Conservative Power Brokers Are Spreading Lies Because They Can

Conservative power brokers range from deranged preachers and doctors to corrupt wealthy businessmen.

The one thing they have in common is refuting reality and replacing it with the Big Lie and other crazy conspiracies.

For instance, a conservative power broker, Dr. Steven Hotze, unsuccessfully sued to stop the extension of early voting in Texas for this year's election.

Hotze also sued officials in Harris County to limit in-person and absentee voting, making allegations without evidence that Democrats were engaged in "ballot harvesting" by gathering votes from individuals who are homeless or elderly.

This week Hotze has been charged with unlawful restraint and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon over an October incident involving a contractor he hired.

Hotze was indicted over allegations against a former police officer, Mark Aguirre, who worked for him.

It turns out that Aguirre had been retained to pursue a voter fraud investigation on behalf of his nonprofit organization, Liberty Center for God and Country.

Aguirre was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after a man accused him of running him off the road and holding him hostage at gunpoint in an effort to prove what authorities have called a bogus voter fraud scheme.

According to court records Aguirre claimed that an air conditioning repairman's truck was filled with fraudulent ballots. 

The police report said that Aguirre and some friends had set up a "command post" at a Marriotte hotel in suburban Houston that conducted a 24-hour surveillance on the repairman for four days.

Aguirre went so far as to contact the Texas Attorney General's office to see if he could conduct a traffic stop for his investigation and "make a citizen's arrest," according to the affidavit.

He was told "not to do it," at which point he decided to run the man's truck off the road, pointed a gun at him, forced him to the ground and put a knee on his back.

When the police responded to the incident, they searched the truck and found only air conditioning parts and tools. After a lengthy investigation the police found no evidence of illegal ballots.

For the record, Aguirre was paid $266,400 by Liberty Center for God and Country.

The whole sordid affair - from a non-profit paying someone to do dirty work, to the Big Lie pushed from a so-called doctor is just one example of how a conservative power broker spreads lies because they can.

The Harris County District Attorney indicted Hotze this week for his scheme. A trial date has not been announced yet.

Guest Column: 'Bullying Mickey Mouse: Rejected by the public, Republicans take their anger out on Disney'

On rare occasions I like to run a guest column for some variety. The opinion expressed here is the author's Amanda Marcotte, who is a senior writer for Salon.

"There's no surer sign that Republicans have given up on trying to appeal to moderates and swing voters than declaring war on Disney.

Things were already getting dicey when GOP leaders and Fox News pundits went all-in on this strategy of accusing anyone who disagrees with them of being child molesters. 

Flinging such risible and obviously false accusations at innocent people tends to backfire on the accusers, as demonstrated by the way Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson saw her approval ratings rise after enduring three days of charisma-free Republicans falsely implying she had some affection for pedophiles. 

But you know they've lost the plot when they're running around trying to argue that Disney, which most Americans view as the gold standard in family-friendly entertainment, is covertly converting the nation's children into perverts.

I'm just saying: if your idea of championing "family values" is delaying parents who are trying to get their kids into Disney World, you need some remedial classes on how to win friends and allies."

Read the full article here.

Editor's Note: For historical context on using pedophiles to defame people look up Putin's tactics to gain power by accusing government employees and state prosecutors of being child molesters. It worked so well he was able to become dictator for life.

There's nothing new under the sun. Enjoy your day, and I hope you enjoyed this column.

Take Heart! Trump and his Supporters Aren't Going to Destroy Our Democracy

I don't see one man destroying our democracy.

What I clearly see is that Trump has built a cult that cuts through the heart of our nation and divides us like the Civil War once did.

The Civil War was the first great threat to our Republic, and we turned it back, but at the cost of tens of thousands of lives. 

The Party of Trump has eviscerated the modern Republican Party, replacing it with mindless minions who willingly believe his lies. The way things stand now, the Party of Trump may regain the majority in Congress.

That doesn't spell the end of our freedoms, however. When oppressed modern day Democrats push back hard. The 2020 election proved that.

Yes, Trumpies are showing more enthusiasm to vote this fall with the possibility of owning the libtards in Congress.

Consider this; the general public loathes Congress right now. So, they might vote for Trumpies to take over in the midterms and discover that Trump's Looney Tune cronies are actually WORSE than the current occupants.

In addition, the two years would give time for Democrats to get energized enough to elect the next president in 2024. After two years of fruitless revenge investigations, the Trumpies are not going to have much of legislative track record to run on.

In turn, the Democrats will be seething and really motivated to turn out in record numbers.

One more thing.

Political dynamics can suddenly shift the landscape. Think about the Jan. 6 Committee on National TV this summer laying out - in minute detail - how Trump and his enablers tried to steal the 2020 election.

If justice catches up to Trump and the Department of Justice does its job it will be a major blow to Trumpism.

America has been around for far too long to fall to a cult of traitors. Take heart. We're greater than that.

Molly our Pug Turns 10 and other Bigly News

Ten years ago, my wife picked out a tiny black female pug among a litter of chubby beige males. She's been our fur baby ever since.

We had two prior pugs - one male and one female - prior to Molly (Photo right). They both died at an early age. Victims of Pug Myelopathy, a spinal condition believed unique in pugs.

Needless to say, we're delighted that Molly has lived this long and is still relatively healthy. Age has slowed her down a bit, but she still plays with our Iggy Butters.

Pugs are not known for living long lives. So, we count each day with her as a blessing.

Moving On

Doing his best Trump imitation, Florida governor Ron DeSantis has been waging a cultural war. 

His latest attack against democracy involves banning books that he claims are teaching Critical Race Theory - which to everyone's surprise includes Math Books! 

Under Bizarre

Four men have been arrested after one of the accused's phones was discovered to contain a video of them gang-raping a Bengal Monitor Lizard at the Sahydari Tiger Reserve in Maharashthra, India.

Under Other Sick-Assed People

Trumps stupid son Don Jr. shared an Easter photo on Twitter of right-wing morons dressed up as bunnies with assault rifles and grenades attached to their suits.

I'm pretty sure Republican Jesus would be okay with that.

Under "No surprise" Predictions

Experts are predicting travel chaos this summer. Facing unprecedented demand, the much-reduced airline industry is struggling to cope. The pandemic has played hell on traveling on planes.

Under Fighting Back Against Authoritarians

A Democratic candidate recruiting group is pitching donors on an ambitious three-year program to find, train and support 5,000 candidates for local offices in charge of election administration, a sprawling effort intended to fight subversion of future election results.

The $80 million effort comes as Trump-friendly conspiracy theorists threaten to take over election offices in battleground states.

Opinion

The man who brought us "The End of History" says America faces long term "political decay," but it's not too late

Salon writer Chauncey Devega's opinion piece - Francis Fukuyama on Putin, Trump and why Ukraine is key to saving liberal democracy - is right on and worth the read.

Parting is hard. But I'll see you again tomorrow. Stay safe. 

Easter Sunday: Let's Pray for World Peace

Happy Easter!

I hope you and your loved ones have a great day on this Easter Sunday.

Remember the citizens of Ukraine who are being slaughtered by Putin in their fight for freedom.

Pray for those families who are hiding in bomb shelters on this holy day.

Peace and Love.

America's Younger Generation Are Pushing Back on Banning Books

1938 - Nazis Have banned all books that don't promote their toxic ideology.

The country's youths were instructed on what to believe by the murderous regime's purge of truth.

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

America's younger generation is fighting back against book bans by conservatives.

One of the positive effects from the draconian ban on truth is children of all ages are reading more books voluntarily. They clearly see the banning efforts as wrong. 

So, youth groups are pushing back with Banned Books Book Clubs.

One of their first picks was "The Hate U Give," by Angie Thomas (photo above).

The book has been around for a while and it reflects a teenage experience and relationship to police brutality, which has been a strong conversation the past couple of years.

State and local conservative officials have gone after titles and broad categories of books that deal with race, gender or sexuality in recent months.

There's been numerous attempts to remove specific titles from library shelves and classrooms. Not all of them were successful, but their efforts have stirred the interest of young readers nationwide.

That interest was channeled into Banned Books Book Club, a project from the company Reclamation Ventures, which also runs the newsletter Anti-Racism Daily.

Clubs are springing up everywhere in retaliation of the conservative attacks on what can - and can't - be read in our schools. 

"Obviously this whole idea of taking away books that they wanted to read or that they thought they should read sparked a nerve in them," said Mary Jo Podgurski, an educator at the Common Ground Teen Center in Washington, Pennsylvania in a recent interview with Harmeet Kaur of CNN.

Facts We Should All Know

The American Library Association recorded 729 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2021, the most since the organization began tracking those attempts in 2000. 

While that might seem low overall considering the approximately 99,000 K-12 public schools in the US, the ALA says it's likely an extreme undercount.

With midterms rolling up this November Republicans are selling false narratives about books and teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) which of course any informed person knows doesn't exist in grades K-12. Very few colleges have the subject on their curriculums, unless their law colleges.

Throw in a few crazed conspiracies and it's apparent the party of Trump is pumping out propaganda to its base with increased vigor in the last six months.

Kudos to our children for forming and attending Banned Books Book Club meetings to see what the conservatives are trying to hide from them. 

Taking the Coward's Way Out: RNC Won't Let Members Participate in 2024 Presidential Debates

This just in from the snowflakes at the Republican National Committee:

To: The Commission on Presidential Debates  

"Our candidate isn't going participate in the 2024 presidential debates because we don't like you!"

Signed by RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel

While that quote may not be verbatim, it's basically what the gathering of cowards on the RNC said.

The Republician Party, aka the party of Trump, is afraid to debate a Democrat unless they control the whole proceeding.

In the last presidential election Trump blasted the commission repeatedly for not going along with his demands. When he finally agreed to a debate with Joe Biden, he fluffed it so badly even his supporters winced.

FYI - The non-profit Commission on Presidential Debates, which is run by members of both parties and considers itself nonpartisan has sponsored presidential debates for decades.

Proving he owns the Republician Party Trump ordered his sheep to come up with a debate format that favors GOP candidates (like allowing them to interrupt their opponent when they talk). 

The RNC is still working on a new platform. It should be interesting to see what happens with no national platform. Especially since they don't even have an agenda yet. It's just a natural progression.

I agree with Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison who described the RNC's letter as a "tantrum."

In a recent press statement Harrison said, "Republicans can't win a fair fight and they know it. After years of having their toxic policies exposed on the national stage, the RNC has decided they would rather hide their ideas and candidates from voters." 

If there's one thing that Trump and his minions are afraid of, it's the truth.

Pedo Talks, Stupid Political Stunts, and Fraud

Watch Out! Here come the pedophiles!

The party of Trump is busy fouling the airwaves and web sites with accusations that everyone who doesn't side with them is a pedophile prior to the midterms.

It's their latest stupid attempt to defend their lies about the Big Steal to white supremacy. This childlike attempt to divert from the truth is akin to a seven-year-old pointing an accusing finger at someone they don't like.

Trumpies like Matt Gaetz (whose being investigated by the Department of Justice for having sex with a minor) and Marjorie Taylor Greene are holding pedo talks with right-wing extremists who get excited over the subject.

Mission Pedo Talk is popular with Trump supporters who believe it'll get then elected (or re-elected) in November. Don't ask me why. None of it makes any sense.

Speaking about political stunts Texas governor Greg Abbott sent a busload of undocumented migrants to the nation's capital in stunt that may have been illegal.

In addition, to prove his race-baiting credentials he tightened up the border insisting every truck get checked which quickly caused supply chain problems.

That also resulted in Mexican truck drivers creating blockades to protest the inspections.

Texas business leaders, and the local trade associations have requested the state cease the unnecessary inspections.

It's obviously a political stunt to show he's tough on immigration because the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inspect every truck. Nevertheless, Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to examine the exact same trucks passed by CBP.

Under Fraud

Mark Meadows was removed from the voter rolls in his home state of North Carolina and is being looked at for potential voter fraud. 

So far that makes 25 Republicans who have gone to court for voter fraud. Trump's former chief of staff will be number 26 if convicted.

In a nice twist of irony Trump was quoted just last week as saying, "Without free and fair elections, we don't have a country."

Under Racism

A Missouri school teacher has been fired for allegedly using "critical race theory (CRT)"

The decision came last week after Keith Morrison, an English teacher at Greenfield High School, read the book "Dear Martin" a young adult novel by Nic Stone.

Apparently, parents didn't want their precious teenagers to read about a Black high school student attending a predominantly white preparatory school who falls victim to police violence.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe and informed.

Technological Singularity: Will Mankind Survive Cyber Warfare?

          Editor's Note:

Technological Singularity is a hypothetical point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable changes to human civilization.

Cyber warfare. The last frontier?

Russia has been trying to conquer Ukraine using more than just the traditional manpower, tanks, planes, ships, and howitzers from previous wars.

The addition of cyber warfare has been a new deadly avenue towards Putin's goal of restoring the old Soviet Union. 

Russian military hackers tried and failed to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure last week.

But prior cyber attempts in 2014 and 2015 to capture Crimea were successful setting the new standard for warfare.

Without the help of ESET, a Slovakia-based cybersecurity company currently providing security for Ukraine's infrastructure, the Russians might have been successful.

Computer hackers have become the vanguard for conventional warfare. They can potentially disable energy grids and communications between government offices creating chaos.

As computers become more advanced - intelligent - they provide additional pathways of destruction to attack opponents with.

If the whole world wasn't so interconnected in cyber space, the threat wouldn't be so terrifying.

But it is. In this 21st century we have breached technological barriers that are becoming increasingly dangerous to our own existence on earth.

Mega computers are smarter than any person on the planet. Science fiction writers have been predicting a technological takeover of mankind since the early nineteen hundreds.

Is the cyber warfare we're currently witnessing the beginning of the end? Only time will tell.

Governors Turning States into Private Fiefdoms

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wants his own kingdom and he's willing to do anything to achieve that goal.

He's attacking the state senate and house because they didn't go along with his voter suppression legislative agenda.

DeSantis, in his lust for power, has gone a step beyond other GOP governors and has defied his all-Republican majority Senate and House when they drafted a new map for redistricting.

He just said no and refused to go along with the agreed-on redistricting move. The spineless result was they essentially ceded their constitutional power to the executive branch.

In what has to go down as complete capitulation, the Senate and the House said, "We are awaiting a communication from the governor's office with a map that he'll support."

Last month, DeSantis vetoed the new district boundaries approved by lawmakers - a rare public display of contention between the governor and a state legislature controlled entirely by his own party. 

DeSantis has demanded the legislature join his fight to eliminate two districts where Black residents are a plurality.

His map proposal eliminates two House Districts - the 5th and the 10th - represented by Black Democrats.

What De Santis is doing is a clear violation of the state constitutional amendment known as Fair Districts, which requires lawmakers to give minority communities an opportunity to "elect representatives of their choice."

Like Republican governors across the country, DeSantis latest step to further erode the federal Voting Rights Act follows an all-out assault on democracy in order to rig elections.

Related: Texas Republicans say their proposed voting restrictions are color blind. But many see "Jim Crow" in a tuxedo.

Related: Jim Crow Redux: Georgia Governor Signs "Egregious" Voter Suppression Law

I'm waiting for these "imperial governors" to succeed from the Union and form separate fiefdoms ran by Trump followers. That will be the final step in destroying our democracy.

Republicans Determined to Create a New Apartheid America

The White Right's revolutionary strategy to return America to the distant and largely imaginary past has picked up steam this election year.

The party of Trump is wallowing in vile accusations and outright lies about minority communities to attract their supporters.

The idea is to foment a moral panic around the false claim that the LGBTQ community somehow poses a "threat" to the "traditional family."

The strategy is to claim, "real Americans" - meaning white, supposedly Christian conservatives - are somehow being oppressed or "discriminated against" in "their own country." 

Efforts have recently intensified the GOPs culture-war legislations attacking LGBTQ rights, "critical race theory" school curricula and other related issues.

The goal is to go after women's rights, the LGBTQ community, Black and brown people and other marginalized groups who will have their most fundamental rights taken away from them.

This new Apartheid America is a winning strategy for the party of Trump because it's feeding the basest desires of the "base" prior to the midterms.

Republicans have embraced antisemitic QAnon conspiracies like out-of-control children in a candy store. 

They're particularly interested in pedophiles and accuse Democrats and "leftists" of kidnapping and abusing children without a shred of evidence. 

Why are pedos a favorite target among the right-wing assholes pushing the lies? It's simple. It's the most disgusting and vile attack they can come up with. As usual, there doesn't have to be any evidence or proof when they attack people.

Mix in the fact that Trump is convincing gutless conservatives into accepting an authoritarian regime, and that becomes a recipe for a disaster.

Authoritarian biopolitics is not just about encouraging the "right elements" of the population to procreate - fearmongering about declining White Christian birthrates recurs from the Fascists to Orban and Tucker Carlson - but also about removing the "wrong elements" from the public sphere, by silencing them, locking them up, or worse.

To my utter dismay, the Democrats have offered no effective defense against such culture-war moral panic attacks.

Democrats have made the mistake of assuming these culture-war attacks are the stuff of fools and unsophisticated thinkers. They've been operating under the illusion that the Republicans can be defeated with facts and reason.

Their assumptions are going to guarantee defeat for them and others who believe in a pluralistic society and real democracy.

The defenders of democracy must go beyond superficial critiques. They must substantively engage, expose and discredit how and why such attacks resonate for Republicans and "conservatives."

It's important to know that authoritarian regimes always cast themselves as the guardians of morality, and cast all who oppose them as perversely evil, deserving the severest of punishments.

"Biblical morality," and GOP politics are the stuff that divides Americans, opening the door to an authoritarian regime.