Category: Government

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years in prison for Jan. 6 Capitol attack

Justice is done!

Stewart Rhodes, founder of the right-wing militia group Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release Thursday after being convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack. It’s the first sentence passed down to a person found guilty of the rare, Civil War-era charge linked to the riot.

Sporting an orange jumpsuit and his signature eyepatch under wire frame glasses, Rhodes brazenly addressed the court before the sentence was handed down, calling himself a “political prisoner” with “preordained guilt from Day One.”

“However long I spend in prison, my goal will be to be an American Solzhenitsyn to expose the criminality of this regime,” Rhodes said, comparing himself to prominent Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and referencing the Biden administration.

Judge Amit Mehta, who is overseeing the case, strongly rebuked Rhodes’ characterization of his conviction.

“We can have disagreement about who is the better leader…but what we cannot have — what we absolutely cannot have — is a group of citizens who because they did not like the outcome of the election…were then prepared to take up arms in order to foment a revolution,” Mehta said. “That’s what you did.

“You are not a political prisoner, Mr. Rhodes,” he added. “You are here for that conduct.”

This report from USA Today.

Debt Ceiling Shenanigans

This is called Playing Chicken with the debt ceiling. If the ceiling isn’t raised, according to Treasury Secretary and person-who-has-had-just-about-enough-of-these-stupid-shenanigans Janet Yellen, America will default on its debts somewhere around June 1. If that happens, all economic hell will break loose, likely plunging the United States into a recession and potentially bringing the global economy down with it.

Republicans in Congress raised the debt ceiling three times under President Donald Trump without issue, even as Trump was adding nearly $7.8 trillion to the national debt. The U.S. debt increased $9 trillion during the eight years Obama was in office. 

The ceiling cap is all about trying to alert that the Congress has voted to spend money it does not have. The Committee on Ways and Means has the responsibility for raising the revenue required to finance the Federal Government. This includes individual and corporate income taxes, excise taxes, estate taxes, gift taxes, and other miscellaneous taxes. Clearly the Committee has not done its job.

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is trying to win points with the extremists in the G.O.P. by threatening to not raise the limit. Everyone agrees the government should not spend money it does not have. The savings the G.O.P. want to make are all on the backs of the poorest Americans.

At the end of the day Biden and McCarthy will reach a compromise. The consequence of no compromise will be devastating for the United States and the rest of the world.

The U.S. Constitution is Not the Bible

Jackie Calmes nailed it in the Los Angeles Times. The unwritten GOP planks of their campaign for the presidency and control of congress are:

  • Anti-abortion extremism
  • Pro-gun absolutism
  • Anti-LGBTQ activism
  • Book banning
  • Vote suppression
  • Election denialism 

These are the issues that are dividing this country.  There is apparently no compromise among the extreme loyalists.  Perhaps Marjorie Taylor Greene’s suggestion that it’s time for a divorce should be seriously considered.

At the very least many of those people who register as an independent will be pushed into the Democratic Party.

Sadly many Americans treat the Constitution as if it is a bible.  Their view is that whatever was written in 1787 and 1788 was a mandate that must be obeyed as if it was handed down by God.  That is the reason the pro-gun groups treat their right to own guns as a right handed down by God.  So even though there is Article V that defines the procedure those that believe they just cannot bring themselves to make changes.  It has been amended 27 times.

It is time for Senator Feinstein to Retire with Dignity

Dianne Feinstein October 14, 2020 questions Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barret

Reaching the position of United States senator is a role almost every politician dreams to achieve.  There are no term limits and so once obtained they remain there almost to the day they die.  Eight senators died in office since the year 2000.  The last was John McCain who died August 25, 2018 from uncurable brain cancer.

In 2003, South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond retired at the ripe old age of 100 after 48 years in the Senate. The not-so-hidden secret was that his staff did everything but actually push the vote button during his last term, which ended six months before his death.

The current leader of the Republican caucus in the Senate is Mitch McConnell who is 81. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader is a mere 72.

Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the oldest serving member of the Senate, at age 89, has missed 60 of the 82 Senate votes taken so far this year due to illnesses.  After announcing that she was not running for re-election, the following day she has forgotten that she had made the announcement.

With memory problems and the stresses of participation in the Senate it is time for Senator Feinstein to retire with dignity.

Then comes the next issue.  Governor Gavin Newsom will be deciding who will replace Feinstein.

Is Israel becoming a theocracy?

Israel is a thriving democracy that has been the source medical and computer technology. Israel’s primary exports are Cut diamonds, refined petroleum, pharmaceuticals, machinery and equipment, medical instruments, computer hardware and software, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel.

The ultraorthodox Jews in Israel want to impose their views of social behavior on the entire population.  To achieve that goal they want to take control of the country’s judicial system.  Large demonstrations against the take over have developed over the past week.  However there have also been large demonstrations supporting the government’s plan to impose religious law on everyone.

In other words it is a battle between a secular society similar to the United States or a society similar to Iran.  Iran’s formal name is Islamic Republic of Iran.  Israel might then be titled the Jewish State of Israel.

CNN reports   

  • Israel’s contentious judicial overhaul legislation will be put on hold until the next session of the Knesset, after the Passover recess in April, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.
  • His statement followed a nationwide protest that brought Israel to a standstill. The strikes and mass protests were sparked by Netanyahu’s decision to fire his defense minister after he spoke out against the far-reaching legislation.
  • The nation’s largest labor union called an end to the strike after Netanyahu’s announcement, but warned there would be more if the “prime minister returns to aggressive legislation.”
  • Under the proposals, the government would have control over the appointment of judges, and parliament would gain the power to override Supreme Court decisions. Opponents say the plan threatens the foundations of Israeli democracy.

American Jews are becoming appalled over the impact that the ultraorthodox in Israel are having on how the country functions.

The best example of the orthodox interference with the lives of its citizens is marriage law. The issue of civil marriages is a major issue for secular and non-Orthodox Jews, as they are required to follow Orthodox practice to marry in Israel.

As an American Jew I am appalled but what ever the majority want that is what they will have.

The United States Must Stop the flow of Drugs from Mexico

Fentanyl has been smuggled into the United States from Mexico for years. In case you thought that Mexico was an ally that the United States could rely on to combat the flow of fentanyl into the country, Mexico’s president is now outright lying about the issue.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has warned GOP lawmakers that Mexico will not allow foreign governments to intervene in its territory after some members of the party advocated for the U.S. to take military action against Mexico’s drug cartels.

GOP Representative Dan Crenshaw, who introduced legislation allowing American forces to act, responded by asking Mexican president López Obrador why he rejects U.S. aid. His response: “We are not going to permit any foreign government to intervene in our territory, much less that a government’s armed forces intervene.” Does that response make any sense?

Mexico is a country where gangs (cartels) operate with impunity. Their former leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is now in the United States most secure US supermax prison after multiple escapes from Mexican prisons.

So what in the world is Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador talking about? I have always believed that the Mexican government is bribed by the cartels. Obrador’s denial that drugs are made in Mexico is a joke.

I agree with Representatives Dan Crenshaw, Lindsey Graham and other senators that if is time to send American troops into Mexico to bring the cartels to an end. If that means fighting with the Mexican government to bad for them.

American lives are at stake.

The Sad Presidency of Jimmy Carter

President Jimmy Carter was a one term president. Ronald Reagan replaced him. The economy during his presidency was notable for a stagnant economy that included high unemployment and high inflation. It was a time of long lines for gasoline, a partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania and a siege at the U.S. Embassy in Iran. The 52 hostages held at the embassy were not released until the day after Carter relinquished the presidency. The hostage event, I believe, was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Carter’s presidency.

On November 4, 1979, 52 United States diplomats and citizens were held hostage after a group of militarized Iranian college students belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line, who supported the Iranian Revolution, took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took them as hostages. The hostages were held for 444 days. If there was an effort to free the hostages it was never made public.

Today as Carter is in hospice care almost everyone talks about what a great American and president he was. It’s just not true and most of us know it.

Presidents of the US: President-elect Barack Obama on Jan. 7, 2009, with President George W. Bush and former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.(J. Scott Applewhite Associated Press)

Is NORAD Failing and Why?

On February 1, 2023 a spy balloon was spotted by civilians and recorded by Chase Doak, who captured on video from his driveway. He later described as a “big, round disc in the sky” and obviously posted the photo on line.   What if he had not seen it and photographed it?  Would the balloon tracking and ultimately shoot down ever happen?  The topic of spy balloons would not be a news item.

What we don’t know is whether the balloon was being tracked by NORAD.  I’m not into conspiracies but why wasn’t the balloon shot down over Alaska?  Once alerted they tracked it and when another UFO was identified over northern Alaska it two was shot down.

Then a third UFO was shot down over the Yukon territory of Canada.  Then another UFO was identified over Lake Huron and it too was shot won.

So what is the purpose of NORAD? From NORAD’s web site: The North American Aerospace Defense Command conducts aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning in the defense of North America.

NORAD has been asleep or lacks the ability to detect some aerospace invasion. I expect there will be a review of NORAD’s systems by congress.  UFOs flying across our country before being identified is frightening.

Is NORAD really doing its job?

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is a United States and Canada bi-national organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for North America. Aerospace warning includes the detection, validation, and warning of attack against North America whether by aircraft, missiles, or space vehicles, through mutual support arrangements with other commands.

So how did a Chinese balloon the size of three buses end up flying from Alaska to Canada and then across the United States? Is NORAD really doing its job? There were many uninhabited places that the balloon could be shot down in Alaska and the North West Territories of Canada. So arguing that they did not want harm coming to populations does not hold water.

The Sunday morning news shows had guests that gave politically motivated commentaries. Of course the Democrats defended the actions of the Administration and GOP guests attacked. No surprise. Sadly no one provided real answers.

Update on February 6, 2023 is horrifying.

“Every day as a NORAD commander, it’s my responsibility to detect threats to North America. I will tell you that we did not detect those threats,” Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of US Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command said when asked about the three other balloons.

“And that’s a domain awareness gap that we have to figure out, but I don’t want to go into further detail.”

Who wants to be a Senator from California?

California Senator Dianne Feinstein is 89 years old. Her term in office ends in two years. From all appearances she looks frail. The picture above was taken October 14, 2020 when she questioned Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. There are multiple reports about her ability to remember who she had just spoken to. The position of Senate president pro tempore is a position almost always given to the senior senator of the majority political party. That person would be Senator Dianne Feinstein. In an opportunity to become Senate president pro tempore, a position laid out by the Constitution to chair the Senate when the vice president is not present Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Democrats he won’t nominate Sen. Dianne Feinstein due to her mental acuity.

Feinstein has refused to say whether she will run for re-election. As many believe she will not run there is a growing list of well known congressional representatives who have declared their intention to run for the Senate seat. With the overwhelming Democratic registration in California the winner is almost certain to be a Democrat.

As of this date four well known liberal Democrats have announced their intention to run for the Senate seat. All four hold similar positions on most issues. Barbara Lee, Katy Porter, a rising star in the party who has notched close victories in competitive Orange County, Ro Khanna of Fremont, and now Adam Schiff representing Burbank and Glendale. Lee’s reputation is as the lone vote in Congress against the Afghanistan war in 2001.

So the question is how can these people run against each other when they have the same views on most topics? They all hold similar objectives. More gun control, eliminating the use of gas and oil, abortion access wherever you live, immigration reform are some of the topics they most likely will say are important and need new legislation.

They are left with just a few things. Name calling. Sewing petty doubts about their opponent’s loyalty to liberal ideas. The campaign is going to be very nasty.