If You Don't Like the Message, Kill the Messenger

I make an effort to listen to right-wing talk radio for at least a few minutes every day. Between unending commercials for guns, survival kits and Viagra, torrents of hate are unleashed on nearly half of the country. This vitriol is aimed mostly at Democrats, who are vilified and dehumanized ad nauseum. These right-wing radio broadcasts, which are corporate-run and owned, also do their best to savage mainstream news outlets, also corporate-owned and run, as "fake news." And they've succeeded. Public confidence has been undermined in any institution that fails to slant to the right. Now President Donald Trump has taken what really is a war against reality to a whole new level. Instead of killing the message, he is killing the messenger. 

In the wake of a negative jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Trump has fired Erika McEntarfer, who headed that agency. He claims that she "rigged" the numbers "to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad... .” Her immediate predecessor, a Trump appointee, called Trump's accusation "groundless." Trump offered no evidence to back up his claim. 

When the sky is cloudy and gray, but you insist it is blue and sunny, it fails to change reality. Trump and his right-wing media influencers are not only trying to control the message but are making sure they control the messengers as well.  

Whoever replace McEntarfer will have to make sure the next jobs report is shaded to say the sky is sunny and blue. 

Trump is doing what authoritarians do. But it fails to change reality, as some are beginning to notive. 

Is Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" A Good or Bad Thing?

President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill", designed to implement his domestic agenda, has made it through the House by a single vote. Whether it makes it through the Senate is another matter. It is highly doubtful that it will survive in its current form, especially since some Republican senators find it unacceptable in its current form for differing reasons. 

Locally, Congressman Ryan Mackenzie voted for the House version, saying it provides "commonsense solutions that people across the Lehigh Valley are counting on."

The house version includes (1) a $4 trillion tax cut which does include lower marginal income rates, an increase in the standard deduction, no taxes on tips and no taxes on social security; (2) Medicaid recipients without disabilities will have to work, which could reduce federal spending by $800 billion; (3) changes in Obamacare designed to make it more expensive, with reduced subsidies; (4) an end to most tax breaks, for clean energy, excepting nuclear energy; (5) An end to food stamps (SNAP) for people between 18 and 64 with no job, and a shifting to the states of some of the cost; (6) major increases in defense spending, including a Golden Dome similar to what Israel employs; (7) reductions in student loans; and (5) a $4 trillion increase in the national debt.

Mackenzie has two Democratic opponents in next year's Congressional race. Here's how they reacted.

Carol Obando-Derstine: "While working families slept, Ryan Mackenzie voted for Trump’s billionaire tax breaks and backed a bill that will rip healthcare from nearly 24,000 people in our district, threaten SNAP for 25,000 more, and keep driving up prices at our expense. It’s a cruel betrayal. While Mackenzie helps billionaires like Elon Musk and leaves our district behind, I’ve spent my career fighting for the families hit hardest by these cuts. I’m running for Congress to deliver real solutions and put working families first."

Lamont McClure: "In the dead of night, Ryan Mackenzie cast the deciding vote to stab working families in the back—supporting the largest Medicaid cuts in history. Ripping away healthcare from millions of Americans, all so his billionaire buddies get another tax break. It’s cowardly. It’s cruel. And I’m running for Congress to make damn sure he never gets to do it again."

We Need to Remember The Atlantic Charter

In the late summer of 1941, America was a bastion of isolationism. It had been that way for most of its history. After all, it was protected on the east and west by large oceans and had friendly neighbors to the north and south. In the face of Nazi aggression and Japanese imperialism, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt knew that could never last, but he also knew that Americans had to be persuaded first. That's the way a republican democracy works. At that time, he barely had the votes to extend the peacetime draft, which passed by only one vote in the House. So when he decided to meet Prime Minister Winston Churchill, he employed a bit of subterfuge. He went on the Presidential yacht for a fishing trip along the Potomac and then skirted away on an American warship to meet Churchill in Plancentia Bay, off the coast of Newfoundland. Churchill had a longer and more dangerous voyage past German wolfpacks in the Prince of Wales, which would be sunk a few short months later by the Japanese. 

Churchill thought that the US was finally ready to enter the war. Roosevelt had no such intention. He instead insisted that the US and UK agree on a set of principles by which these two great nations would treat other sovereigns after the war was over. It was a big ask of Churchill because it would mean the eventual elimination of its colonies. But Churchill agreed to what became known as The Atlantic Charter. 

This document was far from an America First screed. It was instead an enunciation of the principles that have made western democracy, and America in particular, shine out as a beacon of hope. In short, it makes us the good guys. The ones in the white hats. It promises no territorial aggrandizement; no territorial changes against the wishes of the people; restoration of self-government; reduction of trade restrictions; global cooperation to enhance economies and social conditions for all; freedom from fear and want; freedom of the seas; abandonment of force; and disarmament of aggressor nations. 

Now we have a President who openly taunts Canada as the 51st state and who amazingly claimed in a State of the Union address that we're going to get Greenland "one way or the other."

Perhaps he and his VP should read it. 

Trump's SOTU: The Moment Congressional Democrats Disgraced Themselves

One of the nicest gestures during President Trump's SOTU on Tuesday night was when he honored a 13-year-old boy who survived a battle with brain cancer. He always wanted to be in law enforcement and got his wish when he was made an honorary Secret Service agent, complete with credentials. Even I smiled when I watched this, and I also liked when Trump announced that another young man, a high school athlete who lost his deputy sheriff father when he was just a boy, had been accepted at West Point. 

Yesterday, I received a large number of comments from readers who were angry that Democrats sat on their hands when the 13-year-old was appointed to the Secret Service as an honorary agent. I did not notice this at the time and went back to check the video. 

Unfortunately, the accusation is true, at least of a large number of Democrats. One Congressman refused to stand because "Trump [is] ripping cancer research to shreds in order to give billionaire tax cuts, firing doctors and nurses who are caring for kids with cancer right now in order for them to take their salaries and put them in their own pockets.”

Let's assume this is true. The young man is in no way responsible for any of these mistakes. 

What happened actually makes Trump look good. 

And that's pretty hard to do. 

President Trump's State of the Union Reveals a House Divided

President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address of his second term last night. He laid out an ambitious agenda in a lengthy speech and touted his achievements since taking office, claiming to have accomplished more in 43 days than Democrats did in the last four years. What's more, "we are just getting started."

That worries me. A lot. In just 43 days, he has embraced our enemies and has savaged our closest allies with the help of his Vice President. He has gleefully imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada. He has allowed an unelected oligarch to run rampant over our social security and other sensitive records. He has threatened to annex the Panama Canal, Gaza, Greenland and even Canada. I will say that he is an effective communicator, managing to speak in a plain and unvarnished style as he touts what he calls his "common sense" revolution. It lacks polish, but I think his supporters like his bluntness. even when it is used to embellish or stretch things. His big problem, and one that was evident during his speech is that, contrary to what he said, he really has no mandate.  

Trump did win the popular vote. He won the swing states. He has a majority in the House, Senate and even the Supreme Court. But it's a slim majority. He lacks the mandate of the people that Ronald Reagan or FDR had. I saw no Democrats greet Trump on his entrance, and he pretty much ignored them. There's mutual disdain. Whatever does get passed will be by the slimmest of margins. 

His reversal on foreign policy is what bothers me most. He has embraced thugs like Putin, who murders his political opponents. At the same time, he castigates Zelensky, who stood up to the thug when everyone was sure that Ukraine would be wiped off the face of earth in a matter of three days. Except for his steadfast commitment to Israel, he is actually making the United States less secure now than it ever has been. His gold dome proposal is probably a good idea because at the rate he's going, we're going to need it. It is no help when JD Vance taunts Britain and France (without specifically naming them) as random countries that have not fought in a war for 30 years. Will they have our back if we need them? 

His presidency is still in its infancy, so it's unfair to blame him for rising prices on consumer products and groceries. But his recent imposition of tariffs, and his intention to impose more of them on April 2, is going to eventually be a tax on those of us who can least afford to pay for them.

His desire to cut government waste with the creation of a new agency headed by the world's richest man is actually a good one. I think we all could get on board with that. But the problem is that Elon Musk has been using a buzzsaw instead of a scalpel and has hurt our national security by firing nuclear workers and then scrambling to unfire them. 

The pendulum did swing in Trump's favor in 2024. But that's the thing about the pendulum. It's always swinging. 

10:15 Update: A transcript of the SOTU speech is here. 

President Attending Super Bowl is Good, Picking Winner is Bad, Especially When He Gets it Wrong

Donald Trump is the first sitting President to have ever attended a Super Bowl game. Though I dislike both him and his policies, I like the idea of the nation's leader attending an event that attracts the interest of most of the nation. It brings us all together. But when he picks a winner, as he did here when he picked Kansas City to beat the Eagles in a pre-game interview on Fox, he divides us. 

Fortunately, he was wrong, as most of you will learn he is about many things. 

Trump Executive Order Freezing Federal Aid Explains Why He is Captain Chaos

On Monday night, the Trump administration's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) imposed what it calls a temporary "pause" (you can read it here) on all federal financial assistance programs, at least to the extent permissible by law. This was supposedly being done to stop "financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal." A Trump spokesperson insisted that this freeze will have no impact on social security, Medicare, food stamps and any other assistance that goes directly to individuals. But it did. Medicaid portals went down in all 50 states following this memo, jeopardizing 74 million Americans enrolled in this program. The White House later claimed that problem was being rectified, but the lack of clarity was evident in a hearing before Judge Loren AliKhan, during which the Justice Department was unable to specify what financial assistance programs were being paused. As a result, she paused the pause, at least until Monday. Local elected officials are scrambling to see whether aid programs they and local nonprofits rely on, like Head Start, Meals on Wheels and subsidized housing, will still be around when the dust settles. 

Are they Marxist, too?

NorCo Exec Lamont McClure called the directive "cruel, callous, and craven. ... By halting federal funding, the White House is causing needless harm and uncertainty to the citizens of Northampton County. This move directly undermines the essential services that our community relies on.”

Bethlehem Mayor Willie Reynolds will conduct a news conference this morning at 9 am (livestreamed) adding that this memo leads to chaos for people both in and out of city hall. 

From Mayor Willie Reynolds' news conference, we learned that Bethlehem relies on $43.4 million from the federal government and makes it part of its budget.

The salaries of five police officers assigned to the Bethlehem Housing Authority are paid by HUD. Moreover, bullet proof vests and police car tech come from DOJ grants every year. Bethlehem was unable to draw down on these grants as of last evening.

Bethlehem's Department of Health has been locked out of a program that removes lead from homes, and the contractors who do this work (local small businesses) are left unpaid.

A $3.5 million grant for the purchase of the Greenway in south Bethlehem has been stopped. A federal grant that would enable children walk more safely to seven different schools has been "paused."

"It'd hard to think instability and chaos isn't the point," notes Reynolds, who states the executive order just seeds distrust and a lack of confidence in government. "We need to stand up for each other. ... We are not going to let this instability and chaos allow us to retreat or to sit down."

The City is still "surveyng the damage" and determining where it has been locked out." He said Congress legally appropriated this money.

UPDATE 3:28 PM. Trump has done an about face and has rescinded the draconian order freezing federal aid that would have hurt millions of people. This is what I expect from Captain Chaos. 

Trump 2.0

When Donlad Trump was first elected in 2016, Democrats responded with fury. Locally, Lehigh Valley For All (who agree with us) was formed. Nationally, there was the million-woman march, complete with pink hats. This time around, it's mostly a whimper. I confess to feeling resigned to four very uncertain years. 

My feelings can be summed up in Dave Chappelle's message to Trump: "Remember, whether people voted for you or not, they’re all counting on you. Whether they like you or not, they’re all counting on you. The whole world is counting on you. I mean this when I say this — good luck. Please do better next time. Please, all of us do better next time. Do not forget your humanity, and please have empathy for displaced people, whether they’re in the Palisades or Palestine.”

I believe we all can do better, and that includes me. 

Trump Chaos Already in Full Force

Although he's still on the sidelines waiting for his number to be called, President-elect Donald Trump is already doing what he does best - creating chaos. After nearly causing a government shutdown last week, he posted several "Christmas" messages (1) condemning the 1977 Panama Canal neutrality treaty; (2) slamming Canada "Governor" Justin Trudeau; and (3) claiming we need Greenland for national security.

Live! From Madison Square Garden, Trump Surrogates Conduct a Hate Rally

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Over the weekend, Donald Trump conducted a rally before 20,000 cultists at Madison Square Garden. It all started when a comedian called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage." He went on to joke about "carving a watermelon" after seeing a black person in the audience. He also claimed that "Latinos love making babies too, just know that — they don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country."

Now I suppose this can be dismissed as humor. Except that other speaker who are hardly known for humor piled on with racism, sexism and outright hate. 

Private equity darling Grant Cardone said this of Kamala Harris: "Her and her pimp handlers will destroy our country." Ha. Ha. 

Trump advisor Stephen Miller: "America is for Americans and Americans only." Hilarious. 

Putin apologist Tucker Carlson: “It’s going to be pretty hard to look at us and say ‘You know what? Kamala Harris, she got 85 million votes because she’s so impressive as the first Samoan-Malaysian, low I.Q., former California prosecutor ever to be elected president." I'm rolling on the floor.

Here's what I'll say about Trump,. and this is no joke. He is a fascist.

The People Who Knew Trump Best Do Not Support Him

Monday was Columbus Day, aka Indigenous People's Day, so several banks, government offices and the post office were closed. In NorCo, which was open, many people used the holiday to exercise their franchise and cast their "ballot by demand" at the county elections office. As we all know, many of them support Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. I support Harris and consider Trump totally unfit for any office, to say nothing of the Presidency.

I'm a bottom-feeding blogger, the lowest of the low. So what I think should mean little to most of you. But the image above should. The New York Times editorial board has a list of comments from his former staffers, the people who know him best.  

Bill Barr, his former Attorney General, said Trump "will always put his own interests and gratifying his own ego ahead of everything else … .” Gen. John Kelly, Director of Homeland Security and his Chiefm of Staff, calls him "a person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators.” From former VP Mike Pence to former Defense Sec'y James Mattis, the list is long and distinguished.

If you are a member of the Trump cult, this post is worthless. But if you are capable of looking at things a little more objectively. I'd hope you'd realize he is simply a terrible choice to lead this nation.

NYTimes: Harris Is the Only Patriotic Choice

I have told you many times why I could never under any circumstances vote for Donald Trump for office. I completely disagree with his views on both foreign and domestic policy, but it's his poor morale character that repels me. He is a professional wrestling "heel" who revels in outlandish statements with little regard to veracity. This appears to be the view of the NY Times editorial board as well, which has just declared that Kamala Harris is the only patriotic choice in the Presidential race.

The editorial starts with this: "It is hard to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as president of the United States than Donald Trump. He has proved himself morally unfit for an office that asks its occupant to put the good of the nation above self-interest. He has proved himself temperamentally unfit for a role that requires the very qualities — wisdom, honesty, empathy, courage, restraint, humility, discipline — that he most lacks."

You can buy his $499 watch, but it's time to stop buying his bullshit. 

Trump Campaign's Racist Attempt To Smear Haitian Immigrants

If you are a member of the Trump cult, it's really time to wake up. His campaign has made clear that it really is appealing to our dark sides as opposed to the "better angels of our nature." I speak specifically of recent comments made by Donald Trump, Jr, about Haitians, that can only be described as racist. I also allude to JD Vance's insistence on recirculating debunked smears about Haitian immigrants. Knowing that they are false, he still insists on promoting them. 

Let's start with Donald Trump, Jr., who is one of his father's biggest campaign surrogates. At a program broadcast by Charlie Kirk for Real Clear Politics, he had this to say about Haitians: "You look at Haiti, you look at the demographic makeup, you look at the average IQ, if you import the Third World into your country, you're going to become the Third World. That's not racist. That's just fact."

It's racist and not factual at all. It's what is known as pseudoscience and has long been used to justify false claims about the racial superiority or inferiority. Nazis used pseudoscience like eugenics to justify the murder of Jews, blacks, Poles, etc. Now Trump Jr. is using it to dehumanize Haitian immigrants who are in this country legally. 

Then there's VP candidate J.D. Vance, who has continued to circulate stories about Haitians eating dogs and cats even though we all know by now that they are false. As George Orwell would say, "The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." 

Vance admitted yesterday that he had to "create stories" to get the media's attention. If his goal was to continue to vilify Haitians, he has succeeded.  Springfield, Ohio is now the subject of bomb threats that have resulted in the closure of schools and city hall. But if his goal was to present legal immigrants in a bad light, he has failed. If anything, I now feel far more sympathetic to them than I did before these false stories. 

According to Governing, empty downtowns continue to deplete local coffers. This trend is primarily the result of empty office buildings. Many of our industries left long before, including in Springfield, Ohio. That changed in 2017, when Topre, a Japanese auto parts manufacturer, picked the old International Harvester site in which to do business. Other companies like Dole, and of course a few warehouses, followed.  A city that had been in decline was revitalized. That brought an influx of legal immigrants who work hard and pay their taxes. 

Unfortunately, the nativism and racism displayed by the Trump campaign is nothing new. The Know Nothing Movement, also known as the American Party, was a reaction to a sudden influx of Irish Catholics escaping the Famine. 

The MAGA movement, like the Know Nothings before them, is just the latest iteration of nativism, xenophobia and, in the case of Haitians, racism.  Both rely on fear and dehumanization.

We can do better, don't you think? 

Trump Factchecked by ... Deutschland

While Trump and his cult followers grouse about being fact-checked by debate moderators, he's also been corrected by a highly unusual source ... Deutschland. 

During the debate, Trump made this assertion about Germany:

""You believe in things like we're not going to frack, we're not going to take fossil fuel, we're not going to do things that are going to be strong, whether you like it or not," Trump said to Kamala Harris. "Germany tried that, and within one year, they were back to building normal energy plants."

Germany's Foreign Office reesponds, and with a bit of humor:

"Like it or not: Germany's energy system is fully operational, with more than 50% renewables ... And we are shutting down – not building – coal & nuclear plants. Coal will be off the grid by 2038 at the latest."

It concludes with this zinger:

"PS: We also don't eat cats and dogs."

Why Trump is a Bad Choice

Though I'm a Democrat, I've often voted for Republicans. I've voted for them even when I disagreed with most of their policy positions. The reason? In my view, the character of a candidate for public office means a lot more than his views on the issues. In Trump's case, he has none. People, especially uncommitted voters, are beginning to see this. The latest polling bears this out.

There are those who will say they don't like him but will vote for him because they agree with his policies. I'll spare you his numerous flip flops because I think he's got no moral character.

A British writer at London Daily sums it up succinctly by observing "he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace." He adds that this bully also happens to be a "a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness."

Even now, Trump is more focused on the size of his crowds than in the number of votes he will get. Sure, he will still get votes from his cult, but it will stop there. 

Female Secret Service Agents Attacked Mainly Because They Are Women

Yesterday, in response to a post suggesting that President Biden should pardon former President Trump if he really is interested in uniting this country, I received several sexist comments laying blame at the feet of female Secret Service agents who are portrayed as too short, too fat or just plain incompetent. Here's one of the comments: "Did anyone else notice the girls pretending to be secret service agents? Two were fat. Both were too short to provide the secret service "meat shield" on such a tall candidate. One kept pleading "what are we doing? What are we doing?" The men seemed to know without asking. The one fatty couldn't holster her weapon until the fifth try." Well, according to former Secret Service agent Mike McCarthy, who took a bullet for President Reagan in 1981, the agents did exactly what they are trained to do - cover and evacuate.

I suspect each of these female agents is fit and have BMIs under 25. I also watched video of several state troopers in the aftermath of the shooting, including a sergeant who was male but definitely was incredibly overweight. I doubt he could run 100 yards. Then there's a male Butler Township police officer who actually confronted Trump's would be-assassin several seconds before the shooting. He not only retreated, but failed to take any action to alert anyone in law enforcement that a potential killer was on the rooftop. This officer could have fired his own gun into the ground to alert Secret Service sharpshooters that mischief was afoot. He allowed a few crucial seconds to go by, and that was all the time needed for a killer to open up on Trump and innocent people.  

Interestingly, a local counter-sniper unit was actually inside the building in which an assassin climbed up onto the roof and unleashed a hail of bullets that killed and wounded. 

If Biden Really Wants to Bring Us Together, He Should Pardon Trump

Late Saturday afternoon, in western Pennsylvania's Trump country, a would-be assassin nearly succeeded in killing former President Donald Trump. From atop a glass factory only 348 yards from a Trump rally, Thomas Matthew Crooks aimed his father's AR-style rifle at Trump and fired away. One bullet grazed Trump's ear, who was otherwise unharmed. The hail of bullets from Crooks did, however, kill a firefighter and critically wounded two others. While we may have serious differences, people of good will (left and right) quickly condemned this senseless act of violence. President Joe Biden talked about the need for all of us to unite on Saturday night and twice on Sunday. Moreover, following a phone call between these two political rivals, Trump posted a two-word message on his Truth Social account - "Unite America!" Instead of uttering meaningless refrains about getting along, one of the biggest steps Biden could take to ease the political temperature would be by granting Trump a pardon in the federal cases pending against him. 

The federal criminal cases show a man who actively obstructed government officials in numerous attempts to retrieve sensitive confidential records that included nuclear secrets. But I am well aware that a large segment of the American population believe he is a victim of political persecution. This has stoked a lot of the division in this country over the past year. 

I'll concede there are people on both sides of the political spectrum who will never be mollified unless one side completely obliterates "the other." In years past, "the other" has been our foreign adversaries. Now, it's progressive Democrats or MAGA Republicans. There is no hope for people who latch onto conspiracy theories and are so full of hate that they condemn everyone just for their party affiliation. 

Most of us are unlike that. I am close to several MAGA Republicans who are among the most generous people I know. Even my brother is a Trump supporter, and to be honest, he is a far better person than I ever was. With those folks, a Biden pardon would go a long way to easing the current political tensions. They might even help restore faith in some of our government institutions. 

Will this hurt Biden's chances at the "battle box," as he called the ballot box last night? Frankly, who cares? That ship sailed after a disastrous debate performance. And the assassination attempt makes a Trump's landslide even more likely.  But if Biden really cares about bringing people together, instead of his own selfish interests, he'd do it. 

Finally, I wish to address some nasty comments directed at me over the weekend, claiming I took joy in Trump's near assassination and that my own rhetoric is somehow responsible.  I take back none of the things I've said about Trump. I do consider him an authoritarian and a danger to democracy. I've compared him to Hitler and have called him a crime boss. But these does not mean I want people to kill him. I've always believed in following the law, even when I have sometimes failed myself. Finally, I've never advocated violence against him or anyone. 

Biden Excelled in Presser, But That Fails To Erase Disastrous Debate

There was a marked contrast between the walking corpse who debated Donald Trump a few weeks ago and the thoughtful and well-informed man who faced the press last night during a wide-ranging news conference in which he demonstrated a vastly superior knowledge of foreign policy. Is it too little, too late? I think so.

Earlier that day, he introduced Ukraine President Zelensky as President Putin And at the onset of his presser, he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as Donald Trump. These kinds of flubs are only human and completely normal. I've done this and suspect you have, too, even if you refuse to admit it. And let's, be honest. Like it or not, he does have a speech impediment. But for the most part, he handled himself exceptionally well last night responding to 11 different reporters. I was left to wonder why he has failed to do this more often.

When questioned about domestic issues or his own fitness, he tended to stray away from what he was being asked. But he was clear on the subject of foreign policy and the need to stand up to Putin's aggression.  He does better when he speaks slowly. 

Though impressive last night, it's just impossible to erase his disastrous debate performance, in which he often stared vacantly with his mouth agape. In case you forget it, I'm sure Trump's campaign will be sending you plenty of reminders. 

According to a Washington Post/Ipsos poll released yesterday, 67% of all Americans believe Biden needs to withdraw. This also includes 56% of all Democrats. 

Although Trump is a deeply flawed person and will be a disastrous President who fails to honor America's commitments. Biden's continued campaign means a landslide. Biden hinted he might step aside if convinced he's unable to beat Trump, and it is up to show him this is inevitable instead of being enablers. 

Jow needs an intervention. 

Get Ready For President Trump

 After last night's Presidential debate, my conclusion is that Donald Trump is going to be handily elected in November. Biden delivered perhaps the worst possible performance you could possibly see. He frankly looked like a walking corpse. He had bizarre meltdowns, including the claim that he "finally beat Medicare." He meandered and spent much of his time with his mouth agape and staring as though he failed to understand what was being said.  By contrast, Trump was assertive and was sure of himself, even though he played fast and loose with the facts. 

I'm currently recovering from a nasty bout of bronchitis, and my voice is still very weak. Biden sounded worse. 

If he was auditioning for a role as a zombie in some horror flick, Biden would easily get the part. But President? No way. 

Trump Guilty x 34 on Weakest of Four Criminal Prosecutions

Late yesterday afternoon, as my grandson and I were getting ready to ride the Ironton Rail Trail, a Manhattan jury returned a verdict of guilty against Donald Trump in what I consider the weakest of four criminal prosecutions brought against him. As I said earlier this week, I doubt this verdict will change the minds of anyone who already decided to vote for him. But in my view, an acquittal would have all but ensured his election. He is in a good position to win despite this setback. 

I do think Trump sympathizers have a point when they claim this particular prosecution was politically motivated. Although Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg never specifically promised to prosecute Trump, as some have falsely asserted, he did vow to hold Trump accountable. As a politician who may very well be looking out for his own future, I have little quarrel with those who say his decision to seek an indictment was at least partially political. But it stops there. There is no evidence of any organized or disorganized effort by Biden to go after Trump. Even Biden's Department of Justice has taken a hands-off approach, relying instead on a special prosecutor to look into Trump's federal violations. And Trump's contention that Biden authorized the FBI to use deadly force in the Mar-a-Lago raid is just a blatant lie. They are always authorized to use deadly force, but only when there's a "credible imminent risk of death or serious bodily harm to themselves or others." 

This is what Trump does. He lies. That's why he's been held liable in defamation cases. That's why his business has been held liable for fraud. And now, he's been convicted by a jury of his peers for lying on his business records. 

Had I been a member of that jury, I probably would have voted to acquit. And yes, I do think he has a good shot at getting this conviction reversed. But unlike the MAGA cult and Trump himself, I respect the jury. Our system is built in a way that 12 people can see through a biased judge (I doubt that very much) or a political prosecutor out to make a name for himself. All 12 must agree on guilt, and guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. So like it or not, on the law that was given to them, a jury did its job. 

Trump knows this. If he really thought the system was rigged, why would he bother to appeal?  He'll appeal because he knows our system of justice, despite many flaws and inequities, is fundamentally fair. 

He's done his best to undermine public confidence in our elections. Don't let this demagogue do iyt to our justice system.