Interesting that moments before I opened this newsletter, I shot off messages to my senators and representative regarding the Trump slush fund from hell. I don't expect a quick responses, but will pass them on if and when I get them.
Also, let's not forget that payments from this fund won't be limited to J6 rioters. Trump's hand-picked Board will be able to hand money out to just about anyone.
This is straight up embezzlement of taxpayer funds, so I think the fund should be called the MEGA (Make Embezzlement Great Again) Fund.
Should we take comfort that some Republicans are pushing back on the stupidest, most offensive act this administration has taken: to enrich convicted felons and give American tax dollars to people who tried to overthrow the governmnet?
It’s a small comfort, but feel free to take it. My analysis is that the Republicans, some of them, smell blood in the water. Trump is the alpha male of the tribe who is noticeably getting old, sick, and ripe for being toppled. The young bucks can sense it, they smell the weakness. The ones who have been primaried have nothing to lose by voting NO on anything the administration puts before them from now til January. And the bitter ones want revenge. Fun times ahead.
Aside from the absurdity of Trump effectively sound and settling with himself and the absurdity that the settlement would hand taxpayer $ to people who were not parties to the litigation for alleged mistreatment that was not relevant to the lawsuit, all that aside, the supposed settlement would take $ appropriated by Congress for a totally random use decided by the president. Why have a budget at all?
Nothing will prevent the ONF (orange narcissist-felon) from paying nothing to anyone and pocketing it all: no accounting, no legal recourse, no nothing.
Tell it for what it is: the looting of taxpayer monies to benefit the ONF, his family and (maybe) his friends and cult followers, unless individuals with legal, governmental, ethical, moral and spinal values stand up and stop him. This, while the ONF's and his regime's policies gut essentially every major element of governmental benefit to millions.
All this while the moneyed influencers laugh all the way to the bank.
I agree with your position, but I am leaning on “prayer and hope” that the Republicans will find a stiffened spin, a coal-cleaned heart, and a brain cleansed of ashes to do the right thing. Their “dear leader” is simply not well at all. His MAGA and greedy rich followers have failed to think about us, the taxpayers. Prayers and Fingers crossed!!🛐🤞🏻
Only a few election cycles ago, Libertarians in Iowa fielded candidates for most statewide and federal offices.
This year they are trying to get candidates for U.S. Senate and governor on the ballot, and maybe a smattering of state legislative candidates, but otherwise not competing.
Libertarians also went to court (successfully) after Iowa Republicans tried in 2019 to move the filing deadline for third-party candidates from late August to mid-March. But when they enacted a law last year moving up the filing deadline to the date of the primary election (early June), Libertarians didn't have their act together to file a lawsuit.
Maybe Dems in the House should bring a resolution to impeach acting AG Blanche for brokering this wildly corrupt slush fund at a time gas and grocery prices are out of control. Make Republicans defend it before the coming election.
The DOJ is removing linked references to J6 convictions from its website. Trump pardoned almost all of them and commuted sentences of the ones he didn't pardon and now he's trying to buy their continued loyalty after wiping the J6 slate clean. He's requesting $1 billion for "security" for the White House grounds and new bunker/ballroom. The GOP states slavishly redistricted in order to add a dozen Republican seats to the House of Representatives and the Senate is more likely to stay Red than turn Blue. Most of the GOP states are on board with calling for a Constitutional Convention. Both Trump and Vance befriend defacto dictators, and billionaire donors support whoever promises them the best opportunity to make themselves even richer--"promoting the General Welfare"-- in the preamble of the Constitution be damned. I wish the connection between all these events, efforts, and trends wasn't so easy to draw because it doesn't portend well for the future of a democratic United States.
Vermin Supreme is a jokester anarchist who pokes fun at American politics in general, and while he regularly runs, the whole point of his running is to ridicule the whole process. That and the boot on his head is part of his costume. You can't argue with tradition. ;)
Regarding optimism, it is in critically short supply when it comes to the actions of the T. Rump criminal enterprise. My guess is that Congress will return on 2 June suitably chastened and ready to accommodate The Don, after all, it is only money-right?
Wouldn't congress need a veto-proof majority to stop the Payoffs for Jackoffs fund? Also, couldn't Trump move the funds out of the U.S. treasury before Congress passes a bill, putting it beyond their reach?
Something popped into my head reading part 1, which is this Traitor Stimulus Fund creates a ruby red line as to Republicans who are MAGA and those who are not. Trump essentially set Republicans up to fail. Either they block reparations for MAGA or they stay in the good graces and approve it. You can bet that Trump will hang no votes around the necks wherever he can in his effort to replace them. As we’ve seen before, it doesn’t matter what you did in the past, only whether they provide value now.
Interesting that moments before I opened this newsletter, I shot off messages to my senators and representative regarding the Trump slush fund from hell. I don't expect a quick responses, but will pass them on if and when I get them.
Also, let's not forget that payments from this fund won't be limited to J6 rioters. Trump's hand-picked Board will be able to hand money out to just about anyone.
This is straight up embezzlement of taxpayer funds, so I think the fund should be called the MEGA (Make Embezzlement Great Again) Fund.
Should we take comfort that some Republicans are pushing back on the stupidest, most offensive act this administration has taken: to enrich convicted felons and give American tax dollars to people who tried to overthrow the governmnet?
It’s a small comfort, but feel free to take it. My analysis is that the Republicans, some of them, smell blood in the water. Trump is the alpha male of the tribe who is noticeably getting old, sick, and ripe for being toppled. The young bucks can sense it, they smell the weakness. The ones who have been primaried have nothing to lose by voting NO on anything the administration puts before them from now til January. And the bitter ones want revenge. Fun times ahead.
Aside from the absurdity of Trump effectively sound and settling with himself and the absurdity that the settlement would hand taxpayer $ to people who were not parties to the litigation for alleged mistreatment that was not relevant to the lawsuit, all that aside, the supposed settlement would take $ appropriated by Congress for a totally random use decided by the president. Why have a budget at all?
This is all specious speculation.
Nothing will prevent the ONF (orange narcissist-felon) from paying nothing to anyone and pocketing it all: no accounting, no legal recourse, no nothing.
Tell it for what it is: the looting of taxpayer monies to benefit the ONF, his family and (maybe) his friends and cult followers, unless individuals with legal, governmental, ethical, moral and spinal values stand up and stop him. This, while the ONF's and his regime's policies gut essentially every major element of governmental benefit to millions.
All this while the moneyed influencers laugh all the way to the bank.
Not that my opinion means squat, but I don’t see any way republicans let this fund stand.
I agree with your position, but I am leaning on “prayer and hope” that the Republicans will find a stiffened spin, a coal-cleaned heart, and a brain cleansed of ashes to do the right thing. Their “dear leader” is simply not well at all. His MAGA and greedy rich followers have failed to think about us, the taxpayers. Prayers and Fingers crossed!!🛐🤞🏻
So is this Emo Caucus more Rites of Spring or more Dashboard Confessional? Or is it more just about the black fingernails and floppy hair?
Republicans can't let this happen. Like paying the hitman sent to kill you.
Only a few election cycles ago, Libertarians in Iowa fielded candidates for most statewide and federal offices.
This year they are trying to get candidates for U.S. Senate and governor on the ballot, and maybe a smattering of state legislative candidates, but otherwise not competing.
Libertarians also went to court (successfully) after Iowa Republicans tried in 2019 to move the filing deadline for third-party candidates from late August to mid-March. But when they enacted a law last year moving up the filing deadline to the date of the primary election (early June), Libertarians didn't have their act together to file a lawsuit.
Maybe Dems in the House should bring a resolution to impeach acting AG Blanche for brokering this wildly corrupt slush fund at a time gas and grocery prices are out of control. Make Republicans defend it before the coming election.
The DOJ is removing linked references to J6 convictions from its website. Trump pardoned almost all of them and commuted sentences of the ones he didn't pardon and now he's trying to buy their continued loyalty after wiping the J6 slate clean. He's requesting $1 billion for "security" for the White House grounds and new bunker/ballroom. The GOP states slavishly redistricted in order to add a dozen Republican seats to the House of Representatives and the Senate is more likely to stay Red than turn Blue. Most of the GOP states are on board with calling for a Constitutional Convention. Both Trump and Vance befriend defacto dictators, and billionaire donors support whoever promises them the best opportunity to make themselves even richer--"promoting the General Welfare"-- in the preamble of the Constitution be damned. I wish the connection between all these events, efforts, and trends wasn't so easy to draw because it doesn't portend well for the future of a democratic United States.
Vermin Supreme is a jokester anarchist who pokes fun at American politics in general, and while he regularly runs, the whole point of his running is to ridicule the whole process. That and the boot on his head is part of his costume. You can't argue with tradition. ;)
Helpful, thanks. This outrage stands above all others, and that's saying a lot.
Regarding optimism, it is in critically short supply when it comes to the actions of the T. Rump criminal enterprise. My guess is that Congress will return on 2 June suitably chastened and ready to accommodate The Don, after all, it is only money-right?
Wouldn't congress need a veto-proof majority to stop the Payoffs for Jackoffs fund? Also, couldn't Trump move the funds out of the U.S. treasury before Congress passes a bill, putting it beyond their reach?
Something popped into my head reading part 1, which is this Traitor Stimulus Fund creates a ruby red line as to Republicans who are MAGA and those who are not. Trump essentially set Republicans up to fail. Either they block reparations for MAGA or they stay in the good graces and approve it. You can bet that Trump will hang no votes around the necks wherever he can in his effort to replace them. As we’ve seen before, it doesn’t matter what you did in the past, only whether they provide value now.
Lawmakers left town without finishing the weeks business”