The Enemy is Us: Social Media Versus Democracy

Since its birth in ancient Greece Democracy has been a fragile construct of justice for all.

It has to be defended at all times or it'll end up being a wasteland of human rights under a dictatorship.

American democracy has a history of fighting to maintain our freedoms from foreign and domestic enemies. 

Interesting fact. "We have met the enemy and he is us," first appeared on an Earth Day poster in 1970 while I was tramping through the jungle in Vietnam. The quote later appeared in Pogo. But I digress.

Today, once again, the enemy is us... because we're fighting on political social media killing fields where extremists push lies and misinformation without fear of reprisal. 

Social media has cleaved away at any pretense of civility as people attack one another in online forums full of hate and bigotry. 

A prominent NYU professor, Johnathan Haidt who co-authored a book titled, "The Coddling of the American Mind," describes social media as a coliseum where people go to get entertained, or to entertain themselves with conspiracies.

Lies never traveled this fast before. Misinformation flows 24-hours a day on numerous social media platforms. Fact-checkers just can't keep up and by the time they debunk one conspiracy another pops up from the cesspool of the internet depths called the dark web.

Social media is undermining democracy.

It's plain to see. Trump's coup attempt could never have come so close without social media platforms recruiting right-wing militias and extremists of all stripes.

I've heard pundits and scholars argue that there's a lot of good things about social media and how it's brought millions of people together to do good things.

It's the bad things that worry me.

Do the good things balance out the bad things on social media platforms? I don't think so. Our democracy has never been this fragile, even when we had a Civil War and were invaded by the British in 1812.

The only solution to social media pitting us against one another is for all the media platform owners to monitor (and take action) against lies and violence against others.

That'll never happen. The First Amendment will prevent it. America is doomed to wither away on the fields of toxic politics from within.

Alea iacta est... The die has been cast.

RNC Previews New Program: Fake News Hour

Welcome to the Republican National Committee Alternative Reality Media Club. Today's launch of Fake News Hour is expected to become a viral hit for extremists throughout the country.

In the first podcast Florida governor Ron DeSantis owns the libs by creating a story about elementary students being told by teachers that if they were born a boy, they can still be a girl. And vice versa.

Wow! How about them apples?

DeSantis called out those bad apple teachers in Florida and across the nation and told them to repent or school boards will have to try them for crimes against children. 

The Republican dominated state Senate and House have introduced a bill that says convicted teachers can get anywhere from the death penalty to life in prison with no parole.

Moving on...

My Pillow Guy Mike Lindell has come up with evidence of fraud in the upcoming Republican primary for governor supporting candidate Kari Lake's assertion of fraud before the voting has begun.

In a debate last week Lake warned the other candidates to stop cheating and that her opponents will use the votes of dead people to try and defeat her.

But her real bombshell came when Lindell caught Republican Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer asking voters to use a new quick-drying pen instead of their regular black or blue pens.

Lindell's election experts discovered the "new" pens were made in Venezuela by Hugo Chavez who was bankrolled by President Biden's crooked son Hunter.

Lake, who has been trailing in the polls, expects a big bounce after the shocking revelation is announced. 

Donald Trump (who is still president), endorsed Lake at a rally earlier this month and called her up on Thursday after hearing about the poison pen conspiracy and her excellent response.

That's all for today folks. Have a MAGA day!

Why Do Republican Lawmakers Treat Veterans Like Bargaining Chips?

Republicans don't care about our military personnel and the proof is in their voting history.

Once again Republicans officially delayed a veterans' bill with a filibuster. "They chose yesterday to rob generations of toxic-exposed veterans across the country of the health care benefits they've earned," said Senator Jon Tester, who added, "It was a total eleventh-hour act of cowardice."

It's hard to square how much Republicans give the military industrial complex benefiting the Pentagon, and how little they care about the rank-and-file who put their lives on the line to protect democracy.

Veterans get no respect from Republicans. Yesterday's filibuster was just the latest example of that. What's really chickenshit is why Republicans lawmakers refused to help out veterans.

They were retaliating against a newly revived Democratic plan to curb climate change by blocking a bill they previously supported providing healthcare to veterans of burn pits, and Agent Orange.

So, in summary the GOP uses veterans as bargaining chips for their negotiations. History proves that. The Republicans hold veterans' healthcare hostage to forward their toxic ideology.

A longtime advocate for veterans' rights, Jon Stewart said it the best...

(To Republican lawmakers)

"Congratulations... You successfully used the Byzantine Senate rules to keep sick veterans suffering!!!! Kudos! I'm sure you'll celebrate by kicking a dog or punching a baby... or whatever terrible people do for fun!!!"

'Can We Get Along?" The Answer is Still... No

I sometimes think about Rodney King and the LA riots and how he pleaded with the public during a June 17, 2012, press conference asking the question "Can we all get along?"

Here we are 10 years later, and the answer is still... no.

If anything, Americans are fighting more among themselves in a societal war to divide this country in half. 

No one should be surprised, however. As a longtime and ongoing student of American history I've yet to find a period in the nation where Americans all got along. Even wars against foreign nations only partly unify the country. We're never "all in" on anything.

It's apparent that individualism far outweighs the common cause. We are proud, maybe too proud of the fact we're the only country in the world with very little gun control and laws which result in mass shootings almost daily.

Millions of Americans simply don't believe in the laws of the land and flout them constantly with anarchist alternatives. The Republicans still paying homage to the former president are trying to turn reality on its head with the Big Lie.

From the beginning of this democracy we enjoy, there were divides that still exist today. One is that city slickers just don't get along with rural folk. They're values are just too different.

I've always been amused with writers who talk about the great melting pot this nation is. From the day that white Anglo-Saxon Christians arrived in America and set up colonies there's always been a societal pecking order with them on top. The melting process is still trying to take hold.

Immigrants are reviled and white nationalists have united with Republicans to seek an authoritarian government free from outsiders. 

We've fought a Civil War but the traitors who lost are still revered in Southern states.

America has survived the 9/11 attacks, the Oklahoma Federal Building Bombing, Waco, and hundreds of other assaults upon our society without unifying and moving forward as a United States of America.

What would it actually take to bring all Americans together in a common cause?

The only thing that comes to my mind is if we're invaded by extra-terrestrial beings Americans might unite to survive to save their collective asses.

Still, I wouldn't bet on it. 

New Heights of Hypocrisy in GOP Hastens Race to the Bottom

Lies alone are not enough to prove MAGA credentials these days as feats of absolute hypocrisy have become the latest measure of being a Trump supporter.

Thus far the leading Republican hypocrite in the news is Rep. Glenn Thompson from Pennsylvania. 

A mere three days after voting against federal protections for same-sex marriage Thompson attended his gay son's wedding. A press secretary for Thompson confirmed to NBC News that he was there and thrilled to celebrate his son's "new chapter in his life."

Yes, it's blatant and Thompson doesn't give a damn. He was part of a group of 157 House Republicans that didn't want to codify marriage rights because it wasn't the Way of MAGA Morons

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest those 157 naysayers have an LGBTQ+ person in their family, or in their circle of friends. My question is how do they reconcile their obvious hypocrisy?

With the marriage protection bill headed to the Senate the American people will see which of the 50 Republican senators are against it and can judge them accordingly at the ballot box during the midterms.

In Trump world lately there's been a frantic race to the bottom of the barrel where truth goes to die, and everyone promotes the Big Lie.

It's Plain to See: Trump's Not Going to Make a Comeback in 2024

Some people really think Trump is going to get re-elected in 2024. They're going to be disappointed.

Why?

Let's think about it. The majority of Americans are now aware of how hard Trump tried to overturn a fair election thanks to the Jan. 6 Select Committee's series of eight nationally televised hearings. The effects from all the negative revelations will show up at the ballot boxes this midterm election cycle.

The fact that the Jan. 6 committee plans on holding future hearings in September will refresh voters about Trump's attempt to cripple our democratic republic.

The Department of Justice may appear to be crawling along with their investigation of the coup attempt but there have been signs their homing in Trump's inner circle and on him.

Meanwhile...

Legal experts are predicting that Trump's first criminal indictment will be for election interference in Fulton County Georgia. The DA, Fani Willis, is moving swiftly with a grand jury sending out subpoenas to local GOP officials and senators like Lindsey Graham. Her case is narrow and has a smoking gun - an audio of Trump trying to get Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to change the vote count to favor him.

Meanwhile...

Trumps dance card of court cases in New York are rapidly advancing starting with this week which is the tentative date for the (1 case) protestor trial (Trump's bodyguard beating up a protestor at his urging) where Trump is going to be the star witness. His onetime fixer turned critic Michael Cohen is the star witness against him.

August 3rd is the day for depositions to begin behind the scenes in the (2nd case) writer E. Jean Carroll's lawsuit against Trump in Manhattan. She accused Trump of raping her and saved a dress with DNA on it. Trump is going to have to give a sample of his DNA at some point.

Two related investigations (3rd and 4th cases) by New York State and City officials are currently being carried out to determine whether the Trump Organization has committed financial fraud. One is a criminal case being conducted by the Manhattan district attorney and the other is a civil case being conducted by the New York Attorney General.

After taking in consideration the above listed challenges facing Trump the odds are against him dodging all of the charges. That's evident. We can also take into account other reasons why Trump won't be running for re-election in November.

For instance, who's to say his health will hold up to be able to physically run for office?

Chances are he'll be charged for more crimes in the future as both state and federal investigations progress.

Rupert Murdoch has thrown Trump under the bus! Fox News is no longer singing his praise. Both of Murdoch's newspapers - The New York Post and the Wall Street Journal ran editorials attacking him and saying he's unfit to ever hold office again. Trump's going to feel the pain without Murdoch's help.

Related: Trump Turns on His Besties Over at "Fox & Friends

I'm going to stop here. I could go on, but I don't think it's necessary. It's plain to see Trump will never regain the presidency.

Women Villains in Popular Culture and Politics: Todays Pick - Ginni Thomas

I don't think women villains get enough credit for how powerful they are in fiction and reality. Here's some reminders. 

Women Villains in the Movies 

Bellatrix Lestrange – Harry Potter

• Maleficent – Sleeping Beauty
• Cruella de Vil -Cruella
• Regina George – Mean Girls
• Ursula – The Little Mermaid
• Villanelle – Killing Eve
• Catwoman – Batman Returns
• O-Ren Ishii – Kill Bill: Vol 1.
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• Women Villains in Politics
• Ginni Thomas
• Marjorie Taylor Greene
• Teri Lake
• Lauren Bobert
• Sydney Powell
• Kellyanne Conway
• Kelli Ward
• Amy Facchinello
• Loraine B. Pellegrino
• Cindy Hyde-Smith

Today's Pick for Villainess in the Movies

 

• Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty
• 
  
• She's a magnificent example of true evil and also belongs in a separate category for cruelty.
• 
  

Today's Pick for Villainess in Politics

Of the 10 listed candidates, Ginni Thomas towers above the rest based upon the damage she has done to our democracy and will continue too unless held accountable. 

What makes her really scary is everyone is afraid of her because her husband Clarence is a Supreme Court justice who likely will never be held accountable for defiling the court with right-wing extremist views. 

As bad ass as Maleficent is, she doesn't hold a candle to the traitorous Ginni Thomas.

American Horror Story: The Crawling Lie: MAGA's Monster

We're living an American horror story that eclipses the 1958 science fiction drama The Crawling Eye (also released as the Trollenberg Terror) that left audiences screeching in fear.

There's the United States of America, and there's a MAGA "Merika."

One built upon verifiable history and facts, the other on lies perpetrated by a horrific megalomaniac who can't admit he lost the 2020 election.

What is the world to think about the Crawling Lie/ aka The Big Lie that millions of Americans believe in? 

It's got to be a shock to see and hear how many crazy people have infiltered our federal government and state governments.

Truth is a casualty in America. It's a concept so foreign to Trump minions that they scream in its mere presence.

Blood has been shed in the name of Trump. His enablers tried to help him overthrow the election with a coup attempt that left people dead and wounded. 

Trump's attempts failed... the first time. The fear of a second time terrifies people as the Crawling Lie continues to poison weak minds.

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Related: Michigan MAGA Madness Gets

 Darker

Another Day of 'Heat in Our Lives' Politically and Globally

Have you ever been really hot somewhere and have some smart ass ask, "is it hot enough for you?"

Those are fighting words now, as scientists try to convince governments to take immediate measures to mitigate the global warming that has so dramatically materialized decades sooner than predicted.

Heat waves pose a particular threat to global food supplies, already under pressure from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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A ray of hope - Russian and Ukraine agree to resume Ukraine grain exports from Black Sea ports, UN Chief says

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The growing number of historical heat highs across the planet are linked to health problems and correlate with high rates of crime, anxiety and depression.

There are record-setting temperatures this summer in the UK and in places ranging from Texas to China and Western Europe.

Back in the USA Americans are facing politics so heated that democracy may melt down in the near future. Polarized politics are fanning the flames of hate between Trump's Republicans and Democrats.

Threats of a "scorched earth" policy against the truth are being promised by the Republican party if they retake the House (and or the Senate). 

To bring the temperatures down (as in the ongoing coup attempts) Trump and his cronies must be indicted for treason in order to save our republic from burning to the ground.

Republicans Are Going All Out to Make Women Second Class Citizens

The Republican Party has taken a deep dive into extremism by targeting women's rights.

They don't want women to have the right to their own bodies as evidenced by their all-out assault on abortions after the Supreme Court struck down Roe vs Wade.

Why are women being targeted as second-class citizens who must yield to right-wing ideologies?

For starters look who is leading the charge against women's freedoms... men. Men who don't like women. Men that fear women and do their best to marginalize them in society.

Women are faced with cult like religions who don't think a women should be independent and have autonomy of their own bodies.

The unholy alliance between the extreme Christain Nationalists and the Republican party was cemented back in 2017 when Trump slunk into the White House. 

The Republican party's latest push against women's rights involves taking away contraception. When the House voted to protect contraception yesterday 195 Republicans voted against the bill.

Against contraception! Astonishing! The Republicans claim the bill was a way of seeking more abortions even though they prevent unwanted pregnancies.

As for the Republican women who join their men against other women... what can I say other than they enjoy "twisted Biblical" servitude to males?

Every woman who believes she's equal to men and who wants control of her own body has a mission this November... vote Democrat!

The Last Jan. 6 Committe Hearing is Today - or Is It the Last?

Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Today the Jan. 6 panel is offering the most compelling evidence yet of Trump's "dereliction of duty" on the day of the insurrection.

It's noteworthy that today's hearing will be the first in the prime-time slot since June 9 debut that was viewed by an estimated 20 million people.

The committee will be sharing a minute-by-minute account during the time frame, from when he left the stage at the Ellipse, came back to the White House, and sat in the White House dining room.

Just because today's hearing is the last originally scheduled by the J6 panel doesn't mean their investigation is over.

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Related: Jan. 6 Hearings: What We've Seen So Far and What's Next

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On the contrary, committee member Rep. Zoe Lofgren said, "The fact that a series of hearings is concluded today doesn't mean the investigation is over. It's very active, new witnesses and additional information is still coming forward."

Which is bad news for Republicans who were hoping they heard the last from the J6 committee. In essence the panel will accumulate more damning evidence daily that will pop up like a Jack-in-the Box unexpectantly and they'll hold a hearing on it. For months ahead.

We've yet to see why the Secret Service deleted texts from Jan 5 and 6. That's a rabbit hole which could lead to the complete restructuring of the Secret Service which has been polluted by Trump enablers.

It's reasonable to assume more key witnesses will testify for the panel in the months ahead.

A majority of liberal and conservative pundits agree that the hearings have taken a political toll on Trump. No one's sure how much damage has been done, but the fact that more damning revelations are on the way has the Republican party - and Trump - cringing.

Smashing Skulls: Woodpeckers Secret Power is Revealed

So, some scientists with lots of time and money to spend, discovered that Woodpeckers little skulls are not shock absorbers.

This is supposed to be a big deal. 

If you ever wondered how their tiny brains stay intact as they smash their faces into a tree, Sam Van Wassenbergh a biologist at the University of Antwerp has the answer. He discovered that woodpeckers are not absorbing shocks in the skull during pecking, and they likely aren't being concussed by using their heads like hammers.

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Here's the report published in Current Biology

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Say what?

Apparently when a woodpecker's beak makes contact with a tree it generates a shock. The researchers say that the shock is basically absorbed by the bird's whole body in layman's terms.

The researchers came up with a computational model based upon the pecking movement and skull shape and size to prove their theory. 

But there's still questions about woodpeckers that scientists want to know about like how it maintains stiffness between its skull and its beak during pecking and what other factors may be involved that could mitigate possible damage to the brain.

All of this is fascinating... I suppose.

I certainly don't see this knowledge of why woodpeckers don't get hurt when they smash their beaks into wood saving mankind.

I hate being a party-pecker pooper, but there's way too many studies on dumb shit like this and not enough on global warming or curing cancer, two of the biggest threats to mankind.

This is the Dystopian Future that Science Fiction Writers Have Been Writing About for 100 Years

After a century of dire predictions by science fiction writers we've arrived at 2022... 

a year where no science fiction writer could have predicted that we'd have an ex-president who incited an insurrection, and that American democracy would be hanging on by a thread because of one man.

Here's a summary of fictional dystopian futures that go back 100 years. See what worried these writers:

In 1921 a Russian writer, Yevgeny Zamyatin, wrote "We" one of the first modern dystopian tales that projects a dark future for mankind.

One of my favorite dystopian stories in the 1930s was "It can't happen Here," by Sinclair Lewis.

More favorite novels in the decades ahead:

The 1940's - Animal Farm, by George Orwell.

The 1950s - Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

The 1960s - Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

The 1970s - The Stand, by Stephen King

The 1980s - 1984, by George Orwell 

The 1990s - The War in 2020, by Ralph Peters

The 21st Century

2000s - Feed by M.T. Anderson

2010s - Wool by Hugh Howey.

2020s - The Ballet of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

And here we are... 2022.

Living in fear of the collapse of our republic and the ensuing chaos that'll bring. Our society seems intent on imploding. We've become the collective fear of a century of writers.

Trump Cult Album to Be Released as Fundraiser

With Donald Trump the grift never ends because of the need for platoons of lawyers to defend him in over a dozen lawsuits is constant.

In the latest MAGA world merchandizing gimmick there's a collection of songs by right-wing lawmakers and extremists that has been assembled for a fall release.

Let's take a look at some of the titles and artists in this music-inspired grift:

 1 "Puppet on a String" by virtuoso Vladimir Putin

2 "Don't Cry Daddy" solo by Ivanka Trump

3 "In the Capitol" by the Trump Rioters Band

4 "Hey! Little Girl," by Matt Gaetz

5 "Come Buy My Lies," by the Freedom Caucus Choir

6 "Dancing in Outer Space" solo by Rudy Giuliani 

7 "Hate Street," solo by Steven Miller

8 "Tell All the People Lies," solo by Mike Lindell

9 "When the Election is Not Over," duet by John Eastman and Sidney Powell 

10 "Break on Through to the Other Side" by the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers Orchestra 

11 "Jewish Space Lasers in the Sky" solo by Marjorie Taylor Greene

12 "That'll Be the Day I Don't Lie," solo by Josh Hawley accompanied by Lauren Bobert on the Hand Harp

I know. Pretty crazy stuff. Just don't be surprised if you see something similar in future grifts. 

Remember, there are no bounds to the stupidity of Trump's cult followers. He could sell them petrified parrot poop to cure acme and rake in thousands of dollars... and get away with it!

Legos Announce New Set Inspired by Trump's Attack on the Capitol

The biggest toy company in the world, Legos, has announced a new, and sure to be controversial, set titled The Insurrection set which displays the attack on the nation's Capital.

This new set follows Lego's foray with iconic television shows like Friends that inspired the 25th Anniversary with a Central Perk set of the New York coffee shop that served as a hub for the characters on Friends.

FYI - the set will go on sale in September. 

The new Insurrection set features 10,089 pieces and is fun to build and display in your house for a conversation piece and attention grabber.

Check out the props that range from a hanging scaffold, a temporary stage, the presidential SUV, to fence barriers.

The set also includes mini figures of characters like Trump, Mike Pence, Ivanka Trump, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Mike Lindell, John Eastman, Cassidy Hutchinson, and Pat Cipolloni. 

In addition, there'll be mini figures for all the members of Congress and Capitol Police.

Builders will be able to re-enact the scene where the 11 Republican lawmakers plotted an electoral overthrow with Trump.

Imagine the excitement of putting little Donnie on a stage whipping up hatred before thousands of crazed supporters!

Re-enact Trump's wild ride in the presidential SUV when he attacked the secret service agents because they would not drive him to the steps of the Capitol after sending the armed mob there.

You'll be in charge of sending rioters past barricades and into the Capitol itself where they can desecrate the people's house.

The Lego company is looking forward to monitoring sales for the Insurrection set with hopes of creating other political sets to preserve American history. 

This new Insurrection set is a fictional parody and I doubt if Lego would ever go this far... well, never say never.

How Are Republican Trump Supplicants Like Fainting Goats?

It's time to answer the pressing question:

How are Republican Trump supplicants like Fainting Goats?

A fainting goat is a breed of domestic goat that stiffens when startled.

Trumplican's are domestic terrorists who get startled and freeze when confronted with the truth.

 A fainting goat may fall over and appear to faint. But in actuality it goes into a myotonic state 

Trump worshipping minions go into a catatonic state when they see and listen to him.

Fainting goats - also called Myotonic Goats - in America have a southern origin. They were first discovered in Tennessee in the 1880s.

The majority of the followers of the Trump cult hail from southern states that fought with the Confederacy to overturn American democracy. 

An interesting fact: The Myotonic Goat is very similar to the condition seen in humans which is known as Congenital Myotonia, in case you wanted to see another tie-in between the two species.

I hope this post satisfies your curiosity on this very important subject. You're invited to return when I discuss other animal species similar to Trump acolytes.

Why is Jim Jordan in Congress Defending an Insurrection When he Should be in Prison?

He was involved in the most sweeping sex abuse scandal in the history of American higher education - to say nothing of college sports.

Jim Jordan, who was the assistant wrestling coach saw daily sexual abuse (as several witnesses testified under oath), but his involvement was swept under the rug by courts who gave small settlements to the abused athletes at the Ohio State University wrestling program.

Somehow, against all odds and sanity, the same sexual abuse enabler ran for Congress and won the seat for Ohio since 2007. Since that time, he's risen to the higher ranks of Republican extremists with antics like chairing the clown show Benghazi hearings that were thinly disguised attacks against Hillary Clinton's political future.

Jordan's crowning achievement thus far has been leading MAGA followers down rabbit holes where the 2020 election was stolen, and Biden is to blame for all the economic chaos in the world and America.

By not wearing a jacket in Congress like everyone else on both sides of the aisle, he's staked out his individual "tough guy" image meant to impress the weak of mind.

Now we know eleven Republican lawmakers from the House - including Jordan - sat down with the former president and plotted to overturn the 2020 election hours before Trump sent out his infamous tweet, " Big protest in DC on January 6. Be there, it will be wild." 

When the Jan. 6 committee subpoenaed Jordan about his involvement in the coup attempt, he refused to appear.

Jordan's office has admitted that he was one of the lawmakers whose texts to Mark Meadows (regarding overturning election results) was recently discovered.

There's no doubt that being Trump's favorite Ohio lapdog has furthered Jordan's career. Like the rest of the seditious Republican lawmakers involved in the insurrection the chance of their going to jail is slim to none.

Jordan should be rotting in prison for his part in the worst sex scandal in American college history. Instead, he's openly defying the Constitution with the most crooked president in the history of the United States.

Is Mark Meadows the Un-Named Witness Trump Tried to Intimidate?

It was almost another "perfectly fine" phone call to someone Trump wanted to do his will. 

But that someone - who just happened to be an upcoming witness for the Jan. 6 panel - didn't pick up the phone and instead reported Trump's attempt to reach him/her to their lawyer.

The lawyer contacted and informed the Jan. 6 Committee.

The committee contacted the Department of Justice which is now investigating the attempted phone call from the former president.

The question is "who is this upcoming witness" that Trump was so worried about he took a stupid risk and personally called to intimidate?

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Rolling Stone Exclusive: 7/14/22 

Trump's Lawyers Think Mark Meadows is Going Down

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My guess is the call was made to Mark Meadows.

I say this for several reasons. 

First, Meadows hasn't totally cooperated with the J6 panel. 

He was cooperating at one point, then Trump told him to clam up. And he did.

Secondly, the last few J6 hearings have dropped some bombs about Trump from close White House aides that paint a picture of Meadows complicity in not stopping Trump's brazen plans to overthrow the election.

Meadow's former assistant Cassidy Hutchinson provided damning testimony that revealed how afraid he was to deal with Trump's lunacy.

You can bet that the DOJ has been exploring Meadow's actions closely, especially after Hutchinson's testimony. They may have enough on him to offer a deal - immunity from charges (or reduced sentence) in exchange for first-hand quotes from Trump directly linking him to his co-conspirators in Congress and outside lawmakers and activists working with him to stop the electoral process.

Finally, it's not likely Meadows would take a fall and go to prison for Trump, regardless of how afraid he is of him. With new information flooding out of the J6 panel weekly the odds of Meadows taking flak from witnesses increases.

In summary, the DOJ would have the smoking gun it needs to indict and convict Trump of treason and other serious charges.

Who'll Be First to Indict Trump? 'Teflon Don' is Stuck with a Series of Sticky Legal Charges

The courts are finally closing in on Teflon Don.

Because he's never been convicted - thus far - of a major felony during his law-breaking career some people refer to Donald Trump as the Teflon Don.

I'm thinking that nickname is going to have to be changed in the near future. Why you ask?

Let's start with the fact that you can Google a List of Lawsuits involving Trump on Wikipedia. It's a long list. He's paying out more for lawyers than Uruguay's annual GNP. Eventually he'll run out of his donor's contributions and the RNC will stop funding his legal battles.

Here's the most serious court threats he faces:

It's a tie for the most serious threats to the Teflon Don between the Department of Justice's investigation on the insurrection, and the Fulton County Georgia charges of interfering with a state election.

There's a separate DOJ investigation involving 15 boxes of classified documents that were taken to Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida. The DOJ convened a grand jury who are currently looking into the matter.

The hits keep on coming...

Two related investigations by New York State and City officials are currently being carried out to determine whether the Trump Organization has committed financial fraud. One is a criminal case being conducted by Manhattan district attorney and the other is a civil case being conducted by the New York Attorney General.

How worried is Trump?

I'll put it this way; yesterday Liz Cheney on the Jan. 6 panel reported an incident of Trump calling an upcoming witness (who didn't answer the phone). He/she contacted their lawyer who called the Department of Justice who's investigating the incident. He's so afraid of the truth that he's personally trying to intimidate witnesses. 

The Jan. 6 committee has been doing an excellent job of getting the story out about Trump's plans to overthrow the 2020 election. More witnesses show up every week with damning testimonies against the Teflon Don.

The only question I have is who is going to indict and convict the Teflon Don first?

Today's Jan. 6 Hearing is a Continuation of the Summers Biggest Hit on TV

Netflix and other streaming platforms have been getting some serious competition from an unlikely source - Congressional hearings.

It's unprecedented. It's the Jan. 6 Committee which has been attracting tens of millions of viewers this summer.

With six hearings already history the seventh today promises the same production value that has attracted millions of viewers thus far. According to Nielsen, there's been a cumulative audience of 55.3 million. 

That's without counting all the reruns and prime time recap programs of the hearings on platforms like MSNBC and PBS. Even more impressive are all the major news stories the hearings have been competing against.

The committee has offered millions of people a riveting narrative of Trump's coup attempt based on facts. The documentary images and eyewitness testimonies given under oath are noteworthy.

The Jan. 6 committee has set a new standard for Congressional hearings by making them more compelling without dumbing them down. They put on a mass-audience civics lesson for a nation that no longer teaches civics in too many of its classrooms.

The "series" has carried a strong narrative; a separate theme for each individual "episode"; good use of camera, sound, and graphics to emphasize key points. We've seen compelling characters like Cassidy Hutchinson whose revelations have shaken Trump world.

No one is predicting that Trump supporters will drop their idol regardless of the massive amount of evidence being shown. 

A combination of political polarization, the advanced state of media fragmentation and the power of the right-wing media machine working overtime to discredit the hearings, has all but assured Trump's Big Lie will live on for the foreseeable future.

But the rest of America will know the truth. That's as important as holding all the culprits accountable for their attempt to upend a peaceful transition of power and our democracy.