Archives for February 2022

Thursday, February 3, 2022

I turned on the TV this morning.

Typically, I watch one of my archaeology shows while exercising.

I was stunned to hear that the U.S. had carried out a raid in Syria and taken out a big time ISIS leader.

Troops had been moved into Poland, Germany, and Romania to prop up NATO against aggressive actions by Putin. Troops had also been moved into somewhere near Syria, I think, maybe Turkey. This had been thought to be to bolster out presence in Ukraine. Now, it’s obvious it was positioning for this raid. The person reportedly killed was the head of ISIS Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. None of the people reporting said his name, I wonder why?

It reminded me of the movie “The American President” with Michael Douglas and Annette Bening. The movie is building to a point where it looks like curtains for the Pres. Then he comes out makes some bold statements at a press conference, which surprise everyone, including his inner circle and staff. As he exits the room one of his close associates says, “We’re back!”

Yeah, Baby!

Okay, okay. I have some suggestions. A buddy of mine passed on some unclassified CIA documents from the 60s (70s? 80s?) talking about the Russians. Basically, nothing has changed – really. As McCain said, “Russia is a gas station posing as a country.” However, there was one tidbit I was unaware of and that is the Russian people are afraid of capitalism because when the USSR fell the average person went from having a job and income to starving. They saw a few oligarchs rise and grab all that there was. They, the common people, were starving.

Based on the above I have two suggestions:

1. We need to flood Ukraine with goods for people: cell phone, movies, food, drink, porn, clothes, tik-tok videos. Let’s make the difference between Ukraine and Russia like the difference between North Korea and South Korea, or East Germany and West Germany. We need to make it glaringly apparent that if you live in a capitalist economy you will be much better off than if you stick with mother Russia.

2. We need Alan Sorkin and Shona Rhimes to start writing press releases and PR pieces for Biden.

Moving on – other news items:

The day before the ISIS raid Josh Hawley said was asking why we were backing Ukraine. Well, he asked the question. As has Tucker Carlson, who is often replayed on Russian media. He’s their new darling.

Adam Kinzinger responded, and as Joe Scarborough noted Adam’s diplomacy was evident that he is ready for higher office. To wit:

I don’t know who is dumber Josh Hawley or Ron Johnson.

And now there is reporting that the idea to elect alternate electors started in Wisconsin and was directed by Trump insiders directly connected to the Conman-in-Chief, and that they were doing so under the direct orders of the ex-Pres.

And also, Colonel Vindman is suing for defamation of character and the suit alleges that there was a coordinated attack on him by the ex-pres, his subordinates, Fox News personalities, and some of the ex-president’s children. Knowing that he, Vindman, was in a position where he could not respond and knowing that what they did and said would be amplified in other media outlets.

I am heartened by these events. I do wonder why Donnie Sr. isn’t named?

And finally I have one more suggestion. When I turned on the TV there are teasers for shows I’ve never heard of and some I never want to watch. When the TV clicked on there was “Peppa Pig Celebrates Chinese New Year,” followed by “House of Gucci” (the one with Lady Gaga). 

Okay, what I want to see is “Peppa Pig in House of Gucci.” Then we’d have something.

Gotta Go.

Wednesday February 2, 2022

Every person elected, appointed, or hired to work in the Federal Government takes an oath to defend The Constitution from “all enemies both foreign and domestic.” You as a voter will be called upon to do the same. Our nation is under attack. The former President is at the tip of the spear of this attack, but he is not alone. He is being aided and abetted by a major political party, very rich interests here and abroad, foreign governments who wish to see us fail, and a huge media disinformation operation. However, the evidence is mounting every day. Let’s take a brief look at it.

The former President tried to overturn the last election on five different levels and made multiple attempts at each level.

He tried to seize voting machines.

He tried to have electors not counted thus ensuring Biden would not reach the elector college number needed to win.

He tried to have electoral college eletors switched so that he would have enough to win.

He tried to have the Vice President not count some electors on January 6th.

He tried to have various state elections declared fraudulent.

Since he has left office he has bribed officials not to testify to the Jan 6th committee.

He has promised to pardon everyone connected to January 6th if re-elected.

None of what I have written is in anyway some sort of hidden sketchy thing. Much of this has been done openly. Anything else has been reported and corroborated by multiple sources and or documented in memos, emails, recorded telephone conversations or video, etc.

Let’s visit the attempt to seize the voting machines issue. First off, why would he want to do that? Well, there was this idea floating around the right wing media that somehow The Dominion Voting Machines were switching votes. If the President could get his hands on the machines they could somehow show that this was the case. 

Okay, is there any evidence of this? No. In Arizona remember, they had an audit. They did look at the voting machines. These folks were not impartial. They were bent on finds something, anything, to prove the point that the voting machines were somehow rigged. They found nothing. Dominion is suing and on the path to wining the cases of defamation it has brought against various entities and individuals that spread lies about their machines.

So how did the Trump attempt to seize the voting machines? 

He asked The Department of Defense, Homeland Security, The Justice Department, local state governments and local officials to seize the voting equipment. All turned him down.

He didn’t ask once. He asked repeatedly. He tried calling, bullying, threatening, cajoling, yelling, and humiliating. He asked others to do the same: not once, not casually, but repeatedly and insistently. This isn’t in question. This has been verified in the press from numerous sources and it is the testimony the the Jan 6th Committee is receiving as well.

The number of hench people is astounding – to me at least. here are a few.

There is John Eastman. He is reportedly a lawyer.. He’s the one that wrote a memo saying the Vice President has the power to not accept electors on January 6th. The Vice President does not have that power. Eastman has tried to say he was only giving an opinion and didn’t really believe one way or the other. That fell apart within hours of him reportedly saying this when he was asked by someone posing to be a true believer and he admitted that yeah, he meant it. But it goes deeper than that. He was “in the room where it happened,” and he was pushing for it. He was in the Oval Office on several occasions in the days just before January 6th pushing this idea. Who was in the room besides him? Mike Pence, Donald Trump, Pence’s chief of staff, and Pence’s lead council. There were others too.

It turns out that on January 6th, before, during, and after the riot at the Capital he was texting Pence’s lawyer, still trying to get Pence to not certify the Biden electors. 

Then there was Mike Flynn. He was trying to get the whole election redone.

There was Mark Meadows. He was cooperating with the Jan 6th Committee, then he wasn’t. After turning over a trove of documents he got a one million dollar donation to his political action committee from Trump’s. PAC.

Trump’s PAC has given $5 or $10K to others, nothing more, only Mark. I don’t know what you want to cal it but I suggest there are some statutes that can inform. Two are called bribery, and witness tampering.

Come the next election every voter will have to decide which side they are on. Are you going to defend The Constitution or not? Or are you going to believe the lies that the ex-President is saying, the right wing media is pushing, aided and abetted by China, Iran, Russia and very rich and powerful interests?

These interests that are closer than ever to toppling our government and our democracy. it will be up to each and everyone of us to decide our fate.