Memo to MAGA Politicians: What's Your Message for the Midterms?

MAGA lawmakers up for election in the midterms are facing a daunting challenge.

Reality. 

It's something GOP lawmakers in Congress manage to avoid by controlling every arm of the government during their term.

Fake pie charts, stacked statistics, and goofy graphs can't change the reality that our economy is struggling, and America is losing its standing with the rest of the world.

So, what's the typical MAGA politician going to do to convince people their eyes are lying and to vote for them?

Hmmmmm...that's a tough one. Republicans have avoided town halls all year because their constituents want to strangle them! You can't blame them. They're living in the real world while their elected representative is living a life of lies while supporting a convicted felon and sexual abuser that's sliming the White House.

What subject could a Republican safely campaign on to avoid being tarred and feathered by his constituents? 

How about the war in Iran?

Every major national poll shows Trump is significantly under water regarding his handling of the war that he started to deflect news about the Epstein files.

Fox News Poll: 66% of Americans want the war to end and they think Trump has horrible mismanaged it.

CBS News Poll: 61% disapprove of Trump's decision to go to war and 65% think he's really fouled up and obviously doesn't know what he's doing. 

(Hint: You probably should skip this subject. Just saying.)  

How about the Economy?

Recent National polls show widespread public pessimism regarding the economy, driven by persistent inflation, high living costs, and expensive energy prices. 

Gallop Poll: 75% of Americans blame Trump for these hard times.

(Hint: You might not want to talk about the economy.)

Wait a minute!

I can't think of one good subject that's safe for MAGA morons to proudly spout off about without getting major blowback from the majority of the country.

As it Stands, regarding the minority of Americans who still support Trump keep in mind that he's a malicious narcissist who'd throw you under the bus in a moment if it benefited him.

Another Trump First: We Now Have the Highest Gas Prices in History

It's not easy keeping up with Trump's firsts in his second term.

His latest achievement even has Republicans recoiling as the midterms draw near.

The 1st Place Award for the highest gas prices in American history goes to Trump and his corrupt regime. Our first felon gets credit for the surge in prices because he started a war with Iran to deflect from the Epstein files and is now sunk in an international quagmire of his own making.

The AAA and GasBuddy gave the bad news today. National averages have never stayed above $4.07 a gallon this late into August in ANY previous year. Dubya Bush had the record for the highest prices until Trump came along.

The geopolitical tensions from Trump's illegal war (that was won on Day Two) have caused global shortages in refining capacity and infrastructure disruptions that have limited fuel production. The war has kept the pump prices elevated despite lower domestic demand.

The nation's Top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($5.58), Hawaii ($5.43), Washington ($5.16), Alaska ($4.83), Nevada ($4.76), Oregon ($4.69), Idaho ($4.41), Arizona ($4.40), Utah ($4.32), and Colorado ($4.31).

The nation's Top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Louisiana ($3.57), Indiana ($3.59), Mississippi ($3.60), Alabama ($3.61), Texas ($3.63), South Carolina ($3.65), Tennessee ($3.65), Kentucky ($3.70), Arkansas ($3.71), and North Carolina ($3.72).

What does Trump and his regime have to say about this grim news? Thus far, very little. I did see some MAGA media trash claiming we're living in a golden age right now. 

As it Stands, regardless of the facts, the Trump regime is going to keep degrading the economy in a pursuit to destroy Democracy.

Is This Trump's Most Audacious Grift Yet During His Second Term?

Trump's pet media platform ironically named Truth Social is where facts die and lies thrive. 

It's a strange arrangement because Truth Social has not reported a single profitable quarter since it became a public company on March 26, 2024. It's been a steady loser moneywise, but Trump has lived with that fact to have a platform where he can lie his ass off and not get deplatformed.

But his grifting DNA finally figured out a way to actually make money on the failing platform. He came up with a slimy scheme to sell insider stock information to corporations and to hold an unfair advantage over other newsrooms.

The unlawful scheme was launched in the beginning of August, and a lawsuit was filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by a nonprofit newsroom, The Intercept and the Freedom of Press Foundations, alleging the scheme "is extraordinary, corrupt, and unconstitutional."

The lawsuit charges Trump with violating the news media's First Amendment rights to access presidential statements "on equal terms with other members of the press and public.

The scam is simple. Corporations pay $100,000-month to get the privilege of knowing in advance when Trump is going to make an announcement that will temporarily rock the stock market making millions for his paid corporate customers.

But wait! There's more. In addition to high-speed access to Truth Social customers will get access to the nine most-popular accounts on the platform, including J.D. Vance, Karoline Leavitt and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I'm not sure how Leavitt's sudden announcement that she is retiring will affect the case.

There's more. Natalie Harp (aka Trump's diaper changer) is the new woman in Trump's life who media reports suggest is responsible for authoring many of his posts, is named as a defendant in the suit alongside Dan Scavino.

Striking while the iron was hot 10 companies have already registered for the service. They still invested in the scam despite reports Truth Social lost $238 million dollars in the second quarter of 2026. Apparently, the jackpot being offered wiped away any doubts for those greedy CEOs.

Meanwhile Democratic lawmakers Senator Ruben Gallego and Mark Warner have introduced a bill seeking to ban social media companies from selling earlier access to government employees' accounts and specifically invoked the Truth Social scheme.

As it Stands, one of many striking things about Trump's second term is that he's living out his fantasies by renaming monuments, public places, and highways after himself, along with a complete disregard for ANY laws.

ICE to get New Weapon to Terrorize Immigrants and American Citizens With

The Department of Homeland Security just announced it is introducing a new circle of hell into their enforcement tactics.

Trump's masked secret police also known as ICE are getting a new accessory to torture people with next year - gloves that emit painful electric shocks. The regime is doling out $20 million dollars of taxpayers' money to cause more pain than they already do with the current savage methods of enforcement.

Some genius came up with the acronym G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter) for ICE's new toy. I can imagine how the untrained goons at ICE are taking this news. With jubilation and celebration.

The manufacturer warns against using its device on elderly people, pregnant women, children, and severely handicapped - individuals who have not been spared from the regime's sweeping crackdown on immigrants. We're talking about favored targets here.

The company also warns that the devices are not meant to be used against people merely exhibiting "verbal defiance or belligerence." It's not hard to imagine ICE officials laughing their asses off at that advise. Let's face it, ICE agents aren't exactly known for making that distinction - with deadly consequences.

Out-of-control ICE agents have continually threatened or attacked individuals who criticize or monitor their enforcement tactics. By adding electric shocks to deliver terrible pain in encounters adds another dimension of harm to the public.

All you have to do is look at what's been happening around the country since the start of Trump's second term.

ICE agents have practiced excessive force, warrantless searches or arrests, racial profiling, and wrongful detentions. There have been eleven fatal shootings since the invasion of American cities by masked agents began last year.

The Department of Homeland Security recently announced that its spending hard-earned taxpayer money on "conductive distraction and de-escalation devices" that should be on the streets in March 2027.

A contract solicitation for the proposed rollout is expected to be published on Friday, according to the DHS notice.

As it Stands, treating Americans like cattle utilizing electric prods is a stark reminder of how the regime views us.

How Scared of the Midterms and Iran is Trump?

 Note: A week ago, I said I was taking a break until today (Wednesday 8/11). Despite that I started posting new content in the last several days because my Mojo returned earlier than expected. Thank you, regular and new readers, for visiting today. Onward and upward.

Hello! 

Today we're going to look at the corrupt case of Donald J. Trump versus Democracy and how afraid our draft dodging leader is of Iran and the midterms.

Last month Trump was covertly whisked out of Turkey on a military C-32A plane because of rumors that the Iranians were going to assassinate him. 

Not on his favorite gift/grift from Qatar which apparently was defenseless if attacked by anything worse than a flock of birds. Not on the old Air Force One which was used as bait with the press pool aboard to make enemy observers think America's first felon was with them.

No. A lowly C-32A was waiting for a catering truck to arrive with Trump stuffed inside like a smashed pumpkin. Add the fact that he probably pooped himself in abject fear and the poor handlers who had to get him aboard we're probably given a medal later by Pete Hegseth.

Things just got worse when Trump returned to Washington DC.

His most trusted cronies laid some realties on Don the Con, and he pooped his diaper again. And again. Ad vinfintum. 

Panick set in when he was told that his real poll numbers were so bad that the blue tsunami coming in November was going to drown any chance of the GOP holding onto the majority in Congress.

AND... everyone in the country was against his war in Iran, including a majority of Republican voters! Like a coconut trap for a monkey Trump discovered that he'd stuck his tiny hand into a political trap of his own making.

The only thing Trump's "little excursion" did was turn over the Strait of Hormuz to the Iranians who never had control of the passage before in their long history. 

All that meant retribution would follow against Trump's numerous attempts to violate the Constitution and using the Justice Department as his private law firm, are going to be challenged with some real authority when the Democrats regain control of Congress. At the very least it'll level the playing field.

Efforts to suppress voters have been challenged and overturned in civil and federal courts and even the Supreme Court thus far without success. That hasn't slowed down the regime's treacherous attempts to violate the bedrock of our Democracy... free and fair elections.

It's no secret however that Trump has shed all restraints now and may try to declare an emergency power to steal the midterms. 

As it Stands, as scary as that sounds experts say the tactic won't work. Let's hope so, because Diaper Don is desperate and demented.

Trump's Art of the Blame is Part of His Game

There's one type of political attack that first surfaced during the emergence of Mesopotamia, recognized worldwide as the cradle of civilization, that has been sharpened and honed over the centuries.

It's called the Blame Game.

In the 21st century we're seeing the art of blaming others at its very zenith. Since Trump slithered out of the primordial swamps hiding racists who became his cult and voted for him in surprising numbers in both terms, he's fully defined the GOP's Art of the Blame.

Trump is a master at deflecting personal and political responsibility by shifting blame to political rivals, past administrations, the media, or foreign policy.

It's a tie when it comes to blaming past administrations for anything that goes wrong in the country. Emphasis on anything. President Biden and President Obama have become Trump's favorite people to blame. You'd almost think they were still in office as he blames our sagging economy and his war on Iran on them.

When it comes to Trump's subordinates and staff, he distances himself from unpopular outcomes or decisions by claiming he was blindsided or placing responsibility on appointed officials. 

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro is a good example of how he treats his appointees. Trump is blaming her for telling the truth about the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool damage. It wasn't from civilians ripping up the lining. It was the company Trump hired helmed by one of his Mar-a-Lago billionaire buddies that turned the monument into a filthy bog.

A long time ago Trump learned the benefits of blaming the media from his mentor Roy Cohn. He consistently characterizes critical coverage as unfair or dishonest. When he gets backlash, he blames it on coordinated opposition rather than his policy decisions.

The basic strategy is simple.

Always avoid direct apologies or acknowledgments of error, which Trump perceives as a sign of weakness.

Using message control is another favorite way of playing the Blame Game. He rattles off familiar narratives to quickly pivot away from current controversies and rally core supporters.

Because Trump is shameless and demented, he lies about everything every day. It's a routine that most Americans are sick of as they watch the price of living skyrocket with no end in sight.

As it Stands, we must not lose sight that Trump's defenses against reality motivates his cult, but not the rest of the country. Truth matters.

Trump's War with Iran Keeps getting More Humiliating

How do you think Trump's war on Iran is going after six months?

Not sure? 

That's understandable because the narrative changes daily and neither side is anywhere near coming to an agreement on anything. Regardless of what Diaper Don keeps claiming.

Trump said we won the war on Day Two. Then again in March. In April. In May. In June. In July and now in August. And guess what? Iran is busy bitch-slapping Trump and our pathetic Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as I write this.

Yesterday Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary, as carried by Iran state media, stated that the U.S. must withdraw its naval blockade, pay Iran damages for the war, unfreeze Iranian assets, lift sanctions on Tehran and permanently end the conflict against Iran and its regional allies.

The supposedly defeated Iranian regime has laid out conditions for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying it would not do so "until America corrects its behavior." That sounds like Trump is being punked and he's too stupid to do anything about it.

Negotiations have been difficult between Washington and Tehran from the get-go but lately they've entered a new phase of trash talking that's sabotaging any kind of quick resolution to the Trump/Epstein war.

Meanwhile Trump oscillates between threatening massive military action and pulling back from planned bombings following interventions and requests from Gulf allies (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) to pursue renewed talks.

It's embarrassing watching a middle eastern country make Americans look like fools because they're being led by an 80-year-old convicted felon and sexual abuser, along with a racist drunk. It's been a humiliating little adventure (Trump's own words) the last 163 days with no end in sight.

The Pentagon has asked the US defense industry to ramp up weapon production because stockpiles are running low. Trump is asking Congress for billions of more war dollars while he tries to figure out how to worm his way out of the situation he's created with Iran.

As it Stands, it's hard to see how this wasteful war that's negatively impacting the American economy and costing us military lives is going to have a good ending.

'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.