HERITAGE FOUNDATION’S PATRIMONY, A BLOODLESS 2025 COUP?

We are hearing, and learning, much more about Project 2025, also misleadingly called ‘Mandate for Leadership,’ as the presidential sweepstakes progresses. This ‘Mandate’ is a collection of conservative and right-wing policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation, written to reshape the US federal government and consolidate executive power for the Republican winner of the 2024 election, and to bring to fruition all those items not accomplished by the first Trump administration. Ruth Ben-Ghiat of Substack says, “They got a slow start, so their codeword is ‘day one,’ forming the basis for the potential Trump term number two.” Ben-Ghiat, authoritarianism expert and history professor at New York University who authored ‘Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present,’ comments, “Already politically-vetted people are in place to immediately implement the plans if Trump wins the election,” though the former president has claimed to have no knowledge of the project’s purpose nor who, or what, is behind the handbook! Mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants is one facet in the 970-page guide with Ben-Ghiat warning, “One thing that’s very important for people to realize is that undocumented immigrants won’t be the only ones who end up being targeted. It’s always more people. They use one group to have the justification to build the repressive infrastructure like the transit camps, whatever they are going to do; but be assured, and this is the history of authoritarianism, many groups of people will be targeted to be in that.”

MSNBC anchor, Joy Reid, launched into Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation, after an interview on ‘Real America’s Voice,’ a right-wing fringe network, after he said, “We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the Left allows it to be.” So, to avoid violence Americans should simply accept his group’s ‘Mandate.’ Reid called him a “coward,” contending that he won’t do anything violent since he’ll be in the country club after golfing, as the violent and armed people such as the Proud Boys-types will be doing the dirty work. She asserts, “So that man is a coward, and he likes to talk a lot of crap, but it is still a threat. And I took it as a declaration of war against the rest of us.” Reid’s guest, Sherrilyn Ifill, a law professor and former president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, remarked, “The gloves are off. They are no longer afraid to say what their true intentions are. They don’t get the American Revolution. They are the Confederacy, bent on destroying this country.”

Progressives were astonished that the authoritarian conspirators were so bold in publishing their ‘Mandate’ to destroy the government, a plan so malevolent it seems they might wish to hide it; yet, there it is on a website open to all, fascist flag a’flying. But MAGA adherents have never been terribly secretive about their agendas, Trump being candidate number one when he calls for “retribution” against opponents, or promises “pardons” for J6 rioters, or calls anyone who objects to his strategies “vermin” who should be eliminated…or deported. This tactic works because most Americans aren’t paying attention, never learning that such heinous things are being advocated…except for the ‘base’ who will get their hackles raised, and some progressives who will absolutely panic. The panic-stricken then get called out for being a pack of liberal crazies prone to exaggeration. Amanda Marcotte, senior political writer at Salon, likens it to “a guy who pinches a woman’s butt in a bar, and when she protests, laughs and insists she’s just a crazy lady making it all up.” Marcotte continues, “We say this about the strategy with the Supreme Court’s recent presidential ‘immunity’ decision…it’s factually correct that it gives Trump a license to kill, but anyone who speaks this fact is accused of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and “madness” by the Republicans.”

Marcotte believes the MAGA strategy is successful because less politically engaged Americans assume that both parties engage in hyperbole, with the low information individuals being quick to believe false accusations that liberals are “deranged” upon hearing their accusations of Trump’s dictatorial plans. The Heritage Foundation revealed Project 2025 in assuming normal voters would never learn of it, and those few who heard would dismiss fears as “overheated nonsense”  – if it’s so evil, why would they disclose it? Recently, on the Black Entertainment Television awards show, host Taraji P. Henson managed to speak out against Project 2025, when she said, “The Project 2025 plan is not a game. Look it up! I’m talking to all the mad people that don’t want to vote. You’re going to be mad about a lot of things if you don’t vote.” From there it went viral, being picked up by other celebrities, spurring the MAGA squads into action with their gaslighting efforts against those who are starting to see that the ‘Mandate’ may not be hysterical progressives theatrics, but a valid threat. MAGA’s fake leftists are busy sowing confusion online by saying Project 2025 is a Biden undertaking, but the Biden campaign has begun to raise awareness on its site with bullet points to highlight the dangers in the right’s efforts. Marcotte says the initiative’s name sounds like something out of a dystopian sci-fi novel, as does the Trump team’s “Agenda 47,” which it uses in-house, and is only a light-weight version of the same fascistic game plan. These scary-sounding names may thrill the sadistic MAGA base, but liberals react with fear and caution, and the tide may be turning as Trump’s schemes come to the fore. Marcotte believes Trump can’t win without a large percentage of voters backing him under the false belief that he’s “not so bad,” and that as they discover his intentions, a second term will spur second thoughts. Good bumper sticker: Second Term? Second Thoughts!

Heritage Foundation’s President Kevin Roberts may wish for a bloodless second American Revolution, but North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson, now running for governor, had a different take as he recently told the congregation at Lake Church in White Lake, North Carolina, “Some folks need killing! It’s time for somebody to say it. It’s not a matter of vengeance. It’s not a matter of being mean or spiteful. It’s a matter of necessity!” Of course, the authority in pronouncing judgement rests on Mark Robinson and the MAGA base…being kind and benevolent, naturally!

Last came Anarchy: he rode
On a white horse, splashed with blood;
He was pale even to his lips, 
Like Death in the Apocalypse. 
And he wore a kingly crown;
And in his grasp a sceptre shone;
On his brow this mark I saw –

‘I AM GOD, AND KING, AND LAW!’

Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Masque of Anarchy
(Thanks to Asha Rangappa/The Freedom Academy)

California’s Representative Jared Huffman is leading a group of congressional Democrats in a task force aimed toward examining, preempting and counteracting the Heritage Foundation’s dystopian plot to undermine our democracy, which plainly states its intent to abolish our checks and balances, to chip away at church-state separation, and impose far-right agendas infringing on basic liberties in violation of public will. Huffman warns, “This is an unprecedented embrace of extremism, fascism, and religious nationalism, orchestrated by the radical right and its dark money backers. We need a coordinated strategy to save America and stop this coup before it’s too late. Donald Trump and those behind Project 2025 are ready to turn America into a theocratic regime if they get the chance – and we are going to be ready to stop them.” Two prominent lawmakers involved are Representatives Jamie Raskin and Pramila Jayapal, who are ready to stand against the MAGA agenda, to never see the light of day. Right-wing groups backing Project 2025 have received tens of millions of dollars in funding from dark money networks led by Leonard Leo, co-chair of the Federalist Society, and billionaire oil tycoon Charles Koch. Despite his claim of lacking awareness of the plot, Trump has openly embraced its objectives, vowing to gut climate regulations in exchange for Big Oil donations, and launching the “largest domestic deportation operation in American history, and threatening to weaponize federal agencies against his opponents, while deploying the US military against protestors.” Undoubtedly, the new 4th of July will be J6 from here on out.

Trump would begin his second term by purging nonpartisan civil service workers who prevented some of his most glaring excesses in his first term, replacing them with unqualified toadies. Project Sovereignty 2025 is taking names of “anti-American bad actors burrowed into the administrative state” by trawling through backgrounds, social media posts, and statements from high-ranking civil servants as they prepare for the massacre of reclassifications, reassignments or outright firing, with the immediate goal of sowing fear and menacing federal employees. “Flooding the zone with conservative personnel,” is on tap according to Kevin Roberts, in a fashion that they weren’t prepared to do in 2017, this time with their lists at the ready, the ducks in a row! That list would affect around 50,000 federal workers, though former Trump director of the OMB, Russell Vought, has plans to cut up to 68% of staff, from senior attorneys down to admin staff all over the country who had nothing to do with policy-making. According to Robert Reich, Inequality Media Civic Action is preparing to launch videos across every major social media platform to sound the alarm, because the mainstream media has yet to begin the clarion call for action. Even Fox News is hiding from its viewers the GOP assaults on IVF and contraception as described in Project 2025, because these policies are highly unpopular among the electorate, even as Trump and his base have begun to downplay their previous opposition to reproductive freedom…which only muddles the picture for both progressives and supporters of the Trump candidacy. The Fox News pattern of glossing over, or ignoring, coverage of the topic, contrasts with the Christian right’s moral panic, revealing of how anxious the GOP is about American voters discovering their extreme agenda. Republicans know the vast majority of the population take contraception and IVF for granted, as a normal and morally accepted practice (82%), second only to birth control (90%). As Sarah Posner of MSNBC says, “By now it is clear that the GOP’s 2024 strategy depends on evasions and prevarications about the right’s ambitions to restrict reproductive freedom. Any claims that Project 2025 envisions a Republican program for Americans’ ‘self governance’ is yet another rhetorical bait and switch in this cynical campaign of misdirection.”

Andy Borowitz satirically reports, “In a lawsuit filed on Monday, millions of Americans asked the US Supreme Court to grant them immunity from Donald J. Trump. The lawsuit argues that the Constitution was intended to protect the people from Trump, unlike the Court’s recent actions, which have protected Trump from the Constitution. ‘The Constitution was designed to shield the people from domestic tyranny and foreign threats,’ the filing reads. ‘Trump represents both.’ In a separate filing, the American people asked for protection from violent insurrections enabled by Supreme Court justices’ wives.”

Interesting post on The Nation’s website: “We’re not Leninists here at The Nation – we’re apostles of small-d democracy. But right now it is impossible to deny the salience of the Russian revolutionary’s observation that ‘there are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.’ This has clearly been one of those weeks. Just as some of us thought it might be safe to come out from under the covers where we’d been hiding from reality, the Supreme Court dropped a decision on presidential immunity that – while not wholly unexpected – will have both immediate and long-term effects every bit as bad as we had been dreading. Real progress requires clarity of vision as well as energy and direction. So to those still mired in self-delusion, whether by Joe Biden’s mental acuity or the benevolence of our Supreme Court, I offer Marx’s challenge: ‘Who are you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?’…Chico, not Karl.”

Ascension Catholic Church in Chesterfield, Missouri had to issue an apology for running an ad in its bulletin, which read, “We are calling all young men back to Church to form a militia dedicated to protecting the Holy Eucharist, our congregation, our clergy, and the church grounds.” The proposed name for the militia, ‘The Legion of the Sancta Lana Council,’ was to be made up of young men between the ages of 18-29, to be trained in strict physical fitness standards, classroom study, and instructions in military operations. A QR code was printed for scanning for those who have experience in military, fitness instruction, Latin, business or medicine, which brought up the application for membership with ties to the Ascension parish. The application said that the church “has been chosen as the testing ground for the militia and, if successful, we hope to establish platoons at parishes around the world.” According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the church has retracted the announcement, apologizing for the “error and the anguish it has caused,” clarifying that the activity does not have its support, nor is it tied to the parish, and that the ad was “sort of a mistake…it slipped through the cracks of the review process, being inappropriate and unhelpful,” since no threats have been made against the community. They are everywhere!

And, THEY are certainly in Louisiana, as proven by Governor Jeff Landry’s signing of an educational bill requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom, while also removing requirements for vaccinations…tailor-made action for a truckload of lawsuits. The package as signed will give more money to private schools, weaken teacher standards, and eliminate preferred pronouns, while giving more power over school curricula to a new state board which will determine what, and how, teachers can teach. Landry said, “If you want to respect the rule of law, you’ve got to start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses. And I can’t wait to be sued.” Four civil liberties organizations immediately obliged his call. No state funds will be used to display the Big Ten on posters or plaques, as they will rely on churches to voluntarily provide the goods. It is not out of the question to think that the current Supreme Court will find a way to make the Louisiana law acceptable…and perhaps the law of the land? Mark Sumner posts on Daily Kos, “Regarding claims about the ‘original lawgiver,’ someone might want to inform Landry about Hammurabi or Ur-Nammu. Not only do these expansive lists of laws predate any version of the Ten Commandments, but those ancient vengeance- and retribution-based legal systems would likely appeal to Republicans. Of course, the intention of putting the Ten Commandments in every classroom from kindergarten through college doesn’t have anything to do with education. And it’s certainly not about respecting the rule of law.”

As Rudy Giuliani continues in his devolution from the treading water stage into the slime in an amoeba state, we can find comfort in that he is finally gainfully employed! Sure, having been unsuccessful in his courtroom experiences, filing a declaration of bankruptcy, and being barred from practicing law in New York are hardly résumé highlights; but, now this announcement from MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell on Steve Bannon’s WarRoom show, “Speaking of Rudy Giuliani…we hired him over at FrankSpeech.com. He’s on my network now. He follows Steve Bannon, Lou Dobbs and then myself.” Lindell told Newsweek that he hired Giuliani after his suspension from WABC for lying on his daily show about the 2020 election, so now he’s host of a daily podcast. The free fall from mayor of New York City to podcaster will gain him no respite from his creditors who are hot on his trail, as he spouts his election lies from the pillow fort of co-conspirator Lindell.

TANGERINE IMPERIALISTS, DECISION FOR THE AGES (OR AGED?), FLAGS FLY FOR REVENGE

Well, well…it looks as though His MAGAness was right about his innocence all along, and that he has the right to be a criminal, borne out by the US Supreme Court decision released last Monday. Does the new Imperial Presidency, supported by the new Imperial High Court apply to President Biden as well, or does he have to abide by the law as we ordinary citizens must do? The Court could have, and should have, decided on this case in December (only agreeing to take the case in late February)…or at least shortly after that acceptance, as the courts demonstrated in 16 days when the Nixon/Watergate tapes scandal erupted. This very court ruled that Trump’s name should remain on the Colorado primary ballot in less than a month! Constitutional law professor emeritus at Harvard University, Laurence Tribe, accused the Court of dragging its feet, saying, “It’s obvious that the Court has DELIBERATELY delayed everything. It could easily have issued a ruling much sooner.” Special Counsel Jack Smith brought the four-count indictment against Trump almost a year ago, accusing the former president of conspiring to derail the 2020 Biden victory by preventing Congress from verifying the totals from the state Electors.

In December, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected Trump’s motion to dismiss the charges on ground of absolute presidential immunity in his argument that any actions taken while in office protects him from prosecution, and that the House of Representatives must impeach, and the Senate must convict a former president before criminal prosecution is initiated. Trump’s claim was rejected by the DC Circuit Court in February, with Chutkan delaying the scheduled March 2024 trial date until the Trump argument wended its way through the court system. Trump asked the Supremes to weigh in and offer their “thoughtful consideration.” We now see that the ‘consideration’ wasn’t very ‘thoughtful’ as they delayed release of a decision for four months, waiting until the last day of the court session to rule on a decision that was, in reality, probably decided six months ago by the majority of six MAGA-leaning judges. James Sample, a Hofstra University constitutional law professor believes there was “no legal necessity” for the High Court to accept this case in the first place, pointing to Trump’s “dangerous” arguments. Sample argues, “When you compare the Supreme Court’s handling of similarly urgent presidential matters in the past, including Watergate…, and certainly Bush v Gore, the delay that has occurred here is intentional, and it is destructive of our democratic process. The DC Circuit’s decision was correct on the merits, the Supreme Court has effectively interfered in the political process for no reason whatsoever other than for the purpose of interfering.”

Clair Wofford, poli sci professor at the College of Charleston, said it’s “certainly fair” to criticize the court for not taking up the case sooner, adding, “If you wanted, there are lots of people you could hold responsible for how long this is taking.” She references Attorney General Merrick Garland, who waited until November 2022 to appoint Special Counsel Jack Smith, and the FBI’s hesitancy of a year before investigating the J6 riot. “If you want something to be reasonable and rational and thoughtful and ordered, it doesn’t happen quickly,” Wofford stated. So, in it’s tardy ruling last week, The Supremes ruled that our Tangerine Darth PaidHer can be tried for any of his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss that were not in an official presidential capacity…too late for a trial to be completed before election day. Both Wofford and Tribe agree that Jack Smith can rewrite the indictment against Trump to include things that Trump’s lawyers admit were private, narrowing the case to the fake elector scheme. Tribe says, “No one doubts that that’s outside the president’s powers, that he supported the filing of false allegations of election fraud, that he signed verifications in court filings knowing that they were false.” He adds that Smith could proceed with trial 88 days from the decision, time to which Trump and his defense team are entitled for trial prep. Smith’s narrowing the case might allow for a trial before the election, but it wouldn’t include all the crimes committed leading up to and including January 6, the only advantage being that Trump could be partially exposed for his criminality to voters. One hitch might be that AG Garland will determine that with the election being eminent, he will not authorize holding a trial, a decision that Tribe warns against since a winning candidate Trump will appoint a compliant attorney general who will simply waive all charges.

Writing for the 6-3 court majority, Chief Justice John Roberts says, “The parties before us do not dispute that a former President can be subject to criminal prosecution for unofficial acts committed while in office. They also agree that some of the conduct described in the indictment includes actions taken by Trump in his unofficial capacity.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a dissent joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, wrote that the majority’s decision “makes a mockery of the principle, foundational to our Constitution and system of Government, that no man is above the law.” She argues that the Supremes gave the former president “all the immunity he asked for and more. With fear for our democracy, I dissent.” The Chief Justice downplayed the dissenters, saying, “As for the dissents, they strike a tone of chilling doom that is wholly disproportionate to what the Court actually does today – they conclude that immunity extends to official discussions between the President and his Attorney General , and then remand to the lower courts to determine ‘in the first instance’ whether and to what extent Trump’s remaining alleged conduct is entitled to immunity.” Of the six conservative justices, half were appointed by Trump, and he was quick to jump on Truth Social, calling the ruling “A BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY.”

Roberts agrees that presidents are not above the law, but says, “…under our system of separated powers, the President may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts. That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office.” Former Justice Department attorney, David Becker, called the Supreme’s decision “deeply disturbing” and “really striking” for what it would allow a president to do in office and remain unchallenged criminally, such as immunity from interactions with an attorney general who might endeavor to change election results or kill a political opponent. “The way I read this opinion is it could be a road map for (presidents) seeking to stay in power. It could put into question whether or not future peaceful transfers of power occur.” Robert Mintz of McCarter & English, said the decision created more heat than light, and, “Rather than finding either a clear immunity or no immunity for alleged criminal conduct, this new standard will unquestionably lead to protracted hearings and further appeals as the lower courts have to now grapple with the question of which allegations in the indictment constitute official acts.”

Presidential criminal immunity is something the framers of our Constitution didn’t consider, nor could they have conceived of such a clause for inclusion, after having rejected the toxic rule of a royal sovereign. But now it seems we must crown King Donald. Previous courts had ruled that presidents are immune from civil lawsuits for official actions taken while president though not from lawsuits tied to their behavior, but after the three judges of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals discounted the Trump claim of absolute immunity, the Supreme Court felt a need to step in to examine whether or not there are barriers to any criminal charges against a president. Though it had to make a ruling on the Trump appeal, rather than make a decision for the ages, it mutilated any rationale that a responsible court could have accomplished by cherry-picking to satisfy the MAGA swamp. Indeed, Justice Neil Gorsuch said as they took up the case, “We’re writing a rule for the ages,” with Justice Kavanaugh joining in that the justices should be focused on how their decision would affect future presidents…the “here and now of this case,” as he said. Sorry guys, but you missed the mark by a bunch since you no longer share OUR values, but those of MAGA! Guaranteed to have smiles on their faces are justice’s wives, the flag-flying Martha Ann Alito, and ‘Ginni-Stop-the-Steal’ Thomas, who undoubtedly pillow-talked and conspired with their respective spouses in their decisions.

Clarence Thomas questions whether Jack Smith is a legitimate prosecutor, by saying, “If this unprecedented prosecution is to proceed, it must be conducted by someone duly authorized to do so by the American people. The lower courts should thus answer these essential questions concerning the Special Counsel’s appointment before proceeding.” Instigating another Supreme Court decision, eh Clarence? And since the justices left it to the lower courts to decide what constitutes an official act versus an unofficial act, this must be seen as a tactical victory for The Donald, since it fits right in with his strategy of delay-delay-delay, as he attempts to exhaust prosecutors and the courts with his tactics. As Steve Schmidt tells us in The Warning, “Scumbaggery is his rocket fuel, and all you need is anger, rage, and stupidity if you want to advance politically and advance Trump’s scumbaggery!” It’s now easy to conclude that the Court’s ruling have validated Trump’s ideas of “retribution” against his enemies should he return to the Oval Office, especially against Joe Biden and the Democrats who he charges with attempting to sidetrack his candidacy in acts of political persecution…for which he has no proof…because “I said so!”

Political revenge may need to be meted out, as Trump said to Dr. Phil, “Well, revenge does take time, I will say that, and sometimes revenge can be justified, Phil, I have to be honest. Sometimes it can.” He continues to bring up possible retribution in his interviews, or at his campaign rallies. Trump’s White House attorney, Ty Cobb, says, “I think there should be concern. From a 30,000-foot view, what I see is Trump angrier now than he was before he was convicted.” In an interview on Fox, Trump told Sean Hannity that critics were wrong in saying that he will use his possible return to the White House for revenge, but the next minute found him to be laying out the opportunities. “Look, when this election is over, based on what they’ve done, I would have every right to go after them. And it’s easy because it’s Joe Biden, and you see all the criminality, all the money that’s going into the family and him, all of his money from China, from Russia, from Ukraine.” Both Hannity and Dr. Phil tried to dissuade him from speaking of retribution, that it serves no purpose and will not help the country, but on Newsmax, Trump went so far as to mention the possibility of imprisonment for his political opposites if he has the opportunity, also suggesting that the public would reach a “breaking point” if he is sentenced to jail time or house arrest at his July 11 sentencing. In 2020, Trump criticized his attorney general, William Barr, for not arresting Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton for their “illegal activity” tied to Robert Mueller and the Russia investigation, as he continues to claim this is being done on behalf of his base. “I know a lot of Republicans who want retribution. They want to do that. We’re going to see what happens.”

Ty Cobb once said that he believes the nation’s institutions would hold the line if Trump attempted to delve into what would clearly be political revenge, nevertheless fraught with peril. After the Supreme Court ruling, his opinion today would be interesting to hear, since he felt that the checks and balances would resist these attempts, and that it would be difficult finding people to carry out his demands. Raise your hand if you think Ty should take another look! For instance, revenge-seeking Trump supporters had their hackles raised when a federal judge ordered former Trump adviser Steve Bannon to prison after the Supreme Court turned down a hearing on his appeal to delay his four-month term. True to form, Bannon in his anger issued his own threats. “Don’t pray for me. Pray for my enemies. They’re the ones who need it,” he barked. In defense of Bannon, Trump posted on Truth Social that members of the J6 Committee should be indicted, writing, “INDICT THE UNSELECT J6 COMMITTEE FOR ILLEGALLY DELETING AND DESTROYING ALL OF THEIR ‘FINDING!’” Caution is advised after Trump shared a post…“Haul Out the Guillotine!”

The political world is still roiled by President Biden’s poor showing at the so-called CNN ‘debate’ last week, with Democrats far and wide making their views known about the candidate’s future. Polls are in flux for whatever that may be worth, but it seems that the rank-and-file are still on board with continuance, and a family confab over the weekend seems to suggest support for his staying the course. Historian Allan Lichtman of American University, who has correctly predicted the results of nine of the last ten presidential elections, argues that replacing Biden on the ticket would cost his party the 2024 election. Post-debate concerns of Biden’s age and ability don’t seem to sway Lichtman, who says, “It’s a huge mistake. They’re not doctors. They don’t know whether Biden is physically capable of carrying out a second term or not. This is foolhardy nonsense.” Lichtman uses a series of 13 historical factors or “keys” in his election predictions, missing only the race in 2020, out of the last fifty years. His system includes four factors based on politics, seven on performance, and two on candidate personality, making it imperative that the incumbent party maintain at least seven out of the thirteen to retain the White House. The state of the economy and the presence of third-party candidates factor into his determination, but debate performance is not a determinate of election outcome…pointing to Ronald Reagan who captured 49 states in spite of poor debate performance and age considerations. Lichtman considers Biden’s age and mental acuity are “fundamentally different” than his metrics as a president. “Debate performances can be overcome, yet at the first sign of adversity the spineless Democrats want to throw him under the bus, their own incumbent president. My goodness!” However, it must be pointed out that he has not made his final prediction for November’s contest.

Final thoughts, with thanks to the Scots and Luckovich: Trump has all the wit, charm, and intelligence of a rectal thermometer. Something the Scots would call a “cockwomble”…a person, usually male of course, prone to making outrageously stupid statements and/or exhibiting inappropriate behavior while generally having a very high opinion of their own wisdom and importance. And recapping a Mike Luckovich cartoon with Trump sitting across from a fortune teller and her crystal ball, she says, “In your future, I see corruption, vengeance, dictatorship, internment, deportation…” A pleased Trump interrupts with, “So far, so good…”

KKK ON THE RISE, BILLIONAIRES AND 2000 MULES, A FINALE?

Greg Palast, author, freelance journalist (often featured in The Guardian), and film maker who has produced several presentations for the BBC, is in the process of making a film entitled “Vigilantes, Inc.” in which he exposes the scam of ‘volunteer vigilantes” who have operations in several states to disrupt the vote by purging Black voters. He is endeavoring to hunt down what he calls the “Klan-Lite” operatives who are initiating these challenges to the voting rolls in a return to the KKK of the 1940s…this time backed by financing of billionaires as they continue the assault on the Voting Rights Act. Palast began his investigation in 2018 after Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brian Kemp (now governor after defeating Stacey Abrams in that race), had purged about a half-million voters, with Palast getting access to the whole list. Hiring a private contractor to verify names and addresses, he probed each name, finding that over 150,000 had legitimately moved away from Georgia, while over 340,000 had not moved, and surprise, surprise…most were Black voters.

Election Day 2018 found the Palast Investigative team, with film crew, in Atlanta where they met up with a Black woman outside her usual polling place (for fifty elections), and who had been denied a ballot because she had been purged from the rolls. She was interviewed, then invited the crew to her house, where it was discovered she was a cousin of Martin Luther King, Jr. Brian Kemp won the election by 54,723 votes, having overdone his purging by several thousand votes…oh well. Within the two years leading up to the 2020 presidential election, Kemp’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger (Palast emphasizes pronunciation as RaffensPurger), purged another 309,000 voters, bringing Palast back into the fray with his investigative contractor, along with the Georgia ACLU Black Voters Matter Fund, and the Georgia NAACP. Their efforts restored about half onto the rolls, allowing Joe Biden to win the state by…repeat after me…”11,780 votes” which Trump unsuccessfully attempted to move into his column.

Not surprising that the purges are ongoing in Georgia, but the trend is picking up adherents across the nation as the “vigilantes” step up their efforts in at least 20 states. Palast found that in the 2020 election-leadup analysis that Black voters in Wisconsin, particularly those voters in Milwaukee, had been purged, along with students in Madison being incorrectly added to the list. The Palast Investigative Fund, and Black Voters Matter, filed their findings with a bipartisan elections commission which stopped the purges…resulting in a Biden victory. The vigilante “challenges” skirt the legalities in Red States under the guise of “whistleblower challenges,” undertaken by citizens who suspect that an individual who they think is casting a vote illegally might be called out. For instance, Georgia’s SB202 allows “unlimited” challenges to voters by those not in government. While individual states are prohibited from purging voters by “list maintenance” within 90 days of an election, a citizen vigilante can present their voter purge lists even on election day, leaving no time for re-registration and casting a vote for those purged.

“In 2022, 149,000 voters were challenged in Georgia, not by the government, but by vigilante vote fraud hunters using specious data. Unfortunately, there have been two federal court rulings this far that have allowed this to continue, so it’s now spreading to other states,” comments Palast. He goes on to say that a Marjorie Taylor Greene associate named Pam Reardon, challenged 32,000 voters, heavily focused on Black people and college students, by using a list compiled by the group True The Vote. This group is known as the producer of the movie “2000 Mules” which falsely claimed millions of votes were “stuffed” into drop boxes by Black people across the nation. Hardly surprising that the movie premiered at Mar-a-Lago for Comrade Cheetolino! The conservative media company behind the movie and a companion book, Salem Media Group, Inc., recently issued an apology and announced it was removing the film and the book from its platform, halting distribution. ‘2000 Mules” has been widely debunked by law enforcement and the media, and an individual featured in the film who had been investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was cleared of any wrongdoing. This individual had sued Salem Media for the way he was portrayed and for the violent threats to his family, which resulted in an undisclosed “significant” settlement.

Palast identified vigilante Alton Russell, chair of the Ft. Benning area GOP, who challenged over 4,000 voters, including a “substantial number of Black soldiers.” Russell views himself as a bonafide vigilante in his Doc Holliday style clothing with a six-shooter on his hip. Palast’s Investigative Fund, along with NAACP and ACLU assistance, found not one single voter challenged by vigilantes Reardon and Russell were fraudulent, as they only stopped Reardon’s purge. On the other hand, Russell’s challenges were sustained, with the 4,000+ voters purged. Palast cautions, “Georgia’s brand of voter vigilantism has now legally spread to Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. They”re now mass challenging literally hundreds of thousands of voters, and True The Vote has put out a call to get 100,000 volunteers to submit these challenges. They”re probably the most effective vote suppression organization since the Ku Klux Klan,” further noting, “Georgia and Texas are not Red states…if people were allowed to vote they”d be Blue states.”

The film, “Vigilantes Inc.” takes its name from the 1946 incorporation of the Georgia Klan, when they registered that name in their endeavor to specifically eliminate every Black citizen from the voter rolls, and now we have them back…so, if you want your next president to be elected by the Klan, stay home on election day! Interested in the film? You can get screen credits (alongside Martin Sheen’s) for a donation of $100 or more, which will also get you a signed DVD of the film upon its completion. If interested in simply being a film backer, any donation is welcome at Greg Palast Investigative Fund.

A couple of Sundays ago, Donald Trump visited the 180 Church, a Black congregation near Detroit, for what he called “a roundtable” and as we might have predicted, his mouth opened with a lie, by saying, “it’s an honor to be here. it’s a very important area for us. We”ve done more for…and I say this proudly…the Black population than any president since Abraham Lincoln. President Biden has done nothing for Blacks.” He claimed that he had lowered Black unemployment, but failed to say that Biden has exceeded his so-called record. Political science professor David Dixon at Howard University has lauded the Biden-Harris administration for the energy they have put toward Black constituents, and that record seems to be borne out by the nomination of 25 Black judges to the federal court system, notably, the appointment of the first Black female on the Supreme Court. Government professor Steven Taylor at American University is of the opinion that the full picture of Biden’s efforts is contrasted against a Congress, especially Trump Republicans, that votes against any proposal that might improve the lives of Black people. Contrast that with Trump himself who has the gall to stand before a Black congregation to puff out his chest about his supposed efforts.

We might also have correctly suspected this appearance would be a total scam, and after seeing all the blue-eyed, white faces peering from the pews, it was evident the MAGA gang had filled the church with a crowd who had never set foot in a Black church prior to this, and would not do it again unless called upon by their Cinnamon Jesus. After the phony roundtable had ended, Trump was back at it, criticizing Black majority cities…Milwaukee is “horrible,” echoing his past disparagements of “crime-infested hellholes” in Atlanta and Baltimore, and Detroit being declared “crooked as hell,” when he told his minions to “guard the vote.” Shirley Kennedy writes on The Palmer Report, “These words about and characterizations of predominately Black cities shows where Trump’s head is when it comes to Blacks. Yet, he wants the Black vote. Any Black people who vote for Trump are bigger fools than his regular supporters.”

Leo Daniel’s Trumpvirus post on Quora writes about election commissioner, Chris Jackson’s evidence alleging that the Trump Gang has been paying people to show up at his ‘rallies,” which has “sparked significant debate and scrutiny, adding another layer to the already contentious legacy of the former president. The allegations shed light on potential tactics used during his campaign events, raising questions about the authenticity of support garnered by Trump during his time in office.” As reported on Raw Story, Jackson is looking into a June 9 event, when individuals were incentivized with money to attend a gathering, though evidence of who made payments is cloudy, raising ethical implications. “In a democratic society, it is essential that citizens attend political rallies and events of their own volition, driven by their beliefs and values rather than monetary incentives. When attendees are paid, it blurs the line between genuine grassroots support and artificial manipulation of public perception,” writes Daniel. He continues, “It raises concerns about transparency and honesty of campaigns. Voters have the right to make informed decisions based on genuine interactions with candidates and their policies…it undermines the democratic process and erodes trust in the political system.” The Trump contingent has denied this scheme in question, which was in Las Vegas, but there remains much speculation and debate, which furthers the deepening divisions and distrust among voters.

MSNB’s Nicolle Wallace, who calls herself a “self-loathing former Republican,” charges Fox News of depriving its audience of the full picture of Idol Trump, as the network has chosen to cut away from several of the GOP candidate’s rally speeches when he starts going off the deep end. The Las Vegas rally is a prime example when the teleprompter conked out, with Trump then threatening the event contractors before going into his now-infamous ‘shark-vs.-electric boat” scenario. A former GOP strategist, Stuart Stevens, suggests to Wallace that Fox “can try not to show this and hide it, but it’s a long time to election day and a lot of people are going to start paying attention that aren”t paying attention now,” highlighting the differences between Donald and Joe. Stevens says, “I think Trump is like a guy walking around with a paper bag full of water. it’s probably not going to leak that much, but when it goes, it’s going to be hell to pay to get it back. That’s where he’s headed.” Rachel Maddow told Wallace the president is now “really, really, frequently incoherent. And when he’s not incoherent, he’s speaking in terms that are pornographically violent when he’s trying to rile up his audience.” Maddow believes his speeches would be shocking to a lot of the public, if people could stand to listen to him for longer that they do, if only news organizations could responsibly broadcast more of what he says. Because of the lies and threats he’s pushing, it might be considered irresponsible to do so, however. On the shark/electric boat story, Rachel says Trump will now double down as he always does, and his troops will fall into formation, eyes agog, salivating tongues hanging, and heads nodding. “it’s as hilarious as it is scary,” she adds.

In his dehumanizing characterizations of immigrants, Trump has now suggested that they could be pitted together in fights for our entertainment…as he told Christian conservatives on Saturday. He claims he proposed to his friend Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, that a competition of his fighting league champs against immigrants might solve the immigration problem. Hardly non-violent, eh? Satirist Andy Borowitz reports that, “in a rare public statement on Monday, Melania Trump said her husband has exhibited ‘alarming mental decline” since she last saw him three years ago. Mrs. Trump said that she happened to see him on television recently ranting about sharks and boats and was struck by how much he had deteriorated over the past three years. ‘He was incoherent before, but now he be worst,” she said. Shortly after Mrs. Trump released her statement, her husband vehemently disputed it. ‘I don”t know what Mercedes is talking about…I may be 78, but I have the mind of a two-year old.””

The Palmer Report’s Bocha Blue says, “This will not end well. At this point, Donald Trump’s brain is a ‘sopranos’ episode. it’s episode after episode, leaving us transfixed, at the edge of our seats, waiting to see how it all plays out. As the episodes become more and more bizarre each day, leading up to the denouement, they become darker and more ominous, leading us gently into the finale where…………”

TUCKER SPUTTERS, AS THE CROW FLIES, GREENE DENIED

Just in case you were eagerly awaiting the release of the much-heralded biography of Tucker Carlson, Bryan Tyler Cohen has disappointment for you on his odactionnews website…the publication has been shelved…at least until Tuck-Tuck regains some notoriety. As Cohen writes, “A biography about alt-right fanboy and testicle-tanning enthusiast Tucker Carlson has been cancelled by a major publishing house, apparently because Carlson’s star power has waned since his unceremonious ouster from FoxNews last year. Politico’s Michael Shaffer attributed the book deal’s demise to Carlson’s diminished cultural relevance, writing that ‘the cancellation stems at least in part from the belief that Carlson, once the biggest name on cable, no longer has the kind of cultural footprint to warrant a pricey, complicated book by a top-shelf writer.’ For the record, we would argue Carlson never had the kind of cultural footprint to warrant a complicated book of any kind; he simply had hold of one of Rupert Murdoch’s very loud and very well-funded megaphones.” Dominion Voting Systems seems to have a larger megaphone…to the tune of $787M worth! Make better choices next time, Tuck.

Bad news on another front, for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his ‘son,’ Mark Martin, who he claims to have raised from the age of six, comes word that they have evidently had a falling out, with no contact ‘in a long time.’ Mark is actually the grandson of Thomas’s sister, and was the beneficiary of donated gifts of tuition to two private schools, courtesy of the Clarence Thomas sugar-daddy, Harlan Crow. Martin, who is now 32, is awaiting trial in South Carolina on drugs and weapons charges, saying in a Business Insider interview that despite his reaching out to Clarence and Ginni several times over the years, he has been ignored and is unsure whether they are aware of his current plight…nor is he sure they would even care. He has said he was unaware of Crow’s footing the bill for his education, but that he “believed his intentions to be pure.” No word on whether or not he was a participant in any of the vacations enjoyed by the Thomas duo bestowed upon them by Mr. Crow. After ProPublica revealed that Thomas had benefited from the Crow largesse several times, he finally owned up to two trips which had been excluded in his filings, subsequently amending his 2019 financial disclosure; but then investigators questioning Crow himself offered him a deal, whereupon he spilled the beans about three more unreported private jet trips. Are there more dominoes about to fall? A statement from Crow’s office says Senators had been given information covering the past seven years, with the committee agreeing “to end its probe with respect to Mr. Crow. Despite his serious and continued concerns about the legality and necessity of the inquiry, Mr. Crow engaged in good faith with the Committee.” Crickets from Justice Thomas regarding his frequent use of Crow’s Canadian Bombardier Global 5000 business jet which can cost over $10,000 per flight hour if chartered from a private company.

The senate committee also authorized a subpoena for conservative legal activist Leonard Leo, who joined Thomas and Crow on one trip, but is better known as a luxury fishing trip buddy for Justice Samuel Alito. Leo is defying the subpoena. The clamor that arose from the questionable ethics of Thomas and Alito led to the Court adopting a historical-first code of conduct, which as might be expected, has no teeth and no enforcement mechanism. Last week the Senate Democrats attempted to pass a bill to tighten the Court-adopted ethics rules and create a process for investigating complaints of possible misconduct, but Senator Lindsey Graham called it “unconstitutional overreach” as he led a group of GOP Senators to block it.

Justice Thomas, in acknowledging the two free vacations reported by ProPublica, said he “inadvertently omitted” the gifts on his financial disclosure forms. And though many legal experts have described his unreported trips as violations, Thomas’s attorney maintains that free flights don’t have to be reported. Somewhere in his reasoning, Thomas, who claims to be a Constitutional originalist with ability to parse definite meanings from the ambiguous language of that founding document, loses the thread when it comes to his personal lifestyle. Those definitive words he spoke last year become contradictory in newer situations as he becomes an advocate of evolving explanations toward a forgetful audience. After ProPublica started revealing the beneficence of Crow toward him, Thomas issued his ‘disclosure’ that these were “family trips with dearest friends,” further explaining advice sought from colleagues that, “this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable. I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure.” So, intentional exclusions, eh? But with the newly filed amendment, he says his information had been “inadvertently omitted” earlier? So which is it, Justice Thomas? The trickster is at work here…amended filings list only “food and lodging” – how did he get to Bali? Must have been a private jet or a luxury cruiser of some sort?  The listing on the disclosure as a “reimbursement” instead of a ‘gift’ enables Thomas to hide the dollar value of his Bali vacation just as was the case with other gifts. It is estimated that Mr. T has accumulated between $2m and $4 in gifts since 2004, to which Steven Lubet of The Daily Beast writes, “As a justice of the Supreme Court, Thomas must regularly interpret complex statutes, and determine the validity of laws based on his theory of ‘history and tradition,’ often with the life, fortune, or freedom of people at stake. If nothing else, it is a task that demands consistency, candor, and completeness. Although I seldom agree with Thomas’s jurisprudence, I can still appreciate the clarity of his written opinions. When it comes to his financial disclosures, however, it is all commission, contradiction, and obfuscation. Which raises the question: How gullible does he think we are?”

Still plying her wiles on our gullibility is Georgia’s Flaxen Klaxon, Marjorie Taylor Greene. However, her tactics were stalled by fellow House members, both Republicans and Democrats, after her recent attempt to remove Mike Johnson as House Speaker when she could barely gather just a handful of backers. This led her to begin pointing fingers at both political parties as a “uniparty” even though there is not much unity to see…except where they want her to clam up and disappear. Charlie Sykes commented on MSNBC that one doesn’t even have to like Speaker Johnson to enjoy this moment, where Greene is “basically reaching her expiration date.” Only after the former president posted that her action “will negatively affect everything,” did she back off, not daring to lose favor with her orange idol, though she was only following his example using a big mouth and a hate-filled heart. Amanda Marcotte of Salon identifies “she” as the operative word in MTG’s case…the Christian right-controlled GOP sees women as support staff, not leaders. She was beloved when she paid little attention to legislative work and spent all her time spewing invective to rally MAGAts…being a cheerleader. But then she jumped into the huddle and started trying to call plays, so a line was drawn, characterized by the boos and heckling from the House floor. As Marcotte says, “The GOP turned on her because, simply put, she got too big for her britches. Or, in more old-fashioned terms, she wanted to wear the britches, while they wanted her to stay in skirts. Greene is emblematic of the empty-headed fascism Trump has brought to life in American politics. Greene has painted a target on her back. Her relevance just took a big blow she may never recover from.”

But, never one to take a hint, Greene faced off with Dr. Anthony Fauci last week during a House hearing where he was questioned, fending off criticism that he harbors secrets regarding COVID-19 and is responsible for governmental policies during his tenure…“crimes against humanity.” Greene refused to address him by his title of ‘doctor’ until she was admonished by the chair, though she continued with her snippy rudeness. Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show mocked her actions as a “strong stance,” saying her come-on line was, “If you’re a real doctor, how come you’re not walking toward me with a straitjacket?” Fallon also noted that Pepsi had been surpassed by Dr. Pepper as the second top soda brand in the USA, just behind Coke. He imagines Greene’s response as a rant about ‘Mr. Pepper’ not being “a real doctor.” As the Red Queen said to Alice, “you have to run as fast as you can to stay in the same place.” Run, Marge, run!

Marjorie seems to fall into the category described by Aaron Blake of The Washington Post where he says that those who will be deciding the 2024 election this year are not “generally the ones who will be on the fence and making crucial calls late in the campaign.” He apologizes for this summation, which is not to be a reflection on those who read campaign politics newsletters and the like, because the decisive voters are going to be those who have little to no idea what those who have been paying attention are even talking about. He discusses a poll from Yahoo News and YouGov where people were asked a series of basic questions about current politics, with only about half of our citizens agreeing Trump had been indicted for the subjects of his three remaining indictments. Sadly, 16 to 21 percent said affirmatively that Trump had not been indicted for these things…which he in fact has been indicted for. With some skepticism, he thinks some Republicans answered the questions wrong to skew the polling numbers. Blake attributes the range of answers simply to lack of paying attention, or a media diet on outlets that also don’t pay attention, with those least familiar with the indictments being FoxNews viewers and who don’t watch other cable news. Referencing those who purposely answered questions incorrectly, a protest of sorts might be at work if they feel indictments were unjustified…how could a ‘witch hunt’ be an indictment anyway? Lack of engagement is emphasized by the 1 in 5 polled who claimed not to know details of the Trump Manhattan Court verdict, either saying the former president was ‘not guilty’ or the trial was still in process…with 2 out of every 5 registered voters under the age of 30! Yikes…not a good omen!

A Marquette University Law School poll finds that a majority of independents indicate that they have heard only “a little” or “nothing at all” regarding Trump’s purloined classified documents indictment. Last month, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 1 in 5 voters knew that Trump said purported voter fraud in the 2020 election “allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.” Based on claims by Trump and his MAGAts, some voters believe our economy is in recession, and think we have a 50-year high in unemployment. It is concerning that we may not see big shifts approaching the upcoming election, even with voters becoming more attentive.

Notably, one who hasn’t been paying attention is Donald J. Trump who still hasn’t figured out how our government works…in particular the House of Representatives. After his conviction on 34 felony fraud counts in the New York case, he immediately contacted House Speaker Johnson  asking him to overturn the verdict, which in turn prompted Seth Meyers of ‘Late Night‘ to explain the Trumpian view of our three branches. “He treats them like his three adult kids. The executive branch is Ivanka, she can do whatever she wants; the judicial branch is Don Jr., his right-hand man who does his bidding; and, Congress is Eric,” Seth interprets, adding, “Send him a birthday card, even though Trump has probably tried to have him killed. Eric knew it wasn’t intentional that he got pushed into the quicksand.” Meyers rags on the MAGA fold for spouting conspiracy theories about Joe Biden, while ignoring “the real one right in front of them.”

Trump returned to the location of his four-year crime spree in DC last week, meeting with House Republicans, and was about as coherent as any of his verbal-incontinency rally speeches might be. One source described him as “rambling, like talking to your drunk uncle at the family reunion,” as he tried his repetitive bit at humor in describing Hannibal Lecter as a nice guy who had a friend over for dinner. Most of those in attendance had great praise for the gathering saying he had brought “great unity.”…perhaps, with the exception of Representative Chip Roy who spent part of his time watching golf on his iPad as the Orange One rambled on. Trump was serenaded with a round of ‘Happy Birthday’ as he exited, in celebration of his 78th birthday event to follow at a Mar-a-Lago the next day.

Keith Olbermann, formerly of MSNBC and ESPN, jumped on the reporting of the Associated Press for its coverage of Trump’s return to DC, saying on Xwitter, “Fire everybody for describing the visit as ‘triumphant.'” His article was headlined, “Cheers, cake and a fist-bump from GOP as Trump returns to Capitol Hill in a first since Jan. 6 riot,” going on to say, “I am surprised to find the AP is still in business today after it published this wanton, biased, compromised, prostituted, unsurvivable pile of Trump-sucking propaganda yesterday.” Yeah, but what do you really think, Keith? Referring to Adolf Hitler’s propaganda minister, he adds, “Goebbels would have been embarrassed.” The AP did not immediately respond to his commentary, but the Trump campaign was quick to attack, with a post saying, “Joe Biden and his supporters  showing they are anti-press and in favor of punishing anyone who does not parrot their propaganda.”

Jimmy Fallon of the ‘Tonight Show‘ cracked, “Down at Mar-a-Lago, they’re planning a big party with candy ankle monitors and a bouncy jail house. Apparently, when the chef at Mar-a-Lago asked what kind of cake he wanted, Trump said, ‘The kind with the file baked into it.'”

HO, HO, HO CHI MINH, APOLOGIZING TO MIERS, PRISON BE BEST

Wow!…that was a close one for the GOP! The RNC website ran an ad for the upcoming convention to be held in Milwaukee, WI on July 15…only problem being that the imagery featured Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Maybe they meant to use a Hanoi image, or even one of Pyongyang? Kim Jong Il would probably welcome Trump and his minions since they developed such a cozy relationship during The Don’s presidency…they “fell in love” according to the record…and who can forget the “love letters” kept by Don, interspersed with classified documents, as he fled to Mar-a-Lago in 2021? After the press pointed it out, the RNC website was quickly changed to the proper host city, but Jimmy Fallon on ‘The Tonight Show’ had to have his chance to run a spoof ad, using his Trumpy voiceover, saying, “From the Capitol building to the White House, we’ll celebrate the wall on our southern border,” as imagery of the Taj Mahal, a White Castle Restaurant, and the Great Wall of China crossed the screen. The Boston Globe ran a screenshot of the RNC’s error, gleaning 598,000 views and 3,700 Likes. The Wisconsin Democratic Party posted on Xwitter an edited shot of a t-shirt reading, “I attended 2024 RNC convention in Milwaukee, WI, USA,” with the location Xed out and replaced with “Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.” Dems chairperson, Ben Wikler, posted, “It appears that Trump’s RNC is unfamiliar with the location of Milwaukee, WI.”  Upon correcting the imagery on the ad, the RNC claims the photo came from a web developer who is no longer on the payroll. Wondering if Trump is refusing them payment for their efforts?

The former president is expected to be nominated at the convention four days after his sentencing in the hush money/falsified business records case…guilty on 34 felony counts…add ’em up! RNC chair Michael Whatley says the convention is planning for the possibility of Trump sitting in jail during this Grand Old Party party, and as he told Newsmax’s ‘Wake Up America,’ “I’m actually going to Milwaukee, and we’re going to have a series of conversations.” One would certainly hope so! And wake up that fly on the wall who can relay the details!

Jimmy Fallon feels that Melania Trump is not doing “fine” as husband Don stated after his New York guilty verdict. Fallon said, “Trump indicates Melania is doing fine, but that this hush money trial has been hard on her, and you know Melania is boiling because whenever your spouse says, ‘I’m fine,’ they’re most definitely not fine,” adding, “If you want to show her your support, send her a message on any of the five dating apps she just joined. The big question now is whether Trump will get jail time or house arrest. If he’s sentenced to jail, Melania will be inside the courtroom chanting ‘four more years!’ Trump will be sentenced on July 11, and his lawyers told him, ‘You should get your affairs in order,’ to which he replied, ‘That’s what got me in trouble in the first place!'” In a similar vein, Andy Borowitz writes, “Writing an impassioned letter to Judge Juan Merchan, Melania Trump argued that sentencing her husband to house arrest would mean cruel and unusual punishment for her,’ arguing further, ‘…that confining her husband to any place where she resides would be a clear violation ‘not only of the US Constitution, but of the Geneva Conventions. Your honor, you can prevent a humanitarian crisis. The human I speak of is me.'” Andy ends by writing, “Suggesting an appropriate sentence for her felonious husband, Mrs. Trump wrote, ‘Prison be best.'”

In a recent conversation with the toadies of ‘Fox and Friends,’ Trump was asked, “What’s your relationship with God like, and how do you pray?” His reply from left field (right field?) was, “OK, so I think it is good. I do very well with the evangelicals. I love the evangelicals. And I have more people saying they pray for me – I can’t even believe it. They are so committed, and they are so believing. They say, ‘Sir, you’re going to be OK. I pray for you every night.’ I mean, everybody, almost – I can’t say everybody, but almost everybody that sees me, they say it.” MSNBC host, Joe Scarborough, had to laugh uproariously, afterwards saying, “Just go to church…once! It’s beyond parody…sad!” Joe’s co-host, Willie Geist, says Trump should carry around a few printouts of Bible passages to recite for the ‘right‘ occasion. But although Trump missed the point of the question, or avoided it deliberately, he is doing something right in courting the religious right, by calling out his multiple prosecutions as persecutions. The New York Times reports that he now finishes some rallies with a devout closing…“The great silent majority is rising like never before and under our leadership. We will pray to God for our strength and for our liberty. We will pray for God, and we will pray with God. We are one movement, one people, one family, and one glorious nation under God.” Let us pray that his Teleprompter doesn’t start waffling.

Stuart and Dickinson, in Rolling Stone magazine, write of Justice Samuel Alito speaking at the Supreme Court Historical Society, of the ideological battle of the left facing off with the right, concerned about the hardship of existing “peacefully” in the face of “fundamental” differences that “can’t be compromised.” In a discussion he agreed that it is necessary to fight to “return our country to a place of godliness,” with the final resolution being that, “One side or the other is going to win.” The duo writes that Alito’s comments make no attempt to present himself as neutral, but as a partisan, as a “member of a hard-right judicial faction that’s empowered to make life-altering decisions for every American.” Interviewed by documentary film maker, Lauren Windsor, posing as a religious conservative, Alito says “there are fundamentals that can’t be compromised…so, it’s not like you’re going to split the difference.” Interviewing Chief Justice John Roberts, Windsor found that he differs with the opinion that the nation is polarized, believing that the Court is experiencing nothing new historically. He argues that it isn’t the Court’s obligation to get the country onto a more “moral path,” believing it’s for the people we elect to office…not lawyers. Roberts disagrees that the high court should be “guiding us in that path” toward being a “Christian nation,” mentioning his “Jewish and Muslim friends,” adding, “It’s not our job to do that. It’s our job to decide the cases as best we can.” Windsor is putting together a documentary entitled ‘Gonzo for Democracy,’ dealing with the Trumpism phenomena of election denial and religious extremism. In the words of Don Pardo, “Watch for it next time…if there is a next time!”

Elie Mystal in a recent piece in The Nation, writes that she owes an apology to Harriet Miers who was first nominated to the Supreme Court by George W. Bush, with Samuel Alito as a second choice. She describes Miers as a Bush crony and sycophant, who was criticized by everyone as a partisan hack who would be in step with all that Bush and the GOP wanted done. Coming from Texas to be deputy chief of staff, before being White House counsel, she was one of Bush’s closest friends, a born-again evangelical, and a good friend of Condoleeza Rice. Mystal says that “Miers was nominated because she spent most of her public career…in service to Bush. And she treated Bush, the bumbling oaf and war criminal, with a saccharine level of sycophancy.” Her nontraditional experience didn’t meet up with the GOP’s idea of a Supreme Court Justice, particularly the more conservative bloc who felt she was unreliable as a vote against abortion, offering no proof that she would reject court precedents. Republicans wanted a candidate who was willing to reject precedent and produce the right-white outcomes, instead of one who would uphold the law. Enter the Federalist Society and Samuel Alito. In Mystal’s view, the world has been worse every day since, though she doesn’t necessarily think Miers would have been a good choice. She writes that Alito is the most partisan justice on the high court…Clarence Thomas is only the most corrupt, Neil Gorsuch is the most dangerous to society’s functioning, and Brett Kavanaugh the most attempted-rapey. FoxNews has picked Alito to fashion their talking points into national laws…and to fly his flags high. Mystal’s argument that the GOP rejection of Miers was “the precise moment the party was lost to MAGA, laying the groundwork for the antidemocratic authoritarianism now in our foreground…cultism came to the Supreme Court before it arrived anywhere else in government. I’ve learned that you’re always better off going with the person who loves what you hate, instead of the person who hates what you love. The former might create something you find appalling, but the latter will only destroy that which you find most precious.”

Rob Boston, Senior Advisor at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, calls the placement of a statue of the Reverend Billy Graham by the state of North Carolina an undeserved honor. Though it does replace the removed statue of a former White Supremacist governor, he thinks it is a misguided decision. He feels Graham was uniquely positioned to bring Americans together during a painful, divisive time, but lacked the courage or vision to do so, despite his popularity and fame as an evangelist for his particular form of fundamentalist Christianity. His antisemitic comments and crusading against LGBTQ+ equality evoked the pain caused by unjust social norms, yet he “was unwilling to break with the White status quo,” writes Anthea Butler, author of ‘White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America.’ “He bemoans racism as a sin, yet offered only small, cosmetic adjustments to change the ethos…characteristic waffling.”

Trumper Steve Bannon is finally going to prison for contempt of Congress…for four months. Not long enough in the eyes of many, but long enough for him to miss the remainder of the 2024 election cycle, putting a serious damper on his ability to carry out whatever election antics he was hoping for, says Bocha Blue and Bill Palmer of The Palmer Report. One thing he won’t be able to do is line his pockets from his podcast crowd, being locked away without his mic and camera. Blue says, “So Bannon would have been smarter to just serve his four month sentence back when he was convicted and get it over with. It’s the latest reminder that Bannon is very much the opposite of smart. He’s a guy who digs himself a hole, then labels himself savvy for crawling out of it, and somehow gets the media (on both sides) to portray him as a political genius. But the larger point here is that this is just the beginning for Bannon. He’s also set to go on criminal trial in New York for his ‘build the wall’ scam…Bannon is likely to be convicted in his NY trial. It’s centered on the kinds of serious felonies that come with multi-year prison sentences…In other words Bannon is now on track to go from Federal prison, to criminal trial, to state prison…if Trump were somehow to win in November, he wouldn’t be able pardon Bannon on state charges. He’s seventy years old and seemingly in poor health, so he may never get out.”

Andy Borowitz, on his The Borowitz Report, writes, “Panic gripped the nation’s prison guards on Thursday as they reacted to the prospect of body-searching Steve Bannon. The thought of interacting with the naked Bannon had many in the guard community rethinking their careers, insiders confirmed. ‘I’ve been living in fear of this day,’ Frank Klugian, a veteran correctional officer, said. ‘I knew it was bad news the minute I heard Mrs. Alito was flying her flag upside down again.’ Harland Dorrinson, the warden of the penitentiary that will be receiving Bannon, said that ‘every protection’ will be provided those carrying out the procedure, including, obviously, hazmat suits.” Who will get Trump’s prayers in this instance?

HUSH…NOTHING FOR LOSERS, SUCKERS, AND SCUMBAGS

The winner of the haiku contest, identified only as AJ, and held by Andy Borowitz of The Borowitz Report, was announced at a very opportune moment. Contestants submitted haikus on the theme, ‘Trump’s innermost musings as he sits in court.’ AJ says that he would not have incited a riot had he lost the contest, while lauding the community for their submitted taunts against a “wannabe dictator.” Rather than write a haiku in it’s original form of three lines or phrases containing seventeen syllables, with the phonetic units in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, he realized Trump would break the rules just as he breaks everything, so he bent the rules to fit the former- and now felonious-president’s character. Exaggerating his greatness, as he insults others smarter than him, AJ submitted Trump’s likely musings:       

I write the best haikus
You’ve never seen anything like these
Counting syllables is for losers

MAGA princeling, Eric Trump, drew slings and arrows after his Memorial Day weekend post on Xtwitter, when he shared another user’s post of a photo of Daddy Don, Melania, Eric and Lara, and DJT, Jr., with Kimberly Guilfoyle, crediting the clan with “giving up everything to Save America.” “And we will do it again,” added Eric, sans Ivanka, Jared and Tiffany, evidently. Former Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger pounced with, “Your family has sacrificed nothing, your name will become synonymous with ‘Benedict Arnold’ and how dare you tweet this, THIS weekend. You don’t know the first thing about service you child.” Other posters called out The Don’s derogatory comments on US service members and veterans, and fallen soldiers as “suckers,” mentioning his five deferments to avoid the draft. Snark Tank posted, “Yup, Donald even sacrificed his bone spurs after the draft was over.” One poster asked, “How many years in service or number of deployments do you all have? FYI, taking part in the events leading up to J6 doesn’t count as military service.” Of course we got the usual respectful, solemn but upbeat Memorial Day message from the Orange Bully…to all the, “human scum that is working so hard to destroy our country.” To his credit he also posted an image of himself saluting at the tomb of the Unknowns…Photoshopped? Bocha Blue on The Palmer Report took a jab at Mr. Trump with, “We know you’re stressed, Donnie. However, you need to know that Memorial Day isn’t all about you. You see, on this day, we honor those who are your direct OPPOSITE. We honor the courageous, not the cowardly. We honor the strong, not the weak. We honor America, not those who hate her. It is fitting that the jury will decide your fate on the week of Memorial Day. How lovely to see you get what you so richly deserve.”

The Borowitz Report divulges that, “In what has become a Memorial Day tradition for him, on Monday Donald J. Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Podiatrist. Trump made his annual pilgrimage to pay homage to the heroic doctors who issued bogus diagnoses to ensure that their privileged patients never answered the call of duty. In an emotional tribute, Trump thanked the fallen foot specialists who bravely risked their medical licenses so that others facing military service could be free. Choking back tears, he said, ‘They gave everything so people like me could give nothing.'”

And it came to pass, that on May 30, 2024, history was made with the New York jury convicting The Trumpmeister of all 34 counts in his business records coverup case, commonly known as the Stormy Daniels Hush Money trial. The rule of law asserted itself, that no man is above it…and with certainty, not even the former leader of the country. The jury glossed over the defense’s attempt to criminalize Michael Cohen, quickly considering the preponderance of evidence that would have taken Trump down anyway…emails, texts, phone recordings galore and twenty witnesses. Steve Schmidt on The Warning, applauds the results of the trial, saying, “Donald Trump is a convicted felon and the Republican nominee for president. He is running on a platform of rage, revenge and payback, and his party stands behind him. A great tragedy is at hand, and the American people should understand the last nine years have been a short preface to what is coming next. Something terrible is building in America, and the only political question that matters is: how do we get through this? The corruption of this era is deep, wretched and everywhere. We are about to pay the bill, and it will be brutal. Things will get better, but not before they get much worse. Much worse.” Steve believes that one day people will look back on this era with the profound contempt it deserves, and ask: how did this happen? The answer will always be the same: one day at a time.

Trump teased for weeks that he might take the stand and testify (test-a-lie?) in his own defense, with legal experts warning it would be a risky undertaking. On WABC Radio, he blamed Judge Juan Merchan’s rulings throughout the trial while other witnesses were on the stand, when he often ruled for the prosecution. “Because he made rulings that makes it very difficult to testify. Anything I did, anything I did in the past they can bring everything up. And you know what, I’ve had a great past. The other reason is because they have no case. In other words, why testify when they have no case? There’s no crime, so when you say, ‘Why not testify?’ they have no case, other than it’s a corrupt system.” Trump’s most laughable post sent out with a fundraising appeal is, “Mother Teresa could not beat these charges. These charges are rigged. The whole thing is rigged!” Got that? With the guilty verdicts, there has been no rioting in the streets…so far…just the expected overdose of whining. With Judge Merchan’s scheduled sentence hearing on July 11 we might look for more activity, all dependent upon what combination of penalties are levied…a fine, probation, probation with supervision, or prison time. Merchan also has to consider Trump’s age, his lack of previous conviction, and possibly his violations of the court’s gag orders as he arrives at a decision. With the threatened appeal of the verdict, Trump will likely remain free on ball in this process, as his legal team prepares to face the Appellate Division Court in Manhattan, or possibly the Court of Appeals.

Professor Anna Cominsky of New York Law School says grounds for an appeal might be that evidence provided by adult film star Stormy Daniels could be viewed as not necessary, where it becomes irrelevant and prejudicial. For the prosecution, her detail makes her a credible witness, and during her testimony the defense twice called for a mistrial, both denied by Judge Merchan. Falsifying business records are usually a low-level misdemeanor in New York, but the Class E felony charges arise from Trump’s crime of an alleged illegal attempt to influence the 2016 election. Prosecutors allege that violations of federal and state election laws, along with tax fraud apply to Trump’s case, but it was not specified to the jury exactly which was broken, which might form a basis for appeal. There is no precedent of a state prosecutor invoking an uncharged federal crime, which then questions whether or not Manhattan DA Bragg has jurisdiction to do just that. Trump’s impeachment counselor, Norman L. Eisen has calculated that during Bragg’s first year in office his team filed 166 felony counts for falsifying business records against 34 people or companies, with about 1 in 10 cases resulting in some term of imprisonment, with other charges possibly tipping the scales toward incarceration. Bet that raises a red flag for our former president!

Many legal minds believe that if only Trump had kept his mouth shut during the trial, and not violated the gag orders which resulted in multiple fines, he might have expected lighter sentencing. But his breaches, not holding back in public, raises the possibility of incarceration, not to mention that Class E felonies are punishable by 16 months to four years in prison. Michael Cohen raised the specter that a “loose-lipped” jailed Trump might spill US “secrets,” jeopardizing national security, from which he might garner financial benefits, or simply “bragging rights.” “You now have a Republican leading candidate, who’s a felon, who’s going to be debriefed on national security issues, knowing how loose-lipped he is, and how he’s willing to give away America’s secrets to Vladimir Putin…with the Australian billionaire at Mar-a-Lago…with the Russian foreign minister and Russian ambassador. So, my concern is, in a prison situation, he is willing to give away these secrets. He will do it because he does not care. If America turns against him, he’d rather see America burned to the ground. And that’s who Donald Trump is.”

“It’s time for everybody to realize that the world is not trying to unfairly screw Donald Trump. In fact, it constantly seems like Donald Trump is trying to screw Donald Trump. Nobody tricked him into having an affair with a porn star. Nobody made him assault E. Jean Carroll in a dressing room. Nobody forced him to become a grifter and commit fraud in every aspect of his life. He ran for president the first time because he wanted to appear powerful and finally do something successful. Ironically, it screwed him. He was exposed. And now, no matter how badly he wants his old tabloid cover life back, he can’t have it. He has to run again in November. It’s the only way to stay out of prison. He’s a felon. We all know he’s going to appeal, it’s the only way to delay the inevitable. But if he wins, it all goes away. This conviction, and three more potential ones that won’t even begin until after November. We have to stop him. Justice has to be served.” – The Lincoln Project

David Frum writes in The Atlantic: “The wrong case for the wrong offense just reached the right verdict. Donald Trump will not be held accountable before the 2024 presidential election for his violent attempt to overturn the previous election. He will not be held accountable before the election for absconding with classified government documents and showing them off at his pay-for-access vacation club. He will not be held accountable before the election for his elaborate conspiracy to manipulate state governments to install fake electors. But he is now a convicted felon for all time. It says something dark about the American legal system that it cannot deal promptly and effectively with a coup d’état. But it says something bright and hopeful that even an ex-president must face justice for ordinary crimes under the laws of the state in which he chose to live and operate his business.”

“He’s trying to sell me an America that doesn’t exist,” says sports pundit Colin Cowherd. Nor did it EVER exist, Colin. “Donald Trump is a felon. His campaign chairman is a felon. So is his deputy campaign manager, his personal lawyer, his chief strategist, his national security adviser, his trade adviser, his foreign policy adviser…they’re all felons. If everybody in your social circle is a felon, I don’t think it’s rigged,” Colin goes on to say. Authoritarianism expert at New York University, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, wrote, “These MAGA acolytes also came to New York to wage information warfare and discredit the judge and the democratic justice system that dare to try and hold their idol accountable for his crimes. Republicans have been on a larger crusade to delegitimize democratic institutions, turning the public against the courts, judges, the press and politicians who uphold the rule of law, truth, and accountability.” John Bolton echoed her in warning of the danger of undermining the system, saying prior to the court’s verdict, “It’s dangerous to question the integrity of our entire legal system. Our enemies in Moscow and Beijing believe that anything that undercuts America’s general faith in the Constitution weakens America. A lost faith in our Judicial Branch is a win for our enemies.” The lies that flowed following the 34 guilty verdicts are coming from those who should be educating and informing the public about how our laws work…they should know better! Just remember, Trump says he is doing this for YOU!

And, according to Andy Borowitz, Trump would like to do even more: “Calling the situation a ‘rigged disgrace,’ Donald J. Trump said on Thursday it is ‘totally unfair’ that he is not on the jury of his trial. ‘You have these twelve losers in a room, trying to figure our what the hell was going on,’ he told reporters. ‘Meanwhile, I was there the whole time and know everything, but I’m not allowed to be a juror? This is like some kind of banana republic. I saw the movie ‘Twelve Angry Men.’ I should be one of those angry men. I would be the angriest man, by far.’ Blasting Judge Juan Merchan, Trump said, ‘Look at him. Look at where he’s from. I’m not going to name the place, but he’s from a very bad place. That’s why he won’t let me be a juror. I’d be a juror if Aileen Cannon was the judge.'” That’s right, Donny…just keep pitching it and you may succeed…for us, of course!

INJUSTICE IN TEXAS, REAGAN’S GHOST, DURBIN’S DILEMMA

Last week, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas further emphasized that laws are enacted to regulate the actions of progressives and not conservatives when he pardoned a convicted murderer, who had killed a Black Lives Matter protester, making a mockery of the justice system. The governor invalidated the decision of the dozen jurors who spent time away from family and jobs, to hear the forty witnesses in reviewing sufficient evidence to convict Daniel Perry of his crime; but, because Abbott was not supportive of the BLM protest, and because he had a grievance against the DA who prosecuted the case after a grand jury investigation found ample evidence for a trial, he ignored the systems available to address any wrongful conviction. Indeed, if Daniel Perry felt the jury was in error, he could have appealed on his own. This should be viewed as a consequential decision no matter where one’s political affiliation lies, but to date Abbott has offered no reasonable explanation for his repugnant action, obviously taking as his example that of former President Trump who pardoned a batch of criminals as his term expired. Many Texans take advantage of the state’s open carry law, which loosely supports a ‘stand your ground’ aspect, with being in control its only political philosophy or motivation. The Austin American-Statesman editorialized that Greg Abbott should have a face-to-face with the jurors to explain his decision and that he should be willing to listen to them regarding their conclusion…fat chance!

Thom Hartmann in The New Republic writes that a theory from the slaveholding South “explains a whole spectrum of Republican behavior that otherwise seems baffling and self-defeating.” The 1858 “mud-sill theory of labor” by South Carolina Senator James Henry Hammond, asserts that for a society to function smoothly, it must have a “foundational” class of people who equate to a mud-sill that stabilizes a house upon its foundation, to perform manual labor which produces most of the wealth – a menial class, locked into that strata, that benefits an upper class. With no upward mobility, this group justifies for Hammond, the quote by Jesus in the Bible, “The poor you will always have with you.” Right-wing billionaires have urged states to ghettoize red state public schools by subsidizing middle- and upper-class children’s schooling, with poorer students flailing in sub-standard, underfunded facilities. Further, GOP states make it difficult for unionization by labor, a sure-fire deterrent to upward mobility, with its “right to work for less” outlook. Hartmann believes we can blame the Reagan revolution for the change since the 1950-1980 decades when the USA led the world in social mobility, ending when Reagan killed the union movement and defunded public education, bolstering the “mud-sill theory.”

President Lincoln was resentful of Hammond’s theory, as his goal was to promote social mobility, and he signed legislation creating over 70 land-grant colleges where tuition was free or quite affordable…until Reagan came along. Hartmann mentions a 1951 book, ‘The Conservative Mind’ by Russell Kirk, which is held in high regard by today’s GOP, for advocating societal “classes and orders” to ensure stability. Kirk’s argument was that if the American middle class grew too large and was well paid, this access to “wealth” would result in social disaster, with minorities forgetting their “place,” with women demanding sexual equality, and youth losing respect for their elders. He foresaw social chaos, moral degeneracy, revolution and collapse of the American social order. With eccentrics such as Barry Goldwater and William F. Buckley, Jr. quoting Kirk’s theory, the GOP leaders later pronounced ‘The Conservative Mind’ prophetic as the Civil Rights Movement took hold, women were making new demands, with draft cards and bras being burned. Ronald Reagan to the rescue in complete repudiation of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president! Now we have former president Trump, Justices Alito and Thomas, House Speaker Johnson, Governors Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Ron DeSantis, and their retinues nearing the finish line at fulfilling the mud-sill vision of Russell Kirk and Ronald Reagan.

Justice Samuel Alito is still catching flak for the revelation that he flew the upside-down American flag at his home following the insurrection at the US Capitol, for which he blamed his wife, Martha-Ann. The story is that she flew the flag in response to a neighbor’s anti-Trump yard signs, a statement that might be true according to a Washington Post reporter who discussed it with her at the time, later discounting it as a non-story. Justice Alito didn’t disavow or reject the message of the “stop-the-steal” symbolization, hoping the brouhaha would simply die, but his wife’s expressed concern that children would read the degrading and profane language on the neighbor’s signs as they walked, or were bused, to school doesn’t hold water. This was during the COVID pandemic…Alexandria, VA schools were closed at the time. So now, The New York Times just released photos of yet another flag being flown at the Alito’s New Jersey beach house…the “Appeal to Heaven” flag prominent at the January 6 event, which is rooted in John Locke’s “appeal to heaven,” implying “a responsibility to rebel, even use violence, to overthrow unjust rule,” now embraced by Christian Nationalists. Coincidence? Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin doesn’t think so, saying, “This is not a chance discretion. This is a conscious decision by the Alito family to advertise their political feelings. That doesn’t help the Supreme Court one whit, and he ought to accept the responsibility of recusing himself from cases involving the Trump administration.” Senator Brian Schatz said he was disturbed by the sense that Alito, or someone close to him, appeared to be advocating for more “religiosity” in government by flying this flag which dates back to the Revolutionary War.

Jennifer Rubin writes in The Washington Post that Senator Durbin had responded that he hasn’t “anything planned” in response to the Alito’s upside-down flag, aside from issuing “a terse Tweet or letter,” prompting Rubin to ask, “What more does Alito have to do before Durbin gets serious?” Rubin termed as weak-kneed Durbin’s excuse that if Alito doesn’t recuse from Trump decisions, “the recourse is impeachment, and we’re not at that point at all.” With discovery of the second, ‘Appeal to Heaven’ banner, Durbin “got huffy on social media,” saying, “This incident is yet another example of apparent ethical misconduct by a sitting justice, and it adds to the Court’s ongoing ethical crisis. Justice Alito must recuse himself immediately from cases related to the 2020 election and the January 6th insurrection.” Durbin’s hollow words prompted constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe to declare the issue as no longer “just about the insurrection-abetting Sam Alito, but about the AWOL Senator Durbin. He has no excuse for not holding hearings about Alito now.” Sam can’t point a finger at his wife or another unmannerly neighbor for the second flag; neither can he continue to insist on the veracity of the first flag excuse. His favoring an undemocratic, White Christian group which repudiates separation of church and state, which views the country as being under siege from secularism cannot stand.

It likely wasn’t Senator Durbin’s intent, but his one statement points to his dereliction in his chairmanship: “The Senate Judiciary Committee has been investigating the ethical crisis at the Court for more than a year, and that investigation continues. And we remain focused on ensuring the Supreme Court adopts an enforceable code of conduct, which we can do by passing the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act.” Jennifer Rubin is indignant, writing, “More than a year? At least we know he has remained “focused” on ethics reform.” She thinks Alito’s misconduct also brings Chief Justice John Roberts to a crossroads…if he does nothing, Roberts is complicit in the destruction of the Court’s reputation. “Such spinelessness might even snatch from Roger B. Taney, the author of the majority opinion in ‘Dred Scott,’ the title of ‘worst chief justice ever,'” she maintains. Both Durbin and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse have sent a letter to the chief justice, requesting a meeting as soon as possible, though Roberts will likely make himself unavailable…spurring Durbin to honor his oath of office to protect the Constitution? Rubin says Democrats must be prepared to offer solutions toward rehabilitating the Court to rid it of the stench of scandal and insulate it from MAGA extremists.

The flag stories will pitch further scrutiny toward the High Court when it is already facing considerable blowback, particularly with Justice Thomas and honorary justice, conservative-activist-wife, Ginni Thomas, who attended the Trump rally preceding the J6 Capitol attack, and who exerted tremendous effort in the months after to discredit the election results. Clarence Thomas just recently at a conference in Alabama accused his critics of “nastiness and lies,” for not having recused himself in Trump-related court cases. Democrats say Alito and Thomas have cast aside decorum and judicial ethics, letting their personal views and friendships reign over any sense of obligation to avoid the appearance of bias or political favor. Dick Durbin is pushing for a vote on the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act, requiring Justices to adopt a binding code and setting up a mechanism for investigating alleged violations of that code or other laws. Both Thomas and Alito should not be able to rule on the Trump cases before them, and those that will surely arise, but they won’t! So, peel them a grape, fetch their slippers and put another log on the campfire…and then prep the bedding in the RV!

Ian Millhiser on Vox, writes, “Samuel Alito is one of the worst judges of his generation. He rejects the very basic idea that courts must decide cases based on the law, and not based on their partisan views. He routinely embarrasses himself in oral arguments, and in his published opinions, with legal reasoning that no sensible lawyer can take seriously. And he even tries to distort public debate and silence critics. But most of all, Alito is one of the most uninteresting thinkers in the country. Here he is, in one of the most powerful and intellectually rigorous jobs on the planet – a philosopher king, presiding over the mightiest nation that has ever existed – and his only big idea is ‘Republicans should win.'” He goes on to say, “Alito – a judge with no theory of the Constitution, and no insight into how judges should read ambiguous laws, beyond his own driving belief that his team should always win – is the perfect fit, in other words, for what the Republican Party has become in the age of Trump. Alito lashes out at his colleagues when they accuse white lawmakers of racism. Indeed, one of the unifying themes in Alito’s race cases us his desire to write a presumption of white racial innocence into the law – and especially into American voting law.”

Last week Donald Trump was greeted with boos repeatedly at the Libertarian Party’s national convention in Washington, a switch from his usual raucous rally receptions. Taking the stage to boos and jeers from the majority, a smaller contingent clad in their MAGA hats and t-shirts attempted to cheer him on with chants of “USA, USA,” and “We want Trump.” Shortly before his appearance, one Party member yelled, “Donald Trump should have taken a bullet,” an apparent reference to the MAGA lie being bandied about, that the FBI during their ‘raid’ and search of Mar-a-Lago for purloined classified documents was authorized to assassinate him…of course, the ‘visit’ was planned with knowledge that he would not be on the premises. A request for a comment on the hostile reception to which the former president was subjected was met with silence by his campaign as they searched the video for clips that show their candidate in a good light. Trump’s appeal to the gathered conventioneers was, “We should not be fighting each other, but work toward defeating Biden,” which was met by more jeering. A mix of applause and jeers was heard when he said, “The Libertarian Party can make a big difference. If we unite we will be unstoppable.” Trump tried to poke fun by claiming that if they chose not to back him, they would continue to get their 3% of voter support in the upcoming election. His pledge to appoint a Libertarian to his cabinet if he wins was countered with cries of “b.s.” from a large segment of the disbelieving crowd. One attendee holding a sign that demanded “No Wannabe Dictators” was disappeared by security, and after Trump called President Biden a “tyrant” and the “worst president in the history of the US,” many screamed back at him, “That’s you!” So, in the end Trump’s handlers couldn’t find ten seconds of his Libertarian debut video where he was speaking coherently or not being jeered, resulting in posting of right-wing articles proclaiming his success, where thousands upon thousands of participants had his back. “Who does not know the truth, is simply a fool…yet who knows the truth and calls it a lie, is a criminal.” – Bertolt Brecht.

But, Rudy Giuliani is still searching for just a bit of success himself, having declared bankruptcy to escape his mountain of debt. His unwitting disclosure of his whereabouts, after thumbing his nose at authorities for weeks, allowed the servers of his Arizona indictment to pounce on him at his 80th birthday party. This ranks high on Rudy’s résumé…almost matching the infamous news conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping…you remember, the one next to the adult sex toys store, across from the crematorium? Jill Twiss of The Daily Beast reports that during a Zoom meeting last week, Rudy had to use the bathroom, forgetting to turn off his Zoom microphone while standing at the urinal…an added contribution to the streaming event, so to speak. Jill gives Rudy a bit of leeway by saying we’ve all done it, or will do it…totally normal. “Just being Rudy Giuliani for the past 80 or so years? Pretty embarrassing,” she hastens to add.

TRUMP COUNTING SHEEP, RUDY BREWS ESCAPE
Don’t hold your breath for this one, but Representative Lauren Boebert co-sponsored House bill H.R. 8386 to award the twice-impeached, indicted felon Donald Trump the Congressional Gold Medal for his “dedication to strengthening America’s diplomatic relations.” The former president’s diplomacy is notable for his attempt to extort Ukraine to get incriminating information on Joe Biden, and most recently encouraging Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to our allies. The Congressional vault probably has a few extra medals on hand after Boebert voted ‘No’ on awarding such to the Capitol Police officers for defending the lives of Congress members during the January 6 Insurrection.

Perhaps we’ll get to see Trump exercise his diplomacy bona fides at the upcoming debate with President Biden on June 27 at CNN’s Atlanta studios. Catching the Trump team off guard, Biden challenged Mr. Trump to two debates on ABC and CNN, with Trump’s immediate acceptance and his keepers probably gagging at the prospect, especially with Biden’s taking the lead on the debate issue…will they or won’t they? Many are saying we will only see a walking corpse, with Trump stumbling his way around, no idea what’s going on in a nonexistent campaign where his babysitters keep a tight rein on his appearances. Former Fox News host, Chris Wallace, who moderated the first 2020 debate between the two candidates, says it will be “suicidal” if Trump conducts himself as he did in that flame-out of a debate. Trump interrupted both Biden and Wallace in excess of 100 times, with his own team saying he “came on way too hot.” Wallace suggests, “If I were giving Trump advice, I would let Biden talk, because sometimes Biden gets himself in trouble. And then I’d counterpunch…I think Trump thought, ‘I’m going to be able to throw Biden off his game, I’m going to be able to get him confused.’ It didn’t work, Biden kept his cool, and the person who ended up looking bad was Trump. If he does the same thing again, he’s a fool.” What will Trump do without a teleprompter?

It does seem that Mr. Trump is able to scribble notes to pass on to his Greek Chorus of GOP acolytes who have started to show up at his hush-money trial, which they then elaborate from outside the New York court house, sounding very much like a limited vocabulary Trump with endless, whining recitations. New York Magazine’s Andrew Rice noted that during the trial the former president was seen editing the statements of witnesses that he wanted his cohorts to feed to the media gathering. MSNBC’S Alex Wagner questioned the legality of this activity since the gag order prohibits Trump from directing others to say those things he is not allowed to utter. Case in point being, Senator Tommy Tuberville admitting that “one of the reasons” for his attendance and commentary was “to overcome this gag order” imposed on Trump, who is enduring “mental anguish” in this “depressing” courtroom. And, chiming in was Senator J.D. Vance, who criticized Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter which Trump himself had done previously but is now gagged against doing so. Parroting Vance was North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who denied that Trump had instructed him to speak of the judge’s daughter. Tuberville doubled down later on Newsmax’s Chris Salcedo Show, saying, “Hopefully, we’ll have more and more senators and congressmen go up every day to represent him and be able to go out and overcome this gag order, and that’s one of the reasons we went – is to be able to speak our piece for President Trump.” MSNBC’s Chris Hayes said he sees it as “both thuggish and pathetic” how Trump appears, via his stooges, to be trying to circumvent the gag order which bans him from talking about witnesses, jurors, court staff and their families.

Lawrence O’Donnell of MSNBC was in attendance, reporting that Vance and Tuberville sat in the “vice presidential nominee audition bench” behind the “Eric Trump bench” during the court proceedings. At the first recess, the two senators left their seats, going straight to the reporters outside the courtroom, with Vance questioning Michael Cohen’s credibility and criticizing the judge’s daughter, while Tuberville questioned the citizenship of the jurors, wisecracking that “supposedly American citizens were in that courtroom.” O’Donnell described Vance as being “on his phone the entire time…there was really no reason for him to come if he wasn’t going to take in everything that was happening,” referencing Vance’s statement that he was there “to show support for a friend” and to be a “friendly face in the courtroom.” For a friend who will soon select a VP running mate?! Co-host Willie Geist on ‘Morning Joe’ described the duo’s commentary as performative outrage on behalf of the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. “Vance is a US Marine, for God’s sake, where it’s all about honor. It’s very sad,” he added. Joe Scarborough reminded him of Vance’s previous disdain for Trump, when he said in 2016, “If you love Jesus, if you were a Christian, you cannot support Donald Trump. Now furiously on the vice presidential treadmill, he has changed his mind and has decided that this is the most noble of men in his porn star trial.”

The following day, the Greek Chorus saw House Speaker Mike Johnson, along with Florida Representatives Donalds and Mills fill the space for “friendly faces,” joined also by Vivek Ramaswamy and Governor Burgum. A fed-up Senator Lisa Murkowski, who voted to convict the former president in his second impeachment trial in 2021, unloaded on fellow GOPers who have attended Trump’s hush-money trial, saying to HuffPost, “Do we have something to do around here other than watch a stupid porn trial? I mean, this is ridiculous.” But Trump appears happy with such visible support from his MAGA base, commenting, “I do have a lot of surrogates, and they are speaking very beautifully. We have a lot of great people here to talk to you.” Speaker Johnson declared, “President Trump is innocent of these charges. This is the fifth week of a sham trial…they are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off the campaign trail.” But Trump has squandered his days off from the trial by playing golf or holing up at Mar-a-Lago…talk to his babysitters! Senator Mitt Romney says the entourage of GOP leaders showing up outside the New York City courthouse is “a little embarrassing…a little demeaning where we’re talking about an allegation of paying a porn star. Really difficult to watch. There is a level of dignity and decorum that you expect from people who are running for the highest station in the land, and going out and prostrating themselves in front of the public to try and apparently curry favor with the person who is our nominee.”

After Tuesday’s trial, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow expressed her surprise at the “sad” way in which the latest batch of GOP grovelers attended the proceedings, dressing like the former guy…“It was like they were the Rockettes,” she observed. However, she mockingly suggested that Speaker Johnson was allowed to wear a striped tie because of his leadership role, but they all used “the same language, describing Trump as their friend. I don’t know if Trump has friends. I don’t think Vivek Ramaswamy is one of them, if he does have friends. And this is a display of sycophancy and a job interview,” she added. Panelist Nicolle Wallace’s one-word description hits the bullseye…“clownish.”  This is a sensitive subject for many Republicans who prefer anonymity, who feel that Johnson, a supposedly devout Southern Baptist who built his political career on his fight for Christian values and moral conservatism, is undermining the party’s family values image for Trump’s favor. One House GOPer feels that Johnson has to answer for that dichotomy at sticking his neck out in light of his previous standing. Johnson disclosed a couple of years ago that he and his son monitor each other’s porn intake with the app, Covenant Eyes, “a platform that helps you live porn-free with confidence,” according to its website. The Speaker bragged back then that, “I’m proud to tell you, my son’s got a clean slate.” “I wonder if he had to report the New York visit to his son?” one lawmaker asked facetiously. Former Representative Liz Cheney accused Johnson of abandoning his commitment to advancing high-minded moral principles, by admitting he wants to be in the “I Cheated On My Wife With A Porn Star” club.

While some Republicans have veered from the path by ignoring the actual charges, and defending the former guy from the process, a familiar refrain being, “I don’t think it has anything to do with what he’s charged with. I think it’s all about just the way the trial itself has been conducted and the fact that there’s a lot of unfairness that’s going on.” That coming from Representative Aderholt of Alabama. On the other side of the aisle, Democrats argue that it was irresponsible for the Speaker, a figure who is third in line to the presidency, to disparage the country’s judicial system, undermining the public’s trust in a foundational institution that’s long been a source of national pride. California’s Pete Aguilar said, “It’s disappointing to see the Speaker speak negatively of independent criminal investigations, but that’s the price House Republicans have to pay; specifically, Johnson, for Trump to have his back.” Another anonymous House Republican raised concerns that Johnson who is a constitutional lawyer was casting doubt on the judicial branch, saying, “What I really didn’t like was the fact that as an officer of the court, he walked out and bashed the proceedings, the court, the judiciary, and that’s not fair. And as an officer of the court you have a duty to uphold that. It’s one thing when Trump, who’s not a lawyer [nor a president…yet], does it. It’s quite another thing for a member of the bar.”

‘Late Night’s’ Seth Meyers says it was probably inadvisable for Trump’s entourage of “MAGA weirdos” to show up at his criminal trial, especially where character is essential to the case…and Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert aren’t the role models you want in the room. “Man, Beavis and Butthead are everywhere! That’s like if O.J.’s buddies at his trial were Charles Manson and Hannibal Lecter,” he quipped, adding, “I’m surprised to see Boebert there. Not surprised she showed up…just surprised she hasn’t been kicked out yet. Seriously, there are more Republican members of Congress at Trump’s trial than there are in the Capitol. Just going to throw this out there…might be a good day to storm it.” He goes on to say that they had to sit next to Eric Trump because they got their tickets from Seat Freak. Stephen Colbert commented about Trump speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, complaining about his prosecution, calling the trial “a scam, and it’s a sham.” “Coincidentally, ‘scam’ and ‘sham’ are the Secret Service code names for Eric and Don Jr,” Colbert disclosed. Desi Lydic on the ‘Daily Show’ said, “Michael Cohen is the linchpin of the government’s case, because his testimony directly ties Trump to the falsification of business records, which, remember, is the actual crime here. The porn star hush-money part is just a little thing we keep saying because it’s fun. Trump’s defense attorneys have been doing their best to make Michael Cohen seem less credible than a Boeing in-flight safety video.” Bill Maher on his ‘Real Time’ show asks, “Why can’t everybody live in my world, in the middle, where we’re not nuts?” He also comments about Republicans showing up at the trial dressed like Trump with this observation: “J.D. Vance was there, and Vivek Ramaswamy, Tommy Tuberville, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. No wonder Trump falls asleep in the trial…he’s counting his sheep.”

You’re probably too late to get in on the special sale during the launch of America’s mayor’s new coffee enterprise. Rudy Giuliani, saddled with his $148M debt amid his bankruptcy filing is attempting to at least maintain his lifestyle, the debt being secondary to him…no doubt. A two pound bag of his beans…regular price $29.95…was available at $17 with the first 100 bags adorned with his signature, as he aims for a June ship date! So, let’s see…how many $30 bags does he have to sell to even approach his outstanding debt…yikes!? Better keep those roasteries hot! Poor Rudy was indicted by an Arizona grand jury last month for his attempt to reverse Trump’s 2020 election loss in that state, but the servers were finding it difficult to serve him with the summons as he eluded their efforts to find him. The prosecutors were faced with issuing an arrest warrant as the appointed date for this flibbertigibbet’s appearance approached, with Rudy seeming to relish the game of taunting the authorities by posting clues of his whereabouts, while bragging that you “can’t catch me!”…which would result in some kind of exoneration? Actually, an arrest would have landed him in jail, while being denied bail. But his boldness led to his downfall as he sent a tweet from his eightieth birthday party held in Palm Beach, boasting that he had avoided being served with only a day to go! Within the hour process servers had their own celebration by handing Rudy the summons, thanks to his hot tip on Xwitter. Andy Borowitz, in ‘The Borowitz Report‘, says the process server followed a trail of jet-black hair dye to locate him, and “the former mayor willingly accepted the summons, apparently mistaking it for a cocktail napkin.”

REOPENING PANDORA’S BOX FOR A NEW OUTCOME ON DAY ONE

The much-trumpeted TIME magazine interview with Donald Trump by Eric Cortellessa a couple of weeks ago, further emphasizes the danger he poses to our democracy should his presidential campaign be successful in November. The former president diagnoses pivotal mistakes in his term in office as “being too nice” to those who disagreed with him. Cortellessa questioned him why he has the trust of a wide swath of voters, yet many of those who worked closely with him refuse to endorse him for a second shot at the Oval Office. Without meeting the question head on, he replies, “I let them quit because I have a heart. I don’t want to embarrass anybody. I don’t think I’ll do that again. From now on, I’ll fire.” The interviewer admits that Trump is stronger and better positioned for a win than in either of his two previous campaigns despite facing criminal court proceedings which he characterizes as a badge of honor, and in spite of his fascist tendencies which he is embracing more fully as the election year progresses. He has expressed his desire to deport more than 11 million people, and is willing to build migrant detention camps with use of US military forces for border control. His wishy-washy standing on pregnancies and abortion has become more cruel by the day, and he is ready on “day one” to free the imprisoned “hostages” who were involved in the US Capitol insurrection of January 6, 2021, who he terms as the “J-6 Patriots”…unless someone “was evil and bad.” And how would someone like him even know? NATO’s existence is in jeopardy, as is the security of our European allies who may not be “paid up” with their protection racket monies.

Still stuck in his craw is the existence of the White House pandemic-preparedness office, so that will go by the wayside…just like COVID-19, “one day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.” His future staffing will include only those who will back him in his insistence that the 2020 election was stolen, loyalists who will adhere to his detailed agenda to grant him complete power. Trump feels he knows the ins-and-outs of DC, having done the drill once, when he had to depend upon others to guide him through the mysteries of Washington politics…plus, he will have more support in Congress than previously. He told TIME he would not attempt to overturn the Constitution’s barring of a third term, with public opinion providing a check on any attempt to do so. Cortellessa quotes George Orwell who wrote in 1945, that the ability of governments to carry out their designs “depends on the general temper in the country.” The true believers of the Trump base see his election as one of revolutionary promise, but to much of the country and the civilized world it personifies alarming probabilities. Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley says a second Trump presidency could bring “the end of democracy, and the birth of a new kind of authoritarian presidential order.” His cohorts are planning a restructuring of the underpinnings of the office into that of a unitary executive theory, removing those impediments imposed by Congress and the courts, favoring a more powerful Commander in Chief, with a heavier thumb on the Department of Justice. Now attempting to downplay his earlier threats of retribution toward his perceived enemies, he leaves a slight opening saying, “It would depend on the situation. We’re gonna look at a lot of things. What they’ve done is a terrible thing.” A previous threat to appoint a “real special prosecutor” to go after Joe Biden for his “crimes” was soft-pedaled with a confident “I am sure Biden will be prosecuted for his crimes,” though no evidence of such has been brought to light.

When asked about his remark to Sean Hannity on not being a dictator – “except for day one. I want to close the border, and I want to drill, drill, drill” – he claims it “was said in fun, in jest, sarcastically,” comparing it to 2016’s asking Russia to hack and leak Hillary Clinton’s emails…which seemed to bring results. Yet he maintains of his dictatorial aspirations, “I think a lot of people like it,” which is unfortunately true. Jeffrey Engel of Southern Methodist University said, “This was a president who did to like the results of an election, did not like the fact that he was being voted out, and decided that his personal interests were more important than the constitutional process.” And of 2024, Trump was asked if he’s worried there would be violence if he loses, saying, “I don’t think we’re going to have that. I think we’re going to win. And if we don’t win, you know, it depends. It always depends on the fairness of an election,”  or as he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “If everything’s honest, I’ll gladly accept the results. If it’s not, you have to fight for the right of the country.” And the only fair election is in Trump’s favor? Or so it would seem from all his supporters who offer only insipid, pathetic answers when questioned about the election outcome and its ramifications. Then we have to consider Arizona’s Senate candidate, Kari Lake, suggesting supporters “strap on a Glock” prior to the election, or Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton advocating tossing protestors off the Golden Gate Bridge, and the latest by Governor Kristi ‘It Had to Be Done’ Noem in offing her 14-month old puppy because it was too puppy-ish.

In January, Trump warned us that if his four criminal indictments prevent him from winning, the result will be “bedlam in the country. It’s the opening of a Pandora’s box.” “He’s telling us what his intentions are, as he did before January 6,” says Harvard University terrorism expert, Juliette Kayyem in a PBS interview. “The language of incitement. If he loses, we certainly know from what Trump has said – and we know from what the FBI is telling us – that there are large groups and organizations that are preparing to continue the fight.” He claims Hillary Clinton and the Democrats rigged the 2016 vote to prevent his achieving a popular vote dominance, and the 2020 election will never be settled for him, saying, “2024 is our final battle.” Aldous J. Pennyfarthing says, “The best way to interview Trump is to…not interview him. But since TIME magazine did that very thing, with his latest fibs being just fragrant fish heads in a whopping seafood ‘n’ BS paella, it’s important to at least take as taste if we want the full picture of his depravity.”  To fact check Trump’s claims, go here.

Alas, poor Donald Trump saw the departure of a member of the Florida delegation headed to the July GOP convention in Milwaukee…son Barron who was to join his two half-brothers and half-sister, Tiffany, has bowed out due to prior commitments. Or was it because mama Melania decided he didn’t need to follow in the sleazy footsteps of the other family members? Most media outlets gave him bad coverage after the announcement so Barron may not be labeled a monster after all…at least until his next misstep. Delegate, and son, Eric Trump claimed on Fox News Saturday that his family has never done anything wrong! Interviewer Mark Levin asked about the criminal hush money trial against his father, with Eric replying, “Well, Mark. A hundred and ten subpoenas in the last seven years. Those are ones that I’ve received personally…I’ve never gotten so much as a traffic ticket. We’re a good family. Never done anything wrong. The way they’ve come after my father since he’s gone down that elevator is unthinkable.” He failed to mention that in the last year alone, Pops has been found liable in separate civil cases for fraud, defamation and sexual abuse, compounded by hundreds of millions of dollars in punitive actions; or, how about the four criminal indictments for stealing classified documents, for attempting to overthrow the US government, for attempting to subvert the election results in Georgia, or falsifying business records after romping with a porn star? So, Eric, what about the ‘family’ of current and former allies who are now convicted, and in the hoosegow, for their white-collar crimes?

Xtwitter was quick to respond to Eric’s claim: “I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that if you have received 110 subpoenas in just the space of a few years, you might be either a head of agency or a criminal,” “Your family is a bunch of con artists, traitors, crooks, and all-around miserable human beings,” “Eric needs his head examined. This is a factual statement,” “We’re a vegan family. We’ve never harmed any chickens. – Colonel Sanders.” A rough estimate of fines and penalties for Trump and his enterprises since 1988 total approximately $710,528,000, which seems just a tad into the criminal realm. Which brings up the report from last Saturday from The New York Times and ProPublica – a lengthy investigation by the IRS indicates Donald Trump could owe more than $100M in underpaid taxes for losses he claimed on his Chicago skyscraper, Trump International Hotel and Tower – by double-dipping in his filings. Eric claims this matter was settled years ago, supported by tax experts including the former general counsel of the IRS, but was revisited only when his father ran for the presidency. Donald bullied his way as a TV personality and a supposed real estate mogul into building his own political movement, refusing to release his tax filings “because we are being audited.”  Well, maybe he was being truthful, after all…not justification for hiding his IRS returns, however! Trump has a history of ‘tax mishaps’ and underpayments, and it is known that he paid no federal taxes for a decade before winning the presidency.

And just when we think Trump’s Sleaze-athon can’t get any worse, he can barely hide his wide-open corruption tendencies. In a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with the country’s top oil executives, he responded to one of the attendee’s complaints of burdensome environmental regulations and futile lobbying of the Biden administration to the tune of $400M in 2023, by making an offer that stunned many. He asked them to raise $1B to put him back in the White House, whereupon he would reverse many of Biden’s rules and policies, and head off any new regulations from enactment, while making their tax burdens lighter. Aldous J. Pennyfarthing comments, “Of course, while a Trump promise is usually worth less than the sallow flap of neck skin his prison tattoo will eventually be printed on, you can rest assured he’d keep this one. For one thing, he wants that money spigot to stay open. For another, he hates anything that might save the planet and/or muss his golden tresses. And, well, he’s not exactly a policy maven so much as a clean slate that anyone with a couple billion dollars can write on like a yard sale Etch-A-Sketch.” Politico reports that the US oil powerhouse is completing ready-to-sign executive orders for Trump, aimed at pushing natural gas exports, cutting drilling costs and increasing offshore oil leases in the event he wins his second term, but then loses focus on energy issues for a quick reversal of green policies. Aldous adds, “And you should remember this excerpt in four years when you’re squatting in an ice bucket in northern Alaska, celebrating Earth Day by watching oil refineries explode. All this is particularly sad considering the clear benefits of Biden’s green infrastructure initiatives, which Trump would no doubt seek to roll back out of ignorance, spite, love of money, and a presumed hatred of narwhals. Well, as the old saying goes, ‘you got to dance with them what brung you,’ and it’s clear Trump is dancing for dollars – when he’s not fixing to jitterbug his way out of jail.”

Quoting The Atlantic magazine, Shirley Kennedy writes on The Palmer Report, “The Atlantic called Trump’s action ‘entirely legal and absolutely corrupt.’ The magazine wanted to put this information in the public eye so that people can learn to look at every aspect of Trump as a candidate. Promising favors to people for money is despicable, and that sort of behavior does not deserve a position of power to change laws. While Trump and his cronies may think they know what’s best for all of us, they don’t even give us an opportunity to contribute, by holding these meetings behind closed doors. Kudos to The Atlantic and Washington Post for bringing this vile information too light. As The Atlantic said, Trump is ‘arguably worse’ than other politicians who use these methods to gain entrance to the highest office in the land. Should he be elected, Trump will do nothing for anyone but himself. For this and reasons too numerous to name, Trump cannot be allowed to resume the presidency.”

Robert Harrington posted on The Palmer Report, “Of course we don’t know what their [the oil executives] decision will be – yet. But we do know something else about them. Of the couple dozen oil criminals on hand at MAGA-Lardo, only one person came squeamishly, anonymously forward to tell about it. The rest were going to just let it slide. Maybe they wouldn’t make a deal with the devil after all. Maybe instead they’d just hope the devil would do it anyway without their having to pony up a billion bucks. And you know what? They’re probably right to think just that.”

PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE AND THE FAIRNESS OF THE OUTCOME

Surely you all celebrated the Congressional decreed National Day of Prayer on the first Thursday of the month, despite the Constitution’s First Amendment demand that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” A groundswell of Christian Nationalism in 1952 brought this about, along with a National Prayer Breakfast and the adoption of “under God” being added to the Pledge of Allegiance, and “In God We Trust” becoming the national motto, which is also stamped on our metal currency. The Reverend Billy Graham provided the dynamics for these changes, with POTUS annually issuing a proclamation for recognition of the NDP. A scattering of local and state governments also recognize the day, which purports to welcome all participants, yet ostracizes the nonreligious, those who don’t pray and most religious minorities, making it clear historically and rhetorically that it’s a Christian observance. Graham’s pomposity was a call to Christian Nationalism, saying, “Our nation was founded upon God, religion and the church. Christ, through his men, directed the affairs of this Nation for many years. We have dropped our pilot, the Lord Jesus Christ.” A side note: Tennessee’s US Representative, Percy Priest, introduced the bill that resulted in 36 USC § 119 proclaiming the day of prayer, while crediting Reverend Graham, but clouding his Nationalism in ecumenicalism…which the Rev did not do.

The National Day of Prayer Task Force, with its militaristic sword-and-shield graphic, is in the vanguard of the day’s activities emphasizes Nationalism with their 2024 prayer, “Jesus, we profess our faith in You. Lead us forward to dispel the darkness and bring light throughout the Church, Family, Education, Business, Military, Government, and Arts, Entertainment, and Media.” Task Force president, Kathy Banzell, wrote this prayer, and is author of her book, ‘Prayer Warrior: The Battle Plan to Victory.’ A pernicious element of Christian Nationalism called ‘dominionism’ references in the prayer, the Seven Mountains Mandate, a demand that adherents take dominion over seven “mountains” or spheres of sway in our society. The Washington Post’s columnist, Kate Cohen, wrote, “We shouldn’t ignore it. We should get rid of it.” “Our government should not be involved in telling our citizens when or how to pray, or that they should pray at all, our democracy depends on it,” writes Rachel K. Laser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Arizona’s extremist Republican Senate candidate, Kari Lake, recently told a crowd, “We are going to put on the armor of God. And maybe strap on a Glock on the side just in case.” What? No prayer to start off the violence? She is blatantly manipulating Christianity for political and personal gain, with religious website Faithful America naming her a top Christian-Nationalist False Prophet in 2022, as she continues to undermine our electoral system, promoting conspiracy theories and propping up MAGA and Trump. Lake’s referencing “the armor of God” appears in the New Testament’s Ephesians 6 as a metaphor for spiritual strength, not a call to arms but to spreading a message of peace. But the far-right, clergy as well as politicians, insist on misusing the verse to motivate warfare toward the opposition, threatening to kill lawmakers and judges, while calling for the nullification of the 2020 presidential election. The New York Times wrote of Lake’s encouragement of violence, “Political violence experts say that even if aggressive language by high-profile individuals does not directly end in physical harm, it creates a dangerous atmosphere in which the idea of violence becomes more accepted, especially if such rhetoric is left unchecked.”

Billy Graham is quoted as saying, “I don’t want to see religious bigotry in any form. It would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentalists and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it.” He got that right, but his religious blindness and science-denial led him to believe the Bible would solve racism and poverty, being grounded in apocalyptic prophecy. Then his embrace of both Nixon and Reagan opened the entryway for the hard right’s takeover of Republican politics…enter the son, Franklin Graham. The Critical Mind writes on Daily Kos, that father Billy was a mensch compared to Franklin. TCM says, “Conservative evangelicals say they agree. They will not stop bleating about the 10 Commandments, moral absolutism, family values, and leading ‘a good Christian life.’ So when Franklin Graham implores his tribe to pray for Trump, I would expect the rest of the message to demand that Trump repent his sins – and take time away from public life to work on his faith and his relationship with his Savior to become born again into God’s grace in the expectation of eternal salvation. Just kidding. This sanctimonious hypocrite has no shame.” Trump only wants to be borne again…to the Oval Office! After all, Graham, like Trump, is blaming everything on political enemies who are creating this legal peril. The prosecutors, the judges, the grand jury all share the blame! Graham implores, “I’m not asking you to vote for him – I’m asking you to pray for him.” That’s the ticket…pray away the rape and defamation, the business fraud, the charity fraud, the educational fraud, and we may as well pray that all the little people stiffed by Trump over the years receive manna from heaven. Trump would be happier if we all just bought a bunch of his Bibles…get one for Mom when you buy one of Melania’s exclusive $245 Mother’s Day necklaces. Prey for money!

Axios released a leaked audio of the RNC/MAGA cult’s two-day confab at Mar-a-Lago last weekend, with the Orange Leader discussing the traits and strengths of his possible running mates who were out in force to parade their wares as an added bonus before the assembled donors. Trump took the stage to the recording of the national anthem by the ‘J6 Prison Choir,’ or as it is known to most MAGAs, ‘The Biden Administration Hostage Choir.’ The former president’s 90-minute tirade attacked Biden and his “Gestapo administration” as he rehashed the indignity of having to endure his unfair trials and the 88 felony charges across four different jurisdictions…with an extra helping of the 2020 “election fraud” thrown onto the plates of the luncheon attendees. Trump’s use of Nazi-like language seemed to go over just fine with the donors, being met with applause, especially when daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, presented him with a plaque commemorating the triumph of the ‘J6 Choir’ on the Billboard music charts. MAGAman introduced the auditioning wannabe running mates, revealing that they all had one extremely important trait in common – they really, really like him…and, a prerequisite, they all agree that acceptance of the upcoming election depends on the “fairness of the outcome.” Stand back and stand by!

Wearing her Sunday best as she paraded her bonafides at Mar-a-Lago was South Dakota’s Kristi Noem from “one of America’s top rectangular states,” as Aldous J. Pennyfarthing describes her, having added to her résumé, “capricious dog killer.” Noem endured quite a week after revealing in her new book that she gunned down her “untrainable” 14-month-old hunting dog, Cricket, after it attacked the neighbor’s chickens. There it is in black and white, an example of her grit, determination and wisdom, which was her only recourse when Cricket spoiled a pheasant hunt by her excitement having a great adventure chasing the birds and doing dog stuff. Speculation was that her braggadocio had destroyed the possibility of her ever becoming considered a VP selection, but there she was rubbing elbows with dog-hater Trump in spite of her cruelty, her reprehensible audition evidently meeting his approval. Noem says she had tried an electronic collar to train Cricket to no avail…“I hated that dog…she was dangerous to anyone she came in contact with and was less than worthless as a hunting dog.” The solution was to take her to the killing field of a gravel pit which only stimulated her blood lust. The “nasty and mean” family goat made her list because the “smelly, disgusting, musky, rancid” male goat chased her children, knocking them down and ruining their clothes. Back to the gravel pit! Tied to a stake, the goat caused her to miss the first shot, so she had to boot-scoot back to her pick-’em up truck for another shotgun shell to dispatch the animal. Pennyfarthing is drawn to his conclusion: “This is exactly the kind of cruelty GOP voters want. And they’re increasingly bad at hiding it.” The Onion was quick to capitalize on Noem’s doggy tale with this headline: “Kristi Noem Euthanizes Son After Disappointing Basketball Season. ‘I hated that kid,’ she is quoted as saying.”

Not so confident about Noem’s favorability is odactionnews.com, which posted: “It’s been a rough week for South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem, who until recently looked like a strong contender for Trump’s #2 on the GOP ticket. In the midst of a PR tour she surely hoped would be a victory lap of sorts, hyping the release of her new memoir, ‘No Going Back,’ Noem has spent the last several days, well, going back, feebly defending the indefensible – she once shot and killed a puppy because it was a poor hunting dog – and haplessly trying to explain away the unexplainable – she invented a fantastical story about once meeting and ‘staring down’ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But wait, there’s more! Noem also wrote in her career-killing autobiography that her first priority should she ever make it into the White House would be to personally put down President Biden’s dog, Commander. Looks like Noem will have plenty of time to work on volume two of her life story, ‘No Going Forward.'”

Let’s not forget those GOP dog stories that are still in circulation: Who can forget Richard Nixon and Checkers? Or Seamus who rode on the roof of Mitt Romney’s car for a 12-hour road trip? Then there’s Florida governor Rick Scott’s adopted dog, Reagan, which was abandoned in 2012 for doing dog stuff. And Ronald Reagan’s dog – famous for humping Ed Meese’s leg? Two guys were walking their leashed dogs on a hot day when they passed a bar, so one suggests they pop in for a cold one. The other reminds him of health laws, believing it was improbable that dogs would be accepted inside. Determined, the first guy tells his companion to wait and watch. Adjusting his sunglasses, he walks into the bar with his dog and is immediately told to leave…no dogs! The guy protests that he is blind and has a seeing-eye dog, which gets him an apology, a beer, and a water dish for the dog from the bartender. The second guy, encouraged, tries the same tactic, whereupon the bartender tries to bounce him. The guy responds, “Hey, can’t you see I’m blind? This is my guide dog!” Response from the bartender is quick, “Guide dog? That’s a chihuahua!” Momentarily taken aback, the guy says in disbelief, “What?? They gave me a chihuahua??”