Elect a convicted felon, expect a crime spree

The traumatic nonsense from the nasty guy is coming thick and fast. I’m not going to be able to keep up. There are things I won’t have time to write about and things I will mention only briefly. Please don’t rely on me to be a news service. I intend to have a life outside this blog. In addition to the news there is commentary I want to share. So sometimes I’d rather share the commentary than the news. So I’ll start with some thing I’ll mention briefly. Walter Einenkel of Daily Kos reported the nasty guy has overturned some of Biden’s “sensitive locations” where Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not allowed to arrest people. So immigrants are no longer safe in “domestic violence shelters, food banks, counseling facilities, and disaster response centers” and now also “places of worship, hospitals, and schools.” So there will be no more stories of churches hosting an immigrant who cannot leave a church building while waiting for a change in their status.

While Trump might not be able to deport tens of millions of people as he promised, he is certainly keeping true to his promise to terrorize Americans and their families.

Oliver Willis of Kos reported in 1965 President Lyndon Johnson signed an executive order that reinforced the requirement that federal contractors not discriminate in who they employed. The nasty guy has now rescinded that order. He called the order “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” If you don’t understand how that wording by itself is actually discriminatory you need to read up on race relations. And Johnson’s order wasn’t illegal. Kash Patel is nominated to lead the FBI. The New York Times reported Patel benefited from a DEI program in 2003 as part of a judicial Intern Opportunity Program. Yeah, Patel rose to prominence through a program the nasty guy is undermining. Emily Singer of Kos reported:

Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday ordered federal health agencies to cease all public-facing communication, The Washington Post reported, a move that will leave Americans in the dark about everything from viral outbreaks to the spread of possible food-borne illnesses.

This comes as bird flu has mutated, causing a big outbreak, which is causing an egg shortage and a spike in egg prices. So far the current variety of bird flu hasn’t jumped human to human, but the larger the outbreak the more likely that will happen. My friend and debate partner had lunch together yesterday. We both had egg dishes. The price for them in that restaurant hadn’t gone up – yet. We briefly discussed the likelihood of a pandemic while the nasty guy is in office and agreed that is likely. That pandemic could be based around bird flu – it is in the news a lot – though a pandemic could be based on something else – COVID was in the news less than six months before shutdowns hit America. Singer reported that the nasty guy stated his plan to end the war on Ukraine. He said if Russia doesn’t make a deal soon the US will impose tariffs on Russia. Tiny problem with that plan. Because of Russia’s invasion the US imports from Russia has already dropped by 90% and in 2024 was only $2.9 billion. Threatening tariffs will have no impact on Russia. Yesterday I quoted a tweet by Jack Jenkins and wondered what prompted it. The quote:

Kinda seems like a whole lotta people found out for the first time today that there's a very large, very vibrant progressive wing of Christianity (and religion in general).

Today I was reminded of something in the news and immediately though, oh yes of course, that. That something was mentioned in today’s Cheers and Jeers column by Bill in Portland, Maine for Kos. It was words from Bishop Marann Edgar Budde at the inaugural prayer service at the National Cathedral.

“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” said Budde, who was looking directly at the president. “There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families. Some who fear for their lives.” "They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues."

I think the nasty guy declared she was mean to him and demanded an apology. Just after I wrote that my friend and debate partner sent me an email making the same connection to yesterday’s quote. He added, “Rather than any apology, she will likely send him a renewed invitation to be counseled.” In today’s pundit roundup for Kos Chitown Kev included several photos and discussion of the snow in New Orleans, a Sneauxpocalypse. Yeah, early this week (likely when we in the northern states were looking at thermometers that said 0F or lower) New Orleans – well, Houston to Pensacola – got 8-11 inches (20-28 cm) of snow. They got in one storm about what we in the north have gotten so far this entire season. Minneapolis has seen 9.8 inches. One of the photos is a video of a guy playing ice hockey on Canal St. Between the photos of snow are: A quote discussing the nasty guy’s executive order banning birthright citizenship as an attempt to rewrite the Constitution, which will be a test of the federal judiciary. They have also been rewriting the Constitution through eliminating the ban on insurrectionists running for office and inventing presidential immunity. A discussion of bird flu and egg prices. A discussion of Bishop Budde’s words. In the comments are several memes and cartoons worth mentioning, starting with one by Rev. Benjamin Cremer referring to Budde’s speech:

If your Christianity causes you to be offended by someone asking the most powerful person in the country to be merciful towards the powerless, they have profoundly misunderstood the teachings of Jesus Christ.

A meme posted by exlrrp:

How can it be legal for a president to launch a cryptocurrency days before he moves into the White House? This is a lifelong career criminal that stole America’s secrets last time. The entire presidency was a fraud. The presidency in America is now a criminal enterprise. Elect a convicted felon, expect a crime spree.

Another meme posted by exlrrp:

16 of the 26 executive orders Trump signed on Day One were ripped straight from the pages of Project 2025. Project 2025 was always the MAGA agenda!” – Robert Reich, Economist.

A cartoon by John Auchter posted by Michigan Public shows two men at a bar with the barman nearby.

Man 1: Can you believe how bad the government in California screwed up the wildfires?! Man 2: Idiots! Incompetent morons – all of ‘em! Barman: Well, the the obvious question is – What would you guys suggest we do right now in Michigan to prevent future disasters here? [The men look at each other] Man 1: Um... Cut taxes? Man 2: Invade Greenland? Barman: Uh-huh...

A cartoon by Paul Noth shows a bald eagle saying, “Lately I just don’t seem much point in symbolizing anything.” And much further down The Geogre posting an excerpt from Will Weissert of AP titled, “Trump Canceled Biden’s Ethics Rules.” Hunter of the Kos community wrote that the nasty guy has already committed an impeachable act – the pardoning of those who committed violent crimes during the Capitol attack coup attempt. He also told the Department of Justice they must drop investigations into anyone else who did violence inside the Capitol that day.

Donald Trump is a criminal who orchestrated a violent insurrection rather than allow his monumental ego to be dented by the same election loss that every other political figure experiences as a matter of course. He is a seditionist. He is a traitor to his country, to democracy, and to the rule of law. And he remains so, whether a coordinated effort by media companies and billionaires to memory-hole his indictments, convictions, and laundry list of crimes returns him to power or not.

Republicans in Congress may condemn the nasty guy, though likely not. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is whether they remove him from office. Or not. They are against terrorism or for it. There is nothing between. There is no debate here, like there might be of a president accepting foreign bribes. Those who commit terrorism will be immunized from justice, a Get Out Of Jail Free card. He has sanctioned domestic terrorism in the future and is making sure it will happen.

We know what will happen. It will not be a surprise; from historians to political theorists to Trump's own former inner circle, there is no longer any doubt that The Criminal intends to dismantle the rule of law so that he and anyone who bows deeply enough to be considered his temporary ally can do crimes with impunity. We know that almost to a person, every Republican official will fall over themselves to justify and celebrate those crimes. It has already begun; Trump has freed those who tried to kill lawmakers and end our democracy.

His actions prove he was the head conspirator of the Capitol attack. That makes his action a high crime, an insult to the Constitution so bad it should not be tolerated, and worthy of impeachment. Hunter says drawing up articles of impeachment is highly likely. More articles would be drawn up when the military is sent into US cities to shoot protesters. Once those articles of impeachment are drawn up, any member of Congress who votes against them or votes against convicting has shown they are also a terrorist.

There are those who believe that violence enacted for the sake of keeping or expanding political power is so unforgivable and anti-American an act that its perpetrators must be removed from power regardless of intent or party. All others amount solely to accomplices.

In the comments Hunter makes a distinction between illegal – issuing the pardons was legal – and impeachable. The second is using legal powers corruptly. Both of his previous impeachment trials was about that.