Zelensky Speaks Fluent English, Too Bad Donald Trump Doesn't

 or maybe they could negotiate in Ukrainian? Well, I guess not.

Who's Really To Blame For Milwaukee County Transit Deficit

The Milwaukee Country Transit System is a hot mess right now.  It is nearly $11 million in the hole right now.  MCTS officials blame their deficit on unexpected overtime, lower ridership, people getting on board without paying their fare and private contractors not meeting their obligations.

To make matters worse, transit officials have known about this for months, but have only just now come clean on it. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the finger pointing game is already ridiculous:

 "It's like they're way too reactionary. They're way too slow moving, and the fact it takes weeks to notify us that you're starting to see a problem, that is an issue," Supervisor Steve Taylor, the finance committee's vice-chair, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after reviewing the timeline.

The report also shows on June 23, following the agency's release of its May financial report, the County Executive's Office shared concerns with MCTS that it had not communicated the "severity of the budget situation" with supervisors prior to notifying the public, and "acting independently regarding major implications of service changes."

Days later, county Comptroller Liz Sumner said she was "stunned to learn through the media" of MCTS' projected deficit for 2025, given the reports she had been receiving projected a "balanced budget" for the end of the year. Sumner called for an audit of the agency as well as an analysis of the agency's finances to be carried out by her own office.

On July 1, Donna Brown-Martin, executive director of the county transportation department since 2018, resigned. A week later, Interim President and CEO Julie Esch resigned from MCTS

OK, so the two top MCTS officials resigned. That's just a start though.  

I need more answere from Summer on how she didn't know and only learned it through the media.  Where was she for the past six months?  Maybe we should do an audit on her office as well as MCTS.

The fact of the matter is that this has been a long time coming.  There once was a time when this sort of thing would never have gotten this big or gone on for so long before the Milwaukee County Board would have caught it and taken action.  

Their ability to do that ended about ten years ago, when then Milwaukee County Executive and Plutocrat Chris Abele colluded with Republican state legislators to pass Act 14, which gutted the county board and made them less than half-time employees. Act 14 also decimated the system of checks and balances that exists in functional governments.   

While most of the damage was done, the voters approved of this by large numbers, thanks to a strong advertising blitz by Abele, the Republicans, and people like Bruce Murphy, editor of Urban Milwaukee.

It should be noted that current leaders like the current county executive, David Crowley, hasn't lifted a finger to fix the problem, or even pretend to care.

Remember this when we go to vote next year.  All levels of government needs a good cleaning and purging of thos that serve the wealthy and not the people.

Once Upon A Time

 We had a President that knew how to handle Russia: 

Now, we have a president who can't even find Russia on a map, much less handle it:

This is not what winning looks like. 

Putin Owns Donald Trump

I haven't had the energy to wade into all of the commentary coming out in the media about the Alaskan clam bake...but from the headlines and brief bits I am seeing, Putin totally owns Trump.

Some Often Overlooked Side Effects Of Calling Out The National Guard

I don't know if I've written about this before or not, but it is worth bringing up again. Besides the obvious insanity of using the National Guard to handle police activities or cater to the blatant infantile proclivities of the sitting president, there are other negative factors in calling up the guard.

The National Guard is an organization of dedicated and brave citizen soldiers. They are an important force in the overall defensive strategy of our nation and a reliable resource in the face of disasters. But they should never never be the face of political theater. 

And why is that? Because they are citizen soldiers and spend most of their days as civilians. So calling them up takes them out of their homes and away from their families and loved ones...and puts them in harm's way. Not only does that put stress and worry into their own day to day, but it also stresses out their families...which is a crime in itself when the guard is called out unnecessarily. 

And? Because they primarily lead civilian lives, they have civilian jobs. And calling them up takes money out of their pockets and puts stress on the businesses that employ them...losing qualified and loyal employees for unknown lengths of time. In a defense call up or disaster recovery role, businesses understand and appreciate the sacrifices that their employees make and understand and accept the sacrifices that they too must make. But to lose their employees to frivolity? 

Senseless use of the National Guard not only harms the areas where they are deployed but can do far reaching damage to other localities that lose their family members, employees, and community stability from political insanity.

Trump Response To Crime In The Streets of DC Is More Than Six Years Overdue:

I mean, he should have called out the National Guard on January 6, 2021 when actual criminals overran the Capitol and threatened the lives of real Americans, yes? Oh wait, wasn't there a question about the president's authority to call out the Guard in January 2021? But he can do it now, right?

Trump Is Hosting P:utin At An American Military Base? I Mean What The Actual Flock?

White House lands on Trump-Putin summit location as officials race to prepare for historic Alaska meeting 

 Organizers of the summit soon came to believe the only city in the massive state with viable options for the summit would be Anchorage. And only Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, on the northern edge of the city, would meet the security requirements for the historic meeting, though the White House had hoped to avoid the optics of hosting the Russian leader and his entourage on a US military installation. So yes, Trump is hosting an enemy combatant on a US military base. WTAF?

Just A Reminder from 1776 Or So:

 

Tom Tiffany Is Right As He Exposes A Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Rep. Tom Tiffany targets visa program exception that UW uses to hire for hard-to-fill jobs

Wisconsin Republican US Representative Tom Tiffany is right...the UW system is having issues filling high level faculty positions because of a shortage of qualified American candidates. And he is blaming the educational systems in the state of Wisconsin and the nation for doing a poor job in educating our youth. 

Probably all true...but guess who the culprits are. Not Wisconsin's public school system and not the University of Wisconsin system. It is Tom Tiffany who, when a state legislator, joining the anti-education GOP cabal in Madison, intentionally underfunded education in Wisconsin at all levels. If education here is falling behind, it is Tom Tiffany's fault. 

details from the link:

[The Republican congressman representing northwestern Wisconsin introduced a bill in Congress to end an exception in the H-1B visa program that allows universities to hire an unlimited number of specialized workers from other countries.

Local immigration attorneys said universities generally hire H-1B workers as a last resort for specialized jobs they are unable to fill with U.S. workers.

To Tiffany, though, universities feeling forced to look overseas for qualified applicants is a red flag for higher education as a whole.

"If we have to go to other countries to get the best and brightest, that is a real indictment of our educational system, both here in Wisconsin and in America," he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.]

Step up Tom and send us some dollars...before you run for governor.

 

 

Trump Wants You To Pay For India's Russian Oil

Well not exactly but here's how it goes. Because India continues to buy cheap Russian Oil, Donald Trump doubled tariffs on India to 50%. And once again he's lying to you and me saying India is paying these tariffs. But as always, YOU and I will be paying for them in the end prices we pay for items imported from India.

So yes, India may suffer some hardships if the U.S reduces imports of Indian produced goods. But it's the American public who will actually be the ones paying the price. 

If Trump actually wants to punish India for buying Russian oil, he would be better advised to use other financial incentives and sanctions instead. Things that aren't going to raid our wallets. 

 

If Only We Had A Universal Single Payer Health Care Plan, We Wouldn't Need To Do This

 "The Trump Administration announced a new initiative on Wednesday designed to allow Americans to share their medical records across a host of apps and programs managed by private tech companies—a move that proponents says will facilitate easier access to those records across the country’s fragmented health care system, but that digital privacy experts fear will risk making patients’ data less secure."

Another boondoggle and another method to allow big tech access to your personal records. And as I said in my headline, a universal single payer plan would mean one data base of medical information available to only providers...in one place...and it wouldn't need to include Google,Amazon, Apple, etc, etc, etc. 

For more details: Trump to Launch Private Health Tracking System With Tech Firms

"The Administration “secured commitments” from more than 60 tech and health care companies—including Amazon, Apple, Google, and OpenAI—“to begin laying the foundation for a next-generation digital health ecosystem that will improve patient outcomes, reduce provider burden, and drive value,” according to a press release from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)."

"...a move that proponents says will facilitate easier access to those records across the country’s fragmented health care system, but that digital privacy experts fear will risk making patients’ data less secure."

And of course the answer is right there in front of their face and actually coming out of their mouth. We have a fractured health care system...fix that and the issue resolves itself! 

And 60 tech companies? Does that sound easier to you??

 

 

Trump Cabinet Should Pass The Citizenship Test En Masse, Before They Suggest Changing It.

 

US citizenship test to get a Trump-era update

"The Trump administration will soon move forward with changes to the U.S. citizenship test, which the new head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has called too easy.

Recently appointed USCIS Director Joseph Edlow told The New York Times the current test doesn’t have a high enough difficulty level."

Not difficult enough? I would like to see the whole Trump Administration cabinet take the test at their next meeting, including the president and vice-president, no devices, and properly proctored by someone from the State Dept. I am assuming they can all read and write English at an adult level. Let's see the grades before we decide what's hard enough. Aina?

Throw Back Thurday: Karoline Leavitt said, If Not For The US Entry Into WWII, France Would Be Speaking German

Well, NO. It is generally accepted that the Allies would have prevailed over Germany and Italy in Europe without American intervention. But yes it would have taken longer, cost more money, and cost far more lives. 

But now, let's consider our relationship with France. France is our oldest ally. It is also generally accepted that without French arms, money, and personnel, the Colonies very likely would have lost the Revolutionary War to the British and remained colonies. So what does that mean? Well, what comprises the portion of the United States east of the Mississippi would now be part of: CANADA! And we would be eating poutine instead of cheese curds. Lafayette, we are here!

And without the United States, there would have been no Louisiana Purchase. So that third of the current US, west of the Mississippi, would be Louisiana. And we would be drinking cognac instead of Old Mister Boston brandy and we would be speaking FRENCH!

And the great state of Texas, the beautiful southwest, and most of the west coast? Well, it would be a dream come true. There would be no border problem because the current border would be in the MIDDLE of MEXICO. There would be no taco trucks because every restaurant would be a Mexican restaurant. And Corona would be the beer of choice instead of Bud Lite. And we would all be speaking SPANISH!

 And as long we are playing with history and you hold to Leavitt's incredulous statement, here's an idea on how it would have been in post-war England if the Germans had won: Len Deighton's SS-GB

It's Too Bad That Other Nations Don't Have The Wherewithal To Stop Trade With The US

Yes, if say Canada just simply closed the borders and stopped selling anything and everything that the US buys from them, the value of trade would be clearly apparent for all to see. But with modern trade, that wouldn't be possible and of course Trump would reciprocate. 

And because trade is so complex, a one week hiatus wouldn't have much effect because so many items are already in the pipeline and the effects would only be apparent weeks later.

Maybe start small, like having the penguins do it first? If you don't know, Google it.

Why Is Anyone Allowed To Get Away With This? From WI Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez:

This was just posted on the Threads account of Wisconsin Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez: I am posting the original as a screen grab and then the reply separately as a cut and paste  because the type face gets too small to read otherwise. The complete post is posted below for accuracy.

[Yesterday, reporters got a ‘tip’ that my husband is undocumented. Spoiler: he’s a proud, naturalized U.S. citizen. We are five days into this race and my opponents are already resorting to racist, made-up attacks about my family. It’s pathetic, it’s ugly, and it sure as hell won’t lower a single grocery bill or fix a single school. If this is their best shot, they better pack a damn lunch.]

First, since we don't know who provided the tip, I hope that the news agency that received the supposed tip is going to look into the background of the liar and take whatever action they deem appropriate. But if this did come from a campaign, political party, or political activist it should be exposed and condemned. 

Second, we don't know the media outlet involved. But after running a statewide campaign for Lt. Governor and winning, I would expect that the media would have fully vetted Rodriquez a hundred times over by now and wouldn't have given this an ounce of air. WTF you guys?

Wisconsin deserves better!

Sara Rodriguez For Governor (this is for information, it is not an endorsement)

Farm Field In California OR A Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan?

 

Kinda hard to tell, except our troops in Afghanistan most likely weren't wearing face masks.

National Organization, JewBelong, Posted Divisive Billboards Near Summerfest, BUT:

sadly, for Americans they are just stating a fact, re-enforcing the status quo.

Here's the article on JSOnline:Jewish group's billboards ask Milwaukee motorists to imagine being victims of Hamas attack

 "Imagine going to a music festival and not coming home" Imagine indeed, and I imagine they made their point but I imagine that they missed the point here in America.

In a troubled nation desperately clinging to the Second Amendment, many Americans don't have to imagine...they don't come home, they haven't come home.

And not just music festivals, but schools, stores, holiday parties, work places, movie theaters, army bases, navy yards, peaceful protests, churches, Sikh temples, and SYNAGOGUES! 

They missed the point, that unfortunately, the United States is no stranger to random violence.

But just like every one else, they offer no solutions.

We Have An Official Blog Mascot

 A friend of the blog is an animal lover just like yours truly. One of the ways they demonstrate their love is by feeding the feral cats in the neighborhood. And it is with great pride that I announce that they have named this little ruffian capper, after moi, of course.

So it is only right that I adopt little capper as the official blog mascot.

It is also a must that I ask of you to donate to your favorite shelter or rescue that helps all the stray dogs and cats.  If you would like to support my mini-me, just drop a donation to me via Venmo or Paypal at capper42 and I'll see that the money gets to capper's benefactor. Just make sure you note that it is for capper the cat and not capper the union thug.

Also, remember, when you're looking for a companion animal, always adopt, don't shop.

A Brand New Millionaire Who Won't Be Paying Taxes, well, Cause:

 And I don't understand why sports figures make these figures, I mean, until I hit the IL two weeks ago I was playing a solid right field, hitting around .225 and a team RBI leader. Hell, I'll sign for the league minimum. And then there was this too:

 

that should be worth a signing bonus, aina?

Why Is Pete Hegseth Sh*tting On American War Hero And President Dwight Eisenhower?

 I Like Ike!

 

The army base just outside of Augusta GA was formerly known as Fort Gordon, named after a Confederate general and governor of Georgia. During the effort to remove the names of traitors from American military installations during the Biden administration it was renamed Fort Eisenhower. 

I don't think anyone who has studied a lick of American history can deny that after George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower is the most important military hero in American history. But now, to dis everything Biden and feed into MAGA inadequacies, Hegseth has renamed the fort, Fort Gordon. But in an end run around the rules, it's not (wink wink) the Confederate general this time but another decorated American serviceman. 

"At a Senate budget hearing in June, Hegseth said restoring the base names was "important for the morale" of the military."  Hey, Pete! All of the confederate generals are dead. Morale ain't a thing with them.

Obviously you can sense I oppose renaming forts for traitors no matter what subterfuge is being used.

But I am amazed that not a single Republican doesn't find fault with removing DDE's name from a prominent American Army base. Not only was he a great American hero in WWII, he was also a well respected president in the post war era, and a distinguished REPUBLICAN, when there were such things.

I Like Ike

Dear Mr. Kotter:

My son doesn't have a list!

Epstein's mom.

But We Are Supposed To Accept The Bible Verbatim...except

 

Stop making it so confusing...that's it for this Sunday's sermon.

Open Letter To Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Etal: THIS IS HOW IT IS DONE!!

From the Today In History column for July 9th: 

"1795: American banker and businessman James Swan paid off $2,024,899 in national debt that the United States owed to France, which was amassed during the American Revolution."

Billionaires don't beg for tax breaks.THEY PAY OFF THE NATIONAL DEBT! Time to step up to the plate!!

But just imagine how much $2 million was in 1795.

 

The Peter Principle On Steriods: Former WI GOP Rep Can't Run Dept of Transportation So Let's Give Him NASA?

Former Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy named interim NASA head while still serving as DOT secretary

 

We can't even pretend to find a scientist much less an aerospace expert for the job? I guess the one plus out of this is Elon Musk wasn't given the gig. We don't need any NASA rockets blowing up just...'cause.

Natural Disasters Are The New Mass Shootings

 Every time that there is a mass shooting and people want to discuss reasonable gun laws, the Republicans always say that "it's too soon to talk about that" as they offer up their useless thoughts and prayers" instead of doing anything to actually help save lives.

Now, it's apparently the same for natural disasters.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) 'was on CNN on Sunday mornint to talk about the horrible flooding in Texas that has already claimed over 70 lives.  Castro pointed out that former President Elmo and The Orange Felon slashed funding for the National Weather Service and for DHS, which used to house FEMA.  These cuts prevented accurate forecasting or a coordinated alert system that could have helped prevented much of the disaster in the first place.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (MAGA-TN, who appeared on Faux News later in the day, didn't even hesitate to play the "it's too soon" card:

Blackburn responded to Castro in a Sunday afternoon appearance on Fox News.

"Those are issues that will be addressed by DHS and NOAA and other components as they move forward," Blackburn insisted. "Now is not the day for that type of conversation."

"I would encourage the congressman to be wrapping his arms and his heart and his prayers around these families and to stand with them at this point," she added.

For a party that claim to be all for personal responsibility, the Republicans sure do go out of their way to avoid it.

DVO Against Third Party Because Trump Might Be Held Accountable

 If the gentle reader hadn't heard, former President Elmo wants to create a second party that caters to billionaires because the Republicans were no longer enough or something like that.

Trump's Little Bitch, Rep. Drunken Van Orden decried the thought because he doesn't want to see his sugar daddy being held accountable:

And, of course, it Sugar Daddy Trump is held accountable, that means that Little Bitch Van Orden might also be held accountable for his actions.

It's only a matter of time before something - or someone - breaks.

Remember When The Social Security Administration Was A Non-partisan Agency That Helped ALL Americans Insure Their Retirement?

Or are you one of the millions of Americans. like me, who received this email a few days ago? : Social Security Applauds Passage of Legislation Providing Historic Tax Relief for Seniors.

 

 

"The Social Security Administration (SSA) is celebrating the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that delivers long-awaited tax relief to millions of older Americans.

The bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits, providing meaningful and immediate relief to seniors who have spent a lifetime contributing to our nation's economy.

“This is a historic step forward for America’s seniors,” said Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano. “For nearly 90 years, Social Security has been a cornerstone of economic security for older Americans. By significantly reducing the tax burden on benefits, this legislation reaffirms President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security and helps ensure that seniors can better enjoy the retirement they’ve earned."

The new law includes a provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries, providing relief to individuals and couples. Additionally, it provides an enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned.

Social Security remains committed to providing timely, accurate information to the public and will continue working closely with federal partners to ensure beneficiaries understand how this legislation may affect them."

But my friends...not only is this email directly partisan and politically motivated, it isn't even true. But why would I expect anything different from the Trump administration. But once again silence from the GOP as the administration lies and disinforms the American public:

" The Trump domestic policy package, which Congress sent to his desk on Thursday, extends the president’s expiring tax cuts he enacted in 2017, and also creates a temporary tax deduction for earnings from tips and overtime.

But it does not eliminate federal taxes on Social Security. Budget reconciliation, the arcane process Senate Republicans used to pass the bill while avoiding a Democratic filibuster, does not allow changes to be made to Social Security.

The Trump package does, however, include a temporary tax deduction of up to $6,000 for seniors ages 65 and older, and $12,000 for married seniors. Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers argued last month that nearly 9 in 10 seniors would not pay any federal taxes on their Social Security benefits because the new deduction would eliminate their tax burden. "

So you might still pay federal taxes on your social security of your income exceeds that allowed under the earnings deductions...but for most of us things haven't changed much...well unless we itemize and forgo the new deduction limits.

BTW: for those of you who pay state taxes on your social security, you still will pay state taxes on your social security. 

and I surrender to Blogger and give up trying to get the color editing right today. yikes...

 

 

JHC? When Will The GOP Make This Insanity Stop? Now It's A FAKE FLOOD?

 My apologies for using that lead-in acronym for those of you are observant on this summer Sunday. But this continued ignorance and criminalization of science has gotten totally out of hand. When will the GOP actually decide that this has gone on far too long. 

One of the largest news stories of the weekend has been about the catastrophic floods in Texas and the tragic loss of life.I can't quite ponder how devastating this has been for the many families involved and the communities involved. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has kept on top of the events and says that rescue efforts will continue until everyone is accounted for. As I write this, the death toll has reached 69. 

Appropriately President Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday morning, although I haven't heard if he plans to visit Texas to review the scene or if he will help direct federal rescue efforts there. 

But we have heard from two MAGA whackos who seem totally insensitive to the gravity of the situation. First Georgia Republican Congressional candidate, Kandiss Taylor:

" 'Kandiss Taylor, who is running to represent Georgia in the House of Representatives, posted on X Saturday: “Fake weather. Fake hurricanes. Fake flooding. Fake. Fake. Fake.' " 

And again later:

" 'This isn’t just ‘climate change.’ It’s cloud seeding, geoengineering, & manipulation,“ she added. ”If fake weather causes real tragedy, that’s murder. Pray. Prepare. Question the narrative.' "

Well, at least she reminded us to pray. 

And then there is the den mother of MAGA loonies, Marjorie Taylor Greene, incidentally also from Georgia:

"...the far-right Republican announced that she was introducing a bill that prohibits “the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere for the express purpose of altering weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity.”

“It will be a felony offense,” she said. 

“We must end the dangerous and deadly practice of weather modification and geoengineering,” she concluded.

Though she didn’t mention the tragedy directly, the post seemed to be a response to the horrific flash floods which killed at least 66 people after sweeping through central Texas on Friday. "

Needless to say both have drawn their fair share of fair criticism so far. But this thinking is dangerous and intentional DISinformation. When will the GOP have enough of this nonsense. When will their party finally disown them?

Celebrating The 4th of July with: The Historic Document That Angered The First Trump Administration!

 My memory doesn't respond with the alacrity that I have come to expect but I do remember this: during the first Trump administration, the NPR on air staff celebrated the 4th of July by taking turns reading the Declaration of Independence. And the Trumpsters mistook it as an oped attack on his administration. So today's post:

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Eighteen Years

 

Eighteen years ago, I used to like to read the blogs that were around then.  Then I started commenting nn some of them.  Before I knew it, I got an email from a guy named Jay, who ran the folkbum blogsite.  He told me he collected writers like he collected campaign buttons and invited me to join his site.  (Yes, Jay, I remember. That's how much impact you had on me with that simple gesture.)  

Well, I accepted Jay's offer.  And people actually like me! 

One thing led to another and before I knew it, I joined Whallah!, which was aimed at conservative squawkers like Chuckles the Clown Sykes and Jessica McBride, the Lauren Boebert of journalism.

Then I took over Whallah!

Then, seventeen years ago, this here blog was born

In the ensuing years, people have come, and people have gone.  Sometimes to bigger and better things.  Sometimes because they got burned out.  Sometimes because it turned out that this wasn't what they wanted to do.

The hardest loss to take was when cancer stole my blogging partner and dear friend, Jeff Simpson.  I lost a part of myself when I lost my friend.  

But after a longer than intended hiatus, I'm coming back. Well, I was always around, just spending it all with my other family at Crooks and Liars. It's a cool enough place, even though they don't really appreciate cheese the way they should.

I can't thank you enough for your patience.

But now, if you haven't noticed, gentle reader, the wolves are at the door again. It's time to take it to them.  I hope that you will join Ed and I and whoever else may join us in the future, as we do what we do best.

Because, as always, this site destroys fascism.

PS: As always, all complaints about me being the Cheddarsphere should be directed to Jay.

The White House Continues To Declare The Big Bill Protects Medicaid. So Dems, Where's The Proof??

Really, where is the actual rebuttal?? I certainly believe that this bill will be devastating to the health and welfare for may ordinary Americans. But...as the MAGAts continue to tout it, can someone on the left please SHOW America just exactly what is going to happen? Just sayin' it's bad ain't gonna get it done.

Once Again, All Of This Angst Around Medicaid Could Be Avoided If Only,,,

we had actual single payer health care in the United States like every other civilized industrial nation.

YES : Big Brother Is Truly Upon Us: Trump is building a national citizenship data system

 From a bit on NPR this morning: 

"DHS, in partnership with the White House's Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) team, has recently rolled out a series of upgrades to a network of federal databases to allow state and county election officials to quickly check the citizenship status of their entire voter lists — both U.S.-born and naturalized citizens — using data from the Social Security Administration as well as immigration databases.

Such integration has never existed before, and experts call it a sea change that inches the U.S. closer to having a roster of citizens — something the country has never embraced. A centralized national database of Americans' personal information has long been considered a third rail — especially to privacy advocates as well as political conservatives, who have traditionally opposed mass data consolidation by the federal government."

There are many kinds of privacy concerns here. Particularly given that this was done without public input and apparently without Congressional approval or even knowledge. Haven't Republicans and others on the right been the staunchest supporters of personal privacy? And given that anything and everything touched by DOGE is suspect (dodgy), there is trouble a brewing for you and me here. 

A state election official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the development told NPR: "The question is, is the data usable? And [usable] in a way that I'm not going to jeopardize people who live in my jurisdiction?"

 

the court’s (SCOTUS) “decision to permit the Executive to violate the Constitution with respect to anyone who has not yet sued is an existential threat to the rule of law.”

 this apparently is the actual quote from Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in her dissent on the SCOTUS ruling on Trump's Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship. I tried to look it up because the version running around the social media posts seemed too provocative for a Supreme Court Justice...even in these insane times. This version is what came up in news reports...the other version only on social media sites. I am not going to repost it if it isn't true.

As long as we are renaming things: Let's Rename The Ukraine War:

as the Russian War. Yes it is being fought in Ukraine but let's give credit where credit is due...Russia invaded Ukraine...so it is the Russian War...or even better yet, Putin's War~

Thank You, Reps Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) filed articles of impeachment against TACO Don for his violation of the War Powers Act.   Even though it wasn't going to go anywhere, it was nice to see someone taking a stand for once.

Sadly, 130 Democratic Congressmen and Congresswomen sold the nation out by refusing to take a stand.  The list of the standouts can be found here.

Fortunately, Wisconsin's own Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan are not on that list.  Thank you to both of them for standing up for Wisconsin and for the United States.

As for those 130 sellouts, they only prove that David Hogg was correct.

State Correction Officers Score Big Win In SCOWIS

Two Wisconsin correction officers filed a lawsuit against the state. The gist of the lawsuit was that correction officers should be paid for the time they go through security protocals when arriving at or leaving the worksite.  They filed this as a class action lawsuit on behalf of all of their fellow officers.

The state, naturally is fighting them on both the merits of the case and whether it should be a class action.  The officers lost the class action part in appellate court, but the supreme court corrected this injustice:

In a majority opinion written by Justice Janet Protasiewicz, the Court reversed the appeals court’s decision, stating that to certify a class action lawsuit a judge must determine if the group at issue has a common question without evaluating the answer to that question.

“There is a difference between identifying whether a common question exists and deciding its answer,” Protasiewicz wrote. “A court ‘must walk a balance between evaluating evidence to determine whether a common question exists and predominates, without weighing that evidence to determine whether the plaintiff class will ultimately prevail on the merits.’”

Protasiewicz’s opinion was joined by Justices Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet, Brian Hagedorn and Jill Karofsky. Chief Justice Annette Ziegler wrote a partial concurrence, which was joined by Justice Rebecca Bradley. 

Of course, all this delay and added expense to the taxpayers could have been avoided if Scott Walker and the Republicans had not passed Act 10 so long ago.  This case not only restores some rights for the state correction workers, but also points out the folly and illegality of Act 10 to begin with.

A Prize For TACO Don

 Poor old TACO Don is really have a bad time lately.

First he says he'll take a couple of  weeks to decide what to do about Iran, even though there was nothing to do.

Then he forgot he said he would take a couple of weeks, and to get on Benji Nutty-yahoo's good side, dropped some bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities.  TACO Don claimed he "obliterated" the facilities.

About this time, TACO Don starts caterwauling that he wants a Nobel Peace Prize because he bombed the Middle East into peaces, or something like that.

But then it turns out his bombing run had bombed out.  Two of the facilities had been closed long ago.  The third one had been vacated long before the TACO bombs dropped and even then, damage was minimal.

While this news was coming out, a few Democrats and even a Republican or two said that this crossed the line and that TACO Don needed to be impeached.

Per his nature, TACO Don lashed out at everyone, including the media sources reporting his failure and the politicians calling for him to be held accountable.

To bury all this bad news, TACO Don claimed he brokered a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.  The only thing is that neither Iran or Israel got the memo and kept on bombng the bejeezers out of each other.

TACO Don then displayed his tact, statesmanship, diplomacy and peaceful nature with this memorable scene (NSFW):

And where the hell was his freaking Nobel Peace Prize anyway.  

Well, sorry, TACO Don, but there will never be a Nobel Peace Prize in your future.  And before you get to it, your Truth Social posts are a good indication that you shouldn't hold your breath in hopes of a Pulitzer Prize either.

But because we don't want you to go away empty-handed as long as you just go away.  You can win the first and only official USA Booby Prize! Congratulations!  

Trump Wants Regime Change? Easy Peasy...Just Resign!

 and that will make America great again too!  that's the message.

Failing To Incite His Own Personal Reichstag Fire, Trump Is Now Fishing For A Gulf of Tonkin Incident

 By bringing first National Guard Troops and then Marines to Los Angeles to quell the 'riots', Donold Trump hoped to create a maelstrom of violence that would allow him to declare another more heinous national emergency and install Marshall (sic) Law ( yeah I know it's martial law but Marshall is how his cult spells it on the internet). Los Angeles wasn't riots. Yes some miscreants always find a way to seek cover under protests and vandalize, burn, and loot...but the protests in Los Angeles have essentially been peaceful. But Trump hoped that Los Angeles would burn and he could take it as his Reichstag moment and take dictatorial control in the US. Didn't happen.

 

So plan B appeared, actually weeks early. Piggybacking on Israel's attacks on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites and other military installations, Trump ordered US military strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites. At this point there have been no Iranian counter attacks but they are surely coming. If Iran attacks embassies abroad or middle eastern American military assets, certainly the war will expand. But what if they (as they are wont to do) unleash terrorist activity on US soil? Will Donold now have his Gulf of Tonkin moment and decide to start not only an expanded war but to take dictatorial control in the US? 

For those who don't remember or are too young to know: Gulf of Tonkin  and Reichstag Fire

Impeach Trump. Impeach Hegseth. Recall everyone who is opposed to the Impeachement, i.e, US has struck 3 Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says

There is absolutely no reason that US forces needed to get involved in Iran at this moment. The master of the 'art of the deal' has no idea how to negotiate a thing and let his chance to make a peace agreement slip away. 

Trump etal need to be impeached and voted out of office by the Senate and every single member of Congress who opposes that needs to censured and recalled and removed. 

Lest We Forget: In Memorium: Melissa Hortman

 

Apparently Los Angeles Isn't That Dangerous If JD Vance Feels Safe For A Visit

The White House has been broadcasting the story that Los Angeles is on the verge of burning to the ground because of the anti-ICE protests...requiring the federal government's deployment of National Guard units and 700 or so active duty Marines. 

Well apparently it isn't the hell hole we are being lead to believe if Vice President JD Vance feels comfortable making a visit.

From the LA Times:

"Vice President JD Vance arrived in Los Angeles on Friday as part of a surprise visit to a region hit by a series of federal immigration raids that have sparked protests and defiance from residents and local officials.

His office said in a statement that Vance would tour a multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center, a Federal Mobile Command Center, and meet with Marines who have been sent to the area, but additional information about his visit remains unclear."

I am pretty sure everything about JD Vance remains unclear.

Wisconsin's Own Clown, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, Needs To Resign

 Even after talking points around the accused murderer and attacker of Minnesota elected officials were discredited and rated Pants On Fire, Wisconsin's Rep. Derrick Van Orden had to repost the nonsense and double down on his lies and insensitivity.  From an article at JSOnline:

"Hours after an assassin killed a Democratic state lawmaker and wounded another in Minnesota this past weekend, Wisconsin Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden's official social media accounts condemned the shootings.

"I am horrified by the attack on two Minnesota state lawmakers," read a post to Van Orden's official X account. "Political violence has no place in America. I fully condemn this attack, along with all forms of political violence and intimidation."

A day later, however, posts on Van Orden's personal accounts struck a different tone.

"Yesterday, a whole pack of election deniers got together and spewed hate," he wrote on X about nationwide protests on June 14 against the Trump administration. "One of them decided to murder and attempt to murder some politicians that were not far Left enough for them.""

 

 And then of course he couldn't help but parrot Donold Trump in:

"Van Orden, whose battleground 3rd Congressional District borders much of Minnesota, including the Minneapolis area where the shootings occurred, called Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz "stupid" and a "clown" in subsequent posts, noting the suspected killer, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, had been reappointed by Walz to a state economic workforce board years prior."

Van Orden needs to go...today...if you have any moral sense...resign.

Tragic Proof That The 'Good Guy' With A Gun Is A False Narrative

 A pall was cast over what should have been a triumphant weekend of national protests in the No Kings demonstrations when a participant in a Salt Lake City, Utah, was shot and killed. Most of you have probably already read a number of media articles about the incident. But here is a brief summation.

At the Salt Lake City protests, a man approached the gathering and assembled a rifle. When confronted, he ran toward the crowd and a civilian 'peace keeper', fired his own gun three times. One bullet injured the intended target but another bullet hit an innocent bystander who eventually died from his wound. 

One of the incessant positions from the sacrosanct 2nd Amendment crowd has been that the good guy with a gun can be a deterrent or the solution in an event where a gunman opens fire in a crowd situation. That is absurd on the face of it and tragically we see a direct result of that mislogic here. Sadly, the good guy with a gun isn't any kind of a solution. Only thoughtful and determined gun controls can work. Period.

Hopefully, the 2nd Amendment won't kill anymore Americans.

Los Angeles Is NOT Guadalcanal

This is in response to Donold Trump and Pete Hogsbreath calling out the Marines to invade Los Angeles in the face of anti-ICE and anti-Trump rallies and protests. I will leave the National Guard call up for later.

First, yes there is some violence around the periphery of the LA protests. Miscreants are always going to use mass protests as cover for vandalism, setting fires, and looting retail stores. But both the mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of California say local law enforcement can handle it. And they can.

But why call out the Marines? Intimidation. Because General Bone Spurs can? For certain.

Well, the Marines are not trained or equipped to confront civilian unrest. They spend months learning to be Marines. The few, the proud, the Marines. The front line of America's defense forces. One of the organizations that keeps America Great, if you want to follow that line.  And they continue to train as a prime fighting force. They are not a police force.

To use them for anything other than their intended purpose, is totally disrespectful to our Marines. Send them back to their posts and let them continue to be ready for a hopefully never gonna happen conflict. 

Devin Remiker Purchases DPW Chair, The Establishment Sighs in Relief

Devin Remiker

I was never much impressed with Ben Wikler.  He was from Wisconsin, or so I'm told, but left the state in 2010 when the going got tough with Scott Walker's assault on the working class to take a job in Washington, D.C.  He then fled Washington about the time the Orange Shitgibbon won his first election.  He then bamboozled everybody in the Democratic Party of Wisconsin with a lot of flash to get elected.

But now with the election of the Rancid Kumquat and big races coming up next year, Wikler got the old itch to get going before the going got tough and decided he was done as DPW Chair.  Now, don't get me wrong. Wikler proved himself to be one helluva fundraiser.  He brought in laudible amounts of cash.  But he didn't know what to do after that. 

Under Wikler's lead, Democrats lost one statewide seat, failed to oust Ron Johnson, failed to oust Drunken Van Orden (twice), and alienated many union people. He did his best work when he gave out the ton of money he raised and then got the hell out of the way.

But when Wikler announced his intent to not run again, three people put their hats in the ring.

Two of them, Devin Remiker and Joe Zepecki, were consummate establishment men and neither were going to rock the boat, much less fire people up.  When the race looked too close to call, Wikler broke yet another promise.  Instead of remaining neutral as he said he would, he endorsed his right hand man, Remiker

Then during the state convention this past weekend, Remiker borrowed a page from Wikler's playbook by dazzling the crowd with a nonconventional menu:

Yeah, nothing says Wisconsin like escargot.  Where's the brats? Where's the deep fried cheese curds?  

But one thing really caught my eye.  After successfully buying the chairmanship, Remiker said this:

Remiker told press following his acceptance speech Democrats need to work on messaging that connects with voters and winning back the union organizers and working class. 

“I think we have to show up everywhere year round,” Remiker said. “I think for some folks there’s trust we have to rebuild to show that Democrats are the party that’s going to fight for the working class.” 

He said he would focus on a smooth transition by connecting with grassroots party members and then starting work on capturing energy for next year’s elections. 

Remiker did not say how much he spent on his campaign to lead the state party, just that he “spent enough to win,” and that it was “certainly not” more than $100,000. 

Admitting that you have a problem is a good first step.  But it is a problem you can't bribe your way through.

Stay tuned because there's more.  There's always more.

Special Holiday Question: In Which Church Did President Trump Start His Father's Day Celebration?

 Not totally facetious. I have asked this in the past on a number of holidays and particularly religious holy days. There is no known answer...for the anointed president from God...it seems odd that he has no actual religious affiliation or observance practices.

Trump Administration to parade America's obsolete arsenal of museum pieces in Washington parade today:

As every Republican in the country looks the other way from the issues around the ego trip that is the military parade in Washington, they should start thinking about how every military item and unit on display has been made obsolete.

We need look no further than the Russian/Ukraine war where drones have been used in mass numbers by both sides in the conflict to inflict heavy damages to their opponents. Ukraine took out a good portion of the Russian bomber fleet with drones. Russian ships are afraid to get too close to Ukrainian waters lest they come under attack by drones. And Russia continues to pound Ukrainian civilian areas with thousands of drones.

So all of those Abrams tanks, Hum-vees, F-35s, and such are obsolete to being nearly useless. And despite 'inventing' the drone, it looks like the US is far behind the curve with its early reliance on huge Predator style drones while the rest of the world is using massed produced civilian sized drones to destroy heavy traditional military equipment. And we aren't talking big nations here. Little bitty Ukraine is turning them out in droves. Russia is too and buying hardware from Iran and North Korea.

Washington needs to get their head around the fact that Iran and North Korea may be ahead of us in effective drone production instead of laughing about failed battle ship launches...a ship that is nearly useless in modern warfare.

So my suggestion: when the parade ends, donate one piece of each US weapon of war to the Smithsonian and then regroup at the Pentagon and decide the future of drones as the new major weapon of war...and make a decision to be the world leader in that technology. That $45 million spent on the parade would have been a good down payment on the project.

Most 79 year old men with fetishes for old technology have train sets in their basement...instead the MAGA cult pampers this dementia patient with a needless parade that will display America's doddering arsenal.