Just How Unamerican is the Republican Party?

 

Juan Williams, who is an opinion contributor to The Hill believes it is pretty extensive. I did a post recently, "Are You Ready for America's Civil War II," which depicts a country in conflict, clearly defined by the fact that the radical right mounted an attack on the U.S. Capitol this last Jan. 6, in an act of insurrection. I think it is safe to say that this combination of sedition and treason was initiated and then choreographed by Donald Trump.

Williams is a fair-minded person, a Democrat, with two Republican sons, but still unable to "stomach" what has happened to the GOP. There are many out there with that opinion, but, unfortunately, many do not speak up like Williams. Here's a couple of his grievances...

"How can anyone dismiss a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol as just 'one day in January,' to quote former Vice President Mike Pence.

"Doesn’t it infuriate you to see so many Republicans make lying about the winner of the 2020 election a test of party loyalty?"

Well, the right certainly has its mentor to try and prove the 2020 Presidential election was a fraud. As of the first of this year there were well over 30,000 lies attributed to Donald Trump, leading his movement of misinformation. The poor souls who follow him have a cookie cutter image of how to spread his deception, and they have been very effective. But there is evidence Trump's popularity is waning with the failure of his History Tour to draw crowds.

Here's a take on Republicans from a Texas Democrat...

"another strong conservative member of the GOP, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (Texas), offers a similar assessment. Crenshaw, speaking at a public event this month, described unnamed far-right GOP members of Congress as “grifters” and 'performance artists.'”

My gut tells me he is talking about the five simpletons: Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Madison Cawthorne and Paul Gosar. Combined, their IQs would be in the double digits. But what is most compelling about this gang is the morons who elected them in the states of California, Georgia, Colorado, No. Carolina and right here in Arizona. Lord knows, the people have the right to vote but do they have the right to deliver the country certifiable idiots.

It's hard to say when the GOP last made an attempt at governing. Mostly it's vision is to block anything the Democrats want to do, with some help from lowlife Dems like Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema. Williams mentions a host of books written about Donald Trump and I have read most of them. One of them by a close family member, his niece Mary Trump. Most of the others are written by acclaimed journalists like Bob Woodward. The books basically describe a monster.

 Mary Trump: Donald Trump Had The Power To Stop Jan. 6 Riot...

And here is a statement that should be chilling to all Americans who value our democracy...

In the last year, every congressional Republican voted against a bill to help the country recover from the economic damage caused by COVID-19.

In closing, there is still Covid-19 raging across the United States, in large part due to Donald Trump and his Republican cronies. As of this writing, there have been 51,075,976 coronavirus cases in the U.S. and 820,194 deaths. Think about that folks, over 800,000 people, many of which could still be alive...if not for Republicans, led by Donald Trump.

Republican Lauren Boebert prompts death threats for Ilhan Omar

 

But the bogus Boebert isn't alone; she is backed by Matt Gaetz, M.T. Greene, Madison Cawthorne and most lately, Arizona's Paul Gosar. The Daily Beast calls them, "Stupid Sycophants and Sickos." I see them as the Republican Party's latest descent into an extremism that is threatening to bring this country down. Until now it has been extreme rhetoric. With Boebert's latest diatribe of anti-muslim discourse, she brought out the worst...death threats against a colleague in Congress.

DB continues its characterization of these lunatics...

"Even though their latest publicity and fundraising spectacle is another sad reflection of their party’s dangerous descent into extremism, it nonetheless presents the Democrats with a prime political opportunity to expose the Hate Squad as the modern face and beating heart of the GOP."

There is no doubt this venom emanates from the gang's connection and loyalty to Donald Trump. There is absolutely no inclination in any one of the frightful five to turn their efforts into helping their constituents or doing anything to better the country they represent. As a matter of fact, just the opposite. Paul Gosar "tweeted an anime video showing him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and then attacking President Biden with swords."

Watch the perpetual sneer on Boebert's face as she attacks AOC and Pres. Biden...

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy thought it was OK, resulting in only two Republicans, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, voting to censure Gosar for what he had done. With this display of ignorance of what is right, there is no wonder GOP supporters go off on maniacal tangents that lead them to threaten someone's life. At the same time, Donald Trump continues to spread lies and incite violence like he did in the January 6, Capitol insurrection.

And here's what M.T. Greene has been up to...

"Greene was stripped of her committee assignments last year for her utterly outrageous social media posts suggesting that Jews control space lasers that start wildfires, questioning whether the 9/11 attacks were real, suggesting that school shootings were “false flag” operations, and amplifying Q-Anon conspiracy theories. A day after 61 Republican

lawmakers voted to remove Liz Cheney from the party’s leadership, just eleven Republicans joined the united Democratic majority in voting to punish Greene in February."

Next is Matt Gaetz... 

He is "currently under federal investigation as to whether he paid women, including a minor, for sex. His “wingman” Joel Greenberg, a former Florida official, pleaded guilty earlier this year to sex trafficking and is working with investigators. None of this has inspired fellow Republicans to condemn Gaetz, even as their base increasingly believes the QAnon conspiracy—a domestic terror threat—that liberals are Satan-worshipping child molesters who must be violently removed from office."

Finally, No. Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorne...

"seemingly proposed another “Stop the Steal”-type rally in D.C. this week while sympathizing with the “political hostages” that were arrested and charged for participating in the violent Jan. 6 Capitol riots."

Cawthorne is new to the game of Republican annihilation of our democracy, but, no doubt he will get better at it. 

I give thanks to the Daily Beast for the many quotes I have used in this post, and I urge you to read all of the above links. There is so much additional information that I didn't cover, but which is all pertinent to how the Republican Party is attempting to bring down our democracy.

GOP 'Do Nothings' now "cult of know-nothings"

 

It is a known fact for several years now the Republicans are known as the 'do nothing' party. They would rather block or sabotage Democrats' issues than come up with meaningful legislation of their own. Moscow Mitch, even in his Senate secondary roll today, has still done damage to the Biden agenda. But it the party's allegiance to Donald Trump that has recently defined Republicans, and it doesn't look like this will change any time soon.

In a Hill opinion piece, Bill Schneider led with...

"The Republican Party is becoming a cult. Its leaders are in thrall to Donald Trump, a defeated former president who refuses to acknowledge defeat. Its ideology is MAGA, Trump’s deeply divisive take on what Republicans assume to be unifying American values."

But it has been clear of late that the GOP doesn't really want to unify anything but lies, corruption, deception and violence. Their support of Donald Trump's state after state attempts to invalidate the 2020 election to determine he is a winner is evidence of this. And Trump is the focus, which can be seen here...

"The party is now in the process of carrying out purges of heretics who do not worship Trump or accept all the tenets of MAGA. Conformity is enforced by social media, a relatively new institution with the power to marshal populist energy against critics and opponents."

GOP Green Lights Right-Wing Extremism Within Halls Of Congress...

How does the former White House maniac hold on to this loyalty? The answer is we have to accept the fact that there are more double-digit morons out there than we thought. Trump supporters. Poor souls who have blindly, and still are, completely ignoring what this lunatic did during four years in the White House, and since. Hard to believe...but true. Schneider has more insight...

"What’s happening on the right in American politics is not exactly new. To understand it, you need to read a book published 50 years ago by Seymour Martin Lipset and Earl Raab, "The Politics of Unreason: Right-Wing Extremism in America, 1790-1970." Right-wing extremism, now embodied in Trump’s MAGA movement, dates back to the earliest days of the country."

 In the Lipset and Raab book, the authors conclude, "Right-wing extremism is not about the rational calculation of interests. It’s about irrational impulses, which the authors identify as “status frustrations.” The key words here are "rational" and "irrational," and the Republicans are only guilty of one, obviously the latter. Lipset and Raab also talk about attacking "scapegoats," mostly minority ethnic or religious groups.

Obviously they know nothing about humanity, but there is no better definition of the current thrust of the Republican Party than “the politics of unreason.”

 

Top Covid Killing Machine: Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey

 

It's official, Arizona has risen to the top as the states where COVID-19 has been the leading cause of death during the pandemic. One of the local Phoenix top newspaper columnists, E.J. Montini, sums it up...

"All during awful days, the worse days and the catastrophic days of the pandemic, Will Humble has been a voice of reason in Arizona’s political wilderness, most often unheard and unheeded by Gov. Doug Ducey and those in charge of the state’s COVID-19 response."

Will Humble is the Executive Director for the Arizona Public Health Association, and former Arizona Health Director, who has been a driving force in fighting the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic in Arizona. That is, in spite of Doug Ducey. It was Humble who chose the "evidence-based policy"approach, where the short-sighted Ducey went with...

"misinformation, lies and political pressure put on by everyone from former President Donald Trump to the anti-vaccine elements of the Republican party."

It is the kind of reasoning that prevails in the Arizona Republican Party, adhering to ideologies and power grabs on the right that has made it, for example, one of the easiest states in the U.S. to own a firearm. And just look at the leading contender

for the replacement of Ducey, Kari Lake, a former TV anchor who has a misplaced brain, like the majority of Republicans here. And then we have mentally sick House Representative Paul Gosar who threatened AOC with anime video killing her.

Here's more from Will Humble's report...

"Using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the report says that nationally COVID-19 is the third leading cause of death, behind cancer and heart disease. It notes as well that there are five states where COVID-19 is the second leading cause of death.

"But Arizona stands alone at the top."

Another Phoenix columnist says, "Gov. Doug Ducey's pandemic emergency powers must end",,,

Humble did warn Ducey of what was coming, but the lame-brained governor was so enamored with Donald Trump and his methods that he allowed the state he is fully responsible for to sink into the depths of the Covid calamity, throwing precautions completely to the wind. As Montini tells us, "More than 21,000 Arizonans have been killed by the virus. Further, he says...

He [Ducey] issued orders against “vaccine passports” and mask mandates in schools, and said things like, “While we strongly recommend all Arizonans get the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s not mandated in our state — and it never will be. Vaccination is up to each individual, not the government.”

He said, "We will not be listening to the lockdown lobby. Businesses will stay open. Students will be able to attend school. There will be no mask mandates. We have a proven solution with the vaccine."

We get rid of this moron next year, but if Kari Lake is what we have to look forward to, one has to ask, 'is there any hope for Arizona?' I have lived here almost 25 years and I think so. However, it means getting rid of the Republicans who currently run this state. 

HATE...HATE...HATE...The Trump Gang Motto

 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida's Ron DeSantis have held the title of "Killing Machines" for over a year now. This is due to the number of residents who have died from Covid-19 as these two dimwits fight masks, vaccines and any other virus protection protocols. The results: Texas 4,259,818 cases, 72,343 deaths; Florida 3,706,356 cases, 60,197 deaths. This qualified the two as the leading killing machines, based on numbers alone. However, there is another similar "killing" faction in motion.

It is Donald Trump and his demented followers, who threaten the opposition with intimidation like this directed against Arizona's Sec. of State, Katie Hobbs...

"I am a hunter — and I think you should be hunted.”

This is only one of several reported by CNN through Wash. Post coverage "in part

because Donald Trump and his movement continue feeding his lies about the 2020 election." Here's what Trump said to urge supporters to come to Washington for a “Save America March” on Wednesday, when Congress would ceremonially count President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s win...

“be there, will be wild!” At a rally just before the violence, he repeated many of his falsehoods about how the election was stolen, then dispatched the marchers to the Capitol as those proceedings were about to start.

These double-digits eventually stormed the U.S. Capitol committing insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Here is an example of one of T-rump's remarks...

"Trump urged his supporters to ‘fight much harder’ against ‘bad people’ and ‘show strength’ at the Capitol."

It is no longer appropriate to ask, 'Oh, is Donald Trump still around?' Of course he is still around, and it is due entirely to these lunatic supporters who continue to goad him on. He barely urged non-violence in this comment...

“I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”

Considering, as WaPo put it "The president’s speech was riddled with violent imagery and calls to fight harder than before," the above was definitely not sufficient to sooth a crown he was moving to attack. Here's another threat from the CNN piece...

"Bullet," read one tweet reply to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, in September. "That is a six letter word for you."

Again...

"I'm really jonzing to see your purple face after you've been hanged."

Arizona Sec. State, Katie Hobbs, receives police protection due to threats...

 And the threats aren't from just Arizona and Colorado, they come from all over the country, clearly indicating it is a national movement, orchestrated by none other than...Donald Trump. So, what is the solution, and please don't suggest the obvious since this is not how a civilized nation works. There is a way. All you recluses on the left come out of your hiding places and be heard. That goes for 2022 and 2024. Reject conservative anti-democracy and put Democrats back in power.

ANTI-VAXXERS gather this weekend to kill more people

 

In a state that has already experienced over 16,000 deaths from Covid-19, two of its mentally challenged, anti-vaxxing residents have decided to put together a super-spreader event this weekend to celebrate, you guessed it, even more deaths. NPR reports Ty and Charlene Bollinger, known for their position as one of the 12 people...

responsible for the bulk of the misleading claims and outright lies about COVID-19 vaccines that proliferate on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Charlene Bollinger decided, and rightfully so, that Nashville, TN would be the perfect place to hold their "freedom fighting" idiot fest. In the last few years, Tennessee has succumbed to a majority mix of conservative morons who, in 2016, pledged all eleven electoral votes to Donald Trump. This event is called, "The Truth About Cancer," a statement that couldn't be further from the truth. And get this...

The event's lineup will reflect those political views [the Jan 6, Capitol insurrection] and feature Donald Trump's son Eric and longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone.

Joe Biden talks about Anti-Vaccine Protesters ‘Threatening’ Doctors And Nurses In Tennessee

Lisa Fazio, a misinformation researcher with Vanderbilt University says, "People like us, believe these things," which sounds like, if the following is correctly understood, means they just believe in conspiracy theories...

Fazio says some people may show up to this conference for one conspiracy theory and learn about another, giving misinformation the opportunity to cross-pollinate.

It sounds to me like all these people have been cross-pollinated with the moron gene, and, as Fazio adds, "If you're part of this community, you believe the entire pot."

READ MORE...

Coronavirus pandemic bad enough but Robt. F. Kennedy Jr. just makes it worse

 

Would John F. Kennedy turn over in his grave, or would he agree with his nephew, Robt. F. Kennedy, Jr. in the denial of vaccines to prevent COVID-19? I believe the former, and it is tragic to see this once politically famous family go down in flames. For repeatedly making false claims about coronavirus vaccines, Robt. F has been banned from Instagram. This is significant since much of anti- vaxxer misinformation is passed along through social media.

However, "His Facebook account remains active despite similar claims posted there." Yet Instagram is a part of Facebook. Go figure. And here is one of his bizarre lies...connecting the death of legendary baseball player Hank Aaron to the Covid-19 vaccine. Kennedy is a lawyer and should know better; anyone this educated should understand science making it clear since the COVID-19 pandemic started that vaccinations are the precursor to protection from the virus.

Kennedy's advocacy is not acceptable as two variants of the pandemic are raging across the U.S., one from Great Britain and one from So. Africa. At the same time we have our homegrown variant from California which is spreading in 12 states and a few countries. Being highly transmissible, and the UK B117 has been judged more contagious, plus the fact that even the current vaccines aren't guaranteed against these variants, anti-vaxxers are doing great harm to other Americans.

And if this wasn't bad enough, Dr. Rishi Desai, chief medical officer at Osmosis and former CDC epidemic intelligence officer reports...

"As the medical community warns about highly transmissible mutations of COVID-19, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Illinois and Massachusetts are among states rolling back pandemic-related restrictions."

But if you're still not convinced, this recent headline from National Public Radio should rattle your cage: "Why The Pandemic Is 10 Times Worse Than You Think." There is reasoning behind this statement and it comes from a research team at Columbia University which has built a mathematical model giving a much more complete picture of how much virus is circulating in our communities. And it's much more scary...

"It estimates how many people are never counted because they never get tested. And it answers a second question that is arguably even more crucial — but that until now has not been reliably estimated: On any given day, what is the total number of people who are actively infectious? This includes those who may have been infected on previous days but are still shedding virus and capable of spreading disease."

Here's the model's conclusion...

"On any given day, the actual number of active cases — people who are newly infected or still infectious — is likely 10 times that day's official number of reported cases."

We've been warned about asymptomatics, and, of course, there are deniers squirming everywhere, so there is every reason to believe these numbers, especially when you consider the U.S. has racked up 28,093,867 cases and 492,119 deaths from COVID-19. But why are people still protesting the very science that will save their lives? Aljazeera has this answer...

"Lockdowns have been financially devastating for millions of people who have been unable to work and lost their incomes. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), unemployment has soared across major economies since the beginning of the pandemic."

I will accept that conclusion but must add that in the U.S. there is a group that

erroneously believe they are fighting for their rights against a government that is attempting to curb their rights.  This gang of misfits, led by Donald Trump, is the major factor that is interfering with pandemic control in the U.S. And, until we rid the country of this faction, COVID-19 and several other problems before the current new President, Joe Biden, will haunt our progress as a free nation.

Trump acquitted, giving even more power to extreme right

 

Donald Trump has been acquitted in the impeachment trial even with seven Republican Senators crossing the aisle and voting for conviction. Moscow Mitch releases a glaring put down of Trump, yet votes to acquit him. Lindsey Graham got his nose out of Trump's butt long enough to vote to acquit. Greg Sargent's prediction in the Washington Post was fulfilled...

"Mark it now: The vast majority of them will agree that the storming of the Capitol was an abomination and that the perpetrators must be held to account. But little by little, many will migrate to a place where Trump himself is absolutely and comprehensively exonerated from any culpability for inciting it in any way."

It is frightening for sane thinking people--yes, there are still some left--who have come to realize that Republicans have absolutely no honor left. This radical right would let a lunatic go in the face of overwhelming evidence that he committed terrible atrocities while in office. Donald Trump will go down as the most vile and corrupt president to ever serve this country, but also the world's most effective con man. But these morons in the Senate acquitted him. 

And if this isn't enough, there is a new proliferation of self-proclaimed "prophets"

who, according to Alex Henderson of AlterNet, "are known for making political predictions." Ruth Graham of the New York Times reports that "some of them have turned out to be way off in their predictions." Graham adds...

"Such 'prophets,' according to Graham, are likely to promote political conspiracy theories."

These heretics operate mostly online and are, according to Graham...

"are part of the rising appeal of conspiracies in Christian settings, echoed by the popularity of QAnon among many evangelicals and a resistance to mainstream sources of information."

But let me tell you, there is no bigger threat to this country--that is other than Donald Trump--than Fox News anchor, Tucker Carlson. I wish someone had done the same tally on him as they did on Donald Trump lies. However, there are a couple of PolitiFact sites here, and here. that will give you an idea just how deceitful and dishonest this lowlife is. Max Boot of the Washington Post says...

"When Donald Trump was in office, he posed the most dangerous threat to American democracy. With the former president now golfing full-time, the most dangerous threat may well emanate from the Fox 'News' Channel — and specifically from its top-rated host, Tucker Carlson. He seems to be on a mission to make America’s worst problems even worse."

One of Carlson's specialties is promoting vaccine conspiracies, which influences people in the wrong direction and a major threat to their health. He is the epitome of an anti-vaxxer, anti-masks, anti-distancing, all rolled into one pompous moron. Tucker Carlson is the go-to for far-right extremists who, according to AlterNet "have the potential to mount a coordinated, low-intensity campaign of political violence." From the Proud Boys to QAnon, these noodle-heads are dangerous.

AlterNet reports...

"Several U.S. security experts say they now consider domestic extremism a greater threat to the country than international terror. According to my [The Conversation] research on political violence, the U.S. has all the elements that, combined, can produce a low-intensity terrorist conflict: extreme polarization and armed factions willing to break the law, in a wealthy democracy with a strong government.

The article points out that during modern days, civil wars only break out in poor countries where leadership is weak or non-existent. Yet, Donald Trump, in his four years in office has driven the powerhouse United States to the point of all-out insurrection with a radical faction that only seems to get stronger. Joe Biden is busy with controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and there are other issues on his plate like immigration and minimum wage but we all must look out for the radical right.

First step, Donald Trump impeachment conviction - Second step Prison

 

Donald Trump is being tried in the Senate for inciting an angry mob of his double-digit followers to take over and attempt to destroy the U.S. Capitol. His conviction is at best 75/25, 75 against, but there have some indications since the trial began that Republicans are feeling the heat, recently hearing that their constituents are fleeing the party by the 1,000s. And this may not be his biggest problem. NY Atty. Gen. Letitia James is preparing her case against Trump and it's a doozy. 

Trump's complicity in the Capitol riots is settled in his speech to the rioters the day of the insurrection. He takes his last shot at Biden's election results amassing a hoard of lies that mirror the 20,000+ deceptions he spewed during four years in office. By the way, during this diatribe the audience chanted, “We love Trump.” He tells these idiots to go to the Capitol and fight. They did and CNN's Erin Burnet lays it all out in a ghastly timeline that cinches Donald Trump's involvement.

I want to see Trump put in prison, and for a long period of time for his criminal acts while in the White House and what he did on January 6. The most reprehensible act from the ex-oval office lunatic is his incompetence in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. First it was a hoax, then, it'll go away when the weather gets warm, followed by an insanity of the ages in belittling the CDC and the only one in the administration that knew what was going on, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

And then he appointed Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General, many feel to dismantle the USPS. It helped that DeJoy was a large donor to Trump's election campaign. DeJoy did his appointer's bidding by removing one of the most important tools of the UPSP to expedite mail, sorting machines. Working in the junk mail industry for 35 years and witnessing what these appliances are capable of, I can understand how this move slowed the mail at a critical period during the pandemic and Christmas. 

But the kicker comes from a Republican representative from Illinois, Adam Kinzinger, who voted to impeach Trump, and continues to condemn him and his loyal followers for what this maniac has done. In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Kinzinger said, "My fellow Republicans, convicting Trump is necessary to save America." Continuing, I say this as a lifelong Republican who voted to impeach Trump last month. There's more...

"Winston Churchill famously said, 'Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.' All Americans, but especially my fellow Republicans, should remember this wisdom during the Senate’s trial of former president Donald Trump."

Will Kinzinger's rhetoric do any good, especially considering that fellow

Republicans continue to support Donald Trump. The congressman doesn't think this is all for naught...

"It’s a matter of accountability. If the GOP doesn’t take a stand, the chaos of the past few months, and the past four years, could quickly return. The future of our party and our country depends on confronting what happened — so it doesn’t happen again."

And hate to say it but don't think most of the GOP has learned their lesson, or any lesson, based on the outlook for Trump's conviction. Without this the United States will become the laughingstock of the world (again) and the Republican Party will assume the reputation of nation destroyers. But hopefully the New York Atty. Gen. will proceed with their evidence and put Donald Trump in jail so my wife and I can enjoy our final days knowing there is some justice in our country.

Forbes says Trump business website is pure malarkey

 

Donald Trump has lost the election to Joe Biden, with compelling results I might add, and the way things look, he will soon be facing a slew of litigation in New York. Not to mention there is his second impeachment trial coming up on February 9, with the incitement of insurrection re. the Capitol riots as a sure centerpiece for prosecutors. Trump's favorability has tanked but there are clearly thousands of his supporters willing to continue the fight.

Meanwhile back at the New York scene, a venue he has now deserted for Palm Beach's Mar-a Lago, another prominent setting which also doesn't want him around, Forbes reports...

"Visit the Trump Organization’s website, and you’ll find glassy New York skyscrapers, rolling Virginia vines and a shimmering Vegas pool. Alongside all the glamor, there’s hard data—facts and figures about the president’s business. Much of that data, however, is not true."

With Donald Trump averaging more than 50 false or misleading claims a day, and a record of almost 30,000 lies or misleading statements during his four years in office, one might assume his entire business empire is a sham. Here are some examples...

"Consider the statistics about 40 Wall Street. The website calls the skyscraper a “72-story landmarked address.” It’s actually a 63-story building, according to a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The site says it has 1.3 million square feet of office space. It really has 1.1 million, according to the document."

"The site says Trump Tower stands “68 stories above Fifth Avenue.” But there are fewer than 65 floors in the building, according to an analysis of documents filed with the SEC and New York City. The site claims the “first 26 floors are comprised of luxury offices,” even though the SEC filing notes just 13 floors of office space.

There's more and this article provides a clear vision into a narcissistic lunatic that has perhaps expunged more truth than anyone else in the world, ever. Read more...

Latest News Digest/Page 3

Capitol riots enablers Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, already the target of congress for helping to incite the Capitol riot, have...

"frantically searched for a political sweet spot: They’ve tried to condemn the violence without retracting or apologizing for their active role in sustaining the big lie that incited it."

But the horror is actually seen in the video that accompanies this piece. Scroll down for the video and, folks, it is a MUST WATCH! Here's the article: Appalling new video of the rioters is a big problem for Trump’s GOP enablers

Trump is headed for debtors prison when he leaves office. In the same period of time he spent hallucinating in the Oval Office, loans in the hundreds of millions of dollars will come due, and there may be nowhere to go for more. The Hill says debt holders have...

"backed away from business arrangements with the Trump Organization, sapping future income from the debt-laden president. Three banks have announced they’re cutting ties with him — including Deutsche Bank, his biggest creditor — limiting his ability to refinance debt."

There's more...

"Trump owes creditors at least $315 million, mainly through mortgages for Trump Organization hotels, resorts and golf courses, according to his 2020 financial disclosure. A Forbes analysis of Trump’s finances, however, found that Trump likely owes at least $1 billion to creditors, some of which he has personally guaranteed."

The financial industry is calling him,  'Toxic Trump. Read more:  Debt cloud hangs over Trump post-presidency

 

Donald Trump met with his elite advisory duo, Ivanka and Jared, to discuss some 100 pardons he has planned including...

"white-collar criminals, high-profile rappers and others. It will likely include some pardons aimed at advocating for criminal justice reform, as well as controversial pardons for political allies."

Reportedly, there are those who have paid for pardons. Business as usual. Read more: Trump preparing another 100 pardons, commutations beforeleaving office: reports

Billy Graham was a religious icon that most anyone could admire, even atheists. His son, Franklin Graham, on the other hand, has a twisted mind that has led his followers down the trail of Donald Trump idolatry. Although Graham said after seemingly criticizing Capitol rioters, "I don't think it was the president's finest moment." Then, the article exclaims...

"But Graham said he doesn't expect the tumult at the Capitol to deter evangelical Christians from supporting Trump."

There's more...

"I don’t think he had any understanding in that moment of what was going to take place," he said. "None of us did."

Franklin Graham, like so many of his pathetic religious followers, have helped make Donald Trump the maniac he is today. And this is why so many Americans have left the church. Read more: Evangelicals and other faith leaders still support Trump after deadly US Capitol attack

Time for a quick compendium on Donald Trump's lies racked up in his four years in the White House. AlterNet leads with this...

"For the last four years, fact-checkers have had their hands full keeping up with President Donald Trump's unprecedented level of dishonesty. While The Washington Post reported that Trump had delivered more than 22,000 false or misleading claims..."

The article calls Trump's dalliance with untruths a "disgraced president's" tweeting claims that likely had something to do with the outcome of the 2020 election. We're thankful for that and there's much more. Read the article: Here are the most dangerous and notable lies Trump spewed during his presidency

Arizona Republican representative Andy Biggs is the scumbag of this state's lowlife GOP. Biggs, along with twin scumbag Paul Gosar actually wrote a letter to Donald Trump in 2019. "reinforcing their support for the president’s desire to spend billions of tax dollars on a border wall." Today, Biggs has been accused of being part of the recent Capitol riots. The rep. denies but...

"Ali Alexander, who led rallies nationwide to try to overturn the results of the presidential election, called Biggs a hero of the movement during the rally at the Arizona Capitol and led a chant in his name."

Another GOP jerk to dump in 2022. Read more: New videos emerge tying Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs to 'Stop the Steal' movement

The time has finally arrived where it is likely that this country will find out whether Bernie Sanders' Progressive agenda is feasible. The Ps know it is and some moderates think there are possibilities. My gut tells me that President-elect Joe Biden, deep down, believes in Bernie as his Chairman Senate Budget Committee, and is convinced his issues can help this country. God knows it needs help after Donald Trump. Yet Republicans see a nightmare...

"that a champion of working-class people and the common good—one who has dedicated his political career to curbing poverty and injustice while denouncing corporate greed, endless war, and the cruelty of a for-profit health system that leaves millions upon millions uninsured or without affordable access to care—would assume the powerful position of chairing the Senate Budget Committee is about to become reality."

Go get 'em Bernie. Read more: GOP nightmare of Senate Budget Chair Bernie Sanders is about to come true

Republican fears just might come true. Donald Trump could well be the defining factor that the GOP is so misguided and corrupt that it no longer deserves the right to exist. At least as it is. It started with Karl Rove in the Geo. W. Bush administration where lying and deceit became staples for the Party. The progression of fabrication of the truth compounded by the GOP's corruption provided T-rump the perfect 'welcome wagon' he needed. But...

"The last four years under President Donald Trump's leadership have been tumultuous for politics but the end of Trump's reign has dealt a hefty blow to the Republican Party."

And now after the Capitol riots, incited by Donald Trump, we are going into a modicum of quietude under our new president, Joe Biden. With Kamala Harris at his side, the hopes for this country are once again optimistic. And if the Republicans implode, well, it couldn't happen to a better gang. Read more: Some in the GOP worry the party will not survive after 4 years of Trump

 

American public has right to know Donald Trump's condition

 

Let's see, this is what we know so far. Donald Trump announced late Thursday that he and Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19. There are reports he knew he had been exposed when Hope Hicks reported she had the virus earlier, but Trump still attended a fundraiser in New Jersey, potentially exposing several Republican donors. T-rump, of course, rarely wears a mask. Then he was mysteriously whisked away to Walter Reed Hospital. 

The White House doctor Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley reported that things were going well, although "a source familiar with the President's health," said

"The President's vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We are still not on a clear path to a full recovery."

As usual, it is hard to believe those closest to Donald Trump because of all the misinformation and lies that have come from him in the last four years. Conley stated flatly Trump is not receiving oxygen, yet, again...

"a source close to the White House said Trump has received supplemental oxygen since his illness began. Trump 'definitely has had oxygen,' the source said, adding that it was on Friday."

Conley couldn't even get the reported date of the announcement correct and commented, "that the President had a fever at one point, but refused to say what it was." Although Trump proclaims that he feels fine, "the treatments administered to the President in the past 24 hours have raised concerns about his condition." While still in the White House, he was given...

"the experimental Regeneron polyclonal antibody cocktail, a promising treatment that has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration."

Then after arriving at Walter Reed, he was administered the antiviral drug remdesivir. In the case of both of these drugs, experts have said that they are normally given to the more serious coronavirus patients. And then a rash of notices of the virus from former aide Kellyanne Conway and Trump campaign manager, Bill Stepian, both in close contact with T-rump. Add to that a third Republican Senator plus former New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie. 

But Donald Trump is still in charge, not yet turning control of the White House over to his second in command, Mike Pence. And this probably wouldn't happen unless he suffers the ultimate. Like the earlier source said, "the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care." The world is watching and one can only hope that the White House gang will put misinformation aside just this once and give us the truth on Donald Trump's condition.

Read more here.

Hard to believe? No! Donald Trump has 3,400 conflicts of interest

 

Yes, Donald Trump has had 3,400 conflicts of interest, and, yes, all while he has been in the Oval Office. CREW, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has labeled him the most corrupt president in history. My gut tells me that T-rump doesn't give a damn since multiple authors have books on the market that document his corruption over the years. If they were truly lies, like he is famous for, he would have quashed them with his legal team.

This is how CREW describes their study...

"Today’s report details some of the most glaring examples of presidential corruption and conflicts of interest ever raised by a president, all of which stem from his refusal to divest from his businesses."

You see, with Donald Trump it is all about money and power, and as he has indicated now, he won't give up his position in the White House because that is the doorway to his keeping that money coming in and holding on to the beloved power. Since Trump's election, CREW has...

"tracked interactions between the president, the Trump Organization, and those trying to influence government decisions and public policies, including members of Congress, industry groups, lobbyists and cabinet officials. These interactions have continued to blur the lines between where President Trump’s public responsibilities end and his private financial interests begin, and between his loyalty to the Trump Organization and his obligations to the American public."

There has been no separation, and quite the opposite, he has used his position to influence deals for the Trump brand in the United States and even throughout the world. This is how CREW characterizes it...

"The extraordinary numbers in this report paint a picture of a president who is fixated on the personal financial benefits he might derive from his public service—and a whole ecosystem of officials, special interests and governments that exploit that fixation in order to curry favor and advance their own interests,” said CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder."

Here are some of the report's focal points...

• President Trump has made more than 500 visits to the properties he owns and profits from. The president’s frequent travel to and from his properties has cost American taxpayers well over $100 million.
• 141 members of Congress have patronized Trump properties. These visits often coincide with events held by special interests or wealthy political donors that rake in millions of dollars for his properties. 
• Special interest groups, many of which have business before the Trump administration, have hosted or sponsored 130 events at Trump properties since he took office. Political groups have held another 88 events at Trump properties. 

Remember, there 3,397 more conflicts you can see at the CREW report here. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page.  

CNN's Daniel Dale highlights Trump RNC convention lies

Anderson Cooper-Daniel Dale

Of course we expected a parade of deceit from Donald Trump at his RNC speech on the last night of the Republican convention. It was a big show for the morons packed close together, most without masks, on the south lawn of the White House, a group of around 2,000 with the potential of turning into another super spreader of COVID-19. Why not...everyone else is doing it. But it gave the Oval Office lunatic another shot at adding to his collection of over 20,000 lies.

Right after the convention ended, Daniel Dale, an expert fact checker with CNN talked to CNN's Anderson Cooper about Trump's ongoing clash with the truth. Here's what he said to Cooper...

“Anderson, this president is a serial liar, and he serially lied tonight,” Dale told anchor Anderson Cooper, and then—over the course of three dizzying minutes—ticked off 21 instances of Trump assaulting the truth, everything from his erroneous claims that Joe Biden wants to take down the border wall and confiscate guns to his bogus boast that no president has done more for the African-American community.

Dale finished and Anderson Cooper jokingly asked: "That’s it?” Dale replied: “There’s more. How much time do you have?” But it really wasn't funny, as both men must have agreed, the leader of the greatest nation in the free world feels it is okay to lie about most everything that comes out of his mouth. It is a character trait most would agree not appropriate for the position. That is, of course, except for Trump's double-digit supporters.

There's lots more to the Daily Beast article you can read here. And Daniel Dale's rattling off of Donald Trump mistruths is a must-watch!

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Donald Trump is completely obsessed with Barack Obama

David Smith of the Guardian says Donald Trump is being eaten alive inside by his manic compulsions with Barack Obama.

Barack Obama looked like a great president as he entered the White House in 2009, with the kind of enthusiasm, energy and capacity to get things done as John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was struck down by a bullet, Obama with a bullet of a different name, Moscow Mitch McConnell. President Obama had the overwhelming support of the American people as the racist McConnell began to spread his game plan of a one-term presidency.

That didn't work as Obama won with another landslide against Mitt Romney. But, as was the case in his first term, he was dogged by Moscow Mitch, who convinced his Republican colleagues to support him in keeping anything Obama from happening, actually anything Democrats. With the Dems, that hasn't changed. The Oval Office has changed and it is the startling difference between two men, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, that is the subject of this post.

Donald Trump's obsession with Barack Obama...

David Smith quotes journalist, Jon Karl, as he observed the then president and the one coming into office. He thought of Trump as actually "humbled," out of sorts, awed by the situation, and definitely not in control of the room. Obama was turning over the torch in the classy way he had conducted his presidency, to his predecessor, who “seemed a little dazed” and “a little freaked out.” These would be two of the earliest signs of Donald Trump's incompetency.

Then Smith comments...

"But what became clear in the next three and a half years is that Obama remains something of an obsession for Trump; the subject of a political and personal inferiority complex."

Here, the why...

"Observers point to a mix of anti-intellectualism, racism, vengeance and primitive envy over everything from Obama’s Nobel peace prize to the scale of his inauguration crowd and social media following."

Barack Obama criticizes Donald Trump's handling of coronavirus pandemic...

Obama criticizes Trump's handling of coronavirus...

CNN Politics says Trump has been backed into the corner on his incompetence with the COVID-19 pandemic, so he simply reverts to his favorite subject, Barack Obama...

"With the death count from the coronavirus rising and its economic fallout deepening, President Donald Trump is trying to fire up his base and divert the national conversation by promoting a baseless conspiracy that casts his predecessor, Barack Obama, as the architect of a plot to subvert his presidency."

And you can always depend on Jennifer Rubin, conservative columnist for the Washington Post, to zero in on Donald Trump's real intentions...

"It makes zero sense, you would think, for President Trump to attack his predecessor, since President Barack Obama is the most popular politician around (next to his wife) — someone who instills in Democrats a feeling of solidarity, of nostalgia for decent leadership and of hope. Even those critical of Obama’s presidency regard that era as akin to a Golden Age compared with the Trump calamity that brought us the Great Depression 2.0."

Donald Trump's absurd Obamagate conspiracy theory...

There's always a 'yeah, but'...

"And yet over the past week or so, Trump has rekindled “Obamagate,” a made-up scandal that has become a bumper sticker for Obama-haters. Trump’s claims are so thoroughly baseless and hopelessly convoluted that Trump cannot even explain it."

She also agrees with Jake Tapper's assessment...

"President Trump and his team are launching an unprecedented smear campaign against rivals, leveling wild and false allegations against critics in the media and politics, ranging from bizarre conspiracy theories to spreading lies about pedophilia and even murder."

Have we arrived at the pinnacle of Donald Trump's desperation, and are we dangerously close to the edge, or will this latest debacle simply fade away like all the others have because Republicans, plus an uncaring media, give him another free pass? Right now, I have to go with the latter.

America has been deserted...Leaves world spinning

Donald Trump has abandoned the ship when the U.S. has normally served in the captain's roll, both at home and internationally.

The Oval Office lunatic has abdicated his throne, which has been scaring Americans for weeks, now is terrifying the rest of the world. We are depended upon to stand tall and come up with the answers to crises like the coronavirus pandemic, leading others to a solution to solve the problem. It isn't even certain that Donald Trump knows what the problem is, let alone have an answer to deal with it. He is pathetically missing in action.

Here's how CNN sees it...

"The United States has scaled back its role on the world stage, taken actions that are undermining efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic and left the international community without a traditional global leader, according to experts, diplomats and analysts."

Leading CEO grouses on Trump...

In other words, the leader's chair is empty, and since the United States has always filled it. there is an international disaster brewing while the world starves for leadership. CNN adds...

"Former world leaders warn that the Trump administration risks alienating allies by politicizing the deadly pandemic with its push to punish China and have other nations choose sides."

When you have someone sitting in the White House who is completely incompetent in what he is doing, and also refuses to accept the failures of his ineptness, you have a disaster and that is what Donald Trump is. It is now being fostered on America and also globally, simply because of this implied expectancy from history that we have always been in control. Well, we aren't, and won't be as long as Donald Trump commands the ship.

Brad Reed in RawStory reports "Americans see Trump as the ‘main source’ of COVID-19 misinformation," and there is no one even close in comparison. We are used to this idiot's lies, 18,000, as of mid-April, adding more every day, and, unfortunately, he has an international reputation. But the news media is held responsible for 33% of the misinformation, and I would attribute the majority of this to Fox (misinformation) News.

And here is the misinformation specialist...

When it comes to blogs, there are those with a highly credible standing like Huff Post, Politico, Slate, etc. Their biggest asset is the size of their staff that can confirm news stories to ensure their accuracy, something that small bloggers like myself lacks. In my case, Nasty Jack Buzz is a political opinion blog, which some view as less accurate than a news blog. That is not true, at least in my case, because I am careful to clarify news sources from more than one site.

Many have compared gun violence deaths with car crash deaths, but now a moron Republican Senator, Ron Johnson, from Wisconsin, is comparing COVID-19 deaths with car crash deaths...

“We don’t shut down our economy because tens of thousands of people die on the highways,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). “It’s a risk we accept so we can move about.” President Trump also took up the bogus argument while deploying his trademark exaggeration, insisting that car-related deaths are “far greater than any numbers we’re talking about.”

Are Republicans the death party?...

It would seem to me that Republicans have been on a death watch since the coronavirus first hit, and people began to die. In a Dallas newspaper:
"Republicans: The party of death during COVID-19." This was during a rash of comments by GOP members musing over whether some Americans were just destined to die of the virus, primarily directed toward the senior population. Some were shocked, others just passed it off as inevitable.

There is talk that Steve Bannon wants to return to the White House, and in T-rump's current desperation, he just might welcome this white nationalist, racist back. Here's one of his radical comments made when he was there before...

“The real opposition is the media,” Steve Bannon, the president’s former chief strategist, once told the journalist Michael Lewis. “And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit.”…

Nancy LeTourneau in the Washington Monthly replies...

"Donald Trump is asking us to enter even further into his house of mirrors. He is asking us to live within a lie, to live within his lie, for four more years. The duty of citizenship in America today is to refuse to live within that lie."

I think we get the point.