Together ... Together...."
The Carpenters, 1970
_________________________________________________________________________
Welcome back! I have laid off this blog for several months.... I began this commentary back in the fall of 2015.... nearly 10 years now... What "lit my fuse" was the Trump announcement that he would seek election as the president of the United States! OMG! I began to write, monitor, recall, and report his psychotic campaign into 2016... and the SHOCKING OUTCOME - ALL BASED ON LIES, EXAGERATIONS, AND SNAKE OIL.
That was Act I.
I have picked up my pen and pencil... and turned on my keyboard to follow the roller-coaster ride to the next stop - November 2024. What you see here may repeat something you already know, contain new info that you missed, remind you of an important/debatable FACT, and set a stage for the battle ahead. As you will see, all of the articles written are stored here in reverse order of publication - current to former. This is a solid and supported FACT FILE. You can trash it... or keep it handy for your debate/discussion engagement as the clock ticks down. The 2024 heat has been turned up... and the political "pot" is coming to a boil... be prepared with FACTS, not lies... knowledge and not rumors...TRUTH and not LIES. Ready?
Here we go.... Act II
Once inaugurated in January 2017, Beth and I - along with a million others - gathered in January in the Women's March in DC to protest the anti-woman candidate pledged to "erase" Roe v. Wade from the Supreme Court record after 50 years of female freedom to choose.... I continued to write - Act II - The Trump Presidency... and the lunacy that unfolded along a crash and burn path. More than 100 articles later - Trump lost the election of 2020 to Joe Biden.... and, notwithstanding "STOP THE STEAL" efforts led by Trump, Giuliani, and others to this day, Trump has refused to recognize his loss in 2020... and continues to lie., lie, lie regarding imaginary illegal votes cast in spite of losing more than 60 court cases filed across the nation in a dozen jurisdictions. Some were appealed to the Supreme Court as well. Lost them all due to lack of any evidence in any case. On the day of Electoral Certification set on January 6th according to the Constitution, both Houses of Congress were meeting together to count and certify the Electoral votes case as certified by all 50 states - Republican and Democratic alike.
Trump called for the January 6th Insurrection! He and others stoked the crowd summoned by Trump to the DC Ellipse that day. Thousands appeared - some armed and eager others eager and "juiced." The charge took place on Trump's orders... and the Congressional Building was invaded, damaged, wrecked, and ransacked. Violent injury and deaths were recorded as well. The Members of Congress fled to secure locations and only hours later returned to complete the required Constitutional task. That night Biden was formally "elected" President of the United States. After that episode, I slowed the blog production... The BLOG was the story of TRUMP after all - before election in 2016.... during his term to 2021... and his exit from the White House - without a peaceful transition to a new administration - as outlined in our Constitution, our history, and through the voting choices of the American people in the election of 2020.
I had assumed that the Republican ranks would breathe a sign of relief with Trump's departure.... and would resume a more sane, conservative, and concerning agenda unlike the lunacy, uninformed, unsteady, ramshackle ruckus that Trump dragged into the Oval Office. It seemed that the early Biden administration - marked by his efforts at bi-partisan negotiation and progress in solving problems that the nation faced - would succeed along with a measure of Republican support. Then - TRUMP STEPPED IN ONCE AGAIN. Progress slowed, Covid cured without bleach, the urgently needed Infrastructure bill was adopted, healthcare protected and somewhat expanded, high-price-profit pharmaceutical companies controlled with prices being levelled - especially insulin maxed at $35 a month! With Medicare and Social Security protected, unemployment sitting at its lowest in 30 years of records, Stock Market at new record highs, 14,000,000 new jobs created, student loans forgiven, GNP growing rapidly, and inflation coming down - though not as yet to the goal levels sought by the Federal Reserve Board. Still, compared to other industrial nations around the globe, the US has set new recovery records and leads every other nation in economic recovery recked by the Covid storm.
And, that takes us to this May - 2024.... After the Republican Party "calmed" for a bit... a Trump "depth charge" ignited.... and the MAGA MONSTER REAPPEARED! Republican Presidential Primary Election candidates fell by the wayside although Trump refused to debate... and the Trump MAGA virus spread.... Cases - civil and criminal - were filed against Trump... and his legal staff adopted a simple plan - DELAY, DELAY, DELAY.... APPEAL, APPEAL, APPEAL.... MOTION AFTER MATION AFTER MOTION... LOSE AND APPEAL, APPEAL, APPEAL... Simple plan - delay until election day 2024, get elected, stop the criminal actions, and pardon yourself! He already pardoned several convicted offenders in the week before he left office on January 20th, 2021. These included Roger Stone and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Steve Bannon, Steve Miller and others have joined the MAGA MADHOUSE circling the Trump plan. Here are some examples:
1. Michael Flynn is promoting a new real-estate firm that caters to Trump supporters. MAGA Realty promises that their clients will be "thoroughly vetted to ensure that they share our beliefs." Flynn notes that all homebuyers will be gifted a 25-feet flag pole and an AR-15 "to make liberal heads explode!" (THE WEEK MAGAZINE. 5.24.24)
2. Candidate Trump: Both before and during his NY State criminal trial Trump held a rally or two and rambled on and on with nonsensical drivel for an hour at a clip. He described the January 6th invasion and damages of the Congressional Building not as insurrectionists or seditionists although hundreds have entered guilty pleas to date. Instead, Trump described them as "patriots" and those currently in prison as "hostages." I wonder if he is sentenced to prison after being found guilty on 34 felony counts that he will describe himself as a "Hitlerian Patriot and Hero?"
Speaking of HITLER.... when he was convicted in 1924 - a exact century before today - for leading an armed insurrection against the German Democracy he discovered that the Courtrooms made excellent "soapboxes" for political grandstanding! Hitler railed against Germany's democratic elected leaders and their constitutional legal system. He attacked the judges, prosecutors, and jurors insisting that it was THEY that committed treason against Germany - not him! (Ryback, LA Times. 4.19.24)
During his remarks in Wildwood, NJ Trump also mentioned some of his American "heroes." He described the fictional serial killer Hannibal Lector as "the late, great" and a "wonderful man." OUCH!
On the other side of the coin is Nikki Haley, former Republican Governor of South Carolina and the last Republican candidate for president this season to drop out of the race just 2 months back. Most thought that Haley would stand by and possibly campaign against Trump.... but, NO... Just a week ago, Haley bowed down and kissed the ring along with many others, including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell who had already announced that he would depart the Leadership come January '25. Haley ran against Trump and steadily criticized him as "unstable," "unhinged," "unfit for office," and a disaster for our party." Even now, out of the race since March, she continued to poll at around 20% - before the NY CONVICTIONS.
 |
| The Time has come... should you fall, I'll catch MAGA! |
Right now, poll data is split almost right down the middle. In fact, both candidates - whether up a few points or down a few in a variety of polls across the nation and in various states, fall right into the polls margin of error estimates - 3-4 points. The net result is a TIE! Looking further, however, especially into the toss-up states - 7 states that have gone and could go either way. Cross-tabs suggest that there is a difference between those who are citizens, those who are registered to vote, and those who are registered and are likely voters who have voted regularly in federal elections for Congress and the Presidency. Still... we are months away from election day, before debates, before conventions, and before numerous "Trump Train Wrecks." Meanwhile, ENDORSEMENTS ARE UNDERWAY...
On May 23rd at a rally in NYC the Trump folk claimed 25000 were in attendance. They had requested a permit for 3500 - not 35000. 3400 tickets were issued and aerial shots suggest that the number reached was 800-1500 people assembled - some in support and some out of curiosity. Trump accepted two curious "endorsements" from alleged gang members. Rappers Michael Williams (Sheff G) and Tegan Chambers (Sleepy Hallow) were indicted with 30 other people on 140 counts including murder, attempted murder, illegal firearms and at least a dozen shootings (Richardson. Letters from an American. 5.24.24). Shef G was released from jail in April after posting a $1.5 million bond.
MAGA has pulled together.... The MAGA Republican Leadership in both House and Senate also pulled together.... AND THREATENED THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, THE NY ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THE "CONFLICTED" TRIAL JUDGE, AND THE "POISONED" JURORS TOO - just to cite a few...
Trump has warned that a "bloodbath" can take place... Will our "Declaration of Independence" from an autocratic Monarchy of King George in 1776 be erased? Can it be dissolved and replaced nearly 250 years later by King Donald? Can our precious US Constitution - its reliance on the rule of law and not the rule of a dictator - be the backbone of the American Democracy? Have "we only just begun to live?" Or, being rounded up into "snuff camps?" Is the nation ready to wake up and recognize the MAGA MENACE that surrounds us? Are the symbols of the MAGA MADMEN brown Hitlerian shirts from 100 years ago? Mob families fashion with Godfathers, CAPOs, and Made Men wearing black suits and toting Tommie Guns (forerunners of the NRA) of the Mobster Families. Or, is the MAGA crowd wearing Red caps and long ties repeating MAGA Chants with loaded AKs? It's time to STAND UP, SPEAK OUT, AND MARCH ON TO REGISTER VOTERS... SWING VOTES... AND SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY!
Bobby J
