'The Big Horrible Bill' Will Haunt GOP in the Midterms

Thanks to the passage of the GOP's supposedly "Big Beautiful Bill" over 10 million Americans will die without healthcare. 

Has the name of a bill ever been more deceptive? 

Not only is the bill NOT beautiful it's as deadly as a black Mamba in your bed. People will unnecessarily die because they can't afford to see doctors or buy medicine. 

If that sounds like a third world country's problems, it's because Trump's efforts at disenfranchising poor and middle-class Americans is rapidly reducing our government into a fascist regime that caters to the wealthy.

A complicit GOP is trying to get voters in the midterms to forget about the massive cuts on Medicare and Medicaid by spreading lies (a go to tactic for Republicans) and running millions of dollars' worth of ads in swing states where false claims like undocumented immigrants can no longer receive benefits will be spread in the hard right Trumposphere. 

That's one of many lies being spread by desperate Republicans to get in, or stay, in Congress this November. Immigrants have never been awarded benefits through either program. But it's a narrative that plays well with the racist MAGA voters.

The GOP made the mistake of assaulting healthcare under Trump's first term. When the Senate failed to repeal the legislation, there was a major backlash against Republicans for attempting to do so in the midterms.

Trump and cronies have apparently forgotten the result when they tried to take away Obamacare in the midterms. The GOP lost their majority in the House. 

It was extraordinarily unpopular (this sounding familiar?), the least popular major legislation of the past 40 years, according to Jonathan Oberlander, a healthcare policy expert at the University of North Carolina.

It doesn't take an expert to see the obvious connection to these midterms. Current polls show only a third of total voters approve of the Republicans handling of Medicare and Medicaid. That means the majority of Americans are unhappy with their rapidly disappearing health benefits.

Americans face the prospect of Trump rigging the midterms. He's spent his second term seeking ways to disenfranchise voters through various unconstitutional schemes. 

But I believe there's going to be such a record turnout among Democratic voters it will override the obstacles presented by our first felon.

One thing that stands out to me is the dilemma Republicans are facing. They can keep ignoring Trump's advanced dementia or they can actually side with the majority of Americans trying to preserve healthcare benefits. You'd think it would be an easy choice.

As it Stands, make sure your registered to vote this fall because we need a Democratic Congress to combat Trump's reckless regime. 

Why Not? Laughing in the Face of Adversity

Editor's Note: while I'm on a brief blog break, I'm sharing past posts. This one is from Jan.18, 2025  

As dystopian as it feels in our world today there's a way to get through the day by laughing at the sheer absurdity of some things happening around us.

I didn't say it would be easy. You have to actively seek out the humor in a world of chaos caused by our first felon. Speaking of Don, the Con, he's a source of laughter that you can always tap for a hit of hilarity.

Just think about it. The president of the United States is fixated on getting rid of windmills (on land and sea) which he sees as a threat to humanity and to whales. And don't get him talking about low water flow in the shower!

By the way, try watching one of the many short videos of ICE agents falling on their asses in the frozen streets of Minneapolis. Find your favorite one and put it on an endless loop that you can pull up anytime.

Listen to a recording of Trump talking about American and World history. It's like watching episodes of Fractured Fairytales cartoons.

Examples:

HOME

- On Abraham Lincoln's Party. "Great president. Most people don't even know he was a Republican."

- Trump said that when President Andrew Jackson, who died in 1845, was really angry about the Civil War and implied Jackson could have stopped it.

- One of my favorites... was from a 2019 Independence Day speech where Trump claimed that the Continental Army "manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports" during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). 

 Abroad

- While discussing a "horrifying Ebola outbreak" in Africa he referred to Nambia, a non-existent country.

- One of my favorites...Trump praised the Great Wall of China for keeping out the Mexicans.

- Speaking of walls, Trump said at a 2020 rally, that he was building a "beautiful border wall between Colorado and Mexico."

Do you remember some of Trump's most absurd claims? They either make you laugh, or cry depending on the mood you're in. Here's a short roundup of subjects:

-Sharpiegate (Hurricane Dorian). Trump insisted that Hurricane Dorian was projected to hit Atlanta, despite national weather service data showing otherwise. 

Trump went on TV with a map and a sharpie pen and tried to tell Americans only he knew the way the hurricane was going. Of course, he was wrong.

- Injecting disinfectant. During COVID-19 Trump suggested using cleaning agents like bleach into the body.

- Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV. While attempting to prove his cognitive abilities in a 2020 interview, Trump boasted about repeating a sequence of words from a cognitive test treating it as a difficult intellectual achievement. He currently holds the record for presidential cognitive tests. Yes, there's a reason.

I look at Trump as a performing evil clown who hates democracy and loves himself so much, he puts his name on everything around him.

As it Stands, we have a choice. We can be scared of the lunatic in The White House, or we can laugh at him.

The Heck with 'Good Living' I'd Rather Enjoy Myself

Editor's Note: While I take a brief blog break, I've trotted out a decade old post that you may find entertaining.

Do you ever get tired of viewing stories like Centenarians Reveal the Secrets to Living A Long Life, or 31 Superfood Secrets for a Long and Healthy Life?

You know, the kind of articles that are packed with wisdom from near saints who have survived the decades through “good living.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who is perfect because they eat the right food and spend their lifetime training for the Olympics. 

Therefore, be wary of advice from centenarians – their memories aren’t really all that sharp after 100 years - and health nuts because they’ll eat nearly anything –regardless of how icky - to live longer (or be skinny).

I like to point out people like George Burns. He smoked cigars like a chimney and lived to a 100. Now that’s my kind of guy.

You’ve heard stories about amazing centenarians who remain spry well beyond their years. What’s their secret? Their daily constitutionals? Their teetotaling disdain for a drink or a smoke?

Well, a recent study indicates, surprisingly, that people who live into their 90s and longer have habits just as lousy as the rest of us. I feel so vindicated.

Nir Barzilai of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and colleagues interviewed 477 Ashkenazi Jews who were living independently even though they were at least 95 years old. Some were as old as 112.

They all joined the Longevity Genes Project, which is investigating why centenarians live so long.

The bottom line, I figure my chances of reaching an advanced age (I’m 75 now) are about as good as anyone’s. And I can tell you, without hesitation, that I haven’t been (nor will I ever be) a saint.

As it Stands, I may be a cranky old man who cracks bad jokes and ignores proper diets, but by golly I Yam who I'm Yam! (Apologies to Popeye).  

Helped Out by a Stranger: Kindness in a Stressed-out Society

Editor's Note: I'm on a brief blog break and thought it would be nice to re-post a post from my 2016 archives on kindness.

"I've always depended on the kindness of strangers."
-Tennessee Williams from A Streetcar Named Desire

Have you ever been helped out by a kind stranger?

If you have, then you know what a difference it can make in your day, and sometimes your life. 

It sure did for Mike McIntyre. He set out to walk from coast to coast without a dime in his pocket. He wrote a book titled - The Kindness of Strangers - that told the story behind his six-week adventure. 

Throughout his journey, the journalist became involved with people from all walks of life. He found out that sometimes those who give the most have the least to spare.

I've found that to be very true in my life. That's why I love reading about stories about positive experiences. Sometimes when we travel alone, we meet strangers who end up becoming confidants like this story: 

Google Two Strangers meet on an Airplane. Four Years Later They Fall in Love 

One of my favorite forms of showing kindness is when someone conceals their identity and helps out people in need. Here's a great example:

Google Mystery Donor Buys New Car for Paralyzed Mother of Three Kids, Helps Family Get Back on Its Feet

It's important that we don't condemn the entire population for perceived slights. Generalizing segments of society ends up being a negative narrative that will take you nowhere.  

Google 21 Acts of Kindness That Will Make You Believe in the Human Race.

Henry Jones wrote, “Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” 
As it Stands, remember, it doesn't have to cost you anything to be kind, and the rewards are endless. 

Time for a Blog Break Before I Break!

I'VE HAD ENOUGH.

Reporting on our nation coming apart daily at the seams has stretched my sanity to the breaking point. 

I have PTSD but most of the time I can overcome the negative effects and go on with my day.

However, there's times like this where I have to step away from my blog and reenergize myself with more peaceful pursuits. It's like doing maintenance on an old Ford truck that's run for 76 years with minimal challenges. Time to change the oil and recharge my battery.

Watching the corruption that seeps from the White House is like driving a truck with a smashed front window through a sandstorm without goggles.

Each new grift heaped on us by a convicted felon and sexual abuser takes a toll on one's mental health. The Trump regime has transformed our democracy into an idiocracy where scary stupidity reigns at all levels.

The reality that we have a demented president who openly lies against all evidence against him is shocking. George Orwell must be turning over in his grave.

I plan on resuming my posts on August 12th. A week from today. Hopefully my battery will be fully charged by then.

While you're here, I invite you to take a tour through past posts that are archived to the right of the page. It'll give you an idea on what to expect when you visit me in the future.

As it Stands, I want to thank all of you who take the time of day to stop by and see what I have to say.

GOP is Starting to See Trump is Crazy - It May Be Too Late

The Republican Party is facing the consequences of blindly following Dementia Don.

MAGA supporters have finally realized what the rest of the world knows... Trump lies about everything.

From no endless wars to having a thriving economy Trump shined them all on. The emperor had no clothes on, but his wide-eyed followers couldn't seem to see it...until now.

No one is safe from Trump's mindless wrath. Not even the sickophants he's appointed to government positions. Reality and Trump have become total strangers in his second term. Facts are swatted aside like flies.

Just look what he did to Jeanine Pirro who he appointed as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia because of her Fox News connections. 

She had to drop all charges against Olympian David Hearn for vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool because the case against him was bullshit spread by a rapidly deteriorating 80-year-old man.

When the Justice Department dismissed the case against Hearn it reported the damage to the pool "was the result of flawed installation by the contractor," which caused Trump to lose his shit.

He can't admit when he's wrong. He won't admit it was a crony no-bid deal despite the evidence that his buddy didn't know crap about doing a job of that magnitude. The cost went from $1.6 million to over $15 million and counting.

Trump's lackey lawmakers are facing a real dilemma come midterms. Trump wants them to pass a voter suppression bill that they're afraid will cost them votes in November. 

When it comes to the Trump/Epstein war in Iran the GOP sees the jeopardy it's bringing to all Americans economically to emotionally. It's the most unpopular war in modern American history and was started by a man with advancing dementia.

For the record Trump's dad had dementia. At this point Trump is in the middle stage of dementia when family and friends notice confusion and wild mood shifts.

As of late Trump seems to be moving toward a more severe stage in his decline where he displays memory loss, increased trouble speaking, recognizing people, and total disorientation from reality.

If Trump thinks something is true, then it is in his sick brain. Despite all the evidence that his Mar-a-Lago buddy screwed up the reflecting pool up he held a press conference today to say Pirro "made a mistake" in dropping the case. Then he repeated his lie about vandals with box cutters assaulting his precious pool. 

I can't imagine how embarrassing it must have been for the Trump officials lined up behind him and listening to a blatantly provable lie while keeping supportive smiles on their faces. Then again, their all shameless - one of the prerequisites of belonging to MAGA.

As it Stands, it's hard watching Trump get away with more terrible things every day. He's managed to drag the most prestigious position in America into a polluted pool of propaganda and lies.

Wall Street/White House Grift: Trump Media Selling Inside Stock Market Info on His Truth Social Platform

Trump is so confident in his second term that he now openly flaunts his corruption by impudently defying all efforts to stop his presential crime spree. 

A day doesn't go by without Trump committing a crime somewhere or an international faux pas that ends up costing Americans millions of dollars.

Congress stands by and watches Trump's grifts grow in volume as spineless lawmakers kiss his ass in order to stay in office. 

Buckle up as we take a ride on the Wall Steet Trump train that was launched on August 1st. Trump's Media Company & Technology Group (responsible for Truth Social) is now capitalizing on inside stock trading. 

Our first felon is offering Wall Street firms a new specialty service, dubbed Truth API, which is designed to rapidly deliver and curate market-moving posts from his social media platform.

What Trump is selling for all intents and purposes, is advance previews to deep-pocketed financial institutions to allow them to see his declarations before the rest of the public.

It's no secret that Trump has been openly manipulating the stock market with his lies about the Iran war and the oil market. It's been a lucrative scam that is now being expanded to one of the biggest grifts in Trump's second term.

The Associated Press reported that the membership monthly fee is $100,000. Think about that. For a mere $100,000 corporate crooks will make millions. It's the granddaddy of cash grabs for CEOs worldwide.

Democratic Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren have urged the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate Trump's latest rip-off. 

In a letter to the SEC they said, "This appears to be an outrageous abuse of the President's office for his personal benefit that undermines everyday investors and the integrity of our markets, while enriching Wall Street and other wealthy insiders," they charged.

I'm not confident that SEC Chairman Paul Atkins (a Trump appointee) will do anything about it. Meanwhile Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, launched an investigation into Trump's new grift last Friday afternoon.

To summerize we have a president with access to the ultimate insider information - his own next actions and policies as the Chief Executive of the United States - selling advance access to the market-moving information to the high bidders at the expense of all other investors who can't afford the steep $100,000 subscription. 

Rep. Raskin said, "This White House-Wall Street-Trump-Business feedback loop represents the depraved essence of insider trading." I couldn't agree more.

As it Stands, the sheer magnitude of Trump's grifts this term is stunning. There's no telling how many more crimes he will commit in the last half of his term. 

Capital One Shut Down 300 Trump Related Accounts in Money Laundering Probe

Well, we have another first for the felon in charge lounging in the Oval Office.

The story starts in March of 2021 when Capitol One gave notice of its plans to close more than 300 Trump-affiliated bank accounts because they suspected (after months of research) that Trump and associates were engaged in money laundering.

On Friday the Trump cartel filed a lawsuit - the 3rd one - against the bank's decision to oust them. Capital One Financial hit back against the lawsuit stating that it did so after a review by anti-money laundering experts.

The disclosure marks the first time a bank has formally tied money-laundering concerns to a sitting U.S. president. Capital One is seeking to dismiss the case by casting doubt on claims of illegally debanking - or denying services on religious or political grounds - against the Trump clan.

The last time Trump and cronies filed a lawsuit in a federal court, alleging the accounts were closed because of Capital One's "woke" beliefs and its desire to benefit from the political mood after the Jan. 6, 2021, assault against the U.S. Capital. That judge told Trump and his stupid son Eric to go pound sand.

But here we are again.

Since the start of Trump's second term, his regime has put pressure on some large banks, echoing conservative complaints that the institutions are deliberately targeting the political right. He signed an executive order in August 2025 barring discriminatory debanking. The executive order isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

Readers will remember Trump's first term when he sued Capital One and Deutsche Bank in an attempt to prevent them from sharing financial records with Congress as part of a probe led by Democratic lawmakers. 

Anti-money laundering professionals at Deutsche Bank reportedly flagged a set of transactions, but executives ignored them.

As it Stands, deplorable Don should get an award (after all he loves rewards and trophies) for being the most corrupt and dishonest president in American history.

Sex Trafficking 2.0 - Trump Family Continues Tradition of Sleaze

By now everyone in the world knows that Trump cavorted with the infamous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein for years. Their mutual desire for underage girls was their bond.

The investigation into Epstein's crimes continues to expand from the United States to the rest of the world as Trump keeps trying to change the narrative. He started a war as a distraction but that only made things worse and now, he's stuck in a quagmire of his own making.

Meanwhile Barron Trump is keeping up the family tradition of hanging out with sexual offenders. He's an admirer of Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan who were arrested this year in Miami on UK sex-crime and trafficking extradition charges.

During the 2024 presidential campaign Barron was widely credited with advising his father to leverage podcast and online male influencers, including the Tates, to appeal to young male voters.

Congressional lawmakers have called for a probe into the Tate brothers' ties to the Trump orbit. 

Last week, Yassamin Ansari, a Democratic congresswomen and member of the House Oversight committee, called for Barron to testify about his connections to the toxic influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate. The Tate brothers have become a household name by monetizing misogyny. 

The Tate boys are fighting extradition to the UK, and face 59 allegations of rape, assault, trafficking and offences related to "indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.

Barron and Andrew Tate have been buddies since 2016. Their mutual alliance has given Andrew, and his brother cover in high places. 

In return for the Tate's help in the election members of the Trump orbit, and even the president himself, have intervened on their behalf. They were under house arrest in Romania, and the Trump regime got the Romanian government to lift travel restrictions on the Tates who were being held for sex trafficking charges. 

In a letter to the House Oversight committee, Ansari said: "The committee must investigate whether back-channel communications between the Tate brothers, presidential advisors, and members of the First Family such as Barron influenced official actions or administration policy regarding criminal prosecution and investigation of the brothers or international law enforcement cooperation."

It appears Barron is a chip off of the old blockhead and has no respect for women. Anyone involved with the Tates is a woman-hater. That's just a fact. That Barron is following in dad's footsteps should be no surprise to anyone familiar with the Trump family.

As it Stands, I can't help wondering what Melania thinks about her baby boy getting involved in a sex scandal after she's tried to hide him from the world for so long.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Who is the Worst AG of Them All?

Attempts at confirming Todd Blanche for Attorney General have been thwarted by two Republicans who wanted him to sign off on Trump's Slush Fund scam. Blanche refused and when confirmation day arrived the hearing was called off because of a lack of affirmative votes.

Unfortunately, that's not the end of it.

Blanche can continue serving as acting director while his permanent nomination by Trump is pending before the Senate. Meanwhile Trump intends to keep the nomination pending until his adversaries' senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are gone in January after the midterms.

A potential loophole in the federal law that governs temporary appointments so the possibility that Blanche, in his acting capacity, could essentially take over the nation's top law enforcement office if Trump chooses to bypass the Senate confirmation process, as he's done for other top federal prosecutors.

There is a dispute among experts about the legality of the move, and it's unclear whether Trump will take this route or formally renominate Blanche.

Blanche is still Trump's personal lawyer - although he denies it - and he basically gets away with ignoring state and federal laws because Trump wants him to go after his perceived enemies without any restraints.

I did some research looking for the worst Attorney General before Blanche in modern times. 

It was a tie between Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr. Both Republicans mislead the American people. Barr lied about the Mueller reports real contents. Sessions managed to dismantle and rescind an astounding range of efforts by prior administrations to protect civil rights and civil liberties.

Trump forced Sessions to resign primarily due to deep anger over Sessions' recusal from the Russian investigation, ongoing public friction, and frustration that Sessions did not control the Justice Department or investigate his political rivals.

Barr broke with Trump in December 2020 by stating the Justice Department found no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could change the election outcome. Later he called Trump's election lies "bullshit" and that really pissed Trump off.

It's important to note that all the nominees for worst attorney general were appointed by Trump. When we look at Barr and Sessions AG terms they both created major havoc in the justice system. They were MAGAfied...but not quite enough.

Enter Blanche. It's obvious why Trump selected him for AG. Unlike Barr and Sessions, Blanche is willing to do absolutely ANYTHING he desires. Nothing is out of the question and that's why Trump has Blanche pursuing the Slush Fund for criminals, himself and his family. 

As it Stands, despite numerous cases of Blanche being chastised by judges and the possibility he may be disbarred in Florida, they aren't enough to stop him from breaking more laws because he's Trump's most valued puppet. 

Revisiting the Gilded Age: Trump's Version is Gaudier

Here's a quick refresher on America's Gilded Age (1870s to the late 1890s) for context on this post;

Under Trump's regime there's been a lot of talk about the Gilded Age in the nation's past. It occurred between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive era. The name came about thanks to Mark Twain's 1873 novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today.

The Gilded Age was an era of fabulous wealth and stark poverty. Historians say the rapid changes were a result of the Industrial Revolution.

It's Deja vu in 2026. The gap between the average American and the proliferation of billionaires has reached a critical point where we have a White House serving the wealthy and ignoring the rest of us.

We're living with a president that could have been snatched from the Gilded Age. Trump's ambitious restoration of Washington D.C. monuments and his new gold infused projects would make John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt and J.P. Morgan proud. I'm sure they would have donated money to Trump...in exchange for favors. 

The White House is undergoing an endless display of gaudy gold decorations that would make any rich Sheik feel right at home. The Oval Office looks like a 19th century bordello. Golden letters are above every room so Trump can find his way around the White House.

The richest men in the Gilded Age were a group of powerful industrialists and financiers often termed "captains of industry" or more appropriately "robber barons." 

Today, we have the MAGA cult CEOs and a billionaire president who along with his family of robber barons are ripping Americans off.

One of Trump's golden grifts stands out among the rest of the chaos he's creating; the now infamous proposed White House ballroom that would span about 90,000 square feet and is designed to accommodate about 650 people for seated events. 

I've seen photos of mockups of what the fabulous ballroom will look like (top of page) and there's gold features everywhere. 

From the numerous golden chandeliers to the gold gilding on the ceiling, around the sides, and on the floor, Trump's vision is a MAGA version of the Hall of Versailles. But gaudier.

Currently the Trump regime is regilding the Arts of War and Arts of Peace monumental sculptures (which feature four massive bronze gilded horses and human groups) with gold near the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Memorial Bridge. That's costing taxpayers about $5.1 million dollars.

As it Stands, the comparisons between the first Gilded Age and the one we're currently living in is disturbing because this version is happening under an authoritarian regime.