The World Waits & Watches

 

This weekend has seen remarkable happenings in the country of Russia. The autocratic leader, Vladimir Putin, was challenged by the leader of one of his own private armies who marched his forces and armor into the Russian countryside headed for Moscow. As the armored lines moved onward, reports say they shot down Russian planes and helicopters. This soldier, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of a mercenary army called the Wagner Group, has been the attack dog for Putin in countries across Africa and the Middle East. His forces, often comprising convicted criminals on partial release, were known for their brutality and ferociousness in battle. He has been named as a war criminal and sanctioned by the US for his work in creating the Russian “bot farms” that attacked American politics in 2016.

Prigozhin had called for the Russian Generals in charge of the war in Ukraine to be dismissed as he claimed his troops were not receiving adequate battle supplies, such as bullets and armor. When his demands were unmet, he led some 25,000 troops away from the Ukraine battle lines into the Russian military staging grounds and then onward on the road to the nation’s capital, Moscow. He then went on social media and claimed the excuses for the war were untrue and the generals were incompetent.

President Putin went on national TV and called his former friend a traitor and his invasion traitorous. Then, sometime later, the government press office announced that Prizoghin would step down, go into exile in Belarus and some of his forces would be absorbed into the Russian forces. They made no statement about the status of the accused generals, thought by many to be corrupt. Other leaders, in capitals across the world, wondered about this announcement.

These brash actions made Putin look weak and indecisive and undermined the war effort in Ukraine. Many pundits claim he signed his death warrant as Putin strikes when least expected. Over the years, his enemies, at least the ones not yet in jail, have had the bad habits of falling out of hotel windows, dying of sudden poisonings, or being shot in broad daylight on a random street. Many applied the saying, “If you are going to strike at the king, you must kill him because he will strike back if still alive,’

Left unanswered is what will become of the Wagner forces now taking millions of dollars of gold and blood diamonds out of countries in Africa, where local leaders hired them as their strongmen. Currently, these troops are in the Central African Republic, Mali, and parts of Libya and Sudan. Although described as a private army, the leaders shared their illegal gains with many Russian oligarchs and President Putin, and the conscripts worked with Putin’s permission.

What will happen next? President Putin has not been seen since he made his television announcement. The troops retreated in their countryside advance; Prizoghin has not been seen or heard from since they announced his exile. His once-active Telegram account has been silent. What will his role be in Belarus? Russia had been trying to convince that country to send troops into Ukraine, without success. Will its army now become engaged under the thumb of Prizoghin?

Although, along with many Russian oligarchs, he is a billionaire, he may not have a safe haven any longer but may surprise us all and someday, like a bad penny, turn up again. The world does not need ruthless warriors such as he is, especially those who seem to have no sense of morality.

How will this matter affect the progress of the war in Ukraine? With the removal of these fighting forces, the Russian front lines will be unmanned. Although, despite this turmoil, Russian rockets were launched toward Kyiv last evening. Can Ukraine prepare its summer offensive more rapidly? Could this confusion allow the Ukrainians to make advances in the current lines of battle?

Can the apparent “cracks in “Putin’s façade” change the trajectory of the war? Could his actions become unstable and allow the use of the nuclear option? Already described by many as paranoid and trusting few, will he strike out against his enemies, real and perceived? Could the population of Russia now be subjected to more restrictions and allowed less access to international news outlets and the Internet? Will his forces destroy the occupied Ukrainian nuclear power plant and release radioactivity across the area? Since Russian troops were thought to breach a major dam that flooded thousands of acres downstream, displacing many hundreds of villagers, many also considered this attack against civilians yet another war crime.

President Biden has been at Camp David this weekend and has made no public statements about these events. His administration commented carefully, not wanting to be accused of having any players in this internal power struggle. President Zelensky of Ukraine spoke to the Russian troops, asking them if they knew why they were at war, and encouraged them to lay down their arms. (Many have spoken of the forces as demoralized and ill-prepared for battle, so this message might speak to them.)

So tonight, as I write on Sunday evening, we do not know what might happen next. We hold our collective breath, sit, and wait to see what will be. There are lots of questions, but no suitable answers, yet.

That’s all for tonight.

“Til next week-Peace!

A Party of Liars?

 

Recently, in the news, we have heard statements from many elected Republican officials that were, if not outrageous, at least preposterous, and in several cases, just outright lies. We have already seen that Jim Jordan’s weaponisation hearings showcased fired FBI agents and other discredited former officials. Others made statements that could not be supported by those testifying. So-called whistleblowers were proven baseless in their claims.

A producer on a recent Fox News Show now fired, even presented a chyron that stated President Biden was a “wannabe dictator”. This producer once worked for fired host Tucker Carlson, who supported him in prepared remarks that also attacked President Biden. Carlson was, of course, one of that network’s biggest tellers of tall tales.

The former president, after his arraignment, claimed that President Biden was weaponizing the Department of Justice. In the House, the Republican leadership spoke out forcefully against the indictment, blaming President Biden. Speaker McCarthy, leaders, Steve Scalise, and Elise Stefanik all claimed the indictments were illegal actions. Senators Rubio, Graham, and Cruz echoed his remarks. Cruz even made the bizarre remark that the Special Counsel hates the former president. Graham indicated that if DJT was indicted for January 6^th, Republicans would consider it a major outrage. (This is from a man who stood up in the Senate and said he was finished with the president after that incident. Glad to know he is consistent!) Rubio, who once claimed that DJT could not be trusted with the nuclear codes, is now claiming that since the US doesn’t know if mere ownership of the secret hidden documents has caused any harm, no indictment should have been issued. This overlooks the fact that the law noted that the possession of the documents and refusal to return the requested papers was illegal.

Other Republican leaders in the Senate, such as Senator McConnell and John Thune, said nothing. Senator Vance from Ohio, who won with the former president’s support, vowed to hold off hearings on all appointments for DOJ prosecutors and claimed that Biden was using the justice system to steal the 2024 election. The claims of weaponizing were also echoed by AG wannabe Jeffrey Clark. Clark, who was acting AG for a ‘second or two’ in a coup attempt after the 2020 election until the DOJ attorneys threatened to resign en masse, was totally discredited then, and is now popping up again much like the proverbial bad penny. Where do they find these guys?

Democratic Representatives Jamie Raskin and Dan Goldman spoke up in opposition to these remarks. Goldman, a former prosecutor, spoke highly of the professionalism of Special Counsel Jack Smith while Raskin spoke against claims of a two-tiered system of Justice being touted by the right wing and Truth Social. Raskin again supported the idea of the Rule of Law, with the principle that no one is above the law in our system.

Many commentators noted the former president was not required to post bail, surrender his passport, or have his travel restricted, which would have been the case with any other defendant under similar circumstances. Air National Guard member Teixeira in Massachusetts, charged with sharing secrets on the Internet, has been jailed since his arrest, was denied bail, and kept in jail after his recent indictment on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified documents.

DJT is apparently working the phones to Republicans on the Hill and elsewhere to ensure a constant sense of outrage continues to be voiced by ‘his’ MAGA elected officials.

A Republican member of Congress from Florida, Representative Anna Luna, even introduced a measure to censure former Impeachment manager Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California. Fortunately, the measure failed to pass, as twenty Republicans refused to support this unwise move, although most of their conference did.

Why should we be concerned about these lies? Well, they are echoed and embellished by right-wing media, on talk radio, on certain websites, and most notably on cable channels such as Fox, One America, and Newsmax.

It is sometimes said ‘that a lie can travel around the world while the truth is putting on its’ shoes.’ Is the general public hearing the truth? Does the public even care anymore? Many Democrats now complain that President Biden is not speaking out against these falsehoods or defending his Department of Justice. However, the President said when he appointed Attorney General Garland that he would be a hands-off president with the department, unlike his predecessor. He currently has had no comments and probably will not, letting the DOJ speak for itself. AG Garland and Special Counsel Smith have both made brief remarks sticking to the facts related to the indictment.

Now, interestingly enough, Former AG Barr is saying that “DJT is toast if the charges in the indictments can be proven.” (Attempting to recast yourself, Mr. Barr? Sorry, my memory is intact as I and many others still remember your redacting and reworking of the Mueller Report, so that it said little of consequence. You still don’t get a pass for that whitewashing or other acts where you went after the foes of your boss. He is now threatening to do that again if he is re-elected. Another reason to not vote for him, folks!)

Other former administration members have spoken up about the classified documents and the indictment. These men are also Republicans, but they are also professionals who are not echoing the MAGA line. I am no fan of Pompeo or Bolton. One needs to compare their comments with those above who are elected officials. All were careful to say that if true, the indictments are serious offenses. Secretary Esper claimed service members could be endangered if he released some details from documents such as the maps described. Former Secretary of State Pompeo claimed defenses could be compromised if details about nuclear secrets were shared. Ex-National Security Advisor Bolton described careless handling of documents and inattention to security issues by the former president when he served. As he served in other administrations, he drew an obvious line in describing the differences concerning classified areas across various presidencies. Many Democrats still remember that Bolton, however, kept his comments about his time in office quiet, until after the impeachment hearings, some thought, to increase sales of his upcoming book. He refused to appear before the House Committee when they asked.

Just this weekend, Republican Presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson, former Governor of Arkansas, stepped up to say that Republican candidates should not say they would pardon the former president if they are elected and he was convicted. These actions, would in his opinion, undermine the Rule of Law. He also thought that if the former president was elected after a conviction, he would pardon himself. Hutchinson is a former Federal prosecutor and has said that anyone else would have been arrested long ago for offenses dealing with our nation’s secrets. He condemned the sharing of secrets for entertainment value, as has been claimed. So, there are some responsible Republicans, including Senator Romney, out there; we just need to have more of them speak up.

Current 538 polls put Hutchinson near the bottom of the pack with the former guy getting over 53% of the votes among Republican primary voters. DeSantis, who is slipping weekly, now holds only about 20% of the electorate. DeSantis and Abbott teamed up to send some more hapless immigrants to California this week in new stunts to hit Democratic urban areas in blue states. They feel they are really showing their conservative credentials–or something with these actions; I guess!

Right-wing commentators continue to hammer President Biden on his age, forgetting that their guy is only a couple of years younger and in a much worse physical condition. How many times did they play “the fall” when he tripped over a sandbag on the stage at the Air Force Academy? In that vein, a Fox reporter asked California Representative Katie Porter if she thought the President was fit enough for office when he canceled his afternoon schedule recently after dental work. Porter’s rejoinder- “Have you ever had a root canal?” -was priceless. Way to go, Katie!!

Tomorrow we commemorate the Juneteenth Holiday. This holiday, once called Freedom Day, celebrates freedom for the Black community after the Civil War and is a way for communities to share that sense of belonging and togetherness. Some Republicans voted against its enactment two years ago, saying it was divisive. I disagree. This holiday should remind us the Emancipation Proclamation stated all people being held as slaves in states not controlled by the Union were now freed. It would take years for this proclamation to be realized as the news spread slowly. Our country cannot forget these injustices and needs to recognize that all people deserve freedom and justice.

‘Til next week-Peace!

Indicted!

The former President of the United States has now been indicted by the Department of Justice on 37 Federal charges. These include, according to the report on NPR:

1. Willful retention of national defense information (31 charges)

2, Conspiracy to obstruct Justice (Charged along with aide Walt Nauta for hiding documents.)

3. Withholding a document or record (Both are charged with hiding boxes and keeping records away from the attorney's search.)

4. Corruptly concealing a document or record.

5. Concealing a document from a Federal investigation.

6. Scheme to conceal.

7. False statements and representations.

(DJT gave false statements to his attorneys, causing them to make false testimony to the FBI.)

8. False statements and representations. (Aide Nauta gave false statements to the FBI.)

In a brief press conference, Special Counsel Jack Smith announced the detail of the charges. He further explained that the charges were serious and described the charges by saying:

”Our laws that protect National Defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States and they must be enforced."

He added we must presume all defendants are innocent until proven guilty at trial, but that no one is above the law.

Along with the charging document, photos, showing storage boxes stacked on a stage in an open ballroom, piled in a bathroom, including the shower stall, stacked in another room, but noting that one storage box had toppled over spilling classified documents on the floor.

Mar-a-Lago security cameras showed 64 storage boxes being moved out of a locked storage room and taken to the residence days before his attorney was scheduled to review their contents and only 30 boxes returned to the room for review.

There is also testimony from that attorney who indicated that he was misled and then unknowingly created a statement claiming that all materials were reviewed and relevant classified papers were turned over to the National Archives as subpoenaed.

Subsequently, when the National Archives realized that still more papers were missing, the FBI went to a judge and requested a search warrant for the estate. (They did not yet know that staff in Florida had already sent more boxes to the New Jersey golf course, where DJT spends the summers.)

The investigation revealed thousands of documents that should not have been at the estate and over 100 documents with classified notations, some of which were in the personal residence office of the former president. 

Maggie Haberman, a New York Times reporter who has covered DJT for decades and recently published a biography of him called Confidence Man, described the indictment as "one of the most devastating indictments that I have ever read." Additionally, she said, "that these charges spell out his personality to a T." Paraphrasing more: It shows his personality, his thinking he can talk his way out of everything, and his disregard for rules he doesn't like.

It doesn't show a motive, and I assume that might come out in court. Some have speculated that he just wanted to have "secret things" to brag about, much as when he showed Shaq's huge basketball shoes to visitors to his Trump Tower office. (That certainly shows a childish view of national security!) Was he trying to monetize these documents?

Haberman also noted the tapes of him, discussing classified military information that he said he had, was meaningful and could be a big deal for the prosecutors. In some of their documents, the prosecutors claimed he showed a secret military map to a visitor, telling him he shouldn't get too close, because it was classified.

She finally remarked that he, like any citizen, had the presumption of innocence.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr, who facilitated the former president for much of his tenure in office, but broke with him on the 'stop the steal movement', spoke about the indictments when interviewed on Fox News saying: (paraphrase) "The government's agenda was to get these documents out of there and protect them and that was the appropriate thing to do. …If half of what the government says is true, then he is toast."

Neither The White House nor the press office has spoken out about the charges; reports indicate that the president has also not spoken to Attorney General Merrick Garland about this matter.

Meanwhile, before the detailed charges were revealed, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy released a statement claiming this matter was politicized by President Biden. He called this a dark day for America and claimed that the indictment "will disrupt the nation because it violates the principle of equal justice under the law." He mentioned that President Biden also had documents he should not have had, ignoring the reality that Biden turned the documents over as soon as they were noticed. (The former VP Pence also found a few documents, but the special prosecutor, after review, closed his case. The other special prosecutor, looking at the President's documents issue, has not yet issued a report.)

Senator Lindsey Graham started ranting about Hillary Clinton's emails, even after he knew of the scope of the charges.

More responsible elected officials such as Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Leader Chuck Schumer have mostly said nothing. An exception was Senator Romney, who noted, after mentioning a presumption of innocence, that DJT brought these charges upon himself by refusing to turn over documents, despite numerous requests to do so. Ordinary citizens would not have had so many options, he added. Senator Romney also voted to convict the former president when the impeachment votes were counted.

Many were surprised recently to learn that, besides a federal grand jury in Washington DC, Jack Smith also had another grand jury empaneled in Miami. This was the group that approved the charges discussed above. Some experts think they did this to relate the court case to the area where it happened and lessen the defendant's options to demand for a change of venue.

Another problem is that this could put the trial in front of the same judge (appointed by the former president, whom he searched out) and who appointed a Special Master last year seemingly friendly to the arguments put forth by his team. They entered many other delaying tactics, but the Justice Department got most of them overturned on appeals to the 11^th Circuit. The appeals court then reprimanded Judge Cannon for her actions as it overturned them. Will she be more cautious in a trial, or will she recuse herself? The public shall soon learn. They set arraignment for this week, on Tuesday in Miami.

Meanwhile, the January 6^th investigations continue in DC, although the grand jury recently had a break, which may mean that a wrap-up is near. Former presidential chief of staff, Mark Meadows testified not long ago and Steve Bannon, active in the January 6^th planning, has been subpoenaed but may take the fifth. A jury convicted him on that charge and the judge sentenced him for ignoring the House select committee's summons for testimony, but he is appealing his sentence.

And, the criminal case in Georgia is still pending, possibly to be before a grand jury next month. Some previous defendants may testify for the defense.

So, I guess it shall be an interesting summer! I won't comment on the ridiculousness of Rep. Comer demanding testimony from FBI Director Wray on years ago debunked claims by Rudy Giuliani, even after the director allowed him to look at the documents in question, said to be from an unreliable source. If Giuliani was involved, it probably was (IMHO)!

Three knowledgeable attorneys (Norman Eisen, Andrew Weissmann, and Joyce Vance) wrote an op-ed in the New York Times about how a conviction might occur. You can read it here.

Well, it has been a momentous week, so I'll close for now. Let me know what you think of this situation. 'The first time ever that we have indicted a former president!'

“Til next week-Peace!

Tales from Florida

Have you seen some of the news about legislation coming out from the Florida elected officials in the statehouse recently? No one is claiming that the body of lawmakers thought up these horrific measures on their own; they are all the creation of the team around the current Governor, Ron DeSantis. DeSantis recently threw his hat into the increasingly crowded Republican Primary race.

DeSantis likes to feel that he is the former ‘pres.’ without the January 6^th or secret document baggage. He tries to wear the MAGA hat and adopt a swagger and bluster, but somehow, it doesn’t ring true. He can posture and strut on a stage, but to many, this appears to be a role he is playing, with an ever-changing script.

He appears to have a list and is checking off the boxes as shown by these examples:

A. The 15-week abortion ban, not strict enough? Make it six weeks and sign the bill in the dark of night…Check!

B. Don’t say gay, not strict enough? Create a moratorium on mentioning the subject of gays in school in any grade…and punish educators who oppose this…oh, and add legislation against trans folks also…Check!

C. Opposing vaccinations didn’t quite work? Appoint a State Surgeon General who doesn’t support vaccinations or masks and doesn’t believe COVID was handled properly. I am uncertain if he didn’t believe in COVID as a pandemic either. …Check!

D. Don’t like history books that report truths you don’t appreciate? Well, disallow books that teach truthfully about the slave era and the civil rights movements….. Check!

E. Believe some books can harm young minds and act on it. Publicize a list of banned books and threaten schools that do not remove them. (Even though many are well acclaimed and are even National prize winners)…. Check!

F. Don’t like a progressive college with many alternative learners and LGBTQIA members as students? Throw out the current leadership and bring in leadership that promises to turn the college into a Christian College…. Check!

G. Don’t like the facts of our diverse nation with multiple religious groups?

Brandish your ideas for creating a patriotic white Christian nation, starting with your Florida experiences. Christian Nationalism for everyone!…. Check!

H. Don’t like the fact that immigrants can come to America and seek asylum? Get the state to pay for importing immigrants and shipping them to northern states while you laugh at your wily moves. (Disregarding this playing with real people and their lives.) Or doesn’t he believe “these people” have rights?.… Check!

I. Don’t believe in the freedom of the press? Fine, restrict press access to your schedule and to members of your administration….Check!

J. Don’t like protests about your policies? Just ban public gatherings of more than a few people and ban protests. (Forget that pesky right of assembly clause.)…Check!

K. Don’t like it when the largest employer in your state speaks out against your ‘don’t say gay’ policy?

Of course, threaten the business, and regulations pertaining to it, using a straw board of cronies to run it…. Check!

L. Don’t like it when the voters of your state approve voting rights for felons? Right, make new laws to arrest voters who were enrolled legally and overturn the will of the people. …Check!

DeSantis has promoted all the above measures. He is well on his way to creating an authoritarian state in the United States. Since being elected with an overwhelming vote, he has assumed that whatever he does, along with his compliant legislators, is legal. He may soon find out that there is a United States Constitution and Bill of Rights that stand in his way. Most people might know about a few of these, but I doubt everyone is aware of all the anti-freedom measures he has taken.

It seems to me and many others that he is trying to change America to resemble the authoritarian regime now found in Hungary. Some others feel his actions are promoting fascist philosophies. Americans cannot stand by and allow the enhancement of such leaders.

Heather Cox Richardson had a great column about some of these matters this week. She said in part in her column on May 29^th, 2023:

(Quoting from a brochure written by the War Department and given to the US troops during World War II.)

“It is “vitally important” to learn to spot native fascists, the government said, “even though they adopt names and slogans with popular appeal, drape themselves with the American flag, and attempt to carry out their program in the name of the democracy they are trying to destroy.”

The only way to stop the rise of fascism in the United States, the document said, “is by making our democracy work and by actively cooperating to preserve world peace and security.” In the midst of the insecurity of the modern world, the hatred at the root of fascism “fulfills a triple mission.” By dividing people, it weakens democracy. “By getting men to hate rather than to think,” it prevents them “from seeking the real cause and a democratic solution to the problem.” By falsely promising prosperity, it lures people to embrace its security.

“Fascism thrives on indifference and ignorance,” it warned. Freedom requires “being alert and on guard against the infringement not only of our own freedom but the freedom of every American. If we permit discrimination, prejudice, or hate to rob anyone of his democratic rights, our own freedom, and all democracy is threatened.” And if “we want to make certain that fascism does not come to America, we must make certain that it does not thrive anywhere in the world.”

I am sure, if my readers stop and think for a while, they will, like me, see the dangers in promoting a man such as Ron DeSantis for any office, let alone the presidency of this great nation. I hope the Republicans who are trying to find an alternative to the indicted candidate currently leading in the polls do not choose DeSantis. With luck, his disastrous Twitter-based kick-off and so-so appearances on the stump will downgrade his standing in the polls. One can certainly hope.

In other monumental news this week, President Biden signed a bipartisan bill that raises the debt ceiling until January 2025. As reported by PBS, the Bill passed in both Houses of Congress with a majority of Democratic votes in each Chamber. Republicans did not back their Speaker in great numbers as 71 Republicans voted against the Bill to raise the debt ceiling, as did 36 Democrats. The final tally was 314 for and 117 against. The threshold to pass was 219. The Senate vote was 63-36 for passage. Five Democrats voted against the Bill, and 17 Republican Senators voted for it, along with 46 Democrats, so it was a bipartisan effort. So, it seems, that earlier reports of the right-wing so-called Freedom caucuses that caused such a problem in Speaker McCarthys’ nomination were not a factor in this vote. Most of them opposed it, but with the Democratic help, in the House, it passed easily. There was little talk at the end of a vote to replace the Speaker. In his address to the nation on Friday evening, President Biden spoke kindly of the responsible negotiations with the Speaker; McCarthy also gave compliments for the President from their one-on-one sessions. This belied the Republican line that the president is a doddering fool who cannot speak a coherent sentence. Of course, the President, after giving a sound speech at the USAF Academy Graduation, and shaking the hand of each graduate, gave the haters on right-wing media some fodder when he tripped over a sandbag on stage. That he got right up and carried on meant little to them, it seems.

News reports in the Wall Street Journal and Vanity Fair indicate that the Special Prosecutor in the Mar-a-Lago and January 6^th insurrection cases involving the former president is moving forward and might be close to releasing news of indictments. They further note that his lawyers have told him to expect criminal indictments soon. The former President recently told Republicans to let the country default on the debt ceiling if they didn’t get all of their demands. Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed, although I, and I think most Democrats, are still angry at the hostage-taking attempts on this issue, which should have been routinely resolved.

That’s enough for today, from me!

“Til next week-Peace!