Supreme Takeover by Trump Threatens Our Freedoms

The first fatal blow against democracy came on July 1, 2024, when Trump was granted absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken within his core constitutional duties and a presumptive immunity for other official acts.

The gates of hell were opened, and the hounds were turned loose.

The Supreme Court basically gave Trump carte blanche to corrupt every government agency we have without fear of interference by the lower courts.   

Lower court trial judges are concerned about Justice Neil Gorsuch who recently criticized them for changing some rulings that they've made from the infamous Shadow Docket. Federal and state judges are under growing pressure from Trump and his minions who are openly defying their decisions.

A quick roundup of the Supreme Nine:

About Chief Justice John Roberts: Some have described him as having a moderate conservative judicial philosophy. Appointed by George W. Bush, Roberts has sided with conservatives in a majority of his decisions.

About Neil Gorsuch: he believes private corporations are persons with rights that trump those of other Americans. He was appointed by Trump for his right-wing leanings.

About Clarence Thomas: apart from the televised hearings over Anita Hill's accusation of being sexually harassed by him we know he is a big Trump fan, accepts bribes in the form of gifts from millionaire pals, and hates democrats.

About Samuel Alito: He calls himself a "practical originalist" and loves right wing ideologies. He's another top grifter who has been receiving bribes from wealthy friends his entire time on the bench.

About Brett Kavanaugh: his 2018 confirmation was a big coverup and the FBI refused to look into hundreds of claims against him from sexual assault in high school to two separate allegations from women who accused him of sexual misconduct. Trump and Republican senators hurried up his confirmation.

About Amy Coney Barrett: She was appointed by Trump in 2020. She's best known for fighting to undermine health care for millions in her attack on the Affordable Care Act and publicly criticized Chief Justice John Roberts for his decision to uphold the law. She also fought efforts to ensure that women have access to contraceptives.

That leaves just three associate justices who are liberals:

Elena Kagan: She was appointed in 2010 by Barrack Obama.

Sonia Sotomayor: She was also appointed by Barack Obama on May 26, 2008.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: She was appointed by Joe Biden on Feb. 25, 2022.

With a lopsided 6-3 majority the hard right has the fate of the country in their hands. Heavily Trumpified we can no longer hope for fair decisions. They're becoming rarer than the fabled jackalope population.

The really scary part is that state and federal judges are fighting off attacks from Trump and the Supreme Court. They are our last bastion before total chaos.

As it Stands, I never believed there was another country that could defeat America by military force. I still believe that. But it appears our fate is going to be much like Rome's, and we'll fall from within.

Fantasy or Fact? Trump's Health is Great or is He Dying?

Watching Trump decline mentally has become a national pastime since he first emerged upon the political scene in 2015.

It was apparent Trump was a dummy with the signs of early dementia, but boy did he appeal to all of the extremists in the land, and they crawled out from their caves and basements and voted for him.

The MAGA cult population grew with every conspiracy and tried to turn reality into a fantasized alternate universe where everything was upside down and sidewise. I have to admit they've done a pretty good job thus far of distorting and ignoring the truth. Facts, like fleas, make the MAGA morons uncomfortable.

So here we are ten years later, and Trump has cheated his way back into power by stealing the 2024 election with the help of the richest man in the world, Elon Musk. His mental state has visibly deteriorated but his minions continue to cover for him because that's part of their job. Babysitting the man child is in their contract.

If you looked at any social media over the last week, you may have seen people speculating, without evidence, that something happened to Trump. Or, that Trump was dead, which was probably a case of wishing it was true. In any event reporters started looking closer at Trump's health after observing him zigzag when he walked and bruises on his tiny hand. Then it was both hands, and the final straw was his swollen "cankles."

Forced to put something out there the Trump propaganda team admitted he had chronic venous insufficiency and claimed his hand was bruised from so much vigorous hand shaking. That later claim was shot down quickly.

Conspiracy nuts like Trump's buddy Alex Jones were speculating about his poor health the last couple of weeks and he cryptically told his drooling audience of trolls that Trump appeared to be "declining, faster and faster." 

When Trump reappeared in the limelight to announce the Space Command headquarters were being moved, Fox News' Peter (the douche) Doocy asked him, "How did you find out that you were dead? Did you see that?"

"No," the 79-year-old felon responded. He told everyone that he wasn't aware that people were wondering if he had died. Not being aware checks out for me. Mini-me Trump, also known as JD Vance, insists Trump is in good health.

"He's got incredible energy," Vance gushed to USA Today. "And while most of the people who work around the president are younger than he is, I think that we find that he is actually is the last person who goes to sleep or make phone calls."

My favorite reply to that came from one of my favorite comedians, Stephen Colbert, who summarized the situation. "OK. The president doesn't sleep and is on the phone all night. Proof that he is completely healthy or runs a phone sex line."

I think all of this death talk surrounding our demented leader is more about hope than anything. Let's face it, a lot of people would like to see his assault on democracy come to an end. However final that may be.

As it Stands, Trump is our oldest president ever and he's acting like it.

It's a Bad Time to Celebrate Mexican Independance Day and Cities Brace for Invasion

Question: Why did Stephen Miller pick September to turn his ICE goons loose in Chicago?

Answer: It's Mexican Independance Day this weekend and there's going to be a lot of brown-skinned people celebrating in the streets with parades and events.

Miller would refer to the opportunity as "good hunting," for his Gestapo who will flood the area in masks, no IDs, and carrying weapons to intimidate every Latino daring enough to leave their house to celebrate.

While the ICE hounds are having fun Trump is ramping up his assault on American cities. He has his little piggy eyes focused on Chicago. It has a democratic governor and mayor, and the crime rate is the lowest it's been in 30 years. 

That's Trump's blueprint for taking over blue states and calling them crime-ridden hellholes - despite the reality of crimes decreasing like what happened in Washington DC. where the national guard has been called in to pick up trash and leaves while intimidating civilians. They're still there and it's looking an awful lot like a permanent occupation. 

Look at California. A federal judge ruled the takeover of LA was unlawful and unconstitutional yet there's still troops there. Gov. Newsom has fought hard to turn back Trump's total takeover of the state.

Trump is testing his power right now and the only thing that's held him back from an all-out takeover of states has been the courts. The Supreme Court with its right-wing majority has given Trump some victories that have actually set back our struggling democracy. 

But state and federal courts have stood up to numerous lawsuits by the Trump administration always citing that they were clearly unlawful and unconstitutional. 

Yesterday Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker told reporters that Trump was positioning armed federal agents on federal property in the Chicago region and warned that he would send masked agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to raid Latino communities.

A defiant Pritzker said, "We are ready to fight troop deployments in court, and we will do everything possible to ensure that agents operating inside the confines of this state do so in a legal and ethical manner."

Here's something almost as scary as the above.

There's already one Red State that's inviting Trump to come to town and basically take over the state of Louisiana. GOP Gov. Jeff Landry and state senator Bill Cassidy told Trump they'd love to have masked invaders terrifying their colored citizens.

As it Stands, Trump's efforts towards having a Police State claiming he's fighting crime is just one of the ways he using to mask the corruption in his regime... and it's also a good diversion from the Epstein Files.

A New Democratic Party Needs to Emerge - and Quickly

                                 Let's face it.

The Democratic party is stagnant. After losing the 2024 election the party splintered into warring factions. The good news is we're starting to see another platform forming as the Democrats look to their younger members to regenerate the party.

A good example is Rep. Jerry Nadler who is stepping down for a "new generation" to represent his Manhattan district after more than 30 years in office. He made the announcement Sept.2nd saying, "it's time to pass the torch."

Thank you, Jerry. I hope we see other elderly Democrats give way to allow some new blood and creativity and boldness in Congress. If Democrats want to succeed in 2026, they need to take bold, unified action.

Americans are fed up with the inability of Congress to act, and they have embraced a president who circumvents Congress for all of his major initiatives. If Democrats want to succeed in 2026, they can't just limit their message to condemning Trump. It didn't work in 2024 and there's no reason to believe it will next year. There has to be more talk about the economy and how to improve it.

Addressing Americans real concerns like healthcare, housing, the cost of food, rising energy prices, and immigration should be at the center of the Democrats new message.

The question is who The Messenger will be for the party? So far, the DNC hasn't come up with any candidates. A few like Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, and Kathy Hochul, have national profiles and have been outspoken critics of Trump. But are any of them presidential material? We just don't know yet.

The sooner Democrats get unified the better because they're facing huge challenges in the midterms. Trump is already working on rigging the elections with Texas legislators, and infiltrating states with election deniers in state's electoral systems.  

Democrats need to unify against Republicans and not have infighting. Their messaging has been all over the place. I hate to say it, but the Party is devoid of leadership and strategy. The only left-leaning party that seems united against Trump is based in Canada.

The Democratic Party's brand has become toxic - a CNN poll found the party's favorability rating was just 29%, the lowest since the survey began. There's a dire need for democrats to make the message about economic populism.

There's also a need to find a leader to go forward in the future. Hopefully the Party will respond in the coming months as it rebuilds its credibility.

As it Stands, our constitutional republic is facing its biggest challenge since the Civil War.

Mainstream/Legacy Media is Losing legitimacy

It's official.

Americans face a crisis that strikes at the very heart of democracy - we can no longer count on the mainstream/legacy media for accuracy and bi-partisan reporting.

As a newspaper editor and publisher, I always strived to give unbiased news stories for my readers. I didn't print conspiracy theories to gain readership. I didn't bow to pressures by local political candidates to give them a free sounding board at the expensive of the newspaper's reputation. 

My Opinion Pages were clearly marked with mastheads. When a reader turned to one of them, they knew it wasn't news... it was people's opinions, or it was my opinion. There was never any doubt. I did not advocate for either political party and treated both parties with the same respect.

It's hard to fully express my disappointment with the mainstream/legacy media's lack of coverage this Labor Day. There were anti-Trump protests from coast-to-coast but if you went to ABC, NBC, or CBS, to see coverage of the nationwide protest against Billionaires you had to wait until all the events were over and then watch them on evening news for a scattershot coverage of the holiday protests. 

Throughout the day some local affiliates of these stations carried live events from Chicago to D.C. to small audiences. It's noteworthy to point out it was the independent press that gave daylong coverage. Internet platforms like the MeidusTouch, The Ring of Fire, and Occupy Democrats covered the stories that the mainstream/legacy was ignoring.

Why the big sellout? The answer is a sad reflection of where we are as a country. Six companies control 90% of the media (any medium that controls the distribution of information) in America. They are Disney, TimeWarner, Comcast, News Corps, Sony, and National Amusements. 

The conservative CEOs of these companies want to keep Trump happy because they're afraid of him. He basically sued them into submission. Look at what happened to popular comedian Stephen Colbert when Trump wanted him gone. He held up a major merger between Comcast and Paramount until he was assured Colbert would be canceled. That's one tiny example of what's happening behind closed doors as billionaire CEOs capitulate to Trump's agenda.

Do you suppose there's any correlation between those timid CEOs and lack of comprehensive coverage of the Labor Day protest? It's not hard to see where Trump would want zero coverage regarding him or his corrupt administration. You decide, based upon the evidence.

It wouldn't do to forget cable news outlets. The competition between CNN, MSNBC, Fox, Newsmax, and Forbes is fierce with each outlet trying to post clickbait that may or may not be dubious or accurate. I should mention BBC, Reuters, and the Associated Press have a better history of accuracy than the other cable platforms.

It was George Washington who said, "If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."

James Madison noted that a free press provides the "power which knowledge gives" to people to govern themselves.

As it Stands, freedom of the press is more than just a passion for me, it's one of the cornerstones of this society.

'Workers Over Billionaires' - Protest Information on Labor Day Nationwide

 

On Labor Day Americans will show their support for unions by turning out in nationwide protests against the corrupt Trump regime's war on workers.

People will also be protesting other issues like the loss of health care, growing inflation, and other miseries Trump has brought to the country in his seven short months of squatting in the Oval Office. 

Why it matters: The largest federation of labor unions in the U.S. is leading the movement, along with dozens of other groups.

• More than 1,000 events were scheduled as of Sunday.

State of play: The protests are being organized by the AFL-CIO and groups including Bargaining for the Common Good, the National Education Association, Indivisible, Working Families Party, MoveOn, American Federation of Teachers, Public Citizen and 50501.

• The May Day Strong coalition, which organized widespread anti-billionaire rallies on May 1, is also involved.

What they're saying: "This isn't just about policy — it's about building meaningful worker power to fight back and build a movement rooted in real life, led by real people," organizers said.

• "From warehouses to kitchens, from schools to streets — we are saying it loud, we are saying it proud: Workers over billionaires now!"

Zoom in: As part of this movement, thousands of restaurant workers are slated to protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City between 2 and 4pm ET on Monday.

• They will launch a "restaurant in the street" serving tacos to symbolize the popular acronym TACO, meaning "Trump Always Chickens Out."
• Here's a link to all the cities nationwide hosting protests. See if one is near you.
• As it Stands, it's a good day to show your support for American workers and letting Trump know how you feel about his administration. 

Military Veteran Defies Trump's Latest Illegal Executive Order

It was the last straw for retired combat veteran Jay Carey (above) when Trump signed an executive order to imprison anyone for a year who dared to burn the American flag.

That same day the North Carolina Army veteran who had served his country for 20 years, burned an American flag in front of the White House in defiance of the order. 

 He was detained by the Secret Service and Park Police and charged with two petty misdemeanor citations for damaging park property and setting a fire in an unsecured place, not for the act of burning the flag, which is protected under the First Amendment.

"I know I'm living in Trump's head right now and I love it. He is fuming and I did it right in front of his house," Carey told Fox 5.

A defiant Carey told the press he has gotten a highly experienced lawyer to uphold his first Amendment rights.

"What I'm waiting on is our illustrious D.C. prosecutor Jeanine Pirro to bring up charges, at the behest of our president, and say you need to spend a year in jail. I welcome that challenge," said Carey

Meantime Carey plans to protest the national guard's presence in D.C. with a group of fellow vets. I'm proud of Carey. As an Army combat veteran myself (Vietnam and Cambodia -1970) I've had it with Trump's efforts to destroy our democracy and take away our freedoms - one by, one.

It really pisses me off seeing a four-time draft dodger - who seems to have an unnatural affection for the flag and hugs it at every opportunity - is making it into an issue when he desecrates everything it stands for.

To be clear, Trump's executive order to put Americans in jail for burning the flag, is bullshit. The First Amendment forbids it. The Supreme Court has clearly ruled on more than one occasion that the act, however distasteful, is constitutionally permitted. 

This new directive is already creating divisions among Republicans who are increasingly concerned about a president demonstrating his desire for expansive power. They may not be talking about it in public for fear of retribution, but behind closed doors they know Trump is demented and a threat to our constitutional republic.

Political analysts point out that Executive orders cannot override a Supreme Court ruling. Trump should know that, but he doesn't care. His agenda of hate, retribution, and love for the wealthy, has been highlighted since he took office in January.

It's no secret Trump hates Americas veterans. Just look at the cuts from his big "dumb ass bill" that is causing chaos and eliminating much-need services throughout the VA's system. I recall his traitorous statement when he said that it was stupid to give your life for your country. The disrespect that the orange clown-in-charge has showed for veterans has been consistent all of his corrupt life.

Veterans must unite and protest every illegal move that our First Felon makes in his bid for becoming a dictator. All Americans need to unite in this fight for our freedoms. Losing our liberties is not an option.

As it Stands, it's not easy standing up for what you believe in, but it's necessary in times of crisis like this.

Bigly Expose: A Day in the Life of a MAGA Politician

Rooster crows...

Buck wakes up and says his morning prayer, "Deliver me from the Democrats and the Constitution, so help me Trump. MAGA. MAGA."

When he gets dressed, he makes sure his red tie hangs down to his toes after sprinkling Trump's latest fragrance - Victory 45-47 all over his body. He double checks his Trump Tennis shoes to make sure they're clean then stands in front of a full-length mirror and chants "USA! USA! USA!" while waving his MAGA cap.

The day starts with a gathering of MAGA morons from both the House and Senate where they pray that God will protect Trump and then they shill for a $15 donation so that Trump can go to heaven.

The first committee meeting Buck goes to is the Weaponization of Everything Against Liberals panel where the Republican majority plots out attacks against blue states and Democrats running for any office. After a hearty round of lies and misinformation Buck and his cohorts are turned loose to look for trouble somewhere else.

Then it's time for Bucks Podcast, " God's Warrior Against Woke." After exchanging conspiracy theories with extremists hiding in their parent's basement, Buck signs off playing "YMCA." 

A late lunch came next as Buck gathered some of his cronies and they all went to the Cracker Barrel to celebrate the restaurants return to its old logo because Trump and a host of MAGA nuts told the business to... or else.

Content with stuffing himself with eggs, grits, fried apples, Hashbrown Casserole, and Hamburger Steak, Buck had to hurry back to the Capitol for another committee meeting.

The Near Sight Committee was just being called to order when Buck waddled in, sweating like a pig because he had to fast walk down the corridors. The Republican majority then called for input on taking apart the Department of Education. When it came time for Buck's five minutes, he emphasized the need to get rid of federal standards for schools and to let the states teach children with anti-woke ideology. 

With no more meetings to attend Buck went back to his apartment and changed into a tuxedo. He had booked a private plane to take him to Palm Beach, Florida because his master had invited him for dinner at Mar-a-Lago. 

He was so excited at the thought of getting to sit at Trump's feet (it would be easy with no spine) and getting his table scrapes that he gnawed on his thumb to suppress his joy.

As it Stands, can you guess which MAGA senator or congressman Buck is? If you guessed all of them your right.

Trumplicans Secret Presence in Greenland Busted by Denmark

Busted.

Denmark's foreign minister doesn't like foreigners interfering with Greenland's affairs. 

That's why he summoned the top U.S. diplomat Mark Stroh to his office recently to read him the riot act.

Stroh was confronted about having at least three people with connections to Trump who were carrying out a covert mission to influence operations in Greenland.

For the record this is the second time an American diplomat had to be summoned by a NATO ally this week. France had called U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner to its foreign ministry after a letter he sent to French Emmanuel Macron alleging the country did not do enough to combat antisemitism.

What was Stroh's answer to the covert operation when he was called on the carpet to account for the intrusion? "The U.S. government does not control or direct the actions of private citizens." Talk about a cop out. Since when are CIA operatives' private citizens?

To be clear Denmark and Greenland have said the island is not for sale and condemned reports of the U.S. gathering intelligence there.

Because Trump has repeatedly said he seeks U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland, the citizens of Greenland and Denmark have made it abundantly clear they have no interest in being ruled by an American dictator.

Trump's is interested in taking control of the mineral-rich, strategically located Artic Island. He's even hinted at taking it with military action.

Danish and Greenlandic security forces reported that at least three American nationals with connections to Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in the territory. Their aim was to infiltrate society and promote secession from Denmark, according to Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen.

It's no secret Trump will do anything in order to get what he wants. 

The Danish government and the Greenlanders have been watching and listening for the last seven months, and they know what he's capable of.

What's really galling is the cavalier reply that Trump's administration had to say about the situation. "Calm down," was the sarcastic advice they gave Denmark.

I think about the people of Greenland who have been used to having the U.S. as one of their closest allies and their shock over Trump's attempt to take their sovereignty away. Welcome to our world in the good old USA where we are fighting against a demented dictator. It's not pretty.

As it Stands, Trump is a scourge on the planet and a bane of the American people.

Trump asks Followers for Money to Get to on the Golden Elevator to Heaven

I have long since ceased to be surprised by Trump's public grifts but I have to admit his latest fundraiser is one of his foulest... asking people to send him money to get to heaven.

It's so wrong on so many levels it's hard to believe it's true that he's pleading for campaign cash that will magically assure he gets a golden elevator ride to heaven. But it is true... an American president asking his followers to make sure he gets eternal life by donating a mere $15.

MAGA supporters who get hit up daily by Trump's endless schemes received an urgent notice the other day that Trump was on a divine mission and they only had 24-hours to cough up their hard-earned money.

Trump's bogus plea instantly reminded me of Oral Roberts (some people confused him with Jimmy Swaggart) who climbed the 200-foot-tall "Prayer Tower" at a college campus in 1987 and said God ordered him to raise $8 million dollars or he would "call him home" if he didn't. As I recall he said he met God's challenge with a last-minute large donation. When asked by who he told the press, "It's none of your business."

As an aside, Trump said he wants to end the war in Ukraine so he can go to heaven. Just saying.

So, here's the setup:

God saved him from an assassin's bullet last year for one reason: to "Make America Great Again." The message casts his political victories and survival as miracles, from defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016 to returning to the White House despite what he called "rigged elections" and "sham cases."

The Passion Play:

"Last year I came millimeters from death when the bullet pierced through my skin. My triumphant return to the White House was never supposed to happened" he gleefully boasted. "But it did."

Personally, I don't think Trump will be going anywhere near heaven as he's a greedy billionaire and an enemy of the people. 

His corrupt and criminally deeds will cinch his spot near the Devil - on his knees with his head buried in Lucifer's ass.

But I digress.

The whole point of this post is to show there's no limit to Trump's gall. He's not afraid of God or Satan. That's because his only religion is worshipping himself. 

As it Stands, Trump thinks he can take his wealth with him wherever he goes when he dies. Don't bother telling him it doesn't work that way. I want it to be a surprise.

Now Trump is Going after Grants for Crime Victims

There's no low that Trump won't go.

Now he's holding up funds for crime victims, which just happens to include Epstein's numerous victims, in an attempt to extort states into bending the knee to advance Trump's illegal immigration attempts. 

Twenty states (all blue) and the District of Columba have sued the Justice Department for adding a new immigration enforcement rule to federal grants that assist victims of crime - arguing it's part of the Trump administration's crackdown against so-called "sanctuary states."

There's a 42-year-old division of the Justice Department that hands out more than a billion per year to all 50 states to compensate crime victims and fund programs like crisis counseling centers, emergency shelters, domestic abuse hotlines and victim advocacy services, that has been shuttered for political reasons 

No surprise it's another illegal attempt by the Trump-devoted Justice Department to further his corrupt agenda. The law has been in effect since the Reagan-era law that set up the federal government's crime victim grant programs. It doesn't say a damn thing about immigration enforcement.

Trump's minions have decided to defund all of those services in a naked attempt at bribery on a scale seldom scene in America's history. The shocking move highlights the fact that Trump has no empathy for anyone - despite his lies to the contrary.

The looming Epstein File revelations have Trump spinning around like a whirling dervish determined to change the national conversation about Epstein and to flood each day with more shocking moves. It works up to a point. But each attack to distract has had a short lifetime in the mass media. A majority of Americans - 93% - want the Epstein Files released in whole - not a drip, drip, of heavily redacted documents.

So, Trump is left with coming up with something more shocking than the day before. So far, that's been easy as he pursues his personal vendettas and makes stupid statements day and night on his Truth Social platform. Yesterday he suggested people may want a dictator. How's that for effect? He is so sure of completely talking over every aspect of our democracy he's saying out loud what people have been accusing him of for years - he wants to be a dictator for real.

The states asked a federal judge to block the new rules and declare them illegal. They said they need "urgent relief" since applications for most grants are due Wednesday (Aug.27). I sincerely hope relief comes in time tomorrow.

To be clear, the federal government is attempting to use crime victim funds as a bargaining chip to force states into doing Trump's bidding on immigration enforcement. It's that simple.

As it Stands, what worries me is how often precedent is being overthrown by the right-wing Supreme Court. Think Roe vs Wade and all the other cases the court has thrown out in the last few years.

Trump is Melting Before Our Very Eyes but He Gets Away With-it Using Lies

Trump's mental and physical health have been questioned for years but now that he's melting before our very eyes like the Wicked Witch of the West evidence shows his overall physical decline is increasing. His mental decline is documented daily whenever he talks to the press.

Let's review the tale of the hand. Once upon a time reporters wanted to know why Trump had makeup on his hand and his minister of propaganda Karoline Leavitt laughed it off and claimed it the bruising was from his "vigorous handshaking."

No one really believed that, so a month later Leavitt shared a White House memo from Trump's physician that stated, "This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen."

How convenient. It even backed Leavitt's incredulous claim about handshaking. But the press didn't buy it and have been taking recent close-up photos of his tiny, discolored paw. The poorly blended foundation job meant to hide something deeper, further fueled theories that won't go away.

Two recent photos on Thread of Trump's hand set off thousands of comments on social media. The caption simply read, "both of these photos of Trump's hand were taken today." One user wrote: "I'm not a nurse, but that looks like a blown vein poorly covered with liquid foundation." The consensus on the thread was Trump's injury was NOT about shaking hands.

But there's more. Trump's visibly swollen ankles are a "flashing neon sign of a body under pressure" according to a Daily Beast Op-Ed. Doctors have said his chronic venous insufficiency is a circulatory problem that makes swelling and bruising more common.

The polls are starting to reflect concern about Trump's health. Data for Progress found the share of Americans who believe Trump is too old to be president has jumped by 10 points since last year to 49%, with independents showing a 12-point rise. The fact of the matter is more Americans say they doubt Trump has the "mental and cognitive" ability to complete his term.

As it Stands, I'll hazard to say that if the Democrats take back the House and the Senate there's a good chance, they could invoke the 25th Amendment to get rid of his orange ass for once and all.

If You Think Things are Bad Now...Just Wait

The takeover is in full swing.

Trump has let his hellhounds loose as he consolidates his power more every day.

There may not be an Epstein list, but Trump has a mile long list of perceived enemies and he's going after them like a honey badger on meth lately.

You may have noticed Trump just went after John Bolton, his former national security advisor, claiming he was in possession of classified records after an early morning raid by the FBI. Hiding classified records. Wait. That sounds familiar to me. Oh yeah, once upon a time the FBI went after Trump's stolen classified documents (hidden in his Mar-a-Lago lairs bathroom).

But I digress. You may have noticed the pattern where Trump accuses people of crimes that he himself has committed and mostly gotten away with. Bolton's real crime was criticizing Trump in his book. 

I admit I gagged when I heard what FBI director Kash Patel told ABC news, "NO ONE is above the law ..." when asked to comment on the search. OMG! Democrats have been saying that for years but now it's looking like someone is above the law after all.

Yesterday Trump threatened "harsh measures" against the state of Colorado if they don't immediately free convicted election denier, Tina Peters, who was found guilty a year ago. What does that mean? Just guessing but if Trump follows form, he'll retaliate by withholding federal funding. Maybe a pardon. Why not? He pardoned over 1,500 criminals who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a failed coup attempt, as a reward for their loyalty to him... not the Constitution. 

It is obvious Trump has empathy for criminals but not for colored people. His sudden interest in Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's partner who was convicted of sex trafficking, is sending out red flags. 

His base want's all of the Epstein Files released and he's under pressure to please them. And he doesn't want Maxwell to share what she really knows about him. Maxwell has the upper hand having been given immunity by Trump's lawyer and getting moved to the most minimum-security prison in the country. After an inmate complained about having a child molester in their ranks the woman who complained was transferred to a maximum-security prison the next day. That's called holding all the cards.

The recently stepped-up attack against his critics is being driven by a desire to divert the public away from the Epstein Files. He might not have rolled out his state takeover strategy so early if he wasn't under the intense spotlight right now.

MAGA battles are being won and lost in the courts every day. It's a high stakes game that will have detrimental effects on democracy. A demented felon is holding the fate of our country in his tiny hands. The scary thing is I doubt if we've even seen how far Trump will go yet.

As it Stands, I feel like I'm documenting the fall of a nation, and it's not a good feeling.

'Make Cracker Barrel Great Again...Say What?

I hope you're sitting as you read this post.

Because when I tell you what Trumplicans are raising hell about you're going to be stunned. Ready?

With all the chaotic events and legislations swirling around the entire country Republicans are losing their shit because the Cracker Barrel restaurant changed its logo! I'm not kidding you or pulling your leg.

As a matter of fact, Cracker Barrel's stock plummeted by almost $100 million this week after conservatives threatened to boycott the company, citing its unpopular rebranding, change of decor, LGBTQ and Pride initiatives, and DEI policies. 

This push to Make Cracker Barrel Great Again got Republican Rep. Byron Donalds hackles up as he accused the company change of being a "woke rebrand." 

MAGA mouthpieces were furious that the image of an old man and a barrel disappeared while keeping just the name of the chain, still with the familiar gold and brown color tones. The typeface has also been modernized. 

While Trumplicans are just fine with changing the names of military bases, ships and even the Gulf of Mexico, Cracker Barrel's ditching of the barrel man for the first time since 1977 has crossed a MAGA line.

MAGA luminaries like Donald Trump Jr. have made clever observations about the change. Junior's sums it up with "WTF is wrong with Cracker Barrel?" A deep thinker that one.

The MAGA rage also featured conservative X account Woke War Room. They claim Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Feiss Masino, who has been in the role for two years, has "scrapped a beloved American aesthetic and replaced it with sterile, soulless branding."

People can't afford housing, groceries, and are going bankrupt if they get cancer so naturally conservatives are mad about Cracker Barrel's logo. The outrage doesn't make sense. It's a reflection of how unserious Trump's minions are.

How dare the company change how it looks and its logo after 47 years. How dare they do a makeover to catch up with the times. The chain has also hired country singer Jordan Davis to appear in commercials as part of the rebranding. 

As it Stands, all I can say is, get over it you bunch of snowflakes!

Newsrooms Across the Nation vs Trump - A Battle for Truth and Freedom

Newspaper editors and reporters are bracing for an invasion into their workspace by the vilest and most powerful man in America.

Trump hates the free and independent press and has not made it a secret since he got into politics. His daily attacks have been going on for years. In his lust for power, Trump knows that he has to take control of all the media to create a lasting dictatorship.

Because Trump wasn't able to take down the free press during his first stint at the White House, he's redoubling his efforts now along with a full court press against government agencies and blue states' rights. His strident descriptions of media organizations as "enemies of the state" and "fake news" has marginalized the "legitimate" press." 

This includes:

* Threatening libel lawsuits against news organizations.

* Publicly attacking journalists by name and calling for their dismissal.

* Suggesting he will weaponize the government against media outlets he dislikes.

* Attempting to dismantle Voice of America and cut funding for public broadcasting.

According to Raw Story:

"Miles Taylor, who wrote the anonymous "resistance" New York Times op-ed while serving in Trump's first administration, wrote on his "Treason" Substack page that he's heard from multiple national security and political journalists who are actively preparing for possible subpoenas, surveillance or search warrants."

Taylor warned major news outlets and independent media that the Trump administration is preparing to ramp up efforts to expose their sources. The Justice Department recently came up with a new policy on whistleblowers that would have been illegal in former administrations.

The result of this insidious tactic will be whistleblowers and government officials won't be able to count on being protected so they won't report wrongdoing. If that happens truth vanishes forever.

As it Stands, as a retired newspaper editor and publisher I'm horrified at what's happening to the messengers who are the last line of defense for democracy.

Don "Quixote" Trump hates windmills. 

He claims they cause cancer, which anybody can tell you that's not true. But it's his story and he's going to stick with it. His crusade against clean energy is obviously idiotic and misinformed.

You may have noticed your energy bill slowly creeping upward in the last seven months - since Trump slithered into office. It's not your imagination.

The Trump regime began to do absolutely everything in its power to stop the clean energy trend and to replace it with old fashioned energy - gas, and coal from Day One. 

They've rescinded environmental regulations trying to control fossil fuel pollution, ending sun and wind projects on federal land, cancelled wind projects wherever they could, ended the Inflation Reduction Tax credits to clean energy construction and instead added subsidies for the coal industry.

As a result, electricity prices are starting to skyrocket.

A new independent report last week found that consumers will be paying an extra $3-$6 billion dollars a year for the privilege of keeping coal-fired power plants open past their expiration dates.

These coal-fired plants they're trying to keep open are not just the most expensive source of electric but among the least reliable. Environmental experts have been warning that coal is circling the drain for decades.

In fact, as NPR reported recently, electricity costs are now climbing twice as fast as inflation. The Department of Energy literally put out a tweet last month with a picture of a hunk of coal and the legend "She is the moment."

No, she's not.

Trump and minions are ignoring the fact that coal is 18th century technology, and gas is 19th-century technology, and now we're in the 21st century where people know how to intercept the rays of the sun and the breeze in the air and turn them into the cheapest electricity the world has ever seen.

Iowa has the lowest energy rates in the country - the average Iowan will spend 39% less on electricity that the average American.

Why?

Because it produces 57% of its electricity from the wind, the second biggest wind state in the country. Speaking of windmills, the reason Trump hates them is they've stopped his golf course ambitions in Scotland more than once over the years. So, it's personal. Throw that in with fossil fuel companies syphoning money to Trump for concessions and you have the answer to why he loves coal.

While campaigning last year Trump promised that under his administration energy and electricity will be sliced in half within 12 months, at a maximum 18 months. That's not happening. It's just the opposite.

As it Stands, the Democrats have an opportunity here to let the public know why they're paying more for their energy costs. The reason is because the simpleton in the White House doesn't give a shit about them.

Who is that Masked Man? It Sure Isn't Batman

Sometimes good guys wear a mask.

Think Batman or Spiderman. 

Or the Flash and Zorro. Don't forget about Captain America or The Green Arrow. 

In the fantasy world heroes also conceal their identities by having alter egos. They may wear masks, but they don't appear sinister because their always helping people out. If Batman shows up brown-skinned people don't have to worry, but in the real world it's a different story.

Cities throughout the country have turned into human hunting grounds, especially if you're a person of color.

Washington DC looks like an occupied city under martial law. Seeing is believing.

Trump has built a multi prong private army that consists of ICE, FBI agents, DOJ agents, national guardsmen, active-duty military, and DEA agents. Local police departments are reduced to secondary rolls as Trump's draconian deportation gangs roam the streets terrifying civilians and disrupting their lives.

The worst part of these roaming vigilante gangs is they wear masks and have no identifying ID on them. People don't know if they are thugs, hijackers, or gangsters protecting their turf. It's not exactly heartwarming to see groups of heavily armed men and women in your neighborhood. 

Trump maggots claim Americans feel safer now that Trump is laying siege to all the major cities in the nation. If that's the case, why are major parks - like MacArthur Park in LA - nearly deserted? It wasn't that long ago when it was safe to take your kids to the park without being interrogated by masked men.

This is not the America I grew up in. At 19-years-old I served my country by putting my life at risk in Vietnam and Cambodia (1970). I've always believed in our democratic republic and felt that the United States was the moral leader in the world since WWII. Now, sadly I don't believe how we've given up our democracy to a convicted felon. Never in my worst dreams did I think America would fall and become an authoritarian state under a dictator. 

On some mornings I wake up and for just a moment and pretend Trump hasn't seized our democracy so quickly and dramatically. It's bad enough that he's the worst president in our history but the fact that he's a demented senile fascist, living in an alternative universe while squatting in the Oval Office is almost unbearable.

My generation fought fascism withs it's Gestapo and other armed thugs that murdered millions. America destroyed Hitler and his 1000-year Reich. That should have been that.

In a twisted turn of events Americans allowed the vilest man in the country to seize the reins of power. It should have never happened. Now we're paying the price as Trump's Gestapo violates every law in the land in a racist attempt to purge America from people of color.

I fear my children, grandchildren and their children will be living in a dystopian nightmare if sane Americans don't fight back now. There's not a day to waste. Democrats need to unite like never before. They face an uphill battle with Trump already trying to rig the midterms next November. We're going to need a record turnout that will overwhelm the increasingly unpopular MAGA party at the polls.

As it Stands, traditionally bad guys like bank robbers wore masks to conceal their identity. History is repeating itself.

Trump's Meeting with World Leaders was a 'Nothing Burger'

Trump's orange face glowed with pleasure as he sat at a table with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a delegation of European leaders Monday.

The European leaders were there to support the Ukranian leader after being left out of talks between Trump and Putin in Alaska last Friday. They have good reason to be concerned as Trump has been bragging about his buddy Putin and even rolled out a red carpet for him in an act that made most Americans disgusted.

Who can blame Zelenskyy for wanting a support team after the treatment he received the last time he visited the White House? Trump and Vance sat on either side of him and accused him of not being grateful enough for U.S. military assistance. It was a sickening display of bullying.

It was quite the spectacle watching world leaders be nice to the man that most of them loathed. A regular tea party. Everyone smiled and tried to act like Trump was not a sociopath and fan boy of Putin.

What was accomplished you ask?

Well let's see, the world leaders wanted a cease fire and Trump doesn't want to now because he thinks they can all sit around a table and get a peace agreement if they'll all just concede Putin is NOT giving back the Ukrainian territories it conquered, and the country has to agree NOT to get in NATO.

If that's the starting point of this "historic" meeting how far do you think it will go? Absolutely nowhere. Trump is only offering US protection for Ukraine - albeit questionable protection (no parameters yet) and no talk about NATO.

Somehow, I doubt those seven world leaders were very reassured by Trump's bluster. It's obvious that Trump is going to back Putin and that's not in their best interests. As they each smiled and thanked Trump for putting together the meeting they must have been thinking that not only was there no progress made it looked like none would be made in the near future despite talk of a future trilateral meeting with Putin, Trump, and Zelenskyy.

Trump let everyone know that he was going to report the meetings progress to his daddy in Moscow after it was over. He'll plead with the Russian dictator tonight to have a trilateral meet, but Putin isn't interested and he'll just string Donny along as he's been doing for the last decade. If he does agree we can count on Trump humiliating our nation again.

What Trump personally accomplished, for a few days at least, was that the Epstein Files didn't dominate the news as the world dialed in to see if any peace progress was being made. As we now all know, it was a "nothing burger" with a side of bullshit.

As it Stands, Trump met with Zelenskyy before meeting with world leaders and informed him that he needed to hand over seized territory and to drop his dreams about belonging to NATO. The rest of the story.

Redistricting Threatens to be another Civil War

America has survived one civil war. 

I'm not sure this nation will survive another. 

It was the blue states against the gray states. Now it's the blue states against the red states. Sounds like two different countries existing unharmoniously on the same continent, doesn't it?

That's our reality today.

When Trump leaned on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to redistrict the state to steal five seats from the democrats despite the fact that only five years have passed since the last census (it's taken every ten years according to law) it was the first salvo in a war against democracy. 

It was a Ft. Sumter moment that quickly got a reaction from the normally docile democrats. The match was lite.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom decided to fight fire-with-fire and is now looking at the state redistricting to take away five republican seats.

Where will this lead? If the rest of the states decide their going to redistrict in retaliation what's going to happen to our nation? The rhetoric has gotten so raw between the two political parties it's like sitting on a time bomb. 

Trump didn't achieve his goal of becoming a dictator the first time around, but he's well on the way to becoming one after getting another shot at it.

While rigging next year's midterm elections with illegal gerrymandering Trump is causing chaos throughout the country by invading states with the national guard and active military troops. The FBI has forsaken its original mission under an insurrectionist, Kash Patel, and is now part of the invading forces in blue states with black mayors. 

Gangs of local police officers, ICE Agents, national guardsmen, and active military soldiers are roaming the streets in Washington DC. It looks an awful lot like martial law.

The democrats seem to be coalescing around Newsom who has taken the national lead in defying Trump's illegal takeovers. A few other democratic governors have shown encouragement while maintaining a wait-and-see attitude.

As resistance to Trump increases among liberals the hard right is facing growing divisions among its members but is still firmly in Trump's grasp and ready to go to war if he tells them too.

It's important to note that it will be a one-sided war. Trump controls the military, and the democrats don't even have an army. It'll be civilians being slaughtered in the streets as they protest the authoritarian takeover.

There are 23 states that have a state defensive force in addition to the national guard. Both are supposed to answer to the governor unless the feds declare an emergency and take their power away. The states with the most active duty and reserve members of the military are California (184,540), Texas (164,234) and Virginia (115,280).

That's a lot of fire power to turn on civilians should Trump call for martial law throughout the country. The burning question is what happens when civilians are targeted and shot? Will they organize against the federal government and fight back? It's all too terrifying to think about.

As it Stands, hang your American flag upside down because we're all in a dire situation.