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lees1975
lees1975's Journal
lees1975's Journal
April 19, 2024
If you've never heard of Alan Ritchson, you're not alone. Ritchson is an actor who plays an ex-military police officer turned vigilante in an Amazon Prime series. That's not really my kind of entertainment, though I've seen advertising and video clips for the series. But I picked up really quickly on the article, linked above, in the Huff Post. It was who Ritchson is, and what he said that got my attention, mainly because he said what I've been saying for years now, and the reaction, predictable and typical of the kind of behavior exhibited by many American Christians who can't tolerate disagreement or dissent with their perspective.
Ritchson, a Christian, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, expressed confusion over Christians who support the former President.
"Christians today have become the most vitriolic tribe," said Ritchson in the interview. "It is so antithetical to what Jesus was calling us to be and to do."
If he'd made that statement from the pulpit of a church, and I was in the congregation, I'd have given him a hearty "AMEN!", applause, and a standing ovation. Contrary to popular perception, I think there would be quite a few other members of the congregation who would join in and support that position.
"Trump is a rapist and a con man," he said, "And yet the entire Christian church seems to treat him like he's their poster child and it's unreal. I don't understand it."
Neither do I.
In taking down Trump, actor Alan Ritchson, a.k.a. "Jack Reacher," doesn't get why Christians support Trump at all.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/04/i-dont-get-it-either.htmlIf you've never heard of Alan Ritchson, you're not alone. Ritchson is an actor who plays an ex-military police officer turned vigilante in an Amazon Prime series. That's not really my kind of entertainment, though I've seen advertising and video clips for the series. But I picked up really quickly on the article, linked above, in the Huff Post. It was who Ritchson is, and what he said that got my attention, mainly because he said what I've been saying for years now, and the reaction, predictable and typical of the kind of behavior exhibited by many American Christians who can't tolerate disagreement or dissent with their perspective.
Ritchson, a Christian, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, expressed confusion over Christians who support the former President.
"Christians today have become the most vitriolic tribe," said Ritchson in the interview. "It is so antithetical to what Jesus was calling us to be and to do."
If he'd made that statement from the pulpit of a church, and I was in the congregation, I'd have given him a hearty "AMEN!", applause, and a standing ovation. Contrary to popular perception, I think there would be quite a few other members of the congregation who would join in and support that position.
"Trump is a rapist and a con man," he said, "And yet the entire Christian church seems to treat him like he's their poster child and it's unreal. I don't understand it."
Neither do I.
April 16, 2024
If you're the Family Research Council, who else but a lying, election denying Evangelical would you put in charge of
your election integrity effort?
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/04/a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing-election.html
https://baptistnews.com/article/former-southern-baptist-pastor-an-election-denier-leads-frc-actions-election-integrity-effort/
Perfect choice for them, the guy is a former Georgia Congressman, an insurrectionist, a lying election denier, and on top of that, an ordained Southern Baptist pastor. Same guy who tried to "primary" Brad Raffensperger in 2022, got Trump's endorsement and lost by double digit percentages, former congressman, and former pastor Jody Hice.
How effective will this effort be?
April 16, 2024
This should be good for a laugh.
Election deniers are liars. It's as simple as that.
In all of the wailing, hollering, gnashing of teeth and whining about the outcome of the 2020 Presidential election, the one thing that was missing from all of the claims of "massive election fraud", ballot tampering, and improperly programmed counting machines was credible evidence. Multiple audits, including "forensic audits," investigations, even a laughable episode with a group known as the "Cyber Ninjas," who wasted about $6 million, including a significant amount of taxpayer dollars, found nothing irregular or out of place, to indicate that the few minor errors here and there, which are part of every election, were part of some nationwide conspiracy to cause Trump to lose.
So, while some people might find it surprising that the Family Research Council has chosen an insurrectionist, election-denying former Georgia congressman as the leader of their "election integrity" effort, I'm not surprised. It's this kind of phony posturing that is characteristic of Republican, and Christian hypocrisy when it comes to far right wing politics.
Jody Hice is a former Georgia Congressman, a former pastor of Southern Baptist churches, one of the members of congress bent on overturning the will of the people by voting against accepting the results of the 2020 election, and objecting to accepting Georgia's 2020 electoral votes. He nullified any claims he has to being a man of integrity when he accepted Trump's endorsement in his 2022 failed effort to "primary" Georgia Secretary of State against Brad Raffensperger. Apparently, Georgia voters recognized this, because Hice lost by double digit margins to Raffensperger.
Even if it is secular politics, for an ordained minister of the Christian gospel to accept the endorsement of a man who openly denies his own acceptance of, and need for that same gospel, is a denial in and of itself of the spiritual power and the truthfulness of that gospel. To put this same man in charge of "election integrity" for a far right wing political lobby is like putting a wolf in charge of the sheep, or a fox in charge of the henhouse.
Conservative Christian "Family Research Council" places "election integrity effort" in hands of an election denier :-)
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/04/a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing-election.htmlThis should be good for a laugh.
Election deniers are liars. It's as simple as that.
In all of the wailing, hollering, gnashing of teeth and whining about the outcome of the 2020 Presidential election, the one thing that was missing from all of the claims of "massive election fraud", ballot tampering, and improperly programmed counting machines was credible evidence. Multiple audits, including "forensic audits," investigations, even a laughable episode with a group known as the "Cyber Ninjas," who wasted about $6 million, including a significant amount of taxpayer dollars, found nothing irregular or out of place, to indicate that the few minor errors here and there, which are part of every election, were part of some nationwide conspiracy to cause Trump to lose.
So, while some people might find it surprising that the Family Research Council has chosen an insurrectionist, election-denying former Georgia congressman as the leader of their "election integrity" effort, I'm not surprised. It's this kind of phony posturing that is characteristic of Republican, and Christian hypocrisy when it comes to far right wing politics.
Jody Hice is a former Georgia Congressman, a former pastor of Southern Baptist churches, one of the members of congress bent on overturning the will of the people by voting against accepting the results of the 2020 election, and objecting to accepting Georgia's 2020 electoral votes. He nullified any claims he has to being a man of integrity when he accepted Trump's endorsement in his 2022 failed effort to "primary" Georgia Secretary of State against Brad Raffensperger. Apparently, Georgia voters recognized this, because Hice lost by double digit margins to Raffensperger.
Even if it is secular politics, for an ordained minister of the Christian gospel to accept the endorsement of a man who openly denies his own acceptance of, and need for that same gospel, is a denial in and of itself of the spiritual power and the truthfulness of that gospel. To put this same man in charge of "election integrity" for a far right wing political lobby is like putting a wolf in charge of the sheep, or a fox in charge of the henhouse.
April 14, 2024
This is really good stuff, showing the vast difference between the way Republicans were thinking back forty years ago and how the party has fallen apart today. Some of it was laughable.
This is more of the same theme of "younger, more progressive voters are abandoning Biden," and "his age is a problem," and "RFK Jr.'s challenge is a big problem," and "even though he won by 7 million votes in 2020, it was actually less than 50,000 when you count what he won in the swing states," and "the uncommitted vote is a sign of a bigger problem," that we've seen from Republican commentators for a while now. I've included it here because it can give us a look at what the other side is thinking, in terms of how they see the election shaping up, or because putting out this kind of deliberately misleading information that runs along some of the theme lines that we've seen in the media up to this point might affect some election campaign strategy.
My guess is that The Hill included this for a few laughs, or for a few talking points, given the rest of the content that appears there daily. I think it's just worth looking at how MacKinnon labels "one problem" by breaking it down into three problems, and tackles each one with misinformation and incorrect assumptions.
What should we expect, from an old fashioned, outdated Republican commentator from five Presidential administrations back?
Former Reagan-Bush assistant policy writer suggests Democrats should replace Biden at the Convention "for this reason".
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/04/advice-from-former-reagan-bush.htmlThis is really good stuff, showing the vast difference between the way Republicans were thinking back forty years ago and how the party has fallen apart today. Some of it was laughable.
This is more of the same theme of "younger, more progressive voters are abandoning Biden," and "his age is a problem," and "RFK Jr.'s challenge is a big problem," and "even though he won by 7 million votes in 2020, it was actually less than 50,000 when you count what he won in the swing states," and "the uncommitted vote is a sign of a bigger problem," that we've seen from Republican commentators for a while now. I've included it here because it can give us a look at what the other side is thinking, in terms of how they see the election shaping up, or because putting out this kind of deliberately misleading information that runs along some of the theme lines that we've seen in the media up to this point might affect some election campaign strategy.
My guess is that The Hill included this for a few laughs, or for a few talking points, given the rest of the content that appears there daily. I think it's just worth looking at how MacKinnon labels "one problem" by breaking it down into three problems, and tackles each one with misinformation and incorrect assumptions.
What should we expect, from an old fashioned, outdated Republican commentator from five Presidential administrations back?
April 14, 2024
Investigations, indictments, obfuscation, delay and no trials will ever be held.
When indictments were handed down against Trump, in the documents case and as a result of the insurrection on January 6, 2021, I had a change of heart about the prospects of actually seeing justice be served with regard to the most corrupt, most criminal Presidency in the history of this country. We failed, because of a politically motivated pardon by Gerald Ford, to prosecute and bring to justice the first criminal President in American history. But, in spite of the failure of the two impeachments of Trump to gain convictions, both of which failed because of political manipulation and the abandonment of American patriotic values by most Republican members of the US Congress, when these indicments were handed down, I started to believe that maybe justice would actually prevail.
Unfortunately, we do not have a justice system that can function in a world of big money, spent on armies of lawyers for the sole purpose of piling on delays in order to clog the court calendar, shut down the system and, in the case of a former President and presidential candidate, gain just enough time for him to take a shot on winning the election and then, using the power of office and his choice for attorney general, and judges on the federal bench, to shut it all down and avoid being tried altogether. Those in this country who cannot afford grossly overpriced attorneys to buy time must face the consequences of their actions. Those who have money can buy lawyers to set justice aside, and if that doesn't work, to influence judges to make it work.
Our nation and its government is failing a basic test proving we are a nation of laws, and that we are all equal under the impartial rule of law. It is becoming apparent that we are not a nation of equal justice under the law, and for some people, with enough money and influence, there is no law at all.
A colossal waste of time and money.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/04/a-colossal-waste-of-time-and-money.htmlInvestigations, indictments, obfuscation, delay and no trials will ever be held.
When indictments were handed down against Trump, in the documents case and as a result of the insurrection on January 6, 2021, I had a change of heart about the prospects of actually seeing justice be served with regard to the most corrupt, most criminal Presidency in the history of this country. We failed, because of a politically motivated pardon by Gerald Ford, to prosecute and bring to justice the first criminal President in American history. But, in spite of the failure of the two impeachments of Trump to gain convictions, both of which failed because of political manipulation and the abandonment of American patriotic values by most Republican members of the US Congress, when these indicments were handed down, I started to believe that maybe justice would actually prevail.
Unfortunately, we do not have a justice system that can function in a world of big money, spent on armies of lawyers for the sole purpose of piling on delays in order to clog the court calendar, shut down the system and, in the case of a former President and presidential candidate, gain just enough time for him to take a shot on winning the election and then, using the power of office and his choice for attorney general, and judges on the federal bench, to shut it all down and avoid being tried altogether. Those in this country who cannot afford grossly overpriced attorneys to buy time must face the consequences of their actions. Those who have money can buy lawyers to set justice aside, and if that doesn't work, to influence judges to make it work.
Our nation and its government is failing a basic test proving we are a nation of laws, and that we are all equal under the impartial rule of law. It is becoming apparent that we are not a nation of equal justice under the law, and for some people, with enough money and influence, there is no law at all.
April 13, 2024
Everything that black voters have fought for since the civil rights movement began goes away if Trump wins. There is no reason for any Black voter to stay home and not vote, to vote third party, or especially to vote for Trump. For Trump and his MAGA base, there is no room for Latinos in their vision of America's future. They believe all Latinos, even those who were born and raised in this country, are part of their ridiculous "replacement theory". A Latino voter who votes for Trump, or for a third party candidate, is voting against their own interest and their own freedom. The same goes for Asian voters, as well as any other racial or ethnic minority in America. Voting for Trump is voting against your own freedom.
That also applies to younger voters. Voting third party is voting for Trump and voting for Trump is voting against all of those interests that they put at the top of their list, particularly the anti-war, anti-violence stand that most of them take. It is voting against a woman's right to control her own health care and her own body. It is voting against every known higher educational opportunity and career advancement ladder available. It is voting against protecting free and fair elections.
If conservatives want to play on the field with a "winner take all" attitude, then Democrats have to be the winners, and we have to be committed to take it all when we win. This election has to send a clear message, which means that Biden needs a second term and the Democrats need a big enough majority in Congress to put things in place that eliminate the possibility of our rights being taken away by a right wing, conservative, Christian nationalist dictatorship. And if that's not what the younger voters in this country want, then they need to be told, in no uncertain terms, that's what they're going to get if they don't show up in November, and support President Biden.
Failing to vote, voting third party, or voting for Trump is voting against America and the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
Some younger voters aren't getting it. Voting for Trump or voting third party is a vote against their own interests.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/04/younger-voters-dont-seem-to-be-getting.htmlEverything that black voters have fought for since the civil rights movement began goes away if Trump wins. There is no reason for any Black voter to stay home and not vote, to vote third party, or especially to vote for Trump. For Trump and his MAGA base, there is no room for Latinos in their vision of America's future. They believe all Latinos, even those who were born and raised in this country, are part of their ridiculous "replacement theory". A Latino voter who votes for Trump, or for a third party candidate, is voting against their own interest and their own freedom. The same goes for Asian voters, as well as any other racial or ethnic minority in America. Voting for Trump is voting against your own freedom.
That also applies to younger voters. Voting third party is voting for Trump and voting for Trump is voting against all of those interests that they put at the top of their list, particularly the anti-war, anti-violence stand that most of them take. It is voting against a woman's right to control her own health care and her own body. It is voting against every known higher educational opportunity and career advancement ladder available. It is voting against protecting free and fair elections.
If conservatives want to play on the field with a "winner take all" attitude, then Democrats have to be the winners, and we have to be committed to take it all when we win. This election has to send a clear message, which means that Biden needs a second term and the Democrats need a big enough majority in Congress to put things in place that eliminate the possibility of our rights being taken away by a right wing, conservative, Christian nationalist dictatorship. And if that's not what the younger voters in this country want, then they need to be told, in no uncertain terms, that's what they're going to get if they don't show up in November, and support President Biden.
Failing to vote, voting third party, or voting for Trump is voting against America and the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
April 10, 2024
Keep in mind, folks. Trump issued an executive order banning people from Muslim countries from entering the US, and talked to his military leadership about shooting protesters.
If you're really interested in Gaza, and not just your own political standing in this country, then there's some figuring out you need to do about how to do this. What you're doing won't help Gaza and if you "punish" Democrats who aren't right there with you by helping Trump get elected, Gaza loses.
Killing their own cause.
https://www.rawstory.com/pro-palestinian-activists/Keep in mind, folks. Trump issued an executive order banning people from Muslim countries from entering the US, and talked to his military leadership about shooting protesters.
If you're really interested in Gaza, and not just your own political standing in this country, then there's some figuring out you need to do about how to do this. What you're doing won't help Gaza and if you "punish" Democrats who aren't right there with you by helping Trump get elected, Gaza loses.
April 10, 2024
Republicans were willing to add 8 trillion to the debt for a billionaire tax cut, but don't want to add a fraction
of that to help those with massive student loans.
There's another campaign theme. All those truck drivers, teachers, nurses and working class people you claim will be saddled with debt from student loan forgiveness were already saddled with a hundred times more debt to give billionaires tax breaks under Trump.
Democrats, the GOP is handing this election to us on a silver platter. How is our party taking advantage of all of this?
April 9, 2024
My morning commute became a matter of getting out the phone to listen to Democracy Now! Until, one morning, after listening to WCPT the night before, I discovered Chew's Views with Richard Chew. Apparently, WCPT listeners weren't happy with Santita Jackson, or her third party promotion, and they cancelled her show and replaced it.
There's no question that Chew's view is that Biden, as the Democratic nominee, is the only hope for American democracy. He has repeatedly pointed out that black voters, Latino voters, Asian voters, LGBTQ voters, younger voters, working class voters and several other constituencies have absolutely no business casting a ballot for either a third party candidate, or for Trump, and he emphasizes how ridiculous, and self-defeating it is for those constituencies who are thinking Biden is too old, or that they haven't seen the economic benefit they think they should have, and are planning to either protest the Democratic party's nominee by voting third party, or, maybe, they'll vote for Trump.
He makes no bones about exactly how ridiculous and stupid that is.
Here's a Great New Morning Talk Show for Democrats That You'll Love!
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/04/a-great-talk-show-for-your-morning.htmlMy morning commute became a matter of getting out the phone to listen to Democracy Now! Until, one morning, after listening to WCPT the night before, I discovered Chew's Views with Richard Chew. Apparently, WCPT listeners weren't happy with Santita Jackson, or her third party promotion, and they cancelled her show and replaced it.
There's no question that Chew's view is that Biden, as the Democratic nominee, is the only hope for American democracy. He has repeatedly pointed out that black voters, Latino voters, Asian voters, LGBTQ voters, younger voters, working class voters and several other constituencies have absolutely no business casting a ballot for either a third party candidate, or for Trump, and he emphasizes how ridiculous, and self-defeating it is for those constituencies who are thinking Biden is too old, or that they haven't seen the economic benefit they think they should have, and are planning to either protest the Democratic party's nominee by voting third party, or, maybe, they'll vote for Trump.
He makes no bones about exactly how ridiculous and stupid that is.
April 8, 2024
I have no doubts that this current President, who has a remarkable string of achievements in his first term, will also be successful in his second. That depends, of course, on us giving him a Democratic majority in both houses, something that is entirely doable and looks promising. But there are a couple of things I would like to see happen in those early days of the second Biden term as President.
So the first item of business for the new Senate will be to break the filibuster. Gridlock will cease when the filibuster is gone. Republicans no longer are interested in a government that works on compromise. They are, in fact, not really interested in a working government at all. Breaking the filibuster is a way to make government work again, and since they aren't interested in bi-partisan cooperation, why should we care?
No more waiting around for a justice to kick the bucket or retire to create suspense to fill the seat. Find the most liberal judges in the federal system in the United States and get them nominated to the Supreme Court. We need at least four, why not five? And with the new court, headed in a new direction, go back and undo everything the Roberts court has done since it became a conservative majority. Everything.
Suggestions for the first 100 days of President Biden's second term.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/04/its-january-20-2025-president-biden-has.htmlI have no doubts that this current President, who has a remarkable string of achievements in his first term, will also be successful in his second. That depends, of course, on us giving him a Democratic majority in both houses, something that is entirely doable and looks promising. But there are a couple of things I would like to see happen in those early days of the second Biden term as President.
So the first item of business for the new Senate will be to break the filibuster. Gridlock will cease when the filibuster is gone. Republicans no longer are interested in a government that works on compromise. They are, in fact, not really interested in a working government at all. Breaking the filibuster is a way to make government work again, and since they aren't interested in bi-partisan cooperation, why should we care?
No more waiting around for a justice to kick the bucket or retire to create suspense to fill the seat. Find the most liberal judges in the federal system in the United States and get them nominated to the Supreme Court. We need at least four, why not five? And with the new court, headed in a new direction, go back and undo everything the Roberts court has done since it became a conservative majority. Everything.
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: Tucson, Arizona
Current location: Chicago, Illinois
Member since: Wed Dec 25, 2019, 01:02 AM
Number of posts: 3,845
