Credit Due

 I would like to give a shout out to all the people who have declined receiving their COVID vaccine shot.  Those of us waiting for our shot appreciate the chance to move up in line.

I would also like to give a shout out to those people who refuse to wear a mask. I understand we need to have 70 to 80 percent of people vaccinated to get to herd immunity.  That number of people is decreased by people who have already recovered from a bout of COVID.  The brave mask deniers actions that put them at risk of death and serious long term disabilities will decrease the time needed to reach herd immunity.  Mere words cannot express my awe of their selfish and stupid actions.

Mask deniers should also get credit for the family, friends, co-workers and even strangers who they recruited to their cause. Those additional victims will have contributed to the goal of beating the virus with out giving in to the tyranny of the mask.

So mask deniers, what else can I say except "stay the hell away from my family, friends and me!"

Bring On The MAGATES

As a proud Democrat it has long aggravated me that Republicans insist on disrespecting the Democratic Party (its official name) by calling it the Democrat Party.

We may soon have payback.

Donald Trump is threatening to create a new party called the Patriot Party or maybe the MAGA Party.  In either case I propose we call members of the new party Magates.

Rubio Opposes Trump Impeachment Trial - Part 2

Republican Elephant Shit

 

By the way, Marco Rubio also believes we shouldn't impeach Trump because Trump supporters are already so riled up that an impeachment would be like throwing gasoline on a raging fire.

 Does that mean he really thinks that coercion by mob violence is a valid reason not to defend the Constitution? 

Does that mean we should ignore the fact that it was a mountain of incendiary lies built by Trump and his Republican enablers that fired the insurrectionists up?

Rubio Opposes Trump Impeachment Trial

Republican Elephant Shit

Senator Marco Rubio says that he is not in favor of holding the Senate impeachment trial of former president Trump since Trump is already out of office.

That certainly makes sense from Rubio's perspective. Although he voted against rejecting any state's electors, he wouldn't say how he would vote until near the actual vote. Now he wants to put his and his party's involvement in an attempted insurrection behind him.

Any Senator or Representative that didn't early on clearly state they would not vote to invalidate state certified electors bears some responsibility for the insurrection and riot at the Capital on January 6^th.

The trial of Donald Trump in the Senate is absolutely required. Donald Trump with the help of many elected Republican officials encouraged their supporters to take actions to overturn an election. All these people and all the insurrectionist at the Capitol need to be held accountable.

For the “what about club”, yes, there have been a few cases in the recent past where a Democrat or two has voted against a slate of electors. But those situations were different. Before this year who knew that this counting of electors process even took place or remembered who might have ever voted against a set of electors? Did any of those Democrat's encourage violence to overturn the election? How long will this year's violent insurrection and rejected elector votes be remembered? Correct answer----FOREVER!

What did Republicans think would happen if they had succeeded in overturning the validated results of the election? Maybe 80 million Democratic voters would just quietly accept that result? I don't think so. Clearly some insurrectionist wanted to start a real civil war that included violence. We can't afford to get that close to a civil war ever again.

All the states with electors that the Republican's planned to vote against were won by Biden. So Republicans think there was no fraud in states won by Trump? And only the presidential votes in these states were fraudulent? Votes in other contests were not affected? Some of the races in these states were won by Republicans and in other races Democrats won. In the 2020 election Democrats lost their firm hold on the House and now narrowly holds the majority. Democrats knew that they also really needed to win the Senate which they barely did. But if it were so easy for Democrats to fraudulently win the presidency by changing votes in so many states, why didn't they throw in a few more close Senate and House wins?

The idea that the presidential election was stolen was a big lie led by the biggest liar, Donald Trump. But many Republicans were complicit in convincing their supporters that the election was stolen and convincing these supporters that any action to reverse the results of the election was acceptable.

Donald Trump needs to be convicted in the Senate for his lies and actions before and after the election in support of the big lie. He needs to be barred from every running for the presidency again. Future presidents need to understand that efforts that undermine the Constitution will not be allowed.

Republicans that echoed the big lie need to admit to lying. Perpetrators of the big lie need to pay a big price. We need to make sure that big liars and big lies cannot put our democracy in jeopardy again.

Convicting Donald Trump in the Senate is a good first step.

Give Trump A NY Times Subscription

Former presidents are normally provided some forms of classified information. I've heard the reason for this is that their valuable experience along with up-to-date information might be of value to their successor.

President Biden should make sure former President Trump gets absolutely nothing.

We know Trump has divulged classified information accidentally. At least we think it was accidentally.

We know that Trump seems to have an unexplainable obsequious relationship with Putin.

We know that Trump is going to be under extreme financial pressure and may have to sell things of value.

We know Trump will do anything to harm President Biden. Even things that could hurt our country.

Let Trump get his national security information by reading the New York Times.

In The U.S. Everyone Deserves Legal Representation

 I read that former President Donald Trump (former, doesn't that sound good?) is having trouble finding lawyers willing to represent him in his up-coming impeachment trial in the Senate.

I would suggest he request help from public defenders.  I think they have to take on clients no one else will represent.  Even insurrectionists.