchen
 during the Great Depression

Yesterday, he said he hoped the US economy collapses in the next year (essentially so it wouldn't hurt him politically if he was elected President)--not taking into account the loss of businesses, the loss of jobs, the short- and long-term suffering and effects on our fellow citizens that MAGA insists Trump cares about so much. 

Nope. He hopes the economy crashes now so it won't affect his image.

And, just this morning, in his presidential immunity trial, Trump's team--defending the self-proclaimed "Law and Order" President--argued that a President couldn't be criminally charged with having his political rivals assassinated unless he had been first impeached and convicted of that in Congress.

Actual text from today's federal appeals court hearing:

Judge: Could a president who ordered SEAL team 6 to assassinate a political rival and is not impeached, would he be subject to criminal prosecution?

Trump lawyer: If he were impeached and convicted first.

Think about that. 

Trump's team is arguing that a US President could have his political rivals murdered, and if the Senate was spineless/immoral enough not to vote to convict the President in an impeachment trial (as happened in Trump's insurrection impeachment trial because Senators feared violence directed towards their families, or because some Senators clung to the weak argument that it wasn't proper to convict a, by then, former President), that the once-President would be able to walk away scot-free.

No one would be safe in Trump's America

That means if Biden ordered such assassinations now, he couldn't be charged unless he was convicted in the Democrat-controlled Senate. And if the Democratic Senator votes were affected by fear of violence or personal political repercussions or because of peer-pressure or lack of moral/ethical turpitude, Biden would happily railroad off into the sunset.

And that's what Trump thinks is acceptable?

My, God.

On second thought, despicable doesn't even begin to describe him.

Our Country's on Fire

A fire alarm sounds. Rational people get the hell out of the building. They don't stay, even if Frank from accounting tells them there's no fire, even while the office burns around them. 

To those that don't heed the alarm, bad things happen, especially to Frank. And to those that believed him.

Incredibly, that's where we find our country. Too many people believe Frank.

On the ignominious anniversary of Trump siccing his violent mob on the U.S. Capitol in 2021, numerous politicians and organizations are sounding the alarm about Donald Trump and what his power grab then--and ostensibly, in the future--will mean for democracy and the United States.

Rational people think, "Danger!" 

Trump supporters think, "Frank from accounting said this isn't a problem."

Video from that day shows Trump supporters attacking police, ransacking the US Capitol, and chanting to hang Trump's own vice-president--these people Trump and his followers now cheer as "Patriots." Those arrested and awaiting trial for their alleged crimes, Trump calls "hostages." Trump's political rallies play videos of his minions overrunning the Capitol, with the background music of the insurrectionists singing the national anthem and Trump reciting the pledge.

As rational people know, Trump engineered the event ("Be there, will be wild!") after cultivating doubt about a fair election among his many gullible and angry followers for months--spewing disproven conspiracies ranging from ballot-switching Dominion election machines to voting from scores of dead voters (for which Trump's claim has helped bring a Georgia arrest).

And the flames, people, are raging. 

Trump vows retribution. He threatens witnesses. He has laid out a road map for what his chaotic and vengeful presidency would be. He and his campaign have again refused to say they would accept results if he doesn't win.

But the GOP doesn't seem to care. Trump can do no wrong. 

And the gullible GOP followers think the same thing--even an astounding 34% of them believe that US law enforcement actually organized and encouraged the Trump-incited, disgraceful and horrific January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

The building is on fire.

For God's sake, don't listen to Frank.

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.

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.

"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.

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) 

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.

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.

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.