Epstein File Discharge Petition Vote Set for Today and then...

Here's what's supposed to happen today when Maga Mike reopens the House of Representatives.

First thing.

Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva will finally get sworn in to the House after waiting for nearly two months since she was elected and certified by the State of Arizona.

Second thing.

Grijalva will sign the discharge petition that will start the process to bring the Epstein files measure to a vote in the House.

Third thing.

If the bill passes it still has to pass in the Senate and be signed into law by Trump who would rather eat glass and read the LGBTQ novel "We Are Everywhere," from start to finish.

Since being re-elected Trump has gone to extraordinary lengths to hide the Epstein files. The list is too long to cite in this post but the craziest thing he's done yet is to shut down the country so lapdog Johnson could avoid bringing up a vote on releasing the Epstein files.

That little gambit cost the economy roughly $55 billion in lost output according to the Congressional Budget Office which also pointed out that every additional week would cost $7 billion, or 0.1% of the GDP.

Meanwhile, Trump stays up all night tweeting in caps about crazy conspiracies and sleeping in the day during Oval Office visits. Epstein is never far from his lizard brain. Nor is Ghislaine Maxwell.

Epstein's partner in crime Maxwell is sitting in the cat bird's seat (in this case a minimum-security camp) because Trump had his lackey lawyer Todd Blanche transfer her out of a maximum-security prison because...

A. It was for her safety for being a snitch (about what?).

B. Blanche discovered she has shit on Trump that would really ruin his day, and she needed to be temporarily pacified while he worked on freeing her.

C. She was such an exemplary prisoner that the warden thought she should go to a less restrictive lockup.

I'm going with B, how about you?

I try to imagine what Trump is hiding that is so devasting that he's ready to bankrupt the economy, ruin Epstein victims' lives with lies, and threaten his own cronies to help with the coverup. What did he do? Are there photos? Is he a pedophile?

Rep. Jamie Raskin accused Trump and his regime of allowing "a corrupt misuse of law-enforcement resources" and demanded that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche testify before the Judiciary Committee immediately to "answer for this corrupt misuse of law enforcement resources and potential exchange of favors for false testimony exonerating you and other Epstein accomplices." 

As it Stands, the one thing that's for sure is the Epstein files are going to haunt Trump like the ghost of past Christmases during the holidays ahead.

Late Night Senate Sellout - 7 Dems and 1 Independent Side with Republicans

After 40 days of firm resistance against the Republicans demands to open the government without extending healthcare benefits, Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer talked seven Democratic members and one Independent to throw the party under the bus.

The traitors voted with Republicans on Sunday to secure the 60 votes needed to pass the deal, which failed to address the key Democratic demand of extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits expiring on January 1.

The legislation does extend government funding through January 30, 2026, and includes provisions to halt mass firings of federal workers by the Trump regime, reverse terminations that occurred during the shutdown, and guarantee back pay.

What really smells about Schumer's gambit is he talked seven retiring Dems and one Independent into taking the heat for crossing party lines while he still voted no on the bill.

That cowardly act caused a majority of Dems to question his leadership.

He thinks the move will shield his leadership, but he appears to have miscalculated.

The only thing Schumer did was show what a lying hypocrite he really is. Just before the vote he attacked Senator Durbin for - wait for it - abandoning the party's negotiating position and surrendering the party's leverage by going along with the Republicans. Talk about disgusting.

California Governor Gavin Newsome joined a list of other angry Democrats chiding Schumer. "Tonight's Senate vote on the federal government shutdown should have been a time for strength. Instead, we saw capitulation and a betrayal of working-class Americans." 

What's particularly galling is Schumer knows that Trump and his minions have no intention of extending healthcare benefits despite promising to bring it up in the second week of December. Why not agree to do it right away as soon as the government is open? The answer is obvious.

Apparently, Schumer didn't get the message when a blue wave washed across the country during special elections in 39 states recently. But the message was clear. Save healthcare benefits. Millions of Americans, some for the first time, voted to save the healthcare system.

And what did Schumer do? He sold those voters out. He blinked instead of staring down the Senate Republicans and forcing them to do the right thing. Now 20 million Americans are facing health insurance premiums three to four times more than what they currently pay.

The shutdown may end next week when the House passes the Senate version, but Americas problems won't end there. Trump will celebrate his victory by heaping more indignities upon the Constitution and people he doesn't like. 

After Schumer's betrayal the Dems need to change leadership and to double down on what will surely be a weakness for the GOP - affordable healthcare - in next year's midterms.

The longest shutdown in U.S. history that centered on a dispute over extending enhanced health care policy, has most Americans blaming the Republicans for the damage done to the country in the last 40 days.

As it Stands, the fight for affordable healthcare doesn't end here, however. It's going to be the number one reason the Republicans suffer major losses next November.

Trump is 'Culling the Herd' to Make Amerika an Autocratic Paradise

Farmers and ranchers often remove animals that are sick, have poor production, are genetically inferior, or are no longer reproductive from their herds. It's called "culling the herd."

Since Trump slithered into The White House for a second time, he's been busy thinning out the population of people who he perceives to be his enemies. 

His regime is going after immigrants, who do the dirty work white Americans don't want to, like they're weeds that need plucked from our society's gardens and disappeared into concentration camps.

In Trump's ongoing efforts to turn the United States of America into a dystopian state ruled by a dictator for life, there's nothing he won't do to achieve his ends. That includes starving poor and middle-class Americans and ending their current healthcare benefits to show he means business.

The main target of Trump's "culling the herd" approach to taking over the country are Democrats, Independents, and liberals. Like a rancher from hell, Trump wants to separate selective members of a group - in this case anyone who opposes him nationwide.

Masterminding the purge of Trump's enemies is a Nazi-worshipping creep named Stephan Miller who is his top advisor. He makes Darth Vadar look like Willie Wonka. Inspired by Hitler, Miller's mission is the total elimination and deportation of brown and black people in order to make the country "pure" again.

In Trump's twisted fantasies he sees himself as the fictional character Ben Cartwright in the TV show Bonanza and America as his personal Ponderosa. 

He envisions himself in a western-themed golf cart surveying his herds of lunatic lackeys loitering around and waiting for his orders.

When Trump looks at the red states, he sees fellow Maga ranchers culling out the herds of Democrats, Independents, and liberals by ignoring the laws of the land. The Maga ranchers follow Trump/Miller's lead in disappearing people of color.

The land of the free is facing challenges that our forefather's couldn't have imagined in their worst nightmares. The once beautiful landscape of liberty is rapidly turning into a desert for Democracy.

As it Stands, treating Americans like cattle is Trump's promised autocratic paradise to his puppets. 

Surprise! Trump Doesn't Have an Agenda

People who say that Trump is following Project 2025 guidelines are now starting to realize it's worse than they suspected... he doesn't have anything close to an organized agenda. 

Every new day is packed with grievances and hateful actions like willfully withholding food benefits from millions of Americans.

Trump's cronies do promote Project 2025, but he is rudderless and sets sail every day on new adventures that will make him more money and more powerful. 

While the first felon does have an enemy list it's fluid. One day he'll suddenly remember how mad he is at some judge, former prosecutor, or Taylor Swift. It's a crap shoot where there are no winners and lots of losers.

By now the whole world knows Trump is demented. A lunatic at-large in the White House. The official mouthpiece for the government, Fox News, tries to hide his obvious defects, both mental and physical, but the rest of the world knows he's a walking timebomb with a tiny brain and no conscience.

It would be a compliment to suggest Trump has an agenda. It would mean there's a tiny spark of intelligence in his withered brain. He doesn't plan for each day any more than a rhesus monkey does. He reacts to stimulus like a frantic lab rat on fentanyl.

For years now political pundits have been saying that Trump never had a plan for anything. That includes healthcare. 

It's his rank-in-file minions that put together plans to subvert laws and he merely goes along with them when it's to his advantage. To credit him with the carefully planned assault on immigrants' rights would be ignoring the real mastermind, his top advisor (and Nazi-lover) Stephen Miller. 

The same thing is happening in the Department of Justice, the FBI, ICE, and other government agencies. 

Each agency has a Trump loyalist leader who does the detailed dirty work for him because he can't remember what he said from one day to another let alone organize complex operations. He waits like a bloated frog to give his seal of approval to each new atrocity his lapdogs heap upon Americans daily.

Malicious narcissists, sociopaths, serial liars, and perverts aren't necessarily known for making good decisions. As Trump qualifies for all of those bad traits (and a legion more) we know his thought process is broken. Shattered into hundreds of alternate realities that blindly guide him when he's awake.

Trump is a fractured fascist whose only friends are dictators and the uber wealthy. He has cult followers who know his dark desires are destroying Democracy and they are doing their best to pave the way to an autocratic state.

As it Stands, the foundations of our Democracy are being shaken by a man with no agenda. 

Today in the USA: Dictators Tete-a-Tete at The White House and Open Pardon Time

                 Another day in infamy. 

Another day in the Trump regime.

Trump met with autocratic leader Viktor Orban yesterday in what Maga influencers called a "Touching Moment Between Two Strongmen." It was heartwarming moment when they both declared each other "great leaders" and compared toupees.

After praising each other to the point that some onlookers began vomiting, Trump explained his buddy needed a favor. Orban asked Trump to exempt his country from oil sanctions leveled at Russia that are going in to effect on Nov. 21. 

The reason is simple. Orban's country buys Russian oil to survive, and they need a free pass to continue buying oil during the US sanctions against Russian oil.

The consensus is that Trump will take care of his longtime friend and will carve out an exemption for Hungary's dictator. 

It's only fair to point out they spent the rest of their visit touring the White House looking at Trump's golden trophies and crown. Then they had lunch near the demolished East Wing before the asbestos clouds drove them back inside the undamaged sections of the People's House.

The day wouldn't have been complete without issuing at least one pardon to a criminal. 

The criminal(s) for today are a former Tennessee Republican state house speaker Glen Casada and his top aide, who were sentenced to three years in prison for public corruption charges. 

The public corruption part struck a chord in Donny's shriveled heart, and he blamed (who else?) former president Biden for "significantly over-prosecuting" the rogue politicians.

This pardon continues a pattern of Trump using his second term to bestow unlikely pardons on political allies, prominent public figures and others convicted of defrauding the public.

Trump also pardoned Michael Grimm, a New York Republican House member who resigned after a tax fraud conviction (an issue close to Donny's black heart) and made headlines for threatening to throw a reporter off a Capitol balcony over a question he didn't like. 

The pardons have also come amid a continuing Trump regime effort to erode public integrity guardrails - including the firing of the department's pardon attorney and the near-dismantling of a prosecution unit established to hold public officials accountable for abusing the public trust.

As it Stands, it's just another day living under a demented dictator intent on destroying our Democracy.

Another Felonious First For Trump

You got to hand it to our first felon; he's managed to keep up his criminal chops by shutting down the government and demolishing the White House in ten short months.

For the record the longest government shutdown to date was under Trump's first administration. He's exceeded his own dubious record this year. 

The stakes are higher than ever before as the economy falters and Americans face losing healthcare benefits. For the first time in history the SNAP program wasn't able to help hungry Americans until the courts stepped in and forced Trump to fund SNAP at the 11th hour. Another first.

As a horrified public watched helplessly Trump tore down the East Wing of The White House with no input from Congress or anyone else normally involved in historical building projects. Talk about bad optics. It's another first. 

Here's some more felonious firsts in Trump's return to the Oval Office.

- In defiance of the Constitution Trump has been surging active military troops and federalizing national guards into blue cities on missions to intimidate citizens who dare interfere with the illegal ICE arrests across the country.

- He weaponized the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security to go after his perceived enemies and people he just doesn't like.

- He's openly extorting media outlets that he doesn't like by threatening to hurt companies through legislative action that don't bend the knee to him.

- Showing no shame, Trump has been openly grifting foreign nations and getting GIFTS like a presential airplane and a gold crown with the help of his spineless supporters in Congress. 

- From Day One Trump has been attacking the judicial system like a warthog with rabies. He's defied court orders regularly. He threatens judges he doesn't like with impeachment.

All of these assaults on our democracy are firsts for any president. We've never had a more corrupt leader in history. Americans are learning lessons the hard way after electing Trump for a second term. 

Trumps completely unhinged and acting out all of his fantasies from building a massive, gilded age ballroom for his wealthy friends connected to the White House, to a triumphal arch in his name across from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

The firsts we're experiencing are both stunning and shocking on a daily basis. Americans wake up wondering if Trump is going to start a war in Latin America, or if he's going to declare martial law and cast off any pretense of not being a dictator and assume full control of the United States of America.

I'm willing to bet there's a lot of people who are wishing that they hadn't voted for Trump and are now struggling in our collapsing economy with increasing food lines for middle class Americans out of work.

Before you lose hope for the country, I want to point out the recent special elections across 39 states were almost entirely won by the Democrats. There were record lines at voting booths from New York to California. People have seen enough of Trump's firsts and are organizing for the midterms where I expect there will be a blue wave of retribution.

As it Stands, Americans must continue to resist Trump's felonious firsts agenda and be prepared to turn out in record numbers and vote next November.

Republicans Have the Blues Over Special Election News

Democrats dominated the special elections.

It was plain to see there was a blue wave across the country.

When Trump woke up Wednesday, he was greeted by a defeated GOP. His party minions scrambled about trying to somehow please the lout, but he continued to shout and pout.

The election losses preyed on Trump's tiny brain as he gathered his cabinet to find someone to blame. He called them out for the horrific countrywide loses and then he bragged about winning last year's election and his international fame.

"I wasn't on the ballot, so we lost!" he ranted and raved to his minions who sat quietly by. All they could do was sigh and let him cry.

It didn't help when Trump heard there was skepticism from the Supreme Court over his power to level tariffs internationally, he acted irrationally. 

In a ridiculous claim, Trump called the tariff case a "life or death moment for the country," which was beyond lame. But that's the first felon's game.

Talk about gall, Trump spoke at the American Business Forum and told them his beautiful tariffs would help them all.

Throughout Trump Country Maga lawmakers are hosing their constituents today, claiming Republicans carried the day.

As it Stands, Trump's cult suffered at the polls faring worse than their stated goals.

Trump Voters: 'How Do You Like What America Has Become?'

This post is for you if you voted for Trump in 2024.

So how do you like America today? Is the current chaos what you expected?

Is Trump checking off the list of promises he made you while campaigning last year?

Has the price of food gone down? How about eggs and gas? How about the fact that illegal tariffs have sent retail prices through the roof. 

You may be wondering why the economy is staggering to stay afloat. Maybe you're getting a little concerned about what you see when you go into stores and get sticker-shock.

Remember those wonderful tariffs that Trump said would supercharge the economy? By now, you know those tariffs are part of the reason why your facing rapid inflation and soaring prices on EVERYTHING. 

Did you know that Trump was going to put together a special strike force from our military to occupy every state in the union? What? Trump didn't mention that. Maybe he forgot.

But what do you think of the current use of national guard units who have been sent out to "protect" ICE agents and border patrol cops in major cities? Are you okay with people being kidnapped in their homes, churches, and schools?

I hope you didn't have any silly ideas about having more rights and freedoms under Trump's regime. Another thing. Unless your wealthy Trump doesn't give a damn about you. You know that's true right now as he shut down the government causing millions of Americans to lose their healthcare benefits. 

I wonder what you think about the cruelty Trump has displayed about SNAP benefits disappearing for 42 million Americans because he said he doesn't have enough money - patently false - to fund the national food assistance program?

Did you ever suspect Trump would triple his fortune in the first nine months of his presidency? Have you bought your $100 Trump Bible yet? Are you okay with the flood of gifts from foreign countries essentially paying Trump for favors? How about the whole Trump family grifting their way across the world at taxpayers' expense?

Did you ever hear a hint about Trump demolishing the White House and Rose Garden as he campaigned? Did he tell you that he was going to build a triumphal arch across from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and call it the Arc de Trump? Or that he planned to build a massive ballroom - twice the size of the White House? Do you believe the ballroom is fully funded even though the price goes up every time Trump talks about it?

I hope you aren't a travel agent because there's never been a worse time for tourism in America. Other countries are watching our democracy sink into the sunset as we demonize brown people and round them up like animals nationwide.

The number of foreign visitors has declined this year according to the travel research firm Tourism Economics who say Trump's rhetoric and restrictive policies are the cause. Canadian tourists are going to other countries rather than visit their worrisome neighbors. Add a new $250 "visa integrity fee" that began in October, and you can understand why international tourists don't want to come to our country.

By the way did you celebrate Halloween by taking your kids out to neighborhoods that were being gassed by ICE agents?

I just want you to know that Trump celebrated Halloween with a Great Gatsby gilded-age theme (which they called a little party that never hurt anyone) at Mar-a-Lago with his billionaire buddies as our country remains shut down.

As it Stands, if Trump's regime is making your life hell, then you might consider joining the majority of other Americans in resisting the Maga movement and fighting for democracy.

More Republicans are Caught Between Trump and Their Constituents Every Day

Judgement Day is approaching fast for Republicans in Congress. 

They're faced with supporting a malicious narcissist who misuses the U.S. military here and abroad. 

A president who wants taxpayers to give him $230 because he didn't like being investigated over his coup attempt on Jan.6.

Supporting Trump gets harder daily after he shut down the government and jeopardized support for 42 million Americans that need food assistance programs like SNAP.

Republican senators and house representatives don't dare to hold town halls. They know what their constituents are going to ask.

Why is the president holding gilded age parties while Americans are in danger of losing their health benefits?

Why has Trump and his family tripled their fortunes in 10 months as the economy is collapsing?

Why does Trump keep getting personal gifts from foreign countries like Qatar who presented him with a $400 million dollar jet?

Why didn't you try to stop Trump from illegally tearing down the White House and building a massive ballroom next to it?

Why do you go along with Trump's lies, even as they are being exposed every day in real time?

Why are you joining Trump in his personal revenge tour when you know it's illegal and that he's weaponized the Department of Justice?

Why are you supporting Trump's illegal tariffs when you know that the public is paying the price?

What has Trump done for us in our state to elevate the economic crisis we're experiencing?

Upcoming Special Elections - Nov. 4th

Republicans can read the writing on the wall. Trump has become so toxic it's jeopardizing their careers. Democrats are turning out in record numbers in early voting in Virginia for the governor's spot. Democrat Abigail Spanberger leads Republican Winsome Earl-Sears according to the majority of recent polls.

New Jersey's Governor's race shows Democrat Mikie Sherrill leading her Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli by 51% versus 43%, according to the most recent Quinnipiac poll.

Side note: Arizona Democrat, Adelita Grijalva, was elected to Congress over a month ago, but House Speak Mike Johnson refuses swear her in. A lawsuit has been filed against Johnson.

California voters will be voting on Prop 50. From all accounts it looks like it's going to pass giving Democrats more seats in Congress.

The signs of a blue wave are everywhere with special elections in Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York City, and Seattle who are choosing new leaders or deciding on incumbents.

Which brings us back to the challenges Republicans are currently facing with an out-of-control leader literally tearing apart the White House and the economy. One has to wonder what the breaking point will be for these Maga minions to turn on dear leader.

As it Stands, I encourage Democratic and Independent voters to exercise their rights to vote today and tomorrow... while they still can.

'Let Democracy Speak' - Epstein Victims Urge Mike Johnson to Stop Playing Politics

No one has gone further out of their way to conceal the Epstein files than House Speaker Mike Johnson. 

He could hold a seminar on how to obstruct justice with all of the experience he's gained in the House as its leader. 

Trump has been counting on Johnson to keep the House closed as long as possible so Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) couldn't provide the one needed vote to have a bipartisan discharge petition to compel the Trump regime to release the Epstein case files. 

The thinking behind keeping his Republican charges on a never-ending vacation is that some 11-th hour event will come up and derail it. Like one of the Republicans who are voting for the release suddenly changes their mind and joins the rest of his cowardly colleagues in opposing the release of the Epstein files.

Johnson was confronted today with an open letter from the victims of the late billionaire financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. In it they asked him to stop obstructing the swearing in of Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva.

They didn't hold back their concerns.

"Grijalva was duly elected and certified to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives," the letter began. "Her constituents have spoken, and their voices deserve representation without further delay. The continued refusal to seat her is an unacceptable breach of democratic norms and a disservice to the American people. Even more concerning to us survivors, this delay appears to be a deliberate attempt to block her participation in the discharge petition that would force a vote to unseal the Epstein/Maxwell files."

In conclusion the letter said, "Speaker Johnson must stop using procedural tactics to protect the powerful and instead uphold the integrity of our democratic institutions. Our trauma is not a pawn in your political games. Every day you stall is another day survivors are denied justice, and the American people are denied the truth. Swear in Representative Grijalva and let democracy speak."

The country is in chaos because Johnson has his head up Trump's ass and doesn't care if the government stays closed throughout his dear leader's term. Without the last-minute intervention from a judge the SNAP program was going to shut down and deprive 42 million Americans of much-needed food. Johnson claimed he couldn't do anything about that. Really?

The third most powerful politician in the government couldn't do anything to help millions of Americans. Think about that. We all know he's lying - and he knows we know - but he still stands in front of microphones and lists of lies like flies.

I wonder what Johnson would think if he heard what Trump reportedly told a GOP house member the other day. He bragged that behind the scenes he's effectively holding the position of president and House speaker.

I'm thinking he'd squint behind his owl glasses and give a big shitty smile to show he has no shame.

As it Stands, as of Saturday the House has been in recess for 30 days as Johnson refuses to reconvene the chamber until the Senate adopts a spending bill that will doom American healthcare.

The Militarization of America is Speeding Up

Any dictator worth his/her salt knows they have to control the military in order to achieve a totalitarian regime.

That lesson hasn't been lost on Trump, who has been studying for years on how to be a proper dictator (dear leader) under the tutelage of Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, and Xi Jinping, and now he feels his time has arrived. 

Trump on his first day of his regime rescinded an executive order (Executive Order 13989) signed by President Joe Biden that guaranteed that the Executive Branch would make ethical decisions. That set the stage for his corrupt regime.

To prove he's been reading the Dictator's for Dummies guidebook, Trump illegally surged active military and federalized national guard units in August, in California. Under a tsunami of lies Trump expanded his attacks against blue cities like Portland, Oregon, Washington DC, and Chicago, Illinois.

The result thus far has been a flood of court cases as Democrats fight back against the seizure of their cities by a military force. It's looking like the tide is slowly turning against Trump in the courts and possibly by the Supreme Court.

But that chaos isn't slowing Trump down in his quest to take over all 50 states with "special military units" by January 1st. He's already ordered the National Guard to train as many as 500 troops per state to serve as a "rapid response" team focused on civil disturbance "missions."

If that doesn't sound ominous, I don't know what is. I went on "missions" in Vietnam. But that was a war. This war is against the American people.

In our undeclared war against South American countries Trump has deployed an aircraft carrier group (the Gerald R. Ford is the biggest aircraft carrier in the world) and Secretary of War Defense Hegseth has authorized illegal strikes on civilian boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean under the pretext they were all drug smugglers. So far, 61 people have been arbitrarily murdered in what critics are calling "illegal extrajudicial killings."

The U.S. government has been accused of violating Columbian sovereignty, by striking a civilian fishing boat. Venezuela has appealed to the international courts about U.S. operations and openly 'hostile provocation" and a breach of international law. The country has mobilized its armed forces and militia to stop a suspected invasion of their country.

The military is not permitted to target civilians, including suspected criminals, who do not pose an imminent threat of violence. We have the Coast Guard to protect against drug smugglers.

But Congress has been kept in the dark about what's happening with the exception of some Republican Trump loyalists who got a brief meeting with Hegseth a day ago telling them what to say - not the real story.

Hegseth has purged the military of all its top brass in every branch to install Trump loyalists that will obey Trump's every command. Including going to war without authorization from Congress.

As it Stands, the political weaponization of American Armed Forces is progressing rapidly with little resistance - with the exception of the overwhelmed court system trying to protect our rights as free people.