“We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately”
Benjamin Franklin
This Saturday will mark the 250th anniversary of the Second Continental Congress’ adoption of the Declaration of Independence … perhaps the most radical political document ever written!
Never before had a people asserted the concept that, “all men are …

A bill or joint resolution that has been vetoed by the President can become law if two-thirds of the Members voting in the House and the Senate each agree to pass it over the President’s objection.
Article I – Section 7
Last week, only moments before it was scheduled to begin, President …

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely “
Lord Acton
 
President Trump is nakedly using tactics employed by Putin, Xi and other autocrats he so admires to exercise his insatiable quest for near total power;

Pay-to-play schemes to coerce some of the nation’s wealthiest individuals, corporations, law firms and media organizations …

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.”
Thomas Paine
From rural communities to large cities to the nation’s Capital politicians, civic leaders and everyday Americans are making breathtaking plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of our Republic. In …

I read the following excellent and timely opinion piece on The Chris Hedges Report/Substack.  It is only the second piece written by a third party I have ever posted in nearly forty years f writing social and political commentary … and echoes many of the warning signs for the future …

“The Congress shall have power … To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal,”
U.S. Constitution – Article I Section 8
 
In 2024 Donald Trump campaigned on (a) an explicit repudiation of prior administrations’ efforts to affect regimes-changes or engage in subsequent nation-building and (b) a doctrine respecting the sovereignty of …

“When hypocrisy is a character trait, it also affects one’s thinking, because it consists in the negation of all the aspects of reality that one finds disagreeable, irrational or repugnant.
Octavio Paz
Amazingly, President Trump and many conservative Republicans have argued it should be solely up to parents to make decisions regarding …

“You do not get to mistreat people without consequences.”
Anan
The failure of Congress to meet its mandated September 30th Federal budget deadline, exacerbated by Mike Johnson and his Republican House colleagues being AWOL from Congress, has led to a thirty-eight-day and counting government shutdown.  Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the state legislature in …

Article I, Section 8  –  U.S. Constitution
In President Trump’s unrelenting quest to reshape America’s representative democracy into a autocracy he simply ignores the Constitutional Article II limitations on his office, the role of the Legislative Branch, and the Rule of Law; while believing he is accountable to no one.
His ordering military …

“No right was deemed by the fathers of the government more sacred than the right of speech. It was in their eyes, as in the eyes of all thoughtful men, the great moral renovator of society and government.”
Fredrick Douglas
The assassination of Charles Kirk was reprehensible … as was that of …

“Sometimes the point isn’t to make people believe a lie; it’s to make people fear the liar.”
Anne Applebaum
Never before has any American president politicized public spaces and government buildings with banners featuring their face, a propaganda ploy more commonly associated with autocratic leaders in China, Russia, North Korea and other …

“Patriotism means to stand by the Country.  It does not mean to stand by the president.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Donald Trump increasingly makes clear, in spite of the Constitutional limitations imposed on the presidency, he intends to amass more unconstrained power for the Executive Branch and for himself, personally!
While not on the golf …

“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not be trusted by anybody.”
Thomas Jefferson
 
Credible scientific studies have concluded the Climate, despite Republican claims it’s a hoax, is fast approaching a tipping point where global warming may be irreversible.  However, America’s unique experiment in representative democracy may also be …

“I’m afraid, based on my own experience, that fascism will come to America in the name of national security.”
Jim Garrison
 
We were warned:

By the architect of our Constitution, James Madison; “I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by …

“In a constitutional democracy, persons owe loyalty to the Constitution, rather than the government”
James Buchannan – Hillsdale College
 
U.S. Attorney General Pam Blondi has justified firing or demoting respected Department of Justice attorneys for failure to be a “zealously advocate” on behalf of the United States, even in situations where …

“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.”
Last sentence of the Declaration of Independence
Knowing their actions would lead to war, which if lost would result in them …

“First came for the communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then …

“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not be trusted by anybody.”
Thomas Jefferson
 The signors of the Declaration of Independence understood the potentially lethal consequences of their actions yet opted to, “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor,” by formally severing ties …

“Notice and comment is unnecessary because I am ordering the repeal,”
President Trump’s Executive Order to unilaterally
repeal energy and environmental regulations
 
Donald Trump’s insatiable thirst for and expansive interpretation of presidential power has been the defining characteristic since his inauguration.  His issuances of daily, often legally-questionably, Executive Orders and Actions have …

Of course I’m not going to do it,”
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele
 
Despite judicial orders, President Trump remains defiant when it comes to repatriating a wrongfully arrested and deported legally-protected El Salvadoran immigrant who has lived in the country for a decade, is married to an American citizen with whom …

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Attributed to Voltaire
 
For nearly fifty years Liberals have been justifiably accused of censoring speech with which they disagree.  It has taken the form of establishing so-called free speech zones on high school and …

“he who saves his country does not violate any law”
Donald Trump
 His wildly inaccurate remark, “I have an Article II where I have the right to do whatever I want as president,” and embracing the label of “king” epitomizes Donald Trump’s exaggerated and narcissistic ego and disrespect for the Constitution!
Trump’s election …

“Peace for our time”
Neville Chamberlain (1939)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other autocratic rulers have learned how to easily manipulate Donald Trump by playing to his narcissistic ego, craving for adoration, promises for future development deals, and desire to become the fifth president awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Never distracted by facts, …

“‘I have an Article 2 where I have the right to do whatever I want as president”
Donald Trump
 President Trump’s photo-op trip to the Super Bowl is estimated to have cost American taxpayers between $15 and $20 million, but raised no concerns from his DOGE Czar Elon Musk.
The long-term interests …

“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier,”
President Trump – January 20, 2025
Trump has long billed himself as being a “unifier” and on election night declared his victory was a “massive mandate.”
In 2024 of the approximately 242 million eligible voters only 155.3 million (a dismal 63.9%) actually …

“Every square meter of the Canal belongs to Panama and will continue to be so,”
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino
 
Trump’s continuing threats to annex the Panama Canal and Greenland as being crucial for our national security are not only shear madness but could have disastrous national and international consequences.
Sending troops into …

“For every complex problem there is a simple solution, and it is wrong.”.
H.L. Mencke
 On the campaign trail, Donald Trump preached a steady diet of simplistic remedies for the kitchen-table concerns and complex challenges affecting so many Americans.  With the Democrats seemingly incapable of providing credible alternatives, voters naively swallowed Trump’s …

The President …”shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States.”
U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2
 
Donald Trump frequently used his presidential pardoning power to reward loyalists convicted of various crimes … and has alluded to pardoning those convicted of participating in the January 6th …

“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”
George Santayana
  
Retired General John Kelly and other senior Trump’s Administration officials  confirm Donald Trump’s admiration of world leaders is limited to ruthless authoritarians including Putin, Xi, Orbán and Erdoğan, MBS, Kim Jong Un and even Hitler, whom he claims “did …

“A second Trump presidency is the most existential national security threat to our democracy in our lifetime. The global world order that the Greatest Generation fought and died for, then handed to us to sustain, will be severely damaged. Their sacrifices will be squandered if we aren’t there to defend …

October 6, 2024
 
President Joseph Biden
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC  20500
 
Dear President Biden:
As a poll worker and someone who has written political and social commentary for nearly forty years, I was extremely disappointed, although not totally surprised at the results of this past Tuesday’s elections.
While the campaign messaging on women’s reproductive …

“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile”
Albert Einstein
 As with his other campaign mistruths, Donald Trump’s claims Georgia Governor Brian Kemp hadn’t been able to reach President Joe Biden to discuss Hurricane Helene’s impacts on his state and Federal agencies were, “going out of their way to not …

“Trump demands that government actors pledge loyalty to him, as opposed to the law or to the Constitution”
Rick Pildes
 
Donald Trump’s rants claiming undocumented immigrants are all recently released criminals from foreign prisons and mental institutions and “poisoning the blood” of Americans and declaring of Haitian immigrants, “They’re eating the dogs. …

If President Biden or Vice President Harris had praised the (fictional) “late, great Hannibal Lecter”, ranted about Haitian immigrants eating peoples’ cats and dogs, described immigrants as criminals and “poisoning the blood” of Americans, quoted Hungary’s autocratic dictator as a personal a character reference, talked longer about the sizes of …

“Never underestimate your adversary,
former President Bill Clinton
 
Democrats celebrated throughout the recent Democratic Convention in Chicago … many already predicting Kamala Harris to win in November, perhaps in a landslide.
On a personal level, she appears to be genuinely grateful for the support she has received since President Biden withdrew from the …

“She [Kamala Harris] is a competent and experienced politician who knows exactly what she is doing and has a very clear idea of her country’s role, of developments in the world, and of the challenges we face,”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany
 Donald Trump’s campaign is currently struggling for an identity and …

Every choice comes with a consequence. Once you make a choice, you must accept responsibility. You cannot escape the consequences of your choices, whether you like them or not.”
Roy T. Bennett
 The Democratic Party is fast approaching its own Rubicon, or point of no return.  While Trump has been anointed by …

“I believe I’m the best qualified to govern and I think I’m the best qualified to win, but there are other people who could beat Trump, too.”
Joe Biden
 This week’s Republican convention witnesses the coronation of Donald Trump despite having proven he is unfit to return to the presidency.
During and since …

”The coming days are critical …”
President Biden’s alleged comments to some of his staff
 
Already sinking in the polls across the political spectrum, during his recent meeting with Democratic governors President Biden excused his dismal debate performance, in part, on his travel schedule and getting too little sleep; and he didn’t …

“I shall not seek, and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your President,”
Lyndon B. Johnson (March 1968)
Watching last evening’s presidential debate was like viewing a train wreck in slow motion.  As speculated in “For Biden – It’s Show Time”, it was essential the …

“They made up a ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’ statement. So terrible.”
Donald Trump
 
 In today’s “Morning Shots”, William Kristol penned a timely commentary, “Trump’s Latest Lies About His Lies,” excerpting from a recent speech he made at the annual Faith and Freedom Conference.
Trump criticized a 2020 article in the Atlantic, based on multiple …

“the time is now and the place is here and … there are no second chances”
Jeanette Winterson
 
The most important date of this year’s presidential campaign is just a week away when President Biden and former President Trump faceoff in a debate hosted by CNN, where they will not be allowed …

The only thing worse than a liar is a liar that’s also a hypocrite!
Tennessee Williams
 
Contrary to his rants, Donald Trump’s recent conviction was not result of any influence by or direction from President Biden or the Justice Department, but from his own actions!  An impartial jury of 12 average citizens, …

“Between and Rock and a Hard Place”
Anon
 
Candidates running for office face a major challenge, trying to appeal to and appease their base while not alienating swing voters … who ultimately dictate most election outcomes.
President Biden’s campaign continues to struggle with a perception chasm between the actual state of the economy …

“I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours”
Donald Trump
For close to a year, former president Donald Trump has bragged that if elected in 2024 he would end the war in Ukraine “in one day” and the “deal would be easy.”  When pressed as to how he might …

"The only thing for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do noting!"

Edmund Burke

Tragically, the Republican Party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Reagan, to which my parents belonged their entire lives, has for all practical purposes ceased to exist. 

Today, the majority of Republicans in both the House …

“The American people are suffering as a result of what’s happening at the border … and someone running for president ought to try and get the problem solved, as opposed to saying, ‘Hey, save that problem!  Don’t solve it!  Let me take credit for solving it later.’”

Republican Senator Mitt Romney

The …

“Since narcissists deep down feel themselves to be faultless, it is inevitable that when they are in conflict with the world they will invariably perceive the conflict as the world’s fault.”
M. Scott Peck

Lest anyone doubt presidential wannabee Donald Trump’s priorities, his rhetoric makes it crystal clear addressing such critical issues …

"I have a gut, and my gut tells me more sometimes than anybody else's brain can ever tell me."

Donald Trump

On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump spoke the following words, "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will …

“There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpation.”

James Madison

Ask any politician, political commentator, or cable talking-head about the greatest threats facing America and you will predictably hear China, Russia, Iran, …

“I love the poorly educated”

Donald Trump  (February 23, 2016)

It is not surprising the leading Republican presidential candidate limits his campaign stops to adoring crowds who, without any evidence, believe his lies about a stolen election, Democrats being socialists, the Justice Department has been weaponized, and his victimhood.

Discarding his vengeance-filled litany …

“It’s a very detailed indictment and it’s very damning.  But I do think if even half of it is true, then he’s toast”

Former Attorney General Bill Barr

In the wake of his 37-count indictment, Donald Trump launched a predictable tirade, again baselessly claiming the 2020 election was stolen and portraying himself …

“There shall be one rule of Justice for the rich and the poor; for the favorite in Court, and the Countryman at the Plough.”

Samuel Adams

Trump avoided criminal liability during his presidency based on a Constitutionally-questionable 1973 DOJ memorandum which concluded “indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting President would impermissibly …

“The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers”

U.S. Constitution – Article 1, Section 2

With only 213 Democrats elected during the mid-term elections it would seem the Party will have no realistic say in the election of the chamber’s next Speaker. 

Kevin McCarthy, the current frontrunner, has demonstrated he’ll …

“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”

Marcus Aurelius

In 1935, during the depth of the Depression Sinclair Lewis published a novel in which the average American’s political ignorance and complacency resulted in a …

"Republicans cannot both be loyal to Donald Trump and loyal to the Constitution,"

Congresswoman Liz Cheney

With the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th 2021 insurrection and assault on the U.S. Capitol about to release its final report and the U.S. Justice Department; District of Columbia; States of Georgia, Florida and …

“I’ve done nothing wrong.”

Donald Trump  (time and again)

Had Donald Trump not transferred hundreds of classified (many marked SECRET, TOP SECRET and TOP SECRT//SCI) and other documents which, pursuant to the Presidential Records Act of 1978, are legally the property of the United States to his home at Mar-a-Lago in January …

“… for meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States”

Presidential Medal of Freedom Criteria

Yesterday, Americans witnessed the price an individual often pays for exhibiting true Patriotism.

Sadly, the vast majority of Republicans continue to embrace the former president’s “big lie” about a stolen election, ignore his attempted …

“The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

Article II, Section 4

During his 2016 presidential campaign, then candidate Trump bragged, “I could stand in the middle of 5th …

"Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong."

James Bryce

It is fitting on the 246th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence to reflect on what it means to be an American patriot.    

Survey any random group …