Political Commentary
One word never used to describe the Republican Party or serving member at the state or federal level is ”statesman”, and that is sad. Over nearly 60 years I've watched the deterioration of the republican party from a party that at least stood for identifiable policies to one that no longer respects voters enough to put out a national platform. The corruption and ethical compromise of the republican party is now complete.
A Fish Rots from the Head Down --
Cheeto (Trump) Has A New Name
Inmate No. P01135809
Think about what has been taken from our country when the party of "Law and Order" and "Traditional Family Values" is led by an indicted criminal that pays hush-money to porn stars. Indicted on a total of 91 felony charges. What would John McCain think?
Cheeto Indicted on 41 Additional State Felony Counts in Fulton Co, GA for Attempt to Overthrow the 2020 Election
➡ Indicted on August 15, 2023,
➡ Arraigned in Fulton, Co. Superior Court, On or Before August 25, 2023➡ Eighteen others including Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and the lawyers
➡ Rudy Guiliani, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, Ken Chesebro and Sydney Powell.
In an indictment containing nearly 200 illegal acts in furtherance of the conspiracy by Cheeto and others to overturn the will of the people and the 2020 election, Act 112 describes the infamous telephone call by Cheeto and Meadows to the Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger where Cheeto demanded Raffensperger "find me 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because I won the state". Followed by threatening Raffensperger with criminal prosecution by the DOJ if he failed to reverse the results of the election in Georgia giving the electors to Cheeto.
Of all the conduct by this scumbag, hearing his voice on the telephone call demanding Raffensperger disregard the actual results of the election, disenfranchising all who voted for Biden and illegally give the state to Cheeto -- showed, without any question, an unfit man who cared nothing about his oath of office to uphold the constitution of the United States, doing all he could to subvert the constitution in a bid to cling to power. Nothing short of an attempted coup on the United States.
The wheels of justice move slowly, but they do turn, with a bit of irony in this case. The moronic Cheeto could have chosen no better state to commit a state-crime in than Georgia. While there is a risk Cheeto himself will be elected, or another dishonest R who is willing to pardon him of all Federal crimes, pardon-power doesn't extend to state crimes. While in other states, pardon-power rests with the govenor, in Georgia, the governor has no such power, it being vested in a panel of eight-members. Moreover, a pardon in Georgia cannot be granted until five-years after the guilty party has finished serving all prison sentences. The wheels of justice move slowly -- especially in Georgia, thank God!
Cheeto Indicted on 4 Federal Felony Counts for Attempt to Overthough 2020 Election
Indicted on August 1, 2023, Arraignment in Washington DC on June 13, 2023Five Lawyers Named As Unindicted (yet) Co-Conspirators
The United States of America fails to be a democracy on the first a past President remains in power after the expiration of his term. We came within a hares-breath of losing our democracy on January 6, 2021 when plan orchestrated by Cheeto and his lawyers to delay counting of the electors for Joe Biden by then Vice President Pence. The conspiracy to subvert the will of the people allowing Cheeto to remain in office started well before the actual election. As early as June 2020, Cheeto and his joke of a lawyer Loony Rudy, made clear that if they lost the upcoming election, they would just announce they won and seek to stop the counting of the votes while Cheeto was ahead (more R's are election day voters whose votes are counted first before the mail ballot which tend to favor D's)
To esure the plan had a legal basis, the lawyers (many now disbarred) devised a plan to claim outcome determinative fraud had taken place. (60 election fraud lawsuits were filed in attempt to legitimize the false claims - but the Courts found no valid evidence of fraud in each of the 60 lawsuits filed). Despite the clear legal determination that Cheeto had no basis to remain in power, Cheeto then tried to install a new Attorney General (Jeffrey Clark) after then acting AG Jeffrey Rosen refused to "Just say that the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me [Cheeto] and the Republican Congressmen" (Clark will be charged by separate indictment)
In addition to the attempt to corrupt the DOJ by appointing Clark, Cheeto also pressured each of the swing-state Secretaries of State to find votes sufficient to flip the victory to Cheeto (the now famous call to Georgia where Cheeto demanded that the "Find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won the state..." Adding that that the DOJ would find it criminal if the results were not changed in his favor "because he had won". In addition, should his pressure campaign fail to flip the states, Cheeto, along with his lawyers, devised a plan for the Republicans in the swing-states to submit "fake-electors" certifying that Cheeto had won each swing state. The plan being to falsely claim fraud and have his VP reject the official electors on January 6, 2020 and "send in back to the states" so the slates of "fake electors" would be counted by Pence instead. We all watched in horror on January 6, 2020 when a mob was directed to the Capital to stop the counting of electors when it became clear the VP Pence would not carry out his part of the plan to reject the valid electors.
The wheels of justice turn slowly, but we will wake up in a democracy tomorrow because they do turn.
Cheeto Indicted on 37 Federal Felony Counts in Classified Documents Case
Indicted on June 8, 2023, Arraignment in Maimi on June 13, 2023Lackey Waltine Nauta indicted on conspiracy, concealment and false statements
Had indictment not occurred following Trump's mishandling of classified documents and obstructing the National Archives' and Department of Justice's attempts to have them retured, there would be serious question whether the rule-of-law still applies in the USA. Thankfully, with the indictment of Cheeto, once again the law being applied equally to every man survives.
“Don't Make a Federal Case Out of it”, is a stern warning given to all potential criminal defendants. It is a whole additional level of serious. Trial will likely occur within the year and if Cheeto fails to secure acquital or fails to cut a deal, he will likely spend the rest of his days as an Orange Man in an Orange Jump Suit. Couldn't happen to a more deserving criminal.
Curiously, there are many references to “Attorney 1”, (Evan Corcoran), “Employee 1”, and “Employee 2” including direct text messages between the employees and notes and transcribed recordings made by “Attorney 1”. It appears the employees were persuaded to cooperate (and live free), while the extraordinary glimps into the attorney work-product was the result of an order by a Federal Magistrate Judge finding the crime-fraud exception vitiated the attorney-client privilege in this case.
More indictments on attempts to overturn the 2020 election are yet to come. That could be additional federal indictments or indictment in state court in Georgia. Watch this space.
Dan “dickhead” Patrick Embarrasses Texas -- Again
Texas Lt. Governor Offers $1M Bounty For Voter Fraud
In a stunning embarrassment to the State of Texas, Lieutenant Govenor, Dan Patrick has offered a One-Million Dollar bounty for evidence of widespread voter-fraud. Apparently, in further attempts to soil his own nose with more of the Orangutan's brown effluent and placate the Cheeto's bruised ego, Patrick has embarrassed Texas by trying to manufacture evidence of voter-fraud. Pennsylvania has responded, admitting it has found a valid case of voter-fraud. A republican voter in Pennsylvania attempted to cast his ballot and the ballot of his dead mother for Cheeto. Pennsylvania AG has made a request to Patrick for his share of the Bounty.
Politically InCorrect...
Grifting little piggie and his piglets are going to cry “wee wee wee” all the way home. (but don't worry, Popo coming to put you and your piglets back in the pen)
Corruption -- Presidential Abuse of Power
Gohmert Abandons East Texas - Rolls-Dice with Our Democracy
Instead of honoring his oath of office 1st District of Texas Representative Louie Gohmert has chosen to ignore the Presidential Abuse of Power conditioning foreign aid to Ukraine for dirt on his rival. Gohmert, instead of protecting our Constitution, has put party over country and has stuped to attacking Active-Duty combat verterans that have the integrity and temerity to “Tell The Truth ” about the July 25, 2019 telephone call where trump withheld $391M in U.S. military aid to Ukraine until Ukraine agreed to provide "dirt" on trump's leading political rival in the upcoming 2020 election. The presidential abuse of power in soliciting assistance from a foreign nation for his personal benefit to use in a U.S. election is so blatant it would have the founding fathers rolling over in thier graves. This from Gohmert who was a District Judge before being put in office as a republican is a slap in the face to all East Texans. Seems the words, “truth, justice, honesty, integrity, oath-of-office and Constitution” mean nothing to Gohmert anymore.
Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election
Russia Did it, Trump Lied About It, Did Nothing To Fix It, Tried To Cover It Up --
Now It's Up To Congress...
With the release of the "Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election" by Robert S. Mueller, III, the reponsibility falls to Congress to holds those who have committed acts against the United States accountable. The report details how the Trump campaign willingly courted and accepted Russian aid to win the presidency. The report details Trump's ordering of the firing of the head of the FBI and of the Special Counsel in a shameless abuse of the office of president to obstruct the investigation. Were it not for those who defied the orders, this country would have been thrown into a Consitutional crisis long ago. While the Special Counsel was constrained from indicting the president due to an Office of Legal Counsel memo preventing the indictment, Congress has no such limitation on its responsibility. For all our sake, let us hope they do no shrink from it.
A Trumpertantrum
Government Shutdown, Mexico Won't Pay for Wall -- Duh... Idiots...
Louie Gohmert -- How Can You Tell When Your Representative is Corrupt?
Why, whenever Fox News needs a raving lunatic, and idiot, to make an appearance and spout the latest Conspiracy Theory designed to mislead the public -- it's our Louie Gohmert whose face appears? Gohmert now actively violates his oath of office, to faithfully uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, by being a willing participant in a right-wing conspiracy to discredit the Special Counsel, Robert Muller's investigation into Russian involvement in our 2016 election, and our president's subsequent Obstruction of Justice to cover it up. Louie Gohmert crossed the line today, selling out his last bit of integrity, to go on Fox News and spout the latest conspiracy theory talking points to goad the witless president into firing the Special Counsel. This participation by Gohmert was designed and calculated to provide a basis for the president to act on. Gohmert is complicit, and just a guilty as our president, in efforts to obstruct the investigation by the Special Counsel into Russian efforts to manipulate our presidential election and the subsequent efforts to obstruct the investigation into it. There is nothing more violative or repugnant to American values and repugnant to the Oath of Office Louie Gohmert took than to be an active and willing participant in spreading misinformation to subvert the law of the United States. We are a nation of laws. Teddy Roosevelt put it best in his December 3, 1907 Address to the Senate "No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we require him to obey it. Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor." Those are American values, those are East Texas values. It's time for Gohmert to go...
Republicans' Kill Net Neutrality -- Will Your ISP Put You In the Slow... Lane...?
Silently, on December 14, 2017, without any fanfare, the president signed an executive order overturning Net Neutrality. Notice how you don't see Suddenlink Commercials anymore? It is now owned by Patrick Drahi, a Moroccan with French, Portuguese and Isareli citizenship, who purchased a controlling interest in Suddenlink in 2015. Drahi and all other ISPs may now discriminate in allowing the flow of information to your home or smart phone. Companies that can pay more will have an advantage in getting thier content to your device, while everyone else can be treated differently. The democratic concept of Net Neutrality was simple and insured all traffic on the internet be treated equally. With the stroke of a pen, Trump erased that democratizing principle of fairness allowing internet companies to profit by slowing some traffic down, while speeding up the traffic for those that pay more. Pay more? We as Americans already pay 4 time more for internet service and get 4 times less throughput than the rest of the developed world. Repeal of Net Neutrality means it will cost even more. On Monday, every small-business had the same right to have their information flow unimpeded over the internet as did AT&T or Microsoft. By Thursday, that right was dead. All so a few, like Drahi, can make more money off the backs of the many.
So long as we elect those who lack integrity to the highest seats in government, we will continue to be exploited by those we elect.
Republicans' Trump Care -- Killed by 3 Courageous Republicans
Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine) and John McCain (Arizona -- RIP John), said “No” to a devisive bill that was thrown together in the House, supported by Louie Gohmert, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz ... (three slimy Texas Cockroaches), that ...
Accelerates $1 Trillion in Tax Cuts to the Top 2%
Slashes $800 Billion from Medicaid
Takes Pre-Existing Condition Coverage from Elderly and Poor
Thankfully there are 3 Republican Senators (out of 50) willing to put Country before Party in the wee hours of July 28, 2017. The remaining 47 should be ashamed.
Take Action! -- Help Save Our Democracy
Call, e-mail, fax, write or whatever your favorite mode of communication is and let all, (your own in particular), senators, representative, governers, etc. know where you stand on the issues and let them know you expect them to vote in conformance with your view. Let them know it they don't, you intend to let everyone know their position on the issue and you intend to make sure that you have a new representative after the next election. Then, for God sake, then... cast an educated and an informed vote in the next election. Make sure you can look at your children and know you have done your job to insure our democracy survives with the most qualified and competent leaders. Let your elected representatives know when you are displeased with the actions they take (like the letter to Sen. Joe Manchin [at the right] -- who lacked the backbone to oppose Jeff Sessions nomination as our Attorney General) and let them know how you expect them to do better.
Do not be put off by your representatives attempts to run and hide from you (e.g. Ted Cruz Refused to Meet with Constituents, Barred Access to Offices, and to further ignore his constituents concerns, Cruz has now taken his Washington D.C. Fax number down (202) 228-0755 to avoid being contacted by concerned Texans). This conduct by Cruz and other elected officials is shameful and clearly demonstrates they could care less about real Texans' concerns. Any elected official that doesn't have the integrity to meet with their constituents, or at the very least listen to their concerns, doesn't deserve to hold elected office. Texas deserves better. There is no substitute for action by we the people. The responsibility is ours to form a more perfect union, and you need look no further than the White House to understand what happens when we fail.
Stay engaged. Do your part to be an informed citizen within our democracy. This means more than forming opinions based on 15 second sound bites from a single source of news. Unfortunately today, we have entire media outlets created to espouse an intentionally dishonest and misleading set of opinons and policies while masquerading a "fair and balanced" news. Do your job, read the paper, listen to multiple legitimate sources and be informed on a local level so you can understand what the poilicies will mean at the local level. Politics is not a popularity contest, and if you are treating it that way, casting uneducated votes based on who you like more, you fail in your responsibility as a citizen in a democracy.
Don't be afraid to hold all elected officials accountable, even if they are not your direct representative. Every person holding elected office must faithfully execute the duties of whatever office they hold, with the honesty and integrity required of the office. When any elected official fails in that responsibility, they violate the public trust placed in them and do no deserve the office they hold. Today, the 22nd of March, 2017, Devin Nunes (R-CA) and chair of the House Intelligence Committee investigating the Trump's colluding with Russia, violated the public trust when he took classified information from the committee and delivered it to the Whitehouse -- to the very subject, the person, he is charged with investigating.
Letter to the Editor (Daily Sentinel) May 4, 2017
after Louie Gohmert Votes AYE on Trump Care (HR_1628)
On May 4, 2017 at 2:18 pm, our representative Louie Gohmert broke his promise to East Texans and voted YES to repeal Pre-Existing Condition protections in the American Health Care Act (HR_1628). The Bill accelerates a $1 Trillion Tax Cut for the Wealthy while slashing $800 Billion from Medicaid. The Bill removes protection from insurers charging more for people with Pre-Existing Conditions. With 1 in 2 (50%) of all Americans now classified with Pre-Existing Conditions and 86% of those between 55-64 falling in that category, insurance companies will now be able to segregate all people with Pre-Existing Conditions into "HIgh-Risk" pools and can charge them any amount they choose. According to ARP, a person with cancer can now be charged up to $120,000.00 per year for coverage, and the insurance companies are free to impose "Lifetime Caps" on the benefits they pay. Being 'female' is now a Pre-Existing Condition allowing Insurance Companies to charge you more. Louie Gohmert, promised time and time again in his (non-interactive) "Telephone Town Halls" that he would not vote for any bill that would raise rates on East Texans. Sadly, when it came time to keep that promise, Louie chose to stand with the Republican Party instead of standing with East Texans and Louie voted to give a $1 Trillion Dollar tax cut to the Rich while taking Pre-Existing condition protections away from East Texans. All a state must do is apply to HHS for a waiver (which is granted by default if Tom Price with HHS doesn't respond). It is an inevitable race to the bottom where Insurance Companies win and East Texans lose. Shame on you Louie Gohmert. East Texans expect you to have the integrity to keep the promises you make in your "Telephone Town Halls" and put the interest of East Texans over those of Party and your Insurance Company donors. East Texans were watching, and we will remember when it is time to elect a new representative. One who will stand up for East Texans.
See: U.S. House of Representatives Roll Call Votes, 115th Congress - 1st Session (2017)
Letter to the Editor (Daily Sentinel) June 27, 2017
US Senate Attempts to Pass Secret Bill
If your Texas Senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, vote to pass the senate version of the healthcare bill Louie Gohmert voted for on May 4, East Texans, and millions of Americans stand to lose affordable healthcare and the guarantee of pre-existing condition coverage. Cornyn and Cruz are voting for a bill that cuts healthcare coverage, slashes medicaid by $800 Billion dollars, and eliminates subsidies to help people afford insurance in order to give a $590 BILLION dollar tax cut to the wealthiest Americans, with 45% of those tax cuts going to the richest 1%. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) finds that 22 Million Americans will lose healthcare under the senate bill. Your deductibles under the new senate plan will rise dramatically along with the amount you pay in premiums. The cost for a plan equivalent to what you have today will rise by 74%, nearly doubling under the senate plan. The premiums will be much higher for those who are 55 or older and those who have pre-existing conditions. At its heart, the senate healthcare plan speaks volumes about what John Cornyn, Ted Cruz, and Louie Gohmert consider to be “important American values”. Saying it is more important to help the rich do a little better than it is to provide healthcare coverage for 22 Million of our fellow Americans. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are voting to take away your healthcare protections, raise your deductibles and increase your healthcare premiums to deliver a $580 Billion dollar tax cut to those who don't need it. I'm sorry, that's just plain wrong. Those are not East Texas values. We take care of our neighbors. Those are the misguided values of politicians who are willing to sell the working-man out to keep their campaign donors and party happy. We deserve better. Call John Cornyn (202) 224-2934 and Ted Cruz (202) 224-5922 and let them know you expect them to vote NO on this healthcare bait-and-switch. Let them know Texans will be watching.
Letter to the Editor (Daily Sentinel) December 15, 2017
Congress Prepares to Pass Largest Tax Giveaway in History
So long as we elect individuals who lack integrity to the highest offices in the land, they will continue to use their positions of power to exploit our nation for the benefit of a very few. If you have not been paying attention to the tax bill being hastily finalized in secret in Washington, the bill was quietly finished today. Only one party has seen the final legislation, the other subjugated to wait until the final bill was released to the public (which occurred today after close of business). The bill is 503 pages long, and final vote on what will add 1.5 Trillion dollars to our national debt has been set for next week. If passed, it will benefit only 2 out of every 1000 Americans. The so called "middle class" benefits expiring in a few years while the corporate giveaways and cuts for the wealthy remain permanent. Ask yourself this. How much effort has Louie Gohmert, Ted Cruz or John Cornyn made to explain this tax bill to you or why it is necessary at this time? Corporations are reporting record profits, and there has been no rash of foreclosures on mansions. No crisis requiring more money be given to the rich? Until we do better selecting our leaders and remove the corrupting influence of money from politics, we have only ourselves to blame as we are exploited by those we elect. We can do better...
Where Can I Learn How to Get Involved?
A group of former congressional staffers have put together what is probably the most informative guide revealing the best practices for making Congress listen. They have put together a site and a step-by-step guide in .pdf form, named INDIVISIBLE to help you get involved in the most effective way. (direct link to the guide IndivisibleGuide_2017-01-05_v1.pdf). The site provides links to groups in your State and local area, including currently planned activities, aimed at contacting your senators and representatives to help make your voice heard. Get involved, our Country stands in need of its experiencd Patriots to prevent its Ruin.
Democrats Impotent At Stopping Trump Nominations
Democrats are zero-for-six at stopping Trump's incompotent, conflicted, or otherwise legally disqualified nominees. Republicans accept nominees with demonstrated racist tendencies, arrests for spousal abuse, insider trading and abuse of office problems, and confirm six Goldman-Sachs executives to cabinet positions. Goodbye Dodd-Frank...
