American Democracy's Imminent Demise: We Are Turning Against Truth and Reason

If you look real closely you can see the dreaded four horsemen galloping across the country sowing lies, hate, toxic ideology, and conspiracies.

These harbingers of disaster for democracy are riding roughshod over Congress and the rest of the country.

Congress is so polarized it's almost ceased working entirely. Just look at the process for confirming a Supreme Court justice. It no longer matters if the nominee is not fully qualified. That metric has been replaced with partisan poison.

The roots of the confirmation process's decline trace back to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's refusal to allow President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, to even get a hearing.

After that the kid gloves came off and the confirmation process has been an exercise in chaos. It's now nothing more than a circus where the two parties take turns grandstanding on grievances.

I suspect that after judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is confirmed it may become impossible to get any future appointments - unless one party is in complete control of the Senate and the presidency.

As we witness the steady decline of justice in the lower courts another deadly dynamic is shaping our lives - the advent of extremism in politics and our private lives.

Millions of Americans have been seduced by wild conspiracy theories that fly in the face of truth.

A recent poll showed that 22 percent of Americans believe in QAnon - a conspiracy themed group that has blossomed during Trump's turbulent regime.

Toss in extreme right and left media platforms that provide echo chambers for fixed ideological minds, and you have a recipe for disaster.

States are now seen as Blue or Red. This growing separation is just one of the terrible transformations we're experiencing. 

We're becoming two Americas. Talk about civil war is common on far-right platforms like InfoWars and Steve Bannon's War Room pod cast.

Sadly, I don't see how we turn this country around from the current gridlock and outright hatred against minorities.

The nation's long vaunted values have slipped under the slime of extremism. Somehow, we're going to have to reclaim the high ground of a functioning democracy the world can confidently follow.

The Slap Heard Around the World

With all of the challenges facing people on this planet one would think someone getting slapped at the Oscars wouldn't crack the Top 10 headlines.

But Will Smith's open-handed slap of Chris Rock's mug is still hugging the headlines with a story of an ongoing war in Europe, the latest pandemic variant, and the ongoing coup attempt in the United States.

It appears that many people's priorities only extend to entertainment (in one shape or another). 

The media is complicit. Both right-wing and left-wing platforms have been playing up the slap heard around the world like nothing else matters.

Americans are adrenalin junkies. They want that quick horrific jolt that comes with witnessing physical confrontations.

It makes me wonder why actors like Jim Carrey and Judd Apatow are acting like that slap was the crime of the century.

Let's get real.

It sounds like they all have too much time on their hands. 

A lot of people weren't horrified or "stunned" by the slap. Tiffany Haddish said what Smith did meant "the world to her." 

"As a woman, who has been unprotected, for someone to say, 'Keep my wife's name out of your mouth, leave my wife alone' it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Haddish told People Magazine.

On the other hand, Amy Schumer wrote in an Instagram post, that she was still triggered and traumatized.

So much drama over such a stupid incident. The way some people are reacting I have a hunch there's been an uptick in psychiatric care in Hollywood lately.

Let's face it. People's viewing priorities in the 21st century isn't guided by real newsworthy stories. Shock and awe are the twins that motivate people to follow stories like the Great Slap.  

Democrats Have to Improve Messaging Before the Midterms

The gates of hell opened in 2016 when the biggest grifter in American history was elected president.

Crazies didn't have a national voice prior to the election. When Don the Con took over the country that changed.

With midterms coming up those crazies are motivated by the thought their going to get back in power. The House and the Senate is in jeopardy for several reasons.

One, the odds of Democrats holding both the House and the Senate are historically thin. Midterm elections for an incumbent president whose party controls both houses almost always ends badly with big gains for the other party.

Two, Democratic voters aren't as enthusiastic about voting in November as the Republicans are. Biden wasn't able to please the progressive part of the party with bills they favored and now they feel like he let them down.

Three, the simplest explanation is voters look at who's in charge and if there's problems with the economy (regardless of the reason) they vote for change.

The stars seem to be aligned for the party of Trump. The omens are ominous for Democrats. In a recent NBC poll, more than seven in 10 Americans say things generally in the nation are on the wrong track.

Concerns about inflation, concerns about the economy generally and concerns about what's going on in foreign affairs right now, are all barriers that have to somehow be overcome.

So, what can be done in the next seven months to reenergize Democratic voters?

That's something the Democratic party has to figure out in the months ahead. Unless the economy shows sizeable improvement, the challenge is an uphill climb.

Will it take a miracle(s) to change the dynamics of the election? 

The answer lies within reach, however. It's messaging.

Democrats need to promote the successes they've had, from passing the largest infrastructure bill in history, to appointing a new Supreme Court justice.

Thus far they've done a crappy job at getting the good word out to the general public. That has to quickly change.

There are still unknown factors that could change a lot of people's minds about the Party of Trump candidates.

Millions of Americans will be watching the proceedings of the Jan. 6 Committee this summer. There's a good chance the committee will recommend criminal charges against Trump and his chief cronies.

I don't expect AG Merrick Garland will move swiftly to prosecute, but the indictments will come in time.

The damning reality of a coup attempt will motivate millions of Americans viewers to vote against Trump-backed candidates.

It'll also motivate Trumpies, but they're already motivated. It may cause some to foam at the mouth but won't change their numbers.

There's always a chance the economy will improve, and Biden's numbers will get better.

All that aside, if the Democrats continue to fail at communicating their accomplishments, they won't stand a chance.

Traitor Trump Asks Putin for Dirt on Hunter Biden

Trump is a filthy traitor seeking to undermine democracy daily.

The latest evidence that Trump still idolizes Russian dictator Putin came on Monday during an interview with a right-wing TV show - "Just the News" - on Real America's Voice network.

In an interview with discredited far-right journalist John Solomon, Trump called on the Russian leader to produce dirt on Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden.

Trumps obsession with Hunter Biden has increased over the years as he's tried every trick in the book to get him in trouble. 

Trump's first impeachment came about after he tried to bribe Ukranian President Zelenskyy to find dirt on Hunter Biden. Now he's turned to Putin.

Despite the highly politicized investigation by Senate Republicans into the Bidens, which was published just weeks before the 2020 election, there was little new evidence of wrongdoing.

Trump's love affair with Putin goes back for years when his family was doing a lot of business there, including plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

During the 2016 election Trump called on Putin to release Hillary Clinton's emails. In 2018 Trump sided with Putin against his own intelligence community at Helsinki.

It's outrageous that Trump the traitor continues to conduct another coup attempt out in the open to pave his way to another term in 2024.

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Russian state TV host calls for Trump to be reinstated - and said it's time for a regime change - "to help our partner Trump."

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That Trump is openly supporting Putin's invasion of Ukraine when the world's democracies are united in opposition, further adds to Trump's infamy. There's nothing the bastard won't do to regain power.

As the Jan. 6 Committee plods on gathering evidence of the insurrection there's a creeping feeling that the Department of Justice isn't going to go after Trump for masterminding a coup attempt.

All I can say is if Trump gets away with subverting elections and colluding with Putin, our democracy will be in danger.

Ongoing Coup Attempt Update: GOP Candidate Vetting Outside Groups to 'Monitor Elections'

To assure himself of victory in the midterms Neveda Republician candidate for the Senate, Adam Laxalt, is already stacking the deck at election sites.

His team is busy "vetting" outside groups to challenge supposed "Voter fraud" in November. 

Known as one of Trump's favorite lapdogs (the local media calls him the Neveda version of Rudy Giuliani), Laxalt has been carrying water for the former president by promoting the Big Lie.

Laxalt's strategy involves launching legal challenges months before anyone votes. 

There's one big problem with his corrupt attempts to rig the election result; Federal Law prohibits candidates from coordinating directly with independent expenditure groups.

The question is what groups and why does Laxalt think he can get away with skirting the law?

Laxalt told Trump advisor Sebastian Gorka that he's doing his best to secure the election during an interview on Gorka's show in January.

What Laxalt is trying to do is part and parcel of the ongoing open coup attempt by Trump and the Republican party. It also highlights how important the fantastical narrative about "voter fraud" is to Republicans.

No top Neveda Republican has raised more doubts about the state's election system than Laxalt according to an NBC news report recently.

Will the combined attempts by the GOP to rig the election results hand them the House, and or the Senate?

If so, it'll be step one in a two-part conspiracy to steal the presidency for Trump in 2024.

Where Has the Middle Ground Gone? Long Time Passing

Moderates in our society have gone the way of the fabled Dodo bird. They've become so rare that they stand out like scarecrows in a corn field.

Congress is increasingly becoming a battlefield for the extreme Right and the extreme Left. Moderates have become causalities strewn about in the halls of power.

College students no longer seem interested in hearing both sides of an issue when a speaker comes to a campus.

Students shouted down speakers at Yale and UC Hastings earlier this month, prompting questions about free speech, and academic freedom.

Both law schools had controversial speakers but there was a difference - the Yale event went ahead, despite repeated disruptions. 

The University of California Hastings College of the Law event, descended into chaos: the speaker was unable to eke out more than a few words before students shut him down, chanting, clapping, and banging on desks in protest. 

The point is people are becoming so entrenched in ideologies they no longer care about reason, fair play, or compromising.

Conservatives and liberals are engaged in a death match that's crippling America's reputation as the greatest democracy on the planet. 

As I write this the nation is facing an ongoing coup attempt fomented by a former president who has lost all touch with reality.

Moderate Republicans are scathingly referred to as RINOs (Republican in name only) in the party of Trump. Moderate Democrats are losing ground to the extreme Left.

I can remember when moderates nationwide were able to heavily influence national elections.

It appears those days are gone. Radical minorities are increasingly gaming the electoral system and exerting outsized influence on election results.

Where has the middle ground gone? Long time passing...

A Guide to Radical Activists: Chapter 1 - Shame Doesn't Exist

 "A man with no shame stops at no vice."

-Procopius

You can't shame someone who doesn't have a moral compass and who lives in an alternate universe.

Try it sometime. It's impossible.

Shame is defined as both a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt and a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute.

Radicals on the Right and the Left with views untethered by reality or truth have become the norm in America. They're no longer hiding under rocks and in caves. They're everywhere. 

Once upon a time when an obviously mentally incapacitated person appeared in public shouting the world was going to end it was considered a shameful show. Who would let someone like that wander around in society without help?

Today we have millionaires like Mike Lindell, aka "Pillow Boy" ranting on social media daily. His latest tirade involves taking all the machines in the nation to court. He wants to sue them for reasons that aren't entirely clear.

In another time the guys in white jackets would give him a free ride to an insane asylum.

Do you think he's ashamed of acting like a loon? Hardly. The guy actually has followers and is a favorite of Trump and his minions.

We live in an era where there's no longer any shame when caught lying. 

All you have to do is listen to right-wing politicians like Marjorie Taylor Greene (of Jewish Space Laser fame) or Lindsey Graham, or as he's affectionally known in Washington DC - Flipper - for his ability to constantly change his stance on issues to suit the moment.

Shame has become old fashioned. No one cares if you walk around in public talking in tongues or have a stand selling Ivermectin or bleach to cure COVID.

As Jonathan Swift once said, "I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed."

An Unlikely Hero for Democracy: Biden Thrust into Greatness

President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland on March 26. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Straight up. I never considered Joe Biden a "great leader" based upon his decades in Congress and as President Obama's vice president.

As a matter of fact, I remember being pissed off at him for his part in the Clarence Thomas fiasco where Anita Hill was disrespected by Biden. 

The thing about Biden is he doesn't have the kind of charisma that often marks a politician that attracts and inspires millions.

He's soft-spoken and has a stuttering challenge that sometimes makes people think he's not too sharp. But they'd be wrong. Biden is a deep thinker and cannier than his detractors give him credit for.

Biden's empathy and compassion has always been his strongest points. Joe is real. He cares about people and has defended democracy throughout his career.

Still, I never suspected that he would not only assume the mantle as the leader of the free world but would be the uniter in bringing NATO and the European Union together against an old foe... Russia.

His speech in Poland today will go down as an historic address to the free world. It was the best speech I ever heard him give.

It appears Biden has grown as a president and is now at the apex of his career, accepting challenges that few other presidents in our history have faced.

To once again see the world rally against an authoritarian regime intent on conquering other countries is heartening. Even more heartening is seeing Joe Biden thrust into greatness.

Justice is a Dirty Joke: Take Ginni and Clarence Thomas for Example

Our judicial system is so polluted by politics that most Americans simply don't trust it anymore. 

Look no further than our former president who has avoided accountability for nearly every crime he's ever committed by tying courts up like pretzels. 

There's been a couple of instances - Trump's University and a charity ripping off veterans - where Trump has been forced to pay fines. But as far as personal accountability... Teflon Don has managed to avoid getting his due thus far.

As we wait to see what the Jan. 6 Committee reveals there's still no sense that Trump is going to be held accountable for trying to overthrow the 2020 election.

Even more troubling is the growing evidence that partisan jurists have become commonplace in ALL the court systems.

The latest, and most worrisome, example of crooked judges has surfaced this week after a report released by the Jan. 6 Committee about Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and Trump's chief of Staff Mark Meadows, conspiring to overthrow the 2020 election results.

Despite the Thomas's claim they don't talk about their work at home, the opposite has been discovered by the committee.

Proof that Ginni Thomas was colluding with Mark Meadows in a scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election is in the 29 text messages the committee discovered between the two plotters.

As for Clarence Thomas, he was the lone dissenter against turning over White House records to the committee. The same records that exposed his wife and Meadows seditious planning.

A person would have to be naive and stupid not to see the connection. He was covering for his wife's traitorous efforts to steal the election from Biden.

Who really believes the Thomas's aren't on the same conspiratorial page? Look at all the conservative functions they attend together.

It's obvious Clarence isn't worried about being held accountable for his partisan involvement against the Democratic party.

Like Trump, Clarence thinks he's above the law because he's in a position of power.

No matter what chief justice Roberts likes to claim about the court being neutral, it's obviously not. Justice has become a dirty joke. 

Republicans Running for Midterms Employing Hate Campaigns Against LGBTQ+ Community

Republicans running for office in November have decided one of the ways they'll get elected is by attacking the LGBTQ+ community.

Two states in the vanguard of the homophobic attempts to marginalize the LGBTQ+ are Florida and Texas. No surprise. They're red states.

The latest example of this unwarranted war on people's choice of gender, comes from Texas where the Attorney General Ken Paxton declared a school district's celebration of LGBTQ+ students "sex education" and in violation of Texas law.

The question is why is Paxton is suddenly going after a school district that's held a Pride Week for eight years right now?

The answer is simple. He thinks his base hates gays as much as he does. Maybe they do. The attacks are part of a GOP trend this election season.

Paxton was politically motivated because he's in a tough primary in May with another Republican who he hopes isn't as Trumpy as he is.  

Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis has led the way in attacking the LGBTQ+ community.

With the help of the Republican majority in the state House and Senate, DeSantis pushed a bill - Parental Rights in Education - or what's more commonly known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

The bill effectively bans classroom instruction of sexual orientation or gender identity for school children.

Sadly, there are nine more states considering similar measures, including Arizona and Tennessee.

In Arizona, lawmakers are proposing legislation that would prohibit transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming health care and limit to express their gender identity in school bathrooms, school classrooms and other sports.

In Tennessee, legislators are pushing different bills seeking to ban materials that "promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender issues of lifestyle."

The bottom line is Republicans are using fear tactics about gays to get elected. Fear tactics are big in the GOP where scaring people gets votes. Regardless of the subject.

This time it happens to be fear about the LGBTQ+ community that is trending thanks to a massive disinformation campaign from dark money donations.

Why Senate Confirmation Hearings for Supreme Court Candidates is a Farce

(Photo of GOP senators who are putting on a performance for their base)

Don't think for a moment that the confirmation hearings going on for our next Supreme Court judge is a serious affair where the most qualified person is elevated to the highest court in the land.

It's a farce. And has been for years.

First, we already know Ketanji Brown Jackson (right) is going to get the appointment because the Democrats have the majority (barely) in the Senate.

It's just like when Trump's three appointments to the Supreme Court where "fast tracked" because the Republicans were a majority in the Senate, and they voted as a block.

No matter how you slice it, the Senate has taken over the once neutral court (some might argue it was never neutral) and molded it into a partisan battle ground where ideology is increasingly poisoning the once august body.

For example, every judge seated on the Supreme Court that was put there by the Republicans was groomed by the Federalist Society. For the record it's a conservative clearinghouse for GOP judges and politicians.

The result.

American's opinions of the Supreme Court have worsened in the last year. The high court's current approval rate of 40% is the lowest it's ever been. That's down from 49% last July.

It's apparent the American public no longer trusts the system. The blatant partisanship of the current conservative court majority has been on display for years.

Despite the fact that Americans oppose overturning Roe v. Wade the Supreme Court will be looking at the landmark decision this year, even though it's settled case law.

Republican dominated states have filed challenges to the law that have crawled through the lower courts and finally goaded the Supreme Court into taking some action on an established law. The outlook doesn't look good for a women's right to her own body.

Back to today.

The hearings are like watching an act from the theatre of the absurd. Especially the Republicans grandstanding where they try to push Jackson into an ideological corner.

To what end? That's simple. They're playing to the base and using the airtime to trot out all of their grievances from past hearings.

Again, it's all a farce.

Trumpies at Your Doorstep: New Voter Suppression Tactic is Illegal but They Keep Coming Anyway

The Roots of Voter Suppression in America

Imagine someone knocks on your front door as your eating dinner with your family. 

You get up and walk to the door open it... and there's a group of white men wearing sidearms and the leader asks you if you voted in the last election?

You wonder who these men are and what right do they have to ask about your personal business? One of them flashes a badge and claims he's asking you questions on behalf of your county election board.

Again, you wonder why this is happening now after several decades of voting? What do these men really want? A chill runs down your back. As a black man you know this group of armed white men could spell trouble for you and your family.

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The above scenario is playing out in Colorado right now.

A pro-Trump group has been going door-to-door in search of evidence to support voter fraud allegations that have already been debunked and rejected by courts.

The leader of the group - U.S. Election Integrity Plan (USEIP) - is Shawn Smith an ally of Steve Bannon and MyPillow boy Mike Lindell.

The group's real mission is voter intimidation because they send armed members into areas with large numbers of voters of color, questioning them about how they voted and taking photographs of their homes.

What these Trump minions are doing is illegal. They're violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a post-Civil War law aimed at preventing white vigilantes from terrorizing Black people to stop them from voting.

Officials in Colorado warned the general public about the unofficial canvassing efforts and urged residents to report the members to local law enforcement and the Justice Department.

The state chapter of the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, and Mi Familia Vota filed a lawsuit against the group.

As the case drags through the courts the pro-Trump group's website says they are planning to expand to other states, including Arizona, Georgia and New Hampshire.

The group's training materials are already being used by conspiracy theorists in Utah who call themselves the Utah Voter Verification Project.

Members of the group, who refused to identify themselves, showed up at houses in Hurricane last December with personal voter information, according to Washington County officials who had been alerted by local residents.

Even though these Trump voter suppression groups are knowingly breaking the law they just keep popping up like toxic mushrooms.

The interesting thing is other Trump-supporters have tried similar door-to-door audits like the one by Cyber Ninjas, and they were forced to stop after the Justice Department warned them that they were violating federal laws against voter suppression.

Still another group - the New Mexico Audit Force - sent their members door-to-door recently. Much to my surprise, the House Oversight Committee announced a probe into the group's activities last week.

One last thing I just can't pass up. It appears USEIP has a volunteer vetting problem. 

A message on the group's website said leaders had learned (roundaboutly) that there were a "couple of people" in the group who had a criminal history of sexual misconduct.

The message apologized and said, "...it's unfortunate that we must check volunteers for pedophilic leanings."

I have one question. Has anyone notified QAnon yet?

What Keeps You Going Every Day?

"Your every day is an act in an eternal play.

You're every move choreographed.

Every word recorded.

Unseen Cameras follow you relentlessly. Silently. 

How you react to daily challenges determines what direction your day will take."

-From the Creative Chronicles of Dave Stancliff

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What keeps you going every day?

What gets you out of bed when you know it's a shitty world because bad things happen daily?

Some people's faith in God helps them bound out of bed with a smile and ready to face whatever challenges that lay ahead.

They are truly blessed.

In this era of a global pandemic, war between Russia and Ukraine, political polarization in America, severe global climate change realities, and democracies under assault here and abroad, human stress levels are off the hook.

Not everyone believes in God, however.

For those of us who don't believe in Allah, the Christian God, or Buddha, other options exist. Lone wolf types like myself, tend to believe in self-determination and the power to lead, rather than follow.

In moments of humor, I like to think there is a Superior Being (who looks like a Gary Larson cartoon version of an alien from another universe) playing puppet-master in a celestial soap opera.

My reality at 71 years-old, is pain the moment I awaken. Arthritis in both hands, knees, and other assorted bones greet me like old enemies ready to rumble at a moment's notice. 

The good news is the pain is a sign that I'm still alive. Lying in bed only makes it worse. So, I'm usually up long before the sun rises.

After drinking prodigious amounts of coffee and popping some Ibuprofen and Tylenol, I'm able to lumber about during the day.

It takes more than that, however. I plan little missions - from emptying the cat box to weeding the yard - to divert my attention from the harsh realities of the world around me.

Diversion is the key. As long as I'm occupied watching a Laker game (even though the team stinks this season) or writing for my two blogs, the day flows on without too many incidents.

Variety is the spice of life, so I try to think outside the box when it comes to my daily activities.

In the end there's no guarantee we'll be around for another day, so my best advice to you is enjoy each day like it's your last one. It could very well be.

The Conservative Push to Strip a Woman's Right to Her Own Body is Picking Up Steam

When is it okay to say, "It's my body so back off!"

According to the Republician party the rights to a woman's body are limited. Conservatives tell them when and what part of their body is independent, and what part is subject to their radicalized ideology.

When it comes to wearing safety face masks and taking the vaccine to fight the spread of COVID, conservatives scream "My body - my choice!"  

That same sentiment doesn't hold for abortions, however.

Suddenly a woman's body becomes a political football. Women are threatened with fines and jail time for doing what they think is best for their own body and mind.

Red states across the country have been passing more draconian anti-abortion laws meant to criminalize women, and anyone who helps them get an abortion.

Republician dominated states are getting bolder every day now that the Supreme Court has been taken over by right-wing jurists.

Just when you thought it was bad enough that these red states are penalizing anyone that helps a woman get an abortion, it gets worse.

States like Texas are offering a $10,000 bounty to anyone who turns a woman in for seeking an abortion. The bounty includes anyone who assisted the woman in any way.

That would include an Uber driver taking the woman to a location where she could get an abortion. Family and friends that aided a woman could be fined too.

For the record: the abortion bounty hunters will have fun collecting their money as there is no state department or fund for them to collect the loot from. Apparently, the lawmakers didn't think about that.

Still, it isn't enough for those rabid conservatives in Missouri who are now attempting to sue anyone who helps a Missouri resident have an abortion in another state!

That's right. Missouri lawmakers have taken the next step in suppression of a woman's rights by restricting them from getting an abortion in another state.

There's more. Anyone living in Missouri can sue anyone who helps a Missouri resident in another state to get an abortion. From the physician to whoever transfers her there can be fined.

This blunt attempt to regulate out-of-state conduct by one of their citizens has no clear precedent according to law scholars.

It's the first time an anti-abortion proposal of this kind has gone this far and if it succeeds there'll be a major escalation in the national conservative push to restrict the procedure.

This latest hypocritical attempt to strip a woman's rights to her body is the vanguard of a new round of action in state capitals where conservatives are rushing to enact legislation ahead of an anticipated Supreme Court ruling that sharply limits or overthrows Roe v. Wade.

The Missouri proposal could be voted on any time before the session ends in May.

Republican Revisionism About Ukraine Ignores Reality

Reality Check: Trump was impeached in 2020 for trying to bribe Ukrainian president Zelenskyy by withholding an arms shipment to his country until he dug up some dirt on then-presidential candidate Joe Biden.

In an alternate reality the GOP are now claiming that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was brought on by the Democrats impeaching Trump. 

The fact that pro-Russian Republicans in the House and Senate refuse to acknowledge what Trump did to Zelenskyy is proof of their duplicity.

The reality is Trump's ploy put Ukraine into a worse position against their totalitarian neighbor looking to expand its borders.

The resulting front-page scandal threw Zelenskyy into the middle of a political cage match. It certainly emboldened Putin who believed the West would fracture if he launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Trumps attacks against NATO's very existence encouraged Putin who must have decided the alliance was splintering and would not stand up to his aggression. 

That might have happened, but for the fact Joe Biden won the 2020 election and quickly united the shaky alliance into a firm wall of resistance against Putin's naked aggression.

Biden also re-assured the European Union that the U.S. was a good ally to have after Trump's animosity threatened to drive a wedge between Western democracies. 

The United States of America is by far the biggest contributor of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine in the world under Biden's leadership.

Recently Biden called upon Congress to provide more aid for the embattled nation. Most - but not all - of the lawmakers supported the desperately needed assistance.

The exception was 31 Senate and 69 House Republicans who voted against giving military aid to Ukraine.

Congress couldn't even get a unanimous bipartisan vote to sign a resolution to support Ukraine. Three House Republicans voted against it.

It's apparent to me that we have an enemy within; the Trump part of the rapidly dissolving Republician party. Their ongoing coup attempt is fueled by dangerous lies designed to weaken our democracy.

The Republican hypocrites who continue to hamper relief efforts to an endangered democracy, and who continue to push the Big Lie need to be held accountable.

If there is any justice in the land when the Jan. 6 Committee turns over its findings (this summer) to the Department of Justice, the perpetrators of the insurrection will be tried in a criminal court and convicted as traitors.

Starting with the biggest criminal of them all... Trump.

Voters in November will also have the opportunity to oust any other traitors that may have eluded the DOJ.

The Confederacy Lost. It's Time Traitors Stopped Being Honored: 9 US Army Bases to Be Renamed

I think we can all agree history is written by conquerors. The winners of wars weave their narrative into their country's history.

Triumphant generals become national heroes and are publicly honored in different ways. From statutes to buildings their names destined to be carried on for future generations to admire.

Which brings us too today.

U.S. Army bases have a tradition of being named after famous generals.

However, something happened over the years (You guessed it - racism) and some military bases were named after traitorous generals.

In other words, Confederate generals from the Civil War were honored, instead of Union generals. The Lost Cause of the South was being honored in nine military bases. The irony was as thick as a brick.

That's changed.

The congressional commission overseeing the removal of Confederate names from military bases released a list of potential new names on Wednesday. 

The commission received over 34,000 recommendations during a public comment period to rename the nine Army bases.

That list has been narrowed down to 87 potential names. The commission, Army base leaders, and the local communities will send their recommendations to Congress by Oct.1.

The Pentagon will have until early 2024 to carry out the commission's suggestions.

It's never too late to right a wrong.

Reconnaissance or Tours? What's With GOP Lawmakers Guiding Right-Wingers to Capitol Walks?

You may recall those fateful days leading up to the failed coup attempt on Jan. 6 when Republican lawmakers gave tours of the Capitol to right-wing activists.

Those "tours" were more like reconnaissance missions and are being investigated by the Jan. 6 committee. As for the lawmakers involved, they have gone uncharged... thus far.

The investigation is ongoing.

There was no lack of targets for those tour groups leading up to the insurrection. Top on the list (with Mike Pence) was Nancy Pelosi's office. She actually had two offices.

The scary thing is the office she used the most was broken into and vandalized. The unregistered tours (none were entered in the White House guest records) had undoubtedly produced some information. 

What would the attackers have done had she been there? There were chants of "Kill Pelosi" and "Where is she?" It's a sobering thought.

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Related: House Democrats call on Justice Department to address 'insider threats' posed by candidates who believe election fraud claims

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Capitol tours are rare these days because of COVID restrictions. Two small public tours a week are allowed in a limited area on the Senate side.

Last week Capitol Hill police prepared for a so-called "Freedom Convoy," a group of right-wing activists, to descend upon the Capitol in big rig trucks to protest a litany of grievances.

The National Guard was put on high alert. No one wanted to see a repeat of Jan. 6. Needless to say, tensions were high.

It was in this atmosphere that a Republican senator from Kansas, Roger Marshall, decided it would be a good idea to give members of the Freedom Convoy a guided tour of the Capitol.

If not for a senior congressional aide who alerted the Department of Justice about the truckers' presence, this little tour would have gone unreported.

The aide - rightly so - was concerned that the protestors might have been planning an entry into the building. 

That convoy is still circling around a freeway in the Washington DC area because trucks are illegal on the city streets.

It appears that since Jan. 6 Republican lawmakers who gave tours and aided the insurrectionists with rhetoric and cash flows are not going to suffer any consequences for their traitorous behaviors.

Perhaps that's why Sen. Marshall was comfortable with guiding those right-wing truckers and hangers-on through the Capitol. He knew he would get away with it and it would also polish his crazy credentials.

Where's the Weed? I Thought Democrats Wanted Cannabis to be Legal

Two-thirds of American voter's support legalization — including half of Republican voters and 83 percent of Democrats. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images

I'm still waiting Chuck Schumer...

Remember when you gained control of Washington in 2020 and promised to end the federal prohibition on marijuana?

It's been 14 long months. I can be a patient guy, but I still have my limits. 

This is the 21st century and states, cities, and big corporations are making billions off of high-grade Skunk, but it's still considered illegal. Can someone explain that to me?

Every time I hear a rumor that marijuana is going to be legal and that politicians are ready to pull their heads out of their asses - nothing happens.

With utter disgust I read that the new government spending package released today continues to prohibit Washington, D.C. from establishing a cannabis marketplace.

Despite the fact that District voters overwhelmingly backed legalization more than seven years ago the provision was left on the cutting room floor.

The new spending bill also fails to protect state-regulated recreational cannabis markets, nor did it expand medical marijuana research or protect veterans who use cannabis.

I just don't get it. Those are issues that have widespread bipartisan backing. Why were they unceremoniously dropped?

I have another bone to pick with Mr. Schumer.

What the hell happened earlier this year when you led Democrats in removing language from the National Defense Authorization Act that would have made it easier for the industry to access banking services?

It doesn't make sense. That legislation twice cleared the House with huge majorities, including more than 100 Republicans. 

So. Where's the legal weed?

Rumors of legalization are still circulating in the halls of Congress. Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Ron Wyden released draft legislation to decriminalize and regulate marijuana, but no formal bill has surfaced.

Schumer is whispering about introducing a legalization bill in April, but that ship has almost sailed with time running out before the end of the year.

If the Republicans seize Congress in November, any chance for legalization will wither and die a quiet death.

The Ides of March: On This Day in 1970

I was 19 years-old and in Vietnam on March 15th, 1970. (Photo right)

To sum up my experiences I used the music from back then while writing the following poem

 -1970 Diary - to capture what was going on in my young skull.

1970

“Let it be” – words of wisdom from The Beatles that spoke to me

I lusted for an “American Woman”

Crossed the Song Bay Bridge under fire listening to

“Bridge over Troubled Waters”

wishing young men back home

would “Walk a Mile in My Shoes”

and know about a grunt’s blues

too many villages on fire

“Somethings Burning” by a ghostly choir

Smoky Saigon opium dens wistfully playing

“House of the Rising Sun”

     Helicopters in the sky playing "That'll be the Day I Die."

1970

long range patrols in the night

“Travelin’ Band” playing in the USA

going into hostile territory every day

wondering what’s “Up around the Bend”

living in a hot humid climate

“In the Summertime” that seemed like it would never end

Taking “The Long and Winding Road,” in country

dreaming of “Lookin Out My Back Door” at home

trying not to “Spill the Wine” because I’ve seen

“Fire and Rain” and will never be the same again

Searching for Reason in a Savage Society

Definition of reason:

a) a statement offered in explanation or justification

b) a rational ground or motive

c) the thing that makes some facts intelligible

d) a sufficient ground of explanation or a logical defense

As a wit once said, "There's nothing common about common sense." The same holds true for reason. It comes in small quantities in our combative society.

A lot of people today have the attitude that reason is a form of weakness. Much like compromise.

"Ours not the reason why, ours but to do and die!" - Alfred Lord Tennyson

The best example of this attitude is Trump's cult followers. Like sheep they are content to follow their master by re-bleating everything he has to say.

In TrumpWorld, reason is a ruinous runaway to reality. Something loyal subjects would prefer to avoid. 

People are often driven by passion, but it's only those that use reason as a rein that become successful in life.

The line between reason and madness grows thinner during these days of internal chaos in America. 

It's reasonable to say our democracy has never faced a bigger threat than Trump's ongoing assault against it.

Marya Mannes once said, "The sign of an intelligent people is their ability to control their emotions by the application of reason."

Reason can come in one form or another. As the Dalai Lama preached, "The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis."

As Lord Byron argued, "Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves."

In our savage society it's hard to stay grounded and happy. I leave you with a quote from Wilkie Collins, "Peace rules the day where reason rules the mind."