Exposed: Coup Command Center Funded By Trump Campaign

One of many questions about what happened on Jan. 6 was who funded the effort to overthrow our electoral system?

The picture has become more clear in recent months as evidence compiled by Congress clearly shows the insurrection was funded by various sources.

One of them was Trump's campaign. For a detailed account read the Washington Post's story today - Trump Campaign Payments for 'Command Center' at D.C. Hotels could undermine executive privilege claim in Jan. 6 Investigation.

What's Been Discovered Thus Far?

-- The so-called 'Command Center' was set up by a former New York City police chief, Bernard Kerik, and Rudy Giuliani. It was located at The Willard Hotel in Washington D.C.

-- The two men were central players when it came to creating the Big Lie, that Trump lost because of fraud.

-- Last December Kerik was getting really nervous because he had shelled out thousands of dollars and the Trump campaign turned down his request for a campaign credit card. It looked like he was going to get stiffed and stuck with all the bills.

-- To the rescue, Judge Jeanine Pirro, a longtime Fox host. She convinced Trump to repay Kerik's costs. 

Why? The answer probably lies with the fact that she's one of Trump's favorite Fox hosts, and he pardoned her husband who was serving time for tax evasion.

-- In all, more than $225,000 in campaign cash went to Kerik and Giuliani - including close to $50,000 for suits at the Willard Hotel/aka the command center.

Final Thoughts

It's interesting to note that Kerik and Jeanine's husband were both convicted of tax evasion. Something Trump now faces in New York.

I found it amusing that both Kerik and Giuliani thought Trump was going to stiff them. No honor among thieves, I guess.

The Jan. 6 investigation continues to collect evidence leading up to, and the weeks after the coup attempt. Pieces of the puzzle are falling into place.

But how long will all of this go on? It seems like the Jan. 6  Select Committee is moving as slow as molasses. 

My biggest fear is Trump will string out the proceedings until the midterms next year when there's a very real chance of Republicans taking back the House. 

If that happens, the committee dies along with any justice for attempting to overthrow the will of American voters. 

Democrats Don't Have Time To Whine: They Need To Unite Before The Midterms

When Republican Glen Youngkin ended a decade of democratic governors in Virginia by beating Terry McAuliffe, Democrats were shocked.

The state that has been turning more blue since the 2020 election has now become a swing state that Democrats can no longer count on.

Pundits are busy burying the Democratic party that has been in disarray for six months. Predictions are warning of a red tide steadily building momentum.

Youngkin took the Goldilocks approach when it came to Trump; not to close, not too far, just the right distance. 

This tactic allowed Youngkin's campaign to tailor its message to Trump's base as well as independent voters in the suburbs.

The big question is are Democrats going to come together and give Biden's Build Back Better agenda a fighting chance by adapting their approach to voters and uniting for the common cause?

They have one year to produce results, or the midterms will be a Democratic massacre allowing Republicans to take up Trump's agenda and cause chaos for the rest of Biden's term.

Youngkin's win in Virginia was a blow that Democrats need to get over fast. It's not the end of the world. A lot can happen in the next year.

Hopefully Democrats learned their lesson about their lack of voter enthusiasm. It's the key to winning and without it Democrats won't have a chance next year.

What has to happen between now and next November is the passage of the two infrastructure bills.

Otherwise they'll have nothing to run on except vilifying candidates who support Trump. A plan which didn't work for McAuliffe.

Hiding Behind Ignorance: Conservatives Embrace Bogus CRT Threat in Schools

People are voting in Virginia today for a new governor.

 Normally that wouldn't be national news. 

But today it is.

The fate of the state's future direction rests with either a Democrat, Terry McAuliffe, or Republican Glenn Youngkin.

The hot button issue that Youngkin is counting on to get elected is based upon lies about CRT being taught in schools - both elementary and high school. 

For the record, CRT is not being taught in the public school system anywhere in the country. 

But that doesn't keep the right-wing conspiracy theorists from violently invading school board meetings with misinformation and outright lies.

It's obvious Republicans muddled arguments about how school children are learning that whites are bad and blacks are good, has taken hold of nativists fears of many parents.

The galling part is most of the protesting parents aren't do any factual research, instead they're happily getting misinformation from such partisan sources as Fox News, Newsmax, and Oann.

What's intriguing is that those sources don't give any detailed information to their viewers. They just blast their horns and say "CRT is bad because we said so." 

Which, as it turns out, is just fine with the mindless sheep wearing MAGA hats. They don't really want to be bothered by such minutia. Give 'em catchy phrases and the believers are sold.

I saw a good example of this kind of attitude while watching the news this morning. A reporter was going up to voters in Virginia and asking them what was the most important issue they were voting on? 

One man said he was voting to keep CRT out of the state's school system.

When the reporter asked him if he knew what CRT was, he frowned and said he wasn't sure... but he didn't like it! That moment told me everything.

The guy was firmly against something he knew nothing about. But, because his right-wing information bubble said it was bad...well by God, it must be. 

It's this kind of partisan ignorance that's turning school board meetings into battle grounds. The real losers in this insanity are the students who are being pulled apart between reality and fiction.

We won't know who won in Virginia for some time as the ballots are still being counted. The results are set for certification on the 15th.

Will Virginia go further down the rabbit hole with Youngkin, or will McAuliffe bring some sanity back to school districts under fire from right-wing activists?

QAnon Is Poisoning The Health and Wellness Movement

The yoga world is riddled with anti-vaxxers and QAnon believers. /Image Wired UK 

Let's begin this discussion by noting that the Health and Wellness movement has always been slightly off-kilter when it comes to science.

It's understandable that people seeing others using crystals to heal that some skepticism is going to surface. But, that's okay. No one is getting harmed by people who believe in medicinal crystals. Or, in the power of yoga and seeking spiritual assistance.

It's that little wedge however, outside the government's belief in science, that QAnon creeps saw the opportunity to infect the whole wellness community.

Traditional yoga instructors have been closing their studios because they can't stop extremists from going and sharing anti-vax propaganda. And, worse. 

A large part of  the yoga community in California and Arizona has packed their bags and gone to a little seashore town along the Mexican coast to escape the chaos the extremists have been spreading.

It's scary seeing the influence that QAnon has accumulated since 2017. The radical conspiracies QAnon believers use to poison others has infiltrated not only the Health and Wellness industry, but into other organizations like school boards, local governments, and right up to Congress.

Encouraged by the former president, the denial of reality philosophy has slithered into mainstream society like a venomous snake.

The Health and Wellness community is now poisoned with people who could care less about loss of life, and more about their idiot conspiracies. 

It's a complete denial of the original intent of helping people through various means, mostly spiritual, to heal their bodies and minds.

This wellness assault is just one more battle in the nation's fight between fact and fiction. Truth and lies. And, preserving our democracy.

Cult Over Country: The Unraveling of Democracy

 

"...and a great liar emerged at the dawn of the 21st century in America. He cultivated weak and fearful minds into fierce supporters who assaulted everything America ever stood for. It was a dark time for the republic." - Democracy's Last Stand

Fact, or fiction?

It's hard to believe that one seriously flawed man has built an autocratic cult that has made Cream of Wheat of the once proud Republican party, while threating every norm in society.

Trump's followers are happily rejecting reality and trying to re-write history about what happened on Jan. 6. This, in spite of the tons of evidence from videos recording the entire assault on the Capitol and what really happened.

The worst, most treasonous president in American history is actually looking to get re-elected with the help of state cronies rigging their electoral systems - willing to cheat democracy and the will of the people for a failed reality star that went bankrupt four times.

All of this is no secret. It's happening right before our eyes as Republican governors pass voter suppression laws.

The most frustrating thing of it all is nothing has happened to Trump yet. No legal charges have been filed for fomenting an insurrection or for cheating the IRS for decades. 

And it looks like he's going to tie up the courts (something he's gotten away with all of his life) until midterms, hoping that the Republicans will get back the House and ax the Jan. 6 committee investigating his complicity in the coup attempt.

No one could have predicted that the greatest democracy in the world would succumb to a fascist sociopath with a cult following.

It hasn't happened yet. Perhaps justice will still prevail and Trump will pay for his crimes one day. It's just a gamble we'll all have to take.  

Halloween in a Polarized America

Boo!

It's Halloween in a divided country that's already experienced the scariest medical emergency - COVID-19 - in our history.

Instead of holiday revelers we have rioters.

The sane part of our population will try to forget - for a moment - that Trumpies are their worst nightmares.

While traditional costumes will be worn, Trump followers will be wearing their usual regalia of defaced American flags and images of Trump's ugly mug on their shirts and flags.

While children trick-or-treat in neighborhoods, Trump supporters will be planting Trump signs on lawns and intimidating parents accompanying their kids.

Instead of traditional Halloween parties, Trumpies will be holding rallies worshipping their favorite devil - Trump - by burning copies of the Constitution.

This Halloween is not about the usual monsters -Frankenstein's, vampires and witches.

It's about the new monsters that have infected our society in the name of a failed reality star and world-class narcissist. 

Instead of showing classic horror shows, theatres will provide a full four hours of the insurrection attempt on our Capitol.

This Halloween is truly a horror show, with Trump acolytes roaming the night like ghouls in search of humans to harass.

Trump To Russia With Love: Secret Back-Channel Exposed

The world's most renowned cybersecurity experts found unexplained communications between an email server used by the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, one of Russia's largest financial institutions, back in October of 2016.

Under Trump's regime the story was buried and discounted. A massive disinformation program was pushed by Trump minions AG Bill Barr and other corrupt officials.

Just before Trump was kicked out of office he appointed a lackey, John Durham, as a special counsel to look into the origins of the Russia investigation. It was a desperate last minute attempt to keep the Russia disinformation campaign flowing.

Last week, Durham brought charges against Michael Sussmann, a cybersecurity lawyer and former computer crimes prosecutor, who he claimed represented a technology executive and the Hillary Clinton campaign and lied to the FBI.

In fact, Sussmann told the truth as later revelations show. Daniel J. Jones, a former investigator for the FBI and the U.S. Senate, filed a lawsuit against Alfa Bank on Sept. 14, 2021.

Jones' 2018 report found that the Trump server was configured to accept incoming mail from certain entities and to reject all other incoming messages. 

After submitting a 600+ page report in 2018 to the Senate, Republicans made it disappear. 

Still, with the information gathered by cybersecurity experts it's apparent the case against Sussman and another cybersecurity officials is going nowhere. Facts have disputed Durham's bogus report.

The damning testimony given by Sussmann about the relationship between the Trump organization and Russia's largest bank is now public knowledge.

When the New York Times shared the DNS data (accumulated by Sussmann and others) with Alfa Bank's representatives the Trump Organization took down their email domain two days later.

But the damage was done. An investigation was launched. Jones filed a lawsuit on Sept. 14, and the previously stuffed reports he wrote during Trump's reign, were made available.

The Sussmann indictment has actually opened a Pandora's Box of Trump lies instead of the false narrative given by Trump's corrupt lawyer.

The irony in all of this can't be ignored. Republicans spent years going after Hillary Clinton over her email server. Now the shoe is on the other foot.

This Is Another Example Of Why We're Experiencing a Constitutional Crisis in America

Fox News is where truth goes to die thanks to a foreigner who hates America, but loves making money here.

Rupert Murdoch has turned one of his dogs loose at Fox News in an all-out effort to discredit what happened on Jan. 6 when Trumpies stormed the Capitol.

In essence he's allowing Tucker Carlson to go full Infowars on prime time TV. 

The far-right host announced Thursday that, not only is he debuting a special Fox Nation docuseries promoting 1/6 trutherism, but he is making it his "first ever week-long event" starting Monday. 

Carlson released a new trailer for the special week of programming that claimed he will expose "the lies" about the attack on the US Capitol. He hinted he will promote the notion that "other groups" were involved in the violence.

It's important to realize Murdock doesn't care about the incalculable damage he's doing to our democracy.

I shudder to think about the impact of a full week of outright poisonous lies that belong in the dark corners of the web, being shown on prime time TV.

Two GOP members of the 1/6 House Committee had this to say:

Liz Cheney, "Fox is allowing Carlson to spread the same type of lies that provoked violence on Jan. 6."

Adam Kinzinger, "Carlson spews lies and his network is committed to $$$ over truth."

Even Geraldo Rivera called the idea "...inflammatory and outrageous and uncorroborated."

The truly outrageous thing about letting Carlson goose ratings with the same lies Trump and his minions have been pushing, is not only is he going to get away with sharing alt-right information... people are going to tune in and watch it.

Therein lies the Constitutional crisis we're all living in. The polarization level is at critical mass now. What is Carlson's attack on reality going to spur? Another coup attempt?

It's something to watch for.

What Do You Think Happens When You Go To Jail?

Okay. You committed a crime and are in jail awaiting trial. What are your expectations?

-The ability to call someone anytime?

-Access to the internet?

-A big screen TV?

-A beauty rest mattress with controls?

-A privacy screen on the bars?

Wait a minute!

Let's get real. Jails are not hotels. Apparently the insurrectionists in jail that tried to overthrow our electoral system think they should be in private first-class bungalows.

The Capitol riot defendants have been whining about their living conditions since they got tossed into their cells.

Instead of dealing with the jail system the defendants have hired corrupt lawyers to bring every little grievance they have about their living quarters and treatment to a judge.

It seems judges have their limits however.  Petty-ass bullshit complaints are wasting their time. Especially when the court isn't the proper venue to deal with their daily whine sessions.

One judge, Emmitt Sullivan, wasn't having any more of it. "They're running a jail, not a hotel," he said last Wednesday. "Some people want hotel services," the judge concluded. 

Other judges have been noting that they're working with the D.C. jail to improve conditions and address legitimate complaints. In Sullivan's view these claims should be directed toward the jail authorities.

One such case involves a member of the Proud Boys, Christopher Worrell, who is constantly inventing medical needs. All of his claims have been contradicted or unsubstantiated by medical records, or the doctors examining him.

What really disgusts me is the coordinated efforts by Trumplicans in the Senate and the House to paint the rioters as patriots.

That's the equivalent of giving Benedict Arnold a Medal of Honor for his efforts to sell out Washington's army, and kill democracy in it's cradle.

It's Haunted House Season: Expect Some Really Scary Shit This Year!

Last October the Haunted House season was canceled by the pandemic.

Nothing was more scary than COVID-19 which was killing thousands of unvaccinated Americans daily. 

The Grim Reaper of reality was more than enough fear for most. Somehow, being scared to death by students dressed up like monsters in haunted houses just didn't seem right. Or, safe.

The Haunted House season is back this year and a lot of people intend to make up for last year's pause in horrific fun.

The king of all the haunted house events - Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Hollywood - is ready to serve up ghoulish experiences for cash.

As expected, the production value of the "scare rooms" is excellent as visitors cower from Michael Myers of "Halloween," and Leatherface from the "Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

Local fundraising events sponsoring haunted houses will once again open up across the nation. 

Yes, the experience will be a little weirder as face masking is practiced indoors to slow the spread of the Delta variant.

The scariest haunted house this season - by far - will be a private affair for Trump minions at Mar-a-Lago holding a fundraiser (what else?) to overthrow democracy.

Giant Trump-O-Lanterns will look down (according to one insider) at the gathering of Trump supporters wearing sheep, ostrich and chicken costumes.

The faithful will be channeled like a snake through a maze of rooms that will be a collection of all of their fears.

Visitors cries of horror and surprise will ring throw the rooms like a symphony of lost souls as they see the BIDEN ROOM, where it shows him as the current President of the United States.

Politicizing the Weather: Spurred By 'Sharpiegate' Trump Supporters Gleefully Deny Science

Remember "Sharpiegate?"

On September 1, 2019, as Hurricane Dorian approached the U.S. mainland Trump displayed his ignorance of weather conditions and tracking by using a Sharpie marker with his own prediction.

The former reality star altered the real forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and claimed the tropical-force winds from Hurricane Dorian could impact Alabama.

Reportedly he told his aides to obtain an official retraction from NOAA, supporting his version of the hurricane's path.

NOAA produced an unsigned letter in support of Trump's lie. Since then multiple agencies have investigated the possibility that political influence was exerted on NOAA.

Two reports were released in 2020. Both found political influence was a factor. Hurricane Dorian wasn't going anywhere near Alabama. In fact, it headed up the Atlantic coast.

The committees found that Neil Jacobs, the acting NOAA administrator and Julie Kay Roberts, the former NOAA deputy chief of staff and communications director, twice violated codes of the the agency's scientific policy.

There's a third investigation being done by a committee from the House of Representatives that has not been released yet. I think we all know what that committee will find.

The whole incident was met with scorn and mockery from the scientific community and the general population. Memes mocking Trump with his sharpie can still be found on the internet.

But, and this is where the wheels hit the road, Trump supporters backed his version (even though it never happened), thereby cementing a foundation for the cult's platform of science denial.

It's no surprise then that this one-man cult has embraced lies about climate change, and made it a mission to spread disinformation about the environmental disasters that plague the planet daily.

It's also no surprise that Trump minions won't get vaccinated in defiance of 98 percent of scientists in the world that have determined vaccines and safety measures (face masks for instance) are the best way to combat the virus.

This is one time however where the Trump faithful are literally dying for their master as they fill up hospitals in red states. 

In the end, science catches up to the Trumpies who will still deny its existence right up until their last tortured gasp for oxygen.

Some Scary Halloween Costumes: What Would Happen If There Wasn't a Dress Code in Congress?

Inspired by Rep. "Gym" Jordan's refusal to wear a suit jacket in the Capitol (or anywhere else), I have a stunning prediction regarding post midterm election dress codes.

------------------------------

I've run this same post for 5 days now. It's not something I normally do.

But popular demand dictates it; over 12,000 visitors per day have enjoyed this post. Yesterday 13,600 viewers stopped by. 

FTR: I normally get a couple of thousand visitors per day.

Let's keep it going...

Thanks everyone!

--------------------------------------------

The prediction is only good if the Republicans get back the House, and/or, the Senate in 2022. Otherwise, it'll just continue to be the fashion free Jordon trying to make a statement.

Actually it works. It shows the world he's an idiot that doesn't report young boys being molested in college. 

But, I digress.

The new norm for a GOP dress code would toss out conventional attire, opening the door for right-wing Trumpian lawmakers to dress - for what they think - is success. 

In other words, it's going to look like a Trumpian cosplay event in the halls of Congress if the Democrats lose next year.

It should not come as a surprise to observers when they see the prima Trumpies dressed up in outlandish costumes stalking the "People's House," and making a mockery of our democracy.  

Can you imagine that? The asylum taken over by the patients. In this case Republicans who swear fealty to the biggest loser in our political history...Trump.

As Halloween nears, I have some examples for scary costumes that may even be a preview of post midterm dress codes by Republicans in Congress and the Senate.

-- A full regalia Nazi outfit worn by Marjorie Taylor Greene was a smash with the white supremacists embedded in the party. 

-- An oversized diaper with "Don't Tread On Me" was modeled by Devin Nunes between bouts of bawling because no one likes him.

-- A Red-White-and-Blue Onesie with "I blow Trump Whenever He Asks" was written on the front, and was seen on "Gym" Jordon in the men's bathroom.

-- A 1920s style Gold Pimp Suit with a big floppy hat was spotted on Matt Gaetz leaving the Little Girl's bathroom.

--A Red MAGA inspired straight-jacket was seen on Andy Biggs who was aimlessly roaming the halls of Congress looking for someone to help him piss.

--A fiery red jumpsuit with QAnon messages on the front and back was Lauren Boebert's contribution to the clown show.

BACK TO REALTY

Yeah. It's fun to fantasize about the ridiculous world of politics today. But there is an underlining dark warning in this post...

anything could happen if the democrats don't hold on to the House and Senate in the midterms. 

Going Through the Motions: House Select Committee Approves Bannon's Contempt of Congress Report

Straight up.

I have my doubts about the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 holding anyone accountable for Trump's coup attempt. The chances of seeing people go to prison are about as much as a typhon tearing through Alaska. 

The House voted last tonight on holding Steve Bannon in criminal contempt for not responding to a subpoena. But don't expect Bannon to cooperate no matter what.

If forced to appear before the committee legal experts say Bannon will cite his 5th amendment rights and sit there like a content walrus.

Here's the thing that really frosts me; no matter what the committee finds the chances of persecuting offenders is nearly impossible.

Trump's minions have taken their cue from him and are tying things up in court with the expectation that time for justice will run out with endless appeals.

Let's be realistic about what's going to happen when the committee concludes its investigation. Nothing.

Republicans will continue to grovel before Trump and promote the Big Lie. No right-wing troll is going to change their mind because of a slew of facts gathered by Democrats. 

So why even have an investigation that's doomed to go nowhere?

The answer is simple; no matter what Congress can't ignore there was an insurrection attempt at the Capitol. 

What we'll witness in the days and weeks ahead will be a political drama that will further inflame both parties.

The committee will go through the motions to seek justice with little chance of achieving it.

Confessions of a Former Republican

I admit it.

I once voted Republican and even considered myself one.

Go ahead and laugh. It's true. I voted for George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States.

The late 80s and early 90s were a challenging time for me. I was a newspaper editor dealing with PTSD and did little - if any - research on national politics. I worked for small newspaper groups that stuck to the local news. No national news at all.

I registered myself as a Republican without really understanding that much about the party. It's my mea culpa. 

In my defense the Republican party back then wasn't at all like the GOP is today. There's a vast difference between then and now, and it hasn't been for the good.

I came to my senses after four years of senior Bush, and voted for a democrat, Bill Clinton. Since then, I've hovered between being an independent and a democrat.

The Republican party -in name only - has devolved into a cult with a sociopathic narcissist as it's leader. It's why I'm embarrassed admitting I ever voted Republican.

Before capitulating to a former reality TV star, the GOP wasn't this crazy. 

Right-wing, Trump-loving trolls are now embedded in Congress like parasites. Lovers of the Big Lie, these corrupt politicians have ties with white supremacists and groups like QAnon.

Our government, and Constitution, are under siege from the enemies of democracy who claim to be Republicans. If the party seems like the enemy within...it's because it is now, thanks to Trump.

Holding On To Reality In This Golden Age of Disinformation

    Trump is the Star of the Golden Age of Disinformation.

It's not easy.

There's so much disinformation on major issues facing the nation that it feels like a doomsday movie. Staying sane has never been more challenging.

The reason for this is because we're in the Golden Age of Disinformation. The Golden Calf has morphed into a narcissistic sociopathic former president and reality star intent upon destroying democracy.

The Age of Reason is long gone. We have the internet now. With it, comes a dank flowing sewer of lies, hate, conspiracies', and disinformation that empties out into millions of homes. The stench of stupidity is strong enough to make a maggot gag.

Please. Don't tell me how good the internet can be. The bad far outweighs what's happening today.

Don't think for a moment that all of the trolls and wackaloons would have come this far in disabling realities in your life without the massive digital octopus connecting them to each other.

Simply put, there has been no other era in our country's history where a cult of one man has brought us so close to defeat. The irony of getting rid of a sole ruler - crazy King George - to form a free nation is lost upon Trump and his followers. That's what happens in cults.

It's up to you, and I, to cling to reality and believe in science; to believe that we are all equal, to let evidence guide our decisions, to fight against the onslaught of disinformation around us with research and facts.

Abusive Appeals Tangle The Courts Up In Knots: Why Delayed Justice Is Hurting Democracy

Thanks to the former president's strategy of delaying justice with appeals - often for years - the courts in this country are in chaos.

One bad thing that's happened is Trump and the Republican Senate appointed and confirmed 220 Article III judges, and most are acting like Trump's disciples.

The cherry on the cake was appointing three supreme court justices who were lackeys of the Federalist Society; effectively assuring an extreme conservative agenda for at least a generation.

From early on Trump was taught how to take advantage of the court system with mentors like Roy Cohn and various mafia thugs. He teethed on filing appeals to create confusion that often ended with his accusers running out of money and the cases getting dropped.

Gaming the courts has always been one of Trump's favorite pastimes, so when he had the power of the presidency behind him it was inevitable he'd get his sticky fingers into the whole judicial system.

Throughout Trump's regime his minions have been encouraged to file frivolous lawsuits and to gum up court systems with endless appeals to thwart any investigations on them.

Steve Bannon is one of Trump's prize students whose loyalty has been tested in Congressional investigations numerous times. Most recently he's refused to respond to the House Select Jan. 6 Committee's subpoena to testify.

That refusal will effectively tie things up for an undetermined amount of time. And that's the idea. Republicans are hoping to run the clock out on the Jan. 6 investigation by retaking the House and possibly the Senate in the midterms.

Delayed justice may end up being no justice at all meted out to those involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The appeals process is so badly abused by criminals and politicians that nothing short of a complete overhaul is needed.

What would that look like? I'm not sure, but the promise of timely justice should be the guide to restore the validity of the appeals process. Remember, we're all supposed to have the right to a speedy trial. 

The longer cases are slow-walked (more like low-crawled) through the judicial system the more likely justice won't be served and democracy will suffer for it.

Chants, Rants, and Corrupt Confidantes

              The Gang of Four: Meadows, Scavino, Bannon, and Patel

Chant overheard at alt-right rallies across the country during these troubled times, "You will not replace us!" 

Ghosts of the Confederacy ride the rhetoric of hate being spread by the GOP in states seeking to suppress minority votes.

It's fear and loathing in Trumpland as the former reality star and president has his followers believing ANYTHING he says.

In a recent Trump rally in Georgia the crowd gleefully ranted, "Fuck Biden! Fuck Biden! Fuck Biden." Try, for a moment, to imagine what that sea of stupidity looked like - hundreds of red baseball caps bobbing up and down joyfully.

Speaking of corrupt confidants, did you hear Trump's buddy Steve Bannon defied Congress when subpoenaed to testify before the Jan. 6 Select Committee?  

The committee's response was swift as they moved forward today to hold Bannon in criminal contempt for refusing to comply with the subpoena. 

I admit I'm looking forward to hearing from a parade of Trump's corrupt confidants testifying before the select committee in the coming months.

I suspect the star of the investigation is going to be Mark Meadows. 

He's been recorded chastising Trump on Jan 6, then doing the complete opposite by making a pilgrimage to Mar-a Lago to kiss Trump's ass a week later. Or, was it days later?

Kash Patel who Adam Schiff described as a "demonstration of the principal in the Trump administration that the more willing you were to do anything the president wanted, no matter how unscrupulous, the higher and the faster you could rise," could give a sensational sleeper testimony.

I'm placing a side bet that Dan Scavino will be the most contentious of the reluctant confidants. He's the slimiest of the quartet.

Be ready for the long game, as the select committee continues to corner more Trump confidants, and make them testify under oath.

I'm stocking up on popcorn right now because of the supply issues we're all experiencing.

Seriously. Stocking. Up. Right. Now.

A Veteran's Insight Into Being Recruited By Extremists

I was listening to a Congressional hearing about how veterans are seduced by extremists to join antigovernment groups/militias yesterday with interest.

As a Vietnam Veteran (1970) I have a few insights to contribute to this discussion.

The first is not much has changed since I served in the Army. The transition from being government property to a free civilian is as rocky as ever.

Despite veteran groups doing what they can - and I applaud them all - the basic problem lies in acceptance. 

Most young people who go into the military form a bond of sorts. When they get discharged that bond is ruptured and there is a period of drifting in a sea of civilians who can't relate to their military experiences.

Secondly, everyone who signs up for the military is not necessarily being patriotic. Many get out of school and don't know what to do with themselves. College may not be an option.

The draft was going on when I went into the Army, and the majority of people I met simply didn't want to be in the military, and especially didn't want to go to Vietnam.

I suspect that was a major catalyst for a lot of members in the military to take on an antigovernment stance that carried into their civilian lives.

Today the inner core of most militias are Vietnam veterans mentoring each new generation, and instilling in them a total distrust of government.

Prior to Korea and Vietnam, the majority of Americans who signed up in the military did it out of as sense of patriotism and duty to country.

I'm not totally blaming Vietnam veterans for the current state of affairs. There's other reasons why veterans get involved in antigovernment activities. 

Which brings us to today. A populist/fascist has arisen among the dissatisfied  in the last five years that caters to all of their (antigovernment citizens) fears motivating them to violence.

When I saw how many veterans were involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection I was nauseous. It's one thing to be antigovernment and it's another to try and overthrow our government. 

Some good points were brought up in the hearing, but at the end of the day no real solutions were offered. Awareness is good. Action is better.

Lunatic Love: Moonie Cult 'Freedom Festival' Set For A Weekend of Anarchy

Remember that wacky cult of Moonies back in the 1950s?

(Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast)

You may not hear much about them anymore but the cult is busier and crazier than ever before. And it's now a threat to all Americans.

The ultra-rich Korean family (the Moons) put on an annual so-called "Freedom Festivity" that attracts NRA officials, gun enthusiasts and the type of people who attach "Don't Tread On Me" flags to the back of their trucks.

This year's festivities is expected to bring out "sovereign citizens" (aka domestic terrorists), alt-thruthers, and a slew of hardcore Trump minions seeking to steal fair elections and causing chaos in the schools, the medical community, and wherever there's a place to violently demonstrate their demands.

The Moon family also runs a Doomsday Church in Pennsylvania (where the Freedom Festival is held) that attracts lunatics like flies to shit.

(Photo: Reverend Hyung Jin "Sean" Moon, posing with his gold AR-15 "rod of iron" at home.)

Attendees are armed with semi-automatic rifles which they clutch while praying. Their all adorned with metal crowns which signify individuals have ultimate sovereign authority over themselves.

Steve Bannon is one of this years top speakers, along with chief strategist for Trump, Dana Loesch.

In an interview with the Daily Beast, Ryan Busse, a former gun industry executive turned self-described whistleblower, said "...the presence of such high profile speakers lends a dangerous credibility to the armed American fringe that is increasingly angry, vocal, and demanding of government policies that cater to their politics."

What all this comes down to is there's an active American Fascist movement led by a former president who doesn't believe in unity, science, or democracy.

Events like this faux Freedom Festival are reminiscent of 1936 Germany in a symposium. There's been other doomsday cults but this is the first one that a former spokesperson (Loesch) for the NRA is speaking at such an extreme event.

With a former reality star, and president, encouraging people to buy guns to take matters into their own hands, we're one step closer to becoming a fascist state.

The event will be held this weekend in Greeley, Pennsylvania, near the company headquarters of Moon-owned Kahr Firearms Group, a relatively small gun manufacturer.

The highlight of the weekend hate festival happens when they give away a Trump AR-15.

How fitting.

Here's a link to Ryan Busse's new book GUNFIGHT

Trump On The Loose: A Deranged Johnny Appleseed in the Garden of Democracy

As the holidays approach with an historically backed-up supply system, I'm more concerned about what the Trump cult has been up to lately.

It's looking like Trump plans to run again in 2024, if you can take his word for it given at a rally in Iowa a couple of days ago.

Author and Pastor John Pavlovitz recently wrote a timely essay that I highly recommend you read, and pass on:

"For the first time in America's history the latent ugliness in people was revealed and validated and celebrated by a sitting president — it was officially normalized. And what we're experiencing now; this staggering, insensitive posturing in the face of so many people's suffering, is the late-ripening fruit of something that has been set into the bedrock of half our nation. It is the malicious entitlement that MAGA was designed to nurture from the beginning....

This quickly metastasizing moral cancer is something we've never experienced on this level in our lifetimes and it's something we're going to have to reckon with regardless of the political outcomes of the next four years. If the former president somehow takes that office again, these stories will surely grow exponentially more violent and more commonplace, but either way, the ugliness is here now.

The Trump Effect on America, is that once reasonable, rational human beings whose prejudices, fears, and phobias were all bound by some baseline decorum and common courtesy that kept them from intentionally harming others - have been empowered to revel in the worst of themselves. They believe cruelty is their birthright."

Despite the massive evidence of his corruption in the last five years, Trump is still the biggest threat to democracy, and a free country. Even after being booted out of office. 

He's still free to sow the seeds of discontent like a deranged Johnny Appleseed in the garden of democracy.

However, I have to think there's hope for America. 

That in the end justice will be served, and Trump's quest to destroy our republic will be rebuffed by those who still believe in freedom and democracy.