No self-respecting woman US Senator would vote for Kavanaugh.

This is another example of a slow walk to create a theocracy from the USA democracy. Catholics can forget about their Saints, that won't happen under right wing extremist leadership.

Evangelicals classify Catholics as spiritists. That goes for Jews as well.

It is seen as contradicting the Bible's prohibition on contacting the dead. These are found most clearly in the Jewish Law, which is not binding on Christians, but is still considered to be solid wisdom in this case.

Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:31, NIV)

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. (Deuteronomy 8:10-11)

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 4:5)

Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:23-25)

Still yet another more minor, argument is an argument from silence: this practice is not recognised as being taught or performed anywhere in the Bible.

This position ultimately arises from a different understanding of the Communion of Saints in Protestantism. Protestants would not deny the real union of living believers (the church militant) nor the union of believers who have passed away (the church triumphant), but they would generally not say that there is a functional union between those groups. We are united in our shared salvation state, our faith, our creed, our shared indwelling of the Spirit, our hope, and our inheritance, but we are not united with the dead in any relational capacity. There is much disagreement within Protestantism over the nature of the Intermediate State between death and resurrection, and many believe in soul sleep, that the dead are unconscious until the time of their resurrection. Others may believe that they are conscious, but that they do not have the means to hear our invocations and prayers.

We still know nothing about Kavanaugh, except, he sold his soul to the Federalist Society and is definitely married to those ideologies. That is a dangerous precedent. The US Senate Judicial Committee is virtually worthless in deciding if a judge is good for the country when on the Supreme Court or a soldier of fortune for the Federalist Society.

September 7, 2018
By David G. Savage

...Conservative scholars credited Kavanaugh (click here) with a strong, steady performance amidst the partisan squabbling. “He is an experienced, thoughtful and intelligent mainstream judicial conservative. I do not believe we learned anything new about him, but we have learned a bit about the new normal in terms of collegiality in the Senate and the depth of activists’ frustration with the administration,” said Notre Dame law professor Richard Garnett.

Women’s rights advocates and liberal scholars said they were not reassured by his testimony. “Our fears about the future of this country deepened this week when Judge Kavanaugh repeatedly refused to answer questions about his views on abortion, employment discrimination, immigration and healthcare. Our civil rights, dignity and autonomy will be in grave danger if he is confirmed,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women’s Law Center.

Elizabeth Wydra, president of the progressive Constitutional Accountability Center, pointed to the jarring contrast between Kavanaugh’s public praise for the Brown vs. Board of Education school desegregation ruling and his private White House memos deriding affirmative action policies. “Seeing him use words like ‘naked racial set-aside’ and ‘racial spoils system’ to refer to race-conscious measures intended to redress entrenched systemic racism is upsetting,” Wydra said.

September 7. 2018

Washington - Brett Kavanaugh's views on birth control drew scrutiny in Washington on Thursday as abortion rights advocates charged that the Supreme Court nominee had referred to contraceptives as "abortion-inducing drugs...

...The controversy came as Kavanaugh was discussing a case involving the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (click here) to the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. The government's regulations included a requirement that all employers provide their employees with health insurance that covers all formed of FDA approved birth control including birth control pills, IUD's and horomonal injections....

The issue with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act is that religious freedom never needed restoration in the USA. The (2) unduly burdens laws written without any assignment to religion. Will the USA legislature ever be able to write laws without FIRST addressing religious freedom. It is ridiculous. The separation of Church and State will disappear forever if the Congress has to place a religious test to legislation.

The really interesting concept to this very questionably necessary restoration act is where does "Though shalt not kill," fit into the liberal gun laws?

(Pub. L. 103–141, § 2, Nov. 16, 1993, 107 Stat. 1488.)

(a)Findings

The Congress finds that—

(1) 

the framers of the Constitution, recognizing free exercise of religion as an unalienable right, secured its protection in the First Amendment to the Constitution;

(2) 

laws “neutral” toward religion may burden religious exercise as surely as laws intended to interfere with religious exercise;

(3) 

governments should not substantially burden religious exercise without compelling justification;

(4) 

in Employment Division v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990) the Supreme Court virtually eliminated the requirement that the government justify burdens on religious exercise imposed by laws neutral toward religion; and

(5) 

the compelling interest test as set forth in prior Federal court rulings is a workable test for striking sensible balances between religious liberty and competing prior governmental interests.

(b)Purposes 

The purposes of this chapter are—

(1)

to restore the compelling interest test as set forth in Sherbert v. Verner, 374 U.S. 398 (1963) and Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972) and to guarantee its application in all cases where free exercise of religion is substantially burdened; and

(2)

to provide a claim or defense to persons whose religious exercise is substantially burdened by government.

The Federalist Society is a danger to our democracy and their Evangelical need to control their religious freedom within every other American is an assault of conscience when realizing how other religions are taking a back seat to this disastrous movement within the seats of power in the USA. 

Flint

Flint is getting a new Hilton Hotel and it is expected to hire 75 people.

The new Michael Moore film Fahrenheit 11/9 will premier in Flint on 
September 10th at 7 pm at the Whiting. Some of the heroes of Flint will be there to speak after the film.

Disenfranchised is the overwhelming theme in an article if “Business Insider.” It reflects on Snyder’s political grandstanding when announcing the decision for emergency manager. Snyder announced the decision on Election Day in Flint five hours before the polls close. The sitting mayor would be elected to a full term, but, without the capacity to institute change WITH the state in a consent decree. The state to all power from the governing body and created a unilateral authority to bring about a resolve to the $25.7 million debt. 

The citizens were disenfranchised as well. There was no one interested in hearing their complaints when the poisoned water came through the pipes. Becoming their own megaphone was their own choice. That didn’t work until a pediatrician and a university professor from out of state gathered evidence. It took this extreme and a year of suffering before the emergency of a different kind made it’s way to Governor Snyder.

The article was written by Anna Clark and entitled, “Michigan’s Micromanagement made Flint’s water crisis worse than it should have been”.

The Michigan Emergency Manager law disenfranchises citizens from any measure of governance without anyone to hear and process complaints.

Come to understand: No one in Snyder’s administration would take complaints. No complaints from the citizens of Flint NOR any complaints from the US EPA, especially with that black in the White House. Flint was CUT OFF like a bad child that didn’t spend their allowance wisely. Got it? Flint was not to receive any attention to any complaint because it would cost money. It would take a pediatrician and an out of state university professor and his students to finally get the attention of Snyder to recognize extremely poisoned water that had been for the PREVIOUS YEAR.

Understand? Flint would FIRST be made to pay off a $25.7 million debt BEFORE ANY concern of the people would ever be heard. Snyder cut off ANYONE, including the US EPA, that was complaining on behalf of the citizens of Flint. The people were left alone and they got sick and they died. No one in Michigan cared because the $25.7 million had to be reconciled first. YES, Snyder is just that ruthless when it comes to money. End of discussion.

3 million Americans have lost their health insurance under Trump. He was suppose to insure all Americans. He said that.

Barack Obama, (click here) in full Barack Hussein Obama II, (born August 4, 1961, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.), 44th president of the United States (2009–17) and the first African American to hold the office. Before winning the presidency, Obama represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate (2005–08). He was the third African American to be elected to that body since the end of Reconstruction (1877). In 2009 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Full speech can be viewed here with introduction beginning at 22:51 time mark. (click here).

September 7, 2018
By Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent

We haven’t seen much of President Barack Obama lately, (click here) but today he emerged to give a speech at the University of Illinois that was in part about the danger of authoritarianism in the White House — at the very moment that President Trump was descending into paroxysms of self-pity and giving free reign to his authoritarian impulses....

...Watching the contrast between Trump and Obama today, one couldn’t help but be reminded of how the former president presented an idealistic — even arguably naive — vision of America, one full of hopeful, hardworking, good-hearted citizens eager to come together to solve problems....

The speech today was at a university. I would think that would allow President Obama a good deal of room to be idealistic. Americans weren't hopeful? Harworking? Good-hearted citizens that come together to solve problems?

Where have I been I thought that WAS who we were. No?

I have to admit today, we may not be those people considering all the trouble that occurs on a regular basis everyday. Charlottsville. Parkland. Sutherland Springs. Santa Fe High School. Las Vegas. 

Mass Shootings (click here)

Today, hate and violence are alive and well.

I take issue with the idea President Obama spoke of a better America as if naive. President Obama was not a naive president. He took on Ferguson, the non-violent prisoner, unreasonable sentences for drug addiction. He signed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. I don't think that is naive.

He sought to end discrimination for women and pay, signed DACA, which still isn't law and it was not for the trying. He gratefully brought in two more women to the Supreme Court, one the first Hispanic on the court. Launched "My Brother's Keeper." He ended "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Under his presidency he saw the LGBT Community achieve marriage.

He inherited a failing USA economy and recovered it with people returning to work. The unemployment rate went from 10 percent to 4.7 percent.

He risked a potential failed mission to remove Osama bin Laden and the Seals were victorious. President Obama was the man who took bin Laden out of Pakistan where he had been residing since 2001. I don't find President Obama naive. He was willing and eager to solve the country's problems.

No one gives him credit for reducing the Veteran homeless rate by 50%. He increased spending for the VA. Saw to it Veterans had a chance for an education with $78 billion tuition assistance for the GI Bill.

The auto industry remained a healthy part of the USA economy. "Cash for clunkers."

Let's not forget his Nobel for efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation.

He opened up embryonic stem cell research. Is there or is there not revolutionary treatment for cancer now? Yes, there is. He asked the medical community to find out as much as they can about the brain and improve the disease that attacks it.

He increased the margin to nuclear confrontation with the New START and the Iran Nuclear.

Backed consumer protections.

He reduced the USA military foot print at war and ended torture.

There isn't enough room here to list all the adult things Barak Obama did during his eight years. So, don't. Don't try to diminish his luster, it is definitely there.

...In his speech, Obama offered a scathing indictment of Trump’s racism and ethnonationalism — “how hard can that be, saying that Nazis are bad?” — and he called for a “restoration of honesty and decency and lawfulness in our government.” He insisted, in the face of the rage and polarization coursing through our politics, that “common ground exists. I have seen it. I have lived it.”...

Does the USA actually still have allies?

7 September 2010
By Eryk Bagshaw

Australia is bracing for a $36 billion economic hit (click here) as Donald Trump prepares to unleash his biggest strike yet in a trade war with China, with warnings a further escalation could cost thousands of local jobs.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham called for calm, telling the superpowers to uphold the international order or risk derailing the global economic recovery."

Australia urges all parties to respect the long established rules of international trade and to avoid action that could ultimate damage their economies and those of other nations," he said.

"Our best form of defence against such trade tensions is to continue to open new doors for Australian businesses and exporters."

Mr Trump could raise tariffs on $US200 billion worth of products ranging from selfie sticks to clothing, after the US President signalled he would act as soon as a consultation period closed on Friday afternoon Australian time....

The Hawaiian nuclear alarms never received this much attention.

September 7, 2018

By Brent Lang

Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 11/9” (click here) has closed a series of major international sales in the run-up to its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. The documentary was one of the most hotly anticipated debuts at the Canadian gathering because of its subject matter: Moore, a darling of the left and favored punching bag of the right, is taking on the age of Trump in the movie — its title is a reference to the 2016 election day.

Moore delivered the fireworks on Thursday, offering up a critique of American politics that touches on everything from the water crisis in Flint, Michigan to the Parkland shootings. At the film’s post-screening Q&A, Moore was joined on stage by David Hogg and two other Parkland survivors....

The trifecta of wake up calls. There was no coordination. 11/9 was claimed for the TIFF, which had a calendar long before the op-ed or the book. I think Americans need to pay attention and make better choices.

...Moore’s film hits as the president is hitting back at the fallout from Bob Woodward’s devastating expose “Fear: Trump in the White House” and an anonymous New York Times op-ed from a senior administration official that painted the leader of the free world as amoral and incompetent. “Fahrenheit 11/9” examines how Trump came to power and also serves as a rallying cry to those who would like to see his presidency end in 2020, if not sooner....

Go see this film. In the USA it opens on September 21, 2018. The explosion in the film is real and was brought about by the USA military operating within USA borders. It is a very alarming film. There are lines crossed by the federal government like never before. 

What I am hearing about this film is that it wakes people up with one surprise after another. People go into see the film and expect it to be "...just another wonderful Michael Moore film." They come out of the film stating, "...the only thing the same as Fahrenheit 911 is Michael Moore's voice."

April 9, 2018
By Robert Longley

On April 3, 2018, President Donald Trump (click here) proposed that U.S. military troops be deployed along the United States border with Mexico to help control illegal immigration and maintain civil order during construction of the secure, border-length fence recently funded by Congress. The proposal brought questions of its legality under the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act. However, in 2006 and again in 2010, Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama took similar actions.

In May 2006, President George W. Bush, in "Operation Jumpstart," ordered up to 6,000 National Guard troops to the states along the Mexican border to support the Border Patrol in controlling illegal immigration and related criminal activities on U.S. soil. On July 19, 2010, President Obama ordered an additional 1,200 Guard troops to the southern border. While this buildup was substantial and controversial, it did not require Obama to suspend the Posse Comitatus Act.

The Posse Comitatus Act limits the Guard troops to acting only in support of the U.S. Border Patrol, and state and local law enforcement officers....

...The Posse Comitatus Act, signed into law by President Rutherford B. Hayes on June 18, 1878, limits the power of the federal government in the use of federal military personnel to enforce U.S. laws and domestic policies within the borders of the United States. The law was passed as an amendment to an army appropriation bill following the end of Reconstruction and was subsequently amended in 1956 and 1981....

...It should be noted that the Posse Comitatus Act greatly limits, but does not eliminate the power of the President of the United States to declare "martial law," the assumption of all civilian police powers by the military....

Katrina occurred August 23, 2005 to August 31, 2005. The laws need to be revisited to strengthen them from allowing the USA military within the USA.

...On Oct. 25, 2005, the House of Representatives and Senate enacted a joint resolution (H. CON. RES. 274) clarifying Congress' stance on the effect of the Posse Comitatus Act on the use of the military on U.S. soil. In part, the resolution states "by its express terms, the Posse Comitatus Act is not a complete barrier to the use of the Armed Forces for a range of domestic purposes, including law enforcement functions, when the use of the Armed Forces is authorized by Act of Congress or the President determines that the use of the Armed Forces is required to fulfill the President's obligations under the Constitution to respond promptly in time of war, insurrection, or other serious emergency."

The law was passed after the USA Civil War which ended in May 13, 1865. Make sense now?

GO SEE THIS FILM. IT IS AN EYE OPENER. THERE IS NO RESPECT FOR THE USA CONSTITUTION ANYMORE.

Kavanaugh is not a judge. He is a political operative that uses his judicial credentials to further the agenda of the Federalist Society. He proposing to attack Hawaii, a sovereign state of the United States of America. That is the covert beginning of removing states rights.

A sincere judge would not be seeking manipulation of language to further an agenda. A sincere judge hears cases and passes the interpretation of law in judgement of the facts. Scalia never played with language; he spoke it to communicate and not manipulate. Scalia enjoyed language, to Kavanaugh language is a burden.

The Federalist Society needs to be investigated for an agenda based in treason against the US Constitution.

Trump is not married to the USA Constitution or the rule of law.

Senator Schumer needs to stand with the Democratic Senators taking a stand at the Judiciary Committee.

The Republicans are freelancing process rules and the clerks reviewing documents for confidential issues are applying classification with abandon.

Everyone knows the hearing regarding Kavanaugh is abbreviated. It is an illegitimate hearing and Trump would rather move to a 51 vote majority to place his nominee. The Senate hearings are important and not simply to find a DUI. These hearings are demanded by the US constitution. Any violation of the depth of these hearings is an attack on the US Constitution. Senator Cornyn is wrong. Senator Booker is correct in moving against misuse and abuse of classification rules.

Senator Cornyn is accepting mindless standards that enforce oppression and not freedom. Abuse of the PUBLIC TRUST by blindly following rules that are harmful to the American democracy is subversive.

The Republican chairman broke rules at the onset by not receiving every document possible to evaluate Kavanaugh. Now, it is an issue and the hearings are obviously inadequate. This is for a life long appointment to the highest court of the country whereby impeachment is the only resolve to abuses of that office. These hearings occur once to that appointment. There is every reason to demand the details of decision making to the appointee.

The Democrats are correct to enlist the public in this bizarre hearing and now Kavanaugh may have met with those involved in the Mueller investigation. Kavanaugh may have to be questioned to release any suspicion of a potential or actual involvement and/or willingness to corruption. The Manafort trial was just as bizarre and one has to wonder how extensive the corruption goes.

The Republicans need to check their hubris at the door of the US Capital Dome and govern.

The removal of Donald Trump will not cause a constitutional crisis.

The country has always had an enviable balance to its government. Checks and balances. The USA is not in danger of a constitutional crisis because the Vice President will provisionally carry out the responsibilities of the Executive Branch. The country knows it has been betrayed. There were great hopes for the Trump presidency by many. I was not one of them, but, it was out there. Today, the country is ready for Trump to leave.

I might add, this is not new. Very early on and it is on this blog, that Vice President Pence was more a President of the Senate than the Vice President to the President. Since Pence was discovered to be intervening to "protect the country" he has been harassed by Trump to be a yes man and literally mimic his habits. Pence never disagreed with Trump in public after that.

This doesn't surprise me. This is an ongoing problem. The impeachment of a president and/or the disqualifying of a president as the 25th Amendment is orderly. There is process, procedure, dignity and policy in bringing a dangerous person to examination to remove him/her from office. I don't know where everyone gets this idea any actions against Trump would cause a constitutional crisis. It won't. There will be plenty of engagement by the people regarding such policy being instituted, but, that is hardly a constitutional crisis.

If enough people within the Executive Branch believes the country is in danger, they need move forward.

September 5, 2018

President Trump (click here) is facing a test to his presidency unlike any faced by a modern American leader.

It’s not just that the special counsel looms large. Or that the country is bitterly divided over Mr. Trump’s leadership. Or even that his party might well lose the House to an opposition hellbent on his downfall.

The dilemma — which he does not fully grasp — is that many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations....

...This isn’t the work of the so-called deep state. It’s the work of the steady state.

Given the instability many witnessed, there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, which would start a complex process for removing the president. But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis. So we will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction until — one way or another — it’s over.

The bigger concern is not what Mr. Trump has done to the presidency but rather what we as a nation have allowed him to do to us. We have sunk low with him and allowed our discourse to be stripped of civility.

Kavanaugh is not trustworthy. He has a personal agenda he brings with him to any capacity within the USA government infrastructure.

I don't like him nor trust him. He knows nothing but government. Even when he was at a law firm, his most notable work was representing the Elian Gonzalez family. That worked well, didn't it?

The character issues with Brett Kavanaugh extend past his willingness to cheat for his own personal agenda, he mentors lawyers in his courtroom to supposedly help them out in pursuit of success in his decisions on the appeals courts.

In reviews of, men primarily, that have appeared before him what is evident is that Kavanaugh perveys the idea of having a real friend on the court. That might be fun, but, very unprofessional to believe Kavanaugh is most wise and created a courtroom milieu to enhance Kavanaugh’s agenda.

The lawyers that come before appeals court are well seasoned individuals. Who does Kavanaugh think he is? I don't think he knows his job or his place.

I think he is very odd. Not as a father-coach, but, as a judge. I strongly believe he is not qualified and tends to build on a faux sense of knowledge in his courtroom appearances to evade any real questions about his ability to be a judge.

I think his writing is estrangement of the USA Constitution. He receives a lot of "Ah-ha" about his writing as if the light suddenly went on for those reading his wisdom and judicial insight. You'll excuse me, of course, but the USA Justice rule of law is based on facts and legislated law and not insight. Judges are allowed to interpret the law, but, not bring in their own ideas of what the outcomes of the law should be. There are just some aspects of his ambitions that are estranging from the US Constitution which allows him to attack the law rather than leverage it.

He stands out from his peers. All his peers. That is not necessarily genius, so much as creative writing. He likes being the judge his conservative admirers want him to be rather than a judge that provides limit on the creative aspect of judicial decisions.

He has lived in "cloud city" all his life. He has never experienced the life of most Americans. I think he stands alone, but, not in a manner that serves the best interest of democracy. I think he prides himself on being 'very heady.' That is not humility by a long shot.

Brent Kavanaugh takes self-righteousness to a new level by which he is the sole author of ideas that no other peer has even entertained. Even Darwin when he wrote the "Origin of Species" was not alone in his writing. Alfred Russell Wallace (click here) was simultaneously writing his own understanding of evolution that was parallel to Darwin. Neither realized they were thinking exactly the same. That sort of duplicity among peers is a good thing. It validates the fact, similar research is seeing the same outcomes. That is not occurring with Kavanaugh. He is on a path alone and that is not what we need in a Supreme Court Justice.

If Kavanaugh wants to write about the potential of law, then he should be writing, but, I don't want his adventurism of thought destroying the USA's Constitution in the way of judicial precedent.

August 5, 2018
By Tim Fernholz

...At the time, (click here) Kavanaugh was an official in the White House counsel’s office, charged with helping judicial nominees win confirmation. After he was nominated to a federal judgeship in 2003, lawmakers asked if he was aware of Miranda’s activities or had received any of the stolen information.

In past testimony, Kavanaugh said if he had received stolen information, he did not realize it. Today (Sept. 5), as Donald Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court, he said his previous testimony was “true—100%.”

But new emails released to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of his confirmation process—though not available to the public—suggest that Kavanaugh did receive information that was clearly obtained inappropriately, Leahy said. In particular, the Vermont Democrat alleged that a draft of a private letter he wrote was sent to Kavanaugh after Miranda obtained it.

“You had the full text of my email in your inbox before anything was said about it publicly,” Leahy said today. “Did you find it at all unusual to receive a draft letter from Democratic senators to each other before any mention of it was made public?”...

Unresolved recusal issues exist with Kavanaugh yet undisclosed documents.

Norman Eisen, an ethics attorney that has served as special council to the White House, Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law scholar of high regard from Harvard and former federal judge Timothy Lewis, a George W. Bush appointee, all state the Kavanaugh hearings must be delayed to examine all documents involving recusal issues including those with the Trump White House.

Chairman Grassley is wrong and putting partisan politics before national security and the rule of law. This is not a minor issue. The committee can have millions of documents before them, but, there may exist one or more undisclosed that is paramount to the country’s legal integrity. The committee is obligated to do this work and Grassley is circumventing that obligation.

This is a constitutional issue the framers of the US Constitution built into it’s foundation. It is astounding Senator Grassley is playing host to unethical proceedings in regard to this nomination.

Given the fact Grassley has ignored basic constitutional issues and required prequalification of questions to Kavanaugh, this hearing is illegitimate and Kavanaugh is a willing participant. I think that says exactly the degree of corruption Kavanaugh is more than willing to tolerate for his personal ambitions and those of an agenda belonging to the Federalist Society. Kavanaugh should be voicing his own objections to this Trump circus.

This is an assault on the US Constitution and every American should be outraged this is continuing.

“Prequalify”?

Prequalify is something someone does before purchasing property, like a home. All Americans that own their home knows what it is to prequalify. So, now Grassley is using a widely understood word to unethically change the rules that have been good enough all these many years.

US Senators don’t have to pre-qualify anything. They have to prequalify NOTHING!

US Senators come prequalified to their jobs by the virtual fact they were elected. They are prequalified the day they are elected.

Prequalifying freely elected US Senators is oppressing their freedom of speech. Every bit of speech Trump, hence Grassley, can wrestle away from other party members the closer they come to a dictatorship. Oppression is a loss of freedom and Grassley is doing Trump’s bidding out of fear of his Senate seat.

I find it really strange the Chairman of the US Senate Judiciary Committee can’t discern an unconstitutional decision to oppress free speech. That is exactly what Grassley is doing by demanding all questions must be prequalified. His demands are unconstitutional. Senator Grassly is out of order. The same holds true for the 100,000 documents being withheld by Trump. It is corruption. I think Americans are getting better at detecting it. Well, here it is again.

Senator Grassley needs an ethics review. He broke his own rules. That indignation requires an ethics review, including entanglement with the White House. 

The ultimate cheaters.

Kavanaugh has been given all his questions before the US Senate Committee.

This is horrible. The USA is losing it's democracy.




I can't believe Senator Chuck Grassley went along with that. Even Grassley doesn't believe he can survive a primary? The Republicans need to stand up for their country. I can't imagine the lack of integrity Kavanaugh has in accepting a rehersed hearing before the legislative committee. There is supposed to be strong walls between the branches of government. In the case of Kavanaugh it seems that is the case until he has to respect those barriers. He is not a decent man. To accept cheating as a way to the Supreme Court is nothing that should be tolerated by anyone.

Bret Kavanaugh's nomination should be withdrawn. This is outrageous.

August 30. 2018
By Frank A. Rose

Over the past several months, (click here) experts—including myself—have called on the Trump administration to extend the U.S.-Russia New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). Extending the treaty by five years, as the agreement allows, helps maintain predictability and strategic stability with Russia, among other benefits. However, many of those same experts have also called for the cancellation of several U.S. nuclear delivery systems, in particular the Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) nuclear cruise missile and the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) intercontinental ballistic missile. At the same time, recent press reports indicate that senior members of the Trump administration are long-standing opponents of New START, placing the prospects for the treaty’s extension in doubt.

Given these dynamics, it is useful to review the historical relationship between New START and the U.S. strategic nuclear modernization program. It is clear to me that the two issues are linked. Indeed, it is hard to see how the Obama administration would have been able to obtain Senate support to ratify New START had it not agreed to modernize the U.S. triad of strategic nuclear delivery vehicles and the supporting Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear infrastructure. On the other hand, it is difficult to imagine that the current bipartisan consensus on strategic modernization would have been achieved without New START or a similar arms control agreement....

Rick Davis reads John McCain's farewell statement (click here for USA Today accounting.)

...Rick Davis, a longtime member of McCain's inner circle who visited McCain frequently this year at the McCains' Cornville property, revealed new details about the final months of McCain's life out of the public eye....



John McCain's dedication to this country can never be challenged. He spent some of his final moments with thoughts for the nation. He had the respect of two former Presidents, one from each party. Politics can be trivial, but, funerals are the statement of a life, an American life. I thought John McCain's funeral was remarkable and his burial profound. He was honored by the USA military in his final resting place.



He is missed and will never be forgotten. Sincerest sympathies to his family that shared his values and dedication. We are grateful to them as well.

There is no room for Steve Bannon in American politics. He advocates hate and not the facts or information. Bannon is not welcome in the USA even though he seems to think this is still his home.

The players of the NFL need champions, too. The Democrats should be embracing the struggle for Freedom of Speech among the aggrieved players.

"Take a Knee" has to be recognized for what it is; Freedom of Speech. There isn't standing on the side lines with this. The NFL has yet to have a Fan Appreciation Day whereby local residents line the seats at the hometown stadium with admission returned to the cost of a ticket at the beginning of the fan base to the league.

September 3, 2018

It hasn’t taken long (click here) – just one standout preseason, in fact – for Green Bay Packers rookie cornerback Josh Jackson to start grabbing attention nationally.

On Monday, Peter King of NBC Sports went out on a limb and predicted Jackson will win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2018.

“I don’t think he’ll start on fire, but as the season wears on, he’s going to be the most reliable cornerback on a strong playoff contender,” King wrote. “He never was the fastest cornerback at Iowa, but he was smart and instinctive, and he’ll be among the league leaders in interceptions.”

Tallahassee may not receive the "eye" of Gordon, but, it will receive the worst northeast corner. They are in for wind driven flooding.

I think Americans, especially those frequently finding themselves in hurricane cones of probability, become immune to the new climate storms. The winds may be a Cat 1, however, it's rain content is a Cat 5.

Residents of the Gulf Coast need to realize while they will be basically safe during a Cat 1 hurricane, the rains that come with these Climate Crisis storms is far higher than one would be accustomed to with a lower category storm. These storms carry enormous amounts of water and flooding is guaranteed in places not normally in a flood plain. The people have to be aware of their elevation above sea level and whether it is possible to have flooding waters reach them.

September 3, 2018

Tallahassee -- Tropical storm Gordon (click here) remains a tropical storm Monday night. As of the 11PM advisory from the National Hurricane Center, the storm is moving west-northwest at 17 mph. This faster movement is changing the estimated landfall time to be around Tuesday evening somewhere along the Mississippi or Alabama coasts....

"W" rises to the occasion.

This is 42,000 documents of 100,000 requested by the US Senate Judiciary Committee. If Former President George W. Bush feels completely comfortable with opening White House documents to the Senate Committee perhaps the White House today will release the remaining documents.

September 3, 2018

Hours before the start of hearings on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination (click here) to the Supreme Court, the lawyer for former president George W. Bush turned over 42,000 pages of documents from the nominee’s service in the Bush White House, angering Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, who issued what is certain to be a futile call to delay the proceedings.

“Not a single senator will be able to review these records before tomorrow,” Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweeted Monday evening.

Taylor Foy, a spokesman for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), responded that “our review team will be able to complete its examination of this latest batch in short order, before tomorrow’s hearing begins.” A few hours later, a tweet from the committee said that the “Majority staff has now completed its review of each and every one of these pages.”...

Trump Supporters are Weaponized through death threats. What happens when they carry through with their threats?

There is no moral content in death threats. President Trump needs to end the threats by his supporters.

The article below is further proof the corruption Donald Trump breeds openly in this country. That is Trump's true character, not a man fighting the system, but, the man that corrupts it. He would seek to change the US Justice Department to exonerate criminals and not prosecute them. And he actually calls on our law enforcement to remove children from their parents at the border. He is choosing who is assigned to the exposure of the US Justice system.

It is time he consider his actions and words and resign his power. The country is less safe with Trump in the White House.

Bannon is back in the US, right? Has he faced investigation to his actions abroad and domestically? It needs to be done. Evidently, he is pulling Trump's strings on Sessions. (click here)

I think Senator Lindsay Graham needs to rethink his position on everything Trump/Bannon. The motivation behind removing Sessions is that it then justifies Trump's pardons for an AG that didn't do his job right.

September 3, 2018
By Jeremy Diamond

..."Two long running, (click here) Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department," Trump tweeted. "Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff..."

...A decision by the Justice Department to hold off on prosecuting two Republican congressmen up for re-election in order to help them win would have been highly unethical and a blatantly politically motivated violation of the department's nonpartisan mission. The comment on Monday was the latest indication that Trump, who ran on a pledge to "drain the swamp," believes his political allies should be immune from prosecution, regardless of the evidence stacked against them.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the President's tweets....